Ulsterbus Fleet News 2000
26/12/00 - Further Tiger fitted with Buspaks are 1210/51, 1323/8/30.
20/12/00 - Due May 2001 are 5 Volvo B12M with Caetano Enigma bodywork, making a change from the Plaxton coachwork favoured in recent times. The only other Caetano bodies in the fleet are on the 2 short B9Ms 511/2. Vehicles returned to service are RELLs 2305 (Coleraine), 2306 (Omagh) and 2311 (Craigavon), together with Darts 604 (Craigavon) and 614/5 (Lisburn). Against these RELLs 2313/5/20/62 have been sent to reserve, along accident victims Tiger 444 and yet another B10BLE 2837. On the move are Leopard 205 from Downpatrick to Enniskillen, Cityliner 1365 (Derry to Coleraine), B10M 1658 and RELL 2305 (both Coleraine to Derry) and RELL 2389 from Craigavon to Newry. Leopard 150 has lost it's ROI 150 number in favour of anonymous HCZ 1886.
12/11/00 - The 4 Ulsterbus vehicles carrying Nokia Phones rear end advertiements are Tiger/N-type 415/80 and B10M/Q-type 1537/8, whilst Tiger 1278 has one for Smirnoff Ice.
09/11/00 - B7R/Plaxton demonstrator 2022 was returned to Plaxton on 3rd November. Leopard 150 and Mercedes 709D/Wright 829 are now in Reserve, the latter replaced at Newry by 846 ex Newtownards, whilst B10BLE 2830 has been returned to Wrights for accident repairs. Tigers 1156 and 1186 have swapped depots, the former now being at Coleraine and the other at Laganside. Leopard 120 has been shortened to 10m length and reinstated for towing at Larne, whilst withdrawn sister 119 has been re-registered from ROI 119 to HCZ 1770. Tiger/Duple 536 has been sold to Glengormley Methodist Church.
06/11/00 - B10M/Q-type 1538 is the first of it's type to carry the rear end advertisement for Nokia Phones.
30/10/00 - Tiger/N-type 415 now has a rear end advertisement for Nokia Phones.
18/10/00 - The B7L/Wright demonstrator is due imminently as fleetnumber 2023.
15/10/00 - Tiger 1116 has reverted to fleet livery, ex Tango advert. Ex Citybus RELL 2576 has been withdrawn after sustaining accident damage.
12/10/00 - Good news for RELL fans is the return to service of ex Citybus 2313/20 at Craigavon and Enniskillen, along with Dart 622 at Antrim and Leopards 112/27 at Coleraine and Armagh. Transferred to Reserve are RELLs 2311/90/8/454, Mercedes 709D 879, Tiger/Duple 536, Leopards 145/95/201 and youthful but unloved Darts 604/10. Tiger 1374 and RELL 2576 are also detaxed with accident damage. Leopard 179 has moved from Armagh to Craigavon and Mercedes 709D 860 to Flexibus from Bangor. RELL 2300 has lost its TOI 2300 number in favour of GCZ 6199 - surely the only RELL ever with a CZ number!!
01/10/00 - A new seasonal service operated during the summer months has been 230 (Enniskillen - Dublin Airport). Another new service is Antrim - International Airport, timed to connect with trains to and from the North West at Antrim. This is operated by Metrorider 1818 which was recently displaced from the main Airport service 300.
18/09/00 - The B7R/Plaxton demonstrator is 2022 (W38 DOE) and now carries Goldliner fleetnames for use on express services.
17/09/00 - New is Renault Master / Nu-Track 12 seat 80 (ECZ 7080) at Magherafelt. Returned to service are Volvo 1628 after accident repair and Mercedes 709D/Wright 826 ex Reserve at Derry City. Against this service cuts see the following detaxed to Reserve: Mercedes Van 40, Mercedes/Whittaker 57, Tiger/Duple 534/5, DAF/Duple 681, RELLs 2242//85/91/4/2300/5/6/13/6/7//20/78/84/99, Leopards 109/12/6/27 and youthful Darts 614/5/22. Received from Citybus are RELLs 2564/5/70/81/3 at Bangor (2583) and Derry City (the rest). Mercedes / Wright 830/66 are now with Flexibus replacing acquired Mercedes 51, Optare Metrorider 1818 which is now at Antrim, and Mercedes/Wright 872 now at laganside. Other moves see 1118 go to Laganside in exchange for 1323 from Newtownabbey, 451 (NB - E) in exchange for B10M 1568, 1381 (NA - OX) in exchange for B10M 1567, Leopards 232/68/71 (OM - CL), Tiger / VanHool 591 (LB - DP) and RELLs 2569/71 (NA - LY) and 2591 (NB - CG). All other vehicles detaxed for the school holidays returned to service on 1st September.
14/09/00 - A Volvo B7R/Plaxton Prima demonstrator has arrived for a 2 month stay. Initially it will go to GVS for use on the 212 Goldline Express service to Derry. Another arrival is a battery bus based on a Dart/Wright chassis to work to Ballymena Council's ECOS Centre on the Broughshane Road. This weighs in at over 11 tonnes!! Also due soon is the first B7L / Wright rigid single decker, which is being finished in Translink livery.
09/09/00 - The latest RE to transfer from Citybus to Ulsterbus is 2583 (BXI 2583), still in red livery at Bangor. Also transferred is 2567 to Newry.
29/08/00 - The last Saturday in August usually produces some interesting workings due to heavy private hire commitments, and this year was no exception. Notable was the use of Leopard 222 (WOI 2222) on Goldline Express service 240 (Downpatrick - Newry) whilst one of the oldest vehicles in the fleet, 139 (ROI 139), was in use on Service 38 (Belfast - Newry).
10/08/00 - New Renault Master / Nu-Track 12 seaters for rural service are 82/3 (ECZ 7082/3) both at Enniskillen. B10M/Plaxton 1627 has been detaxed for repairs after malicious damage. Atlantean open topper 2904 has been withdrawn and replaced at Newcastle by 2911 from Bangor. Bizarrely 2904 has also lost its OXI 514 registration and now carries GCZ 1804! Mercedes 709D 897 has moved from Downpatrick to Bangor, displacing Dart SLF 641 back to Citybus, whilst tigers 1322/3 have swapped depots, the former now being at Newtownabbey and the latter at Laganside. Oberved recently at Beattie's scrapyard were Mercedes minis 29/818, Leopard 137 and RELLs 2238/73/87/97/366/82/459.
21/07/00 - Excellent news is the approval by the Translink Executive Group for the following orders:
4 x Tour coaches for Ulsterbus Tours - delivery of 2 in 2000 & 2 in 2001 20 x Volvo B7TL/Alexander low-floor double-deckers - delivery in Spring 2001; 35 x Scania L94UB/Wright Solar low-floor single deckers - delivery in Spring/Summer 2001. The last new double deck buses purchased were Atlantean/Alexander 2873-2912 (JOI2873) in 1975.
14/07/00 - New is Renault Master / Nu-Track 12-seat 81 (ECZ 7081) at Magherafelt. RELLs 2242/91 have returned to service at Bangor whilst 2254/6/64/92 are now in Reserve, along with Leopard 178, the first of the VOI batch to go. Over 200 vehicles of all types have been detaxed for the duration of the school holidays . B10M/Plaxton 1568 has moved from Newtownabbey to Enniskillen in exchange for Tiger 451, whilst Mercedes 709 / Wright 872 is now with Flexibus were it replaces 15.
04/07/00 - Atlantean 2904 was stolen from Newcastle depot on 01/07, causing mayhem around the town, according to local news reports.