Dennis Dart - Step Entrance

40068/72/86/8/92/3/6  

Over the weekend of the 15th and 16th May 2004 First Midland Red acquired a number of surplus Dennis Dart vehicles from First PMT. First PMT had had problems with maintenance following which the company was been forced to withdraw a number of bus services in the Stoke on Trent area by the Traffic Commissioner when he reduced the number of vehicles that they could operate.  The vehicles acquired by First Midland Red belonged to a batch of 29 purchased new by PMT (901-29) J901-18SHE, K919-29XRF in 1991/2. All the vehicles were fitted with 35 full coach seats and have Plaxton 9-metre long bodies. All five vehicles were initially stored at Worcester before preparation for service. A sixth vehicle J901SEH arrived from First PMT on Thursday 3rd June 2004 and had just been repainted into Barbie2 livery. Towards the end of February 2005 a further vehicle from the original PMT batch of vehicles arrived at Worcester in the shape of K921XRF from First West Yorkshire. This extra vehicle was one of two Darts collected by First Midland Red staff. Both vehicles broke down en-route to Worcester the first made it as far as Stoke and was left on the M6 for First PMT engineers to recover it and it never made it to Worcester. The second bus, K921KRF, got all the way to Worcester before breaking down about 2 miles from the depot and was recovered by Worcester engineering staff.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

J901SEH

40068

Plaxton

DP35F

September-04

Withdrawn 2/08 - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 

Barbie2 (6/04)

J905SEH

40072

Plaxton

DP35F

25-June-04

Withdrawn 25/2/08 - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 

Barbie3 (6/05)

K919XRF

40086

Plaxton

DP35F

May-04

Withdrawn 16/8/08 - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 

Barbie3 (5/05)

K921XRF

40088

Plaxton

DP35F

March-05

Withdrawn 25/2/08 - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 8/08

Barbie2

K925XRF

40092

Plaxton

DP35F

24-May-04

Withdrawn 2/08 - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 7/08

Barbie3 (7/05)

K926XRF

40093

Plaxton

DP35F

24-May-04

Withdrawn 25/2/08 - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 

Barbie2 (7/04)

K929XRF

40096

Plaxton

DP35F

June-04

Withdrawn 2/08 (been in store since 11/07) - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 8/08

Barbie2

Livery Key :  Barbie2 - Non low floor corporate Firstgroup livery known as "Barbie2", Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery  (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted).

40245, 40261/8/84 M101RRJ N629/37/52CDB  

During 1995 GM Buses North purchased a mixture of step entrance Dennis Dart and Volvo B6 based vehicles. GM Buses had been formed out of GM Buses which itself was the arms length company formed by Greater Manchester PTE at de-regulation in October 1986. GM Buses was purchased by its management on December 13 1993 and was sold to First Group who created First Manchester out of it in March 1996. 40268 was part of a 26 vehicle order which were registered M101-6RRJ, N619-38CDB of 39 seat Northern Counties bodied Dennis Darts. Three of these vehicles represent a departure for Dennis Darts for First Midland Red as up to now all operated have had Plaxton or Alexandra Dennis Pointer bodies. 

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

M101RRJ

40245

Northern Counties

B39F

Sep-07

Stored - October 2010 - Sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap June 2011

Barbie3 

N629CDB

40261

Northern Counties

B39F

Sep-07

Sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap December 2009

Barbie3 

N637CDB

40268

Northern Counties

B39F

Sep-07

Withdrawn - October 2010 - Sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap May 2011

Barbie3 

N652CDB

40284

Plaxton

B40F

Sep-07

Withdrawn - sold to SELNEC Preservation Society in Manchester in 9/11

Barbie3 

46103  K903CVW

K903CVW was new to first Thamesway as 903 in August 1993 for use on the London Regional Transport tendered service 214. The vehicle was part of a batch of 17 similar vehicles all 35-seaters with Plaxton Pointer bodies (K901-17CVW (901-17)). The majority of the vehicles are still with what is now First Essex but the first five K901-5CVW have been transferred to other group operators such as First London and First Western National. K903CVW ended up with First Northampton who gave it the fleet number 693 though it finally arrived with First Midland Red in August 2003 following a period with First Leicester. K903CVW was given the fleet number 314 by First Midland Red and was repainted into Barbie2 livery during September 2003. The vehicle entered service at Kidderminster garage. With the introduction of the national vehicle numbering scheme the vehicle was renumbered 46103.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Old Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

K903CWV

46103

314

Plaxton

B35F

Aug-03

Withdrawn - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 7/10

Barbie2 (9/03)

Livery Key :  Barbie 2 - Non low floor corporate Firstgroup livery known as "Barbie2" (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was last repainted)

46929-32   N829-32FLW  

During the first week of July 2004 First Midland Red acquired a number of Plaxton bodied Dennis Darts from First Berkshire. N829/30/32FLW arrived at Worcester on 7th July 2004 and N831FLW arrived the day after. All four vehicles were initially stored at Worcester Garage. The vehicles were part of a batch of 32 buses which were new to Centrewest in London in 1995. The batch was N801-32FLW (DP1-32). On withdrawal from service in London the vehicles were cascaded to a number of provincial First group companies including PMT, Mainline, Bristol and Beeline (now Berkshire). Of the 32 vehicles in the batch N818-32FLW were allocated to First Berkshire and they had the fleet numbers DP218-32 respectively in that fleet before the adoption of the national fleet number system in February 2004. 

