Worthing Bus Gathering and Running Day

Stagecoach as usual supported the event with VR 15763. New to the Bristol Omnibus Co it was part of the Cheltenham & District fleet when Stagecoach took over. It is one of four still in use at Basingstoke - the last VRs in use with Stagecoach - and the only one to have been given the latest Group Standard livery - and very smart it looks too!

To commemorate the demise of the King Alfred company in Winchester, 30 years ago, Stagecoach have painted this Dennis Dart in King Alfred livery, complete with the King Alfred insignia. The livery sits pretty well on the simple lines of the Alexander Dash bodywork.

Older low floor Dennis Tridents from the Stagecoach London fleet have already begun to be cascaded to provincial subsidiaries. Several have gone to Cambridge for the Park & Ride services there and the former TA238, now numbered 17038 in the national fleet numbering, was at Worthing displaying the unusual green livery.

Brighton & Hove again sent along the Bristol KSW but the latest additions to the fleet - the new Scania/East Lancs Omnidekkers - were represented by one of the two convertible vehicles, 617 and 618. 617 is seen here loading up for yet another well loaded trip. The buses are normally to be found on the 77 between Saltdean Lido and Devils Dyke.

Other local south-east operators represnted were Aldershot & District and Maidstone & District. XHO370, and AEC Reliance with Park Royal body represents the former while Harrington bodied Reliance 390DKK the latter. M&D had a batch of these Harrington Crusader coaches rebuilt with bus style fronts for use on long distance services.

From the South West came Albion Nimbus XTA839 which was new to Devon General. It has been restored complete with the Albion badge on the front.

Two Royal Blue liveried Bristol LS coaches attended. OTT98 rests against the familiar background of Worthing seafront. This smartly presented vehicle is in the care of the Dorset Transport Circle.

A late and unusual entry to the rally was this Setra coach from Derwent Coaches of Aylesbury. NIJ1060 seats 48 and was new in 1996.

Our friends from the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Coalville brought along their superb AEC Regent II with Eastern Coachworks body. Lowestoft Corporation were able, because of a part ownership by the British Transport Commission, to purchase the products of ECW - based in Lowestoft. The bus was No.21 in the fleet and was caught here in the Stagecoach garage in Worthing the day after the rally awaiting its crew to take it back to East Anglia,

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