First Olympians Withdrawn

Blackpool's first Olympians - 365-367 acquired from West Yorkshire PTE in October 1986 to replace fire damaged Atlanteans were withdrawn on Wednesday 28 April along with Metrorider 515.

New in 1982 as WYPTE 5005, 5011 and 5015 (UWW5/11/15X), 5011 spent time back with Leyland as a demonstrator. At deregulation the PTE was required for form a limited company to take over its bus operations and this emerged as Yorkshire Rider. The fleet size was reduced and the new company chose not to take on some quite young leased vehicles and Blackpool quickly snapped up these three Olympians - the arrived on 31 October - less than a week after deregulation day.

The trio went into service in November still in WYPTE verona green and cream livery and it was not until February that the first went into the paint shop. This was 366 which was the second bus to emerge in the then new fleet livery, followed by 367 in late March and 365 in early April. All three had a fairly unremarkable life - rear end adverts were applied briefly and all there were repainted in 1990 and again in 1993 (gaining black window surrounds). The new livery with more cream was applied to 365/7 February/March 1996 with 366 lasting another year until it received a Zone Card all-over advert in March 1997. May 1996 had seen the batch move to Fylde's Squires Gate Depot - technically still a separate undertaking for a few more weeks and they remained there until its closure in April 1999. During summer/autumn 2000 all three were in store along with older Atlanteans but the Metro bus network saw a reprieve. 2003 saw all three adopt the new "Schools + Line 1" scheme of orange and yellow with a further repaint in this scheme in late 2006.

During 2010 367 has spent a long period in store with engine problems and was joined by 365/6 on Wednesday 28 April.

Swift at 40

554 recreating its original route - 7 at Bispham Hotel

8 December 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of the introduction of one man operation at Blackpool. Or strictly the reintroduction - for buses in the 1920s were often one man operated and a during the 50s and early 60s bus route 18 was also OMO with two 1940 Tigers suitably converted.

However the new era of OMO operation was part of a nationwide cost cutting exercise intended to safeguard the future of buses by reducing costs so that the spiralling decline could be abated. Government grants assisted with purchase costs and a rash of new designs came on the market in the 1960s with 36ft long chassis; rear engined with relatively low entry. Blackpool - typically - was quite late to the game and ordered 15 AEC Swifts with Marshall bodywork in 1969. These seated 47 with room for standees taking the overall capacity close to that of a 63 seat PD2.

The first eight (541-548) entered service on route 7C (Blackpool - Cleveleys via Gynn Square, Bispham, Ingthorpe Estate, and Luton Road every 35 minutes with two buses) and 25A (Blackpool - Cleveleys via Gynn Square, Promenade, Norbeck and Little Bispham every 30 minutes with two buses). Economics had been turned on their heads. Blackpool routinely allocated new buses to their best routes and here they were putting them on their worst! This apparently perverse logic was justifiable due to the cost reductions. Any attempt to convert route 14 (for example) would just not be countenanced - indeed it wasn't until 2000.

Having managed to overlook this anniversary, it is fortunate that the second tranche of Swifts did not enter service until 1970 - 549 arriving in January, 550-555 in April. The now preserved 554 was duly licensed on 8 April 1970 and has just celebrated its fortieth birthday - albeit from the security of its depot.

These allowed conversion of a slightly busier route - the Bispham circulars. These comprised the 7 which left the Bus Station via Talbot Road, then onto Devonshire Road to Bispham Library, down Red Bank Road to Bispham Village, back along Warbreck Drive, Warbreck Hill Road, Gynn Square, Dickson Road back to the Bus Station. Not surprisingly the 7A ran in the opposite direction. The round trip took just under 30 minutes. Generally speaking a 15 minute service ran with four buses - though in the afternoon peak two extra buses came out to provide a ten minute headway. The morning peak increase was a fifth bus shuttling between Bus Station and Warbreck Hill Road/Devonshire Road showing 7B both ways.

