|
| The
Southern Vectis Unofficial Bus Enthusiasts' Website Bristol LHS/ECW (1980-1981) |
| Technical & History Briefing | ||||||
| Chassis: Bristol LHS6L | Body: ECW Series 2 | |||||
| Registration Mark |
Fleet No. |
Type | Chassis Number |
Body Number |
Date New |
Date Withdrawn |
| Other Owners | ||||||
| FDV793V | [200] | B35F | LHS-356 | 23615 | 01/1980 | 10/1988 |
| 01/1980: Western National [1563] 01/1983: Devon General [1563] 05/1986: Southern Vectis [200] 10/1988: Musterphantom Ltd t/a Solent Blue Line, Southampton [200] - withdrawn 08/1990 09/1990: Wacton Trading, Bromyard (dealer) 10/1990: Riggers, Birmingham by 08/1991: Irwell Valley, Eccles date unknown: Mancunian, Bradford 1993: Coombs, Weston-Super-Mare - withdrawn by 07/2001 10/2005: R. Sinclair, Bournemouth (for preservation) |
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| LFJ849W | [201] | B35F | LHS-358 | 24713 | 01/1981 | 10/1988 |
| 01/1981: Western National [95] 01/1983: Devon General [95] 05/1986: Southern Vectis [201] 10/1988: Musterphantom Ltd t/a Solent Blue Line, Southampton [201] 09/1990: Wacton Trading, Bromyard (dealer) probably during 1990: Golden Coaches, Llantwit Fardre by 2001: MacEwan, Amisfield |
||||||
| KDL202W Preserved |
[202] | DP31F | LHS-368 | 24715 | 10/1980 | 08/2001 |
| 10/2001: Bartrum, Cox & Legg, Shanklin (preserved) | ||||||
| KDL203W Preserved |
[203] | DP31F | LHS-369 | 24716 | 10/1980 | 08/2001 |
| by 09/04/2002: Hamps Valley
Coaches, Leek, Staffs. by 10/2005: Mike Nash t/a British Bus Sales, Cobham (dealer) 11/2005: enthusiast, Isle of Wight (for preservation) |
||||||
| KDL204W | [204] | DP31F | LHS-373 | 24717 | 11/1980 | 11/1989 |
| 11/1989: Musterphantom Ltd
t/a Solent Blue Line, Southampton [204] - withdrawn 08/1990 09/1990: Blandford Bus, Blandford Forum 1994: Wilts & Dorset probably 1994: Shaftesbury & District 1997: Cudlipp Coaches - later Linco Travel, Sturminster Newton - withdrawn 10/2001 |
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| Detailed History |
| Three
Bristol LHS6L's with ECW bodywork, Leyland six-cylinder
diesel engines and five-speed synchromesh transmission
were bought new by Southern Vectis in 1980 and entered
service in January 1981 in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green
& White livery. These buses were supplied new with
coach style seating but were otherwise very similar to
the previous batch supplied in 1975. KDL202W / KDL203W
& KDL204W were originally intended to be numbered [DP2]
/ [DP3] & [DP4] but were numbered [202] / [203] &
[204] respectively instead. Interestingly KDL202W [202]
was not fitted with foglamps whereas KDL203W [203] &
KDL204W [204] were. In May 1986 a further two Bristol LHS6L's were acquired second-hand from Devon General:
They
were repainted into Cream & Emerald Green livery in: During 1986/1987 LFJ849W [201] was almost confined to the shuttle service between Yarmouth and Freshwater, that was necessary due to the renewal of the River Yar bridge at Yarmouth, hence the special paint scheme applied. Between 27 September 1987 and 26 March 1988 FDV793V [200] & KDL204W [204] went on loan to Badger Vectis of Poole operating as their number's [80] & [81]. In September 1988 FDV793V [200] went on loan to Musterphantom Ltd. t/a Solent Blue Line of Southampton operating as their number [200]. In October 1988 FDV793V [200] & LFJ849W [201] were withdrawn from service. In November 1989 KDL204W [204] was withdrawn from service. Between 26 March 1990 and 7 April 1990 KDL203W [203] went on loan to Seaview Services. Between 26 June 1990 and 2 July 1990 KDL202W [202] went on loan to Musterphantom Ltd. t/a Solent Blue Line of Southampton. In April 1996 KDL202W [202] & KDL203W [203] were repainted into the Mushroom & Dark Green livery. [per Gavin Rowney] In August 2001 KDL202W [202] & KDL203W [203] were withdrawn from service. [per Gavin Rowney] Subsequent History FDV793V [200]:
LFJ849W [201]:
KDL202W [202]:
KDL203W [203]:
KDL204W [204]:
|
| Photo Selection |
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A nearside-front
view of FDV793V with Western National as their [1563] in
NBC Leaf Green & White livery sometime in the early
1980's in Dorset on route to Bradpole. |
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A nearside-front
view of FDV793V [200] at Newport Bus Station on 29 August
1986 which entered service with Southern Vectis still in
NBC Poppy Red & White livery (ex. Devon General) with
Southern Vectis fleetnames applied. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
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An offside-front
view of FDV793V with Solent Blue Line as their [200] and
still in Southern Vectis Cream & Emerald Green livery
in Romsey Road, Eastleigh, during December 1988. |
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| An offside-front view of FDV793V
with Irwell Valley of Eccles still in Solent Blue Line
