Today's Sunday Lost Scenes comes from First Devon & Cornwall's Falmouth outstation in 2005...
Back in 2005, I went to Falmouth on a family holiday. After finding the depot and asking for permission to enter, I took a variety of different photos documenting the bus scene. 2005 was the last big year of the Western National VR, with many different examples having already disappeared from service. The VRs were still common place on the 2, 7, 8, 89 and 90, with various other examples also active on the tourist services (which were also far more in number than the few they have today).
Pictured are native Western National VR 38872 (LFJ872W), Badgerline-livered Olympian 34709 (A809THW), fresh from recent transfer from Weston-super-Mare (I think), and former London Dart 46102 (K102CVW), which my records show as already having been withdrawn at this point. All three buses are long gone now, although the Olympian lasted the longest and did receive Barbie livery in due course. FDC still have an interesting outstation at Falmouth, and it would be great to go back one day.
The Bristol VR has to be one of the or if not the greatest bus we've ever had in Britain. It was the backbone of most NBC fleets for so many years. I was privileged to have VRs on my local route in Cornwall up until 2004/05. I don't think the new double deck buses will last the 25 years that some of the VRs made.
ReplyDeleteI popped into this Outstation just last week! It was full of Ex FHD Volvo Olympians, a Dart and a Plaxton President, how times have changed! :-)
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