Blackpool Transport Services Limited Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer
What could have been……
Blackpool was rare amongst operators as it resisted the charms of the Dennis Dart, both the standard and super low floor versions. It did evaluate the type and wasn’t immune to Dennis purchases, as in the early 1980s it did purchase some rare Marshall Cammair bodied Dennis Lancets. Also its first low-floor accessible double decker buses were Dennis Tridents.
However at the time that the Dart was in the ascendancy, Blackpool had a preference for Optare products and plumped for Deltas, MetroRiders, Excels and Solos over Darts. It never ordered the type new or acquired some second hand, unless you count the new Enviro 200MMCs given they’re kinda direct descendants of the Dart and the chassis bears a lot to the Dart.
However this bus is actually a former Arriva bus preserved in the area. It was new to Arriva London North as its PDL90 before it’s transfer to Arriva Wales (Cmyru) as its 922. Purchased by a local preservationist it’s been repainted into Blackpool’s green and cream livery from the 1990s including its tower and waves fleetname. I know purists will be agog at this and some will even point out that based on the bus’s age, it should be Metro Coastlines livery to be period correct. But I don’t mind it. It’s the owner’s decision what to repaint it into after all. It also has acquired a white LED screen and seems to be stored at Blackpool’s Rigby Road depot.
Blackpool Transport Services Limited Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer
What could have been……
Blackpool was rare amongst operators as it resisted the charms of the Dennis Dart, both the standard and super low floor versions. It did evaluate the type and wasn’t immune to Dennis purchases, as in the early 1980s it did purchase some rare Marshall Cammair bodied Dennis Lancets. Also its first low-floor accessible double decker buses were Dennis Tridents.
However at the time that the Dart was in the ascendancy, Blackpool had a preference for Optare products and plumped for Deltas, MetroRiders, Excels and Solos over Darts. It never ordered the type new or acquired some second hand, unless you count the new Enviro 200MMCs given they’re kinda direct descendants of the Dart and the chassis bears a lot to the Dart.
However this bus is actually a former Arriva bus preserved in the area. It was new to Arriva London North as its PDL90 before it’s transfer to Arriva Wales (Cmyru) as its 922. Purchased by a local preservationist it’s been repainted into Blackpool’s green and cream livery from the 1990s including its tower and waves fleetname. I know purists will be agog at this and some will even point out that based on the bus’s age, it should be Metro Coastlines livery to be period correct. But I don’t mind it. It’s the owner’s decision what to repaint it into after all. It also has acquired a white LED screen and seems to be stored at Blackpool’s Rigby Road depot.