Buses ‘Scene’ in the ‘Southwest’

A few days holiday based in Weymouth allowed me to have a look at what goes on in that part of the world. The coaches of the Southwest have featured in an earlier ‘blog’.

 

‘First Hampshire & Dorset’ (FH&D) are the dominant operator in the area with the usual mixture of old and new buses in old and new liveries.

 

‘Barbie’ is now getting on in years but she is still alive and well............! 

 

W708 PHT

 

A Dennis Trident with East Lancs Myllenium bodywork which has been cascaded from Bristol where at one time it worked in a dark blue livery on the Bath Road Park & Ride operation. Before coming to Weymouth it had a spell in Poole.

V807 EFB

 

A Volvo B6BLE with Wright’s Crusader 2 bodywork picking up on Weymouth’s sea front.

 

P244 UCW

 

A Volvo Olympian with Northern Counties Palatine bodywork. It was new to ‘Centrewest’ working in London (Uxbridge). It moved to ‘First Bristol’ in 2005 and came to ‘FH&D’ in 2009. 

 

W815 EOW

 

A Volvo B7TL with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork which at one time worked in Southampton for ‘First’.

 

R613 YCR

 

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork. It previously worked for ‘First Berkshire’.

 

YJ14 BVF

 

An Optare Solo SR. It was so new that the titling/branding had not yet been applied. 

 

SN14 DXG

 

A Wright Streetlte DF was another bus that was bereft of any titling

 

CU08 ADV

 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200 that was new to ‘First Cymru’ and was one of a batch that came to ‘FH&D’ to modernise the fleet.

 

YN04 GLV

 

A Scania N94UD with East Lancs Omnidekka bodywork. At one time it was painted in the ‘Jurassic Coast’ livery and appears to have recently been repainted.

 

I have never liked this new ‘First’ livery  and I think that without the benefit of advertisements it looks even blander and more half finished than usual.

 

HX08 DHY

A Volvo B7TL with Wright Gemini bodywork working on the X53 ‘Jurassic Coaster’ (JC) service loading in Weymouth. Until it was recently repainted into fleet livery, it appeared in the branded ‘JC’ livery seen 2 images down.

 

YN04 GNY

A Scania N94UD/East Lancs Omnidekka in Bridport seen on the X31 ‘JC’ service.

 

The X31 runs between Axminster and Dorchester whilst the X53 runs between Poole and Exeter. I have travelled on the X53 which takes a full 4 hours. Tiring but worth it !

 

The section between Bridport and Lyme Regis is common to both routes.

 

HX08 DHG

Another Volvo B7TL with Wright Gemini bodywork in the full ‘JC’ livery once more in Weymouth.

 

YJ60 KFV

 

An Optare Versa owned by Dorset County Council on its own Park & Ride service to the Mount Pleasant car park.

 

T640 AJT

 

An Optare Solo seen in Bridport. Part of ‘Damory Coaches’ fleet which is part of ‘Wilts & Dorset’ who in turn are owned by the ‘Go-Ahead’ group.

 

N350 OBC

An Alexander bodied Mercedes-Benz 709D now operated by ‘South West Coaches’ previously worked in Weymouth in a blue livery for ‘Sureline’ who were based on nearby Portland.