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Excel 217 in original livery on layover at Saltcotes Road on Line 7. (Brian Turner)
History has shown Blackpool - bus wise - to favour the tried and tested. For years it standardised on the Leyland Titan - though did wait until its fifth year of production before taking the plunge. The Atlantean neared its 20th birthday before the first were purchased - Leyland Nationals were eschewed until they were almost obsolete and it was only circumstance that saw the first Olympians arrive just six years into production. 1982 had seen a brave venture into the unknown with the Dennis Lancet, an odyssey rewarded with teething troubles, unreliability and passenger complaints. However this was a new supplier to the company brought on by municipal tendering. By 1995 Optare was Blackpool's main supplier when it launched its new Excel 'low floor' single decker at the Bus and Coach show in the autumn.
Blackpool Transport had been in discussions with Lancashire County Council about using the new design on a quality partnership for routes 44A/B (Cleveleys Park to Mereside/Marton Mere) then operated by its subsidiary Fylde Transport Ltd. Eight were duly ordered and the first arrived on Sunday 21 April 1996 moving to Squires Gate Depot quite quickly. It was numbered 201 (N201LCK) and was painted all-over yellow. Seating was for 36 in the 10m body.
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| Excel 208 framed by the depot doors at Squires Gate in 1998 (Brian Turner) |
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One of the first batch - 202 - returned to the Fylde in 2006 on Cumfybus service X7 Blackpool-Southport (Brian Turner)
8 buses for 8 workings was always asking for trouble and it was clear that 100% low floor operation was unlikely to be guarantee-able. 3 of the 4 trips per hour were designated "operated by Easy Access Handybuses at all times (except for emergencies)" and the others would be so operated where possible. The 44A departures at xx18 from Mereside and xx15 from Cleveleys Park were the designated non compliant workings. During the evening four Excels went onto the 333 and 444 services - the partially subsidised evening/Sunday versions of the 33, 44A and 44B with the 333 running Fleetwood-Marton Mere and the 444 Cleveleys Park to Marton Mere. These also ran on Sundays with 3 Excels though there was no Cleveleys to Fleetwood section on the 333 then. The routes interworked at Marton Mere with no scheduled layover time - drivers had the challenge of changing nine number blinds and two destination blinds with no time to spare!
Despite using established and successful mechanical components, these early Excels proved troublesome. Fylde's mechanics worked miracles to keep them on the road with evening maintenance undertaken. Optare provided support under warranty and took each one back for rectification during 1998. Four demonstrators were used with P446SWX in February/March, N330EUG (the very first) from February to May, P447SWX from June to September and R98HUA briefly in July 1998. Although mostly used on the dedicated routes the Excels did get the wanderlust - occasionally straying from the straight and narrow. An afternoon school working on route 191 (Hodgson School-Great Eccleston) saw the odd Excel and the occasional working on the 154/8 to Preston was recorded.
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| Demonstrator T790KNW on the 44A in 2011 (Brian Turner) |
The nine replacements were numbered 210-218 (T210-8HCW) and also arrived in two batches. 210 was first on 15 July 1999 with 211-213 following within the week. 210/1 made their debut on 29 July, 212 the following day and 213 on 3 August. These replaced 201/3/4 which left on 27 August. 214-218 arrived in late August/early September and allowed 202, 205-208 to be withdrawn by 13 September and they joined their sisters at Optare's Rotherham facility at the end of the month. Interestingly 214-218 could have legitimately received V-prefix plates but didn't - though a drawing of 214 as V214HCW hung in the company's offices for some time.
210-218 settled into service on the 44A/B and 333/444 which now enjoyed a spare low floor bus - or did until January 2000 when a ninth was added to the cycle. For the next 18 months the Excels were used virtually exclusively on this group of routes, though 211 did sneak onto the St. Annes Roamer 77 on one occasion! A further demonstrator was used during February/March 2000 with Mercedes (rather than Cummins) engined T790KNW covering for accident damaged 210.
