Reading Buses

[Mitchell Hurd]

Hello. Rather than start a thread on a bus I saw Reading Buses route 16 yesterday afternoon around what 14:45, I thought a thread on this bus company would be better.

The bus I saw in Reading with the registration must be now one of a handful of now 18/19-year-old buses in normal passenger service - X401 KBV. It was numbered 535 and is blue. I could just see the seat moquette. Therefore I'm wondering, given the colour of it plus the size of the bus, whether this bus was new to Bus Vannin on the Isle of Man / Northern Island but came from Blackpool Transport. Blackpool is the most northern town of my childhood where I also have relatives (I'm 26). I think the X-reg may have been a Trident (had East Lancs bodywork).

If none of you know if this came from Blackpool then don't worry. It's one to right in my bus spotters book which I'll use for old buses or any bus with a registration that makes it a rare to see.

I'll be honest, the Reading Buses fleet has got smarter since 2007 - I'm pretty sure when I was in Reading with my Mum or sister, Michelle on one day in 2006 that there was an old MCW Metrobus in passenger service.

 

[carlberry]

You're correct about the history of the bus, type X401KBV into Google to find lots of references to it's past. It's only recently come to Reading and, whilst it's likely to be better presented these days, the Metrobus you saw back in 2006 is likely to have been about the same age at the time.

 

[Beemax]

I think this (and two or three similar Tridents) were bought by Reading a year or so ago mostly for football services (Hence the dark blue Reading Royals livery ) but they do regularly escape on to the sky blue 15/16 services. They are actually in pretty good condition (at least bodily) for 18 year old Tridents, but perhaps prone to overheating, so not allowed to stray too far.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I think this (and two or three similar Tridents) were bought by Reading a year or so ago mostly for football services (Hence the dark blue Reading Royals livery ) but they do regularly escape on to the sky blue 15/16 services. They are actually in pretty good condition (at least bodily) for 18 year old Tridents, but perhaps prone to overheating, so not allowed to stray too far.

Football services seem a good idea. Football matches in Reading I wouldn't have thought come round every day. They're useful for spare vehicles if a much newer bus is unavailable.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Reading Buses have four of these East Lancs Lolyne- bodied Dennis Tridents. I believe it was Blackpool Transport that had the fronts changed from the original Lolyne style to the Myllennium/Lowlander design.

532: X393 KBV
Blackpool 350 (E17 BTS)
Bus Vannin 75 (GMN-324-F)

533: X398 KBV
Blackpool 352 (E19 BTS)
Bus Vannin 73 (FMN-412)

534: X399 KBV
Blackpool 349 (E16 BTS)
Bus Vannin 71 (MAN-93-F)

535: X401 KBV
Blackpool 351 (E18 BTS)
Bus Vannin 72 (FMN-158-E)

 

[AlastairFraser]

Hello. Rather than start a thread on a bus I saw Reading Buses route 16 yesterday afternoon around what 14:45, I thought a thread on this bus company would be better.

The bus I saw in Reading with the registration must be now one of a handful of now 18/19-year-old buses in normal passenger service - X401 KBV. It was numbered 535 and is blue. I could just see the seat moquette. Therefore I'm wondering, given the colour of it plus the size of the bus, whether this bus was new to Bus Vannin on the Isle of Man / Northern Island but came from Blackpool Transport. Blackpool is the most northern town of my childhood where I also have relatives (I'm 26). I think the X-reg may have been a Trident (had East Lancs bodywork).

If none of you know if this came from Blackpool then don't worry. It's one to right in my bus spotters book which I'll use for old buses or any bus with a registration that makes it a rare to see.

I'll be honest, the Reading Buses fleet has got smarter since 2007 - I'm pretty sure when I was in Reading with my Mum or sister, Michelle on one day in 2006 that there was an old MCW Metrobus in passenger service.

Yep I thought RB bought them for peak-time extra capacity- I've definitely been on one on the Caversham routes.

 

[goldisgood]

Yep I thought RB bought them for peak-time extra capacity- I've definitely been on one on the Caversham routes.

I think they are for football shuttles and extra peak capacity.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Well I don't know what passengers reactions to these are but if I was a regular Reading Buses customer, I'm sure I'd find them fine on town / city routes - it's not like it's the X39 / X40 from Reading to Oxford or routes like that.

 

[Non Multi]

Bench seats! I'm struggling to remember when I was last on a bus with bench seats, I think it was a decrepit Carlyle bodied Dart on FGW rail replacement. Love the 1990's multicoloured day-glo moquette.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Well I don't know what passengers reactions to these are but if I was a regular Reading Buses customer, I'm sure I'd find them fine on town / city routes - it's not like it's the X39 / X40 from Reading to Oxford or routes like that.

They're mildly annoying I suppose because they don't have USB charging or all the other bells and whistles of the other buses,however I rather have the former than a cancelled bus.