on 1 january 1907, todmorden corporation became only the second municipality in the british isles to operate a motor bus service. by the end of that year, the fleet had expanded to five double-deck vehicles: two by critchley-norris, two by lancashire steam (predecessor of leyland motors) and one by ryknield. in 1931, the service became jointly operated by the corporation and the lms railway under the name "todmorden joint omnibus committee". at its maximum size in the 1940s and 1950s, the undertaking operated 40 vehicles over 50 route miles (80 km) through the rugged south pennine terrain.