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Optare Solos branded with "The Link"

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pemma

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Winsford based Tomlinson Travel have an Optare Solo with green wording on the side window and back of the bus saying "The Link." I always thought that was their branding. However, yesterday I noticed Bowers using one of these buses which had "The Link" branding but it has been removed (the removal of branding shows up in the sunlight.) To prove it's not the same Solo as Tomlinson Travel have they had there one out on the Knutsford Circular last night.

Does anyone know where this branding has originated?
 
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pemma

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I've actually found the answer to my question here: http://dartslf.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=591

They used to belong to Chester City Transport.

The one being used by Bowers had the LED destination displays in use with what appeared to be a new message on the side destination display saying something about following bad weather it might take a while for services to return to normal.
 

martinsh

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I've actually found the answer to my question here: http://dartslf.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=591

They used to belong to Chester City Transport.
Not strictly true - they were operated by chester CT, but owned by Cheshire CC. Then (from memory) went to D & G at Crewe which still has at least one of the batch (there are 5 in all)

The one being used by Bowers had the LED destination displays in use with what appeared to be a new message on the side destination display saying something about following bad weather it might take a while for services to return to normal.

What bad weather ?! :shock:
 

pemma

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Not strictly true - they were operated by chester CT, but owned by Cheshire CC. Then (from memory) went to D & G at Crewe which still has at least one of the batch (there are 5 in all)

Well if Tomlinsons have 1 and Bowers have 1 then there's 3 elsewhere.

Why didn't Cheshire CC use their blue livery on those Solos, like they did with their other buses?


What bad weather ?! :shock:

Yes bad timing. Although, not that long ago there was a Saturday morning where the early services on both the 27 and 300 route were cancelled.

Maybe the drivers are getting blinded by the Sun and it's causing delays.
 

martinsh

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Well if Tomlinsons have 1 and Bowers have 1 then there's 3 elsewhere..
Now I'm back home, I can check my records. Only 4 of these were ever with Chester CT, the other one was originally with PMT (briefly) then Bakers.

Current locations are as follows
YM52TPO Helms Coaches
YM52TPU Helms Coaches
YM52TPV Tomlinsons
YM52TPX GHA
YM52TPY D & G

Bowers never had any of them. I think THe Link might be the term used to describe the Knutsford local service ? [ Hence why Bowers vehicle has had branding removed ]

Why didn't Cheshire CC use their blue livery on those Solos, like they did with their other buses?
..
They did.
 

pemma

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Current locations are as follows
YM52TPO Helms Coaches
YM52TPU Helms Coaches
YM52TPV Tomlinsons
YM52TPX GHA
YM52TPY D & G

Bowers never had any of them.

I saw the same bus with Bowers this morning and it stopped at traffic lights where I was walking and I noticed it's actually different branding that's showing up even though it looked the same previously from a distance. There's also an 01782 phone number that has been removed off the back of the bus that's still showing up so it's obviously come from the Stoke on Trent area.
 

martinsh

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Because you mention the 01782 telephone exchange, could the bus have been one a former one of Bakers fleet as Bakers telephone number is 01782 522101 and they are on the Victoria Business Park (Prospect Way) in Biddulph.

Spot on that man ! Bowers do indeed have some buses that are ex Bakers, some DAF SB120 / Wright that were transferred when Bowers took over the Macclesfield - Knutsford route. One of them is YJ53VEB, which is now in Cheshire Connect livery - I don't know what livery the others are in.

Of course, a registration would help a lot !
 

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pemma

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Spot on that man ! Bowers do indeed have some buses that are ex Bakers, some DAF SB120 / Wright that were transferred when Bowers took over the Macclesfield - Knutsford route. One of them is YJ53VEB, which is now in Cheshire Connect livery - I don't know what livery the others are in.

When Bakerbus had the 27 service they had one Cheshire CC vehicle allocated to it and used one of their own buses as the second bus. Bowers have two Cheshire Connect vehicles for the route - one is YJ53 VEB, the other was a CCC vehicle Arriva had and still has an Arriva plate inside the door.

The vehicles on the 27 service actually say "Cheshire Connect operated by Centrebus" even though the other ones in the Macclesfield area say Bowers.
 

martinsh

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When Bakerbus had the 27 service they had one Cheshire CC vehicle allocated to it and used one of their own buses as the second bus. Bowers have two Cheshire Connect vehicles for the route - one is YJ53 VEB, the other was a CCC vehicle Arriva had and still has an Arriva plate inside the door.

The vehicles on the 27 service actually say "Cheshire Connect operated by Centrebus" even though the other ones in the Macclesfield area say Bowers.

No. Bakers had YJ53VEA and YJ04BZD as well which also passed to Bowers.
 

pemma

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No. Bakers had YJ53VEA and YJ04BZD as well which also passed to Bowers.

One certainly does say Arriva on the inside, so it must have been used with Arriva at some point even if Bakerbus used it more recently. I'm not sure which one it is but it's one of the two that say "Cheshire Connect operated by Centrebus"
 
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