Oldest buses in service

[Robertj21a]

Even older bus 46 UWW8X new to West Yorkshire PTE in is still showing as in service. Bet there aren't many more Roe bodied buses remaining in service in 2019!

Yes, UWW 8X is still in use. UWW 10X only recently departed, for preservation, and UWW 9X was withdrawn a little earlier.

 

[mic]

first Greater Manchester (Oldham) still have 30936 X357 VWT still in service but due off fleet at end of month as tax due 1/8/19

 

[route101]

Y plate until recently for Glasgow . 51 plate s still daily service as well as a 02 decker .

 

[cnjb8]

Skills Coaches operate former Dublin N438 BRR. It's due for withdrawal by ex Lothian Tridents

 

[alex397]

Would the Epping Ongar Railways 339 service count as a special run even though its a registered service? If so it must be the winner using RTs and RMs

I would count it. As you say, it is a public registered bus service. Local tickets can be bought, and ENCTS passes are accepted. I've seen people using it as a local service, not just EOR visitors.

It amazes me to see RTs being run quite intensively. There are quite fast roads along the 339.

 

[Samuel88]

I would count it. As you say, it is a public registered bus service. Local tickets can be bought, and ENCTS passes are accepted. I've seen people using it as a local service, not just EOR visitors.

It amazes me to see RTs being run quite intensively. There are quite fast roads along the 339.

How do they get around the DDA? Don't all registered bus routes have to comply with the act?

 

[Eyersey468]

How do they get around the DDA? Don't all registered bus routes have to comply with the act?

I believe heritage vehicles are exempt provided they don't operate more than a certain number of days a year.

 

[DaveLondon]

How do they get around the DDA? Don't all registered bus routes have to comply with the act?

Not the DDA but PSVAR. It is not registered bus routes that need to comply but the vehicles used on them (not routes registered as tours). Non PSVAR vehicles are allowed to be used for a certain number of days per year. The only exception that I know of was the 15H where the route was given an exemption as accessible vehicles ran frequently along the route (ie the 15) David

 

[carlberry]

I believe heritage vehicles are exempt provided they don't operate more than a certain number of days a year.

20 days per vehicle.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Y301 RTD 61705 is still in service with First Glasgow out everyday on mostly the 19/46 although can stray onto other routes if it's required

 

[83G/84D]

I saw Alexander bodied Volvo decker F682 FWX in Bury on a school service yesterday.

 

[transportusers]

Are you only counting buses used on registered ordinary service bus routes? Or can any buses that carry ordinary passengers be counted? If so then there are certainly some very old buses at most of our ferry ports around the UK on foot passenger shuttle services going from the ferry terminals to the ferries. You can still find a lot of N/P/R reg buses in use on these services.

 

[Driver362]

Our 04 plate RLE's (LC), The two wee darts at deans (52)plates

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Diamond at Redditch have a V reg Trident President that occasionally does the Matchborough circulars 57 58 though is usually on school route 301. It’s not DDA though

Reading Buses have 4 x reg East Lancs Tridents, formerly with Blackpool Transport. They see regular service but will be replaced when the new Metrodeckers for the 702 arrive

National Express West Midlands as mentioned have 5 Y reg ALX Tridents, though the 4 at Birmingham Central depot shouldn’t last too much longer. Otherwise, there are a rather large fleet of 51, 02, 52, 53, 04 and 54 plate Tridents numbered 4310-4634 (some of these numbers are withdrawn, and the fleet of Gemini’s are in between these too). More Platinums on the way will make inroads to the 90 odd survivors in the 4305-4414 range.
This amount is significant when you look at how many Stagecoach Tridents there are of that range still in normal service.

Hedingham & Chambers used to have a large fleet of V and W reg Volvo Presidents, ex London. I’m not sure if there’s many around still after some 59 plate Scanias transferred there

 

[83G/84D]

Warrington have some V registration Volvo B7TL’s used mainly but not exclusively on school services. one seen earlier this week.

 

[Westnat]

Newport Transport still operate Scania S114 TDW in normal service. Sister vehicle S113 TDW was placed into reserve in April.

 

[Tom B]

Though I don't think they still operate, there was a company in the Worksop area who had a large fleet of Bristol VRs up until I believe 5 years ago or so, long after they ceased to be a common sight elsewhere. Primarily school runs. By that point many will have been 40 or more years old!

 

[cnjb8]

Though I don't think they still operate, there was a company in the Worksop area who had a large fleet of Bristol VRs up until I believe 5 years ago or so, long after they ceased to be a common sight elsewhere. Primarily school runs. By that point many will have been 40 or more years old!

That I believe is Johnsons Bros Tours. They operate an aging fleet but are taking in NCT OmniDekkas

 

[83G/84D]

Diamond at Redditch have a V reg Trident President that occasionally does the Matchborough circulars 57 58 though is usually on school route 301. It’s not DDA though

Reading Buses have 4 x reg East Lancs Tridents, formerly with Blackpool Transport. They see regular service but will be replaced when the new Metrodeckers for the 702 arrive

National Express West Midlands as mentioned have 5 Y reg ALX Tridents, though the 4 at Birmingham Central depot shouldn’t last too much longer. Otherwise, there are a rather large fleet of 51, 02, 52, 53, 04 and 54 plate Tridents numbered 4310-4634 (some of these numbers are withdrawn, and the fleet of Gemini’s are in between these too). More Platinums on the way will make inroads to the 90 odd survivors in the 4305-4414 range.
This amount is significant when you look at how many Stagecoach Tridents there are of that range still in normal service.

