New Zealand

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LAYOUT: British registration, British fleetnumber, previous owner, export date, NZ fleet number and registration plates

Hamilton City Bus

L960
N100FET - Thorpe of North Kensington, exported 07/03
N300FET - Thorpe of North Kensington, exported 07/03
N400FET - Thorpe of North Kensington, exported 07/03
Private registration plates, re-used on British vans. Details on this batch in NZ are sketchy, three of these carried registrations AWW976(76), BNH275(77) whilst working for Hamilton City Bus.
BNH275 was for sale through ACS Sales of NZ during 12/06.
One (presumably the one that didn't become AWW976 or BNH275) received the registration number N607JLY before leaving the UK. N200FET received the registration N608JLY but stayed in England.

Ritchies of Auckland

L1150
P901EGM (901) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 607 – DMJ918, into use before 12/06
P902EGM (902) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 609 – ECD201, into use 08/07
P903EGM (903) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 612 – DMT102, into use before 12/06
P904EGM (904) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 613 – DLQ465, into use before 12/06
P905EGM (905) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 620 – DKE964, into use before 12/06
P906EGM (906) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 623 – DKW680, into use before 12/06
P907EGM (907) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 624 – DSA57, into use 06/07
P908EGM (908) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 632 – DKE970, into use before 12/06
P909EGM (909) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 634 – DPP84, into use 11/06?
P910EGM (910) - Reading Transport, exported 03/06. 637 – DNB224, into use 11/06?
This batch operating for Ritchies. These and other L1150s in New Zealand (all except the N-FETs) are converted to dual doors and can seat 40 people.

Ritchies of Auckland

L1150
P911GJM (911) - Reading Transport w 07/07, exported 03/08. 603 - ECD219
P912GJM (912) - Reading Transport w 07/07, exported 03/08. 622 - EHG215
P913GJM (913) - Reading Transport w 07/07, exported 03/08. 604 - ECK514
P914GJM (914) - Reading Transport w 07/07, exported 03/08. 635 - EHG197
P915GJM (915) - Reading Transport w 07/07, exported 03/08. 636 - EFT336

Ritchies of Auckland

L1150
R201DKG (201) – Cardiff Transport, exported 08/05. 671 – CSM936
R202DKG (202) – Cardiff Transport, exported 08/05. 672 – CSM933
R203DKG (203) – Cardiff Transport, exported 08/05. 673 – CSY461
R204DKG (204) – Cardiff Transport, exported 08/05. 674 – CSY465
R205DKG (205) – Cardiff Transport, exported 08/05. 675 – CSM934

Ritchies of Auckland

L1150
R917SJH (917) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 656 – CSM926
R918SJH (918) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 657 – CSY464
R919SJH (919) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 658 – CSM935
R920SJH (920) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 659 – CSY473
R921SJH (921) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 660 – CSM924
R922SJH (922) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 661 – CSM925
R923SJH (923) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 662 – CSM940
R924SJH (924) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 663 – CSM939

Ritchies of Auckland

L1150
T937EAN (937) – Reading Transport, exported 03/05. 664 – CSM927
T938EAN (938) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 665 – CTQ743
T939EAN (939) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 666 – CSM938
T940EAN (940) – Reading Transport, exported 08/05. 667 – CSY466

Christchurch Bus Services

L1150
T173LCH (173) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 129 – CQW41
T174LCH (174) – Trent Barton, exported 06/05. 130 – (CQW40)DPH785, re-reg 11/06, sold to Waipawa Buses 03/08
T975LCH (175) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 131 – CQU959, fire damage 11/06 - later scrapped
T976LCH (176) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 138 – CRF803
T977LCH (177) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 132 – CQW47
T178LCH (178) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 133 – CQU982
T179LCH (179) – Trent Barton, exported 06/05. 139 – CRF814, sold to Waipawa Buses 03/08
T180LCH (180) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 134 – CQU985
T181LCH (181) – Trent Barton, exported 03*/05. 140 – CRF812, registered in NZ 05/05
T182LCH (182) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 141 – CRF809
T183LCH (183) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 142 – CRF802, fire damage 02/08 - later scrapped
T184LCH (184) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 135 – (CSE212)DPH786 (re-reg 11/06)
T185LCH (185) – Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 136 – CQU981
T186LCH (186) – Trent Barton, exported 03*/05. 128 – CRJ421, registered in NZ 05/05, sold to Waipawa Buses 03/08
T787XVO (187) - Trent Barton, exported 05/05. 137 – CQU960
T788XVO (188) - Trent Barton, exported 06/05. 143 – CRF819

