Buses in Loughborough and Leicester (February 1999)

Kinchbus

Delivered shortly after Kinch took over Midland Fox's Loughborough operations were four Dennis Darts with Plaxton Pointer bodywork, L401-4 CJF. Here 402 is seen laying over in Loughborough Bus Station between duties, in the company of a Titan and two ex-Nottingham Atlanteans. (DR)

An interesting comparison of step-entrance and low-floor Darts in the Kinch fleet - on the left is Dart SLF P407 BNR whilst on the right, L404 CJF loads for Sileby, Barrow and Leicester. Note that on the lowfloor version of the Plaxton Pointer body, the driver's window is the same height as the passenger windows, whilst the moulding below it is omitted. (DR)

Four former Nottingham "Standard" Atlanteans joined the Kinch fleet in 1996; here, BAU 675T and BRC 678T rest in Loughborough bus station. (DR)

Another example is BRC 677T, which like 675 and 678 carries Northern Counties bodywork. Compare the photo of the same vehicle in Nottingham service here. (DR)

Leyland National 526 from the Trent fleet has received Kinchbus names, but has yet to be repainted in the first of the above two views. It is seen at Loughborough Bus Station. In the second photo, 530, seen at Leicester St. Margarets Bus Station, wears Kinchbus livery. (both DR)

New to East Kent in 1973, Access Bus EFN 178L has a wheelchair lift and wheelchair space plus ordinary seats for 25. It is seen at Leicester St. Margarets Bus Station early in 1999, still looking very smart in Kinch livery despite its 25 years of age. (DR)

Leyland Titan CUL 119V is one of two examples purchased from Nottingham City Transport, who bought them secondhand for evaluation but decided not to purchase more. It is seen in Loughborough Bus Station on the 2 Leicester via Barrow service. At one time Kinch built up a sizeable fleet of Titans, but 119 was among the last in service when photographed. (CM)

Kinch bought several secondhand Leyland National 2s from various sources; PNW 600W (seen here in Loughborough) was originally a West Yorkshire example, whilst others came from Scotland. Most were replaced by Mark 1 examples from the Trent fleet. (CM)

Arriva Fox County

Arriva Fox County is the new name for Midland Fox, which was formed back in 1981 when Midland Red was split five ways. At the time, Midland Fox's bold red and yellow livery was revolutionary, as it was one of the first to break away from the NBC corporate identity.

DAF/Optare Spectra 4001 (L94 HRF) is one of a pair new to Stevensons of Uttoxeter in 1993. It is seen laying over in Leicester St. Margarets Bus Station between duties on the X61 to Northampton, which is shared with Stagecoach United Counties over this section. (DR)

One of a batch of Northern Counties Palatine I bodied Volvo Olympians delivered for the Leicester-Loughborough-Shepshed service in 1998, 4645 (S645 KJU) is seen entering St. Margarets. (DR)

Midland Fox built up a sizeable Metrobus fleet; 2490 (CKS 390X) came from Scotland via North Western. It is seen in Loughborough High Street on the 127 service to Leicester. (CM)

Midland Fox's minibuses were marketed as Fox Cubs, one of the more original and appealing minibus identities to appear amidst a flood of Hoppas, Skippas and Jumpas (well, maybe not quite) around 1985. The Fox Cub name survived the demise of the original Ford Transits and can be seen here on Alexander-bodied Mercedes M322 (L322 AUT). It is one of a batch of 20 delivered at the beginning of 1994, followed by 6 Leicester-bodied examples later in the same year. (DR)

One of two Plaxton-bodied Volvos purchased for National Express work in 1996, 212 (N212 TBC) is seen pausing at Leicester on its journey from London to Derby. (DR)

Leyland Tiger/Plaxton Paramount 0002 (FAZ 2784) was new to London Country. It is seen on its regular haunt, the 99 service from Coalville to Nottingham via Loughborough, laying over at Nottingham Broadmarsh Bus Station. (DR)

ECW-bodied Leyland Olympian 4527 (B187 BLG), seen in Broadmarsh Bus Station, was one of three acquired from Crosville Wales in 1990, joining ten examples acquired from the same source the previous year, and fourteen purchased new. (CM)

Stagecoach United Counties

Appearances by Leyland Nationals on the four hour X61 service from Nottingham to Oxford are thankfully rare. It is not known if former Ribble example LFR 864X worked right through to Oxford on this occasion; often when a bus has to be substituted on this service, passengers are transferred onto a coach at Northampton. (CM)

Representing the more usual fayre on the X61, Plaxton Interurban bodied Volvo B10M 157 (L157 JNH) is caught escaping from Leicester without your editor after he was tempted by the photograph of EFN 178L reproduced earlier on this page. Hopefully you will agree that the photo was worth the £1.55 fare I had to pay (Arriva Fox County, unlike Stagecoach United Counties, do not accept Oxford Bus staff passes!) (DR)

When you've finished on this site, you may wish to take the internet equivalent of the X61 - a direct link from Nottingham, Loughborough and Leicester to Oxford - and visit the Oxford Bus Page!

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