Atlantean round up

With the Atlantean era now firmly in the past, and their service afterlife over, some of the remaining survivors have been in the news.

356 - continues in use as a playbus now in the Berkshire area with Wendybus
478 has recently been sold by Haynes Motor Museum of Sparkford, it's new owner has already placed it on EBay for further sale. It too was converted to a playbus on disposal.
444 was purchased for preservation from Irlam Royalettes in June.
445 has been placed on loan to Morecambe Heritage Buses from its preservation owners. It may return to commercial service.

Solos to the North East

Solos 281/282 have joined the fleet of The Eden, West Auckland. These were sold by Blackpool Transport into private ownership in January, with 282 joining the Eden in June and 281 following earlier this month.

Solo 267 has also now entered service with Blackpool Council as a track gang bus numbered 1114, some 14 months after it was repainted into their fleet livery.

High Peak Buses has withdrawn three of its four Solos, with 261 sold for scrap, 266 moving to Centrebus, 263 remaining in store presently.

Of the 19 Solos sold by Blackpool Transport:

• 263/5 are with High Peak Buses, Dove Holes (263 withdrawn)
• 262/4 are with Yorkshire Tiger, Leeds depot.
• 266 is with Centrebus
• 267 is with Blackpool Council
• 269, 271-4, 276 are with Halton Transport
• 281/2 are with The Eden
• 261, 268, 275, 280 and 283 have been scrapped.

Bank Holiday Buses to Lytham Hall

On Bank Holiday Monday, Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust will host their second event centred on Lytham Hall. Like last year a vintage bus display will be held at the Hall, but the vintage bus service will be revised to run every 10 minutes from Lytham Hall to Fairhaven Lake via Lytham town centre from 1000-1600. Ex Blackpool PD3s 501 and 512 will be joining vehicles from the RVPT collection on what is sure to be an excellent event. 

For more details see the RVPT website

Brief Update

Blackpool Transport
Summer Holidays have seen extensive use of double deckers on the 12/13 15/16 circular services mainly to provide capacity to/from Zoo and Marton Mere. As a result various other unusual allocations have seen Solos appear on the 1 and 14 on occasions.

Minor service changes are due from 5 September.

Catch 22 Bus
Preserved Ribble Bristol VR OCK997K has entered service on loan to Catch 22 Bus on service 21 during August.
Also Ex Stagecoach London Dennis Trident LX51FNJ has entered service in London red livery on services 12 and 22

PD3 516 turns red

Former Blackpool PD3 516 - the last of its type operated by Blackpool Transport in 1999 has joined the fleet of Catch22Bus Ltd after 15 years in private preservation. It has been converted back to bus specification having been converted to a driver trainer in 1984. To make it attractive to wedding customers it has been painted into the 1930s style Blackpool livery carried by sisters 507 from 1985 and 512 from 1987 and the Routemaster fleet. It made its debut on private hire duties on 11 July. Ribble Atlantean 1805 has also joined the Catch 22 bus fleet for private hires on loan from LTT.

More blasts from the past

Olympian 374 takes a break from school services with a duty on route 1 yesterday - it is seen here at Norbreck North (both Brian Turner)

Following the return of Excels 224 and 225 on Tuesday, sister 216 was observed on the 14 today. 219 and 220 are also officially reinstated. Yesterday Olympian 374 put in a now rare appearance on service 1. Further unusual allocations saw Solo 279 on the 14 on Tuesday, Trident 312 on new route 12 this afternoon, with DAF 367 working on the 16. 

374 approaching Starr Gate terminus - enjoying front line work in its 21st year

Excels Return

Following the network change that started on Sunday, two Excels have been noted back in service today with 224 on service 14 and 225 on service 1. Here 224 heads along Lord Street in Fleetwood

Trident changes

Trident 303 in its early Line 14 guise (Brian Turner)

Pioneer Dennis Trident 301 is currently receiving an advert for Heart FM Radio, replacing the Royal British Legion scheme applied last year.

Sister bus 303, withdrawn from service last month, has now returned to use as Driver Trainer 973. It is believed sister 304 will also be converted. 973 retains fleet livery.

