White Bus Services of Windsor a.k.a. Jeatt, of Winkfield

Originally written in 1999 referring to the company's own leaflet “65 Years How Many Miles?” with additional photography & research by Martin G. Layton. This edition is updated in April 2009.

In December 1930 Mr William Rule Jeatt purchased from The Republic Bus Service a small bus and the rights to operate a service for £150.00. The route, as now, was between Windsor and Ascot although it broadly followed the modern BeeLine route 191.

Eventually revenue provided funds to purchase a new 20 seat Dennis Ace in 1934, with a second similar bus being added in 1936. Dennis Ace JB 9468 is reported as being in service with White Bus Services in April 1937. The letter combination JB was first issued in March 1932 and continued to be used through to August 1936, so JB 9468 could be either vehicle.

This 1934 Dennis Mace photographed at Bus of Yesteryear in Staines on August 9th 1998 is similar to the Dennis Ace, except for being halfcab instead of bonneted. The snouted look of the Ace earned it the nickname "Flying Pig".

Objections, under the old road traffic regulations, to route alterations led to a completely new route from Windsor to Ascot (and later Bagshot) through Windsor Great Park - to this day White Bus Services is still the only bus company to operate a sceduled bus service through Windsor Great Park. During the early 1940's the terminus in Castle Hill Windsor was moved to the Great Western Railway's Central Station where it remained until 1992. The present day terminus is in Thames Street Windsor. Most services were sustained during WWII showing how vital these transport links were to the community. During the mid 50's the family split operations and Winkfield Coaches was formed to concentrate on private hire work. This operation reverted back to White Bus Services after the retirement in in 1990 of Mr E. Mauler. The company is now run by the founder's grandson Mr Douglas Jeatt.

Everyone a Classic Bedford

65 Years, how many miles ?

Photographed July 1999

KDT281P a Bedford YRQ II chassis with Plaxton Panorama Elite III C45F body		JMJ633V a Bedford YMT chassis with Plaxton Supreme Elite IV C53F body.
C668WRT a Bedford YMT chassis with Duple Dominant B63F body.

KDT281P

JMJ633V

C668WRT

White Bus Sevices route 1 is unique over its Windsor to Sunningdale via Windsor Great park section. Between Sunningdale and Ascot it shares the road and a timetable with BeeLine route 161 which continues on into Bracknell Bus Station. A school days only single journey working of White Bus Sevices route 1 is one of the few non-BeeLine services to use Bracknell Bus Station.

Into The New Millennium

Initially explored using low floor Dennis Darts operated by First Beeline Buses The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead invented its own local bus network called the "BoroughBus", mainly serving commercially nonviable routes within their jurisdiction. White Bus operations, including Route1 between Windsor and Ascot serving Windsor Great Park, Cheapside, Sunningdale and Sunninghill and schools transport services, plus services operated by Courtney Coaches were included, operated with modern low floor, wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Courtney Coaches used the opportunity to evaluate the Regenatec RGen100 pure plant oil (PPO) biofuel conversion system for diesel engines enabling their buses to use any mixture of DERV diesel fuel, biodiesel or PPO. Managing Director Bill Courtney enthused that RGen100 gave Courtney Coaches a contract winning advantage over competitors with near CO2 neutral, low emission vehicles

The White Bus Company began to operate three 49-seater Optare Deltas on its services from Windsor, through Windsor Great Park to Sunningdale. The secondhand 49-seater Optare Deltas took over from the White Bus Bedfords in 2003. Even the Deltas needed to have the road camber altered before they could exit from the Great Park safely, so there was little inclination to try to replace them with fully low-floor buses.

The three buses had remarkably consecutive body numbers

S158JUA

P131RWR

R89GNW

Annual Spring Bus & Coach Gathering at Cobham

	Duple bodied Bedford YLQ HRO958V was bought new by White Bus in September 1979 and exhibited at Cobham in 2005 as a preserved vehicle.
	S158JUA, described in the text above represented White Bus at Cobham in 2005 as a working vehicle.

YJ57EHV B47F Optare Tempo X1260 new in December 2007 was the sole company representative at the 2009 event.

Old Bedfords Soldier On

		KDT281P purchased for further revenue earning service in late 2007 obtained an operators' licence to run for private hires etc. in time for its first paid engagement in May 2009.
		Photos courtesy of Luke Smith T/A Elderson Coaches of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

© Martin G. Layton 2009

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