Trivia : "Endangered Species" of buses

[hst43102]

Based on an idea from this thread, which vehicle types are still clinging on in service with only a couple of operators, or perhaps with just a handful of vehicles left in service?
For this thread, school services / rail replacement vehicles can count.

 

[SSmith2009]

GH Watts of Leicester still operate well turned out (former West Midlands Travel) MCW metrobus' ROX660Y B840AOP which are still used on school services.

two metrobuses

www.flickr.com

 

[Flange Squeal]

Safeguard Coaches of Guildford, in Surrey, operate three Optare Excels - X307/8 CBT and YJ03 UMM - on their all-day town routes. I'm sure there are probably others out there, but can't be many still in regular daily frontline service?

 

[route101]

B10BLES at Transdev. Any bendy buses like Citaros.

 

[hst43102]

GH Watts of Leicester still operate well turned out (former West Midlands Travel) MCW metrobus' ROX660Y B840AOP which are still used on school services.

two metrobuses

www.flickr.com

Wow, those must be some of the oldest vehicles still in service. I had absolutely no idea any Metrobuses were still going!

 

[liamf656]

Are there many Optare Spectras still in use?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Are there many Optare Spectras still in use?

Abus still use(d) one on their remaining schools contract to Bath

 

[Grahamk748]

Are there many Optare Spectras still in use?

2way travel of Scunthorpe have quite a few mainly ex Go South Coast and MP Travel have just acquired a second on recently think

 

[richw]

Chepstow classic buses were still recently using a VR on school services. In reality they will send anything with a class 6 from their fleet

 

[RustySpoons]

Are there many Optare Spectras still in use?

Is the Spectra Transdev inherited from Yorkshire Tiger still going?

 

[SSmith2009]

Wow, those must be some of the oldest vehicles still in service. I had absolutely no idea any Metrobuses were still going!

these two metrobuses are very nearly 40 years old!

GH Watts also have a smart looking Optare Vecta registered NXI 608 which was new as M702 RVS to Seamarks of Luton.

G H Watts Coaches - NXI608 - Leicester

G H Watts Coaches NXI608 is a MAN 11.190 with Optare Vecta bodywork. Seen at the depot, NXI608 was new as M702RVS to Seamarks of Luton.

www.flickr.com

 

[fgwrich]

these two metrobuses are very nearly 40 years old!

GH Watts also have a smart looking Optare Vecta registered NXI 608 which was new as M702 RVS to Seamarks of Luton.

G H Watts Coaches - NXI608 - Leicester

G H Watts Coaches NXI608 is a MAN 11.190 with Optare Vecta bodywork. Seen at the depot, NXI608 was new as M702RVS to Seamarks of Luton.

www.flickr.com

Close to rivalling that record has to be this former London & Country East Lancs / Volvo Citybus - looking absolutely nothing like it did 33 Years ago. Now with Aldermaston Coach Lines, it's previously been with Morton's Travel and Bradshaws.

Friday schools

Friday afternoon, 7th January, 2022, and 2 school/college runs with unique Volvo Citybus East Lancs rebuild G611 BPH, seen here at Freefolk. I have now driven this bus for three different operators: Arriva, Mortons and Aldermaston Coach Lines.

www.flickr.com

 

[LUYMun]

Any ALX200 buses still running around? They used to be everywhere ten years ago, now they've either been killed by fire or rust.

 

[DJames]

Any ALX200 buses still running around? They used to be everywhere ten years ago, now they've either been killed by fire or rust.

Travel Express/Let's Go in Wolverhampton operated some until very recently, before they were replaced by newer Enviro200s. Red Rose also had one in use until last year. I'm not sure if there's any others left in service, but there are at least a decent amount of ALX300s around, at least in the North East with Stagecoach.

One vehicle that is definitely endangered would be HC04 BBB, one of two Plaxton Concept 2000 bodied B6BLEs ever made.

