Page 15 - MBF Supplement Demo

runs direct from Kirton to Sheffield twice a day. The fact that the Manchester-London services no longer pass through Kirton also means that the express link to Manchester has been lost, so to compensate for this, the existing service 16 - a bus service from Kirton to Manchester - has been supplemented by an express version, X16, using coaches rather than buses, and running direct to Manchester with just one stop en route at Manchester Airport.
These service revisions mean that four extra coaches are needed, and pending the acquisition of additional vehicles, a variety of coaches have been hired in, as well as some re-allocation of Eldorado's own vehicles. Withdrawn Bova Futura 62 (PH02CDW) has been returned to the fleet, which ironically means that both withdrawn ex-PHM Bovas (62 & 63) are now back in active service! Additional coaches used at various points in time have been: from Padbus - 103 (OM13CAC) Scania K340EB/Van Hool Alizee C49Ft, (despite its heavy Oxford - London route branding!); from Arden Forest - 181 (FJ11MLU) Volvo B11R/Caetano Levante C51FLt; from dealers - YJ06LBL, Bova FHD12.340/Bova Futura C49Ft; YP14PGE, Scania K410EB/Irizar PB 14-3.7 C59Ft; and FJI5377, Volvo B10M-62/Van Hool Alizee C53F dating from 1997! This latter rather aged Volvo seems a strange bedfellow with the rest of the fleet, and is totally unsuitable for the express services, but has been used as a private hire vehicle, allowing a more suitable coach to be "promoted" to the express services! As we went to press, two second-hand coaches had been sourced and were in the Eldorado workshops being prepared for painting - full details will be given next time. Three further Irizar i6s, similar to those delivered last year, are on order, but are a few months away!
As last year, Eldorado provided several vehicles to Crossways to assist with the shuttles at the Cheltenham festival - see the Crossways report.
The vehicles due to assist Crossways with the shuttles at the Cheltenham Festival were assembled at the Weston outstation during the course of the day on Saturday 11th March, and would leave in convoy on Sunday to head for Cheltenham. On the front row (L to R) are 106 (DD54 TLN), 131 (J131 EKN), 1128 (ALM 28B), 25 (DG07 ELD) and E6 (DA64 JDP), and barely visible on the back row (L to R) are 105 (A5 ELD), 112 (YT08 HLX), 63 (PH02 CDEV) and 26 (DH07 ELD). Full details are in the Crossways report text.
Padbus 103 (see text), which was on loan from March 23rd till the end of the month.
Photo: Paul Dudfield
Arden Forest 181 (see text), having just arrived on loan at Eldorado HQ.
Vehicles hired from dealers included Bova Futura YJ06 LBL and Scania/Irizar PB YP13 PGE.
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