The Metro Years: 2006

New Trident 332 was the first bus to be named to acknowledge a late operations manager

2006 saw a welcome return of fleet investment with the arrival of five more Dennis Tridents for Line 11. Launch day was 23 June 2006 and after this 328-331 entered service, but 332 was held back to appear at Totally Transport on 25 June and entered service the day after. It would later travel to London in October as part of a display at the Integrated Ticketing Systems World Congress and Exhibition at Excel in the Docklands demonstrating the Nowcard Smartcard technology.

818 was the third open top Olympian - note the rather 'home made' destination display for Line 1.

At the other end of the age spectrum, a third new to London Buses Olympian arrived for City Sightseeing work as 818 (D218FYM). Unlike 813 and 849 this arrived in London red and was repainted into City Sightseeing colours by Blackpool Transport. It entered service in September. Metrobuses 815 and 864 remained in the fleet. Blackpool also assumed responsibility for the Manchester Tour and took on the three  Metrobuses previously used by Ensignbus: 802 BYX302V; 814 BOK68V, 892 GYE392W. 


Several demonstrators visited with two Optare Tempos in June, a Citaro and MAN in November and a Scania single decker in December.


Bus service changes saw the City Sightseeing open toppers transferred onto Line 1. The two Olympians and two Metrobuses had four booked workings providing a 20 minute Pontins to Cleveleys service. Orange and yellow Olympians provided back up and, from May, a Tuesday only North Pier to Fleetwood service which grew into a daily North Pier to Cleveleys (Fleetwood on Tuesday) service during the summer holidays. The 21 ceased and was replaced by an extended 20 which now ran Marton Mere to Zoo via Promenade and Town Centre using 3 buses with Olympian 404 painted lilac to match 401-3.

Smartly painted Solo 249 turns into Lytham Square on Line 2 prior to its extension to Wesham

Other changes saw the L1 re-route perimeter road from May 2006. In September saw the extension of route 2 to Wesham replacing route 70, taking the vehicle requirement up to 20. Further minor route changes to the 2 saw some links lost in Lytham St. Annes. Lancashire County Council procured a replacement route numbered 72 from 30 October that provided five journeys per day with a break for the driver to have lunch. This used pool minibuses.

Metrorider 591 on lightly used route 72 in the upmarket Cypress Point estate in Ansdell

Farewell to the Atlantean?
The arrival of the Tridents saw 352/4-6 withdrawn on 23 June joining 359 which had a defective engine. Sister 350 had been sold to Blackpool Council in March for use as a mess bus for the tramway track gangs and was converted and repainted by Blackpool Transport, entering service as the council's 270 in December 2006. Sister 351 was purchased by the M3 group for spares, while 473 was scrapped in the spring. The day after the Atlanteans withdrawal five of the survivors (353, 357, 358, 361 and 362) put their customary turn on Line 7. All five, plus 360 were withdrawn at the end of July. 

362 on the Saturday of the farewell event loading at Marton Mere

Disposals commenced in July with 356 sold for playbus conversion. 355 and 359 went for scrap to Partons with 355's engine transferred into 363. It was decided to commemorate the seemingly impending end of the Atlanteans with a farewell event. 363 and 364 were still active and four of the stored buses (358, 360-2) were retaxed and had their paintwork touched up. The event took place over the weekend of Saturday 28th and 29th.


The Saturday featured three buses working on Line 20. 362 started with the 0900 route 20 departure from Marton Mere to Blackpool Town Centre and returned empty for the 1000 trip to Blackpool Zoo. Departures from the Zoo at 1045, 1215, 1345, 1515, 1645 and 1815 followed with buses from Marton Mere at 1130, 1300, 1430, 1600, 1730 to Zoo and  the 1900 and 2000 to Town Centre with the 1930 return.



Second out was 361 which worked the 0930, 1100, 1230, 1400, 1530, and 1700  from Marton Mere to Zoo returning at 1015, 1145, 1315, 1445, 1615, 1745. It worked the 1830 and 1930 from Marton Mere to Town Centre returning at 1900.