Another would've been the original TransBus Enviro200s, had Buses Excetera stayed in business.

 

[Grahamk748]

these two metrobuses are very nearly 40 years old!

GH Watts also have a smart looking Optare Vecta registered NXI 608 which was new as M702 RVS to Seamarks of Luton.

G H Watts Coaches - NXI608 - Leicester

G H Watts Coaches NXI608 is a MAN 11.190 with Optare Vecta bodywork. Seen at the depot, NXI608 was new as M702RVS to Seamarks of Luton.

www.flickr.com

The Vecta has gone now and is I think preserved somewhere

Scania/East Lancs Cityzens have got to be one of the rare types left in service now too? Not that they were that popular in the first place.
There was one at CL Travel near Royston, one at Orbit Coaches, Leicester and one at Kettlewells,Retford and Autocar,Tunbridge Wells. I think they are all still current. There may also be one at Astons,Worcester?
Kettlewells also have A50WVL A Scania K112/Deltaplan which I think also still sees use

 

[RELL6L]

The Volvo B7L single decker was never a popular vehicle as far as I can tell. First had a lot but I think they have all gone now.
Reliance Motor Services in Yorkshire still have two, both were out yesterday but are not today, they cannot have long left.
They also have two B10BLEs, although one has not been out since 4 April. The other one - Y163HRN - is out today.
What they have is extremely well turned out.

 

[RustySpoons]

The Volvo B7L single decker was never a popular vehicle as far as I can tell. First had a lot but I think they have all gone now.
Reliance Motor Services in Yorkshire still have two, both were out yesterday but are not today, they cannot have long left.
They also have two B10BLEs, although one has not been out since 4 April. The other one - Y163HRN - is out today.
What they have is extremely well turned out.

There's a handful of other B10BLEs from the HRN batch still operating Burnley local services, albeit with a mildly unpleasant facelift. As of yet there's no plans to withdraw or replace them.

 

[73001]

Peoplesbus have a very smart looking BMC Condor that still gets used. Can't be many of those about.

 

[Strathclyder]

Peoplesbus have a very smart looking BMC Condor that still gets used. Can't be many of those about.

A few ex-West Yorkshire BMC Condors were bought in late 2018/early 2019 for school work by a few Lanarkshire independents (JMB Travel and McNairns of Coatbridge each have a few such examples; linked Flickr images copyright of busmanscotland & David Devoy respectively).

McNairn, Coatbridge YK06DAA

YK06 DAA is a BMC Condor 220 new to West Yorkshire PTE and allocated to the First West Yorkshire fleet as their number 68646 in May 2006. It was acquired by McNairn of Coatbridge in early 2019 for school contracts.

www.flickr.com

JMB TRAVEL YJ06WTV / YK55AVF

A pair of ex First West Yorkshire BMC Condors have recently joined the fleet. BMC is one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in Turkey. Its products include buses, trucks, and military vehicles. The company was founded in 1964 in partnership with the UK's British Motor Corporation...

www.flickr.com

Speaking of BMC, there can't be many Hawk 900s (never a common type to begin with) left running. The two examples McGill's - likely the type's highest-profile operator - purchased from Silverdale Coaches (t/a Chapmans of Airdrie) in April 2016 as part of the former's sweep of the Monklands have long since been withdrawn and disposed of. Believe Bains of Oldmeldrum have at least two examples still on the go, not sure of any other operators (linked image copyright of Flickr's Chris Cuthill).

SV57 AKK - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.22 - Working the 240 to Kemnay is Bains BMC SV57 AKK

www.flickr.com

 

[liamf656]

Staying on the topic of BMC, I don’t think the Falcon is around much nowadays. Possibly in single figures now

 

[Andyh82]

And First West Yorkshire have just withdrawn their original BMC 1100FEs as well, so there can’t be many of those left either

 

[Strathclyder]

Staying on the topic of BMC, I don’t think the Falcon is around much nowadays. Possibly in single figures now

Bains of Oldmeldrum, a one-time BMC dealer for Scotland and overall rather enthusiastic operator of BMC buses - have quite a few Falcons in their fleet, ex-Glyn Williams/Stagecoach CN04 XCK and native SV06 ESN among them (linked Flickr images copyright of Chris Cuthill).

