| Detailed History |
| Nine Leyland Olympian's with
Northern Counties bodywork were bought new by Southern
Vectis in 1993 and entered service in an experimental
livery, known as the "Island Explorer" Cream
& Dark Green livery. The livery was similar in layout
to the second de-regulation livery subsequently adopted
in 1995, but there was no white & red banding above
the skirt and they featured a green stripe above the
lower deck which also included the fleetname in
experimental styling. As with previous Olympian
deliveries, they were supplied equipped with coach
seating. Below the lower deck windows, they initially carried "Island Explorer" vinyls, which were removed during the winter of 1997/1998. Two
of the batch were repainted into two-tone Island Explorer
Blue livery as featured on the 1998 intake of Volvo
Olympian's in: Five
of the batch were repainted into standard Mushroom &
Dark Green livery in : Several
of the batch were repainted into single-tone Island
Explorer Blue livery in: By 16 November 2001 K741ODL [741] had been fitted with a Bright-Tech BrightDot electronic/digital destination screen. This was removed by 15 March 2002. [per Gavin Rowney] By 27 November 2001 K740ODL [740] had been fitted with a small Hanover electronic/digital destination screen, the destination blind layout was reversed (ie. Destination to the offside, route number to the nearside) . [per Gavin Rowney] By 18 January 2002 K741ODL [741] had been fitted with a small electronic number/destination screen in the first lower-deck nearside window. This was removed by 15 March 2002. [per Gavin Rowney] By 5 November 2002 K743ODL [743] was repainted into Route Rouge Red livery. [per Gavin Rowney] Several
of the batch were repainted into Island Explorer
Underline Blue livery in: Several
of the batch were fitted with large Hanover electronic/digital
destination screens front, side & rear (rear shows
service number only). Internally they were fitted with
electronic scrolling advertisement display's (which also
double as "Bus Stopping" acknowledgements) in
both the upper & lower deck's in: During
2003/2004 all but two of the batch were internally
refitted at Barton Park, Eastleigh, by replacing the
seats with low-back seating in the current moquette, the
chocolate brown soft trim was replaced with panels in
grey-marl with the roof centres fitted with soft trim in
the current moquette and red non-slip floor coverings in: The
remaining two of the batch were converted to permanent
open-top as O45/29F and retrimmed internally as per [735-741]
above except that there is no trim in the roof centre,
the rearward facing seats in the upper deck all face
forward and the seat covers in both decks are finished in
an orange coloured waterproof material and were fitted
with CD players to provide a commentary through the PA
system. They were repainted into Orange & Yellow
"Open Top Tours" livery with branding for
"The Needles Tour", completed on: [per Ian
Rivett / Marc Morgan-Huws / Gavin Rowney] In November 2004 K742ODL [742] & K743ODL [743] were temporarily fitted with Christmas lights and operated a special evening open-top "Tour of DeLights" during the two weeks leading up to Christmas (Newport - Ryde - Bembridge - Shanklin - Newport & Cowes). In January 2005 K742ODL [742] & K743ODL [743] had their upper-deck railings removed and returned to Hants & Dorset Trim for attention. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] On 21 February 2005 K738ODL [738] was repainted into Route Rouge Red livery. [per Dave Joliffe] On 29 October 2005 K739ODL [739] & K740ODL [740] went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating under contract on Rail Replacement Duties between Portsmouth and Chichester. [per Dave Joliffe & Phil Stockley] On 14 November 2005 K743ODL [743] went on hire/loan to Wilts & Dorset (as a replacement for W&D Olympian [4922]) for use by a radio station (most likely Radio Solent) in connection with a live broadcast for the annual Children In Need appeal (view photo). [per Gavin Rowney] During December 2005 K742ODL [742] & K743ODL [743] operated a special evening open-top "Christmas Lights Tours" (with departures from Ryde, Newport & Shanklin) during the three weeks leading up to Christmas. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] During
2006 all (with the exception of the two open-toppers)
were repainted into 2006 Two-Tone Green livery, some were
repainted into Lime Green base beforehand, and reseated
to H47/29F by re-arrangement of the upper-deck seating
only (in that all seats face forward): During January 2006 K742ODL [742] & K743ODL [743] had their power destination blinds replaced with LED type destination blinds fitted at the front only. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] The
entire batch were named: On 20 September 2006 K742ODL [742] & K743ODL [743] were renumbered to [642] & [643] respectively. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] During December 2006 K742ODL [642] & K743ODL [643] operated a special evening open-top "Christmas Lights Tours" (with departures from Ryde, Newport & Shanklin) during the three weeks leading up to Christmas. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] During
2006 several went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating
on rail replacement contract work: During
early 2007 K742ODL [642] & K743ODL [643] were
