| Detailed History |
| UFX855S
/ UFX856S & UFX857S were new to Hants & Dorset in
September 1977 whilst UFX858S / UFX859S & UFX860S
were new to them in October 1977 and entered service in
standard NBC Leaf Green & White livery as their
number's [3374] / [3375] / [3376] / [3377] / [3378] &
[3379] respectively. All were convertible series 3
Bristol VRT/SL3/6LXB's with ECW bodywork and Gardner six-cylinder
diesel engines. During 1979 all six were
acquired by Southern Vectis in exchange for six 1978
series 3 Bristol VRT's UDL671S [671] / UDL672S [672] /
UDL673S [673] / UDL674S [674] / UDL675S [675] & UDL676S
[676] on: In January 1983 UFX855S [705] was repainted into a White & Red Colorbus advertisement for "Radio Victory". In May 1983 UFX859S [709] & UFX860S [710] were withdrawn from service. In January 1984 UFX855S [705] / UFX856S [706] / UFX857S [707] & UFX858S [708] were renumbered to [503] / [504] / [505] & [506] respectively. In May 1985 UFX855S [503] was repainted back to the previous livery of dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green & White. Three
of them were repainted into "Six of the Best"
livery of Yellow & Blue in: In October 1987 UFX856S [504] was repainted into Cream & Emerald Green - a reverse version of the deregulation livery - and carried a rear-end advertisement for Prudential Property Services. In June 1990 UFX856S [504] was repainted into an all-over Cream Colorbus advertisement for "Isle of Wight County Council Centenary 1890-1990". In April 1991 UFX855S [503] was reregistered to 473CDL. In December 1991 473CDL [503] was reregistered to VDL613S. Three
of them were repainted into "The Big Dipper"
Lime Green & Purple (harlequin style) livery in: [per Jeff
Lyons] From October 1993 until May 1996 UFX856S [504] ceased to be used in open-top form. In early 1994 it was repainted into deregulation Emerald Green & Cream livery. [per Jeff Lyons] In June 1996 VDL613S [503] was repainted into "Shanklin's Pony" Blue & Yellow livery. [per Jeff Lyons] Two
of them were repainted into Mushroom and Dark Green
livery in: [per Jeff Lyons] In May 1998 UFX857S [505] & UFX858S [506] were withdrawn from service. From May 1998 VDL613S [503] - or June 1998 UFX856S [504] - were on lease to Traditional Bus Company until January 2000 operating during the summer season under franchise to Traditional Bus Company of Sandown (1998) or Lake (1999) on the Shanklin-Sandown summer service 44. UFX856S [504] had the Green parts of its previous livery painted Yellow and featured Blue & Yellow panels on the front. [per Jeff Lyons & Ian Rivett] By July 1999 VDL613S [503] & UFX856S [504] were repainted into an overall White livery. The
remaining two were repainted into 1933 Apple Green &
Cream livery in: [per Jeff Lyons] During the 2000 summer season VDL613S [503] & UFX856S [504] operated under "Village Bus Company" branding and under franchise as fleet number's [3] & [4] respectively again operating the summer Shanklin-Sandown service 44. UFX856S [504] acted as a spare open-top bus during 2000 and also operated (when required) on the Yarmouth-Alum Bay open-top service 42. In October 2000 VDL613S [3] & UFX856S [4] were reregistered to XDL872 & WDL655 and at the same time renumbered back to [503] & [504] respectively. [per Gavin Rowney] During the winter of 2000/2001 XDL872 [503] & WDL655 [504] were re-roofed (each incorrectly fitted with each other's roof's) and operated in closed-top form mainly on schools workings. By July 2001 WDL655 [504] had received a replacement engine and gearbox from DPX684W. [per Gavin Rowney] During August 2001 XDL872 [503] & WDL655 [504] were fitted with Day-glow destination blinds. [per Gavin Rowney] On 20 May 2002 XDL872 [503] had the front foglights removed following a shunting accident at Ryde Depot. [per Jeff Lyons] In February 2003 XDL872 [503] & WDL655 [504] were converted to permanent open-top as O43/31F. [per Gavin Rowney] The
remaining two were repainted into Orange & Yellow
"Open Top Tours" livery with branding for
"The Sandown Bay Tour" in: [per Gavin
