Operators based in North East Wales

[DLG817]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
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Unicorn Travel, Llay, Wrexham
The firm are now operating L647AYS a Volvo B10M-60 / Van Hool Alizee - C53F new in March 1994 (as HSK659) to Park, Hamilton, (10/96) Wood, Buckfastleigh; (4/00) Way, Wokingham; (4/10) Solus, Tamworth; (6/10) York, Cheslyn Hay; (4/13) Viking Coaches, Swadlincote. It is filling in on a school contract until the arrival of their new Scania coach expected in April. <Photo-L647AYS>


M and H Coaches, Trefnant, Denbigh
Solo M920 - MX05EMJ has joined the fleet. It was initially on loan from Berwyn Motors, Trevor, Caernarfon but has now been purchased. It was new in March 2005 to Tussauds (for transport around Alton Towers); later with Transdev [1261]; (9/13) with Japheth, Berwyn Motors. It has recently been deputising for the Wright Streetlites on the 1/X1/2 Ruthin to Mold (and Chester) services. <photo-MX05EMJ>

Expected next week is Mercedes Tourismo (BV10ZKD) which is to receive the new registration of M900MNH. It was new in March 2010 and was with with Clarke, Lower Sydenham until last April when it spent some time with Richmond Coaches, Lisburn. It will replace Volvo B12B / Sunsundequi Sideral PP04BUS.


Pats Coaches, Southsea, Wrexham
R10ARE (Scania L94IB / Van Hool T9 Alize [R351LPR] is now withdrawn and donating parts.
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[DLG817]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
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Voel Coaches, Dyserth, Rhyl
Joining the fleet are NH06MEH and NH06NEH. Volvo B12M / Van Hool Alizee C48Ft They were both new in March 2006 as MX06AKY and MX06AKZ to Shearings [806/7], In 11/2015 they went to Hunters Executive, Clackmannan. They have both arrived from Scotland and are away for repaint. It is believed that MEH is to be upseated to 70.

Hutchinson, Buckley and the Buckley Town Service.
Dennis Hutchinson has operated the Buckley Town service since 2002. In 2008 a new Solo was purchased (MX58ACO) for this service which developed into two routes serving various places within the dispersed town of Buckley. The vehicle concerned was used on 11 journeys throughout the day from about 8 am to 6 pm. For a short while Hutchinson lost the contract to GHA and for an even shorter period it was operated by P and O Lloyd. He has held the contract for operating this service, which was given the service number 21(A/B), for the last three and half years.
From 1st February new arrangements are now in place and the local service has been given the route number LT4. The town service now operates only two return journeys between the Railway Station and Precinct Way (town centre) and a number of locations previously visited are no longer served.
Dennis Hutchinson's business is still operating the service but no longer with his own Solo. He is using a Peugeot Boxer MX18AWJ which is owned by Flintshire County Council. It has 15 seats but there are steps to enter and currently no provision for buggies etc. <PHOTO> It does have a wheelchair lift but the driver currently does not operate this and the seating is such that there is no room for a wheelchair. The bus was purchased by Flintshire County Council in August last year but has just seen its first use.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the service is extended to Penyffordd and Broughton Retail Park as service LT5 and LT6. The route used is not exactly the same as operated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
A similar route from Buckley to Penyffordd has been operated by R Williams Services Limited within the Council's Community Transport Scheme. Whilst notice has been given to cancel this latter service both are operating this week.

Lloyds Coaches, Machynlleth
I have now included this interesting operator within my website. There is both a current and historic fleet list together with some aspects of the firms background. <Direct Link>
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[iMarkeh]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
It's not good news in Flintshire. So far, based off the registered changes to services (05/02/2019), the following changes will take place
Stagecoach 63 (Higher Kinnerton - Mold) - Withdrawn
Townlynx 40 (Mold - Wrexham) - Withdrawn
Hutchinson 21 (Buckley Town Circular) - Withdrawn
Arriva 11A (Chester - Mold) - Withdrawn
Townlynx 28 (Holywell - Flint - Mold - Wrexham) - Cut to run Flint - Mold ONLY

This is on top of the cuts to Saturday Afternoon trips on the 8 and 22 and withdrawing services 14C and 14A last month.

I admit that there are minibuses being put on which Ron has mentioned above but these are FAR from ideal. FCC need to sort their priorities I think. Getting all those new stands for the bus station. They will only have need for about 3 when these cuts are done. It is really bad to see such big cuts. I hope the Borderlands line gets upped to half hourly quickly to help these links which are being lost.

[DLG817]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
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Pats Coaches, Southsea, Wrexham
The latest addition to the fleet is YR14HLF Scania Omni Express K400EB6 / Lahden - C63Ft - New in April 2014 to Omega, Milton Keynes. It is being given a revised gold relief livery which has yet to be completed. <PHOTO> courtesy of Keith Davies.

Price Coaches, New Broughton, Wrexham
The ex Dublin decker that recently arrived has been re-registered from SA04ERF to FSU807. I has yet to receive full vinyls.

