Sunday Lost Scenes - 11th December

My Sunday Lost Scenes from this week is a memory from Lyme Regis...

First Hants & Dorset 817 - S817KPR - Lyme Regis - 2nd August 2003

In 1997-8, Southern National replaced the Bristol VRs on the Weymouth - Taunton route 31 with Dennis Dart SLFs. It was also split into two, and shared between Weymouth and Taunton depots - with Taunton operating Taunton-Axminster as route 30, and Weymouth operating Axminster-Weymouth as route 31. S817-23KPR took over the reigns.

My scene this week comes from Lyme Regis in 2003, with 817 (S817KPR) wearing it's original livery, with some First changes. 2003 was the last summer that Darts operated this service in green, before they were all given a repaint and rebrand into First livery. I always liked this livery - it fitted the lines of the Dart's body well, and, despite quite a dated livery, always appeared quite modern to me. 

The Darts are still all in service from Weymouth and Bridport, but often allocated onto town services. However, last year, I did catch S817KPR slipping back onto the 31, which brought back a few memories :-) It has also gained an LED display, and has seen it's second repaint since green and cream - she does look very smart but it isn't as appealing as Southern National colours. Pictured at Axminster rail station.

Bude - Plymouth since 2004

The route connecting the north Cornish town of Bude to the Devonian city of Plymouth is a route that I am very familiar with, having been the first ever First Devon & Cornwall route that I photographed. It has change a lot since my first photo back on 2nd August 2004...

August 2004
First Devon & Cornwall used branded Dennis Javelins on the then X8 back in 2004. There were 5 Javelins if I remember correctly, which wore branding for both the X8 to Plymouth from Bude, and the X9 to Exeter. They were part of First's Excel branding associated with cross-county routes of the time. Pictured first is 21098 (R298AYB), arriving in Bude on the mid-afternoon X8.

August 2005
Even in 2004, former First Glasgow and First York Volvo B10Ms were creeping onto the X8 and X9, and here is former Glasgow 66584 (F384FYS) arriving in a very wet Bude in summer 2005. The X8 and X9 were the last routes where these fine buses saw regular service, with the last being withdrawn in 2006 (I think).

August 2006
After the B10Ms were withdrawn, the X8 became a bit of a free-for-all. The mid-afternoon Plymouth arrival was also always operated by Plymouth depot so anything could turn up. Here is Leyland Olympian 34753 (A753VAF) - I can remember many a long sunny afternoon longing for one of these beasts to turn up! The X8 at this point had a PVR of 3, with Bude operating one (usually a coach), and Plymouth operating 2 (usually anything) - and there was a regular Saturday morning departure that was always a double decker.

August 2007
In 2007, the X8 was taken out of the no defunct Excel brand and placed as a normal extension of route 76 to Callington, numbered the 76A. Furthermore, all operations were covered by Plymouth depot - hence the appearance of former National Express Volvo Olympian 34198 (UKT552).

April 2008
Within less than a year, the rather random allocation on the 76/76A calmed down, and Volvo B6BLEs became the regular bus type due to the tachographs that were fitted to these buses. These were new in 2002, diverted from York to initally operate the Corlink route 55 from St Austell to Padstow. Here is 48273 (YG02DLV) pulling up to the stand ready to depart for Plymouth. I say these were the regular allocations... the next departure (2 hours later) was a Vario...

August 2010
I returned in 2010 to find a new operator on the route. Western Greyhound had taken over, with super long Solos now operating Bude to Plymouth as the 576. The departure times were relatively the same. The First 76 was cut back to Callington, although a few peak journeys still make it to Launceston. Plymouth depot now no longer operate into Bude, and since the changes, a lot of the variety has disappeared too.


Well, the route has also changed since 2010. Western Greyhound now operate two Mercedes-Benz Citaro single deckers out of Bude depot, and at least one of these can usually be found on the 576 (the other one is usually on the 599 to Exeter). Whenever I return to Bude, I hope to be able to update this post with a Citaro heading for Plymouth.


Many thanks for viewing.

Sunday Lost Scenes - 4th December

My Sunday Lost Scenes from this week is a scene from earlier this year...

Shamrock were an operator in Dorset earlier this year, which operated a moderately-sized fleet mainly on contract services - be it tendered service work, school services, shopping contracts and more. Unfortunately, they went into administration earlier this year and had to cease trading, meaning their assets were sold on. Therefore, many bus operators have bought ex-Shamrock stock.

This photo comes from Poole on 19th March this year, with Shamrock Dart 213 (P262NRH) entering the bus station on a 32 from Merley. I quite liked Shamrock - I'm not usually the biggest fan of independents (don't know why) but something about the orange took my interest and I photographed ever bus I could. It is a shame they no longer operate, but here is my lost scene from which to remember the company.

