FirstBus Leeds City Link bought a large fleet of Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Darts for Huddersfield and Leeds. The latter N plated examples new in April 1996 were new to Leeds.
Like the rest of the fleet, 3292 was painted into the Leeds City Link white/yellow/orange/red livery and its believed this bus was one of the first to be bought new in this livery.
Only a year later, 3292 was modelled by EFE displaying route 63 to Horsforth as the drawing depicts. The model resides in my existing model bus collection still to this day since purchase in 1997 from a shop called Toybox down at White Rose Centre but the shop didn't last that long. This model is rather special to me as its the first one I ever got and so far is the only model bus to wear this livery aswell. There is definitely market for this livery on model buses as Corgi could have modelled their own Plaxton Pointer in this livery with their MCW Metrobus Mk2, EFE with their Mk1 Leyland National, Plaxton Beaver, Roe bodied Leyland Olympian, and the Wright Pathfinder, Northcord with their Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian and Britbus with their Park Royal bodied Leyland Atlantean. It is worth noting that another one of these N-JUM Plaxton Pointers was also modelled later on in the late 2000s and it was 3277 in Barbie 2 livery. Speaking of models, its worth noting that popular toy company Matchbox had real life buses wear a livery strikingly similar to the Leeds City Link livery. The choice of buses meanwhile were much older halfcabs as none of such in Leeds made it long enough to be seen in these colours.
Speaking of the Barbie 2 livery, 3292 was repainted into that livery in the early 2000s and was also renumbered as 40657 around that time aswell.
But later on the bus was also repainted into the Barbie 3 livery whilst sporting a new front LED destination display for the remaining few years of its life before eventual withdrawl of this type in 2009 when all step entry single deckers were retired by July that year.
The Plaxton Pointer was a very popular type especially for Badgerline (later First) companies. Other companies expressed big interest in this type which was available in two different lengths and slight configurations. Production of this type of Plaxton Pointer ended in 1998 despite the low floors being made available earlier on.
The Plaxton Pointer body was also available on the Volvo B6 but popularity was low as the Volvo B6 saw more success with Plaxton's rivalling Alexander Dash body.
The Pointer body was also made into low-floor configuration which proved just as popular, this was dubbed the Plaxton Pointer SLF which later gave way to the Plaxton Pointer 2 SLF which had a revised front and rear end. Production came to an end in 2006 when Alexander Dennis replaced the Pointer with the Enviro200 Dart up until the mid-2010s.
There are a few survivors of this type in preservation and as stated earlier the type has been modelled by Corgi and EFE all in this standard full length configuration, only differences between the two is that Corgi produce the even doors, but EFE produce the uneven one as demonstrated here.
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**Sorry I haven't uploaded anything in a while, just to let you all know I am still here, I just took a small break away from bus drawing, that is all! Also I am having problems with other projects at the moment as a request has errors so awkward editing will have to be done.**
New in June 1990, 1290 was part of a large batch of Leyland Lynxes for West Midlands Travel.
The fleet were originally new in the white/blue with red fine lining livery before eventually being repainted into the later grey/blue/red livery. The bus was repainted shortly after being badly damaged as its said the bus was infact stolen leaving the bus with a huge massive dent at the side which seemed to nearly cause the bus to be written off, but as it turns out, she survived.
In the late 90s, 1290 was repainted into this later style of the WMT livery but instead of grey it was white as this was the first livery since the company changed name to Travel West Midlands. Shortly after 1290 was modelled by Corgi in 1999 as the model resides in my own model bus collection. It is understood the bus would have been based at Birmingham around this time.
But later, the bus was refurbished and was repanelled with rounded wheel arches instead of the characteristic angled ones. Leyland Lynxes elsewhere have had similar modifications like with First Manchester, Cardiff Bus and Arriva Yorkshire, but in Manchester, those Lynxes had a Northern Counties Palatine 1 front dash panel. This is believed to keep operational costs down,
1290's final livery was the 2000s 'low floor' livery despite the fact the Leyland Lynx is a step entry type so the Lynxes had a few years left on them.
Sadly though its time in service came to an end in December 2007 after spending the whole of that year at Walsall depot since January as the bus was then sadly scrapped after being withdrawn.
'About changes to my drawings...' - You might notice the drawings page has been deleted, in place is my bus page MetroRider 30 (link provided below) and a page relating to my random artwork, animations and music. You will find all my bus drawings like this one on MetroRider 30 but I will be posting more often on that page than I do on Flickr due to limited space here.
The other change is the copyright, to avoid confusion each bus drawing will no longer 'This vehicle has been drawn to scale' as some were under the impression that I used exact measurements and so I scaled the bus down to a certain scale size. I never use any exact measurements to scale any vehicle drawing down. I do however draw to the same scale size with every vehicle drawing I do but are to a rough estimate in order to re-use spare parts so they can interchange, a good example is the Leyland National series, by drawing that type opens the gates to draw trains as of course there's the Class 141 Rail Bus. Now you know!
For news, bus drawings and more, by all means follow me on Facebook right here > www.facebook.com/MetroRider30
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1314 was new to WYPTE in 1980 where it was allocated to Huddersfield in the light green and cream livery.
