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Brief history
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Brief History
"From a single coach to a 100 vehicle bus fleet, during 45 years in Essex and 7 years in Suffolk" is the quote from the illustrated guide published by Geoff R Mills and used on the enthusiast page of Stephensons' own website. Based in Rochford but with some strategically placed outstations, they have been on the fringe of Harlow's operations at Bishops Stortford and in Epping in the past but not quite made it all the way to the town centre (there was once a school journey which touched on the fringes at Old Harlow). This changed on 31st July 2023 when they took over the ECC contracts for town routes 5 and 14, perhaps surprisingly, along with Bishops Stortford locals 7/7A and school service 306. The 5/7/7A/14 are interworked and require 4 vehicles in total.
Early (first week) operations showed typical examples of their fleet in use. We understand that these operations were initially run from the Stephensons' outstation in Boreham and there was a degree of regularity in the vehicles used on the services from there if including nearby route 32 (Ongar to Chelmsford). The full Stepensons fleet list is available on their website. Examples seen in Harlow or Bishops Stortford are detailed below.
A couple of weeks in and at least one working was being covered by NIBS who are based in Wickford. NIBS is a subsidiary of Stephenson's and there is a common fleet number series and similar feel to the two websites. NIBS also have a fleet list on their website showing a 33-vehicle operation. NIBS previously worked to Harlow when between April 2016 and March 2018 they ran the 2-hourly Sunday 501 between Harlow and Ongar for ECC.
WEBSITE: stephensonsofessex.com or nibsbuses.com
Example fleet list - Stephensons
| Alexander-Dennis Enviro
200 The single deck fleet is dominated by this very standard type, numbering 39 in all. Those below have seen operating on local services. Fleet livery is fairly consistantly applied. 478 carries branding for the blackwater link. |
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First day operations in Harlow were represented by 2 vehicles. 435 (YY67USC) is seen at the bus station on route 5, actually on 1st August, the second day. (R Hudson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The other first day vehicle was 414 (SK07HLV), seen at the Sumners Farm terminal actually on 31st July. (R Hudson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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427 (YY15NJO) is an identical example. This has seen service on the local network. (R Hudson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Just before services started, 431 (EU10NVP) is on route learning, as shown on the destination screen and with more trainees than many of the journeys will carry on board. (R Hudson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Two recent arrivals are fleet numbers 428 and 429. Both arrived autumn 2023 in white. Both have operated locally. 428 is shown here in the bus station in February 2024, following application of fleet livery. (R Hudson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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And the other of the pair, 429, at Sumners Farm in its early days in service with Stephensons. It has also since gained fleet livery. (R Hudson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Optare Solo A small number of these remain in the fleet and have seen a reasonable amount of regular service on the Bishops Stortford 7/7A and occasional visit to Harlow. All are of the slimline variety. |
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Fleet number 324 (as well as 323) is a shorter M780SL type, noted here on 4th August. (R Hudson) | ||
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Fleet number 326 is an M880SL variant, seen in the bus station with a not especially helpful destination display. (R Hudson) | ||||
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Fleet number 327 is an M850SL variant. Although Stephensons normally do a very good job in vehicle presentation, especially for a white-based livery, winter road conditions had clearly left thier mark here in Bishops Stortford interchange. (R Hudson) | ||||
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Fleet number 328 is another M880SL variant, again seen in the bus station. (R Hudson) | ||||
| Scania/East Lancs Olympus The Stephensons double deck fleet is far less like a typical fleet comprising a large number of Scanias, almost exclusively so. Of these, most have East Lancs or successor Optare bodywork. Many are Omnidekkas but this example is one of a number in the Olympus style. There are also Alexander-Dennis E400s and a solitary E400MMC, but still on Scania chassis. |
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The first Saturday brought the first appearance of a double deck. Originating as London United SO1, after a period with Centrebus, Stephensons has become this vehicle's new home. It wouldn't seem to have operated in service and Stephensons will have learnt that this capacity isn't anything like needed on the 5 or 14 (R Hudson) | ||
| Scania/East Lancs
Omnidekka The . |
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T (R Hudson) | ||
| Alexander-Dennis Mini
Pointer Dart Just one example in today's fleet and it's turned up in Bishops Stortford on the 7/7A in the first week of operations. |
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Bishops Stortford's interchange is the setting for this MPD on one of the newly inherited routes, although it has yet to reach Harlow. (R Hudson) | ||
Example fleet list - NIBS
| Alexander-Dennis
E20D/Enviro200MMC The only examples of this latest varient of the standard Alexander-Dennis product across the combined fleets are within the NIBS fleet. |
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On route 5 in week 2 at Sumners Farm, one of the 2 Alexander-Dennis E200MMCs in the fleet. (R Hudson) | ||
| Alexander-Dennis Enviro200 Vehicle choices for NIBS are very similar to those of the main Stephensons fleet, these standards dominating the offering. |
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On route 5 at the Bus Station, 438, one of the two regularly used examples (the other is 439), illustrates the standard Alexander-Dennis E200. (R Hudson) | ||||
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Clicking on the image of 419 will show the unusual offside route number on the side display. (R Hudson) | ||||||
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439, regrettably, offered no available display at all when seen on 25th August 2023. (R Hudson) | ||||||
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450 and 451 are a consequtive pair of similar vehicles. The latter is seen here at the bus station. (R Hudson) | ||||||
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An autumn scene for 444 on the 5 at Sumners Farm on 14th November 2023. The colours work well together with the NIBS livery. This vehicle was once with Abellio London, where it opetated in dual door format. It has since been converted to single door. (R Hudson) | ||||||
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Same route and same place, one fleet number on and one month on, but looking like a whole season on. 445 is seen on 15th December. (R. Hudson) | ||||||
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452 (YX10FFN) didn't have a functional destination display when seen on the 5 on 14th February. Even the paper substitute could only be described as minimal! (R Hudson) | ||||||
| Galloway fleet examples . |
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An unusual type to see in Harlow is this Volvo B9TL/East Lancs Myllennium Vyking. (R Hudson) | ||
Route List
Within Harlow:
5 - Harlow Bus Station to Sumners Farm - ECC contract service, Mon-Sat,
hourly. PVR = 1
14 - Harlow Bus Station to Little Parndon (Mondays to
Saturdays) extended to Pinnacles (Monday to Friday peak hours). ECC
contract service, PVR = 1.
Outside Harlow:
Large network of local services, mainly in South East Essex. See
website for details.
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Last update: 14th April 2024
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