Scania L94UB / Wright Solar
Reading have 36 Solars. The first 30 wear Reading Buses 'quality travel for Reading' livery of beige with a coloured roof/front and a silver swoop. The colour of the roof/front varies according to the route on which each bus is designated to appear on, and were delivered as follows:
1001-11 were green for use on routes 4, 5 and 6.
1012 was charcoal grey for use on any route. It was repainted into revised silver in June 2007.
1013-19 were light green for use on route 9.
1020 was light green for use on route 9.
1021 was dark green for use on routes 4, 5 and 6.
1022-5 were light blue for use on route 37.
1026-30 were charcoal grey for use on any route.
Meanwhile 1031-6 wear a special green and yellow livery for use on GreenPark FastTrack.
The Solars are the first ever vehicles in the Reading Transport fleet to have four digit fleet numbers.
The first two, 1003 and 1005, were delivered on 18th March 2005, having spent a few days being prepared at the Scania dealership in Thatcham. They were followed by 1002, 1004 and 1006 on 21st, 1007 and 1009 on 24th, 1008 and 1010 on 28th, 1001 and 1011 on 1st March, and 1012 on 4th March. All 12 entered service on 7th March, whilst there was a community launch in Broad Street on 27th March (which was originally to be held at Safeway (Morrisons) on Basingstoke Road). 1001 is seen below at the launch:
The original delivery schedule was expected to be 3 vehicles w/c 14-02-05, 4 vehicles w/c 21-02-05, 4 vehicles w/c 28-02-05 and 1 vehicle w/c 07-03-05. However, this was delayed slightly to allow the whole batch to wear "05" registration plates.
There was some initial confusion with the registrations of 1010-12 which resulted in the vehicles wearing the wrong registrations for their first couple of months in service. The vehicles arrived bearing the correct sequence of registrations GXM, GXO, GXL reserved in chassis number order by Scania. However the fleet numbers have been allocated in body number order, which is out of sequence with the chassis numbers (and is why the registrations of 1003 and 1004 are also out of order).
Upon arrival in Reading the road fund licences for 1010-12 were fitted sequentially by fleet number and anticipated (but incorrect) registrations GXL, GXM, GXO. The difference was spotted before entry in service, but the registration plates were swapped around to match the incorrect licenses! The plates were then swapped again by 12th March to GXO, GXL, GXM, before finally reverting back to the correct sequence GXM, GXO, GXL between 4th and 11th April.
A sneak preview of 1004, taken in the Wrightbus Factory in Ballymena on 9th February 2005:
1009 on it's first day in service at Reading Station early on 7th March 2005:
A rear view of 1010 on 7th March 2005:
Unbranded 1012 at Reading Station on 7th March 2005 and 23rd June 2007:
The second batch (1013-20) were originally expected to arrive as follows: 4 vehicles w/c 30-05-05 and 4 vehicles w/c 06-06-05. Later this was changed to 2 vehicles w/c 06-06-05 and two more every week until w/c 27-06-05. With a launch date set for 4th July 2005, the vehicles were briefly held at the Scania dealership before 1020 arrived in Reading on 16-06-05, 1015 on 15-06-05, and 1013 and 1017 on 02-07-05. All then entered service as expected on 4th July, 1014 is seen below arriving in Reading that day:
1018 seen passing the Royal Berkshire Hospital on 4th July 2005:
1020 arriving at St. Mary's Butts on 4th July 2005:
The third batch (1021-30) were expected to arrive as follows: 4 vehicles w/c 24-04-06, 4 vehicles w/c 01-05-06 and 2 vehicles w/c 08-05-06. In the event 1021/2 arrived on 25th April, 1023-6 on 28th April, 1027/9 on 2nd May, 1028 on 5th May and 1030 on 6th May and the batch started to enter service from 16th May. 1021-30 have Hanover LED displays (with a colour panel the front for the route number) whilst 1001-20 have Mobitec LED displays. 1021 is seen below on 17th May 2006. Thanks to James Cusworth for this photo:
1023 is seen below on it's first day in service on 16th May. Thanks to Stephen Wise for this photo:
1024 also on 16th May. Thanks to James Cusworth for this photo:
1025 is seen below on 16th May 2006:
Unbranded 1027 on route 12 on 17th May 2006. Thanks to James Cusworth for this photo:
The fourth batch 1031-6 were ordered for delivery in October 2007 to replace Optare Spectras 731-7 on a renewed DayTrack contract which serves Green Park and the Madejski Stadium Park & Ride site. Some issues with their revised layout, which accommodates a Euro 4 engine and a central emergency exit (rather than Euro 3 engine and rear emergency exit) meant that they were delayed until the November. 1032 is seen below on 29th November 2007. Thanks to Mark Lyons for this photo:
A nearside view of 1035, again on 29th November 2007. Thanks to Mark Lyons for this photo:
Service changes from 25th February 2008 led to route 37 being replaced by new double deck routes 15/16, freeing up the Solars to upgrade the single deck workings on routes 12/20 which would be renumbered 20/21. Ahead of this, 1020 was replaced on route 9 in August 2007 by MAN 501, and was repainted into maroon in September 2007 pending the changes. It is seen below on route 37 on 15th September 2007:
1023 went away for repaint into maroon at North West Bus and Coach in January 2008, returning to service (on route 37) by 7th February 2008. 1022/5 followed, re-entering service on 25th February. 1024 went away for repaint in mid-February, its last day in service on route 37 being 19th February. It had returned from repaint by 2nd March and re-entered service a few days after. Route 20/21 branding was applied to 1020/2/3/5 over the weekend prior to 25th February 2008, just prior to the commencement of the new service. 1022 is seen below on it's first day in service in maroon on 25th February 2008:
However, it rapidly became apparent that the Solars did not have sufficient capacity for the improved routes 20/21, so the plans were rapidly rewritten to allow the routes to be converted to double deck. Consequently the route branding was removed just a few weeks later and the vehicles used on rural services until late July 2008 when 1022-5 became earmarked for routes 18/19 following the withdrawal of the final Mk1 Optare Excels.
1010, 1011 and 1021 lost their route 4/5/6 branding by 5th August 2008, 1009 by 24th August, 1008 over night on 2nd September and 1007 by 8th September, being replaced by Scania OmniDekkas (displaced from route 17) due to passenger growth on route 5. The vehicles are earmarked for use on Reading rural services. 1010 is seen below without branding on 8th August 2008:
Occasionally vehicles have been used on loan to Newbury as follows:
- 1023 went from 14th April 2008 until 22nd May to cover for 51 on Vodafone work
- 1024 went from 14th April 2008 until 21st May to cover for 52 on Vodafone work
Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse FJ04 ETY was hired during April 2004 as part of an evaluation of various types of single deck vehicle that were available at the time. Evidently the Wright bodywork demonstrated by the vehicle proved to be the desired option, and externally the Volvo / Eclipse combination varies little from the Scania / Solar. The demonstrator is seen below on 28th April 2004.
