Reading Transport Changing

www.buszone.co.uk

First lets look at MCW Metrobus 173:

Here 173 is at Reading Station in Reading Transport livery, this livery is no longer used by the company, but is very much more like the livery used since 1901 than the Reading Buses livery is. This photograph was originally from the W. Ball collection.

Here 173 is in Friar Street in the current Reading Buses livery, note a few of other little changes, the registration plates have changed from black to white on the front, the new high visibility displays and the loss of the MCW logo on the front radiator vent.

173 now wears Newbury Buses livery, seen here in August 1999.

Now Metrobus 179:

This is 179 on Station Road in 1996. Notice the maroon stripe just above the bottom deck. This was standard Reading Buses livery at that time.

179 two years later. Here it's in the current standard Reading Buses livery without the maroon stripe, and it has had high visibility displays added.

Optare Vecta 805:

This is 805 in Broad Street in April 1996. It is in standard Reading Buses livery, but on a road now closed to all traffic. Buses now use a town centre bus loop instead of this road.

This is 805 at Reading Station in May 1999, as you can see, it now wears Newbury Buses livery.

Optare MetroRider 616:

Here is wears FastLine livery, this is basically standard Reading Buses livery with a few extra vinyls added. It was used solely on route 1 from new to compete with Reading Mainline.

The FastLine branding was removed a few years later and it went into standard livery.

The livery was modified in 2001 so that it can accommodate an advert.

One vehicle that has worn a number of liveries is Leyland Olympian Coach 85:

This is the livery 85 started work in, and is seen here in Weymouth on excursion X14. The Goldline livery was applied to private hire vehicles/ coaches in the fleet. This photograph was originally from the W. Ball collection.

The coach then received London Line livery in 1992 for the new Reading to London services. This was an amalgamation of Goldline X1 and BeeLine's London-link services. This photograph was originally from the W. Ball collection.

In June 1996, 85 received this Colourbus livery for Auto Trader, whilst still only working London Line journeys.

85 is now in standard Reading Buses livery, but was the last coach of this type to operate on The London Line. It is also unique because it is the only double deck bus not to have a rear number display, and it has a semi-metallic Reading Buses logo on the panel that covers the stair-well above the front roadside wheel. It is just above visible in this photo, but the reason for it being there is unknown to me. It is seen here in Friar Street in March 1999.

Bova Futura 274:

Here 274 is at Reading Station in the two-tone London Line livery in May 1998.

Here is 274 emerging from Blagrave Street in August 1999 freshly after re-paint into Goldline livery. This shows it's former branding "Goldline The Reading to London Line", it now has private hire & excursion branding since the London Line was withdrawn in May 2000.

Optare Spectra 751:

Another vehicle to wear the London Line livery, seen here departing Reading station on L5 in March 1998.

Here is 751 in the Reading Buses depot in Goldline livery, after losing it's London Line branding in favour of private hire branding. It is seen here in June 2000.