The Southern Vectis Unofficial Bus Enthusiasts' Website
Bristol VRT/ECW (1979)
 
Technical & History Briefing
Chassis: Bristol VRT/SL3/6LXB Body: ECW Series 2
Registration
Mark		 Fleet
No.		 Type Chassis
Number		 Body
Number		 Date
New		 Current Livery or
Date Withdrawn
Other Owners
YDL671T
Scrapped		 [671] H43/31F VRT/SL3/1910 24106 07/1979 03/1995
date unknown: Newnham Coaches, Hook, Hampshire
05/2004: Mike Nash, Cobham (dealer)
around 10/2004: Julian Patterson, Kings Lynn (for spares) - cannibalised by 11/2004
YDL672T
Scrapped		 [672] H43/31F VRT/SL3/1911 24107 06/1979 03/1995
date unknown: Brijan Tours, Bishops Waltham - scrapped around 2000/2001
YDL673T [673] H43/31F VRT/SL3/1912 24108 06/1979 03/1995
date unknown: Buglers Coaches, Bristol - withdrawn 03/2003
YDL674T
Scrapped		 [674] H43/31F VRT/SL3/1913 24109 07/1979 03/1995
date unknown: Newnham Coaches, Hook, Hampshire
around 10/2004: scrapped by 11/2004
YDL675T
Scrapped		 [675] H43/31F VRT/SL3/1914 24110 07/1979 03/1995
date unknown: Brijan Tours, Bishops Waltham - scrapped around 2000/2001
YDL676T [676] H43/31F VRT/SL3/1915 24111 07/1979 11/1996
11/1996: Solent Blue Line [166]
12/2001: Johnson Brothers, Hodthorpe
 
Detailed History
Six series 3 Bristol VRT/SL3/6LXB's with ECW bodywork and Gardner six-cylinder diesel engines were bought new by Southern Vectis in 1979 and entered service in National Bus Company Leaf Green & White livery. They were identical to the batch previously delivered in 1978.

They were repainted into deregulation Emerald Green & Cream livery in:
March 1988: YDL675T [675]
December 1988: YDL676T [676]
July 1989: YDL672T [672]
August 1989: YDL674T [674]
October 1989: YDL671T [671] & YDL673T [673]

In March 1990 YDL672T [672] & YDL674T [674] each received a rear-end advertisement for "Needles Pleasure Park".

Five of them were withdrawn from service in:
March 1995: YDL671T [671] / YDL672T [672] / YDL673T [673] / YDL674T [674] & YDL675T [675]

Around 1995/1996 YDL676T [676] was repainted into Mushroom & Dark Green livery.

In November 1996 YDL676T [676] was withdrawn from service.

Subsequent History

YDL671T [671]:

  • It was subsequently sold to T.A. Bone of Hook, Hampshire, (t/a Newnham Coaches). Painted in a Blue & Cream livery it was used mainly on school contract services. [per Gavin Rowney]
  • In May 2004 it was sold to Mike Nash of Cobham (dealer). [per Gavin Rowney]
  • Around October 2004 it was sold to Julian Patterson of Kings Lynn and was cannibalised for spares by November 2004. Many of the mechanical parts (including engine & gearbox) were used to restore former Eastern Counties Bristol VRT/LL LFS303F. Other body parts (such as windows) were used in the restoration of former United Counties Bristol VRT WRP767J. [per Gavin Rowney / Julian Patterson]

YDL672T [672]:

  • It subsequently passed to Brijan Tours of Bishops Waltham. It was scrapped around 2000/2001.

YDL673T [673]:

  • It subsequently passed to Buglers Coaches of Bristol. It was withdrawn in March 2003. Noted still with in March 2005.

YDL674T [674]:

  • It was subsequently sold to T.A. Bone of Hook, Hampshire, (t/a Newnham Coaches). Painted in a Blue & Cream livery it was used mainly on school contract services. [per Gavin Rowney]
  • Around October 2004 it was scrapped by a local scrapyard (probably Blackbushe Metal Recyclers).[per Mike Nash via. Anthony Poulton]

YDL675T [675]:

  • It subsequently passed to Brijan Tours of Bishops Waltham. It was scrapped around 2000/2001.

YDL676T [676]:

  • In November 1996 it was transferred to Solent Blue Line operating as their number [166], still in Mushroom & Dark Green for a few months. [per Gavin Rowney]
    Based on the Mushroom & Dark Green livery, it was repainted into a pilot SBL livery, for a further few months, before being repainted into standard SBL livery. [per Gavin Rowney]
  • In December 2001 it was sold to Johnson Brothers of Hodthorpe. [per Gavin Rowney]
 
Photo Selection

An offside-front view of YDL671T [671] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Newport Bus Station during the summer of 1986. To the right is NDL655R [655] a 1976 Bristol VRT. There were minor differences between VRT3's built in 1976 and those built during 1977-1979, particularly at the front of the bus - on later VRT3's the windscreen wipers were hinged below the windscreen and the valance featured exposed towing points.
[photo copyright of Mark Pitman]
 

A nearside-front view of YDL671T [671] in deregulation Emerald Green & Cream livery at Ryde Bus Station on 29 May 1993.
[photo copyright of Peter Horrex]

Peter Horrex has a page devoted to a day on the Isle of Wight in 1993 at his British Buses web site
 
To the left is a nearside-front view of cannibalised YDL671T in ex. Newnham Coaches livery at the SVBM (Scottish Vintage Bus Museum) during May 2006. To the right is the restored Bristol VRT/LL LFS303F preserved in Eastern Counties NBC Poppy Red & White livery.
[photo copyright of Julian Patterson]
 
A nearside-rear view of cannibalised YDL671T in ex. Newnham Coaches livery at the SVBM (Scottish Vintage Bus Museum) during May 2006.
[photo copyright of Julian Patterson]
 

An offside-front view of YDL672T [672] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Shanklin Bus Station on 29 July 1983.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 

A nearside-front view of YDL673T [673] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Shanklin Bus Station on 24 July 1983.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 

An offside-front view of YDL673T with Buglers Coaches of Bristol (date and location unknown)
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 

An offside-front view of YDL674T [674] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Brading Bull Ring on 25 July 1983.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 
A front view of YDL675T [675] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery, minus the NBC symbols, at Newport Bus Station during the summer of 1987.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

An offside-front view of YDL676T [676] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Yarmouth during May 1986.
[photo copyright of Kenneth Smith]
 
A view inside the engine compartment of YDL676T [676]. This picture was taken at Nelson Road Depot, Newport, during the Open-Day on 17 April 1988.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

An offside-front view of YDL676T as Solent Blue Line [166] at Eastleigh during July 1999.
[photo copyright of Mark Pitman]
 
Another view of YDL673T at the Bugler Coaches website
A view of YDL671T & YDL674T with Newnham Coaches at Nathan Gorton's Fotopic site
Information on all surviving Bristol VR's is available from The Bristol VR Enthusiasts' Society
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