Kentish Bus Volvo Olympians

This page created on Wordpad, 20th February 2007, updated 15th February 2015 by Ian Smith

Bus histories, 557-559, 561-565

These histories are far from complete. They are being assembled as I gather information from a variety of sources (that don't always agree with each other).

Particularly useful have been:


Kentish Bus
557   L557 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25130,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4576, H47/30F, cream/maroon
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
 5557          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
                3/00 NF used on 701 to Bluewater
                7/00 NF
               11/00 NF used on X29
                6/05 NF
                */06 NF 
                7/09 SE transfer into store (Southend)

558   L558 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25131,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4577, H47/30F, cream/maroon
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM
                9/94 LM at Showbus, Duxford, wearing 161
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet) 
 5558          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
                7/00 NF
                     NF used on 269 to Bromley 
                4/03 NF used on 498
                8/05 NF unusual on 308/309
                */06 NF
               11/08 NF in works at Eastleigh
                7/09 SE transfer into store (Southend)

559   L559 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25132,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4578, H47/30F, cream/maroon
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
 5559          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
                7/00 NF
                8/01 NF unusual on 308
               11/01 NF unusual on 308
                3/05 TW transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Tunbridge Wells) 
                6/05 TW

561   L561 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25129,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4579, H47/30F, cream/maroon
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
                7/97 NF used on 96 to Woolwich 
 5561          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
                5/00 NF unusual on 489
                7/00 NF
                4/01 G  transfer to Arriva Medway Towns with 700/701 (Gillingham) 
                4/02 M  transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Maidstone)

562   L562 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25178,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4643, H47/30F, cream/maroon
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
                     LM used on 161 to Chislehurst 
 5562          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
                7/00 NF
                4/01 G  transfer to Arriva Medway Towns with 700/701 (Gillingham)
                */06 SH (Sheerness)

563   L563 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25179,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4644, H47/30F, cream/maroon
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
 5563          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
 5563           3/99 M  transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Maidstone)
                7/00 M
                */06 M 
                        sold to S.Boxall, (Beckenham)
                4/09    operated by Griffin Bus, Longfield
                4/11    operated by Go-Coach, Otford, on school journeys

564   L564 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25215,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4645, H47/30F, cream/maroon 
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM 
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
 5564          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
 5564           3/99 M  transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Maidstone)
                7/00 M
                */06 M 

565   L565 YCU  4/94    new to Kentish Bus, Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 #25216,
                        Northern Counties Palatine II #4646, H47/30F, cream/maroon 
                4/94 LM new for 161 (Lewisham)
               12/94 LM 
               12/95 NF transfer for 96 (Northfleet)
 5565          11/97 NF renumbered
                3/98 NF rebranded as Arriva Kent Thameside
 5565           3/99 M  transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Maidstone)
                7/00 M  
                8/00 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside
                4/01 G  transfer to Arriva Medway Towns with 700/701 (Gillingham)
                */06 SH (Sheerness) 


P610 CAY 11/96 Volvo Olympian YN2RV18Z4 27028, Northern Counties Palatine I #5550, H47/29F 11/96 new to Midland Fox #4610 Arriva Derby #4610 5939 7/09 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside (Northfleet) 8/09 NF in service on 489 3/10 NF 11/10 NF unusual on 433 2/11 NF unusual on 480 3/11 NF 7/12 NF unusual on 480/490 */13 SH loan to Sheeerness (AK&S) 11/13 GL transfer to Arriva Kent & Surrey (Gillingham): withdrawn 1/14 sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet) P613 CAY 11/96 Volvo Olympian YN2RV18Z4 27028, Northern Counties Palatine I #5550, H47/29F 11/96 new to Midland Fox #4613 Arriva Derby #4613 5940 7/09 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside (Northfleet) 3/10 NF 3/11 NF 9/11 NF unusual on 477 2012 NF 3/13 AY loan to Arriva The Shires (Aylesbury) 9/13 SH on loan to AK&S (Sheerness) M925 PKN 3/95 Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 25788, Northern Counties 4905, H47/30F 3/95 new to Maidstone & District #5925 Arriva Kent & Sussex (Tenterden) 5925 5/09 HM transfer to Guildford & West Surrey (Horsham) 9/09 HM used on 898 (Crawley - Southwater) 10/09 GF transfer (Guildford): used on schools 134 3/10 GF 3/11 GF 3/12 GF 9/12 CL transfer into store (Cranleigh).. 9/12 GF ..staff ferry bus 11/12 GF withdrawn 11/12 sold to Mike Nash, Cobham
5925 at Crawley, Sept09
5925 works a Horsham-based schools service into Crawley in September 2009