livery at Piccadilly Bus Station, Manchester, in August
1991. [photo copyright of Ian Roberts] |
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A nearside-front
view of FDV793V with Coombs at their yard at Weston-Super-Mare
on 27 October 2000. |
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An offside-front
view of LFJ849W [201] in Cream & Emerald Green livery
with "West-Yar Link" branding at Newport Bus
Station on 22 September 1987. Note the reversed livery
and variation of fleetname stlye - and the unique murals
painted onto the sides of the bus. Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details |
![]() |
| An offside-rear view of LFJ849W [201]
in Cream & Emerald Green livery with "West-Yar
Link" branding at Newport Depot (Nelson Road) during
the Southern Vectis Open Day on 17 April 1988. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
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| A nearside-front view of KDL202W [202]
in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green & White livery at
Newport Bus Station on 28 July 1982. [photo copyright of BusSpotter!] Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
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| A nearside-front view of KDL202W [202]
still in NBC Leaf Green & White livery but with the
NBC fleetname symbols replaced with the deregulation ones
at Newport Bus Station during the summer of 1988. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
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| A nearside-front view of KDL202W [202]
in Cream & Emerald Green livery in the bus park at
Ryde Bus Station on 12 June 1995. [photo copyright of Ian Roberts] |
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| A nearside-front view of KDL202W [202]
in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Newport Bus
Station on 25 September 1998. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
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| An offside-rear view of KDL202W [202]
in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Ryde Bus Station
on 13 February 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
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| An offside-front view of KDL202W [202]
now preserved by a consortium of local bus enthusiasts
and resplendent in the original dual-purpose NBC Leaf
Green & White livery in Freshwater during March 2002. [photo copyright of Paul Budden] |
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| A nearside-front view of KDL202W [202]
in NBC dual-purpose Leaf Green & White livery at Ryde
Depot during the Southern Vectis 75th Anniversary Event
on 10 October 2004. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
![]() |
| An offside-front view of KDL203W [203]
in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green & White livery in
Newport High Street on 27 July 1983. [photo copyright of BusSpotter!] Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs |
![]() |
| A nearside-rear view of KDL203W [203]
in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green & White livery at
Newport Bus Station on 13 May 1986. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
![]() |
| A nearside-front view of KDL203W [203]
in the company of KDL202W [202] in Cream & Emerald
Green livery parked at Ryde Depot on 15 May 1993. [photo copyright of Ken Lansdowne] |
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| An offside-front view of KDL203W [203]
in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Ryde Bus Station
on 5 July 2000. [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 KDL203W [203]
in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at the Isle of Wight Bus Museum Running
Day, Newport Harbour, on 15 October 2000. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
![]() |
| An offside-front view of KDL204W [204]
in dual-purpose NBC Leaf Green & White livery at
Yarmouth during May 1986. [photo copyright of Kenneth Smith] |
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| An offside-front view of KDL204W [204]
in Cream & Emerald Green livery at Alum Bay during
the summer of 1989. [photo copyright of Chris Stewart] |
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| An offside-rear view of KDL204W [204]
in Cream & Emerald Green livery at Yarmouth in 1987
or 1988. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
![]() |
| An offside-front view of KDL204W
with Blandford Bus Company at Castle Way, Southampton,
during April 1991. [photo copyright of Malcolm Audsley] |
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| A nearside-front view of KDL204W
with Linco Travel at the Isle of Wight Bus Museum Running
Day, Newport Harbour, on 14 October 2001. [photo copyright of Mike Ginger] |
| Information on all surviving Bristol LH's is available from The Bristol VR Enthusiasts' Society |
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