*FAST* Route 300: First Essex: 33504 (LK08FLX) Dennis Trident II/ ADL Enviro400

Описание: One wet Saturday after heading back from an impromptu trip round Essex, time for a double bill of First action, with a bus on borrowed time, the oldest of the ex-Londoners. We have Enviro400 33504.

New in 2008. LK08FLX was new to First London as DN33504 and was new to Dagenham (DM) garage for use on routes 179, 252 & 365 until 2013 with the closure of First's Dagenham garage. With the DN prefix dropped, after being converted to single was sent to First Leicester's Abbey Lane garage, running town routes, and wore orange branding for routes 14/14A. 2016 saw the bus sent to Basildon garage to displace elderly centre-staircase Tridents.

Our journey sees us on First Essex Route 300 which runs from Chelmsford Bus Station to Basildon Bus Station via London Road, Galleywood, Stock, Billericay, South Green, Barleylands, Noak Bridge & Heron Park. The 300 replaced the northern section of the 100, initially to allow the Basildon to Lakeside section to run with double deckers, originally using the 100s fleet of Volvo 7900 Hybrids, until re-routing in Chelmsford around the low bridge allowed for double deckers to run the 300 as well.

LK08FLX is powered by a Euro 4 Cummins ISBe engine coupled to a ZF Ecomat 5HP500 5-speed automatic gearbox, which does seem to be driven with some speed, possibly some kickdown action on the go. Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys.

Start: Galleywood, St Johns Hospital
Finish: Billericay, St Johns School
With additional end clips from Great Burstead, Church Street to Noak Bridge, South Wash Road and from Heron Park B & Q to Basildon, Roundacre Roundabout.