      P926 MKL  3/97    Volvo Olympian OLY-50 27605, NC 5565, H47/30F
                3/97    new to Maidstone & District, #5926 
                        Arriva Kent & Sussex #5926
                8/09 TW in service on 402
                1/10 TW in service on 6 
                7/11 TW in service on 6 
                8/13    repainted The Green Bus livery in Liverpool
5926            8/13 GF transfer for The Green Bus routes PT3 and PT4 (Guildford)
               12/14    bought by "The Bus Doctor", Otford

      P927 MKL  3/97    Volvo Olympian OLY-50 27607, NC 5566, H47/30F
                3/97    new to Maidstone & District, #5927 
                        Arriva Kent & Sussex #5927
                4/07 TW in service on 402
                2/13 TW in service on 6A to Maidstone
                8/13    repainted The Green Bus livery in Liverpool
5927            8/13 GF transfer for The Green Bus routes PT3 and PT4 (Guildford)
                1/15 GF withdrawn
                5/15    bought by The Bus Doctor, Otford for vspares
                        parts to 5937
                8/15    remains sold

      S653 KJU  8/98    Volvo Olympian OLY-49 29185, Northern Counties 6251, H47/29F 
                8/98 	new to Arriva Fox County, #4653 
                        Arriva Midlands #4653 
5943            9/10 GF transfer to Arriva Guildford & West Surrey (Guildford)
                9/10 TW transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Tunbridge Wells)  

      M913 MKM  8/94    Volvo Olympian YN2RC16Z4 25560, Northern Counties 4766, H47/30F 
                8/94 	new to Maidstone & District, #5913 
                     TW Arriva Kent & Sussex #5913 (Tunbridge Wells)  
5913            9/10 GF transfer to Arriva Guildford & West Surrey for University routes (Guildford)  
               11/10 MD transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Maidstone)

      P934 MKL  4/97    Volvo Olympian OLY-50 27357, Northern Counties 5573, H47/30F
                4/97    new to Maidstone & District 5934 
                        Arriva Kent & Sussex 5934                                      
                4/07 TW used on 77 (Tunbridge Wells)
                     SE Arriva Southend
                9/09 SE at Showbus, Duxford
                3/11 SE attended Cobham Gathering, Dunsfold
                7/11 SE attended Alton rally
                3/12 SE in service on 7
                5/12 SE in service on 8 (Rayleigh - Southend)   
5934            5/12 GF transfer to Guildford & West Surrey   
                8/12 TW return to Arriva Kent & Sussex   
5934 at Showbus, Sept09
Southend's 5934 is at Showbus, Duxford in September 2009


      P935 MKL  3/97    Volvo Olympian OLY-50 27313, Northern Counties 5574, H47/30F
                3/97    new to Maidstone & District 5935 
                        Arriva Kent & Sussex 5935 
                     SE Arriva Southend
                3/12 SE in service on 8
                4/12 SE in service on 7  
5935            5/12 GF transfer to Guildford & West Surrey   
                8/12 TW return to Arriva Kent & Sussex (Tunbridge Wells)
                5/13 TW in service on 77
               11/13 TW unusual on 402  
                1/14    sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet) 


      P936 MKL  3/97    Volvo Olympian OLY-50 27313, Northern Counties 5574, H47/30F
                3/97    new to Maidstone & District 5936 
                        Arriva Kent & Sussex 5936
                     SH AK&S (Sheerness)   
5936            8/11 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside (Northfleet) 
               11/12 NF
               12/13 NF used on 489 at Bluewater 
               12/13 TW loan (Tunbridge Wells)
                1/14 NF return, into store, withdrawn
                1/14    sold to Ensign Bus (Purfleet)
                6/14    bought by Buses Excetera, Merstham
                8/14    bought by Black Velvet Travel, Eastleigh
Bus Stop Volvos Kentish Bus bus histories photo refs London & Country