Two rather shabby looking Swift sisters pass the Ribble Travel Corner on Abingdon Street in 1979

More Swifts followed in 1971 (556-565) and 1974/5 (566-595) and route conversions accelerated. Various routes gained Swifts on Sundays only - such as the 11C which became OPO on Sundays in 1971 but stayed crew on weekdays until 1983! The December 1971 arrivals saw the 6A/B (Grange Park to Midgeland Road), 15A (Bispham to Hospital) and 16 (Town to Wordsworth Avenue) converted. 1974 saw the 2/2A (Town-Poulton), 12 (Town-Airport) 15 (Town-Staining) switch to Swifts with the 3/3A (Westminster Road-Marton) and 26 (South Pier to Town) converted in March 1975 with the short 19 (South Pier-Mereside) switching in 1976

The Atlantean era commenced in 1977 and this - plus the thinning of frequencies on other services saw sufficient Swifts released to convert the 23/23A (Hospital-South Shore/Midgeland Road). Withdrawals took from 1980 to 1988, though not before deregulation saw some new horizons - but the Swift fleet development is a tale for another post.

554 settled into routine use in the all-over rich cream livery. The first batch of Swifts uniquely had low driving positions in barrel windscreens, rather than the higher cabs and BET windscreens of the later batches. The cream later gave way to anemic off-white but 554 was one of five of the first batch to receive the final livery of off-white with green roof and waistband in June 1980. 548, 549, 552 and 555 were the others. 548 was the last of this batch to run in May 1983. 554 had succumbed in autumn 1982 and was sold to Graham Oliver for preservation.

Rallied for some time in green and off-white it was sold out of preservation in 1988 to Wealden Motors - a dealer who collected most of Blackpool's final stock of Swifts that year. It performed in Wealden's own fleet for a while but retained Blackpool livery and was discovered by its former owner still in their yard in 1995. After some initial attention Graham offered it to the  Lancastrian Transport Trust in October 1996 and it returned north.

554 outside LTT Depot

Various mechanical faults were attended to and the bus returned to use in weathered green/off white in 1997 and was painted back into original cream in July 1998. After four or five years on the rally scene it has been retired for the last few years pending a thorough mechanical overhaul - addressing some of the Achilles heels of the AEC Swift.

Nearly new livery; nearly new buses

Trident 341 is now in the paint shop and is to be the first bus in the much rumoured new livery. This is understood to retain the pool colours of yellow and black with a black skirt "swooping" up to the rear of the bus in a wave effect topped off by silver and red relief. Black and yellow harks back to the Handybus livery of 1987, reversed in 1998 - adopted for Line 2 in 2001 but abandoned before any repaints took place and then chosen for pool livery in 2003.

Despite the multitude of colour variants, the Metro livery style has now been in place for nine years - the first buses entering service in it in April 2001. This has been on of the longest lived livery designs of recent years:

December 1969 - new all cream livery launched on Swifts and later adopted on PD3s.
August 1977 - new green and cream livery launched on Atlanteans and later adopted on Swifts (1979) and PD3s (1982)
March 1987 - post deregulation livery launched (later modified with black relief)
November 1994 - unified livery launched in Fylde style
April 2001 - Metro livery launched

Route branding is expected to continue, though possibly restricted to some of the busier routes.

Also following the recent arrival of the ex South Lancs Trident, the five Volvo single deckers are understood to be from Anglian Bus and Coach of Beccles, Suffolk. They have recently advertised their 401-405 AU06BOV, AU06BPE/F/K/O for sale - 44 seat Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLEs and it is presumed these are the chosen vehicles. All remain in use, however and their purchase has not been fully confirmed.

Another Trident arrives

The first of Blackpool Transport's recent second hand purchases arrived on Thursday 15 April in the form of PL52XAD - an East Lancs bodied Dennis Trident from South Lancs Travel of Atherton. New with the cherished registration X80SLT, it was no stranger to the Fylde Coast with its original owner.

Five second hand Volvo single deckers are also expected shortly. Line 14 Trident 311 has been repainted.