The third bus was the last, 364, which started with the 1030 ex Marton Mere (then 1200, 1330, 1500, 1630) and 1115, 1245, 1415, 1545, 1715 finishing with the 1800 Marton Mere to Town Centre (arr 1827)


Sunday saw the three 20 workings in the hands  of 358 working the 0900 from Marton Mere and finishing 2027 in the Town Centre; 360 on the 0930 and changed over around 1900 (for Olympian 371) while 362 worked the third cycle starting at 1030 and terminated at Albert Road at 1827 - its last duty prior to withdrawal.


Longer days were had by three buses on Line 6. 361 started with the 0745 Town Centre to Grange Park. It worked 10 trips from Grange Park: 0806, 0946, 1126, 1306, 1446, 1626, 1806, 1946, 2126 and 2306. It departed Mereside at 0900, 1040, 1220, 1400, 1540, 1720, 1900, 2040, 2220. Its final journey finished at Mereside at 2352 and the bus reached depot around midnight.


363 started at 0719 at Bloomfield Road and worked from Mereside at 0740, 0920, 1100, 1240, 1420, 1600, 1740, 1920, 2100 and 2240 with trips from Grange Park at 0826, 1006, 1146, 1326, 1506, 1646, 1826, 2006, 2146 with a final working at 2326 to Town Centre and Depot arriving at 2355.


364 started at 0705 from Town Centre to Grange Park from where it made ten departures 0726, 0906, 1046, 1226, 1406, 1546, 1726, 1906, 2046, 2226 and from Tesco at 0820, 1000, 1140, 1320, 1500, 1640, 1820, 2000, 2140 and finally the 2320 to Grange Park where it arrived at 0006 and ran back to depot with the last few dedicated passengers.


The following day 363 was out on the regular morning and afternoon workings on route 2C, with 364 out the following day! It was truly the end for 361 and 362, but 358 and 360 would both work again in 2007.


362 immediately joined the LTT collection and 354, 357 and 361 were sold to Scotbus of Inverness on 29 November joining ex Preston examples there. This left 352, 353, 358 and 360 in store with 363/4 still active.


Other fleet changes saw Olympians 365-7 stored for the summer holidays while four Deltas were withdrawn in August - 115-117 and 130. 115 was reinstated in October to release 129 as this and 130 were to become driver trainers to replace Atlanteans 922/3 with 923 laid up at the end of the year. 116 was also reinstated in November with both 115/6 dedicated to a tram replacement service initially between Starr Gate and North Pier. Spares Metrorider SIL7473 was sent for scrap in the spring having donated parts to repair 511 which returned to use on 7 August 2006, 22  months after its accident.

Olympian 408 one of several Olympians treated to a routine repaint in Line 1 colours

Repaints started with the completion of the Line 6 Deltas with 113 outshopped in January. The old pool livery ended with 124 and 590 painted into the new scheme. March saw 378 lose Line 11 livery for pool, and 404 switched Line 1 orange for Line 20 lilac. 511 received a full repaint in Line 2 livery as part of its repairs. Routine Olympian repaints saw 407-410 retain Line 1 colours and these were joined by 368 and 369 in September and November. Solo 249 was a surprising repaint in June - this was transferred to Line 2 to provide extra capacity for busy Knott End journeys and this was followed in August by the Kirkham Roamer Solo 285. 365/6 were the final repaints of the year, again in Line 1 colours.

• Line 1: 365-9, 405-410 (11)
• Line 2: 249, 285, 501-518, 595 (21)
• Line 3: 258-264 (7)
• Line 4: 265-9, 271/2 (7)
• Line 5: 250-257 (8)
• Line 6: 104-110, 112-114 (10)
• Line 7: 210-7 (8)
• Line 10: 593 (1)
• Line 11: 118/9, 122, 125-8/132/3, 322-32 (20)
• Line 14: 301-16 (16)
• Line 15: 584-7 (4)
• Line 20: 401-4 (4)
• New Pool: 101-3, 123/4, 218-221, 273-6, 317-9, 370-9, 588-592/4/6  (33)
• Lifestyle Line: 277-284 (8)
• Green and Cream: 363/4 (2)
• Tram Replacement (L11 base) 115/6 (2)