Volvo B10 coach S797 KRM
Former Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancs Volvo B10M/Jonckheere Modulo coach 52627, S797 KRM, (formerly 797) was donated to the Trust in January 2020.
It had been maintained in good order, essentially just needing replacement wheels and tyres as Stagecoach tyres are all on contract.
New in October 1998, 797 was one of 4 coaches bought for the X4/X5 hourly services from Workington to Penrith via Cockermouth and Keswick. They were eventually superseded by 4 new Volvo B7R Plaxtons fitted wheelchair lifts, which were not the best suited to these routes, before these too were replaced in 2016 by 2 E300 single decker and 4 E400 double deckers, in the ‘Stagecoach Gold’ buses, but since 2020, the route has been operated by various buses in the fleet
Of the four B10s, two were sold on to Swift Coaches of Barrhead and one was destroyed by fire.
797 ended its days doing school runs and local services. It was often to be seen on the 302 Whitehaven – Lillyhall – Workington service until being forced to retire at the end of 2019 due to PSVAR regulations.
S797 KRM on a Sellafield to Whitehaven rail replacement service in 2023
Some tidying up has been carried out in the cab area as well as the replacement of some electrical equipment, which had been previously removed. Before being repainted at Border Bus in Carlisle in to our, somewhat signature plain white livery, 797 would be used on Rail Replacement work for a time. Other than that, the coach is fit to go.
June 2nd 2024, would see 797 debute at NWVRT running day back in it’s Cumbrian Connexion livery, after being giving new vinyls, 2 days before the event, bringing 797 full circle in to the livery it carried for a number of years before gaining Stagecoach corporate colours, aswell as carrying the Trans Cumbrian livery, carried by its predecessors.
S797 KRM back in Cumbrian Connexion livery, seen here at Keswick on the way back from NWVRT running day in Kirby