repainted into Island Breezers Blue & Orange open-top
livery: During March (or April) 2007 K742ODL [642] & K743ODL [643] were (or will be) fitted with new Orange & Blue seats. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] |
| Photo Selection |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K735ODL [735]
entering Newport Bus Station on 25 September 1998 still
carrying the experimental Island Explorer Cream &
Dark Green livery, minus the "Island Explorer"
vinyls. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K735ODL [735]
in Island Explorer Underline Blue livery at Church Litten,
Newport, on 6 December 2005. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K736ODL [736]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery entering
Newport Bus Station on 30 January 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| In the original Island Explorer
Cream & Dark Green livery, as delivered, an offside-front
view of K737ODL [737] at Yarmouth Bus Station on 11 June
1995. The "Island Explorer" vinyls, beneath the
lower-deck side windows, can be clearly seen in the
picture - these were removed during the winter of 1997/1998. [photo copyright of Ian Roberts] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K737ODL [737]
entering Newport Bus Station on 25 September 1998 still
carrying the experimental Island Explorer Cream &
Dark Green livery, minus the "Island Explorer"
vinyls. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-rear view of K737ODL [737]
in Island Explorer Cream & Dark Green livery as it
passes the old Rex Cinema site at Ventnor on 20 July 1998.
Note the small lower-deck rear window, which was larger
on the 1995 batch of Northern Counties bodied Volvo
Olympian's. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K738ODL [738]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery entering
Newport Bus Station on 17 August 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K738ODL [738]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery entering
Newport Bus Station on 17 August 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K738ODL [738]
in Route Rouge Red livery at Church Litten, Newport, on 6
December 2005. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K739ODL [739]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery entering
Newport Bus Station on 17 August 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K739ODL [739]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery entering
Newport Bus Station on 15 November 2003 following the
fitting of electronic destination screens. [photo copyright of James May] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K739ODL [739]
in Island Explorer Underline Blue livery at Newport Bus
Station on 29 June 2005. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K739ODL [739]
"Reeth Bay" in 2006 Two-Tone Green livery at
Albert Street, Ventnor, on 11 February 2006. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K740ODL [740]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery entering
Newport Bus Station on 30 January 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K741ODL [741]
at Shanklin Railway Station on 21 March 1999, on a rail-replacement
service, shortly after it had been repainted into
Mushroom & Dark Green livery. [photo copyright of Gavin Rowney] |
 |
| An offside-rear view of K741ODL [741]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery at Ryde Bus
Station on 12 June 2002. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K741ODL [741]
in single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery at Yarmouth
Bus Station on 28 June 2002. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K742ODL [742]
passing the junction of Madeira Road, Ventnor, on 20 July
1998. It was one of the batch to be repainted into the
two-tone Island Explorer Blue livery in 1998, as featured
on the 1998 intake of Volvo Olympian's. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K742ODL [742],
in two-tone Island Explorer Blue livery with the between-deck
vinyls removed which now carry advertising, at Newport
Bus Station on 28 June 2002. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K742ODL [742]
in Orange & Yellow "Open Top Tours" livery
at Yarmouth Bus Station on 25 April 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-rear view of K742ODL [742]
in Orange & Yellow "Open Top Tours" livery
at Yarmouth Bus Station on 25 April 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of K743ODL [743],
still in two-tone Island Explorer Blue livery with the
between-deck vinyls removed, entering Newport Bus Station
on 17 August 2001. It was the first of the batch to be
repainted into the two-tone blue "Island Explorer"
livery in 1997, as featured on the 1998 intake of Volvo
Olympian's. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-rear view of K743ODL [743]
in two-tone Island Explorer Blue livery at Ryde Bus
Station on 12 June 2002. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K743ODL [743]
in Route Rouge Red livery passing Shanklin Railway
Station during the summer of 2003. [photo copyright of James May] |
 |
| An offside-front view of K743ODL [743]
in Orange & Yellow "Open Top Tours" livery
at Yarmouth Bus Station on 25 April 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
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