Open Toppers are Back

Easter saw the return of the City Sightseeing open top 'tour' Line 20. This year - following the demise of Pontins - the route starts at Pleasure Beach. From Easter until May 21 the full tour (Pleasure Beach - Promenade - Town - Stanley Park - Zoo - Marton Mere) runs every 30 minutes at weekends and bank holidays only with a one bus shuttle service from Town to Marton Mere (missing out the Zoo) every hour on weekdays. The full tour operates daily from after May 21.

The Manchester tour is not operating at all this year and the fleet is being reduced to four buses. Easter saw the two generically branded buses 857/8 (D257/8FYM) and former Manchester bus 873 (D173FYM) operate - though regular appearances were also made by pool liveried Volvo Olympians. 873 initially ran still with Manchester decals - but without the lettering - though the full Blackpool livery is now applied. With the demise of the Metro logo, BT "tower and waves" logos are carried - the first bus to receive these since 2001. Blackpool branded 818 (D218FYM) was noted in service on Saturday 17 April also with BT logo. 813/49 (D213/149FYM) - both Blackpool branded and Manchester liveried 844 (D244FYM) are still in store.

340 arrives

The second of the two newly purchased ex Blue Triangle Tridents arrived yesterday (Thursday). This will be 340 (PO51UMT) and follows sister 341  (PO51UMV) which arrived in February and 338/9 (PO51UMG/J) that came in October 2008. Further second hand buses are understood to be on the way - more details when they are announced.

Excel spares donor R742BUJ was sent for scrapping on 25 March.

Park - Don't Ride

Diverted MetroRider 518 on Line 10 leads Olympian 372 on Line 11 across Bloomfield Road junction on Seasiders Way

March has seen closure to southbound traffic of Lytham Road near Bloomfield Road. Lines 10, 11 and 16 have been diverted via Rigby Road, Seasiders Way and Waterloo Road - providing a rare bus service through the spine of car parks. The road will re-open in early April and regular bus operation will end again - but this is not the first short-lived bus operation on the spine. 

325 outside the Football Ground

This series of car parks was opened in 1986 on former Railway land between South Station and Rigby Road - accessed from Yeadon Way - a new link road built on the old direct railway line from South Station to Kirkham. During the spring the general manager expressed desire to introduce a bus service linking the car parks to the Town Centre and the Sandcastle and Pleasure Beach areas. The transportation department seemed unimpressed and duly 'noted' his interest. Clearly the council had other ideas and referred the decision back and the committee approved the operation as an experiment in June until the end of the Illuminations.

National 146 takes a turn on short lived route 18 before some of the car parks had been finished!

On Saturday 18 July 1986 route 18 duly started running every 20 minutes from the Town Centre to the Pleasure Beach via Promenade, Rigby Road, The Car Parks, South Station, Waterloo Road, Lytham Road, Station Road and the Promenade. Two buses were required and single deckers were allocated. The service was - as the transport department perhaps realised it would be - a failure. The service was too infrequent and with cheap fares (30p single, 50p return) not likely to cover its costs. The experiment was soon ended - whether it reached the end of the Illuminations is sadly not recorded.

In the wheeltreads of Jubilees - 546 loops round the South Station Car Park - all expense had been spared on the car park surface

The ghost of the 18 appeared on 28 November 1998 when a Christmas Park and Ride service was introduced operating on Saturdays until 19 December from near to the Yeadon Way Hotel (alongside the filling station) to Corporation Street via Spine Road, Rigby Road and the Promenade. City Pacers were used. It may have reappeared in 1999.

Pleasure Beach Road Train in September - towards the end of their operation

The next attempt in 2008 was rather more innovative -  but equally unsuccessful - with the Pleasure Beach operating three German registered road train vehicles from the Car Parks to the Pleasure Beach. Operations ended in September - the general public showing a marked reluctance to Park and Ride in Blackpool.

News Round Up

Excel 214 is now being prepared for overhaul following the return of 215 which is nearly ready for service. 214 is the last of the 'home' batch of Excels to be refurbished with 221 - the third ex Go North East - one expected to follow. It is not thought that the ex Reading examples will be re-engined.

