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Shuttle Buses 112 YD63VFB
Optare Solo SR M720SE
Irvine, Kilwinning Road
38 Kilwinning.
© Copyright MonklandsBus. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
Seen operating service 317 between Hamilton (Bus Station) and Lanark (Bus Station).
Chassis: Optare M7900SE - SABJCB2A2FS291236
Body: Optare Solo SR - 291236
Seating: B27F
New to Gillens Coaches Ltd in December 2015, then to First Glasgow Ltd (53556) in January 2020 until moving to Stuart’s Coaches Ltd in July 2022.
ARG Travel YJ66AOD
Optare Solo SR M7900SE
Coatbridge, Bus Stance
245 Coatbridge.
© Copyright MonklandsBus. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
First Glasgow Optare Solo 53710 (YJ09OUS) is seen here on Killermont Street, Glasgow working the 128 to Stobhill Hospital.
First Glasgow Optare Solo SR 53758 (YJ17CPV) is seen here on Killermont Street, Glasgow working the 128 to Stobhill Hospital.
Craig’s of Cumbernauld Optare Solo YJ09OUS is seen here on Atlas Road, Springburn working the 72 to Kirkintilloch during the early days of this operator running the route.
As per the last Strathtay pictures, this shoot was for the Model Bus Scotland theme weekend - mini & midibuses. Moving southwest from Strathtay turf to Strathclyde. From the MCW Metrorider of the late 80’s, back when Strathclyde Buses existed, to the more recent Mini Pointer Dart and Optare Solo in SPT liveries. SPT, at the time of the Metrorider, stood for Strathclyde Passenger Transport. From 2006 it was reorganised and renamed Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Strathclyde Buses came into existence in 1986, the same year as the Metrorider and de-regulation. The operator was taken over in an employee buy-out, with Stagecoach buying a 21.7% stake a year later, he said which they were forced to sell by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission. Finally in 1996 Strathclyde Buses was sold to FirstBus for £110 million. With 2000 workers and 1300 vehicles the takeover made First Group the largest operator in the UK.
As per the last Strathtay pictures, this shoot was for the Model Bus Scotland theme weekend - mini & midibuses. Moving southwest from Strathtay turf to Strathclyde. From the MCW Metrorider of the late 80’s, back when Strathclyde Buses existed, to the more recent Mini Pointer Dart and Optare Solo in SPT liveries. SPT, at the time of the Metrorider, stood for Strathclyde Passenger Transport. From 2006 it was reorganised and renamed Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Strathclyde Buses came into existence in 1986, the same year as the Metrorider and de-regulation. The operator was taken over in an employee buy-out, with Stagecoach buying a 21.7% stake a year later, he said which they were forced to sell by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission. Finally in 1996 Strathclyde Buses was sold to FirstBus for £110 million. With 2000 workers and 1300 vehicles the takeover made First Group the largest operator in the UK.
As per the last Strathtay pictures, this shoot was for the Model Bus Scotland theme weekend - mini & midibuses. Moving southwest from Strathtay turf to Strathclyde. From the MCW Metrorider of the late 80’s, back when Strathclyde Buses existed, to the more recent Mini Pointer Dart and Optare Solo in SPT liveries. SPT, at the time of the Metrorider, stood for Strathclyde Passenger Transport. From 2006 it was reorganised and renamed Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Strathclyde Buses came into existence in 1986, the same year as the Metrorider and de-regulation. The operator was taken over in an employee buy-out, with Stagecoach buying a 21.7% stake a year later, he said which they were forced to sell by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission. Finally in 1996 Strathclyde Buses was sold to FirstBus for £110 million. With 2000 workers and 1300 vehicles the takeover made First Group the largest operator in the UK.
As per the last Strathtay pictures, this shoot was for the Model Bus Scotland theme weekend - mini & midibuses. Moving southwest from Strathtay turf to Strathclyde. From the MCW Metrorider of the late 80’s, back when Strathclyde Buses existed, to the more recent Mini Pointer Dart and Optare Solo in SPT liveries. SPT, at the time of the Metrorider, stood for Strathclyde Passenger Transport. From 2006 it was reorganised and renamed Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Strathclyde Buses came into existence in 1986, the same year as the Metrorider and de-regulation. The operator was taken over in an employee buy-out, with Stagecoach buying a 21.7% stake a year later, he said which they were forced to sell by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission. Finally in 1996 Strathclyde Buses was sold to FirstBus for £110 million. With 2000 workers and 1300 vehicles the takeover made First Group the largest operator in the UK.
© Copyright MonklandsBus. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
Seen operating SPT MyBus service M11.
Chassis type/no: Optare Solo SR M720SE SABCN3AB0DS290793
Body type/no: Optare Solo SR - 290793
Seating: B23F
New to Glasgow Citybus Ltd (41301) in December 2013, passing to McColl’s Travel Ltd in April 2019.
Seen in Lenzie is Optare Solo M780SE YJ15AOD.
© Copyright MonklandsBus. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark, or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
Seen in Lenzie is Optare Solo M780SE YD63VFB.
© Copyright MonklandsBus. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark, or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
Seen operating SPT MyBus service M96.
Chassis type/no: Optare M780SE - SABJCB2A6FS291109
Body type/no: Optare Solo SR - 291109
Seating: B17F
Owned by SPT, this entered service with McGill’s Bus Services Ltd (7811) in May 2015, before going on lease to JMB Travel Ltd in 2021.
Creative Master Northcord (CMNL) 1:76 scale (OO Gauge) representations of two First Glasgow, Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400 MMC double decker buses; SK68 LWN, fleetnumber 33201HB in route 75 branding. SK19 EOD, fleetnumber 33393 in route 77 branding.
First in Glasgow route 75 bisects the city from North to South. Beginning in Milton and on to Possilpark, City Centre, Hampden Park and terminating in Castlemilk.
Route 77 begins at Buchanan Bus Station onwards via City Centre, Charing Cross, Partick, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH, Southern General or South Glasgow University Hospitals), Braehead Shopping Centre, Renfrew Cross and terminating at Glasgow Airport.
The models are depicted on a First Bus Depot diorama alongside a variety of Code 1 (out the box, as produced) and Code 3 (alterations made by owner, varying from full strip and repaint to adding waterslide transfers).
© Copyright MonklandsBus. It would be an offence for you to remove the copyright mark, or post the image elsewhere without my written permission.
Wide overview of Belshotmuir Bus Depot and Street. Picture includes Post Office Ford Transit entering depot grounds, with four McGills buses at rest within. These include - Dennis Dart SLF, Volvo Wright Renown, Mercedes Benz Citaro & Wright Eclipse Urban. In the foreground, an orange Optare Solo minibus with First Glasgow fleet markings, and wearing the SPT (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) MyBus livery, sets down at a bus stop. The red roof of an Avondale Dart SLF is seen passing in the opposite lane.
In reality -
A couple of months ago I completed a Code 3 repaint of a CMNL Mercedes Citaro into the livery of McGills, a familiar operator to those in the Glasgow and West of Scotland. I held a small photoshoot alongside the rest of my admittedly small fleet of McGills Buses which includes a Dart SLF, Wright Renown & Corgi OM46016A - a Wright Eclipse Urban. Annoyingly I then completely forgot to post the pictures until now.
Pictured here at the former Belshotmuir Depot is my current fleet of McGills, with a First Glasgow Optare Solo seen passing by. The Solo is in the livery of, and on service to SPT MyBus.
All models are in 1:76 scale (OO Gauge). Code 3 means a standard production model (Code 1) which has been altered, in this case having been dismantled, stripped and repainted with water slide transfers applied.
