Odd Dart
Stagecoach took over Devon General and Bayline January 1996 and immediately started shipping in bigger buses (well, bigger minibuses to start with, plus some small Mercs from Busways to depose Ford Transits). Over the next couple of years, full-size buses followed, including new ones which started new number ranges: 1xx Varios, 7xx Volvo B6LEs, 8xx Volvo B10Ms and 9xx Volvo Olympians. Odd man-out amongst that lot was a solitary Dennis Dart, 751 (R751 BDV) which, with its Alexander ALX200 bodywork looked outwardly similar to the B6LEs. It was bought for the 340 Sidmouth – Honiton tendered service, temporarily covered by 712 until 751 was delivered. It’s seen here in later life, in Exeter High Street “on the riff-raffs”, i.e. working city circular service R to Rifford Road.
In terms of buses new to DG, it would remain unique for some time and although many, many second-hand Darts were operated, the company only ever bought three new ones, the others being two short Darts in 2001. They never bought any step Darts new, although a very early demonstrator (G541 JBV) was trialled at the beginning of 1990. It wouldn’t be until 2006 that DG’s successor, Stagecoach Devon, put further brand new Darts in the fleet and has continued to do so regularly ever since (although the model has developed somewhat over the years).
Odd Dart
Stagecoach took over Devon General and Bayline January 1996 and immediately started shipping in bigger buses (well, bigger minibuses to start with, plus some small Mercs from Busways to depose Ford Transits). Over the next couple of years, full-size buses followed, including new ones which started new number ranges: 1xx Varios, 7xx Volvo B6LEs, 8xx Volvo B10Ms and 9xx Volvo Olympians. Odd man-out amongst that lot was a solitary Dennis Dart, 751 (R751 BDV) which, with its Alexander ALX200 bodywork looked outwardly similar to the B6LEs. It was bought for the 340 Sidmouth – Honiton tendered service, temporarily covered by 712 until 751 was delivered. It’s seen here in later life, in Exeter High Street “on the riff-raffs”, i.e. working city circular service R to Rifford Road.
In terms of buses new to DG, it would remain unique for some time and although many, many second-hand Darts were operated, the company only ever bought three new ones, the others being two short Darts in 2001. They never bought any step Darts new, although a very early demonstrator (G541 JBV) was trialled at the beginning of 1990. It wouldn’t be until 2006 that DG’s successor, Stagecoach Devon, put further brand new Darts in the fleet and has continued to do so regularly ever since (although the model has developed somewhat over the years).