Nottingham City Coaches page planned in near future!

Nottingham specified a special style bodywork during the 1960’s to 1980’s and thus a large number of vehicles with different chassis looked the same. This unusual design was built by Northern Counties, East Lancs, Willowbrook and MCW during its 24-year life. Here we see Northern Counties bodied Atlantean 435 in Old Market Square, operating peak-hour only service 83 from Bulwell to Colwick. (DR)

Two examples of Nottingham’s unusual bodywork seen in Bulwell bus station - nearest the camera is Atlantean 430 (RNU 430X) with Northern Counties bodywork, whilst alongside is East Lancs bodied Volvo B10M 318 (E318 BVO). The photo demonstrates how little the bodywork differs on two vehicles by different builders, of different ages and on very different chassis. Apart from the higher floorline and grille on the Volvo, which are features dictated by the chassis, the main noticeable difference is the deeper upper deck windscreen on the Volvo. (DR)

Ten Atlanteans with Roe bodywork were purchased in 1981, and unusually were built to the standard Roe design instead of the Nottingham standard. NCT specified 80 seats and the HELP pneumatic bumpers first introduced on experimental Atlantean 666. 73 (originally 473) is seen leaving Nottingham for East Leake on the former South Notts service 1. (CM)

NCT's first Scania was acquired in 1981, being an East Lancs-bodied demonstrator built the previous year. A few years later a second ex-demonstrator was acquired, and between 1989 and 1994 thirty-three examples of the chassis make were taken into stock, some of them secondhand. The majority were fitted with Alexander R-type bodywork like 375, seen here in the Old Market Square. (DR)

The 5 Scania N113 double-deckers added to the fleet in 1994 were fitted with East Lancs bodywork. They were initially used on the Forest Park & Ride until supplanted by Dennis Arrows. As 1997 was the centenary of Public Transport in Nottingham, two of these Scanias were repainted into traditional liveries. Here, 351 (L351 MRR) is seen painted in 1950’s NCT style green. (DR)

From 1986-1988 Nottingham purchased 13 examples of the rare Leyland Lion and in 1998 added secondhand examples from Chester, thus giving NCT over half of all Lions ever made. 383 is one of the five coach-seated indigenous examples, and is seen in the dark green and gold livery originally carried by these five Lions. Bodywork is by East Lancs to Nottingham standard design. (CM)

Four Dennis Arrows were purchased in 1996 for use primarily on the Forest Park and Ride service 303, including the two prototypes. 404 (N404 ARA) is seen passing the Victoria Centre on its way into the City. (DR)

Northern Counties bodied prototype Dennis Arrow N401 ARA was delivered to Nottingham City Transport as N396 WVO but reregistered before entering service. It is pictured in its special livery of cream with green Robin Hood graphic and stylised forest leaves whilst operating on its regular service, the Forest Park and Ride 303. (CM)

1997 saw the delivery of 15 Volvo Olympians and 10 Volvo B10M double deckers, all with East Lancs Pyoneer bodywork. B10M number 342 is seen in the Old Market Square. (DR)

468 is one of the Olympians; the lower deck side window line is slightly lower than on the underfloor-engined vehicles, whilst another distinguishing factor is the front grille. (DR)

For years Nottingham had a very small single deck fleet, but the 1980s and 1990s saw an ever increasing variety of single deck types appearing on the City's streets. A fleet of Leyland Lynx followed on from National 2's, and 732 (E732 BVO) is seen here, still in the old livery in June 1998. Note the modified grille. (DR)

Nottingham has bought numerous demonstrators and evaluation vehicles and 763 (M763 SVO) is no exception. It was bought in 1996 for evaluation of the Scania L113 chassis with Northern Counties bodywork. (DR)

Scania also supplied six examples of the Wright-bodied L113 low floor single-decker, which was given the somewhat cumbersome name Axcess Ultralow. One of these was former demonstrator M113 SLS; it operated for a while in its smart blue demonstration livery, but later received Nottingham colours. Unlike the other five vehicles it was fitted with a dot matrix destination display. (DR)

615 (N615 YRA) is one of twelve Volvo B10Bs with Alexander Strider bodywork acquired between 1994 and 1996, including three former demonstrators. Eight examples with Plaxton Verde bodywork were also purchased, and two of these were also ex-demonstrators. (CM)

The first Plaxton Verde body in the NCT fleet was this early example on Scania N113 chassis. 761 (K761 JTV) was built as a two-door bus, but the centre exit has been panelled over by NCT. It was initially used as a Plaxton demonstrator, but the registration indicates that the bus was destined to join the NCT fleet from the outset, as was the case with Scanias 400 and 381 and Volvo 335. (CM)

Yet another chassis/body combination joined the already varied Nottingham single deck fleet in 1996. 642 (P642 ENN) is one of three Scania L113 with East Lancs Flyte bodywork delivered in that year, and was photographed in Upper Parliament Street whilst operating the Phoenix Park park and ride service. (CM)

Smaller single deckers first arrived in the fleet in 1994 in the form of ten Volvo B6 with Alexander Dash bodywork. 501 (L501 OAL) is seen here in Clifton. Three more arrived at the beginning of 1995, with a modified grille design, but one of these was rebodied by East Lancs in 1997 following accident damage. (CM)

East Lancs also built the bodywork on one-off Dennis Dart SLF 514 (P514 CVO), delivered in 1996. (CM)

NCT bought five Optare Excels in 1996/7 to replace midibuses on over-crowded routes. Here, 544 (P544 GAU) is seen in Clifton on a 48. (CM)

Renault midibus 138 (E138 ATV) is seen wearing an advertisement livery for Victoria Market. Reeve Burgess bodywork of the pre-Beaver style is carried. (DR)

A sizeable fleet of Mercedes Benz midibuses was built up from 1988, and a large proportion of these received Reeve Burgess/Plaxton bodywork. One of the first examples 151 (F151 GVO) is seen at the St. Anns terminus of the 41 route on a wintry day. Behind is an example from the J-registered batch originally allocated to South Notts; these vehicles were lengthened by NCT to fit an extra row of seats in. (CM)

Other body makes fitted to NCT's Mercedes include Dormobile, seen here on 186 (K186 HTV) in Old Market Square. The L-registered example behind is also Dormobile bodied, but has different side windows. (DR)

Thirty three Optare MetroRiders joined the NCT fleet between 1994 and 1997. 228 (R228 SCH) of the 1997 batch is seen on City services. NCT acquired Pathfinder, a midibus operator from Newark, in 1997 and some of this last batch of MetroRiders were for use on Pathfinder routes. From 1998 orders switched to the low floor Solo. (DR)