The latest second hand Trident 341 remains in the body shop but is nearly ready for painting. The livery has not yet been confirmed. Sister bus 340 has yet to arrive from Ensign.

Line 14 Trident 310 is back in use after repaint. Meanwhile Delta 103 and Olympian 367 are parked up in the depot with defects.  

Buses to leave St. Johns Square

Soon to be history - two Line 3 Solos pass on Abingdon Street

Sadly it seems that public transport is to be banished from Church Street outside the Winter Gardens after over a century. The opening of the Marton tram route brought mainstream public transport in front of the iconic structure and bus routes later followed - outlasting the closure of the tramway in 1962.

Major regeneration of the square took several months during 2009 with a temporary three month diversion to bus services drastically overrunning to last around eight months. As a result Lines 3, 4 and 15 were curtailed to ensure reliability but with a detrimental effect on patronage. The square reopened, modelled on a novel shared space system which allows buses, taxis and pedestrians to mingle freely. Buses resumed their key role in delivering passengers close to town centre shops and the retail trade was happy once more.

Sadly, despite a good safety record, the share space scheme has failed to catch on and the desire to have the square traffic free has one the day - despite the obvious impacts to accessibility for public transport users. The council has voted to implement the change and this will see buses return to Clifton Street which will see its one way system reversed.

Clifton Street will regain buses - this is the 1980s route 26 terminus with the now sadly destroyed Yates building behind

Most south to north services from South Shore will continue to use Corporation Street, and southbound buses will use Market Street, but various services will now use Talbot Square and Clifton Street. Line 6 seems a candidate but it is not year clear what will happen to Lines 2, 3 and 4 that approach the Town Centre on Church Street as Clifton Street is not on a logical route in either direction.

Final proposals for individual services are not yet in the public domain and although the infrastructure cost (£120,000 for new stops and shelters) has been published, it is not yet clear what the negative impacts on passenger numbers and the beleaguered bus company's revenues will be.

Trident 341 makes progress

The latest second hand Dennis Trident PO51UMV is already under preparation. It arrived on 15 February from Ensign, dealers and has already been converted to single door. A second example is expected and has been reported as PO51UMT.

Massey Appeal

Some buses seem to have a survival instinct. This post tells the story of a trio of buses which survived intact (well just about) until 2009. All three spent periods in preservation, all three experienced vandalism and all three regained their original livery.

Lytham St. Annes Corporation standardised on Leyland from the 1930s and generally specified Leyland's own bodywork. When this ceased, Lytham chopped and changed its suppliers with its final three batches of Leyland Titans featuring bodywork by Northern Counties, Metro Cammel and finally Massey. The three Massey bodied PD2s were to the less common forward entrance layout - all previous Lytham double deckers having rear entrances. 68-70 had a single piece sliding door behind the front wheels (hence the designation "forward" rather than "front" which applies to most modern buses.

68-70 (CTF625-7B) arrived in 1964 and took their place on the main 11/11A routes from Blackpool to Lytham. They carried Lytham's traditional layered blue and white livery, receiving a simplified scheme with more white in 1974 and the Fylde Borough blue, white and yellow livery during their 1977 overhaul.

68 being refuelled in Squires Gate depot after its regular duty on the G2 works service to the Premium Bonds offices in St. Annes

Fylde went largely one person operated in 1976 but agreed not to make conductors redundant and those who did not wish to retire stayed working. The last few rear entrance buses stayed in use until 1978 but 68-70 could -and did - operate without a conductor on works contracts. They were finally retired in 1980 (70) and 1981 (68/9).

All three were advertised for sale on the depot forecourt with apporpriate signs in the window! 70 spends the night back inside the depot awaiting a passing purchaser

70 was sold first passing to a community group in Skelmersdale where it suffered vandalism. It was rescued and sold onto the North West Museum of Transport then at Burtonwood airfield but later at St. Helens Transport Museum. 69 passed to Martins of Middlewich - a dealer - and then onto CJB Driving School in Barlaston, Stoke on Trent.

