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Optare Excel Photography

Photographs are copyright of Shaun C unless stated, email this website for more details.

Former Harris Bus P331NHJ suffered a mechanical fire which cut short its existence. It was photographed on 08/03/02. Most of the former Harris Bus Excels are now stored with dealers or operators, several have been out of service for quite a few years.
photo copyright of Andy D

FBY805 in Malta has a different window layout to its original one, originally looking more like the L1070 chassis. Seen above in Bugibba on 3rd June 2006.
photo copyright of Ray Dobson 15/11/08

T214HCW in Blackpool.
photo copyright of Shaun C 15/11/08

Interior of T880RBR.
photo copyright of Shaun C 15/11/08

Rear end of T881RBR, showing the new lights and grills fitted to the ISBe re-engined Excels in Blackpool.
photo copyright of Shaun C 15/11/08

P213HRJ, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

P213HRJ, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08 - note the unusual rear tail lights. Blackpool's re-engined vehicles have new tail lights too, but not in this style.
photo copyright of Shaun C

P213HRJ, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

The rears of P702HMT and R219SBA, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

P702HMT, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

P704HMT meets P702HMT, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R10LCB, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R10LCB, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R214SBA, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R215SBA, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R217SBA, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R2LCB, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R5LCB, Wigan Saddle Junction, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R6LCB, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R882ENF, formerly R1LCB (registration probably now on some posh car!), Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R9LCB, Wigan Bus Station, 15/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

S3CLA at Wolverhampton, receiving attention from a mechanic, 25/04/07.
photo copyright of Shaun C

S705YOL on 25/04/07, note the destination blind area is black rather than red and there are some crash damage repairs to the front corner.
photo copyright of Shaun C

W604PLJ and HJ02WDE at the rear, Poole, 23/02/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

R417HWU, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

R419HWU, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

R422HWU, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

R641MBV, Chesterfield, 10/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R643MBV, Chesterfield, 10/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

R742BUJ, 2007
photo copyright of Shaun C

R743BUJ, Walsall, 2007
photo copyright of Shaun C

R743BUJ, Walsall, 25/04/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

R744BUJ, Walsall, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

S684YOL, Wolverhampton, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

S688YOL, Wolverhampton, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

S688YOL, Wolverhampton, 2007
photo copyright of Shaun C

S691YOL, Wolverhampton, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

S698YOL, Wolverhampton, 2007
photo copyright of Shaun C

S705YOL, Wolverhampton, 19/03/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

T881RBR, Blackpool, 04/09/07
photo copyright of Shaun C

X609WLJ at Ringwood on 14/08/07 unusually on the X36 (Poole-Verwood-Ringwood-Bournemouth) long distance route, usually worked by either Solos or VRs at the time. The route no longer exists, having been split into two.
photo copyright of Shaun C

YN51VHH at Chesterfield, 10/10/08
photo copyright of Shaun C

S928LBL
photo copyright of Shaun C

T934EAN
photo copyright of Shaun C

V198DRC
photo copyright of Shaun C

V210ENU
photo copyright of Shaun C

X963BPA
photo copyright of Shaun C

T210HCW, near Warbreck Water Tower, Layton's tower blocks in the background, 01/07.

T211HCW, Bispham Library, 01/07.

T215HCW, Devonshire Road, 22/01/07.

T884RBR, Bispham Library, 01/07.

Excels 2006, all photo's copyright of Shaun C

40064 P701HMT, Wigan, 29/11/06.

40065 P703HMT, Wigan, 29/11/06.

40067 P704HMT, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60140 P213HRJ, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60144 R217SBA, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60145 R218SBA, 60146 R219SBA, waiting to turn into Wallgate, 29/11/06.

60145 R218SBA, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60146 R219SBA, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60146 R219SBA, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60148 R221SBA, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60152 R2LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60153 R3LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60154 R4LCB, 60159 R9LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60154 R4LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60156 R6LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60159 R9LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

60160 R10LCB, Wigan, 29/11/06.

X307CBT, Guildford, 02/09/06.

X308CBT, Guildford, 02/09/06.

X308CBT, Guildford, 02/09/06.

YJ03UMM, Guildford, 02/09/06.

YJ03UMM, Guildford, 02/09/06.

YJ03UMM, Guildford, 02/09/06.

T213HCW, St Annes, 14/04/06.

T214HCW, St Annes, 16/04/06.

T216HCW, Cleveleys, 14/04/06.

Older Photography

N100FET, London Victoria, 12/01/97.
photo copyright of NDL

N200FET, London Liverpool Street, 11/08/97.
photo copyright of NDL

N300FET, London Waterloo, 12/12/96. All three of these have been exported to New Zealand but have not been traced for a few years. At least two examples have been sold on from the company they were initially shipped to.
photo copyright of NDL

R642MBV, Springfield of Wigan, 27/03/00 - the status of this bus is unknown and appears to have vanished.
photo copyright of NDL

R643MBV, Springfield of Wigan, 27/03/00.
photo copyright of NDL

S158UAL, Derby, 10/04/99.
photo copyright of NDL

S168UAL, Derby, 10/04/99.
photo copyright of NDL

Harris Bus P334NHJ at Stratford bus station on 8th August 1999.
photo copyright of Shaun C

With the end of Harris Bus, their former Excels were painted red. In August 2000, P324NHJ was seen at the Millennium Dome bus station.
photo copyright of Shaun C

N203LCK, in 2008 this is now already 12 years old [and in 2011 was in the process of being scrapped], photographed at the Burlington Hotel (well off the route of the 44) on 24th March 1999.
photo copyright of Shaun C