DAF/VDL Single deck

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YJ07JRV 30007 DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014403 Paxton 0610.7LAA6819 B42F withdrawn 5/21 sold for scrap 5/21
YJ07JRU 30008 DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014402 Plaxton 0610.7LAA6818 B42F withdrawn 3/20 sold to Peters for scrap 1/21
YJ07JRO 30009 DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014434 Plaxton 0610.7LAA6817 B42F Withdrawn 9/21 Sold to Deluxe Coaches 10/21
YJ07JJU 30010 DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014405 Plaxton 0610.7LAA6816 B42F withdrawn 3/20 sold to Peters for scrap 1/21
YJ07JJO 30011 DAF SB120 XMGDE12BS0H014404 Plaxton 0610.7LAA6815 B42F Withdrawn 7/19 sold to Peters for scrap 4/20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 Withdrawn 5/24 Sold to Wrigleys for scrap 5/24
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 Burton on Trent

30909  

JP44MCL started life as YJ08EFW in the John Fishwick & Sons fleet in 2008. When the Fishwick's went out of business on 25th October 2015 the vehicle joined the Diamond Bus fleet with 2 sister vehicles at their Redditch Depot taking the fleet number 32122. The vehicle remained there until November 2021 when it was withdrawn and sold to Midland Classic in the months before the Midland Classic fleet joined the Rotala Group. On entry into the Midland Classic fleet it was registered with the cherished number plate JP54MCL. The JP being initials of Julian Peddle who at the time part owned Midland Classic and MCL being Midland Classic Limited. With the sale of Midland Classic to Rotala in August 2023 the vehicle rejoined the Diamond bus fleet where it has taken the new fleet number of 30909.

Registration Number Fleet Number Vehicle Chassis Body work Seating Capacity Allocation
JP54MCL was YJ08EFW 30909 DAF SB200 XMGDE02FS0H016503 Wrights AB129 B44F Withdrawn Monday 18th March 2024 - sold 3/24

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 see 30909 above

32123/4  

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. The oldest two vehicles 32123 and 32124 were of the slightly older design of chassis and had detailed differences in the body work to the other vehicles acquired.  32123 survived in the Diamond Bus fleet until June 2023 when it was withdrawn and sold for scrap a month later.

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

32125-136  

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
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 Withdrawn 2/24 due accident damage Sold to Willenhall Commercials 4/24 for scrap
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