Davies Motors, Ruthin.
Recent arrivals to this dealer are 6 Solos from Express Motors Ironically 3 of these are former GHA vehicles - NA04GHA (will not see service again), A15GHA and T289UOX.
The other Solos are V405JTO, SH51MKN and W418YAL
Also arrived is Cadet M574YEM also from Express. Apart from NA04GHA it is not clear what the future of these vehicles are.
Versa YJ09OTR has been sold to an Airport Transit company in Edinburgh. One further Versa (YJ09OTN) remains in Ruthin awaiting work to replace parts taken for the other three and it is then intended it will be sold.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales

(18/02/2019 16:40)DLG817 Wrote:  .
Pats Coaches, Southsea, Wrexham
The latest addition to the fleet is YR14HLF Scania Omni Express K400EB6 / Lahden - C63Ft - New in April 2014 to Omega, Milton Keynes. It is being given a revised gold relief livery which has yet to be completed. <PHOTO> courtesy of Keith Davies.

Price Coaches, New Broughton, Wrexham
The ex Dublin decker that recently arrived has been re-registered from SA04ERF to FSU807. I has yet to receive full vinyls.

Davies Motors, Ruthin.
Recent arrivals to this dealer are 6 Solos from Express Motors Ironically 3 of these are former GHA vehicles - NA04GHA (will not see service again), A15GHA and T289UOX.
The other Solos are V405JTO, SH51MKN and W418YAL
Also arrived is Cadet M574YEM also from Express. Apart from NA04GHA it is not clear what the future of these vehicles are.
Versa YJ09OTR has been sold to an Airport Transit company in Edinburgh. One further Versa (YJ09OTN) remains in Ruthin awaiting work to replace parts taken for the other three and it is then intended it will be sold.

M574 YEM is a Wright Endurance

[DLG817]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
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Voel Coaches, Dyserth
Today (Tuesday 26th February) a well attended event was held in Prestatyn to celebrate 70 years of operation by this successful company based in Dyserth near Rhyl in north Wales. A coach (YT15AVF) <PHOTO1> has been given a special livery to also mark this event. Whilst at one time the firm operated a number of services in the area today the business is mainly holidays, day tours, private hire and a large number of school and college contracts. The current fleet number about 34 and are predominately coaches although there are still two Olympians and four minibuses. The latter used for feeders for the coach tours and holidays that are operated. The business is very much a family business. Melfyn, the son of the founder William Kerfoot-Davies, can be seen in this <PHOTO2> and he now takes a back seat whilst his daughter Michelle and her husband Martin have taken over day to day management of the company. There are also fourth generations of the family involved in the company as seen in this photo <PHOTO3>.

Recent additions to the fleet are NH06NEH and NH06MEH, Volvo B12M / Van Hool Alizee which were new in March 2006 to Shearings (National Holidays) and came from their last operator Hunters Executive of Clackmannan. One of these Alizees (NEH) is being upseated to 70. NH06MEH is seen <HERE> at the depot having been given the familiar orange livery but awaiting the new vinyl fleet transfers.

A current fleet list and historic fleet list are available on my website

[LJ51 DDA]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
SA04ERF now has its vinyls applied, looks really nice!

[DLG817]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
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P and O Lloyd, Bagillt.
In addition to the Solos on loan from Flintshire County Council which are mainly used for the Deeside Shuttle services also on loan from the local authority is MX18AVR a Peugeot Boxer 440 which currently has 15 seats (including the front passenger seat). It does have a wheel chair lift which is currently not in use and also currently does not have room for wheelchairs or buggies etc. It was new to Flintshire County Council in August 2018 and was stored until January 2019 when it went on loan to P and O Lloyd.

It is used only on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays on the LT1-3 services which has replaced the former 14A and 14C services on a much reduced basis.
<PHOTO1> at Rhes-y-Cae and <PHOTO2> at Pantasaph.

The two Mercedes Tourismos that arrived in December have been re-registered. BF61HCN is now 5093PO and BN11UGB is now PO11OYD. They are in the process of being finally prepared for service which includes receiving the firms smart cream livery.

The Solos (YJ07EHZ, YJ09EZG, YJ56ATK, YK05CAA and YK05CAE) that were replaced by the new batch of Solo SR's in November last year have been stored by P and O until last month and have now been returned to Flintshire County Council and it it thought they will be going for auction soon.

Beachers Coaches Limited (t/a Darren's Excursions)
Darren has changed his coach to YJ11GHY a Van Hool T915 - C51F it was new as 11-D-24942 (Eirebus, Dublin) and was owned by Arriva Bus and Coach. It has been with City Circle of Newbridge, Edinburgh Coach Lines, Metcalfe of Carlisle and more recently with Soyuz of Whitton. His former coach YJ04BYG (DAF SB4000) has gone to Arriva Bus and Coach in part exchange. <Photo courtesy of Darren>

[iMarkeh]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales
To confirm, they have replaced regular bus services which were all DDA compliant with a step entrance minibus with no space for a wheelchairs or buggys, a wheelchair lift that isn't in use and the destination blind doesn't work....

They might as well have brought the Connexions Plaxton Beavers back into use for what it is worth...

[DLG817]

RE: Operators based in North East Wales

(26/02/2019 21:18)LJ51 DDA Wrote:  SA04ERF now has its vinyls applied, looks really nice!

Price Coaches SA04ERF has, of course, been re-registered to FSU807

I do agree that it looks really nice - here is a <PIC>