303 was retired just short of its 13th birthday - ironically the previous 303s had similarly short lives. PD2 303 of 1957 was withdrawn (with sisters 301/2/4-10) in March 1970 a few months short of their 13th birthday. Atlanteans 301-310 of 1977 had short lives in Blackpool - 310 was burnt out in October 1986, 301-7 were stored in March/April 1989 - at less than 12 years old and 308/9 lasted a further year. In the 1970s and early 1980s many Blackpool buses had short lives, either due to Certification rules which required overhauls at 12/13 years or due to OMO conversion. The fast changing deregulated environment also saw the BTS fleet evolve with new minibuses and Deltas, plus seasonal operations allowing most of the early Atlanteans to be stood down. It was only the takeover of Fylde and its venerable fleet of Atlanteans that changed priorities and resulted in extended lives.

Service Change Update

Details of the Blackpool Transport service changes from 28 June have now been released. Details are summarised below and also in the BTS guide which includes maps of the new 12/13 and 15/16.

1 Starr Gate to Fleetwood

• Mon-Fri every 15 minutes 10 minutes 10 buses - reduces to 30 minutes from c1700
• Saturday/Sundays every 15 minutes 11 buses. - reduces to 30 minutes from c1700
• Evening service withdrawn after 2030 from Starr Gate, 2130 from Fleetwood
• Early morning service starts at 0706 from Starr Gate (545 presently) and 0821 from Fleetwood (0655 now) (0736/0858 resp Sundays)

2C Blackpool to Knott End

• Minor timetable change. Now interworks with 10/17 daytime (8 buses) and 12/13 evenings (4 buses)
• 2 withdrawn (replaced by 12/13)

3 Cleveleys Park to Mereside

• Minor timetable changes

4 Cleveleys to Meerside

• No changes

5 Hospital to Halfway House

• Minor timetable changes with additional bus on Sundays (4 v 3)

7 Cleveleys to Lytham

• Evening and Sunday retimed -extra bus on 7/11 on Sundays

9 Cleveleys to Blackpool

• Evening retimed 

10/17 Blackpool to St. Annes

• Mon-Saturday day - hourly each, 8 buses shared with 2C
• Sundays hourly 17 only (reduced from half hourly) - shared 4 buses with 2C

11 Grange Park to Lytham

• Evening and Sunday retimed -extra bus on 7/11 on Sundays

12/13 Northern Circular

• Mon-Sat Half hourly each way, 
• Sunday - hourly each way, 
• Every Evening hourly Poulton-Blackpool via Staining only
• Daytime 13 buses interwork between 13, 12, 16 and 15 in that order.
• Evening buses interwork with 2C and 12/13.
• Sunday daytime 3 buses 12/13 only

14 Fleetwood to Mereside

• Minor retiming

15/16 Southern Circular

• Daily Half hourly each way, 
• Evenings hourly Blackpool to Marton Mere via Zoo only
• M-S Daytime 13 buses interwork between 13, 12, 16 and 15 in that order.
• Evening 1 bus 15/16 only
• Sunday daytime 6 buses 15/16 only

20 Marton Mere to Blackpool - withdrawn.

News Round Up

Catch 22 Bristol RE 366 on service 21 at Blackpool Zoo

A fifth Blackpool Trident, 332, has been outshopped for Merlin Entertainments with 332 wrapped for Tower Circus. The entire 2006 batch, 328-332 are now so treated, 330-332 losing their names in the process.

Catch 22 Bus have operated three classic buses on their new Zoo service. RML887 launched the service last Tuesday and also ran on Wednesday while Thursday, Saturday and Sunday saw Bristol RE OCK366K in use. PD3 HFR529F was used on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Catch 22 Seasonal Services Start

Catch 22 Bus has started its seasonal services introducing route 12 on Monday and 21 on Tuesday. Route 12 operates Monday to Saturday from Pleasure Beach-Cleveleys using four buses on a 20 minute frequency. On Sundays it terminates at Cabin using 3 buses. On Monday Darts 316 and 319 plus Metrobus 69 were in use, while on Tuesday Dart 617 joined Monday's trio.

Route 21 started on Tuesday and operates from Tower (outside Sands) to Zoo via Hornby Road, Stanley Park and Model Village. One bus is used daily except Mondays and Fridays on a 40 minute frequency. The first morning journey starts at Cabin. Routemaster RML887 was used on day one and promotional material suggests a heritage bus will be used.

An Excellent Farewell

Excel 221 waits time on service 2 at Poulton on its last day in service (PT)

Yesterday was the last day of Excel operation in Blackpool with all nine survivors in service on the 2, 2C and 17. 218,220-224 ran on the 2/2C and 216, 219 and 225 on the 17. 218 was the final departure on the 1918 2 from Poulton arriving in depot just after 2000.  This ended almost 19 years of Excel operation, although 225 manage to usurp 218's honour arriving in depot after its sister, albeit on tow having failed on service 17.