Transinfo.nz.net reports the fleet to be as following in June 2010 with only ten of the 16 listed, all formed of Excel L1150's, with dual door and 40 seats. 129 CQW41, 132 CQW47, 133 CQU982, 134 CQU985, 135 DPH786* (their site says DPH785), 136 CQU981, 137 CQU960, 138 CRF803, 140 CRF812, 143 CRF819.

131 CQU959 and 142 CRF802 are likely to have been scrapped, 141 CRF809's fate is unknown.

Ritchies of Auckland

L1150
V943EAN (943) – Reading Transport, exported 03/05. 668 – CSM937
V944EAN (944) – Reading Transport, exported 03/05. 669 – CSM928
V945EAN (945) – Reading Transport, exported 03/05. 670 – CSM929

Waipawa Buses, Waipawa Christchurch Bus Services

L1150
CRJ421 (ex Christchurch 128, ex Trent 186)
DPH785 (ex Christchurch 130, ex Trent 174)
CRF814 (ex Christchurch 139, ex Trent 179)
Numbered 210, 211 and 212, these buses are used on Gisborne urban services under the Red Bus Service name.

Total - 54 in New Zealand

Christchuch Bus Services, New Zealand have 16 former Trent Barton 11.5 metre long Excels, this is number 133 - CQU982, seen in January 2010.
photo copyright of Eamonn Kentell

Ritchies of Auckland operates 35 11.5 metre versions too, 30 former P/R/T/V registrations from Reading Transport and R201-5DKG ex Cardiff Transport. This is number 613 - DLQ465, also seen in January 2010.
Lost in New Zealand are former N100/300/400FET, one was re-registered N607JLY before leaving Great Britain. Two of them became AWW976 and BNH275 (unknown order), operating for Hamilton City Bus, the latter was sold by ACS Sales of NZ in 2006, to who is not known.
photo copyright of Eamonn Kentell

For comparison purposes, DLQ465 was previously 904 - P904EGM in Reading, and here it is when new on 19th March 1997 loading up in Reading. It left for New Zealand nine years later.
photo copyright of GGC

As much as Malta is in the news in bus enthusiast circles, Christchurch - New Zealand - is unfortunately in the news this week following a bad earthquake.
Peter Cook had provided these images of ex Trent vehicles taken on 19th November 2008.
16 Trent Excels work for Christchurch, all but three of the remaining exported Excels in New Zealand are from the Reading fleet and those operate with Ritchies of Auckland. CQW41 above was previously T173LCH.

This rear and near side study of former T178LCH, now 133 CQU982, shows the interesting addition of a single door in front of the rear axle. Over the years a number of Excels have had the middle door removed (National Express's R-HWUs), though quite a few have had a full size middle door added, such as V511KMY and X538NWT at Dover - showing a versatility of the Excel body.
The panel towards the front of the small exit door would normally be fitted to the off side, judging by the livery.

Rear study of CRF809, ex T182LCH.

137 CQU960, originally T787XVO.

143 CRF819, former T788XVO.

Ex T977LCH above.
The 28th February 2010 update (which can be found much lower down this page) has a front off side view of CQU982 the rear near side of this is shown above here, and also a photo of ex Reading P904EGM now working with Ritchies of Auckland.

Last checked: May 2011
Data supplied here protected by the Open Licensing Agreement, according to which information shown here may be used elsewhere ONLY under the condition that the source of the information is acknowledged - this being http://uk.geocities.com/blackpool_excel
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