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| 214 on Line 4 in the Metro Era at Tesco. The buses were not repainted into Line 4 livery but carried a small sticker on the dash. (Brian Turner) |
The company's network review in 2001 led to the 44A/B being replaced by Metro Line 4 in April 2001 with a reduction to every 20 minutes with seven Excels needed. The 4 also ran in the evening and on Sunday using two buses. The excels were proving too large for the route and in January 2003 moved onto Line 5 (Staining-Hospital-Halfway House) which required all nine - though 217 was missing until April having sustained serious accident damage back in December. This lasted until 21 March 2004 when nine new Solos replaced them on Line 5 and the Excels went into temporary storage - 210 was already off having suffered an electrical fire in February.
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| The Excels retained Handybus livery when moved to Line 5, but have lost the branding on the side. Indeed 218 has lost its fleet number too. It is seen at Grange Road on 16 March 2004 (Brian Turner) |
211 and 215 immediately went into the paint shop and emerged in Line 7 purple livery replacing two Deltas on 19 April. 210 followed after repairs in May, 214/6/3 in June, 212 in July and 217 in August. 218 was also repainted - carrying the pool Black and yellow livery. 218 regularly ran on the 7 but also appeared on the 14 to cover the guaranteed low floor commitment on this otherwise Trident operated route.
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| 19 April 2015 and 211 makes its debut on Line 7 in purple and yellow (Brian Turner) |
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Ex Go North East 220 demonstrates pool livery at Lytham Square (Brian Turner)
Although better than 201-208 reliability was still disappointing and it was rare to experience a full low floor output on Line 7. At the time several other operators were disposing of their Excels - mainly to eager buyers in Ireland - though some did travel all the way to New Zealand! Blackpool decided to persevere with the marque and bought three from Go North East - 219-21 (T880/1/4RBR) arriving on 22 December 2004 and entering service in pool livery in late Jan/early Feb.
It was decided to embark on a refurbishment programme in 2007 following a pilot by East Yorkshire where the Cummins ISB engine was proven to be reliable. 210 was the first treated in summer 2007 with 210 following and 212 done during the winter. All three had a body overhaul with improved panel fixings to reduce rattles.
217 undergoing the bodywork aspects of refurbishment - May 2009
Three more were treated in 2008 - 213 was completed in August, 220 in October and 216 in early 2009. The process slowed as other projects took priority and 217/8 became defective in 2008. 218 was selected for refurbishment in June 2009 - after ten months in store with 217 following soon after. Both returned to use in November. 215 and 219 followed with 219 back in use in February 2010 and 215 to follow soon having returned from Cummins on 2 March.
220 showing off the new light clusters and engine ventilation grills
Line 7 was increased in frequency in January 2009 so five more Excels were purchased form Reading Buses in October 2008 - 222-226 T922-6EAN. All had a minor bodywork overhaul - but not the engine change - and entered service on 26 January. 222/3 carry pool livery 224-226 Line 7 colours. The refurbishment continued during 2011 and 2012 concluding with 225.
The programme, which also involves body work overhaul and, usually a repaint has involved the following vehicles with their completion date and livery.
- 1 210 September 2007 (Line 7 livery, since into new livery)
- 2 211 November 2007 (Line 7 livery, since into new livery)
- 3 212 March 2008 (Line 7 livery)
- 4 213 August 2008 (Line 7 livery)
- 5 220 October 2008 (pool livery)
- 6 216 January 2009 (Line 7 livery)
- 7 218 November 2009 (no repaint, kept pool livery)
- 8 217 November 2009 (Line 7 livery)
- 9 219 February 2010 (pool livery)
- 10 215 June 2010 (Line 7 livery)
- 11 212 January 2011 (new livery)
- 12 224 February 2011 (new livery)
- 13 221 September 2011 (retained pool livery but soon repainted into new livery)
- 14 222 December 2011 (new livery)
- 15 226 January 2012 (for new livery)
- 16 223 May 2012 (new livery)
- 17 225 August 2012 (retained Line 7 livery)
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One of the Reading Excels on diverted Line 7 at North Pier (Brian Turner)
An 18th Excel -R742BUJ - arrived on 17 February 2010, but only for component recovery having been sold by Choice Travel in 2009 after accident damage. It lasted barely one month, going for scrap on 25 March.
On 26 July 2010 a major network change saw the 7 converted to Solos, with Excels allocated mainly to the 2/2C and 17. The 7 later reverted to big buses with Excels now most common on the 7 and 11, but still appearing on 2C and at times on the 1, 9 and 17.
