The Flickr Essbee Image Generatr

Essbee's Neoplan Skyliner HIL 6578 is seen here at Craignure Pier on the Isle of Mull. It was originally A341 UFE with Amberline of Speke.

Essbee operated a handful of coaches on Mull from the mid to late 90s on school transport, SPT subsidised services linking Craignure, with Tobermory and Fionnphort and tours. The operation was closed in 1999 with the depot and coaches sold to local operator, Bowman of Craignure.

Essbee's Volvo B11R/Sunsundegui SC7 NIB 6535 (BJ13 TXR) is seen here in Airdrie on a Private Hire.

It was new to Omega Travel of Milton Keynes in June 2013 as BJ13 TXR and joined the Essbee fleet in February 2019.

Essbee Mercedes-Benz 811D / Autobus Classique M568 TJL, Leyland Nationals MIL 6676 and National OOX 801R.

M568 TJL was new for the Kintyre fleet in January 1995 whilst MIL 6676 was new to West Midlands in September 1974 as TOE 490N, number 4490. OOX 801R was also new to West Midlands, a April 1977 bus with number 6801.

All are now scrapped.

Essbee of Coatbridge Mercedes-Benz 609D / Made to Measure H194 CVU was one of many 24 seat van conversions operated in the 80s and 90s.

H194 CVU was purchased new in November 1990 and was a Made to Measure conversion on a 609D chassis.

Essbee operated a fair number of these Mercedes-Benz minibuses in the late 80s and 1990s with them popping up everywhere it seemed.

OIB 8610 was a 410D with a 16 seat Essbee conversion.

Essbee's Leyland Swift LBM6T/1RSO / Elme F801 HEC was new n May 1989 to Chambers of Tirril.

It arrived in March 1994 from McNairn of Coatbridge and only lasted a couple years before being sold onto Hacking, Carnforth.

The Leyland Swift was never a happy motor from memory.

Essbee's Leyland National 11351A/1R LUP 900T was new to United Automobile Services number 3100 in July 1979.

It was acquired by Essbee in August 1998 and was withdrawn a couple of years later in 2000. Like the rest of the Nationals acquired, it was used on school contracts although this was the only one with a DAF engine.

Essbee's Leyland Leopard PSU3G/4RT/Eastern Coach Works B51 EBD 181X was originally United Counties number 181 dating from July 1982.

It was used on school and works contracts by Essbee in the mid 1990's

Another Leyland National 1151/1R/2501 operated by Essbee on schools was HHA 122L, a March 1973 example new to Midland Red.

It was scrapped by March 2007.

Essbee bought two of these Neoplan Skyliner N122/3 double deck coaches for their Isle of Mull fleet in the mid 1990's.

HIL 6579 was originally A342 UFE with Amberline of Liverpool. It also operated with Beaton's of Blantyre and was sold by Essbee in 2000 to Tracks Travel of Brookland.

Essbee's Mercedes Benz 507D F296 GNB was a 16 seat van conversion by Made to Measure.

It was a rather under powered mini bus from memory (even for a Merc).

Essbee Leyland National 11351A/1R TTC 536T was one of the first handful of Nationals that arrived in 1995 for school contracts.

It was new in January 1979 as Bristol 3068 and operated for MTL Manchester prior to joining the Essbee fleet.

Essbee's Leyland Leopard PSU3F/4R Duple Dominant IV Express RNG 825W was originally Eastern Counties LL825 in April 1981.

Essbee bought it in 1995 for works and school contracts from OK Motor Services of Bishop Auckland. The window board showing Avex East Kilbride, which was an electronics factory, was one such contract which Essbee served for many years on works contracts services throughout Lanarkshire.

Leyland Leopard/ PSU3E/4R/Duple Dominant II BDL 139T was originally registered BWE 206T with National Travel (East) in June 1979.

Essbee purchased it in 1994 for their Kintyre fleet at Campbeltown and it left for the Ashall of Manchester fleet in the summer of 1997.

It ended up in the Republic of Ireland as 79-TN-551.

Essbee's Ford Transit G476 SGG was bought from McNairn of Coatbridge in 1994 along with a handful of other vehicles.

The purchases signalled the first full size vehicles in the fleet when only 12 to 37 seats were operated prior to this time.

Essbee OIG 5186 and NIB 6535

Essbee of Coatbridge UGE 389W was a Leyland National NL116AL11/1R B52F new to McGill of Barrhed in March 1981.

It joined the Essbee fleet in the late 1990's and was scrapped a couple of years later.

J269 HUS was Essbee's Leyland Swift ST2R44C97T5 with Reeve Burgess Harrier bodywork purchased new in December 1991.

It was exported to the Republic of Ireland in the early 2000's as 92-CE-3894.

Essbee Mercedes-Benz 307D OIB 5713 was a 12 seat Essbee conversion.

The fleet in the 1990s were made up of these small van conversions and there wasnt a place you'd go without seeing one of these.

A least a couple of West Yorkshire's Plaxton 3500 Tigers were painted and lettered for Otley-based tour operator Ray Denison, who arranged European holiday trips mainly for school groups. I don't know if this was a short-term arrangement while he got established, or if it had gone on for a while, but the following year, 1985, saw him start to operate his own fleet of coaches, initially using Bova Futuras, and the 'Futura International' fleet name. Half a dozen Bovas arrived, plus two Volvo B10Ms, but the firm folded just 4 years later.

This Tiger lasted a lot longer ! After it had served its time here, and a few years with Yorkshire Traction (as FHE 428), it had long spells with Essbee Coaches at Coatbridge and Skelton Coaches near Saltburn. The latter finally bought it back from Glover's at Ashbourne in 2008, used it for a while again, and parked it up pending restoration. It is still pending ....

Coliseum coach station, Blackpool, 8/9/84