Youngest Retro Liveries

[tbtc]

The news that Lothian Buses are to paint some of their vehicles in the heart/diamond/clubs (etc) livery/branding from about a decade ago got me thinking about how "young" some retro liveries are.

For example First repainted Volvo B7RLE 69017 (SF55 UAK) into a version of the "Mainline" livery that was running in Sheffield before First took over in the late '90s - the Mainline red/yellow continued into the 2000s (so was still around in the last fifteen years - I can't remember the final red/yellow vehicle running, might have been later).

Retro liveries are often associated with something like a fifty/hundred year anniversary but are there any other examples of a livery coming back after only ten/fifteen years?

(to avoid argument, I'm talking about buses currently in operation *and* historic examples of buses painted in relatively young liveries - maybe a separate category for fleet-wide changes back to a retro livery - e.g. that brief period when Clydeside Scottish started painting vehicles into Western Scottish colours rather than just a one-off for ons vehicle - I'll set the initial bar at bringing back a livery that was phased out twenty years ago but am sure someone will know of something that came back within a decade!)

 

[gka472l]

Whilst it's actually a trainer with Stagecoach Merseyside, 21118 being W plate carries the CMT livery it would have been new in......does that count??

 

[buslad1988]

First Eastern Counties have a variety of heritage livered buses at the moment in late 1980’s/1990’s style variations with one repainted very recently.

32059 (59) in Great Yarmouth https://www.flickr.com/photos/128732924@N02/40410234964

32479 (VA479) in Ipswich https://www.flickr.com/photos/andysbusblog/14893151581

42926 in Lowestoft https://www.flickr.com/photos/76466268@N06/29519582218

42943 in Great Yarmouth https://www.flickr.com/photos/busesandcoaches/42586332075

60915 (915) in Norwich https://www.flickr.com/photos/busesandcoaches/40081592391

60916 (VW916) in Norwich https://www.flickr.com/photos/128732924@N02/40410224204

66985 in Norwich has also recently been done in same style as VA479, 42926 and VW916 - so obviously a clear favourite by management that one!

Of all these 60915 wears the most recent livery (dating from 1996). Would be nice to see a Blue Bus variation of this done on a Dart SLF as well.

Also a GRT style decker and single deck Superoute 66 and Superoute 88 would be good in Ipswich!

I think once the time comes and barbie livery has totally gone a Volvo/Wright would also be nice in the original barbie livery - which at the time launched in 1997/1998 (IMO) looked classy and meant a higher standard of vehicle.

Thanks to all photographers for photos linked to Flickr btw.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

First have a lot of retro liveries - Eastern Counties has already been mentioned and in Yorkshire, you have Rider York also joining the Mainline colours.

However, surely the winner must be the return of Badgerline. Having done a heritage repaint on Eclipse 66726, there are now a number of Darts and Geminis now in a livery that is very similar though subtly updated that isn't just used as a tribute act but is the "new" identity of the Weston local services. Same badger, different font, same colours predominantly though a different layout.

 

[Arriva Fan]

Arriva Scotland West painted VDL SB200 Wright Pulsar 2 2005 (YJ09 CVM) into the Clydeside Livery in February 2012.

That version of Clydeside Livery was the final one, in use until 1997, before it was replaced by Arriva Corporate.

 

[GusB]

I'm not sure if it's still around, but Bluebird Buses painted on of their Profiles (53334) in a version of the old Northern Scottish livery for their 50th anniversary. It was similar to the style used on the old M-type Leopards that used to do the overnight London services, and very smart it was too.

 

[Strathclyder]

Arriva Scotland West, in their last year or so before McGill's took them over, repainted a Wright Eclipse Pulsar-bodied DAF (VDL) SB200 (YJ09 CVM/2005) and a Pointer Mk1-bodied Dennis Dart SLF (P801 RWU/1411) into two seperate versions of the Clydeside Scottish livery. The livery on the Pulsar was still around in the late 90s (notably on brand-new ALX200-bodied Darts), so had been gone for under 15 years.

E: beaten to the punch by @Arriva Fan. D'oh lol

 

[AlastairFraser]

Not exactly retro, but a Reading Buses Enviro 300 was repainted into a pre-Premier Routes (colour-coded routes) livery in 2016. The Premier Routes branding started in 2004. Link to picture:https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenpoole/27808045980

 

[Man of Kent]

The original Megadekka at Bedford, 14000 (F110 NES) was returned to Stagecoach striped livery and regularly used in service.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I was going to mention the Yorkshire Rider liveried Gemini, but then realised it's 24 years since Yorkshire Rider disappeared and then i felt old.

 

[SteveyBee131]

For example First repainted Volvo B7RLE 69017 (SF55 UAK) into a version of the "Mainline" livery that was running in Sheffield before First took over in the late '90s - the Mainline red/yellow continued into the 2000s (so was still around in the last fifteen years - I can't remember the final red/yellow vehicle running, might have been later).

First South Yorkshire's last red and yellow bus was also the last Dennis Dominator in service for the company, 30500, which was once 2472 from Doncaster depot.