Hedingham & Chambers used to have a large fleet of V and W reg Volvo Presidents, ex London. I’m not sure if there’s many around still after some 59 plate Scanias transferred there

This one and a couple others seen in Stourbridge today.

 

[Tom B]

That I believe is Johnsons Bros Tours. They operate an aging fleet but are taking in NCT OmniDekkas

That's the one. I assume that the VRs are long gone?

 

[MotCO]

20 days per vehicle.

So in theory, a daily bus route with a PVR of 1 could operate using non-compliant buses if there was a stock of 19 buses, each used for no more than 20 days a year each! More realistically, a one day a week operation would require only 3 buses.

 

[Buggleskelly]

Stagecoach London still have a few 03 and 53 reg Trident ALX400 roaming the streets in Havering.

 

[Jordan Adam]

So in theory, a daily bus route with a PVR of 1 could operate using non-compliant buses if there was a stock of 19 buses, each used for no more than 20 days a year each! More realistically, a one day a week operation would require only 3 buses.

Iirc it's actually 21 days (3 weeks). Either way yes in theory they could, although i don't think it would please the local TC.

 

[gazthomas]

Alpine Coaches must feature: https://www.alpine-travel.co.uk/Vintage

 

[Strathclyder]

The last of the huge fleet of Glasgow Atlanteans were finally withdrawn in 1999. There was also an X-reg Ailsa which came off in 2005 making it 24 years old.

The last of the native LAs (LA1408/RDS 597W) left passenger carrying service in Nov. 1998, athough LAs lingered in the driver training fleet until 2002.

As for X-reg Ailsas, the only native examples of that age I can remember lasting beyond 2003 were CSU 219X (A11; new Sep. 1981) & CSU 235X (A27; new Nov. 1981), though I suspect that there may have been more than just those two. I should also mention that a handful of ex-Eastern Scottish examples of a similar age were transferred across to Glasgow late in their lives, but these didn't quite outlast the native examples in service. These were HSF 86X (A136/31626; new Nov. 1981 as VV86) & HSF 91X (A137/31627; new Dec. 1981 as VV91).

There could be at least one Y---RTD Volvo B10BLEs running out of First Dumbarton Depot.

One assumes you're referring to Y304 RTD (61708). This was withdrawn from service about a month ago. Batchmate Y301 RTD (61705) is still hanging on in service at Caledonia for now.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Premium Tours have recently expanded their fleet of Routemasters with a batch of ERMs acquired from Lothian. These are used daily on sightseeing routes in London. BB Bakery also operates a fleet of RMs on tea tours. Red Routemaster have plans to introduce a weekday replacement for the 15H

 

[cnjb8]

That's the one. I assume that the VRs are long gone?

I think the last one was withdrawn a few years ago.

 

[route101]

I think the last one was withdrawn a few years ago.

Thats amazing , thought they were long gone .

Colchri in Glasgow had an A reg Olympian on the 22 in summer of 2014.

I seen a H reg Olympian parked at kendal bus station today , probably a school bus .

 

[route101]

The last of the native LAs (LA1408/RDS 597W) left passenger carrying service in Nov. 1998, athough LAs lingered in the driver training fleet until 2002.

As for X-reg Ailsas, the only native examples of that age I can remember lasting beyond 2003 were CSU 219X (A11; new Sep. 1981) & CSU 235X (A27; new Nov. 1981), though I suspect that there may have been more than just those two. I should also mention that a handful of ex-Eastern Scottish examples of a similar age were transferred across to Glasgow late in their lives, but these didn't quite outlast the native examples in service. These were HSF 86X (A136/31626; new Nov. 1981 as VV86) & HSF 91X (A137/31627; new Dec. 1981 as VV91).



One assumes you're referring to Y304 RTD (61708). This was withdrawn from service about a month ago. Batchmate Y301 RTD (61705) is still hanging on in service at Caledonia for now.

Amazing the Ailsas lasted 23 years

 

[MrGriff500]

Oldest with First Eastern Counties are about 12 W-reg B7TLs with ALX400 bodies which are looking extremely tired but still see daily service on Yarmouth and Lowestoft routes. Most of them won't make it to 2020 though. Various cascades are planned once the new Excel fleet enters service which'll see most of them off.

Don’t forget Eastern Counties also has a W-Reg Trident in Great Yarmouth. Still going strong. The W-DWX ones and some of the W-XBDs are alright, as got the two W-SRP B7TLs... hmmmmm...

Still running three 51-Reg Tridents, as well as a fair few 51-Reg ALX400 B7s. And a solitary L94 Solar. Was a T-Reg Trident but First donated it to a local school.

First Essex have some older ones such as more old Scanias, and a few off W B7TLs there too. Not sure what the situation with First remaining Olympians are, if they even have any left in service.

I believe Norfolk operator Simonds still run an R Reg ALX300 B10BLE, though if it is, it’s been reduced to a spare bus now. They do still have a V-Reg President B7TL. Oh, if you count sightseeing buses, the current one is a similar one but X-Reg and the spare one is a tired G-Reg Palatine Volvo Olympian