HFF: Stagecoach Cambus 623 (P823 GMU) at Beck Row – 3 Feb 2001 (453-17)

Saturday 3 February 2001 (approx. 1145) – The large bus groups like Stagecoach, which undertake Transport for London contracts, are able to cascade London based vehicles to their provincial subsidiaries once certain age limits are reached or contracts end.

Northern Counties bodied Volvo Olympian P823 GMU which was new in September 1996 to Stagecoach East London as their VN23 was now operating with Cambus as their 623 still wearing London red livery pending repaint in corporate livery.

It is seen arriving at Beck Row alongside the perimeter fence of RAF Mildenhall in rural Suffolk when operating the 1045 service X10 from Cambridge via Newmarket to Mildenhall thence as a circular via Beck Row, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Lakenheath returning to Mildenhall. It then continued via Newmarket to Cambridge.

In 2003 Stagecoach introduced a national fleet numbering system. This was a sensible approach which simplified asset control and made vehicle transfers easier. Cambus 623 became 16023 under this new system.