This morning has seen the first three Citaros enter service. 557 started on the 0645 5 from Halfway House to Victoria Hospital and has been joined by 558 and 559.

Palladium Launch and Service Changes

Citaro 551 at the customer launch of the new Citaros

Citaro 551 at the customer launch of the new Citaros

The new Palladium branded Mercedes Citaros have been launched with a stakeholder launch on Thursday and a public launch today, the latter featuring 551 on display in St John's Square. The new buses will enter service on route 5 from Sunday 31 May - a minor route change sees the service no longer operate along Lindale Gardens - which becomes bus-less for the first time since 1934. Buses now return from Halfway House via Squires Gate Lane, Common Edge Road, Highfield Road.

The remaining Excels are expected to be withdrawn, 217 joined 226 yesterday - leaving nine in service. They are expected to be kept in store as reserve vehicles.

Details of the service changes from 28 June are emerging. Route 2 is withdrawn, but the 2C remains. Route 10 is extended from Midgeland Road to St. Annes Square via the 17 route - the latter is reduced to hourly so the 10 and 17 will combine to a half hourly route.

New Northern circulars 12 and 13 will operate up to half hourly. The 12 will run from Corporation St via Talbot Road, Grosvenor St, Church St, Newton Drive, Hospital (current 2) then replacing the 16 route via St Walburgas Road, Fulwood Square, Chepstow Road, Gateside Drive, Dinmore Avenue (resintating the former 16 route), Poulton Road, Plymouth Road, Bispham Road, Ingthorpe Avenue, Ashfield Road, Kincraig Road, Faraday Way, Norcross Lane, Fleetwood Road, Poulton Road, Tithebarn St to Poulton. From here it returns to Blackpool via the current 2 route serving Highcross Road, Staining and the Hospital.

The 13 follows the 12 route from Town Centre to Hospital then takes the loop via Poulton in the opposite direction back to Hospital then Blackpool Town Centre.

The Southern Circular 15 also follows the 12 from Corporation Street to Hospital, then via East Park Drive with a double run to Zoo via Woodside Drive, South Park Drive, Preston New Road (again reinstating the former 16 route), double run via Mythop Road to Marton Mere Park, Clifton Road to Tesco then again via the 16 route along Cherry Tree Road, Highfield Road to Harrowside. Buses will run via Harrow Place, Promenade and Clifton Drive and resume the 16 route via Bond Street, Station Road, Lytham Road, Waterloo Road, Whitegate Drive to the Saddle. From here the 15 will serve Knowsley Ave, West Park Drive, Mere Road, Whitegate Drive, Church Street back to Corporation St. Route 16 does this in the opposite direction.

Trident Trainer, Delta Demise and Excel Exit

Excel 226 on its last day on route 17 in St. Annes (Jono Niblock)

In the month of its 13th birthday, Trident 303 has become the first of its type to be taken out of service and will be converted to a driver trainer, replacing Delta 969 which is now withdrawn. Sister 970 was taken out of use in late April with a defective engine. This ends Delta operation after 25 years.

Optare Excel 226 was withdrawn today after use on service 17. Further Excels will be retired at the end of the month once the Citaros enter service. 

Trident 331 has returned to use in a Tower Dungeon all-over advert joining 328-330 with Merlin Entertainments themed adverts. 

News update

Details of the service changes for 28 June are emerging. The 12/13 "Northern Circular" are confirmed as replacing the 2 to Poulton via Staining then the 16 back to Hospital via Bispham and Grange Park. The 15/16 a'Southern Circular' will combine the 16 via South Shore and Mereside with the 20 via Marton Mere, Stanley Park, Zoo and Hospital. Each will operate every 30 minutes in each direction.

The 1 will gain its summer frequency increase as will some other services on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Route 10 is also extended to St Annes.

Blackpool Transport has outshopped Dennis Trident 330 in a new allover advert for Blackpool Tower.

Trident 330 in is bright new advert for Blackpool Tower (Jono Niblock)

Catch 22 Bus has sold Dart R356LER and purchased ex Stagecoach London Dennis Trident LX51FNJ. Also not previously reported is the start of a half hourly Sunday service on route 6 on 3 May.