CN04 XCK - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.2 - Bains CN04 XCK is a BMC Falcon pictured in Inverurie

www.flickr.com

SV06 ESN - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.22 - Bains BMC Falcon SV06 ESN is pictured in Inverurie

www.flickr.com

 

[DJ_K666]

The Vecta has gone now and is I think preserved somewhere

Scania/East Lancs Cityzens have got to be one of the rare types left in service now too? Not that they were that popular in the first place.
There was one at CL Travel near Royston, one at Orbit Coaches, Leicester and one at Kettlewells,Retford and Autocar,Tunbridge Wells. I think they are all still current. There may also be one at Astons,Worcester?
Kettlewells also have A50WVL A Scania K112/Deltaplan which I think also still sees use

The Orbit one at Leicester is now a mobile home. Replaced by an Omnidekka iirc. It was ex Brighton and Hove so there is a small chance I may have driven it in service.

 

[Strathclyder]

The Volvo B7L single decker was never a popular vehicle as far as I can tell. First had a lot but I think they have all gone now.

First were the main takers of the B7L, the vast majority with Wright Eclipse bodywork. Glasgow had, in addition to it's large compliment of B7L saloons, the 10 tri-axle low-height East Lancs Nordic-bodied B7Ls deckers on lease for roughly a decade (2002-2011). The latter's post-Glasgow careers have been well-documented (Brightbus, TM Travel etc). Fingers crossed one makes it back north one day as I remember them vividly during their Glasgow careers. But I digress, all of First's B7Ls have indeed been withdrawn as far as I know, with the only survivors either in preservation or working away with other operators, a la the remaining Nordics.

 

[Mikw]

Wow, those must be some of the oldest vehicles still in service. I had absolutely no idea any Metrobuses were still going!

I miss Metrobuses - almost as much as i miss the mighty Scania Metropolitan. We had them in Leicester for years, they were great.

 

[hst43102]

Bains of Oldmeldrum, a one-time BMC dealer for Scotland and overall rather enthusiastic operator of BMC buses - have quite a few Falcons in their fleet, ex-Glyn Williams/Stagecoach CN04 XCK and native SV06 ESN among them (linked Flickr images copyright of Chris Cuthill).

CN04 XCK - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.2 - Bains CN04 XCK is a BMC Falcon pictured in Inverurie

www.flickr.com

SV06 ESN - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.22 - Bains BMC Falcon SV06 ESN is pictured in Inverurie

www.flickr.com

Red Rose of Aylesbury - a regular name on this thread - also has one, BX56XAH. I last photographed it last year, and I believe it's still in service?

 

[Strathclyder]

Red Rose of Aylesbury - a regular name on this thread - also has one, BX56XAH. I last photographed it last year, and I believe it's still in service?

That one (ex-McKindless of Wishaw, being the first of three they took; two in November 2006 and one in September 2007) is off the road with a SORN by all accounts.

 

[fgwrich]

A few ex-West Yorkshire BMC Condors were bought in late 2018/early 2019 for school work by a few Lanarkshire independents (JMB Travel and McNairns of Coatbridge each have a few such examples; linked Flickr images copyright of busmanscotland & David Devoy respectively).

