Last Strathtay bus saved for preservation after restoration by Stagecoach team

• Stagecoach East Scotland have restored Optare minibus to original condition and donated to the Angus Transport Group
• Vehicle served the Angus and Dundee community for 18 years
• Angus Transport Group will add vehicle to collection of preserved vehicles

Stagecoach East Scotland are once again celebrating their history in Tayside with the presentation of a historic vehicle to a local preservation group.

Strathtay’s bus services became part of the Stagecoach Group in 2006 but just before the takeover the very last new bus was delivered in the company’s distinctive blue, white and orange livery. This bus, number 260, was a minibus built by Optare in Leeds and was the last of eleven of the type delivered to Strathtay.

Now after 18 years of serving the communities of Angus and Dundee, the little bus has come to the end of its working life with Stagecoach East Scotland and has been restored to its original condition by the workshop team at Stagecoach’s Aberhill depot in Fife. Following completion of that work, it has now been donated to the Angus Transport Group who keep the spirit of the former Strathtay company alive through their fleet of vintage and preserved vehicles.

Optare 260 joins Volvo B7TL 716, the last double decker delivered to Strathtay before the takeover, which was withdrawn from service last year and suitably restored back to original condition and was also donated by Stagecoach. Although these vehicles are more modern than the rest of the collection, they provide a fitting tribute to the latter day Strathtay business and equally importantly, they are both wheelchair accessible so they provide the chance for everyone to experience the heritage fleet.

Douglas Robertson, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “Stagecoach are proud of our heritage and of the communities we serve. It is therefore great to be able to once again support the great work undertaken by the Angus Transport Group in keeping their historic fleet of vehicles on the roads of Angus and Dundee.

“These little Optare buses have provided many years of sterling service on our network but now with new vehicles arriving it is finally time to stand them down. Happily 260 can look forward to a good future in the care of this group.”

Andrew Macintosh, co-Vice Chair of Angus Transport Group, said: “We are excited to have taken on this vehicle, which allows us to broaden further the reach of our collection which now covers the whole history of the Strathtay company. 716 has been hugely popular in its first year with us, and we are confident that 260 will help us to generate even more interest in what we do. We have really enjoyed supporting Stagecoach with the restoration and we are hugely grateful to the company for their support.”