Dennis Trident Double Deckers

Various For London Dennis Tridents 

A pair of Dennis Tridents LN51GOC and LN51GOE appeared at Redditch in late July 2012. The vehicles are numerically the first 2 of a batch of 28 vehicles built in 2002 for Transport for London contracts. The vehicles were built with a dual door arrangement and had been operated by First Capital Ltd Rainham depot and were used on the service 607 from Uxbridge to White City. The vehicles were originally used on the service 207 but when this was converted to articulated buses in 1995 these Dennis Tridents were transferred to the 607. On re-tendering of the service in 2012 First retained the route and from 7th April 2012 brand new Wrights bodied double deckers were introduced. In a quest to improve the quality of vehicles  used by many of their subsidiary companies the displaced double deckers have under gone an extensive refurbishment including painting in the latest corporate livery and the removal of the centre doors. The temporary entry into service with First Midland Red will allow the withdrawal of a number of step entrance vehicles. In August 2013 32852 and 32854 were acquired for use on a school contract at Hereford, the first double deckers in the allocation since the early 1980's. Both vehicles required work on them before they entered service 33042 and 33043 were loaned to Hereford Garage and 32644 and 32646 were loaned to Worcester garage from Leicester.

 33401-5 VX54MTV/Y/Z/UA/B

In November 2004 Firstgroup announced a major vehicle order for a total of 125 new low floor buses from Alexander Dennis at a total cost of £15M. As part of the order First Wyvern are to receive a total of 46 new vehicles which include five 10.7-metre Dennis Trident double deckers out of a total of ten ordered. The other five are for First Devon and Cornwall and will be bodied by East Lancs. As a result of this First Wyvern took delivery of it's first new double deck vehicles on Friday 26th November 2004. Double deck vehicles have never figured very much in the fleet but to allow both the conversion of normal bus routes in Redditch to low floor operation and the flexibility of higher capacities on one vehicle for school services a number of these Alexander Dennis have joined the fleet. Initially the vehicles were put into store at Worcester Garage awaiting preparation for service together with staff training for both drivers and engineers. The vehicles are built to the standard First Group vehicle specification both inside and external livery. The first three vehicles were joined on 3rd December 2004 by a further two vehicles 33404 and 33405. Currently the Redditch Union will not allow type training to start on the vehicles because they are not fitted with periscopes and FMR policy on the alternative CCTV equipment is not to switched on. The company would rather to wait until there are problems and then use the CCTV equipment. As the vehicles to be used on school services such as S57 and S58 the union are understandably not happy! To cover a need for extra vehicles at First Leicester 33401-5 were placed on loan from 8th December 2004 pending their introduction at Redditch and they are being used mainly on their services 14 and 14A. All five vehicles were licensed at Worcester before being sent on loan to First Leicester. Non of the vehicles currently carry any legal lettering though each has a type written notice in the front near side window saying on hire to First Leicester. 33405 to Redditch on Friday 28th January 2005 where together with sister Enviro 67643 it was used for the launch of the new vehicles in Redditch. 33405 returned back to Redditch on Thursday 10th February 2005 for promotional use during the visit of the Minister for Transport. After a period at First Leicester the vehicles have moved to First Northampton during March and April 2005. During December 2005 the vehicles gradually started to enter service at Redditch. Due to continued problems with trees the vehicles are only allowed to operate on services 57 and 58. Drivers are under instruction not to deviate off of the registered routes without specific permission. By 8th February 2006 all five vehicles were operating from Redditch Garage. On 25th June 2006 route branding for the redline services 57/8  was added to all five vehicles. It was decided during the Summer of 2008 that 33401 and 33405 would be re-allocated to Worcester Garage and so the route branding was removed. During July 2009 33402 and 33404 moved to Worcester in exchange for 67601 and 67602.