Saturday 29 May 2004 Total content 24 photographs
An afternoon trip to Perth, mostly Optare Solo spotting and riding. As you will recall Perth & Kinross Council used part of their Transport Direct money to chip in for SIX Optare Solo's - to be used primarily on tendered services - with one to Strathtay at Blairgowrie [during the day for local service 63, but also School bus 862 and evening/weekend workings on other Blairgowrie services], one to Docherty's [during the day for Service 20 and some associated workings], and four to Stagecoach Perth [one for 3/11, one for 12, one for 13, one for 17, with some evening/weekend work on other things. So all six are now on the road. This means most Perth City services are now intended to be worked by low-floor buses, although step entrance double deckers are intended for some journeys on the 5/6 and 9/10, and a mix of vehicles gets used on the 4 as it works to/from other things.

	Left The first Optare Solo that I snapped was ridden on me a few minutes earlier, on the Oakbank end of the route. 47054 (SV 04 DVN) is seen in South Street, heading for Gannochy. Right MAN 22277 has been moved from Fife at Cowdenbeath to Perth, perhaps for the increased pvr [8 vehicles in the morning and afternoon peaks] that will occur on Service 7 from a week on Monday (7 June 2004) when Scone Park & Ride opens. This is also seen in South Street.
	Left 47053 (SV 04 DVM) is seen on Service 13 - extended just over a year ago to the new Dobbie's Garden Centre at the Perth Mart. This makes a tight route a little worse for time - but the route was ok for time today. Back in March, the route was diverted via Taymount Terrace for the new surgery there. Seen in South Street. Right Leyland Olympian 14457 is seen coming down Scott Street off service on a crew change.
	Left Docherty's Midland Coaches YR 52 VEX is seen turning from South Street into Scott Street. The bus is seen on one of the few through workings on the 19/19A from Perth to Stirling - this one being a Saturday only one. Right Strathtay 962 is seen in South Street crossing across Scott Street. The LED displays are fairly handy in indicating which journeys do not run into Kinrossie or Saucher villages, hence the "Kinrossie Road End" display which flicks with other via points.
	Left Stagecoach 47052 (SV 04 DVL) is seen turning from South Street into Scott Street. Service 17 is the longest of the Stagecoach Optare Solo operated routes, running from Perth via Bridge of Earn, Forgandenny, Dunning, Auchterader to end at the Gleneagles Hotel staff car park. Right Stagecoach 47051 (SV 04 DVK) seen in South Street on Service 3 - interworked with the 11.
	Left I've not yet snapped a Megabus vehicle in Perth City Centre, so here goes! Volvo Citybus 15250 (126 ASV) is seen on Mill Street preparing for a run to Edinburgh. Right 14471 (C471 SSO) started life as a dual door Leyland Olympian for Aberdeen CityBus work, but has spent almost seven years in Perth as a single doored vehicle. It is seen in Kinnoull Street at the shell of the former Sandeman Library.
	Top Left Strathtay have recently acquired seven Volvo B10BLE's from the Blazefield group, as part of a Traction Group bulk buy. However, there are only two coach seated examples, these to be 611 at Blairgowrie and 612 at Forfar. The former is seen in Scott Street, Perth. Top Right Docherty's Optare Solo YN 04 XZC will wait for a while in the Bus station on Saturday afternoons - and it is seen here on the layover area of Perth Bus Station. Bottom Left and Right These rear/offside shot shows the unusual rear ROUND lights - the first I have seen on a Solo - fitted to Docherty's bus.
	Left Stagecoach Volvo B10M 20192 (M592 OSO) leaves the Bus Station on Service 23. Although the blind details are a little illegible in this shot, it says Aberfeldy, via Ballinluig for Pitlochry (where passengers change to Service 24). On the LED displays fitted to some Darts, it shows via Dunkeld for Pitlochry instead. Or are there both options on each? Right The second Scania/Wright owned by Docherty's - SK 52 HYP - is seen in Perth Bus Station.
	Left 20328 of Stagecoach (Fife) is seen in Perth Bus Station. The vehicle is now working from Cowdenbeath, but like many recent vehicle transfers the bus still carries its former depot code (A) and the Levenmouth fare promotional vinyls. Right Travel Dundee's "Travel Greyhound" coach unit have placed four Volvo B10M/Plaxton Paragon coaches into service on Citylink work in the last year and a bit, with two late model Premieres in 2000. Here, Paragon TC7 (ST 52 GZE) is seen here at the bus station.
	Left 47054 (SV 04 DVN) seen again in Scott Street - this time heading for the Oakbank/Hillend of the route. Right HSK 658 is one of several Jonckhere bodied Volvo coaches owned by Park's of Hamilton, for Citylink work, seen in South Street.
	Left  Strathtay have worked one of the mid-afternoon return trips from Dundee to Perth with a double decker for a few Saturdays running now. Volvo Olympian 960 (S960 KSR) was today's choice for it, also seen in South Street. Right In common with most daytime workings on the 16, the journey shown no longer serves Walnut Grove (despite what the blind says!). From 1993 to 2002 the bus from Perth had served the road end only. However, a few 54B's now run from Perth city centre and loop around Walnut Grove, done by Stagecoach between other things. 31499 is seen here in South Street about to do such a loop.
	Left Strathtay 816 (IIB 6015) started life as SM16, E416 GES, and was new to Perth depot for city services. The bus was then used by Blairgowrie on a variety of their double deck work, and now runs from Dundee. The 1705 ex Perth is ran by Dundee depot Monday to Saturday, and 816 is the intended regular choice for it. Seen in South Street. Right The 2004 batch of two Plaxton (Transbus?) Paragon's for Travel Dundee started with TC8 (SP 04 HRL) which is seen here in South Street.