Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith, This page created 23rd December 2012, updfated 17th February 2015. Best on 800*600.
Ashford Luxury Coaches: Dennis Dart SLFThe 305 was a one-bus route: (Staines - Wraysbury - Horton - Colnbrook - Poyle), operated by Ashford Luxury Coaches from 1985. In January 2000 a Dart SLF was acquired. This was an ex-demonstrator S451 WAT, renowned for its trials on Jersey for JMT, where its extra width was not appreciated. It was also trailled by West Midlands and East Yorkshire.ALC operated their Dart SLF in white, with mid-blue skirt and dark blue bands.
The owner died in March 2011. Bear buses took over the 305, and the Dart SLF.
They did not keep it, passing it on to New Adventure Travel, Tredegar, who operated it briefly in ALC livery.
It quickly moved on to Boomerang Travel in Rawtenstall.
Bear Buses
Bear Buses was a schools contract operator. Taking on the 305 threw it into service bus operation.
Although the 305 had been taken on as a sub-contract when ALC's owner died, the route was re-contracted
from May 2011.
Bear Buses had acquired a 10.2m dual doorway Marshall-bodied Dart SLF from Ensign in January 2011,
that had come from Metroline (DML 36).
Bear took the Dart MPD from Ashford Luxury Coaches, but quickly sold it on. It bought three dual doorway 10m Pointer2s from London General during early 2011, and painted them overall rich red, with a cream band along the cant-rail. Another followed at the start of 2012. A shorter, 9.3m, Pointer - ex Metroline DSD216 - was hired in the autumn of 2012, for a brief spell, probably to cover for something else, but was soon returned.
Bear Buses had used a restored Metrobus (M429) on schools work between 2011 and 2013.
It was retired in September 2013, its duties being taken on by a high capacity Super Pointer Dart
from Stagecoach South. This looked remarkably smart in Bear's overall red with cream cantrail band.
Ashford Luxury Coaches, Bedfont. Bear Buses, FelthamThese histories are incomplete. They are being assembled as I garner information from a variety of sources. Particularly useful have been:
Ashford Luxury Coaches
S451 WAT 1/99 8.8m Dennis Dart SLF SFD612BR1WGW12567, Plaxton Pointer MPD 988.8GKB9769, B29F
1/99 new to Plaxtons as demonstrator: first MPD
*/99 demonstrated on Jersey for JMT
6/99 on loan to Travel West Midlands
7/99 on loan to East Yorkshire Motor Services
1/00 bought by Ashford Luxury Coaches, Middlesex: white, blue skirt
3/03 in service on 305 (Staines-Wraysbury-Horton-Colnbrook-Poyle)
12/07 in service on 305
4/09 in service on 305
3/11 in service on 305
3/11 owner died
3/11 acquired with 305 by Bear Buses, Feltham
4/11 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
4/11 bought by New Adventure Travel, Tredegar: ALC livery
bought by Boomerang Travel, Rawtenstall
2/12 in service, Boomerang Travel: blue
4/12 in service, Boomerang Travel
Bear Buses
DML 36 R866 MCE 7/98 10.2m Dart SLF SFD212BR1WGW12319, Marshall Capital C39.250, B28D
7/98 new to MTL London Northern
8/98 taken over: Metroline London Northern
3/00 HT unusual on 143
7/00 HT
3/02 HT
11/02 W transfer with C11 (Cricklewood)
6/05 W
1/08 W in use on 316
5/08 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
12/09 at Ensign: all white
*/10 loaned to Little Jim, Hemel Hempstead
1/11 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
by 6/14 sold
LDP 112 S112 EGK 12/98 Dennis Dart SLF SFD212BR1WGW12749, Plaxton Pointer 10m 9810HJB0061, B29D
12/98 new to London General
SW (Stockwell)
6/00 AL transfer for 155 (Merton)
7/00 AL (Merton)
3/02 AL
1/04 BX transfer to London Central (Bexleyheath)
6/05 BX
1/11 BE transfer into store (Rainham)
3/11 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
3/11 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham: dual door, red, cream top band
4/14? sold
LDP 110 S110 EGK 12/98 10m Dennis Dart SLF SFD212BR1WGW12744, Plaxton Pointer 9810HJB0059, B29D
12/98 new to London General
SW (Stockwell)
6/00 AL transfer for 155 (Merton)
7/00 AL (Merton)
2/01 SW transfer
3/02 SW
5/02 AL transfer (Merton)
12/03 BX transfer (Bexleyheath)
6/05 BX
1/11 BV transfer into store (Belvedere)
3/11 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
4/11 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
7/11 in service on 305
12/11 in service on 305
4/14 in service
LDP 116 S116 EGK 12/98 10m Dennis Dart SLF SFD212BR1WGW12765, Plaxton Pointer 9810HJB0065, B29D
12/98 new to London General
SW (Stockwell)
6/00 AL transfer for 155 (Merton)
7/00 AL (Merton)
3/02 AL
1/04 BX transfer to London Central (Bexleyheath)
6/05 BX
1/11 AL transfer
5/11 NX transfer for 129 (New Cross)
8/11 SW transfer..
