Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,
This page created 29th April 2017, updated 15th July 2021.

First London Tridents: 2009-

Dispersal

The cascade of early Tridents to First's other companies continued in the new year, with many going to First Eastern Counties, First Devon & Cornwall and First Glasgow. Those to Glasgow had been repainted into Barbie livery and fitted with digital displays, but mostly went into service still with dual doorways. Conversions to single doorways mostly happened in-house early in 2009. Those to Eastern Counties and Devon&Cornwall were converted and repainted before transfer. First Devon&Cornwall reregistered theirs.

First Berkshire

Four TNLs (32900-903) went to Bracknell in March 2009. They retained their red livery, with or without willow bands, and also kept their dual doorways. Bracknell put them to work on the Windsor- Legoland 200 shuttle express, and on the Bracknell-Camberley 194 route.

One shorter TN, 32963, went to Slough for the 74 routes to High Wycombe. Also still dual doorwayed and in red/willow bands, it initially retained its blinds.

Berkshire TNL, TN TN33142 on 200 at Windsor

TN33142 on 200 to Legoland at Windsor, May 2011
Another eight Tridents followed in July 2009: (33141-145, 33147-148 and 33153). But these had been through the cascade process and arrived converted to single doorways, with Barbie livery and some with digital displays. They too went to Bracknell, mainly for the 190 (Bracknell - Reading), although they soon strayed onto the 194 and 200, and even the 702 to London. Eventually they were fitted with digital displays - but these were crudely cut into the front yellow First panels, which elsewhere in the First empire were replaced by black (or coloured in Norwich) panels. It seemed areflection of the low esteem that First mansgement had for First Berkshire.

Greenford gets EnviroTridents

In May 2009 it was the turn of Greenford to cascade its Tridents, as new EnviroTridents arrived in a dribble in April, and in force during May. They arrived to Hayes, where they presumably acquired London bits from the outgoing Tridents, plus I-Bus gear.

Northumberland Park restocks with Volvo B9TLs

The restocking at Northumberland Par with new Volvo/Wright Eclipse Gemini started in January 2010, and triggered a further cacade of TN Tridents.

During the spring of 2010 Euro2 engined Tridents were sent west, away from the more polluted centre, and Euro3 engined examples moved east. But in September Northumberland Park lost the 341 to Arriva, triggering a cascade of Euro3 engined Tridents back west to Greenford. Uxbridge also completed its double-decking of tree-lined U3.

West Drayton - Uxbridge
No Route Garage
U3 Heathrow Central - West Drayton - Uxbridge UX

The cascade out of London progressed, slowly at times, in a flood at others. Recipients were Glasgow, Eastern Counties (who passed many on to Essex after a year), and Devon & Cornwall. Most went after conversion to single doorways, digital displays and Barbie livery.

At Westbourne Park the TNAs continued to monopolise the 23. TN33368 on 23 on Oxford Street TN33333 on U4 at Uxbridge

TNA33368 on 23, Oxford Street, December 2009. TN33333 on U4 at Uxbridge, May 2011

The Games Support Unit

Games TNL As 2011 turned into 2012 twelve of the TNLs from Lea Interchange, then all but three of the youngest long TNAs from Westbourne Park, displaced from the 23 by new Volvos, were allocated to the Commercial Unit for the Games Support team. They were tripped to Rotherham where they were converted to single doorway and repainted in a version of First's new white/purple/grey livery, with Shuttle branding. then stored at a site in Beckton. They occasionally appeared for other Commercial Unit events.

March 2012: Northumberland Park sold to Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead London bought Northumberland Park garage with its buses and operations on 31st March 2012. This included six Tridents: TNL 33075/076 and TN33048/049/051 and TN33231. These were gradually given Go-Ahead fleetnames and renumbered PDN1-6. Eight other Tridents were withdrawn by First into store at Dagenham.

August 2012: The Games

All fifty of the requisitioned Tridents, plus eighty-three newer EnviroTridents and six Volvo B9TLs were used for the numerous Park & Ride services for the rowing events at Eton's Dornay Lake.

This Trident action was not the whole of First's contribution to Games Support. But the others were of Volvos and EnviroTridents, from the London fleet, plus new buses and loans from First Bus fleets around the country.

Ordinary services had to be strengthened as well. First Berkshire borrowed TNL32929 for the Windsor area, while six withdrawn Tridents were reprieved for use on the 58 at Lea Valley Interchange. Other buses, freed up by the lack of school journeys during August, were maintained in readiness in case of disruptions.

The Shuttle liveried buses did not return to service with First London. Most of the TNAs went to Glasgow during the latter part of 2012, where most gained Glasgow fleetnames. During 2014 many of these gained SimpliCITY branding, with pale blue surrounds to the digital displays and a matching blue banner across the top of the front windows.

August 2012: Dagenham gets Westbourne Park TNs and TNAs

Most of Westbourne Park's Tridents that were not selected for the 2012 Games Support fleet went to Dagenham in September/October 2012. There they worked on a variety of Dagenham's routes: 165, 179, 252, 365, 368, 498, 656, 667, 679, 686, the TNAs in particular being much welcomed on the schools routes because of their extra capacity. Their respite lasted until January 2013, when most of them were dispatched to Rotherham or Thornton's in Northumberland for conversion to single doorway, digital displays and new First Essex livery. A notable half-dozen TNAs went to First Buses of Somerset in Taunton, where they were treated to a vibrant green/green livery.


1999-2000 2001 2002-3 2004-5 2006-8 2009-12 2013

Ian's Bus Stop TN histories. TN photos.