A Ride on a B6, P701 BTA

Years ago, when I first started working for Stagecoach the 12 route was covered by Alexandra B6's. Single deckers, carried 50 passengers between Newton and Brixham. Then Exeter needed the B6's to cover a route that had been running Mercs and Ivecos but passenger numbers had grown and the B6 could carry the extra numbers so Torquay lost them and got a load of not very good, quite old Tridents on the grounds that the 12 service wasn't managing with single deckers. In truth, Exeter wonted them and what ever Exeter wanted Exeter got.

Anyway a local bus enthusiast decided to buy 701, the first of the B6's to come into service which was 15 years ago this week. To commemorate that the owner decided to take the bus for a run along the route and invited a few other bus enthusiasts along for the ride.

I went along just for the ride. I used to like driving B6's and was sorry to see them go.

More pictures on Flickr at Torquay Trivia .