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Possibly the oldest bus still in service with the First Glasgow fleet, 61478 (P106MFS) is a bit of a survivor. It was actually part of the first batch of low-floor buses ordered following the takeover of SB Holdings , parent company of Strathclyde’s Buses, GCT and Kelvin Central Buses - by Firstbus and arrived to Strathclyde’s Buses part of the business as its SS6. It was part of a batch built for Scania stock and even pre-dated the Firstbus standard interior, arriving in the dreary all-over red with grey Greater Glasgow fleetnames that Firstbus saw fit to afflict on Glasgow at that time. It still carries its grey seats and the eagle-eyed can spot them in the photo. Retired from frontline service it’s now doing the valuable role of a driver trainer in this rather dull livery. A possible preservation candidate maybe.
First Manchester 61141 S359MFP a Scania L94UB/Wright Axcess-Floline at their Bolton depot. 22/12/2013.
This Scania L94UB/Wright Axcess Floline is seen after departing Harrogate Bus Station on a X1 towards Knaresborough. S803SJV is ex-Stagecoach 28803.
The second batch of buses delivered to First Aberdeen Ltd in corporate FirstGroup "Barbie" livery arrived in November 1998.
Nos 550 - 561 (S550 JSE - S561 JSE), operated just over three years in the Granite City before transferring elsewhere as they were to become non-standard types in what was to become a Volvo dominated fleet.
The first withdrawals occurred in March 2001 (551 - 554) and by July that year all twelve buses had gone.
Nos 550 - 559 became First Glasgow No 1 Ltd Nos SS163, SS154 - SS162 (later 61567 - 61576), and Nos 560 & 561 became First Manchester Ltd Nos 178 & 171 (later 60222 & 60215).
61574 S557 JSE 20070405ae2 cpy
Seen at Station Avenue York with the final 181 to Sheriff Hutton.
This bus is to be withdrawn at the end of the year due to DDA requirements after 20 years of service. This was bought by Stephensons in 2007. New to Nottingham City Transport as N525 XRR
First Blue Bus 574, a 1999 Scania L94UB Wright Axcess Floline B40F, was seen in Whittlesey, whilst on a feeder service to Fenland Bus Fest. New in 1999 to Eastern Counties (Ipswich) as their 574.
Harrogate Coach Travel 'conneXions buses'
1999 Wright Axcess Floline bodied Scania L94UB
new as Lincolnshire 803
Tockwith depot 16/11/2014
Arriva Kent Thameside 3253 a Scania L113 with Wright Axcess Ultralow body is seen on Garrick Street in Gravesend in 2006 at work on the 490 service between Dartford and Gravesend.
Scania N253 BKK was new to Kentish Bus in late 1995 then part of the British Bus Group, until it was taken over by the Cowie Group who became Arriva in 1997.
©eb2010
Do not use this image without my permission.
Company Name: First Chester & wirral
Registration Number: N415 ENW | Fleet Number: 60139
Type: Scania L113 CRL / Wright axcess ultralow
Location: Rock Ferry
Connexions Buses, Scania L94UB / Wright Axcess Floline
V587 DVF heads up Cockshott Lane on a service to Wortley Ringways from Gledhow. Acquire from First Eastern Counties.
A change from when I drove AEC Swifts up that hill on that service which was numbered 45 in those days.
The second batch of buses delivered to First Aberdeen Ltd in corporate FirstGroup "Barbie" livery arrived in November 1998.
Nos 550 - 561 (S550 JSE - S561 JSE), operated just over three years in the Granite City before transferring elsewhere as they were to become non-standard types in what was to become a Volvo dominated fleet.
The first withdrawals occurred in March 2001 (551 - 554) and by July that year all twelve buses had gone.
Nos 550 - 559 became First Glasgow No 1 Ltd Nos SS163, SS154 - SS162 (later 61567 - 61576), and Nos 560 & 561 became First Manchester Ltd Nos 178 & 171 (later 60222 & 60215).
