Page 30 - MBF Supplement Demo

been rebuilt to B44F (ex-B41F) and is now running from Bristol still in First (Barbie) livery but with its former owner's names and logo painted out. Other rebuilds are of Mercedes Vario 335 to B25FL with a wheelchair lift behind the back axle and Leyland National 2 1511 which is now a driver trainer allocated to Bristol depot.
Recent withdrawals are of Volvo B58/ Plaxton Supreme driver trainer 80 (ex-1450) and Leyland AN68/ Northern Counties 4024. Leyland Tiger/ Plaxton Derwent 1283 and Leyland AN68/ Roe 4025 were both sold during March.
Cheshirelink service 10 (Manchester - Warrington) and Clevedon local services 390/1/2 are now 100% operated by wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Clipper Continental Holdings
8259, one of the three MAN SL200 single-deckers operating for the Holstein division, has been withdrawn. It had run in Radio Regenboden advertising livery throughout its time at MKE, which was fine when it worked from Bretten and Elzach depots in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) division but was not really appropriate for north Germany. In fact,
the livery had been 'tweaked' from that used for another radio station, Radio Charivari in Franconia, which dated from its time as VAG, Nürnberg 927. There are rumours that the bus is to be preserved in its first advertising scheme, which will need the original lettering (including the appropriate radio frequency) to be restored.
MKE has just withdrawn MAN SL200 8259 from Hamburg depot. It had been running in an all-over advertising livery for a radio station in the Black Forest, and is seen here with its replacement, 8402, a former Berlin MAN SD202.
Miscellany
Contrary to popular belief, there has actually been a Volvo in the Eldorado fleet, albeit briefly! Way back in 1981, long before the Scania era, when the Eldorado “standard” was a Leyland, NFC 20N, a 1975 Plaxton Elite III bodied B58-56 was acquired from Rivmo (the late Bill Rivett). It stayed in the fleet just over a year, after which it went to Island Coaches (Arfon Owen).
Photo: Dave Jessop
A Harrington bodied Bedford SB, one of many Bedfords that served Glenelg in the past.
Photo: Dick Lindsay
Scania K470/ Irizar C59Ft coaches for Hants & Sussex and West London Transport.
Photo: David Rowe
Barnet Bus NBL717 (LR66EDR), a Wright NBfL loaned to Crossways for the Cheltenham shuttles.
Photo: Reuben Greene
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