Silver Star Motor Services was a bus and coach operator in the south of England between 1923 and 1963.

Origins to World War II

Silver Star Motor Services started operating services In September 1923, between Allington, Porton Camp and

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

, in the south of Wiltshire. The first vehicle was a Ford Model T, with a 14-seat body by Pitt of Fordingbridge. An additional route was started in 1926, linking Salisbury with the military camp at

Sling Sling may refer to: Places *Sling, Anglesey, Wales * Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media * ...

. By 1927, the fleet had increased to five vehicles, including a rather unusual 6-wheeled Rolls Royce with seating for 20, and the company had taken over a building at Porton Camp. The first Leylands were acquired in 1929, and this soon came to be the dominant vehicle type in the fleet.

World War II

In 1939 Silver Star acquired its first double decker vehicles, with six second hand Leyland Titan TD1s being purchased from the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Company. These were required for transport of construction workers to the military camp at Figsbury Barracks. Soon after the start of World War II, several of the Silver Star vehicles were requisitioned by the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet ...

, only one of which was later returned to the company. This was countered by the arrival of other second hand vehicles, including several ex- Southdown vehicles acquired from

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. However, by the end of the war, much of the Silver Star fleet was in a run-down condition and needed updating.

Post World War II

In 1947 Silver Star purchased its first brand new double decker, a Leyland Titan PD1. The fleet continued to be augmented by second hand vehicles, enabling some of the life-expired pre-war vehicles to be withdrawn from service. The 1950s saw a significant expansion of weekend forces' leave services, with Silver Star vehicles travelling as far afield as Scotland and South Wales. This required a significant expansion of the coach fleet, these being mainly based on Leyland chassis with bodywork by Harrington. In April 1956 one of these vehicles was involved in a fatal accident near Rugby whilst returning from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The coach returned to service after receiving a replacement body. In 1957, Silver Star were granted a licence for a new express service from the Bemerton Heath housing estate in Salisbury to

Porton Down Porton Down is a science and defence technology campus in Wiltshire, England, just north-east of the village of Porton, near Salisbury. It is home to two British government facilities: a site of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and ...

, leading to the purchase of three new one-man operated single deck buses. In 1959 they became the first independent bus operator in England to place an example of the new

Leyland Atlantean The Leyland Atlantean is a predominantly double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland Motors between 1958 and 1986. Only 17 Atlantean chassis were bodied as single deck from new. It pioneered the design of rear-engined, front entrance ...

rear-engined double decker bus into service, this being joined by three others over the next three years.

Takeover and fleet dispersal

In October 1962, one of the two founders died, and the other had already decided to retire. Silver Star Motor Services was taken over by

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in June 1963 (at which time the fleet comprised 23 vehicles). They retained and used some of the ex-Silver Star vehicles for several years afterwards, but many were quickly passed on to other fleets including Bristol Omnibus and

Western National Western National (originally the Western National Omnibus Company) was a bus company operating in South West England from 1929 until the 1990s. Early history The Western National Omnibus Company was founded in 1929 as a joint venture between ...

Preservation

Three former Silver Star vehicles have been preserved and are often seen at bus rallies in the UK. These include two Leyland Tiger Cubs, as well as one of the Leyland Atlantean double decker buses.Grace (2021), p.84

References

{{Defunct British Bus Companies Former bus operators in Wiltshire 1923 establishments in England 1963 disestablishments in England Transport companies established in 1923 British companies established in 1923