30007-11
The
In the spring of 2014 with the changes in contractual
commitments at their Wessex operation in Bristol Rotala
had five DAF Plaxton bodied single deckers surplus to
requirements. Diamond Bus had a need for extra buses to
initially provide cover whilst the Red Diamond liveried
Volvo B7R single deckers which at the time were based at
Redditch were repainted blue. In May 2014 vehicles
30007-11 were repainted blue and put into service at
Redditch in June 2014. In the event the vehicles have
stayed at Redditch garage and now see service on
virtually any of the routes operated by the garage.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Vehicle Chassis | Body work | Seating Capacity | Allocation |
YJ07JRV | 30007 | DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014403 | lPaxton 0610.7LAA6819 | B42F | withdrawn 5/21 sold for scrap 5/21 |
YJ07JRU | 30008 | DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014402 | Plaxton 0610.7LAA6818 | B42F | withdrawn 3/20 sold to Peters for scrap 1/21 |
YJ07JRO | 30009 | DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014434 | Plaxton 0610.7LAA6817 | B42F | Withdrawn 9/21 Sold to Deluxe Coaches 10/21 |
YJ07JJU | 30010 | DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014405 | Plaxton 0610.7LAA6816 | B42F | withdrawn 3/20 sold to Peters for scrap 1/21 |
YJ07JJO | 30011 | DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014404 | Plaxton 0610.7LAA6815 | B42F | Withdrawn 7/19 sold to Peters for scrap 4/20 |
30703/5/6 /15
With the letting of the first bus franchises in
Manchester there has been some fall out amongst the
existing bus operators. including the sudden closure of
the little Gem operation. This operator stopped running
and went into voluntary liquation on Friday 26th April
2023. The company been been in difficulties
for some time. The company was owned by the Goodwin
family and was a separate business to their Little Gem
is a separate company to Go Goodwins Group and Mayne
Coaches operations which are still in business.
Fortunately for Rotala the Little Gem operation had been
running from a depot opposite to their Diamond Bus
Eccles depot which needs enlarging or replacing to
accommodate the franchised work they are taking on from
September 2023. Rotala both purchased the Little Gem
depot and 14 vehicles all of which have been retrofitted
to Euro VI emission standards. To meet the requirement
of all vehicles in the West Midlands being of Euro VI
emission standards the acquired vehicles were
moved to the West Midlands. 30704 was renumbered 30715
in June 2023.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Vehicle Chassis | Body work | Seating Capacity | Allocation |
YJ62JWL | 30703 | DAF SB120 XMGDE18FS0H021271 | MCV-531 | B34F | Tividale |
YJ62JWG | 30705 | DAF SB120 XMGDE18FS0H021273 | MCV-533 | B34F | Tividale |
YJ62JWW | 30706 | DAF SB120 XMGDE18FS0H021274 | MCV-534 | B34F | Tividale |
YJ62JWF | 30715 | DAF SB120 XMGDE18FS0H021270 | MCV-530 | B34F | In Store |
32101/21/2
John
Fishwick & Sons was formed in 1907. It was based in
Lancashire and operated a fleet of bus and coaches in
the Preston area. Being close to the old Leyland bus
factory the company had a long tradition of purchasing
Leyland vehicles. When production of buses and coaches
ended in Leyland they turned to other manufacturers.
During 2015 it became apparent that
John
Fishwick & Sons
was in financial difficulties and during the
summer the owners attempted to sell the business. Rotala
as the main bus operator in the Preston area were interested in
purchasing the
business. However, before a deal
could be struck John Fishwick
stopped trading on 25th October 2015. With a need for
additional vehicles to meet the DDA requirements in the
Diamond Bus fleet Rotala purchased three of the former
Fishwick vehicles from the dealer who was disposing of
the vehicles and placed them in service at Redditch in early 2016.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Vehicle Chassis | Body work | Seating Capacity | Allocation |
YJ07JDZ | 32101 | DAF SB200 XMGDE02CS0H012439 | Wrights AA252 | B44F | Withdrawn 9/21 Sold to Deluxe Coaches 10/21 |
YJ08EFS | 32121 | DAF SB200 XMGDE02FS0H015774 | Wrights AB128 | B44F | withdrawn - sold to Peter Reddish for scrap 1/20 |
YJ08EFW | 32122 | DAF SB200 XMGDE02FS0H016503 | Wrights AB129 | B44F | Withdrawn 9/21 Sold to Midland Classic 11/21 |
32123-136
On 24th April 2022 Rotala acquired the Claribel Coaches operation when
13 further
VDL vehicles joined their fleet. These vehicles had been
supplied new to Claribel's by Arriva Bus and Coach. All
of the vehicles had been retrofitted with exhaust traps
so the emissions standards met Euro VI for operation on
services 55 and 94 into Birmingham City Centre. On
purchasing the company Diamond bus withdrew from the 94
service (the service 55 had already been withdrawn) so
as to give themselves a number of Euro VI standard
vehicles that could be used on Transport for West
Midlands contracts. With the changes in bus contracts
from January 2023 and need from May 2023 for all buses
running in the West Midlands being Euro VI emissions
many of the vehicles are now deployed on the service 4
and $H (Walsall to Hayley Green via West Bromwich). All
were repainted into standard Diamond Bus livery except
for 32134 which was painted into a livery commemorating
the Queen's 70th Anniversary on the throne. Following
her death the livery has been modified so it bit in her
memory. 32136 is West Midlands Buses livery.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Vehicle Chassis | Body work | Seating Capacity | Allocation |
YJ57BOF | 32123 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H015769 | Wrights AB023 | B44F | Withdrawn 6/23 Sold to Wigleys for scrap 7/23 |
YJ58FDV | 32124 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H016501 | Wrights AB126 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ59BCU | 32125 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H018281 | Wrights AC907 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ60GJF | 32126 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H018311 | Wrights AC948 | B44F | Tamworth |
YJ60GHF | 32127 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H018310 | Wrights AC947 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ10DHX | 32128 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H018283 | Wrights AC908 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ62JZH | 32129 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H021263 | Wrights AH113 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ62JZG | 32130 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H021262 | Wrights AH112 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ12CKN | 32132 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H020718 | Wrights AF562 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ12CHH | 32133 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H020719 | Wrights AF563 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ12CHG | 32134 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H020720 | Wrights AF564 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ14CCE | 32135 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H022623 | Wrights AK204 | B44F | Tividale |
YJ14CCF | 32136 | VDL SB200 XMGDE02FS0H022622 | Wrights AK203 | B44F | Tividale |