McNairn, Coatbridge YK06DAA

YK06 DAA is a BMC Condor 220 new to West Yorkshire PTE and allocated to the First West Yorkshire fleet as their number 68646 in May 2006. It was acquired by McNairn of Coatbridge in early 2019 for school contracts.

www.flickr.com

JMB TRAVEL YJ06WTV / YK55AVF

A pair of ex First West Yorkshire BMC Condors have recently joined the fleet. BMC is one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in Turkey. Its products include buses, trucks, and military vehicles. The company was founded in 1964 in partnership with the UK's British Motor Corporation...

www.flickr.com

Speaking of BMC, there can't be many Hawk 900s (never a common type to begin with) left running. The two examples McGill's - likely the type's highest-profile operator - purchased from Silverdale Coaches (t/a Chapmans of Airdrie) in April 2016 as part of the former's sweep of the Monklands have long since been withdrawn and disposed of. Believe Bains of Oldmeldrum have at least two examples still on the go, not sure of any other operators (linked image copyright of Flickr's Chris Cuthill).

SV57 AKK - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.22 - Working the 240 to Kemnay is Bains BMC SV57 AKK

www.flickr.com

Eastleigh based Xelabus also has one of the ex First examples too - the rather smartly turned out G3XEL.

450 - G3 XEL

BMC 220 Condor (B57F) Xelabus, Eastleigh Barton Park, Eastleigh 02 April 2022 (YJ56 LNA)

www.flickr.com

 

[Strathclyder]

Eastleigh based Xelabus also has one of the ex First examples too - the rather smartly turned out G3XEL.

450 - G3 XEL

BMC 220 Condor (B57F) Xelabus, Eastleigh Barton Park, Eastleigh 02 April 2022 (YJ56 LNA)

www.flickr.com

Quite a number of these have found new lives as school buses all over the place, it seems.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Speaking of BMC, there can't be many Hawk 900s (never a common type to begin with) left running. The two examples McGill's - likely the type's highest-profile operator - purchased from Silverdale Coaches (t/a Chapmans of Airdrie) in April 2016 as part of the former's sweep of the Monklands have long since been withdrawn and disposed of. Believe Bains of Oldmeldrum have at least two examples still on the go, not sure of any other operators (linked image copyright of Flickr's Chris Cuthill).

SV57 AKK - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.22 - Working the 240 to Kemnay is Bains BMC SV57 AKK

www.flickr.com

Bains just have two BMC Hawks, the other being SV06GUX

Bains Coaches Of Oldmeldrum SV06GUX (1st September 2020)

Photo date: 01/09/2020 ©Jordan Adam

www.flickr.com

SV06GUX is a bit of a raft but SV57AKK is decent, especially with its comical "takeaway" stop bell / door buzzer!

The rarest active bus in their fleet is probably SV12BVC which is a King Long XMQ6900J. If i'm not mistaken only two were ever registered in the UK, the other being BX14KSF.

Bain's Coaches Of Oldmeldrum SV12BVC (27th August 2018)

Seen here Bain's Coaches Of Oldmeldrum's King Long XMQ6900J (catchy) SV12BVC prepares to depart Union Terrace on the 15:50 Service 305 to Oldmeldrum. This service is in effect a peak time duplicate of the Stagecoach 35, but the route varies within Aberdeen slightly as it mirrors the old...

www.flickr.com

Bains of Oldmeldrum, a one-time BMC dealer for Scotland and overall rather enthusiastic operator of BMC buses - have quite a few Falcons in their fleet, ex-Glyn Williams/Stagecoach CN04 XCK and native SV06 ESN among them (linked Flickr images copyright of Chris Cuthill).

CN04 XCK - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.2 - Bains CN04 XCK is a BMC Falcon pictured in Inverurie

www.flickr.com

SV06 ESN - Bains of Oldmeldrum

15.02.22 - Bains BMC Falcon SV06 ESN is pictured in Inverurie

www.flickr.com

Those are the only two Falcons they have left in use now. Although BX54VNV, BU05EHB & SV06ESG were still sat in their yard when i last went past. They have in the past year purchased three BMC Condors YK55AVD, YJ56LKAM, BX60CKK so i don't think the enthusiasm they have for BMCs has disappeared yet!

Quite a number of these have found new lives as school buses all over the place, it seems.

The vast majority of Condors were built with 3x2 seating specifically for school services iirc.