[GB] Hello Stagecoach Preston... or is it?
A couple of months ago, we said goodbye to Preston Bus. With Stagecoach finally got rid of its fierce rival in the city, they wasted no time to repaint the fleet and rid Preston Bus' identity as soon as possible. The twist came in 4th March, when the Office of Fair Trading commenced their investigation over the takeover. As a result, Stagecoach stopped the repainting after 23 buses were done - a fifth of the fleet within just 1.5 months after the takeover.http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_3095.jpg
Barely 2 weeks after the takeover, a few buses were loaned to the ex-Preston Bus depot to cover the vehicles off for repainting, including Solo 47020:
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_2802.jpg
One of the early repaint is Trident 18593. In fact it was the first Trident in the fleet to get the Stagecoach livery.
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_2907.jpg
One of the 2 Scania Omnidekkas was also painted as wel:
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_2996.jpg
...as were a number of Scania N93/230UBs. These are also the first ever Esteems to wear the Stagecoach livery.
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_2990.jpg
But the surprise went to a few Solo, which launched a revised - BestImpression style - branding for the 88A/C Preston Orbit services:
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_3104.jpg
Obviously, majority of the fleet remain untouched, including all the Solo SRs in the Park & Ride service:
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_3097.jpg
...and so are many of the Olympians as well:
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_3041.jpg
A service revision last Monday have seen a number of services withdrawn, including the 25. Amazingly though, the three Leyland Lynxs somehow survived the chop:
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/pst_29218_090321.jpg
But another workhorse of Preston Bus, the Metroriders, weren't so lucky. The service revision have made them surplus to requirement, and they were accordinglt withdrawn, ending 14-year service of the type in Preston.
http://www.tinywong.talktalk.net/Preston/IMG_2984.jpg
Maybe the saga in Preston may not have finished... just yet.
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