Archway on the 80

Plaxton bodied Dennis Dart MPD X502WRG operates the 0900 Blackpool to Preston along Grange Road on the first day of Archway's operation on service 80 (David Umpleby)

Archway Steps onto the 80

On 13 January Poulton based Archway Travel starts a replacement for service 80 cancelled by Classic Bus North West after less than two weeks operation. 

The new route has a more limited timetable and is understood to be commercially operate. On Monday to Friday it starts with a 0620 Poulton to Preston, followed by departures from Blackpool to Preston at 0700, 0900, 1200, 1500, 1600 and 1800 with short workings to Poulton at 1000 and 1850. Departures from Preston to Blackpool are at 0730, 0830, 1030, 1330, 1630, 1730 and a trip at 1930 to Preston. 2 buses are required. On Saturdays one bus operates at 0700, 1000, 1400 from Blackpool (and 1700 Blackpool to Poulton) plus 830 and 1530 Preston to Blackpool and 1130 Preston to Poulton.

Yellow painted Dennis Darts have been acquired including X503WRG from Go North East. Archway has been a provider of school services for many years - in 1995 it had a brief foray into local bus work providing service P11 from Poulton to Carleton, later extended to Victoria Hospital via Bispham - prompting a response from Blue Buses and eventual withdrawal of the P11. 

December Round Up

Blackpool Transport News
Excels 212, 214 and 215 have been placed in store following the reduction in PVR during the winter with the end of service 20. Sister 224 is the latest of the type to receive the DDA modifications joining 216, 219-221 and 223 and 226.

Repaints continue with 312 (the Tower Eye advert bus) now in paint with 315 nearing completion. Sister 310 - a long term absentee with fire damage - is now nearly complete and ready for test.

Olympian 857 - the last of its type to remain in store is expected to be retained following the disposal of its three sisters for scrap.

Classic Bus News
On Friday 20 December CBNW ceased operation of its new service 80 with immediate effect and two days later ended the Red Rocket Express. CBNW Ltd ceased trading leaving the Oakwood Travel entity and license to continue with service 22 and private hire operations. Some disposals have taken place with Olympian 324 believed to have passed to Red Bus Days of Keighley, while Volvo 899 is now up for sale - its loan from its private owner having ended.

Lancashire County Council cutbacks
LCC is currently consulting on proposals to reduce its supported bus network with the following evening and Sunday services under threat of withdrawal from May 2014

• 2C Poulton to Knott End evenings/Sundays (Blackpool to Poulton is commercial)
• 42 Lancaster to Blackpool - evenings
• 68 Preston to Blackpool - Sunday to Thursday eveings
• 74 Fleetwood to Blackpool -1911 Blackpool-Fleetwood; 1943 Poulton to Blackpool journeys and entire Sunday service
• 75 Preston to Blackpool Sundays
• 78 St. Annes to Wesham Evenings/Sundays 
• 80 Preston to Poulton Evenings/Sundays (not operated since CBNW defaulted on contract on 20 December)
• 82 Poulton to Fleetwood Evenings/Sundays
• 84 Fleetwood to Blackpool Evenings/Sundays
• 86 Fleetwood to Knott End Evenings/Sundays
• 89 Knott End to Lancaster Evenings/Sundays

It is understood that LCC are not seeking a replacement operator for CBNW's service 80 due to the costs involved. 

Solos come and go

The recent changes to the Fylde Villager has seen Preston Bus take-on route 75. Four Slim-line Solos have been transferred from fellow Rotala firm Diamond Bus. Its seen here earlier today on Abingdon Street, Blackpool

Cumfybus has now withdrawn from the Fylde - here its silver painted Solo MX05OTA approaches the Blackpool terminus of the 74 on 3 December

A more conventional yellow Cumfybus MX55WDD loads for Preston on Abingdon Street on 3 December

Coastal's presence in Blackpool is reduced to just peak trips here Master Luke, on of its first batch of Solos stands on Abingdon Street.

Open Top Farewell

City Sightseeing 858 (D258FYM) - new as London Buses L258 and a Blackpool resident since 2007 has now gone for scrap as the disposal of the last open toppers in the fleet progresses

Parton's are busy collecting the four open top Olympians for scrap. 858 departed on Wednesday 4th; 873 departed on Tuesday 10th and 818 today, Tuesday 17th - leaving just 857 awaiting departure. Open Top buses were common in Blackpool in the inter-war period, but since then operation has been fitful. Three Titans were converted in the 1950s; then PD2 532 was purchased from Eastbourne in 1989 - lasting until 1999 but only sporadically used in service.

