The Lincolnshire Woldsman

The first club tour of 2006 left Kent for the darkest depths of Lincolnshire in the usual good weather the tour regulars have almost come to expect.

First stop was Whippet Coaches of Fenstanton where various ex-London Titans and an ex-Reading Olympian rubbed shoulders with an ex-Kingston-upon-Hull open top Metrobus, a Bedford SB/Yeates long-term restoration project and assorted coaches.

	Some of the Leyland Titans in the fleet of Whippet of Fenstanton
	Whippet coach J689 LGA inside the garage
	Tour coach New Enterprise 2910 at Whippet's garage

Club Chairman Jerry Spillett joined the tour before we headed off to Lincoln Bus Station for our next halt. Here vehicles in Road Car livery and its Super Buzz and Connect variations were seen alongside those in the new Stagecoach corporate colours (some with Road Car windscreen vinyls) as well as sundry buses from PC Coaches, Kimes and Brylaine Travel. The Road Car depot in the town saw much of the same but also a preserved Bristol SC4LK in the old Lincolnshire livery and some Leyland National trainers. Next it was on to PC Coaches’ depot where a lone DAF and an Optare Solo broke up the Scania monopoly that included ex-Brighton and Grey Green double deckers as well as a remodelled Plaxton Bustler saloon.

	The road outside the bus station in Lincoln was where the majority of the party stood to take photos of the arriving and departing vehicles. Lincolnshire Road Car FX05 GXP
	One of the minority of Lincolnshire Road Car vehicles seen carrying Stagecoach corporate livery, FX06 AVF
	The old Lincolnshire Road Car livery was still very much in evidence, seen here on F106 XCW
	One of a handful of vehicles from other operators seen. PC Coaches Optare Solo PC06PCC.
	Inside the bus station was Kimes of Folkingham PAZ 3185

The tour moved on to Road Car’s depot in Gainsborough where a traditional-liveried Olympian, a Mercedes Optare Prisma and a former Trent Optare Delta were spotted. A brief stop in the bus station revealed a Call Connect minibus operated by Stagecoach.

	Lincolnshire Road Car's Lincoln depot was almost empty but did have RFE 482 preserved by the company present
	One of the small number of vehicles parked up at Lincoln depot
	One of PC Coaches front line coaches seen at their depot
	The double deck schoolbus fleet of PC Coaches
	In commemorative livery at Lincolnshire Road Car's Gainsborough depot
	A Stagecoach liveried Dart at Gainsborough depot

Retford was next port of call and members were treated to a short trip around town on former East Kent Dennis Lancet CFN 121, spotting not just Road Car buses on the way but also some in Sherwood Arrow and Dunn Line colours.

	Highlight of the tour for some of the party was a trip in this former East Kent coach, still licenced as a PSV

Then it was on to Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent with an immaculate fleet that included its newly delivered Optare Tempo bus. Also on site was a former Gash Daimler CVD6 with rare Roberts body, Marshalls’ first coach (a Bedford YLQ/Plaxton, ex Gash) and a preserved Lincolnshire Tiger TS7 as well as several classic cars.

Final stop of the day was in Newark where, in the bus station and depot, vehicles of Road Car (including many of its ex-West Midlands Metrobuses and some former Cardiff Scania/Plaxton Verde saloons) and some Travel Wright Mercedes minibuses were in evidence. After a thoroughly enjoyable day, all boarded the coach for the return to Kent.

	Marshalls new Optare Tempo YJ06 YSP
	One of Marshalls coaches PM05 JAM

	Travel Wright S577 FFE in Newark bus station
	Lincolnshire Road Car Newark garage