Two former Fife Circle coaches arrived at Eastleigh Works from Tyseley on 23rd December. These were replaced in mid-year 2019 by similar DRS coaches formerly used on the Cumbrian Coast, which have retention toilets.
For the Fife Circle loco-hauled service ScotRail tweeted on 7th January: "They're not ideal & we'll withdraw them once enough Class 170 trains have been freed up to replace them." This may mean that they see no realistic alternative cover for these trains once the May end of the dispensation date comes.
Meanwhile what is owner Riviera planning for these two coaches, which no longer meet disability access or toilet emissions specificiations for regular usage?
6176 is a Mk2f TSO, part of the short final Lot 30874, completed in early 1975. Note the ScotRail dots still present above the doors.
6176 at Aberdour in a patchwork Virgin based livery on 7th May 2014. At this time a single set was operating on the Fife Circle, and this set replaced the EWS set which had been sent for an immediate tidy-up.
By 2015, DRS was operating the service, using their own coaches and others hired from Riviera which were spruced up and vinyled, many at Eastleigh. Here is 6176 on 20th August 2015.
5952 (Lot 30846, August 1973) shows evidence of both ScotRail and Virgin base colours. Both coaches went from HSBC to Riviera ownership in the 2006 period.
5952 is paused at Aberdour on 22nd December 2017.
