This vehicle is one of a batch of Low-Height Northern Counties Bodied Olympians that was new in 1988 to Yorkshire Rider, It was built in low height format due to its operating depot in Todmorden being a 14ft building which was originally built for the water board, so in order for them to be able to operate double deckers out of Todmorden which operates high frequency, high demand services between Halifax, Rochdale & Burnley they had to order these buses which were 13ft 9 tall compared to most buses at the time which were around 14ft 6.
In 1994 Badgerline group took over Yorkshire Rider, so after the sale buses were starting to have their Yorkshire Rider names removed in favour of “Calderline” Fleetnames, in 1995 Badgerline Merged with Grampian regional transport in Aberdeen and became FirstGroup as we see them today, it quickly gained a new repaint into the new White, Blue & Yellow livery with First logos which was designed by Badgerline & chosen as Halifax & Todmorden’s local livery branded as Calderline.
Around 1999 it transferred across the Pennines to Manchester and painted in their Tomato Soup livery, then a few years later transferred to First PMT and painted in their Yellow and Red colour scheme, it stayed there for a few years before ending up transferring down to Devon & Cornwall after been painted into the “fade in” Barbie 1 livery to replace some of their older buses in 2003, it stayed in service until 2010 after which it was purchased for preservation back in Yorkshire by a private owner, it was stored until 2012 until it changed owners for further preservation where minor work was carried out and appeared at a few rallies locally and even as far as Edinburgh. In late 2013 it was purchased by it’s current owner Matty who has carried out some chassis protection work and other cosmetical work & will be on the rally scene more frequently upon completion of MOT work & repaint around mid 2021
