Bristol Lodekka FLF/ECW (1964): BDL576-583B [600-607]

Technical & History Briefing
Chassis: Bristol Lodekka FLF6G				Body: ECW Series 2
Registration Mark	Fleet No.	Type	Chassis Number	Body Number	Date New	Date Withdrawn
Registration Mark	Other Owners
BDL576B	[600]	H38/32F	224042	14602	09/1964	05/1981
BDL576B	10/1982: APT, Lincoln (dealer) 04/1983: Omnibus Promotions, London (dealer) 04/1983: British Promotions [1], Norfolk, Virginia, USA
BDL577B Scrapped	[601]	H38/32F	224043	14603	09/1964	05/1981
BDL577B Scrapped	07/1982: K. Terry, Ventnor 12/1984: Island Motor Salvage, Newport, IW (dealer)
BDL578B	[602]	H38/32F	224044	14604	09/1964	05/1981
BDL578B	10/1982: APT, Lincoln (dealer) 04/1983: Omnibus Promotions, London (dealer) 04/1983: British Promotions [2], Norfolk, Virginia, USA
BDL579B	[603]	H38/32F	224045	14605	10/1964	09/1981
BDL579B	10/1982: APT, Lincoln (dealer) 04/1983: Omnibus Promotions, London (dealer) 04/1983: British Promotions [3], Norfolk, Virginia, USA
EMR290D SMQ99P previously BDL580B	[604]	H38/32F	224054	14606	10/1964	09/1982
EMR290D SMQ99P previously BDL580B	08/1983: Omnibus Promotions, London (dealer) 02/1984: British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA date unknown: Red Top, Arlington, Virginia, USA by 03/1991: Kampgrounds of America, Kissimmee, Florida, USA - reregistered EMR290D by 03/1991 by 02/2005: Mike's Dockside Bar & Grill, Port Hudson Marina, Florida, USA
BDL581B Scrapped	[605]	H38/32F	224055	14607	10/1964	09/1982
BDL581B Scrapped	08/1983: Omnibus Promotions, London (dealer) 05/1984: British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA ??/????: Red Top Coaches, Arlington, Virginia, USA ??/????: Chicago Motor Coach, Chicago, Illinois, USA by 02/1992: Gateway Tours [2], New York, USA
BDL582B	[606]	H38/32F	224056	14608	10/1964	09/1982
BDL582B	08/1983: Omnibus Promotions, London (dealer) 04/1984: British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA ??/????: Red Top Coaches, Arlington, Virginia, USA by 06/1988: Windjammer Cruises, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
BDL583B Preserved	[607]	H38/32F	224057	14609	10/1964	09/1983
BDL583B Preserved	07/1984: North, Sherburn in Elmet (dealer) by 04/1986: South Scotland Training Centre, Loanhead by 04/1988: Moray Firth GTA, Inverness by October 1993: D. Priddle, Farnham

Detailed History

Eight Bristol Lodekka FLF6G's, with ECW bodywork, were bought new by Southern Vectis during 1964, which entered service in Tilling Green & Cream livery. They were the company's first thirty-feet long double-decker buses which also featured power-operated platform doors.

They were repainted into National Bus Company Leaf Green & White livery in:
October 1972: BDL577B [601]
November 1972: BDL576B [600] & BDL577B [602]
February 1973: BDL580B [604]
August 1973: BDL581B [605]
September 1973: BDL583B [607]
September 1975: BDL579B [603]
September 1976: BDL582B [606]

In June 1977 BDL581B [605] & BDL583B [607] went on loan to Southdown for Fleet Review Park & Ride duties at Portsmouth.

They were withdrawn from service in:
May 1981: BDL576B [600] / BDL577B [601] & BDL578B [602]
September 1981: BDL579B [603]
September 1982: BDL580B [604] / BDL581B [605] & BDL582B [606]
September 1983: BDL583B [607]

Subsequent History

BDL576B [600]:

In October 1982 it was sold to APT of Lincoln (dealer).
In April 1983 it was sold to Omnibus Promotions of London (dealer).
Also in April 1983 it was exported to British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA - in a Blue livery it was numbered [1] and operated a service at Virginia Beach.
By 1989 two of BDL576B / BDL578B / BDL579B had passed to an unknown owner in New York.
In August 2004 one of BDL576B / BDL578B / BDL579B was in Troy, Michigan, USA, and advertised for sale on e-Bay.

BDL577B [601]:

In July 1982 it was sold to K. Terry of Ventnor with the intention of it being used as a mobile display for his Vectorama Cinema business but this was never completed.
In December 1984 it was sold to Island Motor Salvage of Newport and was scrapped.
The front radiator cowl serviced as a fitting inside Zanies Disco at Sandown (until the nightclub closed in 1993).

