Vehicles returning to compete with previous owners?

[TheGrandWazoo]

don’t know if it counts as competing , but I always found it ironic that ex First London e200s and B9TLs are used by Faresaver on their x31 route , on the A4 Bath-Chippenham corridor , which First pulled out of as a result of competition from Faresaver

The B9TLs and the relevant e200s arrived after First ended the competitive battle on the Chippenham to Bath service. The B9TLs arrived to augment the capacity once First exited.

However, the e200s have been involved on the Bath to Melksham service battle subsequently.

 

[James101]

D&G have a number of former First E200s competing in The Potteries. Many newer than First’s own fleet.

 

[Stephen1001]

There was a brief period around 2010 when On A Mission competed with Arriva on a couple of routes in Milton Keynes. One of the buses in their fleet at the time was a Volvo D10M Citybus ex-Arriva Derby still in full Arriva livery with the fleet names rubbed out.

 

[317 forever]

Go-Ahead sold a few PVLs (Plaxton-bodied Volvo B7TLs) to East Yorkshire Motor Services, but at least some operated initially with Finglands. When EYMS closed Finglands they moved the stock to Hull. Later Go-Ahead acquired EYMS so may have reacquired the PVLs.

 

[fgwrich]

Similar to the re-entering fleet discussion, any examples of vehicles being sold on by their operators, only for them to come back to haunt their former owner in service for a direct competitor?

Whether the sale was direct (quite unlikely) or via other parties counts I would say.

Direct Competitor example - three ex Lothian Trident/President open toppers now competing with it's Edinburgh Tours operation that they were used on for years operating on First's Bright Bus Tours.

I was going to include the ex First London(?) B9TL/Wright open toppers doing the same but for Lothian, but don't think that completely counts as they previously operated for a completely different arm of that competitor!

Funny that you mention those two, as it seems I had briefly caught them on Princes Street last summer.

As For the B9TL, I would say it still counts as an Ex First Vehicle now working for their competitors on a open top service, competing with ex Lothian vehicles now operated by First.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Stevensons of Uttoxeter used ex WMT Metrobuses and Nationals on competitive services in the West Mids.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Stagecarriage in Teesside had quite bit of ex-Stagecoach kit if memory serves me right, including at least one Skyliner. I'm sure they had some ex-Stagecoach Titans too, but could be imagining that.

 

[bussnapperwm]

At least one ex Rotala Dart made it into competition against Rotala (after going through a couple of hands) on the 226 Dudley - Merry Hill service. Ironically it ended back up at Rotala when they brought the competitor (Hanson's) - KU52RYO.

VIP Travel also brought some new to NX Darts (albeit having brought them from Abellio who brought them from NX) to compete against NX on the 101/99

The Green Bus got some ex NX Tridents (via Abellio) to compete against NX on the Bristol Road, a trio of ex NX London Darts on the Dudley - Wolves corridor and even a ex NX London solo was used on their 50 service. They now use ex NXWM Presidents on school services (I believe one of which mirrors most of one of the NX Harborne services).

 

[bussnapperwm]

Thinking about it, didn't stagecoach Manchester get some competition from JPT/Bluebird who used some ex Stagecoach ALX200s too?

 

[Strathclyder]

Funny you should mention that. I obtained a copy of a Kirkby brochure many years ago (I've no idea how I got hold of it), and it was advertising quite a few former-GM Fleetlines and Altanteans for sale. I reckon this would have been around 1987, or perhaps a little bit later.

A few also ended up with Western Scottish, and Strathclyde had a few on loan (not sure if any remained permanently) after the Larkfield fire.

Not sure if any remained after permanent replacements were bought, but certainly a few of these Atlanteans & Fleetlines gained the full Strathclyde's Buses Orange/Black livery as opposed to just having the front repainted appropriately. Image links courtesy of the fantastic victoryguy (aka Donald McRae) Smugmug collection.