places with most step entrance buses

[Charlie2555]

As step entrance buses are being scrapped at a fast rate, I'd like some photos of some of the remainders in service. What places in the UK still have quite a few step entrance buses in service? I imagine Dennis Darts are still fairly common so please give me any suggestions you might have on where I can see steppers
Many thanks

 

[BestWestern]

Not so much Darts, but Wilts & Dorset is good 'stepper' territory. Poole depot retains a good handful of Olympians, mainly ex-Southern Vetis and including a good few with ECW bodies, I believe they can be found in the New Forest too. They are spread over the main W&D fleet and also the associated Damory Coaches outfit, and whilst they're mainly used on irregular runs like schools routes etc, I'm pretty sure you can get some mileage in down that way, and certainly some pics. Always plenty lined up outisde Poole depot, you could get in touch if you wanted specific info.

Slightly further afield you could have a look at First Hants & Dorset, there are a few step Darts around the Portsmouth area, though getting rare now. Hilsea certainly have at least one, it's a Pointer on an N plate and originally with Southampton Citybus I believe, transferred when they merged it all. Hilsea also still has minibuses if that floats your boat at all, Merc Varios with Plaxton Beaver 2 and Marshall Master bodies. Hoeford (Fareham) did have a batch of pretty rare Darts with UVG bodywork, but I have a feeling they've all been scrapped or transferred away now.

If it's mainly Darts you want, try Emsworth & District. They have a few ex-Stagecoach J-GCD examples with Alexander Dash bodies, and at least one Pointer. They also have some rarities, including G516 VYE, an ex-LT Airbus Dart with Carlyle Dartline body, a Titan and some very obscure Reeve Burgess Harrier-bodied Leyland Swifts (like a Dart). As well as their main depot, they also have a compound known as 'Steptoe's Yard', which contains the remains of most of everything they've ever operated, quite interesting. The chap who runs it is a bit of an enthusiast, could be worth an email.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southdown/3138395106/in/photostream/

Carrying on up the coast, Stagecoach at Chichester still run the standard Volvo Olympian/Alexander RL in the fleet.

 

[WillPS]

Stagecoach/RoadCar in Scunthorpe still seems to have plenty of step-entrances in service.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Stagecoach still has a few oylimpians in East Kent and Sussex

Kidderminster and redditch still have a couple of Plaxton verde bodied Lances and Volvo citybuses

First potteries still has some leyland Olympians

Stagecoach Warwickshire has a load of Olympians still

 

[martinsh]

Wolverhampton ! - has the following

Banga Travel - lots of Merc minibuses
Coastal Liner - very infrequent, but vehicle is usually a Volvo B10B (also have a Leyland tiger)
Green Bus - only 1 route in Wolves and now mostly l/f but still have a few Metrobuses, Olympians and Lances
Select Travel - small fleet but only one low floor vehicle
Travel Express - loads of step entrance Darts

Plus the Great Western pub !

 

[Ivo]

Bristol and Bath combined must have 25 or so, the vast majority of which are Darts.

Banga Travel - lots of Merc minibuses

From what I've heard about them they'll probably have them forever

 

[Zoidberg]

As step entrance buses are being scrapped ...

To those in the know this will seem like a daft question, but I've not encountered a bus onto which I have not had to step. So, I'm intrigued - what are these new "non-step entrance" buses? Do they have little escalators (but one would have to step onto the escalator), or is transporter technology involved?


EDIT: I think I've managed to answer my own question. Are the non-step ones those which lower to kerb level - the ones that take (seemingly) an age to make progress because of the time taken to lower/raise at each stop?

 

[Charlie2555]

To those in the know this will seem like a daft question, but I've not encountered a bus onto which I have not had to step. So, I'm intrigued - what are these new "non-step entrance" buses? Do they have little escalators (but one would have to step onto the escalator), or is transporter technology involved?

I think step entrance buses are ones where there is a step or several steps leading up to the bus driver. Non step entrance (low floor) buses have no steps and some 'kneel' to the curb so as to help with pushchairs or wheelchairs. Up to about 1996 in the UK almost all buses had step entrances. But new disability laws mean all buses eventually have to be accessible to all travellers.

 

[Zoidberg]

I think step entrance buses are ones where there is a step or several steps leading up to the bus driver. Non step entrance (low floor) buses have no steps and some 'kneel' to the curb so as to help with pushchairs or wheelchairs. Up to about 1996 in the UK almost all buses had step entrances. But new disability laws mean all buses eventually have to be accessible to all travellers.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[martinsh]

Bristol and Bath combined must have 25 or so, the vast majority of which are Darts.



From what I've heard about them they'll probably have them forever

You'd be surprised - they've got quite a few Solos now

 

[Lewisham2221]

There can be quite a few step entrance buses knocking about in North Staffordshire. Leyland/Volvo Olympians with First (although mainly on school work), Wardles (Arriva) have one(?) each of step-entry Dart, Scania and Vario working service work, plus various double deckers, some on schools, some on service, mainly Volvo Olympians I think. Scragg's and Procter's each operate a number of step entrance buses, the former Varios and older Mercs, the latter Darts. The odd step entrance bus can turn up with Bakerbus (Vario, Volvo B6 or Volvo B10B, maybe a coach on service work if you're really (un)lucky). You might also find Bennett's running a Coach or Merc Vario on service work.

