Created 13-Feb-13
Modified 8-Mar-24
This service commenced operation on 23rd January 1926. It was jointly operated by Oldham Corporation and SHMD (Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Transport and Electricity Board, to use its full title the once in this gallery!). There was a lot of wrangling at first about fares but things eventually settled down to a stable pattern.
The bus entered Oldham along Union Street then performed a circuit of the Town Hall going up Greaves Street and down Clegg Street, leaving also along Union Street. The stop was originally on Clegg Street but later moved to the top of Greaves Street. Around April 1967 the outward route was changed to go down George Street and that became the new terminal point.
Oldham, as was their policy with motor bus routes at the time, gave it the route letter E, whereas SHMD numbered it 16. This schism remained until January 1967 when Oldham gave it the same number as SHMD, just over a year ahead of the more general abandonment of route letters. Thus it remained until after the formation of SELNEC in 1969, under whose administration it was renumbered 416 on 2nd December 1973.
The 416 ceased to run from 20th July 1980 when it was replaced by an extension of the 343 service which had previously run from Hyde to Mossley.
© David Beilby
