THAMESDOWN showcased the future of transport in Swindon this morning with a nod to the town’s railway past.

Four new buses were unveiled in front of assembled dignitaries as part of a naming ceremony at STEAM organised to coincide with the Swindon 175 celebrations.

Accompanied by the now familiar sound of the replica hooter, curtains were drawn back to reveal the vehicles’ railway-themed names.

Among the unveiling party was the Mayor of Swindon, Coun Andrew Bennett.

He said: “We’ve been talking about this for some time since we became aware that new buses were coming forward.

“It’s great that we keep things up to date and moving along, it’s good of everybody to tie this in with Swindon 175 – it’s very fitting.”

The bus unveiled by Coun Bennett will carry the name Sir Daniel Gooch after one of the founders of the railway works in Swindon – the others will be named Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Sudeley Castle and Sarum Castle.

The buses, all Alexander Dennis Enviro 200s, will serve the number 16 route from Fleming Way to Great Western Hospital when they are brought into service next week.

Paul Jenkins, managing director of Thamesdown Transport, said: “As Swindon’s own bus company we’re delighted to be playing our part in Swindon 175 by unveiling these four buses.

“Having its own bus company is one of the things that makes Swindon quite distinctive because there are only 11 municipally owned bus companies in the country.

“We can’t claim to have been around as long as the railways but we do trace our history all the way back to the trams of 1904, meaning we’ve been around for 112 years.

“In recognition of the fact that we have links with the town’s past we have named our buses after locomotives built here at Swindon works since about the 1980s.

“This is the latest in a long tradition and it’s perhaps very appropriate that we can particularly salute two of the town’s key railway pioneers today.

“Thamesdown is really proud of its heritage but it’s also proud that it has a forward looking approach; I think that’s something that Isambard Kingdom Brunel would have approved of.”

The railway works was once a dominant feature in the lives of many in Swindon, with almost everyone knowing someone who was employed at the works.

For many of those workers, the closure of the works signalled the end of an era leading them to search out a new career entirely.

However for a small number of engineers, Thamesdown offered a lifeline allowing them to use their skills and experience on transport of a different kind.

One such engineer was Stan Scott, who was on hand to unveil Sarum Castle as part of the ceremony.

Stan, 66, said: “I started in 1964 as a 15-year-old apprentice coach trimmer and spent roughly 18 years there with British Rail and BREL.

“I left on March 6, 1987, and started at Thamesdown on March 9 and I’ve been there ever since.

“I’m still doing the same trade just on the buses, I’ve been very fortunate really.”