Summer Holiday

The early hours of Monday morning saw a disastrous fire at the depot of Western Greyhound in Summercourt near Newquay destroying around 37 buses - around one third of its fleet. A number of operators have provided buses to help Western Greyhound maintain its fleet, with several travelling over 300 miles including buses from Norfolk Green and Blackpool Transport. Solos 240, 241 and 247 headed South on Thursday to take up service for the time being. The visiting buses are intended to be used on routes 591/2 (Newquay to Truro). 

Facebook Pic of 240 and 247

News Round Up

Repaints have continued with Trident 316 now back in service in fleet livery. Solo 245 - the last Metro line liveried Solo is under paint and Excel 218 has been treated. Further to last month's update it transpires this is indeed 218's second repaint. It was the only one of 210-218 not to receive a repaint when refurbished, it merely had a heavy clean! 

Solos 280 and 281 have been reinstated and the latter returned to use on 3 May, while 280 is currently in the paint shop prior to the installation of the engine from sister 275 which is expected to be the first Blackpool Solo to be scrapped.

The 30th Manx Double Decker has now arrived as 372 - on 24 April. This is believed to be the final one - imports starting back in July 2011 with IOM Trident 53 which became Blackpool 343. Blackpool has received IOM Tridents 48-53 and 71-75 plus DAFs 54-57 76-79, 81 and 89-98. Sister DAF 80 left IOM with 55 but it is not yet clear if this will join the Blackpool feet.

Open Toppers 818, 857/8 and 873 are not expected to see use this year with the City Sightseeing tour not advertised on the BTS website.
Manx DAF Status

No	Reg	IOM No	IOM Reg	Chassis No	Body No	Arrived	Service
354	L50BTS	97	FMN835J	009267	38310	6/7/12	10/9/12
355	L100BTS	95	FMN622J	009266	38309	17/7/12	5/9/12
356	L200BTS	93	FMN621J	009261	38304	27/7/12	5/9/12
357	L300BTS	94	FMN620J	009264	38307	27/7/12	5/9/12
358	L400BTS	96	FMN623J	009262	38305	30/7/12	6/9/12
359	L500BTS	98	FMN836J	009265	38308	31/7/12	4/10/12
360	L600BTS	89	FMN299J	009259	38302	30/7/12	3/10/12
361	L700BTS	90	FMN503J	009260	38303	22/8/12	12/10/12
362	L800BTS	92	FMN619J	009263	38306	?/8/12	3/10/12
363	L900BTS	91	FMN618J	009258	38301	30/8/12	4/10/12
364	J70BTS	54	FMN181P	009431	41101	25/9/12	17/12/12
365	J90BTS	81	FMN804T	009830	41109	25/9/12	17/12/12
366	J200BTS	78	FMN501T	009651	41106	23/10/12	17/12/12
367	J300BTS	56	FMN498T	009617	41103	9/10/12	17/12/12
368	tbc	79	FMN502T	009652	41107	11/01/13	awaited
369	tbc	76	FMN500T	009650	41105	29/01/13	awaited
370	tbc	77	FMN505T	009831	41110	tbc	awaited
371	tbc	57	FMN499T	009649	41104	27/3/13	awaited
372	tbc	55	FMN497T	009616	41102	24/4/13	awaited