60663 Wrightbus Wright Renown

First Mainline – now First South Yorkshire, ordered a total of 85 new Volvo B10BLEs, and the fleet was delivered in several batches between 1998 and 1999. Originally numbered 845, ‘MAK’ was delivered in early 1999 and only spent a brief time working in Sheffield.

In early 2000 MAK was transferred to Bury and renumbered to 60663 as part of First’s new national numbering system. The vehicle then swapped between Bury and Manchester Queens Road on a regular basis until 2005 when it transferred to Wigan Lockett Road upon the introduction of the new Volvo B7RLEs to central Manchester.

Shortly before Stagecoach’s takeover of First’s Wigan operations in 2012 60663 transferred back to Queens Road. In 2014 MAK was stood down and employed as a driver training vehicle at Bolton Weston Street. In August 2019, Rotala acquired Bolton in a successful bid to expand its Diamond Northwest operation. Diamond continued to use the vehicle for training and shuttle duties until a catastrophic engine failure on the motorway in November 2023.

MAK was not officially stood down until early 2024, at which point it was preserved by the group. Significant cosmetic and mechanical restoration is underway to restore the vehicle.