The Southern Vectis Unofficial Bus Enthusiasts' Website
Ford Transit/Carlyle (1985)
 
Technical & History Briefing
Chassis: Ford Transit Body: Carlyle
Registration
Mark		 Fleet
No.		 Type Chassis
Number		 Body
Number		 Date
New		 Date
Withdrawn
Other Owners
C253SDL [253] C16F
previously
B16F		 BDVYET76098 CBS55 08/1985 12/1988
12/1988: transfer to Wadham Self-Drive fleet [32]
by 04/2001: Grahams Coaches, Severn Beach
by 01/2002: unknown owner, Nailsea
C255SDL
Scrapped		 [255] B16F BDVYET76009 CBS56 08/1985 ??/1993
date unknown: Royal York Hotel, Ryde
date unknown: Swift & Como Tours, Ryde
10/2003: Jordans, Newport, IW (dealer) & scrapped
C606CTP
previously
WXI6291
C262SDL		 [262] C16F
previously
B16F		 BDVYET76095 CBS57 08/1985 07/1989
07/1989: Solent Blue Line [262]
11/1989: Southern Vectis [262] - sold in 1996
date unknown: Priory Coaches, Gosport
date unknown: Rawlings, Midsomer Norton
C263SDL [263] B16F BDVYET76089 CBS58 08/1985 ??/1996
date unknown: unknown owner, Isle of Wight - noted For Sale in Ryde 09/1998
C264SDL
Scrapped		 [264] B16F BDVYET76093 CBS59 09/1985 ??/1996
during 1996: to service fleet as engineering runabout - sold or scrapped 1998
C265SDL
Scrapped		 [265] B16F BDVYET76100 CBS60 09/1985 ??/1996
during 1996: transfer to service fleet - converted to a van as a publicity vehicle
during 1998: unknown owner - converted to a horse transporter
during 2002: noted disused, scrapped during 01/2005
C266SDL [266] B16F BDVYET76007 CBS61 09/1985 ??/1996
date unknown: no further trace
C267SDL [267] B16F BDVYET76090 CBS80 09/1985 ??/1997
date unknown: Truronian, Truro
C268SDL
Scrapped		 [268] B14F
previously
B15F
B16F		 BDVYET76092 CBS81 09/1985 ??/1994
during 1994: to service fleet as engineering runabout - sold or scrapped 1998
 
Detailed History
A further nine Ford Transit minibuses with Carlyle bodywork and diesel engines were purchased new by Southern Vectis during the second half of 1985.

C253SDL / C255SDL / C262SDL & C263SDL were new in August 1985 with C264SDL / C265SDL / C266SDL / C267SDL & C268SDL being new in September 1985 and entered service as [253] / [255] / [262] / [263] / [264] / [265] / [266] / [267] & [268] respectively in the "Medinalinx" livery of Orange, Beige and Diamond White with a black skirt.

In January 1986 C268SDL [268] was reseated to B15F.

Two were withdrawn from service in:
December 1988: C253SDL [253]
July 1989: C262SDL [262]

In August 1989 C255SDL [255] & C266SDL [266] were repainted into Wanderer Blue livery.

Around August 1990 C268SDL [268] was reseated back to B16F.

In October 1990 C268SDL [268] was repainted into Hydrobus Red livery.

In December 1990 C265SDL [265] & C267SDL [267] were repainted into Wanderer Blue livery.

In March 1991 C264SDL [264] was repainted into Sunburst Red, Monarch Red & Diamond White "Hydrobus" livery.

In April 1991 C263SDL [263] was repainted into Sunburst Red, Monarch Red & Diamond White ("Hydrobus" style) livery but with "Medinalinx" lettering.

In January 1992 C268SDL [268] was further reseated to B14F.

