Dennis Darts

[Pyewipecarshed]

More like nearly two years

It's not as long as that; I photographed it in service in August 2024 and I believe it was out sporadically for several months after that

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2025 ==

Have any used Darts been exported for further use?

A number of Isle of Man examples were. Two of the step-entrance ones went to Malawi (after a stint with Thamesdown), whilst of the low-floor Marshall Capital batch three ended up in New Zealand, two in the Falkland Islands and one in Zimbabwe.
Of course in the opposite direction Stagecoach Devon had some that were new to Hong Kong IIRC.

 

[nick291]

Of course in the opposite direction Stagecoach Devon had some that were new to Hong Kong IIRC.

Correct. A stipulation of Brian Souter ending his relationship with Citybus being he could take some vehicles back to the UK I believe, but I'm happy to be corrected on that. First Bus UK also sent a handful of Darts from its HK subsidiary at the time New World First Bus for service in the UK, as the Transport Department in Hong Kong imposed fleet quotas in the franchised bus operators in around 2002 or so, may have been a bit earlier.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Of course in the opposite direction Stagecoach Devon had some that were new to Hong Kong IIRC.

As did First - Hants and Devon IIRC. S-SUX Darts?

 

[tfw756rider]

I believe that there was at least 11 types of Dennis Dart SLF buses built:

Dennis Dart SLF Alexander ALX200
Dennis Dart SLF Caetano Compass
Dennis Dart SLF Caetano Nimbus
Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium
Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Spryte
Dennis Dart SLF Marshall Capital
Dennis Dart SLF MCV Evolution
Dennis Dart SLF Novosadska Neobus
Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK1
Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK2
Dennis Dart SLF Wright Crusader

12 - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Esteem as well (albeit briefly), before it moved to the "Enviro200" chassis.

 

[nick291]

As did First - Hants and Devon IIRC. S-SUX Darts?

Yes, some had different registrations entirely and went to First PMT/Pioneer/Greater Manchester.

 

[83G/84D]

Royal Buses in St Ives are still operating Dennis Darts with Pointer 2 bodies.

That’s the St Ives in Cornwall by the way, not the other one!

I believe I've seen a Dart still in use by Grant Palmer down here in Bedfordshire.

I think that example is no longer operational unless anyone knows differently.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes, some had different registrations entirely and went to First PMT/Pioneer/Greater Manchester.

I thought that too and checked - some were S-SNG as were initially registered in UK by FEC (which I should've remembered as one was knocking round Bristol for a bit).

As a tangential aside (and a bit of a flex ) but it was a slight culture shock to see Pointer bodied Dennis Darts working local routes in Squamish in British Columbia

 

[darloscott]

Does anyone know if any of the examples not mentioned so far such as Alexander ALX200 or Caetano Compass or Marshall Capital or Wright Crusader etc still exist in passenger service anywhere? It has been a long time since i have seen any. Probably at least five years if not more. But perhaps a few are hanging on somewhere?

I believe that there was at least 11 types of Dennis Dart SLF buses built:

Dennis Dart SLF Alexander ALX200
Dennis Dart SLF Caetano Compass
Dennis Dart SLF Caetano Nimbus
Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium
Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Spryte
Dennis Dart SLF Marshall Capital
Dennis Dart SLF MCV Evolution
Dennis Dart SLF Novosadska Neobus
Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK1
Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK2
Dennis Dart SLF Wright Crusader

At least 7 of these types still have at least one example in service somewhere.

There is, or at least was recently, an ALX200 that pops up in service around Warrington every now and then… possibly Gray Line or something like that?

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

There is, or at least was recently, an ALX200 that pops up in service around Warrington every now and then… possibly Gray Line or something like that?

A tortuous internet search reveals it to be VX51 RBY!
New to 2 Travel and later worked for Stagecoach United Counties, Munro of Jedburgh and Paul's of Stoke. Carried IIG 7761 for a while, but now appears to have its original reg back.
Last reported owner was Grey Line of Harrow, Middlesex, who have an outstation at the Howard's/Omega Busways depot at Higher Walton near Warrington. Apparently was sometimes borrowed by Howard's/Omega.
Last picture on the web seems to be from November 2024, but may still be around.

 

[Tom Gallacher]

Have any used Darts been exported for further use?

I used to supply a company in the West Indies with Dart parts around 15 years ago. The bus was about 15 years old at that point I seem to remember.

