Trustline's Dennis Dart SLFs
DPL1-2Trustline had built up its business with a fleet of secondhand ex-London Metrobuses, used on contracts and railway replacement work. It branched out into local bus work in the Harlow, Hoddesdon and Cheshunt areas, using midibuses and secondhand step-entrance Darts. A milestone in 2001 was the purchase of a new Optare Solo for bus work. That was followed in July 2003 by a pair of 10.7m Pointer2s for Hertfordshire County contracts on the 351 and 354. The pair, given fleetnumbers DPL1 and 2, were liveried in red, yellow and blue., and worked from Trustline's Hunsdon base near Ware.DPL1 on the Sunday operation of the 311, in Hertford Bus Station, June 2009, and passing Hertford Police Headquarters on an eastbound 351, June 2008, by now with a less legible digital display.Trustline moved its base from Hunsdon to Foxholes Farm in October 2006, and to Staple Tye, Harlow, in November 2007. The fleetname altered to Trustybus.Centrebus took over the Trustline business in August 2009, without much obvious change for this pair. A slightly revised livery, scooping the yellow down to cover the dash was a minor change, and the Trustybus fleetnames stayed in situ. The buses now worked from a new base at River Way, Harlow. DPL1 leaves Hertford Bus Station set up for the C4, June 2008. Now Centrebus 541, it heads for Bishops Stortford on the 351, June 2010.
DPS3Trustline bought an MPD in May 2004 for the 388 (Hertford - Welwyn Garden City), replacing the Solo. It also operated the Sunday 302 service between Potters Bar and Welwyn Garden City. In 2006 it was displaced by DES9, but found a new niche on new service 379 (Hertford - Datchworth - Stevenage).DPS3 stands at Welwyn Garden City Bus Station off the Sunday 302, and near Harlow, possibly heading home off the 379, both in June 2009.DCL418, 421: ex-Limebourne CaetanosAlso in May 2004 Trustline bought a pair of the Dart Caetaos that had originated with Limebourne (Independent Way) and had then been with Connex. They were used regularly on the 392 (Harlow - Nazeing - Broxbourne - Hoddesdon), for which they were branded on the cant-rail.In August 2006 they were transferred to the new BS1 Park & Ride between Bishops Stortford Football Club and Stansted Airport. For this they were reliveried in blue and white. They returned to bus work in January 2007, but were quickly sold off.
LDP28, 38: ex-London General PointersNovember 2004 saw a pair of secondhand LDPs acquired via Ensign from London General. They were used, at least initially in their red London General livery with black skirts, on Harlow local services. They were fairly quickly sold on, LDP38 going to Renown of Bexhill in September 2006, and LDP28 to Central Connect in Birmingham.
DML4-5: MCV EvolutionsTwo Darts with MCV Evolution B41 bodies arrived in January 2006 for the C3 (Harlow - Upshire). Surprisingly, DML4 was sold in April 2008 as part of a swap deal with Central Connect. It was repainted silver with a blue skirt, and actually saw service in Birmingham. But then it reappeared in Harlow. Apparently the deal had fallen through. It stayed in silver through the Centrebus takeover in August 2009, and was repainted in Centrebus orange, white scoop and blue in December 2009, along with DML5. DML4 was sent north to Grantham in April 2010.Still in house colours, DML4 stands at Potters Bar Station on Rail Replacement duty, May 2007. In silver livery DML4 rests from the 700 at Stevenage Bus Station in June 2009, in company with MB641.DML5 takes a turn on the Sunday 311, June 2006.DMA7-8: MCV EvolutionsTwo more MCV Evolutions came in March 2006 for route 700 (Stevenage - Stansted Airport), taken over from Arriva. These had just thirty-three dual purpose seats, with extensive luggage space and CCTV, for the airport run. They were in red, yellow and blue, with extensive branding along the side. They stayed with the 700 through the Centrebus takeover, although DMA7 gained Centrebus unbranded scoop livery following an accident repair in spring 2010.DMA7 heads from Hitchin towards Stevenage on the 700, June 2009.844: The UVG DartIn 2006 Trustline bought a secondhand UVG-bodied Dart SLF, a precusor to the Caetano Compass and very similar in style. As a secondhand bus it was not given a class code and fleetnumber in the new bus series. But it did acquire red, yellow and blue company livery. What happened to it I have not discovered.DES9: the Enviro200 DartTrustline was an early user of the Enviro200 Dart, buying DES9, an MPD equivalent, for the 388 (Hertford - Welwyn Garden City) and Sunday 302 (Potters Bar - Welwyn Garden City). It replaced DPS3, which moved to the 379.DMS11,21,22,28: Dart MarshallsMetroline's Marshall bodied short Darts DMS11 and DMS28 were bought by Trustline in February 2008, and repainted in house colours. They were fitted with digital displays. I suspect that they were employed on the 388 and 351 on weekdays, and certainly they appeared on the Sunday operation of the shortened 311 route from Hertford to Waltham Cross.DMS21 was taken on short-term hire by Trustline in August 2008, but quickly moved elsewhere. DMS22 was bought in September 2008. DMS11 at Hertford on the Sunday operation of the 311 (Hertford- Waltham Cross), June 2008. Note the digital display.DMS28 at Hertford on the Sunday 311, June 2008.Centrebus 513, wearing the new scooped form of Trustybus livery, on the 351, St.Margarets, June 2010.DMS11, 22 and 28 were included in the Centrebus takeover. 515 and 514 (11 and 28) were repainted in Centrebus orange, white scoop and blue skirt, and went to Huddersfield for the start of the Centrebus operation there in February 2010, although 514 was quickly consigned to scrap.
513 (DMS22) stayed with Trustybus, and was treated to the yellow scoop version of the livery.
Rental DartsDuring the summer of 2008 Trustline had a short-term need for extra buses, which it filled with a couple of short-term rentals. They were from Dawson Rentals, and were used in their white dealer livery. One was MPD KU52RXF, and the other Enviro200 Dart KX58GTF. Their stay was, as intended, brief.
The ex-Ipswich DartIpswich sold its 1997 East Lancs Sprytes early in 2009, and Trustline bought one of them: P131PPV. It was quickly repainted into Trustybus livery, and used on Harlow route C3. After the takeover by Centrebus it was given another fresh coat of paint, into Centrebus bright orange, white scoop and blue skirt, and sent north as number 509 to Centrebus Huddersfield, in January 2010..DLD41, LDP62, LDP84: ex-London DartsSummer 2009 saw Trustybus making changes. The depot in Harlow moved from Staple Tye to River Way. The company bought three second-hand Pointers, two ex-London General LDPs and one ex-Metroline DLD. These all were repainted into Centrebus orange/white scoop/blue livery, which presaged the immediate takeover of the company by Centrebus.Ex-Metroline DLD41, now Centrebus 510, went north for the Huddersfield start-up in January 2010, then went to Centrebus Grantham. LDP62 and LDP83, now Centrebus 562 and 584, stayed with the Hertfordshire operation.
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