Eurolines - European express coach network

Saturday 29 November 1997 (approx. 0920) – S.A. Cars Labarriere of Castets des Landes, South West France 4365 PQ 40, a Renault FRI, seen in Victoria Coach Station, London.

Wednesday 6 April 1994 (approx. 1420) – By late February 1994 Premier Travel Services had re-gained the contract for the U.S. Air Force from RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall to Heathrow and Gatwick. J417 HDS, a Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M new to Parks of Hamilton in March 1992, was seen at Eriswell, Suffolk between the two air bases and on the final approach to RAF Lakenheath. It carried lettering for a Eurolines contract, the European scheduled service coach operation.

Wednesday 6 April 1994 (approx. 1420) – By late February 1994 Premier Travel Services had re-gained the contract for the U.S. Air Force from RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall to Heathrow and Gatwick. J417 HDS, a Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M new to Parks of Hamilton in March 1992, was seen at Eriswell, Suffolk between the two air bases and on the final approach to RAF Lakenheath. It carried lettering for a Eurolines contract, the European scheduled service coach operation.

Monday 13 June 1994 – Premier Travel Services J417 HDS, a Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M new to Parks of Hamilton in March 1992, was seen at the end of the day at Kilmaine Close depot in Cambridge. It carries lettering for Eurolines contracts.

Monday 13 June 1994 – Premier Travel Services J417 HDS, a Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M new to Parks of Hamilton in March 1992, was seen at the end of the day at Kilmaine Close depot in Cambridge. It carries lettering for Eurolines contracts.

Tuesday 9 May 1995 (approx. 0805) - Premier Travel Services was a regular purchaser of former Wallace Arnold Tours coaches and in this view taken at the top of College Heath Road, Mildenhall we see two such acquisitions operating on the U.S. Air Force contracts from RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall to Heathrow and Gatwick – despite their liveries! Leading is 438 (J706 CWT), a Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M new in April 1992, sporting Eurolines livery being followed by 425 (G525 LWU), a Plaxton Paramount boided Volvo B10M new in March 1990, in National Express livery.

Tuesday 9 May 1995 - Premier Travel Services 438 (J706 CWT), a Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M new in April 1992 to Wallace Arnold Tours, seen at Holywell Row, Suffolk when working on a U.S. Air Force contract which required links between RAF Lakenheath/RAF Mildenhall tand Heathrow/Gatwick. It carried lettering for a Eurolines contract, the European scheduled service coach operation.

Wednesday 10 August 1994 (approx. 1100) – Skills Coaches of Nottingham 85 (K885 JNU), a Jonckheere Deauville bodied Mercedes-Benz OH1628L new in April 1993, seen at Ferrybridge Service Area. It is lettered for Eurolines, the European scheduled express coach network, although today it was operating a tour to ‘Northumberland Coast and Bamburgh Castle’. (These are quotes from the ‘Bus Wiki’ website regarding this Mercedes-Benz model: ‘The Mercedes-Benz OH series was a series of models of rear-engined high-floor buses produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1992 and 1998. Two variants, the OH1628L and later OH1416, were built specifically for the UK market, but neither sold well in their target country’. ‘The unpopular Mercedes-Benz OH1628L coach was produced from 1992 through to 1993. The short production run was due to the chassis’ poor sales, only ten were sold. The OH1628L was a variant of the Mercedes-Benz OH chassis which saw more success globally. The OH1628L was only ever available with Jonckheere Deauville bodies. Conway of Limerick received the first OH1628L, 92LK1451 in April 1992; the last, K885 JNU, went to Skills of Nottingham in April 1993, after a production run of exactly one year’).

Wednesday 10 August 1994 (approx. 1100) – Skills Coaches of Nottingham 85 (K885 JNU), a Jonckheere Deauville bodied Mercedes-Benz OH1628L new in April 1993, seen at Ferrybridge Service Area. It is lettered for Eurolines, the European scheduled express coach network, although today it was operating a tour to ‘Northumberland Coast and Bamburgh Castle’. (These are quotes from the ‘Bus Wiki’ website regarding this Mercedes-Benz model: ‘The Mercedes-Benz OH series was a series of models of rear-engined high-floor buses produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1992 and 1998. Two variants, the OH1628L and later OH1416, were built specifically for the UK market, but neither sold well in their target country’. ‘The unpopular Mercedes-Benz OH1628L coach was produced from 1992 through to 1993. The short production run was due to the chassis’ poor sales, only ten were sold. The OH1628L was a variant of the Mercedes-Benz OH chassis which saw more success globally. The OH1628L was only ever available with Jonckheere Deauville bodies. Conway of Limerick received the first OH1628L, 92LK1451 in April 1992; the last, K885 JNU, went to Skills of Nottingham in April 1993, after a production run of exactly one year’).