 

[martinsh]

Don't think I've ever seen a low floor bus on Bennetts 490 into Stafford. Quite often is an Autobus Classique Nouvelle midicoach.

Best bet for Bennetts full sized coaches are their occasional routes into Stafford. 436 Tues/Fri or 18 Thurs. If you're very lucky it will be their unique Leicester Carriage Builders bodied Volvo B10M (looks like a poor copy of a Plaxton Paramount !)

 

[BestWestern]

Well, it does have a Paramount front dash panel! Looks a bit of a shed.

 

[richw]

first kernow have a few n***kae with step entrants.
Western greyhound have a large fleet of mercedes varios all over cornwall

 

[BestWestern]

First Kernow have a few n***kae with step entrants.
Western greyhound have a large fleet of mercedes varios all over cornwall

They're awfully dull and tedious though...

 

[BuhSnarf]

I think first in Leicester is all step free.

Arriva had a few Olympians, unless they've now gone?

Centrebus must have a few? As their fleet is an eclectic mix!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[61653 HTAFC]

First in Huddersfield have a surprising number of step entrance double deckers still in use, though I'm not enough of a bus-nerd to know what they are. Surprisingly, Centrebus/Huddersfield Bus Company (the former Yorkshire Traction) have only one step-entrance vehicle in regular use- a K-plate Olympian I think.

 

[Qwerty133]

I think first in Leicester is all step free.

Arriva had a few Olympians, unless they've now gone?

Centrebus must have a few? As their fleet is an eclectic mix!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

First and arriva are both step free, the last Olympian was withdrawn back in September. Centrebus have 3 step entrance veichles in Leicester (814,744,931).

 

[trentside]

Stagecoach East Midlands have a few Volvo Olympians knocking around, but their single deck fleet is now all low floor.

Brylaine of Boston still have some Olympians and Ikarus bodied DAF SB200s in service - though the number of DAFs has reduced thanks to some recent purchases.

 

[northwichcat]

First in Huddersfield have a surprising number of step entrance double deckers still in use, though I'm not enough of a bus-nerd to know what they are. Surprisingly, Centrebus/Huddersfield Bus Company (the former Yorkshire Traction) have only one step-entrance vehicle in regular use- a K-plate Olympian I think.

Unless things have changed First Halifax tends to get most of the brand new buses and then they cascade their older buses to First Huddersfield, who then withdraw their oldest buses.

For instance, Halifax got this type of step free bus brand new in the mid 00s: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/14555124917d93c8ff903a190/files/FirstBus.jpg

Halifax cascaded these step entry buses to Huddersfield:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6522448091_8a2097b334_z.jpg

Who then used them to replace buses like the First double decker shown here in Yorkshire Rider livery:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5452/7233388066_103fbc6885_z.jpg

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That second one you posted is the one I was thinking of. There's a fair few of those around Huddersfield- I remember them being introduced new to 'First Calderline' as it was known then, while I was at 6th form. First Huddersfield has one other type of step-entrance decker still in use- one which predates the horrible purple seat mocquette that FG seem so keen on... though I haven't seen any of these about for a few weeks, so maybe they've bitten the dust or been moved.

 

[northwichcat]

First Huddersfield has one other type of step-entrance decker still in use- one which predates the horrible purple seat mocquette that FG seem so keen on... though I haven't seen any of these about for a few weeks, so maybe they've bitten the dust or been moved.

I think I know the ones you mean. Around L reg with standard bus seats with blue cloth covers?

They did also used to have these two ex-London buses: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thespian/5376060136/ The one of the right was fitted with bright yellow plastic seats before being retrofitted with normal bus seats. Those two have apparently being withdrawn and preserved.

 

[overthewater]

Winner by a clear mile is area of Monklands, which contain the towns of Coatbridge and Airdrie, which has most of its town service operated by small companies with lost of 709D etc.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think I know the ones you mean. Around L reg with standard bus seats with blue cloth covers?

They did also used to have these two ex-London buses: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thespian/5376060136/ The one of the right was fitted with bright yellow plastic seats before being retrofitted with normal bus seats. Those two have apparently being withdrawn and preserved.

The ones I meant were the ones linked to- I'm pretty sure one of them had grey coach-style seats and was only taken out of use at the end of 2012- it was on the 302 on the 28th December if I recall...

 

[Liam]

Stagecoach Western's Isle of Arran fleet comprises of about 7 or 8 Alexander PS's and 4 or 5 Alexander Sprints. So 100% low floor.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Stagecoach Western's Isle of Arran fleet comprises of about 7 or 8 Alexander PS's and 4 or 5 Alexander Sprints. So 100% low floor.

Non-low floor, surely?

 

[Liam]

Erm, yes that what I meant!

 

[Charlie2555]

In case anyone's interested, Damory Coaches which operate in Dorset have lots of old step entrance buses. Most of them are ex. IOW and include Leyland and Volvo Olympians, Ikaris Citibus, Plaxton Verde and they still have a couple of Bristol VRs. CDs although mostly used for events like Glastonbury.