17037 Dennis Trident Alexander ALX 400

17037, a Euro 2 Dennis Trident ALX 400, was part of Stagecoach’s first batch of new buses to London. It was initially numbered TA37 and joins several of this batch already in preservation, including TA1 (17001) and 17012, which belonged to Ribble. However, since 17037 was operating in Manchester and briefly loaned to Wigan, it seemed fitting for it to be taken on by the group.

New to London in February 1999, 17037 was part of a batch of 38 Tridents. It served in the capital for approximately five years before transferring to Cambridge for their Babraham Road – Cowley Road Park & Ride service. Later, it moved to Exeter, retaining the Green P&R livery but having its front painted into a beachball design and keeping its second door until 2007/8.

In 2007/8, 17037 underwent a full conversion to regional specification and was transferred to Torquay / Paignton. However, in 2011/12, the South West received a delivery of new Scania N230UD Enviro 400s, which displaced the aging Tridents. As a result, 17037 was sent to Wigan for storage before transferring to Hyde Road for service there.

On October 25, 2013, 19519 failed in Piccadilly Gardens. 17037 was substituted in and began its loan work at Wigan. Mid-November, it returned to Hyde Road. 

By December 2013, the bus left Manchester bound for Scotland, working out of Fife. In March 2014, it was transferred again and saw out its service days in Kettering. In 2017, it was withdrawn and sold to scrap. It was then sold to Smiths of Marple, who took delivery in 2017 and saw out the rest of its service days. It was withdrawn late last year and has been sitting since. Recently, it moved to another storage yard, where we learned it was starting to be stripped of parts (hence the lack of windscreens), so we decided to step in.