The Fylde takeover bought veteran Atlanteans 451-454/7 into the fleet in 1996, but all were gone by the end of 1998. 

The City Sightseeing operation commenced in 2001, initially using Metrobuses and continued in various forms, latterly with Olympians until ending in 2012.

Repaints and Christmas Preparations

The repaint of the three former Metro pool liveried Tridents is nearly complete with 319 ready for outshopping. 318 was completed at the end of November. 317 and 318 have lost their rear adverts in the process. A full rear advert for Conway's Toymaster (Chocolate Picture Maker) has been applied to 333 and adverts are also being applied to Volvos 520 and 522.

Trident repaints are continuing however, with 315 now in, losing its Tussauds advert. The other three advert buses (312, 313 and 314) are expected to follow.

Long term stored Olympian 858 left for scrap to Parton's of Carlton on Monday.

Christmas timetables have been published with the same level of Blackpool Transport service on Boxing Day and New Years Day as last year. Routes 1, 9 and 14 will run every 30 minutes, routes 5, 7 and 11 will run hourly. The 7 will terminate at Lytham Square, the 11 at St. Annes Square and the 14 at Mereside Tesco; otherwise the full routes will be provided.  Classic Bus North West will operate route 22 on Boxing Day to their full Sunday timetable.

Holiday Makers Return

Solos 240, 241 and 247 have returned from their six month holiday in Cornwall. They have been on loan to Western Greyhound, who suffered a major depot fire in May.

Trident 318 has followed 317 into the paint shop leaving just 319 to complete the Trident repaints. Excel 221 has been dispatched to Bus and Coach World for DDA compliance modifications.

Disposals of the open top Olympians are expected to start soon with long disused 858 expected to go for scrap shortly.

New DAF Driver trainer 971 is under preparation following repaint, its predecessor Delta 970 is currently still in use.

Fylde Village - Exit Cumfybus, Enter Classic Bus, Stagecoach and Preston Bus

9 December sees changes to the Fylde Villager network stimulated by Classic Bus North West's commercial registration of route 80. Cumfybus appears also to be retrenching from the Fylde Coast and presumably concentrating on its traditional Southport operations plus its recent expansion in the Bolton area. The changes comprise:

• 74 (Larkholme-Blackpool) - from Cumfybus to Stagecoach
• 75 (Preston - Blackpool) - from Cumfybus to Preston Bus - re-routed away from Carr Head and Fairfield Road between Poulton and Singleton - now serving Garstang Road and Catlows Corner
• 76 (St. Annes-Blackpool) - still with Coastal Coaches but most journeys curtailed to run St. Annes to Little Eccleston only.
• 80 new route Blackpool - Preston with Classic Bus NW, hourly with 2 hourly evening service in partnership wtih LCC. From Blackpool via Layton, Victoria Hospital, Newton Drive, Hardhorn, Carr Head, Poulton, River Wyre Hotel, Catlows Corner, Gt Eccleston, Elswick, Inskip, Catforth
• 82 reduced to Fleetwood - Poulton every hour (2 hours evenings) and operated by Stagecoach.

Coastal Coaches will no longer provide their peak journeys into Preston on route 75.

Stagecoach will need four buses for routes 74 and 82; Coastal 2 for route 76 and CBNW 3 for route 80. 

Update

Trident 317 has now entered the paint shop for its first ever repaint - ten years after it was delivered. Sisters 318, 319 and Solos 279, 281 and 282 remain in the Metro pool livery. Excel 219 is nearly complete and will shortly return to service.

Classic Bus Update

Classic Bus North West has taken delivery of two Volvo B6BLE form the Transdev Harrogate & District fleet. This expands the low floor fleet ahead of new service 80 starting in December. Route 22 will be re-routed from 13 November with buses now using Watson Road and Hawes Side Lane between St. Annes Road and Highfield Hotel. An hourly evening service will also be started.