68 in Poulton with Rev Jackson ready to take his parishoners on another outing

68 stayed closer to home passing to Reverend Jackson of St Oswalds Church in Preesall. Rev Jackson had it painted in Lytham blue and white and used it to transport parishioners. Sadly in 1986 it was sold out of preservation to Rigby Taylor of Bolton as a mobile exhibition unit eventually reaching Anglia Sales of Maxey - another dealer. The trail then went cold until 2002 when it appeared in derelict condition at Matchams Park, Ringwood. It was last taxed in 1992 so was presumably in off site use at Matchams - a karting venue. It was acquired by a collector but only for spare parts and spent some time in Wolverhampton before passing to Quantock Motor Services - a Somerset based heritage operator as a spares donor. It is believed to have been broken up in late 2009.

68's loss from preservation was compensated for by the arrival of 69 on the scene again - much to the writers surprise at a rally at Fairhaven Lake in 1992. It had recently been purchased from CJB and painted back into Lytham livery (though not quite accurately) and was rallied regularly. Sadly around 1996 it was damaged by fire - a caravan nearby was set alight and the front of the bus badly damaged. The no doubt  distraught owners were faced with selling the bus for scrap and it went to Furbers of Prees. As scrapyards sometimes seem to do it lingered there and in December 1998 donated some parts to sister bus 70. Surprisingly it escaped from the yard having been rescued by London Bus Export of Lydney near Chepstow. This operator of unusual vehicles heavily modified it by converting it to open top; with exposed radiator and also shortening it significantly at the rear! This was for a contract in Rome which had a maximum length stipulation. It has returned to the UK and spent time on a vintage bus service in South Wales.

70 ready for repaint

Meanwhile the vandalised 70 had some restoration undertaken at St. Helens but this stalled and in 1998 it was placed on long term loan to the Lancastrian Transport Trust. On 23 August 1998 it was towed to Blackpool for restoration to restart and this culminated in a repaint in November 1999 and a successful MOT pass in July 2000. St Helens Transport Museum cut back its collection in 2005 and allowed LTT to purchase 70 to keep it permanently - fully restored - in its collection as the last new to Lytham Leyland Titan.

The finished article at Carnforth

Round up

Excel 215 (seen above before refurbishment) has returned to Blackpool from Cummins in Middlesbrough with its new engine. MetroRider 512 has now taken up duties as a mess room for tramway overhead gang in all-over yellow.

Blackpool and the Excel - an fraught relationship?

 

Excel 217 in original livery on layover at Saltcotes Road on Line 7.

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.

Three more followed during May (202-4 N202-4LCK) and all four were launched by two characters from Coronation Street at the Sandcastle Centre on 30 May. They entered service on 3 June initially converting the 44A journeys. 205-208 followed during July and progressively entered service to convert the 44B journeys. 208 was the last and hit the road on 12 July - just nine days before Fylde ceased as a separate company. These were body numbers 9024-7 (201-4) and 9031-4 (205-8) - the numbering series starting at 9022, and just a demonstrator and a Thorpes of London example precede 201 in numerical order.

One of the first batch - 202 - returned to the Fylde in 2006 on Cumfybus service X7 Blackpool-Southport

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. Perversely 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.

The problems were exacerbated with the closure of Squires Gate Depot in April 1999. Rigby Road depot was now at capacity and the space was not there for overnight repairs. Availability plummeted - days with just three out of eight serviceable were not unknown. By now Optare had admitted defeat and agreed to replace the batch with 9 new examples - this time to 10.7m length with 40 seats. This matched one of the demonstrators, though some difficulties around Stanley School had resulted from its deployment.

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.

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.

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.

Ex Go North East 220 demonstrates pool livery at Lytham Square

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 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.

One of the Reading Excels on diverted Line 7 at North Pier

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.

