In recent years, we have gone from owning one Volvo B10, to owning four.
K779 DAO – Volvo B10 with Alexander body
The Volvo B10 single decker with Alexander PS body was the mainstay of the Stagecoach in Cumbria fleet for many years from around 1992, with up to 90 in service. At one time they were to be seen on X5, 30, 46, 47, 50, 51, 300 and many other routes in West Cumbria. Their role has now been taken over by low floor easy access Alexander bodied MAN buses.
Many of these went on to see further service with independent operators. K777/9 DAO went on to The Big Lemon Bus Company in Brighton.
After withdrawal in October 2013 an assessment was carried out for work needed to gain a new MoT. Initially this was suggested as being in the region of £3,000 which was much more than the value of the bus. But a heritage bus specialist in Sussex sorted the bus and got it through its test for the princely sum of £400 – including the cost of the MoT test!
The bus is privately owned but is available for use on Trust work. It passed its MoT in November 2013, and was driven the 396 miles from Brighton to Workington at a steady 50-55mph, returning an impressive 12.7mpg. This compares with 7 – 8mpg from our Nationals.
In 2016 it had its damaged body skirt panels repaired and some mechanical renovation. At the end of the year it was undergoing a repaint into a new green and yellow livery.
K710 DAO
Another Alexander PS body B10, new to Stagecoach Cumberland in 1992, seeing use along side 779, around 2012, it was converted to a School Runner, along side buses 20711 and 20712, the three receiving the 3-2 seat with 3 seats on the nearside and 2 seats on the off side. The three B10s would see use on school runs around the Lake District, but would at times they would make a run or two on the 78 Seatoller route from Keswick. By 2022, K710 DAO became the last B10M in public use in Cumbria and possible the UK, running around in its School Runner red livery. In April 2022, Stagecoach repainted 710 back in to Stagecoach Stripes and it made its solo appearance at LN51, Following the show, it was parked up at the Carlisle depot, but a mechanical fault almost saw the bus disposed off. So we made a offer and in December 2022 we became the proud owners of a almost ready to run bus. We have since had the mechanical faults.
R983 XVM
New to Stagecoach Manchester in 1997/98, it saw use around Manchester for many years. until 2015 when it was one of the final B10s in service, as well as taking part in the farewell day. Once withdrawn it was converted in to a driver trainer bus and began its final years of service floating between depots in Manchester, Morecambe, finally ending up in Carlisle finally being withdrawn in 2020, We made a offer with plans of using it as a spares bus, taking parts off to keep 779 running, however, the bus was such good performer we decided to keep it and run it. In spring 2023, using 710 as a template, we repainted 983 back in Stagecoach Manchester colours,
R910 XVM – Exhibition Bus
Another bus that was new to Manchester in 1997/98 it ended its day in Workington in early 2010s before being acquired by the local council who stripped the bus out and converted to a mobile gym, this didn’t long and the bus was parked up, we then acquired 910 in 2019 and began to do convert the bus and in 2021 it made its debut at LN51. For more info on this bus, check out our page on this bus