Classic Bus North West Fleet

No	Reg	Chassis	Body	Origins
69	F69SYE	MCW Metrobus	MCW	China Motor Bus ML81 11/88
143	T143AUA	Dennis Dart	Alexander	Armchair, Hounslow 5/99
145	T145AUA	Dennis Dart	Alexander	Armchair, Hounslow 5/99
162	V162MVX	Dennis Dart	Plaxton	Stagecoach East London 12/99
163	V163MVX	Dennis Dart	Plaxton	Stagecoach East London 12/99
269	P269PSX	Volvo Olympian	Alexander	Lothian Buses 269
324	N324NHG	Volvo Olympian	Alexander	Dublin Bus RA264
325	N325NHG	Volvo Olympian	Alexander	Dublin Bus RA272
326	F326UJN	MCW Metrobus	MCW	China Motor Bus ML77 10/88
360	WTG360T	Bristol VR	Alexander	Cardiff 360
502	P502UFR	Optare Metrorider	Optare	Blackpool 502
512	X512UAT	Dennis Dart	Plaxton	London United DP512 11/2000
533	X533UAT	Dennis Dart	Plaxton	London United DP513 11/2000
601	W601CWX	Volvo B6BLE	Wright	Harrogate & District 6/2000
611	W611CWX	Volvo B6BLE	Wright	Harrogate & District 6/2000
652	Y652NLO	Dennis Dart	Plaxton	Metroline, London DLD182 6/2001
701	XAU701Y	Leyland Olympian	ECW	Trent 3/83
898	R898XVM	Volvo B10M	Alexander	Stagecoach Manchester
899	R899XVM	Volvo B10M	Alexander	Stagecoach Manchester
915	P915RYO	Volvo Olympian	Northern Counties	London General 3/97
MAL41	BD52LNU	Mercedes Citaro	Mercedes	Go Ahead London
MAL49	BD52LNF	Mercedes Citaro	Mercedes	Go Ahead London
MAL53	BD52ODK	Mercedes Citaro	Mercedes	Go Ahead London
RML887	202UXJ	AEC Routemaster	Park Royal	London Transport (Cummins Engine)
RM1568	BNK324A	AEC Routemaster	Park Royal	London Transport (Cummins Engine)

All vehicles in fleet red except 143 (white, red front), 163 (Bispham High School advert), 269, 326 and 701 (Pleasure Beach adverts), 324 (Blackpool &; Fylde College), 325 (Evening Gazette), 360 (yellow), 652 (Metroline livery), 69 and 601/11 remain as acquired - these, 360 and 502 are not in service.

Repaints

Blackpool Transport has outshopped Trident 303, the last line liveried bus to operate. Stored Solo 280 has now been repainted, both buses are in the standard fleet livery. Excel 219 is now under repaint - all 17 Excels will therefore be in the same livery. This will be the first time that the Excel fleet has carried a uniform scheme since 2004 when the original 9 buses were painted out of Handybus yellow.

Red Rocket in Blackpool

Mercedes Citaro Artic MAL49 stands at Blackpool Coach Station with the iconic Tower in the background

MAL49 approaches the terminus... 

...and heads back for the M55

Skew Bridge

Stagecoach Trident 18354 crests Skew Bridge in the first week of bus operation over the bridge since 2011

Solo 283 works the re-routed service 10 past the offending weak bridge sign (buses now once again are exempt)

Volvo B7RLE stands at the bus stop opposite Station Road. The Blackpool Transport Abacus shelters of the 1990s are now declining - though several are being rebuilt with new roofs and glazing

524 leaves the stop behind to climb the bridge towards Lytham. This was once the terminus of the Lytham Gas trams at the original South Station - passengers could change to Blackpool's electric trams here. 

Lytham by Day; Blackpool by Night

Manx DAF 354 is crowned by the Big One in the early evening on service 20 to Marton Mere 

As dusk approaches Centro 531 turns into Market Street on the 11

The recently repainted Trident 305 heads through the Illuminations on route 1 to Starr Gate

Meanwhile in Lytham, Coastal Coaches "Master Peter" is heading the long way round to Blackpool on route 76

524, one of the five ex Anglian Wright bodied Volvos heads past Caffe Nero towards Cleveleys

Last Days of Blackpool's longest diversion

Sunday 6 October has seen buses on the 5, 11 and 68 return to their traditional route along Lytham Road over Skew Bridge after over 2 1/2 years diverted via Station Road, Bond Street and Watson Road. A few days earlier on 27 September Centro 526 makes a comparatively rare appearance on service 5 on Bond Street.

At the same location Optare Excel 223 heads through on what is thought to be an 11 working

More normal fare on route 5 is the Optare Solo. Here 260 turns from Station Road to Bond Street

Bond Street will still be served by route 16. Solo 295 is heading (eventually) for Poulton. The five Resort Hopper Solos are now regularly seeing service away from their intended route 20. Stagecoach Enviro 19038 provides the photographer's platform

Stagecoach Enviro 19041 is about to turn from Watson Road into Bond Street having crossed the South Fylde Line - the fortunately on a bridge still deemed safe for all vehicles.