61570 S553 JSE 20070405ce2 cpy
New in autumn 1995 to Rider York as Yorkshire Rider 8414 in a batch of 14 vehicles for the relaunched York Park and Ride services, Scania L113 Wright Axcess Ultralow N414 ENW was given a distinctive 2-tone blue livery complete with large P&R vinyls and were also the only vehicles to carry the Rider York name with the mid 1990's 'perspective' style Rider logo. This batch were also the very first bulk order of low floor buses for Yorkshire as a whole, with YR going for the L113 having had two East Lancs examples in use in Leeds initially to trial the low-floor concept... 8414 left York in 2002 after being replaced by inferior Volvo B7L's, and buses of a similar quality to these Scania's did not emerge until the articulated Citaro's arrived in late 2008...
As they were not required in York, the whole batch were dispersed far and wide across the Firstgroup UK fleet; now as 60133 it went to Potteries Motor Traction (PMT) for a while before ending up with First Leeds. It did get involved in a collision with another vehicle, but was rebuilt and then given Olympia livery - which at the time of it being repainted made it the oldest vehicle in the group to get the livery.
Now as the last surviving member of this first batch, 8414 has been purchased by ConnexionsBuses and these are the very first photos of it having just left the HCT workshop with a brand new coat of paint into the Connexions livery and having had some mechanical checks and work done in preparation for this entering service on January 5th. There are still some odds and ends to finish off, but from what I could see and hear it is looking well.
When this was withdrawn by First in late summer 2014 the worst was feared, however the boss of Connexions purchased it with the intention to preserve it; but on a full inspection, the bus was in such good condition that it was just too good to place in a semi-idle state of preservation just yet. At the time of writing this, P436YSH (Rider York 8436) is also withdrawn and is at the Cherry Row depot in Leeds ('Death Row'), and this was part of the batch that made up the very last buses to ever have Yorkshire Rider specification and not Firstgroup's.
As a York-based enthusiast, it is great to see this still in use - especially as my interst in buses only really became evident in 1995 and so these being introduced further bolstered my interest. I also have a personal affinity with 8414... with family circumstances as they were when I was a child, I only saw my father on sporadic occasions. On one visit, my dad wanted to take me to the National Railway Museum - however the car park was full and so was the reserve car park. I suggested using the P&R site up at Clifton Moor (that tells you how long ago this was!)... and it was 8414 that took us to and from the NRM.
Preserved First West Yorkshire 61074, Scania Wright Axcess Ultralow seen at the Dewsbury Bus Museum open day on the 15/11/2015
Time must be running out for a very battered looking X269USH...note the bumper bar held on by a riveted strip above the number plate!
65599/W599SNG on the left is a Scania L94UB with a Wright Axcess-Floline body, 62126/X605NSS on the right is a Volvo B10BLE with a Wright Renown body.
The Scania was new to First Eastern Counties for the Superoute66 Ipswich-Martlesham service (only lasting a couple of years before moving on) and the Volvo was new to First Aberdeen, so hasnt had quite so far to go! The shot was taken in Falkirk bus station.
One of a batch, 562 - 567 (T562 BSS - T567 BSS), that entered service with First Aberdeen in July 1999. Some later transferred to "First Edinburgh/First Midland Bluebird". In 2001 all passed to First Manchester becoming 172 - 177 there (later becoming 60216 - 60221).
T563 BSS is currently (July 2016) in service with Harrogate Coach Travel (Connexions buses), having been acquired from First West Yorkshire earlier in the year.
T566 BSS is being restored, hopefully to original condition (see below) at least externally, with longer willows, rather than the shorter version shown, which were introduced to accommodate adverts on the lower panels.
133 1999 567 T567 BSS 20000300 be cpy
Chester City Transport: 82 (R82 EMB) a Wright Axcess-Ultralow bodied Scania L113CRL, painted in red, white and blue Chester Park & Ride livery. This vehicle is captured here at Chester Bus Exchange whilst operating on Service 31 to Sealand Road P&R.
