‘Scene’ in Hanley bus station, ‘First Potteries’.

I was familiar with the old Hanley bus station and I had not yet seen the new one that opened in 2013 so a visit was long overdue. 

 

Although it was only a weekday, it seemed crowded and a driver told me to come back at tea time when it would be gridlocked.....!

 

However, I was only there to take pictures so here they are.

 

There is a vogue for painting modern vehicles in Heritage liveries of which I heartily approve. It brings a level of added colour to the present fleet and illustrates to today's public how things used to be.

 

In many case, the Heritage livery is an improvement over the current regime however I do not think that in the case of the two buses pictured here that this is the case. I always thought this livery a bit ‘gaudy’. 

 

I would have preferred the red and cream that ‘Potteries Motor Traction’ (PMT) painted their buses in in BET Federation days.

 

Maybe there is hope on the horizon. Rumours coming out of the Potteries suggest a hybrid scheme using a part of ‘First’s current scheme with a lot of red is being considered. 

 

YN05 HCL

A Scania CN94UB with Scania bodywork also known as the Omnicity. 

MX05 CGK

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork that migrated South from 

‘First Manchester’.

The ‘Gold Service’ branding carried by these buses.

 

The ‘Caetano Nimbus’ body has never been widely spread in the UK, so to find buses of two different lengths from different backgrounds in the same fleet is unusual.

 

EU06 KDK 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Dart SLF.

 

Which has quite a varied background being new to ‘SM Coaches’ of Harlow (Essex) before moving to’ Poppleton’ of Pontefract in 2007. Then on to ‘Travel Master’ of Carrington (Manchester) in 2010 before joining ‘Bodman’ of Worton (Wiltshire) in 2011. It joined ‘First’ in 2013.

LK03 LMF

Another ‘ADL ‘Dart SLF which  was new to ‘First Capital’ before coming North in 2012.

 

S561 JSE

A Scania L94UB with Wright ‘Access Floline’ bodywork which worked previously for 

‘First Manchester’. 

 

The old livery ‘First’ seems to be alive and well in Hanley.

 

X261 USH

Another Scania L94UB with Wright ‘Access Floline’ bodywork. 

YN06 WMF

A couple of Scania Omnicity’s from the same batch displaying the different ‘First’ liveries.

 

YN06 WMP

 

KP54 LAO

A Volvo B7TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini body. It was new to ‘First Northampton’ and had a spell in Leicester.

 

 

P126 NLW

A Dennis Dart with Marshall Capital bodywork. An eighteen year old bus that was smartly turned out.

 

 

There cannot be many fleets in the country that does not have the Optare Solo present.

 

VX57 CYO

Was new to ‘Astons’ of Worcester part of the ‘Veolia’ group at the time

 

X299 FFA

Further photos can be seen on my Flickr