When did the Timesaver branding disappear?

[Stephen Parry]

As a kid, my family and I would travel on the 966 from Erdington to Wolverhampton, the service having the blue Timesaver livery/branding on it. Good service, loved the limited stop concept.

Does anyone know the year the Timesaver branding/livery disappeared? I have tried Googling in the past, but nothing has come up.

We didn't have a car when I was a kid so we got buses everywhere. Because that bus was a) blue, and b) a limited stop service, I guess I felt privileged.  ;)

My stepdad used to refer to the service as a "speed bus". I can't say I've heard anyone else use that terminology, was it something many people used?

Thanks in advance.

[Bob]

1994 ish?

[karl724223]

1994 ish?

after that I drove them at Walsall and hockley(shit hole) garages

[Mike K]

There's a wealth of info on the history of the Timesaver network in this Blog:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mfitchewhotmail.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/timesavers/amp/

There's not much about West Midlands buses that this chap doesn't know.

[Westy]

There's a wealth of info on the history of the Timesaver network in this Blog:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mfitchewhotmail.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/timesavers/amp/

There's not much about West Midlands buses that this chap doesn't know.

He's not long started this blog, as he ran out of space on the other one!

https://buscapade.wordpress.com/

[Stephen Parry]

Thanks for the links, I shall read those now.

[PB2938]

 1994 repaints began into standard livery. By mid 1995 all vechiles was repainted out of Timesaver livery.

In December 1994 HY/WA lost all there timesaver livery vechiles to PB in Exchange for standard WMT livery.

2915 2921 2923 2924 2941 2948 2950 2951 2954 2955 operated at PB in Timesaver livery.

Service 963 was withdrawn July 1992 replaced by 64.

In November 1992 service 901/901 A was withdrawn Timesaver moved to PB from WA/HY/BC in repainted in standard livery. For new limited stop services 102A/105A and 995 966 997 998

[monkeyjoe]

Remember who comfortable the seats were.

[Stephen Parry]

It definitely felt like "elite travel" to me given the seats, different colours and limited stops.

[Bob]

Remember who comfortable the seats were.

Very ! People ised to burn them though etc with lighters. I remember WMT putting Grey /formica or plastic panels on the back of the seats after thry were retrimmed in blue

[Crosville]

When the timesaver branding ended, vehicles were painted into standard livery, it was easy to spot former timesaver Metrobuses, as buses were fitted with a smaller blind like this one
https://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/15197891697/in/photostream/

Compared with the normal standard blind like this one
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwbphotos/4261869981/

Best route for the timesavers were always the old 950/951/952/953 group of routes, used to be fun[still is on the new platinums], blasting down the A34 up/down the overpasses & underpasses, the Metrobuses were beasts.

I remember Greater Manchesters, GM Buses having a similar type of network, although those were standard numbers rather than the 9xx series, although these used Northern Counties Olympians, with a handful of NC with a MCW Metrobus chassis