 

[YX73OUB]

Not forgetting the UVG bodied ones too

 

[tfw756rider]

I believe that there was at least 11 types of Dennis Dart SLF buses built: Alexander ALX200, Caetano Compass, Caetano Nimbus, East Lancs Myllennium, East Lancs Spryte, Marshall Capital, MCV Evolution, Novosadska Neobus, Plaxton Pointer MK1, Plaxton Pointer MK2, Wright Crusader

12 - East Lancs Esteem as well (albeit briefly), before it moved to the "Enviro200" chassis.

Not forgetting the UVG bodied ones too

13? - UVG Urbanstar (although from what I understand, this was the original company and name of the Caetano Compass from 1995 to 1998, with it then being the Caetano Compass in 1998 and 1999).

 

[nick291]

13? - UVG Urbanstar (although from what I understand, this was the original company and name of the Caetano Compass from 1995 to 1998, with it then being the Caetano Compass in 1998 and 1999).

If I'm not mistaken Caetano bought the deisgn or UVG outright.

 

[duncombec]

Do Fairmanns Travel (Hampshire) still have their East Lancs Myllenium-bodied RIG3820 (one of those new to Surrey for Ride Pegasus!) in service? There are certainly Flickr pictures of it on rail replacement earlier in 2025.

(Apologies if I missed it mentioned above).

 

[Flange Squeal]

Do Fairmanns Travel (Hampshire) still have their East Lancs Myllenium-bodied RIG3820 (one of those new to Surrey for Ride Pegasus!) in service? There are certainly Flickr pictures of it on rail replacement earlier in 2025.

(Apologies if I missed it mentioned above).

They do indeed, one of two currently being operated by them. Fleet-liveried RIG 3820 is former LK56 JKO, while sister RIG 3819 is former LK56 JKV and still wearing Lloyd's Coaches silver but with Fairmanns fleet names applied. They're also still running their first vehicle, another Dart albeit with Pointer body, GX53 MWU.

 

[CN12 AWU]

I believe there might be a few more ex Avon Buses AE56/AE07 Dart/Evolutions still in service with various operators aswell as AE56 LWK with Red group

 

[TR673]

Another operator I've remembered had Darts recently - although I'm not sure if they still do - is rail replacement specialist Guru Travel. They're based in the West Midlands but have had their vehicles crop up all over the place. From online photos and my own sightings their Dart fleet seems to be:

PJ53 OLC - East Lancs Myllennium in dark red livery
PJ53 OLK - East Lancs Myllennium in Ipswich Buses green and purple
GX53 MWJ - ex-Stagecoach 34417 Plaxton Pointer in dark red livery
GX04 EXN - ex-Stagecoach 34519 Plaxton Pointer in SC Beachball
NK56 EPA - ex-Stagecoach 35155 Plaxton Pointer in Thandi Coaches blue
NK56 EPC - ex-Stagecoach 35156 Plaxton Pointer in Thandi Coaches blue

And not a Dart but noteworthy, LK56 URO, a very early Enviro 200 development vehicle

 

[SSmith2009]

South Derbyshire Coaches continue to operate MPD (mini pointer dart) WCZ 221 on their services around Burton Upon Trent, it was originally registered as EU07 FRN.

 

[Towers]

Another operator I've remembered had Darts recently - although I'm not sure if they still do - is rail replacement specialist Guru Travel. They're based in the West Midlands but have had their vehicles crop up all over the place. From online photos and my own sightings their Dart fleet seems to be:

PJ53 OLC - East Lancs Myllennium in dark red livery
PJ53 OLK - East Lancs Myllennium in Ipswich Buses green and purple
GX53 MWJ - ex-Stagecoach 34417 Plaxton Pointer in dark red livery
GX04 EXN - ex-Stagecoach 34519 Plaxton Pointer in SC Beachball
NK56 EPA - ex-Stagecoach 35155 Plaxton Pointer in Thandi Coaches blue
NK56 EPC - ex-Stagecoach 35156 Plaxton Pointer in Thandi Coaches blue

And not a Dart but noteworthy, LK56 URO, a very early Enviro 200 development vehicle

Well they sound like a quality outfit…

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Another operator I've remembered had Darts recently - although I'm not sure if they still do - is rail replacement specialist Guru Travel. They're based in the West Midlands but have had their vehicles crop up all over the place. From online photos and my own sightings their Dart fleet seems to be:

