COVENTRY HERITAGE LIVERY BUS 4453 !

[Coventry Transport Dude]

At just before 4.30pm this afternoon at the Arena Tesco Bus Hub, i unfortunately saw Coventry Heritage liveried Dennis Trident 4453 damage all its N/S lower panels, when it caught the front O/S corner of "ARRIVA" Wright Streetlight 3316 (FJ64 EUD).  To see 4453 pull off from its stop (on the 4 route !), quickly swing 'round 180 degrees (in order to leave the Bus Hub) and then to hear this crunching sound, wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, especially as that Bus is a personal favourite of mine ! (Only because of the livery it's in mind you !!!lol).  On realizing what he'd done, the Driver then pulled up alongside the loading bay for Tesco's Home Delivery Service and just sat there with his hazard lights on, while he phoned the Garage !  I'd only just photographed the Bus less than 2 minutes beforehand (which included a close-up shot to of the soon to be damaged "NATIONAL EXPRESS COVENTRY" logo on its N/S panels !), but i certainly didn't expect to be photographing those same panels again so soon afterwards, complete with all its ripples and long deep scratches on them ???  After exchanging details with the Arriva Driver, 4453 was only standing around for about 20 - 25 minutes, before being driven back down to Wheatley Street Garage !

My only concern now is, that after the damaged panels have been replaced, will it still have them repainted in Red (hopefully it will !), or will it be the end of the Heritage Livery for 4453 and straight off to the Paint Shop she goes ??? (Her livery was painted over 6 years ago now !).

[paulb1973]

Heritage liveries seem to be flavour of the month - so 4453 will probably be alright! I can't ever see them repainting it (other than a re-application of the 1970-73 CT livery).

[Coventry Transport Dude]

Good news to hear that is Paul, regarding the Heritage liveries and them currently being the flavour of the month !!!!  If 4453 hopefully does retain its heritage livery status, i would be interested to see what it would look like, if instead of representing the Marshall Red era from 1970 onwards, repaint it in the Maroon and Cream livery next time, but not in the Daimler CVG6 style guise that Metrobus 2867 was once painted in ! (The Maroon paint used on 2867 was unfortunately way too light and should have been a lot darker than it was !).  The Maroon livery with the Cream bands on it, as once used on the Wartime Utility Buses for example and later done on the Daimler CVA6's, CVD6's and on the nine Maudslay's as well, would certainly be nice and would look very distinctive ! (Some batches of Pre-War Daimlers were painted in this above mentioned guise to !).  Failing this, an even better livery still, is the one that was used on the Leyland Atlantean's that entered service with "CCT" in 1965, and on all the Daimler Fleetline's delivered after them, up to 1969.  They were painted predominantly Cream with a Maroon roof and bands and now i come to think of it, that livery would look far better still on 4453, than its current one, if it ever were to be repainted and retain some form of "CCT" heritage livery ??? (Just some food for thought there ???lol).

[Tony]

4453 is being repaired in exactly the same style as it currently carries

[Solo1]

4453 is being repaired in exactly the same style as it currently carries

I saw this in Aston yesterday so  take it it's going to PB to be fixed but why can't Coventry depot fix it

[DJ]

I saw this in Aston yesterday so  take it it's going to PB to be fixed but why can't Coventry depot fix it

I'm not sure how bad the damage is as I haven't seen it, but I presume it would be off to Walsall, as any replacement panels would have to be repainted.

[Coventry Transport Dude]

4453 is being repaired in exactly the same style as it currently carries

Oh right, that's good news Tony and "THANK YOU" for letting us know about that !!!!!  (It's current livery still looks OK i guess and could easily be a lot worse than some i've seen ???lol).  I did take some photo's of it, both just before and straight after its little side scraping with "Arriva" 3316, but unfortunately am still unable to post them on here, much to my annoyance !

[DJ]

Oh right, that's good news Tony and "THANK YOU" for letting us know about that !!!!!  (It's current livery still looks OK i guess and could easily be a lot worse than some i've seen ???lol).  I did take some photo's of it, both just before and straight after its little side scraping with "Arriva" 3316, but unfortunately am still unable to post them on here, much to my annoyance !

You can always upload them to Flickr or Imgur, and then provide the link on here.

[Coventry Transport Dude]

You can always upload them to Flickr or Imgur, and then provide the link on here.

A good and much appreciated little tip there StourValley98 and i shall certainly bare that in mind ? ("THANK YOU" !).

[JoNi]

4453 on 21

[Coventry Transport Dude]

Saw 4453 out and about on the 6 route today and i noticed when it was leaving Pool Meadow, that most (if not all ?) of its N/S skirting panels are damaged, in the form of having a gouge through them.  A thin black line is also visible on them and you can see it running through some of the gouges ? (All the lower N/S Panels on 4453 have not long been replaced and repainted as well, after its little scrape not so long back, with an ARRIVA bus outside Arena Tesco !!!!).