BDL578B [602]:

In October 1982 it was sold to APT of Lincoln (dealer).
In April 1983 it was sold to Omnibus Promotions of London (dealer).
Also in April 1983 it was exported to British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA - in a Blue livery it was numbered [2] and operated a service at Virginia Beach.
By 1989 two of BDL576B / BDL578B / BDL579B had passed to an unknown owner in New York.
In August 2004 one of BDL576B / BDL578B / BDL579B was in Troy, Michigan, USA, and advertised for sale on e-Bay.

BDL579B [603]:

In October 1982 it was sold to APT of Lincoln (dealer).
In April 1983 it was sold to Omnibus Promotions of London (dealer).
Also in April 1983 it was exported to British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA - in a Blue livery it was numbered [3] and operated a service at Virginia Beach.
By 1989 two of BDL576B / BDL578B / BDL579B had passed to an unknown owner in New York.
In August 2004 one of BDL576B / BDL578B / BDL579B was in Troy, Michigan, USA, and advertised for sale on e-Bay.

BDL580B [604]:

In August 1983 it was sold to Omnibus Promotions of London (dealer).
In February 1984 it was exported to British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
At an unknown date it passed to Red Top of Arlington, Virginia, USA.
By March 1991 it had passed to Kampgrounds of America (KOA), Kissimmee, Florida, USA, having been re-registered to EMR290D at the front and carrying the registration number SMQ99P at the rear (by March 1991).
By December 1999 it had been fitted with a replacement Perkins engine, capable of 68mph (Gardner was capable of 50mph).
By May 2000 it was used as a Static Advertisement only.
In October 2002 it was noted tipped on its side abandoned in wasteland, coinciding with the Kampground closing down.
By March 2005 it had passed to Mike's Dockside Bar & Grill of Port Hudson Marina, Florida, USA, and was repainted Dark Green. Click here for photo

BDL581B [605]:

In August 1983 it was sold to Omnibus Promotions of London (dealer).
In May 1984 it was exported to British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
It later passed to Red Top Coaches of Arlington, Virginia, USA.
It later passed to Chicago Motor Coach of Chicago, Illinois, USA and was reregistered to 12151J and later to 11175J.
By February 1992 it had passed to Gateway Tours of New York, operating as their number [2]. However, by October 2000 it had been noted withdrawn and partially dismantled being used as a store shed. It was last noted there on 11 September 2001 but had disappeared by 1 September 2002. [per Alex Hall]

BDL582B [606]:

In August 1983 it was sold to Omnibus Promotions of London (dealer).
In April 1984 it was exported to British Promotions, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
It later passed to Red Top Coaches of Arlington, Virginia, USA.
By June 1988 it had passed to Windjammer Cruises of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

BDL583B [607]:

In December 1983 it was sold to North of Sherburn in Elmet (dealer) - it was not collected until July 1984.
By April 1986 it had been sold to South Scotland Training Centre of Loanhead (in use as a Driver Trainer).
By April 1988 it had passed to Moray Firth GTA of Inverness.
During 1993 and by October it was sold to D. Priddle of Farnham for preservation.

Photo Selection

An offside-front view of BDL577B after withdrawal at Sandown Airport on 30 June 1983. Only the fleetnames had been removed from the bus and the conversion to a mobile display was never completed.
[photo copyright of Peter J. Relf]

Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details

A nearside-front view of BDL579B [603] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Newport Bus Station on 15 May 1976.
[photo copyright of Peter J. Relf]

Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details

A nearside-front view of BDL580B [604] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Newport Bus Station on 26 August 1980.
[photo copyright of Peter J. Relf]

Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details

A nearside-front view of BDL580B [604] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Ryde Esplanade on 28 July 1982.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs

In use as a static advertisement with Kampgrounds of America of Kissimmee, a nearside-front view of BDL580B (but carrying the registration number EMR290D at the front) during April 2000.
[photo copyright of Paul Harrison]

A shot of the body plate (April 2000) which identifies EMR290D as really being BDL580B. On Lodekkas (front & rear entrance types) the Bristol/ECW plate is on the side of the stairs, facing the gangway, at about head height.
[photo copyright of Paul Harrison]

An offside-front view of BDL581B (as Gateway Tours number [2]) in Madison Avenue, New York, on 20 March 2000. The destination blind reads "London Bridge".
[photo copyright of Alex Hall]

By October 2000 BDL581B had been noted engine-less and out-of-service, an offside-rear view of it being used as a store shed (still with Gateway Tours).
[photo copyright of Alex Hall]

Again in October 2000, the apparently discarded front cowl of BDL581B at the yard of Gateway Tours.
[photo copyright of Alex Hall]

An offside-front view of BDL583B [607] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Ryde Depot on 28 July 1982.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs

Information on all surviving Bristol Lodekka's is available from The Bristol VR Enthusiasts' Society

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