The remaining seven were withdrawn from service in:
1993: C255SDL [255]
1996: C263SDL [263] & C266SDL [266]
1997: C265SDL [265] & C267SDL [267]
1998: C264SDL [264] & C268SDL [268]

Subsequent History

C253SDL [253]:

  • In December 1988 it was reseated to C16F with the seats from A980XOK and was repainted into Cream & Emerald Green livery being transferred to the Wadhams Self-Drive fleet as number [32].
  • It subsequently passed to Grahams Coaches of Severn Beach whom had it for sale by April 2001.
  • By January 2002 it had been noted with an (unknown) owner parked in the front garden of a house in Nailsea in a White & Yellow livery. [per Gavin Rowney]

C255SDL [255]:

  • It subsequently passed to the Royal York Hotel of Ryde.
    It subsequently passed to Swift & Como Tours of Ryde. It was noted parked & disused at Ryde St. Johns Road railway station yard by May 2002 until September 2003.
  • In October 2003 it was sold to Jordans of Newport (dealer) for scrap.

C262SDL [262]:

  • In July 1989 it was transferred to Solent Blue Line operating as their number [262].
  • In November 1989 it was transferred back to Southern Vectis.
    In 1994 it was converted to coach specification as C16F and repainted into the coach livery of Silver Grey with Blue lettering. At the same time it was reregistered to WXI6291.
    In November 1995 it was reregistered again to C606CTP.
  • In 1996 it was sold.
  • It subsequently passed to Priory Coaches of Gosport.
  • It subsequently passed to Rawlings of Midsomer Norton.

C263SDL [263]:

  • It subsequently passed to a private owner on the Isle of Wight. It was noted For Sale in Monkton Street, Ryde, on 5 September 1998.

C264SDL [264]:

  • During 1996 it was transferred to the service fleet as an engineering runabout. In 1998 it was scrapped.

C265SDL [265]:

  • In 1996 it was transferred to the service fleet as a publicity vehicle and partially converted to a van: a full-width shutter was fitted to the rear and most of the seats were removed. [per Gavin Rowney]
  • In 1998 it was sold to a member of staff whom converted it into a horsebox. [per Gavin Rowney]
    During 2002 it was noted disused. [per Gavin Rowney]
    During January 2005 it was scrapped.     [per Gavin Rowney]

C266SDL [266]:

  • No further history known.

C267SDL [267]:

  • It subsequently passed to Truronian of Truro.

C268SDL [268]:

  • During 1994 it was transferred to the service fleet as an engineering runabout. In 1998 it was scrapped.
 
Photo Selection

An offside-front view of C253SDL [253] in "Medinalinx" Orange & Stripes livery at Ryde Pier Head during June 1986.
[photo copyright of Malcolm Audsley]
 

An offside-front view of C253SDL [253] in Emerald & Cream livery at Newport Bus Station on 12 June 1995.
[photo copyright of Ian Roberts]
 
C253SDL subsequently passed to Grahams Coaches of Severn Beach. An offside-front view at their yard on 18 April 2001.
[photo copyright of John L. Hammond]
 
C253SDL subsequently passed to Grahams Coaches of Severn Beach. A nearside-rear view at their yard on 18 April 2001.
[photo copyright of John L. Hammond]
 

C255SDL subsequently passed to Swift & Como Tours of Ryde. An offside-front view in a plain White livery in Oakfield High Street, Ryde, on 11 June 1999.
[photo copyright of Gavin Rowney]
 
An offside-front view of C263SDL [263] in the Red ("Hydrobus" style) livery, with "Medinalinx" branding, at Newport Bus Station during 1995 or 1996.
[photo copyright of Paul Budden]
 
An offside-front view of C265SDL [265] in Orange "Medinalinx" livery leaving Newport Bus Station during September 1988.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 
C265SDL subsequently passed to a private owner whom converted it to a HorseBox. Still in the Blue "Wanderer" livery in which it was withdrawn an offside-front view at Brickfields around 1999 or 2000.
[photo copyright of Gavin Rowney]
 
A nearside-front view of C267SDL [267] in Blue "Wanderer" livery at Newport Bus Station on 12 June 1995.
[photo copyright of Ian Roberts]
 
A nearside-front view of C268SDL [268] in Orange "Medinalinx" livery at Newport Bus Station during May 1986.
[photo copyright of Kenneth Smith]
 
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