PJ53 OLC - East Lancs Myllennium in dark red livery
PJ53 OLK - East Lancs Myllennium in Ipswich Buses green and purple
GX53 MWJ - ex-Stagecoach 34417 Plaxton Pointer in dark red livery
GX04 EXN - ex-Stagecoach 34519 Plaxton Pointer in SC Beachball
NK56 EPA - ex-Stagecoach 35155 Plaxton Pointer in Thandi Coaches blue
NK56 EPC - ex-Stagecoach 35156 Plaxton Pointer in Thandi Coaches blue

And not a Dart but noteworthy, LK56 URO, a very early Enviro 200 development vehicle

I tried to find out if they were still on the go but have drawn a bit of a blank... I saw GX04 EXN in Cleethorpes a couple of years back. It was causing some confusion in its Stagecoach livery!

 

[01d-and]

I tried to find out if they were still on the go but have drawn a bit of a blank... I saw GX04 EXN in Cleethorpes a couple of years back. It was causing some confusion in its Stagecoach livery!

Guru are still about , but I have not seen them on rail replacement work that often recently. They appear to have moved on all the Darts listed above but still have/or had LK08DWW.

 

[tfw756rider]

And not a Dart but noteworthy, LK56 URO, a very early Enviro 200 development vehicle

Ah yes, I've heard of that one and I've watched a video of it. Another of those buses that the manufacturer eventually sold for normal use.

From what I understand, it changed engines several times (for development purposes), but when it went from a 6-cylinder back down to a 4-cylinder, the gearbox wasn't changed back.

Therefore, it ended up with a Euro 6 Cummins ISB4.5 4-cylinder engine (normally fitted to 4-cylinder E200 MMCs) but coupled to an Allison T280R gearbox (normally fitted to 6-cylinder E200 Classics with an ISB6.7) which is no AT545 in terms of sound, but does have more of a sound to it than the 2100 that was fitted to many 4-cylinder E200 Classics.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Sep 2025 ==

South Derbyshire Coaches continue to operate MPD (mini pointer dart) WCZ 221 on their services around Burton Upon Trent, it was originally registered as EU07 FRN.

I knew that EU07 FRN was the only 07 reg Dart long before this thread - changing it from that to "private plates" isn't something I would've done. It would be like the opposite, much worse way round of when the earliest "normal" E200 went from an iteration of BUS 51T to being the only 06 reg "normal" E200, ME06 ABX.

Neither EU07 FRN nor WCZ 221 come back on the DVLA checker though - are you sure you have the right reg?

 

[SSmith2009]

I knew that EU07 FRN was the only 07 reg Dart long before this thread - changing it from that to "private plates" isn't something I would've done. It would be like the opposite, much worse way round of when the earliest "normal" E200 went from an iteration of BUS 51T to being the only 06 reg "normal" E200, ME06 ABX.

Neither EU07 FRN nor WCZ 221 come back on the DVLA checker though - are you sure you have the right reg?

Apologies, it's VCZ 221

 

[CN12 AWU]

Not sure if it's still about but DK56 LWJ was still knocking about in Crewe with Micro Coaches last year this one was new to Wirral inderpendent Raddoneur (a company not many seem to remember)

 

[liamf656]

South Derbyshire Coaches continue to operate MPD (mini pointer dart) WCZ 221 on their services around Burton Upon Trent, it was originally registered as EU07 FRN.

They also have FD54 FGG, new to Veolia. I hadn't seen it in around 15 years until it popped up on Facebook the other day!!

 

[Omnidekkalover]

Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire still have one in regular service and in Beachball livery from 2005. I couldn’t tell you it’s fleet number or reg plate other than it being an 05 plate.

 

[madannie77]

It is 34715 (PX05 EKJ), one of the batch of 39 which entered service in Carlisle in July 2005 as replacements for the fleet wiped out in the January 2005 floods. I wonder if it has always been based in Carlisle?

 

[Omnidekkalover]

Thanks

 

[W176 XMA]

Townlynx in North Wales are still running CN04 NLL (ex Veolia/GHA) and DK04 NNB which was new to them

 

[pdq]

As the Dart had a 19 year production life, would someone comparing a chassis from the beginning and end of production see any similarities, or would it be like the difference between a G reg Mk 2 Golf and a 08 Mk 6?