‘Scene’ in Hanley bus station, ‘Arriva' and 'Wardle Transport’.

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.

 

T47 WUT

A Dennis Dart MPD with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork.

 

This bus has had a varied career. I have seen it in Derby, Burton-on-Trent and Leicester and now it turns up here. That said, it looked good and sounded well. 

 

X546 GGO

Another of the same. It was new to ‘Arriva London North’ where in the red livery it worked in Tottenham.

 

Of the two livery variations on show today, I prefer the upper one because its lighter and in the lower one, I think that there is too much green.

 

W372 VGJ

A DAF 250LF with Alexander’s ALX 400 bodywork is another Ex ‘Arriva London’ bus where it carried the fleet number DLA 172.

 

X438 FGP

Another of the same that again served in London as DLA 238. This one however came the long way round having worked in the Northeast before coming South.

 

R342 TJW

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork. Being new to ‘Arriva’s Shrewsbury depot it has a depots worked all across the West Midlands.

 

YJ57 AZL

A VDL SB200 with Plaxton Centro bodywork that is based in Shrewsbury.

 

‘Wardle Transport’ now part of the ‘Arriva’ group  was founded in 1963 by Doug Wardle and from that time expansion across Stoke-on-Trent and across the Potteries generally was steady.

 

2010 saw the company joining Arriva. 

 

Unusually the red and white livery was retained although in some cases painted in ‘Arriva’s corporate style.

 

Four years on it is interesting to speculate wether the red livery will survive because there are ‘Wardle’ titled buses in ‘Arriva’s green livery and I saw no new buses in the red livery. So as they say. ‘Watch this space’

 

XIL 8793 (previously S309 MKH).

 

A Dennis Dart with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork shown in the original ‘Wardle’ style livery.

 

It was new to London United and it worked around London until 2009 when it was sold to ‘Ensign Bus’ (Purfleet) who sold it to ‘Wardle’s. 

 

V611 DBC

A Volvo B10BLE with Alexander’s ALX 300 bodywork.

 

Operating on service 118 that runs from Buxton. This service was taken over from D&G buses when’ Arriva’ took over that companies Staffordshire operations. D&G then continuing its operations based on Crewe. 

 

Seen wearing ‘Wardle. colours in ‘Arriva’ style.

 

RN52 EYJ

A Dennis Dart MPD with Caetano Nimbus bodywork.

 

It was new to ‘Link line Coaches’ of Harlesden before moving to ‘Telling Golden Miller’ who became part of the ‘Arriva’ group in December 2007.

 

 

Y258 YBC

Another Dennis Dart MPD with the more usual Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork. 

This bus has spent most of its life working in Leicester for ‘Arriva’ before coming to ‘Wardle’ in 2012.

 

T691 KPU

A Dennis Trident with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork. One of a number in the fleet that lead previous lives with ‘Stagecoach’ in London.

 

W103 EWU

A Volvo B10 BLE with Wright Renown bodywork that used to work for ‘Arriva Yorkshire’ before coming to the Potteries.

 

 

For other images of 'Wardle Transport' buses see my blog for the 28th April this year titled ‘Scene’ on the X50’.

Further photos can be seen on my Flickr