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February 2009
Green Line 702
Green Line is the brand name for the local express services operating from nearby towns into London.   Once a mighty network it now contains only a few remaining routes including those to Luton Airport and the peripheral Harlow to Heathrow Airport runs.   The poor relation has always been the 700/1/2 service from Bracknell to London.   Although it serves major tourist destinations such as Windsor, home to a famous family [middle left], Legoland, home to famous plastic bricks [below and middle right] and Slough, home to a famous bus station, the route has often been served by cast off vehicles from the Reading to Heathrow express.   All this has changed and First Beeline (for it is that forgotten company of the First Empire that operates it) has just placed three new double deck coaches in service.   Leather seats complement the stylish livery and there's not a mention of Bracknell [above] anywhere (its ultimate destination).   As the route requires more than three vehicles, other cast-offs still operate, these days from South Wales express services [bottom].   The reason for this is obvious to First.
Green Line in the 80's

It's been quite a few years since any double decker coaches operated on Green Line services.   However during the 1980's three batches of five vehicles each were supplied for Green Line duties, including ones for Flightline services to London airports.
Green Line 702
  
All photos taken in December 2008.   Click to enlarge.
  
Photo Facts (top to bottom)
  • First Beeline GL4 (LK58EDF), one of the three new Wright bodied Volvos, in Bracknell bus station.
  • First Beeline GL6 (LK58EDL), a Wright bodied Volvo at Legoland, Windsor.
  • First Beeline GL6 (LK58EDL), a Wright bodied Volvo at Legoland, Windsor.
  • First Beeline GL5 (LK58EDJ), a Wright bodied Volvo in Windsor.
  • First Beeline 20639 (CV55AMU), a Plaxton bodied Volvo in Slough Bus Station, which was made famous in a John Betjeman poem.   This vehicle was one of a large batch of wheelchair accessible coaches delivered to South Wales for express services from Cardiff to Swansea.
  • London Country LRC4 (A104FPL), an ECW bodied coach Olympian, at Victoria in London in June 1984.   The National Bus Company took a number of these type of vehicles for local express work around London in the 1980's
  • London Country LRC6 (B106LPH), an ECW bodied coach Olympian, at Victoria on the 757 Flightline service to Luton Airport in July 1986.   This service still exists to this day.
  • London Country LRC12 (C212UPD), one of the final batch of ECW bodied coach Olympians delivered for Green Line duties.   It is seen at xxx in June 1988.
  
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