Arriva Kent Thameside: Mercedes 609D staff-buses

This page created 15th October 2006. by Ian Smith. Best on 800*600.

staff-bus MB609D

Arriva Kent Thameside operated all its routes out of two Thameside garages: Dartford and Northfleet. Some of its tendered routes were based some way from either garage. The 126, (Eltham - Bromley South) was a case in point. Staff changeovers were necessarily distant from the home garage, and to avoid too many dead journeys staff minibuses were used to ferry crews to changeover points such as Bromley North.

Fitting the bill nicely were some small MB609Ds acquired from Maidstone & District. 58 was eleven years old when it took up these duties in June 1998, 69 and 70 only nine at the same date. They were joined in January 2000 by 86, from Arriva Kent & Sussex, and in May 2001 by 72 from Guildford, where it had been a driver trainer. 72 promptly displaced 69, and was repainted from training white/grey into Arriva national livery.

58 and 86 went off in February 2002 to perform similar duties at Grays. In their place came somewhat larger 437, one of the 811Ds from London & Country, where it had latterly worked a Sainsbury's contract service at Horsham. 58 and 86 survived another year, the latter moving briefly to Horsham before both were sold in April 2003.
58 at Bromley North, March 2000 154 at Northfleet, March 2004

Staff ferry 58 at Bromley North in March 2000, and driver trainer 154 at Northfleet in March 2004, in company with YDT148 and YDT505..
Arriva Kent Thameside also acquired a Mercedes Benz 0814 with Dormobile bodywork, as a driver trainer. It came from Arriva Kent & Sussex, but had previously been used as a bus by Kentish Bus, after starting out with Crossways of Swanley. YDT154, as it became, was a driver trainer from November 2003 to August 2004.

Ex-Transcity MB709Ds

Before Kentish Bus acquired its Mercedes staff buses it had some experience with four MB709Ds that it took over from Transcity, three 1993 models with Dormobile bodywork, and one from 1991 with a Carlyle body. They had been used on Sevenoaks area routes. They moved on to Arriva Cymru in December 1997.

Individual bus histories

These histories are incomplete. They are being assembled from bits and chunks of data from a variety of sources. Particularly helpful have been: 

 
       E58 UKL  11/87    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess B20F, #B16765
1058            11/87    Maidstone & District
                         Arriva Kent & Sussex
YFB58            6/98 DT transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside, staff ferry, B14F
                 3/00    Bromley North staff ferry bus
                 2/02 GY transfer, staff bus (Grays)
                 4/03    sold

       G69 PKR  11/89    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess B20F, #17909
1069            11/89    Maidstone & District
                         Arriva Kent & Sussex
YFB69            6/98 DT transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside, staff ferry, B14F
                 5/01 DT withdrawn into store
                 9/01    sold

       G70 PKR  11/89    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess B20F, #B17910
1070            11/89    Maidstone & District
                         Arriva Kent & Sussex
YFB70            6/98 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside, staff ferry, B14F
                 3/02    staff ferry 
                 3/03 NF
                 3/04 NF
                 3/05 NF
F070             4/05    renumbered
                 8/05    sold to Erith Commercials

       G72 PKR  11/89    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess B20F, #B17912
1072            11/89    Maidstone & District
                         Arriva Kent & Sussex
ZDT72            1/99 WK transfer, Arriva Guildford & West Surrey, trainer, B20F
                 1/01 WK repainted in white, grey skirt
                 5/01 DT transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside, staff ferry, B14F (Dartford)
YFB72            7/01 DT renumbered, repainted turquoise/cream
                 3/02    staff ferry 
                 3/03    staff ferry 
                 3/04    Arriva Kent Thameside
                 1/05    sold

       G86 SKR   3/90    Mercedes-Benz 609D, Reeve Burgess B20F, #B18037
1086            11/87    Maidstone & District
                         Arriva Kent & Sussex
YFB86            1/00 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside, staff ferry, B14F
                 2/02 GY transfer, staff bus (Grays)
                 3/03 WS transfer to Arriva West Sussex, staff bus (Horsham) 
                 4/03    sold



       J154 NKN  4/92    Mercedes-Benz O814, Dormobile B33F
                         Crossways, Swanley
895             12/96    bought by Kentish Bus
1154            12/97    Kentish Bus
1154             3/88    transfer to Arriva Kent & Sussex
YDT154          11/03 DT transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside: driver trainer
                 3/04 DT at Northfleet
                 8/04 DT withdrawn

437    L437 CPJ  3/94    Mercedes Benz 811D, Plaxton body B31F
                 3/94 CR new to London & Country (Croydon)
                 1/95 CR transfer to Londonlinks
                 1/97 CR Londonlinks
                      HS (Hounslow)
                 7/99 HS loaned to Tellings-Golden Miller, (Hounslow)
                 7/00 HS on loan to T-GM
                 2/01    still on loan to T-GM
                 7/01 CL return to Arriva Guildford & West Surrey, into store (Cranleigh)
                 8/01    used as required
                 9/01 CL withdrawn..
                 9/01 DT ..into store (Dartford) 
                10/01 WS reinstated for Sainsbury's service (Horsham)
                 2/02 NF transfer to Arriva Kent Thameside, staff ferry (Northfleet)
YFB437           1/03    renumbered
                 3/03 NF staff ferry 
                 1/04 DT transfer, staff bus (Dartford)
                 3/04    staff ferry 
F437             4/05 DT renumbered, staff ferry




       K981 KGY  1/93    Mercedes-Benz 709D, Dormobile B29F
                         Transcity, Sidcup
891             10/93    bought by Kentishbus
                12/97    transfer to Arriva Cymru, #MMM981

       K982 KGY  1/93    Mercedes-Benz 709D, Dormobile B29F
                         Transcity, Sidcup
892             10/93    bought by Kentishbus
                12/97    transfer to Arriva Cymru, #MMM982

       K983 KGY  1/93    Mercedes-Benz 709D, Dormobile B29F
                         Transcity, Sidcup
893             10/93    bought by Kentishbus
                12/97    transfer to Arriva Cymru, #MMM983
  
       H149 NOJ  1/91    Mercedes-Benz 709D, Carlyle B29F
                         Transcity, Sidcup
894             10/93    bought by Kentishbus
                12/97    transfer to Arriva Cymru, #MMM749

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