Two members of the GM Buses Group fleet, Atlanteans 8551 and 8697 are now also part of the Lancastrian Transport
Trust collection in Blackpool along with other, older, Greater Manchester area vehicles (Ashton PD2 39, Bolton Daimler 150, Bury PD3 201, LUT Fleetline 97, Manchester PD2s 3228 and 3524).
Blackpool and Manchester were linked for many years by the famous X60 service on which many varied vehicles appeared. This feature focuses on the vehicular links between Manchester and Blackpool fleets.
This really dates back to 1945 when Manchester Corporation borrowed Blackpool Corporation Leyland Titan 185 (FV9027) with Burlingham body. The idea was to test its centre entrance layout and
it spent a month in the city. The next visitor was Greater Manchester PTE 7580 (KBU 911P) which was used as a demonstrator by Blackpool in August 1975 prior to its purchase of its first Atlanteans
in 1977. Blackpool eschewed the SELNEC Standard body type in favour of East Lancs products however the basic body style appeared with Fylde Borough in 1975. Although Fylde's Atlanteans were by no
means built to the Manchester specification – featuring curved windscreens, lower driving positions, traditional Atlantean cab layouts and a white-grey laminate interior trim – they shared an
external visual affinity. 18 were purchased new between 1975 and 1984 – all to the Metal Framed design. 1984 saw a further GMPTE bus on loan to Blackpool. Olympian 3036 advertised the Bus & Coach
Council and was used in service during September.
In 1987 Fylde expanded into minibus appearance and chose a vehicle familiar to the Manchester enthusiast – the Northern Counties bodied Dodge
S56. Early examples had the van style cowl but most featured the revised frontal style introduced in 1988. The minibus network expanded in 1988 and to meet the additional requirement extra
vehicles were leased from Northern Counties, but most surprisingly was the loan from April to November of a pair of "Little Gems". 1847 (D847LND) and 1950 (D950NDB) became Fylde 115 and 116. Also
retaining full Little Gem livery, Blue Buses and Baby Blues decals were fitted – including the illuminated front panel which was altered from "I'm a Little Gem" to the grammatically suspect "I'm
a BABY BLUES".
Fylde's expansion had also brought in several second hand Atlanteans from Hull. It was decided to replace some of these in 1989 and Fylde turned to GM Buses for replacements.
Given the standardisation on Northern Counties products it was a little surprising that Fylde did not take advantage of the wholesale disposal of buses after deregulation. July 1988 did see several GM
Buses double deckers on loan to Fylde to cover an extra vehicle requirement for park and ride services at the Open Golf tournament. Back in 1979 the same event had seen several Sale Dial-a-ride
Bedfords on hire.
Early February 1989 saw GM Buses 7664 (ONF664R) arrive at Fylde. Fylde modified its destination display unusually, by centring the three track number blind above a deeper
main destination blind. In this form it returned to GM Buses for a full repaint in the newly introduced two tone blue livery. In total nine vehicles were purchased – GMB 7659/60/4/6/7/9/73
(ONF659R etc) and 7756/7 (SRJ756/7R) becoming Fylde 161-169 respectively. Most arrived during March, fully painted by GM Buses who during 1989 also repainted several "native" Fylde Atlanteans at
Bury, Bolton and Wigan depots. Fylde modified the destination blinds, although 167 (7673) and 169 (7757) ran briefly with the GM layout in place but with only the number blind useable. The first to run
was 164 (7666) on 3 April 1989 with 163/5 (7664/7) following later in the week. Several more entered service in May and the rest in June. To standardise with the other Fylde buses the automatic
transmission was converted to semi-automatic in July 1989.
Fylde renumbered part of its fleet in 1991 and 161-169 became 61-69. Withdrawals began in February 1994 when 64 (7666) was taken out
of use and stripped for spares – but also pioneered an experimental new livery once Blackpool Transport had purchased Fylde in May 1994. It went for scrap in November 1994. This coincided with
the withdrawal of sisters 61, 63 and 65 (7659, 7664 and 7667) which passed to South Manchester of Hyde. All three have now been scrapped, though ONF659R exchanged identities with VBA174S before
it was finally cut up.
The surviving five carried on in use, 62 (ONF660R) was even renumbered 65 to group the batch together. In 1996 Blackpool renumbered them 465-469, however some new
minibuses cascaded other vehicles to replace the second hand Atlanteans in February 1999. 465 (7660) was sold to Archway Travel where it remains today, 467 (7673) became a playbus on Anglesey and 468
(7756) became an exhibition unit for the Royal British Legion. 466/9 were reinstated in September 1999 to release to other (longer) Atlanteans to become driver trainers. This renaissance lasted
until January 2000 when they returned to store. 466 (7669) saw no further use until its sale to Maghull Coaches in May 2001. 469 (7757) meanwhile saw a brief return to use in summer 2000 and
again between July 2001 and January 2002. Between August and October 2002 it was stripped for spares and finally sold for scrap. Fylde's former Seagull Coaches operation ran new to SELNEC Leopards
YNA398/400M and five ex Shearings Leyland Tigers.
The connection has also witnessed two of the resort's famous trams operating on Manchester's Heaton Park tramway. Blackpool & Fleetwood
"Box" car 40 arrived in 1979 and ran from 1982 to 1987 before moving back to Blackpool for a visit. It is currently back in Blackpool after a spell at the National Tramway Museum. Blackpool's
Centenary in 1985 saw Manchester 765 operating there until 1988 while Blackpool lent boat 600 to Heaton Park. This stayed there until 1997 and is now back in use in its home town.
26/12/03
