Ex Blue Triangle Trident 338 celebrated its 443rd day in Blackpool by making its service depot on 5 January on Line 1. New in Oct 2001 as Blue Triangle TL911 PO51UMG, it arrived in Blackpool on 20 October 2008 having been rescued from the M55 by ERF Tow Wagon 929. Sister bus TL913 PO51UMJ was prepared first and made its debut on 15 June last year. Both buses have been converted to single door and upseated from 66 to 75 seats and - with ex Blackburn 333-337 - provide a batch of seven Tridents for the seven main workings on Line 1.
338 was intended to replace Olympian 367 (UWW15X) which was laid up briefly over Christmas but returned to use at the start of the school term. The additional full size bus should come in useful as pool livery Optare Solos are making virtually daily appearances on 'big bus' routes with examples noted on the 7, 11 and 14 this week. Trident 309 returned to service just before Christmas after its first repaint into Line 14 colours. This completes the routine repaints of the first batch of Tridents.
The current status of disused vehicles is that Metroriders 503, 505 and 507 remain at Rigby Road with 506, 511-513 and 593 at Marton. Atlantean 364 is also stored at Rigby Road along with fire damaged Delta 124 which is under cannibalisation. Excels 215 and 219 remain under refurbishment, the latter having had body modifications at Rigby Road.