Other than the donor the current fleet is:
210-213 T210-3HCW of July 1999 Line 7 livery, all re-engined
214-217 T214-7HCW of Aug/Sept 1999 Line 7 livery, 215-7 re-engined, 215 out of use
218 T218HCW of Sept 1999, pool livery, re-engined
219-221 T880/1/4RBR of Mar 1999, pool livery, 219/20 re-engined. Ex Go North East 12/04
222/3 T922/3EAN of May 1999, pool livery ex Reading Buses 10/08
224-226 T924-6EAN of May 1999, Line 7 livery ex Reading Buses 10/08

Ten buses are required for the daytime Line 7 duties - an 11th comes out for the evening workings. The pool buses appear on the 7 and 14 mainly but can and do operate on the 6, 11 and a works contract for the Department of Work and Pensions.

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 (and current)
202 Feb 2000 - Swanbrook, Cheltenham then 12/04 to Cumfybus, Southport. Sold Oct 2007 and not licensed since (presumed scrapped)
203 Feb 2000 - Reliance, Great Gonnerby, later taken over by Mass then by Centrebus (current)
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 (presumed scrapped)
206 Jan 2001 - Dukes, Coleford then Jan 2002 to GHA Wrexham (and current)
Jan 2001
207 Oct 2000 - Docherty Irvine, Oct 2004 taken over by Stagecoach Western, Jan 2007 to Stagecoach Yorkshire at Chesterfield (current)
208 Oct 2000 - Docherty Irvine, Oct 2004 taken over by Stagecoach Western, Jan 2007 to Stagecoach Yorkshire at Chesterfield (current)

Excel 219 returns and more Tridents arrive

Excel 219 is the latest refurbished bus to return to use - it was first noted on Line 7 on Thursday 11th. It retains pool livery having been repainted in January. Work is understood to have started back in October so this represents a significant acceleration of the 'down time' compared to 217 and 218.

This means 210-213, 216-220 are now in use with new engines with 215 currently at Cummins. 214, 221-226 retain original specification units.

Two further second hand Dennis Tridents are being purchased with PO51UMV noted on delivery on Lytham Road at 1545 today (15 Feb). This was new to Blue Triangle Buses as TL920 in October 2001 and has been purchased from Ensign bus. It is from the same batch as 338/9. Trident 310 has now entered the paint shop for Line 14 livery.

City Sightseeing Line 20 has now been registered for 2010 operation from Easter. The southern terminus this year is Blackpool Pleasure Beach following the closure of Pontins last year. It is understood that the Manchester tour will not be run by Blackpool Transport this year and that three of the open top Olympians will return to Ensign shortly.

A brief guide to the Blackpool Bus Network

The main Blackpool  Transport bus routes are summarised below. Recent changes have impacted on early morning and late evening services which may therefore be below the frequencies quoted.

Line 1 Airport to Fleetwood via Promenade (orange)

Operates every 20 minutes daytime (daily) with 7 buses, and every 30 minutes every evening with four buses. Tridents 333-339 are allocated with spare buses from orange or black liveried Olympians. Extra workings operate in the summer season.

Line 2 Poulton to Wesham via Hospital, Blackpool, Marton, South Shore, St. Annes, Lytham, Freckleton

Line 2C Knott End to South Pier via Poulton, Hospital, Blackpool, Marton (Light Green).

Combined 15 minute service weekday daytimes Poulton to South Pier (each every 30 minutes to Wesham or Knott End) using 14 buses.

Weekday evenings every 30 minutes 2C only - 6 buses
Sundays all day every 30 minutes South Pier to Poulton and hourly to Knott End - 4 buses
Solos 240-247, 249, 284-287, 294 dedicated, one working usually a pool Delta Monday to Friday. Pool Solos as spares.

Line 3 Cleveleys to Mereside via College, Bispham, Claremont, Blackpool, Park Road (blue)

Operates every 20 minutes daytimes (6 buses), every 60 minutes evening and Sunday (2 buses)

Solos 258-260, 295-297 dedicated, pool Solos as spare. Guaranteed low floor service.

