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.

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.