The Hoeford Leyland Olympian Heyday

My first post for a while reminisces back to 2006, when Hoeford depot operated no less than 5 Leyland Olympians. They were all second hand and had seen a lot of service elsewhere in First, but were proper buses and popular among enthusiasts at least. It also marked a turn away from the previous Hoeford policy of only needing one double decker - for years VR LWU471V had been the only double decker, and now that had been replaced and 5 deckers were in service...

The first to arrive was former PMT 30056 (A157UDM), arriving in 2005 and working alongside another former PMT DOG - MTU124Y, which was quickly withdrawn. This marked a time where First in the Potteries were jettisoning some of their elderly Olympians to work out their final years in the south - First Devon and Cornwall also received a number. 30056 is seen reversing off of a stand in Fareham bus station, working the West End circular to the college. Pictured on a sunny 25th August 2006.

Two former Western National Olympians were operated by Hoeford. These were A756VAF and A757VAF, which had originally passed from First Badgerline to First Southampton's Portswood depot, before moving to Hoeford late in 2005. 34756 (A756VAF) is pictured in an autumnal Gosport bus station out of service and broken (hence the lean on the bus). It was later repaired and saw service until the Volvo Olympians took over in 2007.

The other in service at Hoeford was 34757 (A757VAF), which I remember catching on route 80 back in the summer in 2006. It was a fantastic bus - so fantastic that it's roof lives on as part of the roof on Weymouth's N528LHG, an open top Olympian that argued with a bridge in Southampton, and lost. 34757 is seen on premier route 86, in Gosport bus station on 23rd September 2006.

Two Olympians acquired late in the day proved to be some of the best. First up is former First Eastern National 34810 (C410HJN), which was replicated as a model by Exclusive First Editions, actually on route 34 with this blind set. I often wonder whether this photo provided the inspiration :-) ... pictured in Fareham bus station on 26th July 2006.

Finally, a second example acquired from First Eastern National was 34814 (C414HJN), which was the last Olympian in this series of photos withdrawn from service. 34814 is pictured on the wall in Fareham bus station. This, along with 34810, was transferred to Weymouth when the Volvo Olympians arrived in Hoeford, although 34814 was only withdrawn in the last couple of years. It was also treated to a repaint into the modern First colours.

Hoeford now operates 8 Olympians on last count - 

* former Stagecoach London examples P542/3HMP

* former Stagecoach Cambus examples P536 / 540 / 559 / 560 / 571 / 572 / 578EFL

... which is the highest number of double deckers at Hoeford since First took over. 

Thanks for viewing - sorry about the lack of blog entries recently, life has been very hectic!

Sunday Lost Scenes - 13th November

I've decided to put the date at the top of my "Sunday Lost Scenes" posts as I'm quite likely to lose count soon. Today's entry comes from the North Devon town of Lynton back in 2004...

First Somerset & Dorset 46731 - P631CGM - Lynton - 2nd August 2004

For many a long year, the north Devon arm of First Devon & Cornwall (First Red Bus) combined with Taunton's First Somerset & Avon depot to operate route 300. Route 300 was a Taunton or Minehead to Ilfracombe or Barnstaple service, operated by both companies crossing the Somerset and Devon border. It usually saw Dennis Darts - such as 46731 - which was a shame as this could have been marketed as a profitable summer long term route with the right buses.

Later on in 2004 First gave up the route, and it is now operated by two different operators that meet in Lynton. Filers operates Ilfracombe - Lynton section of the route, with Quantook operating the Lynton - Minehead section, using a rather lovely open top Scania Omnidekka. First no longer serve Lynton or Lynmouth, having given up the 309 / 310 at the same time, which means this picture is truly a lost scene.

Portswood Update

I paused in Portswood today for the first time in a good few months to survey the local bus scene. I'm very familiar with the bus scene in Portswood, having got to know it very well for the last 4 years.

Firstly, the buses on route 3 seem to have grown! Route 3 has been a haunt for the Dart SLFs for years now, but today 4 Volvo B7RLEs were out on the route, with 1 B10BLE and 1 Dart. Here is former West Yorkshire and Devon & Cornwall Volvo B7RLE 69245 (YJ07WFM), loading passengers in St Denys Road.

Further changes from First see the 7 (Southampton - Bassett Green) lose one bus an hour to become every 30 minutes. First's route into northern Southampton has really suffered as the Unilink network has grown so strongly. The U1 was at full standing capacity on numerous workings today, which was a Saturday. 

Staying with First's route 7, and the ex-London B7TLs seen have taken over from the ex-London Olympians. I didn't manage any photos but 32259 (I think) was out on the route today.

Furthermore, BlueStar's route 14 (Bitterne - Southampton via Mansbridge & Bassett Green) has been cut back to become the P1, connecting Southampton with Bassett Green at an hourly frequency. BlueStar's Solo 2603 (R603NFX) was doing the honours today.

Not any drastic changes but certainly different from the place I knew so well just a year ago!