Rowney] In November 2003 XDL872 [503] was 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). [per Paul Budden via. Gavin Rowney] In November 2004 XDL872 [503] was again temporarily fitted with Christmas lights to operate the special evening open-top "Tour of DeLights" service. During December 2005 WDL655 [504] was allocated as reserve vehicle for the 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] On 30 September 2006 XDL872 [503] & WDL655 [504] were withdrawn from service. [per Marc Morgan-Huws] Subsequent History UFX855S / 473CDL / VDL613S / XDL572 [705] / [503]:
UFX856S / WDL655 [706] / [504]:
UFX857S [707] / [505]:
UFX858S [708] / [506]:
UFX859S [709]:
UFX860S [710]:
|
| Photo Selection |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX855S [705] in the "Radio Victory"
Colorbus advertisement at Shanklin Bus Station during
July 1983. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
| An offside-front view of 1985 UFX855S
[503] after being repainted back into the original dual-purpose
NBC Leaf Green & White livery in 1985 at Ryde Bus
Station sometime during 1986. [photo copyright of Mark Pitman] |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX855S [503] in the "Six of the Best"
Yellow & Blue livery at Ryde Bus Station on 31 August
1987. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX855S [503] reregistered as VDL613S in "The
Big Dipper" Lime Green & Purple (harlequin style)
livery at Seaview during April 1992. |
 |
An offside-rear
view of UFX855S [3] in the 1933 Apple Green & Cream
livery and "Village Bus" branding at Shanklin
Bus Station on 29 August 2000. |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX855S [503] reregistered to XDL872 in the 1933
Apple Green & Cream livery ascending from Shanklin
Esplanade, in Hope Road, Shanklin, on 28 August 2001. |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX855S [503] reregistered to XDL872 in the
Orange & Yellow "Open Top Tours" livery
with branding for "The Sandown Bay Tour"
ascending from Shanklin Esplanade, in Atherley Road,
Shanklin, on 21 October 2003. |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX856S [504] in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green
& White livery, and in closed-top form, at Newport
Bus Station during 1986. |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX856S [504] in Cream & Emerald Green livery,
a reversed version of the standard deregulation livery,
in the bus-park at Ryde Bus Station in September 1988. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
| An offside-rear view of UFX856S [504]
in Cream & Emerald Green livery, a reversed version
of the standard deregulation livery, in the bus-park at
Ryde Bus Station in August 1988. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX856S [504] in the Colorbus advertisement
livery for "Isle of Wight County Council Centenary
1890-1990" at Ryde Esplanade on 6 September 1993. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX856S [504] in all-over White livery entering
Shanklin Bus Station during July 1999. |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX856S - as Village Bus [4] - in the 1933 style
of Apple Green & Cream livery ascends from Shanklin
Esplanade on 6 July 2000. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
An offside-rear
view of UFX856S [504] - reregistered to WDL655 - in the
1933 style of Apple Green & Cream livery with Blue
roof at Ryde Bus Station on 13 February 2001.
Surprisingly it was re-roofed and pressed into service
for the winter of 2000/2001 mainly operating school
services. |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX856S [504] - reregistered to WDL655 - in the
1933 style of Apple Green & Cream livery ascendinging
from Shanklin Esplanade, in Hope Road, Shanklin, on 28
August 2001. |
 |
| A nearside-front view of UFX856S [504]
- reregistered to WDL655 in the Orange & Yellow
"Open Top Tours" livery with branding for
"The Sandown Bay Tour" entering North Road,
Shanklin, on 21 October 2003. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX857S new to Hants & Dorset as their [3376].