Saturday 28 May 1994 – Having lost my original label for this photograph I can’t add further details to it. The coach registered HIL 2838 is a Setra S215HD and the partial address was Corringham, Essex. A plain white coach wearing Eurolines lettering on the front only. Seen at RAF Mildenhall. (In August 1987 a Setra S215HD was added to the fleet of Davie’s Coaches of Rye registered E186 EPF. That coach was apparently re-registered HIL 2838 sometime later but I don’t know if the coach in my photograph was the same one – it could possibly be so as it would only be 7 years old at the time of this photograph).

Monday 3 September 2007 – Leading is a Eurolines lettered Setra S416 (S416 HDH?) wearing a cream rather than the usual base white paint job. The logo beneath the driver’s window appears to be that of Spanish contractor Autocares Hermanos Arriaga S.A. Directly behind is a Berkhof Axial 70 bodied Volvo operated by Club Cantabrica, Watford. The third vehicle has yet to be fully identified. The bodywork design looks like a Drögmöller product probably on a Volvo 9900 chassis. Volvo took a stake in Drögmöller in 1994 and built such a model at their Heilbronn plant in Germany until closure in 2005 when production moved to Poland. A trademark feature of many Drögmöller models was the upward slope of the floor and window line from front to back which allowed better forward vision for passengers. Each set of seats being slightly higher than those in front. My daughter Jane snapped this for me as we were queuing to board our ferry.

Monday 3 September 2007 – A Eurolines lettered Setra S416 (S416 HDH?) seen queuing to board a Dover bound ferry at Calais. Rather than base white it has an unusual base cream paint job. The logo beneath the driver’s window appears to be that of Spanish contractor Autocares Hermanos Arriaga S.A. My daughter Jane snapped this for me as we were queuing to board our ferry.

Monday 1 February 1993 (0120) – With the famous ‘White Cliffs of Dover’ as a backcloth, Frank Harris Coaches of Grays, Essex K95 GEV is seen waiting to board a ferry for Calais (France) at the Port of Dover (England). It is a Van Hool Alizée bodied DAF SB3000 only about one month old. Despite wearing Eurolines livery it didn’t carry any destination label nor were there any Eurolines services shown in the timetables passing through Dover at this hour.

Monday 1 February 1993 (0120) – Frank Harris Coaches of Grays, Essex K95 GEV is seen waiting to board a ferry for Calais (France) at the Port of Dover (England). It is a Van Hool Alizée bodied DAF SB3000 only about one month old. Despite wearing Eurolines livery it didn’t carry any destination label nor were there any Eurolines services shown in the timetables passing through Dover at this hour.

Monday 1 February 1993 (0120) – Frank Harris Coaches of Grays, Essex K95 GEV is seen waiting to board a ferry for Calais (France) at the Port of Dover (England). It is a Van Hool Alizée bodied DAF SB3000 only about one month old. Despite wearing Eurolines livery it didn’t carry any destination label nor were there any Eurolines services shown in the timetables passing through Dover at this hour.

Monday 1 February 1993 (0120) – Frank Harris Coaches of Grays, Essex K95 GEV is seen waiting to board a ferry for Calais (France) at the Port of Dover (England). The gantry of the ‘Dover 3’ berth can be seen in the background. It is a Van Hool Alizée bodied DAF SB3000 only about one month old. Despite wearing Eurolines livery it didn’t carry any destination label nor were there any Eurolines services shown in the timetables passing through Dover at this hour.

Saturday 27 May 1995 – Seen at RAF Mildenhall attending the annual Air Fete. Left is Frank Harris (Coaches) Limited 9242 FH, a Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodied Scania K112 that had been new in December 1995 registered C400 JOO. Lettered for Eurolines. Right is Simmonds Coaches of Letchworth M136 SKY, a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo B10M new in May 1995.

Saturday 27 May 1995 – Seen at RAF Mildenhall attending the annual Air Fete. Left is MTL (Merseyside Transport) (Sightseers) HIL 5698, a Van Hool Alizée bodied Volvo B10M. Right is Frank Harris (Coaches) Limited 9242 FH, a Plaxton Paramount 4000 bodied Scania K112 that had been new in December 1995 registered C400 JOO. Lettered for Eurolines. (Extreme right is Simmonds Coaches of Letchworth M136 SKY)