Sunday 6 March 2011

They are rare, but you can still find them...

I'm talking about Wilts & Dorset's step entry DAF SB250/Optare Spectra double deckers - once easy to find no matter where you were in the Wilts & Dorset network, and now whittled down to just 7 in service.

6 of the 7 are allocated to Salisbury depot, and these include 3139 (M139KRU), pictured to the left. From my latest sources, 3136, 3138, 3140, 3143 and 3147 also operate from Salisbury, although they are quite hard to find and outnumbered by the former Southern Vectis Volvo Olympians in use in the capital of Wiltshire. 3139 is pictured arriving on an early morning 64 from Perham Down - due in at 1005 in Salisbury city centre.

However, at least one looks as if it will be around for a long time yet. Numerically the last Optare Spectra bodied step entry DAF is 3147 (M947KRU), which is one of the latest buses to receive Wilts' 2008 livery. She is pictured arriving in Salisbury on a 44 from Woodfalls on Friday morning.

3127 (L127ELJ) is also left in service from Ringwood - it is also the only one left in the striped Wilts & Dorset livery, although 3138 is in the coach version of the livery. Just a few years after W&D removed the last Bristol VR from service, the DAF/Optare Spectra cull sees its last 7 survivors - it will be interesting to see how many last into 2012.

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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous7 March 2011 at 08:00

    I think calling Salisbury the "capital" of Wiltshire is pushing it a bit! Wiltshire isn't a nation state : )

    Since the 1930s, the "county town" is actually Trowbridge and before that Wilton.

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  2. bus80d7 March 2011 at 19:37

    I thought that Salisbury was the capital of Wiltshire like Winchester is the capital of Hampshire. I stand corrected - apologies.

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