Wednesday 23 October 2013

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

NoRegChassisBodyOrigins
69F69SYEMCW MetrobusMCWChina Motor Bus ML81 11/88
143T143AUADennis DartAlexanderArmchair, Hounslow 5/99
145T145AUADennis DartAlexanderArmchair, Hounslow 5/99
162V162MVXDennis DartPlaxtonStagecoach East London 12/99
163V163MVXDennis DartPlaxtonStagecoach East London 12/99
269P269PSXVolvo OlympianAlexanderLothian Buses 269
324N324NHGVolvo OlympianAlexanderDublin Bus RA264
325N325NHGVolvo OlympianAlexanderDublin Bus RA272
326F326UJNMCW MetrobusMCWChina Motor Bus ML77 10/88
360WTG360TBristol VRAlexanderCardiff 360
502P502UFROptare MetroriderOptareBlackpool 502
512X512UATDennis DartPlaxtonLondon United DP512 11/2000
533X533UATDennis DartPlaxtonLondon United DP513 11/2000
601W601CWXVolvo B6BLEWrightHarrogate & District 6/2000
611W611CWXVolvo B6BLEWrightHarrogate & District 6/2000
652Y652NLODennis DartPlaxtonMetroline, London DLD182 6/2001
701XAU701YLeyland OlympianECWTrent 3/83
898R898XVMVolvo B10MAlexanderStagecoach Manchester
899R899XVMVolvo B10MAlexanderStagecoach Manchester
915P915RYOVolvo OlympianNorthern Counties London General 3/97
MAL41BD52LNUMercedes CitaroMercedesGo Ahead London
MAL49BD52LNFMercedes CitaroMercedesGo Ahead London
MAL53BD52ODKMercedes CitaroMercedesGo Ahead London
RML887202UXJAEC RoutemasterPark RoyalLondon Transport (Cummins Engine)
RM1568BNK324AAEC RoutemasterPark RoyalLondon 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.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

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.


Sunday 13 October 2013

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




Wednesday 9 October 2013

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. 

Sunday 6 October 2013

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.

Friday 4 October 2013

Blackpool Repaints

Latest Trident repaint, 306 on layover on Corporation Street before heading to Knott End on route 2C

Recent repaints 306 and 283 are back in use. The paint shop is currently tackling the new DAF Trainer 971 into green and cream, while long term stored Solo 280 has also moved in for a repaint pending reinstatement. 

Solo 268 has been sold for use as a store-shed having been stripped of its engine leaving just 267 awaiting disposal.






Red Rocket

MAL49 is testing the route at the Coach Station earlier this summer 
Today has seen the launch of "Red Rocket" by Classic Bus North West. This is an express link from Blackpool Coach Station to Manchester (Chorlton Street) with stops at Yeadon Way car park (for Pleasure Beach) and at Manchester Town Hall. Some buses serve Trafford Centre. Buses run at 0715 (M-F), 0900 and every 90 minutes to 1800 (daily) then 2000 (Fri/Sat) from Blackpool and 0930 and every 90 minutes to 1800 and 2000 from Manchester.

Three ex Go Ahead London Mercedes Benz Artics are used. MAL49 (BD52LNF) has been in Blackpool for several months and has now been joined by MAL41/53 (BD52LNU and BL52ODK). These retain London livery and have not received any branding, fleet names nor destination displays for the service. MAL49 and one other were observed, while Olympian 269 P269PSX also put in an appearance.

Route 22 is understood to gain an evening service from 11 November, while CBNW has also registered route 80 between Blackpool and Preston, covering the current tendered Cumfybus route from Poulton to Preston.