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

N829FLW

46929

Plaxton

B30F

September 2004

Withdrawn - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 20/12/11

Barbie3 (12/07)

N830FLW

46930

Plaxton

B30F

September 2004

Withdrawn - sold to PVS Carlton for scrap 20/12/11

Barbie3 (1/08)

N831FLW

46931

Plaxton

B30F

1st September 2004

Withdrawn - October 2011- sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap Nov 11

Barbie3 (2/08)

N832FLW

46932

Plaxton

B30F

September 2004

Withdrawn - October 2011 -

sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap Nov 11

Barbie3 (3/08)

Livery Key :  Barbie 2 - Non low floor corporate Firstgroup livery known as "Barbie2" Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

47001- 9/70/11-13   N301-13XAB

During  the early 1990’s Midland Red West built up a network of subsidised bus services in Shropshire which were operated from their Kidderminster Garage using a number of outstations in such places as Bishops Castle, Ludlow and Bridgnorth. These routes were initially operated by a mixture of Leyland Nationals, Leopards and Mercedes Minibuses. To meet the requirements of Shropshire County Council it was decided to purchase 14 Dennis Darts. Thirteen which were built to DPTAC standard plus a 14th built to the then new low floor standard.  To evaluate the Dennis Dart vehicle type a demonstrator vehicle M284HRH was operated during March 1995. The 13 Darts N301-13XAB were delivered in August 1995 and entered service from Kidderminster Garage in August/September 1995. As part of a total review of the Company’s operations in April 1997 the majority of the routes in Shropshire were withdrawn and Darts 301-12 were transferred to Redditch to replace the majority of the Mercedes 608 minibuses at that Garage. By August 2000 all 13 vehicles were running from Redditch Garage and to combat vandalism problems the vehicles were re-seated from DP36F to DP35F. This was done by turning the last double seat on the offside to face backwards and removing the last near-side double seat, filling the space with a single seat (taken from a withdrawn Mercedes L608D) that faces inwards. With the introduction of the 22/24 service  between Stratford and Chipping Norton Evesham Garage had a requirement for three Dennis Lances so three Redditch Darts 311-313 moved to Hereford/Kidderminster Garages in exchange for 3 Dennis Lances for Evesham Garage. The seating capacities of the Dart proved a problem at Hereford so three Dennis Darts 309/10/12 were swapped in late 2001/early 2002 for the three former Midland Red Dennis Lances (218-220) First Cymru had acquired in 1997. From January 2003 all the remaining 10 Darts from the N301-313XAB batch were reallocated to Hereford garage.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Old Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

N301XAB

47001

301

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Withdrawn 23rd October 2011 - Sold to PVS Barnsley on 23rd November 2011 for scrap

Barbie3 (9/09)

N302XAB

47002

302

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Unallocated 28th October 2010 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11

Barbie3 (10/05)

N303XAB

47003

303

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Unallocated January 2011 - withdrawn 3/11- sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11

Barbie3 (11/05)

N304XAB

47004

304

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Unallocated 28/10/10 - withdrawn 3/11 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 5/11

Barbie3 (7/07)

N305XAB

47005

305

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Withdrawn - sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap 24/3/11

Barbie3 (11/05)

N306XAB

47006

306

Plaxton

DP35F

Sep-95

Withdrawn  November 2010 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11

Barbie3 (10/08)

N307XAB

47007

307

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Unallocated  11/12/10 withdrawn 3/11 - sold to PVS Charlton for scrap 4/11

Barbie3 (12/05)

N308XAB

47008

308

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

Withdrawn 3/11 - sold to PVS Barnsley for scrap 24/3/11

Barbie3 (9/07)

N309XAB

47009

309

Plaxton

DP35F

Sept-95

withdrawn 4/03 swapped for Lance 220 with First Cymru

Barbie2 livery - repainted by First Cymru

N310XAB

47070

310

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

withdrawn 1/03 swapped for Lance 219 with First Cymru

Barbie2 (1/03)

N311XAB

47011

311

Plaxton

DP35F

Sep-95

Withdrawn 7/10 (out of service since 09/09) sold for scrap 3/11

Barbie3 (12/05)

N312XAB

47012

312

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

withdrawn 11/01 swapped for Lance 218 with First Cymru

 Barbie2 livery - repainted by First Cymru

N313XAB

47013

313

Plaxton

DP35F

Aug-95

 Withdrawn 23rd October 2011 - Sold to PVS Barnsley  November 2011 for scrap

Barbie3 (10/07)

Livery Key :  Barbie2 - Non low floor corporate Firstgroup livery known as "Barbie2" & Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) Note N310XAB should have been renumbered 47010 and not 47070 but the latter number had already been allocated to a low floor dart in the First Devon and Cornwall fleet