8/11 PM ..transfer (Peckham)
9/11 NX transfer..
9/11 BE ..transfer for W19 (Rainham)
sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
2/12 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
by 4/13 gone
DSD 216 LR02 BFA 6/02 9.3m Transbus Dart SFD1BACR32GW16435, Transbus Pointer 0196/9, B27D
6/02 NW new to Metroline for 206 (North Wembley)
6/05 NW
2/07 NW reseated minus tip-ups: B24D
10/07 PB transfer for 234, W9 (Potters Bar)
11/09 PB red skirt
9/12 PV withdrawn into store (Perivale)
10/12 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
11/12 acquired by Bear Buses, Feltham
9/13 return to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
9/13 on loan to TWH, Harlow
X967 VAP 10/00 11.3m Dennis Dart SPD SFD467BR1YGW45055, Plaxton 0011.3HAB3067, B41F
10/00 new to Sussex Coastline #67
9/03 in service, Portsmouth, Stagecoach Coastline #33067
Stagecoach South #33067
6/13 in service on Jazz2, Stagecoach Basingstoke
*/13 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
9/13 acquired by Bear Buses, Feltham
9/13 repainted red, cream cantrail band
5/15 withdrawn: cannibalised
10/15 remains sold for scrap
DP 1024 KP02 PVF 5/02 10.1m Transbus Dart SFD2BACR32GW16485, Transbus Pointer 2002/8, B30D
6/02 AH new to Armchair for E2, E8 (Brentwood)
11/04 AH taken over by Metroline
1/07 AH reseated minus tip-ups: B27D
4/07 AH repainted red, blue skirt
8/08 NW into store (North Wembley)
2/10 return off-lease to Dawson Rentals
1/14 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
2/14 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
DP 1029 KP02 PVN 6/02 10.1m Transbus Dart SFD2BACR32GW16513, Transbus Pointer 2002/12, B30D
6/02 AH new to Armchair for E2, E8 (Brentwood)
11/04 AH taken over by Metroline
11/06 AH reseated: B27D
3/07 AH repainted red, blue skirt
12/09 return off-lease to Dawson Rentals
2/10 hired by Abellio London for temporary 545
1/14 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
3/14 hired to Buses ETC during depot lock-out
6/14 loaned by Amber Coaches, Rayleigh
8/14 acquired by Bear Buses, Feltham
2/15 repainted red with white trim
LDP 160 Y806 TGH 3/01 Dennis Dart SLF SFD112, Plaxton Pointer 9.3m 019.3HEB3786, B29F
3/01 Q new to London Central for 484, P5 (Camberwell)
3/02 Q
6/05 Q
3/11 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
5/11 bought by Hayton's Coaches, Manchester
11/11 bought by Bluebird, Middleton
3/13 taken over by Stagecoach Manchester #33856
3/15 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
4/15 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
7/16 stripped for spares
280 SN03 YBX 8/03 8.8m Transbus Dart, Transbus Pointer, B29F
8/03 MB new to Metrobus (Green St.Green)
12/04 MB used on 336, yellow/blue waist band
3/05 MB used on B14
3/06 MB to all-red
12/11 MB unusual on R11
5/13 MB unusual on 233
6/14 MB
12/15 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
3/16 bought by Bear Buses, Shepperton
217 SN03 WMT 8/03 10.7m Transbus Dart, Transbus Pointer, B36D
8/03 MB new to Metrobus for 130, red, narrow blue/yellow band (Green Street Green)
2/05 PH out-stationed (Polhill)
2/06 MB transfer
8/08 C transfer (Croydon)
2/09 MB transfer
5/09 C return
7/09 MB transfer
4/10 C transfer
7/10 CY transfer (Crawley)
8/10 CY repainted blue/blue
2/12 CY unusual on 127
6/14 CY
6217 7/14 CY renumbered
2/17 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
2/17 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
206 SN03 WLH 8/03 10.7m Transbus Dart, Transbus Pointer, B36D
8/03 CY new to Metrobus for 405, red, narrow blue/yellow band (Crawley)
2004 CY
4/05 GD transfer with 405 (Godstone)
9/05 GD used on 405
2/06 C transfer (Croydon: GD closes)
4/06 CY transfer with 405 (Crawley)
by 6/06 CY all-red
10/06 CY withdrawn
11/06 CY repainted blue/blue for 2
12/06 CY reinstated
9/07 CY unusual on 430
11/07 CY in accident: withdrawn to store
6/08 CY returned to service after repair
2009 CY
6/10 CY
11-13 CY
6/14 CY
6206 7/14 CY renumbered
15-16 CY
2/17 CY withdrawn
2/17 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
4/17 bought by Bear Buses, Feltham
A key to the references is in the bibliography. Photographic referencesnone found yet: look on the internet using the registration marks
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