On route to the Derby at Epsom on 7 June 1978, probably
the only time that it was used open-top by Hants &
Dorset. |
 |
An offside
front view of UFX857S [707] in dual-purpose NBC Leaf
Green & White livery departing Shanklin Bus Station
on 26 July 1983. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX857S [505] in the "Six of the Best"
Yellow & Blue livery entering Shanklin High Street on
21 September 1988. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX857S [505] in "The Big Dipper" Lime
Green & Purple (harlequin style) livery at Sandown
Zoo on 6 September 1993. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
| A nearside-front view of UFX857S [505]
in Mushroom & Dark Green livery in closed-top form at
Newport Bus Station sometime between 1995 and 1998. [photo copyright of Paul Budden] |
 |
| An offside-front view of UFX857S
with Bath Bus Company at Parade Gardens, Bath, on 6 April
2002. [photo copyright of Andy Mitchell] |
 |
| An offside-front view of UFX857S in
a revised Bath City Sightseeing livery with Bath Bus
Company at Pierrepont Street, Bath, on 17 April 2003. [photo copyright of Peter J. Relf] Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
| A nearside-front view of UFX857S
with Solent Blue Line [901] in Southern Vectis Orange
& Yellow open-top livery at Ryde Depot during the
Southern Vectis 75th Anniversary Event at Ryde Depot on
10 October 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of UFX858S [506]
in the dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green & White livery,
and in closed-top form, at the bus park of Ryde Bus
Station during June 1986. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| An offside-front view of UFX858S
with Westbrook Travel, in Victoria Road, Sandown, on 26
August 2000. [photo copyright of Gavin Rowney] |
 |
| An offside-front view of UFX858S
with Westbrook Travel in Southern Vectis 1933 Apple Green
& Cream livery at Ryde Bus Station on 12 June 2002. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-rear view of UFX858S with
Westbrook Travel in Southern Vectis 1933 Apple Green
& Cream livery at Ryde Bus Station on 12 June 2002. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of UFX858S
with Seaview Services in White livery at Ryde Depot
during the Southern Vectis 75th Anniversary Event at Ryde
Depot on 10 October 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
| A nearside-rear view of UFX858S with
Seaview Services in White livery at Ryde Depot during the
Southern Vectis 75th Anniversary Event at Ryde Depot on
10 October 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX859S [709] in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green
& White livery entering Sandown Broadway on 29 July
1982. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX859S as Bristol [8607] at Beach Road, Weston-Super-Mare
on 20 July 1983. In this view it still carries the
Southern Vectis livery, note the different shade of Green
on the panels where the former fleetname has been painted
out. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX859S as Badgerline [8607] - date &
location unknown. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
A nearside-front
view of UFX860S as Bristol [8608] leaving Weston-Super-Mare
Bus Station on 20 July 1983. In this view it still
carries the Southern Vectis livery, note the different
shade of Green on the panels where the former fleetname
has been painted out. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
 |
An offside-front
view of UFX860S as Badgerline [8608] - date &
location unknown. Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
 |
| A nearside-front view of UFX860S as
Badgerline [8608] in Bristol sometime during the 1980's. [photo copyright of Steve White] |
 |
| An offside-front view of UFX860S
with Badgerline/Guide Friday as their [8608] in Terrace
Walk, Bath, during May 1999. [photo copyright of John L. Hammond] |
 |
| A nearside-front view of UFX860S
with Badgerline/Guide Friday as their [8608] in a revised
livery for 2001 at Terrace Walk, Bath, on 27 August 2001. [photo copyright of Andy Mitchell] |
| Click here & here for views of one of the UFXxxxS batch at ECW during 1977 prior to delivery to H&D |
| Click here for a view of UFX860S in Barbie 2 livery on 20 September 2003 |
| Information on all surviving Bristol VR's is available from The Bristol VR Enthusiasts' Society |
| To report any updates, errors or omissions in this section please Click Here |
| Back to Home Page |