When under Yorkshire Rider ownership, the bus was allocated at Leeds mainly on the 87 service judging by the photos that are of this bus. So later on the bus was transferred to York where it received the York City Rider branding and later on was she repainted in the newer style Yorkshire Rider livery.
Later 1314 was transferred to Travel De Courcey but its unknown when the transfer took place but it is understood that this bus is now scrapped as no word has been said about this bus for quite sometime.
1314 was modelled by EFE in December 1997 as it was depicted on route 8A to Heslington with York City Rider fleetnames. So far it is the only single decker Yorkshire Rider bus to ever be modelled by any manufacturer, such a shame no single decker Yorkshire Rider bus models exist with the YR fleetname, there is oppertunity with some manufacturers having the right castings like EFE with their large Leyland National range and Corgi with their Optare Delta, just guess who'd jump at the chance at buying one, I'm sure I won't be the only one...! However this is also the only York City Rider bus to ever be modelled aswell, so pretty much a very unique model. So for those modellers out there, take note...
This is my first short Leyland National Mk2 drawing, hope you like it! :-)
Just to let you know, unauthorised use of my photos and drawings is strictly prohibited. All my work is done using MS Paint, I don't copy and paste images off Google and use on my work unless stated otherwise.
There's more to come...!
For news, bus drawings and more, by all means follow me on Facebook right here > www.facebook.com/MetroRider30
I also have a DeviantArt page right here www.deviantart.com/mspainted-by-michael if you are part of that group.
I am to post bus drawings more often on Twitter, and the link to my Twitter account can be found right here where I also post about the odd random thing aswell > twitter.com/MetroRider30
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New in August 1973 is DMS1502 to Aldenham in London part of the large batch of Daimler DMS built for London.
The Daimler DMS' in London struggled with punctuality with their boarding system thus made the services these buses worked on unreliable.
This resulted in the DMS' being transferred outside London, some making it as far as China with DMS1502 eventually making to Western National.
DMS1502 was renumbered 804 for its stay and was painted into the green/white Cornwall Busways livery and was the only DMS for Western National. The bus had the rear end open by removing the panels between the engine bustle and upper deck, the bus also had its 2nd doors removed too for standard outside London operations. The bus was latterly painted into the cream/blue/red livery making it the only one of its type to wear such livery.
804 was later withdrawn for the 2nd time in its life after being withdrawn in London most likely down to ongoing time keeping issues there. But this time it was in 1986 when the bus was 13 years old at that point. However a year later 804 was reinstated only to be withdrawn again and sold to J. Sykes, Calton for scrap.
In September 1999, 804 was released in model form by EFE but the model had some serious accuracy issues, the first being the doors which blend in with the livery, they should be blue, the next being the rear end, the casting used was incorrect as the rear end was the flush rear ended one however the first open rear ended DMS was released in May 2002. A special version of this model exists with 'Exclusive First Editions Showbus 1999' adverts between the upper deck and lower deck, the model was understood to be released at the 1999 Showbus Rally event in Duxford initially but was later released to retailers later on, this particular model resides in my model bus collection.
**Unauthorised use with my work such as uploading without permission is prohibited. All work is for viewing pleasure and should not be for sale for any reason, I no longer give out any blank vehicle drawings to anyone, please don't ask!**
All drawings I do have been done using just MS Paint since the beginning as I very rarely use bits of work from other sources.
For news, bus drawings and more, by all means follow me on Facebook right here > www.facebook.com/MetroRider30
I also have a DeviantArt page right here www.deviantart.com/mspainted-by-michael if you are part of that group.
I am to post bus drawings more often on Twitter throughout 2021, and the link to my Twitter account can be found right here where I also post about the odd random thing aswell > twitter.com/MetroRider30
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Another Floline but this time its another favourite of mine but not local, reason is explained below.
Along with First Leeds, a fair few other First fleets taken on more Wright Axcess Flolines, just like First Eastern National who took on board a batch for their Centurion 65 service.
654 was one of that batch wearing this plain and simple branding which was seen on many First buses during this time which I quite liked as in Leeds some of our Flolines had this branding for the route 5 but it didn't last, but this type of branding was seen on our Wright Fusions for route 1 as that lasted right up until the near end to their lives.
Later 654 was renumbered as 65654 and was rebranded for the Blue Line 64 when under the First Essex name however 65654 was debranded and it started to look tired.
In 2001, 65654 (or back then 654) was modelled by EFE in this guise and was my first ever model based on a Wrightbus. When I was 11 when this was released, I had my heart set on one of these because of course Leeds had Flolines aswell in First's Barbie livery and I really loved the Flolines like I do to this day and sure enough on my 11th, this was one of my birthday presents. Sadly though she will be repainted in Olympia livery and will replicate First's 60066 or 60067, the last two Flolines we have.
Just to let you know, unauthorised use of my photos and drawings is strictly prohibited. All my work is done using MS Paint, I don't copy and paste images off Google and use on my work unless stated otherwise.
For news, bus drawings and more, by all means follow me on Facebook right here > www.facebook.com/MetroRider30
I also have a DeviantArt page right here www.deviantart.com/mspainted-by-michael if you are part of that group.
I am to post bus drawings more often on Twitter, and the link to my Twitter account can be found right here where I also post about the odd random thing aswell > twitter.com/MetroRider30
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