With the end of the Metro identity a new black and yellow livery was introduced. 214 was the first treated, but was under refurbishment, so 211 was the first to enter service, with 224 also treated during 2010. Further repaints took place in 2011 (210/21/222), 2012 (212/5/6/7 and 223), 2013 (213, 218-220, 225). 225 was the last to carry Line 7 livery in January 2013. 218's repaint in April 2013 was only its second - having received pool livery back in 2004. 219 was the last to be repainted in October 2013.
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| 226 in the post 2010 livery passing the remains of Pontins |
The end of 2015 would prevent vehicles which did not confirm to PSVAR regulations (aka DDA complaint) from use in service. BTS decided to convert some Excels so Bus and Coach World were contracted to the work with 216 and 220 first treated in June 2013 with 219, 221, 223 and 226 following by the end of the year. 224 was treated in January 2014 with 225 following. Then the projected ended and with some service reductions it was decided to withdraw Excels.
212, 214 and 215 went into store at the start of 2014, but were later reinstated with 210/2/3 in store by May. 211 did run again but by the end of the year 210-213 had been permanently retired. 214/5 joined them in early 2015. This left 11 in use at the start of May as their new replacement Citaros were in stock. 217 and 226 were stood down during the month leaving nine for a 'last day' on 31 May. 218, 220-4 on 2C and 216/19/25 on 17. 218 last trip 1918 ex Poulton - but 225 came in last 'on tow'.
Typically this last day was not a final farewell as 224 and 225 returned to use on 30 June followed by 216, 219 and 220 in early July. After a period in store in November/December, these continued into use in 2016, but were gradually picked off. 224 first, 216 in August, 219 and 220 in September and October leaving just 225 to fly the flag.
Withdrawals and Disposals.
| No | Withdrawn | Sold | Disposal |
| 210 | May 2014 | 12/02/2015 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 211 | 13/08/14 | 09/02/2015 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 212 | December 2014 | Feb 2015 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 213 | May 2014 | 11/02/2015 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 214 | February 2015 | 25/07/2016 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 215 | 19/01/2015 | Feb 2015 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 216 | 05/08/2016 | in store | Last of 'new' batch to operate |
| 217 | 21/05/2015 | 27/07/2016 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 218 | 31/05/2015 | August 2016 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 219 | 19/09/2016 | in store | in store |
| 220 | 30/09/2016 | in store | in store |
| 221 | 31/05/2015 | tbc | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 222 | 31/05/2015 | 27/07/2016 | Parton, Carlton Scrap |
| 223 | 31/05/2015 | in store | in store |
| 224 | By May 2016 | in store | in store |
| 225 | Still in Service | Still in Service | Still in Service |
| 226 | 20/05/2016 | in store | in store |
The Pioneer Batch afterlife
The pioneer batch has had mixed fortunes with some remaining on Optare's books for well over a year- their reputation clearly preceding them.
- 201 Jan 2001 - Dukes, Coleford then Jan 2002 to GHA Wrexham to scrap May 2012
- 202 Feb 2000 - Swanbrook, Cheltenham then 12/04 to Cumfybus, Southport. Sold Oct 2007 and not licensed since, was stored in Northfleet in 2010 but presumed now scrapped
- 203 Feb 2000 - Reliance, Great Gonnerby, later taken over by Mass then by Centrebus to scrap late 2010
- 204 Mar 2000 - Ludlows of Halesowen, Jan 2005 - Classic Annfield Plain - sold for spares 2009.
- 205 Feb 2000 - Swanbrook, Cheltenham then 12/04 to Cumfybus, Southport. Sold Oct 2007 and not licensed since, to Richards, Cardigan 2010 for spares
- 206 Jan 2001 - Dukes, Coleford then Jan 2002 to GHA Wrexham (and current to scrap May 2012
- 207 Oct 2000 - Docherty Irvine, Oct 2004 taken over by Stagecoach Western, Jan 2007 to Stagecoach Yorkshire at Chesterfield scrapped 2010
- 208 Oct 2000 - Docherty Irvine, Oct 2004 taken over by Stagecoach Western, Jan 2007 to Stagecoach Yorkshire at Chesterfield October 2011
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| Former 208 with Stagecoach in Chesterfield in 2010 (M Crisp) |