Line 4 Cleveleys Park to Mereside via Little Bispham, Bispham, Claremont, Blackpool, Stanley Park, Great Marton (Cadbury Blue)

Operates every 20 minutes daytimes (7 buses), every 60 minutes evening and Sunday (2 buses)

Solos 265-269, 271, 272 dedicated, pool Solos as spare.

Line 5 Victoria Hospital to Halfway House via Layton, Blackpool, South Shore, Lindale Gardens (Red)

Operates every 10 minutes daytimes (9 buses), every 30 minutes evening and Sunday (3 buses) 

Solos 248, 250-257 dedicated, pool Solos as spare. Guaranteed low floor service.

Line 6 Grange Park to Mereside via Layton, Blackpool, Welcome Inn (marroon)

Operates every 10 minutes weekday daytimes (10 buses), every 30 minutes every evening (3 buses) and every 20 minutes Sunday daytimes (5 buses)
Deltas 103-109, 112-114 dedicated. Pool Deltas or Olympians and occasionally Solos and Excels substitute.

Line 7 Cleveleys to Lytham Square via Devonshire Road, Blackpool, St. Annes Road, St. Annes and Fairhaven (purple) 

Operates every 15 minutes weekday daytimes (10 buses), every 30 minutes evening and Sunday with alternate buses running to Wesham (6 buses)
Excels 210-217, 224-226 dedicated. Pool Excels, Deltas and Olympians and occasionally Solos deputise. 11 different vehicles are used each day as one vehicle works evenings only.

Line 10 Blackpool to Midgeland Road via Royal Oak, Watson Road (grey)
Operates every 60 minutes weekday daytimes only with 1 bus. MetroRider 518 dedicated, Pool Solos substitute

Line 11 Cleveleys to Lytham* via College, Bispham Layton, Blackpool, Lytham Road, St. Annes and Ansdell (turquoise)

Weekday daytime: every 7/8 minutes Cleveleys to St. Annes and every 15 minutes to Lytham using 22 buses

Every evenings: every 30 minutes Cleveleys to Lytham using 5 buses

Sunday daytimes: every 15 minutes Cleveleys to Lytham using 11 buses

* Lytham terminus is Saltcotes Road (peak hours), Hospital (off peak daytime), Square (evenings/Sundays)
Deltas 115/6, 118/9, 122, 125-127, Tridents 322-332, Olympian 379 dedicated. Pool Deltas, Olympians and Tridents substitute with occasional Excels and Solos

Line 14 Fleetwood to St. Annes via Thornton, Carleton, Blackpool, Common Edge Road, Spring Gardens (dark green)

Daytimes every 10 minutes Fleetwood to Blackpool and every 20 minutes to St. Annes using 16 buses

Every evening every 30 minutes Fleetwood to Blackpool only using 3 buses

Sundays every 15 minutes Fleetwood to Blackpool and every 30 minutes to either St. Annes or Rigby Road using 10 buses.

Tridents 301-316 dedicated, pool Tridents or Excels substitute. Guaranteed low floor service.

Line 15 Staining to Poulton via Hospital, Layton, Blackpool, Bispham, College, Norcross (pink)

Weekday Daytimes every 30 minutes Staining to Poulton using four buses

Every Evening every 60 minutes Staining to Blackpool using 1 bus

Sunday daytime every 30 minutes Staining to Bispham using 3 buses

MetroRiders 515 and 517 dedicated with pool Solos in use on a daily basis plus as spare cover.

 

Line 16 Cleveleys to Blackpool via Thornton, Norcross, Grange Park, Hospital, Mereside, Highfield Road, Airport, Lytham Road (light blue).

Monday to Friday every 30 minutes using 6 buses

Saturday and Sunday every 60 minutes using 3 buses

No evening service

Solos 288-293 dedicated, pool Solos as back-up.

Line 20 Pleasure Beach to Marton Mere via Promenade, Tower, Hornby Road, Stanley Park, Zoo (City Sightseeing)

Every 30 minutes summer only using 3 buses. Early season service Town Centre to Marton Mere only, hourly with one bus.

part 2 covering other operators services to follow