© Christopher Lowe.
Date: 5th March 1998.
Ref No: Scan06371/JL.
First West Yorkshire 61072 is a Scania L113CRL with Wright Access Floline bodywork. New in 1998 as Yorkshire Rider 8458, it is operating in Leeds.
The second batch of buses delivered in corporate FirstGroup "Barbie" livery arrived in November 1998.
Nos 550 - 561 (S550 JSE - S561 JSE), operated just over three years in the Granite City before transferring elsewhere as they were to become non-standard types in what was to become a Volvo dominated fleet.
The first withdrawals occurred in March 2001 (551 - 554) and by July that year all twelve buses had gone.
Nos 550 - 559 became First Glasgow No 1 Ltd Nos SS163, SS154 - SS162 (later 61567 - 61576), and Nos 560 & 561 became First Manchester Ltd Nos 178 & 171 (later 60222 & 60215).
1998 551 S551 JSE 19990326 ae cpy
Last operated by ConnexionsBuses near York and something of a celebrity in the fleet, Scania L113CRL Wright Axcess Ultralow N414 ENW is now owned privately by Josh Bickerstaffe and Matthew Thompson and is seen on its first attendance at a bus rally in preservation since passing its MOT in November 2017
A remarkable survivor, this bus was new in late 1995 to Rider York for Park and Ride duties as fleet number 8414 in a distinctive 2-tone blue livery (as had been used on M113SLS, a demonstrator which had been tried by Rider York and they obviously liked the livery so much they then adopted it) and was one member in the very first full batch of low floor buses for Yorkshire. Along with later additions as the P&R operation expanded, this stayed in York for 7 years until 2002 when the entire single decker York fleet had been replaced by inferior Volvo B7L's and B6BLE's - this bus moved to Potteries for a while beofre settling in the Leeds fleet. A rear-end collision almost spelled the end for this, however the decision was made to rebuild and repair to keep it in use. Upon reentering service with Firstgroup, it had been given the new Olympia livery and at the time was the oldest bus in passenger service to gain the livery. Withdrawn in late summer 2014, it was feared this would make a one-way trip to Barnsley - but instead was saved by Craig Temple of Connexions Buses (formerly known as Harrogate Coach Travel); initially bought for preservation, a full inspection revealled it's condition was simply too good for it to not see a bit more use in service. It was last used in stagecarriage service in November 2016 on service 13 in York. Currently in the early stages of its life in preservation, it will eventually be given it's Park and Ride livery back again in addition to destination equipment as close to original as possible (the side numeric display is still the original Bright Tech unit, and an original roller blind from the fleet has been provided by Andy Burbridge). Most of the interior trim is to original Rider York spec, though the seat padding has gone flat which is a bit expected after over 20 years of service use; ceiling speakers were provided and were connected to a PA system so the driver could announce the city centre stops, in the B7L's which replaced the Scanias this PA system was also connected to a radio receiver
Stagecoach 28542 succumbing to the breaker's hammer in the early stages of scrapping. The end of the line for these first generation low-entrance buses.
The Scania L94UB with Wright 'Axcess Floline' bodywork had been new to First Manchester in May 2001, then numbered 163. The bus was later renumbered 60207 under First Group's national renumbering scheme.
60207 passed to Stagecoach's 'Mersey & South Lancashire' operations, following Stagecoach's takeover of First Group's, Chester and Rock Ferry depots in January 2013. I would assume that the bus was withdrawn in mid to late 2016, as I can find no in-service pictures beyond that date?
Photo - 21st June 2017.
Now the oldest vehicle on First Glasgow's books since 1996-vintage L113CRL trainer 61478 succumbed to withdrawal around half a year ago, Caledonia-based Wright Axcess Floline-bodied Scania L94UB trainer 61669 (V118 FSF; new as SS118 in Nov. 1999) crosses the Glasgow Bridge southbound, headed presumably for it's home depot.
Photo Date: 15th July 2019