Location of the Harris Bus garage in Grays.

Some info removed due to the 5000 character limit.
Harris Bus
Located in Manor Road, Grays.
Began ‘London’ work when they took over school route 661 on 17th March 1997.
Frank Harris Coaches of Grays was an established coach operator, ahead of bus deregulation on 26th October 1986 existing operators had to register their commercial networks, Eastern National & London Country North East decided not to register various routes around Grays leaving the local authority to decide whether or not to continue funding them.
Frank Harris Coaches of Grays were successful in being awarded several routes and ‘Harris Bus’ was created as a separate entity to operate them, they carried a traditional style blue and cream livery.
In 1996 the image was revamped and a new lime green and blue livery was introduced, publicity carrying the new look appeared from 21st October when the commercial network in Grays was revised, four new Optare Excels were introduced branded as ‘Thurrock Link’ (TLB 387), three DAF DB250 with Palatine II bodywork had arrived carrying the new livery in September for the ‘L’ routes.
Harris Bus entered London contract operations in 1997 when they were awarded school route 661 starting 17th March; it was operated with the recently delivered Olympians from their commercial ‘Thurrock Link’ routes serving Lakeside.
The 108 followed on 19th April, eleven Optare Excel were acquired, all carrying the lime green and blue ‘Thurrock Link’ livery which had appeared on their commercial routes in 1996 - with ‘Lewisham Link’ branding, the allocation was split between Grays and a new outstation within the Acorn Industrial Estate, Crayford.
Ahead of this the Harris Bus operations in Grays were reduced from 14th April.
This was was followed by the 128, 129 and 150 starting 19th July, the main allocation was 28 x Volvo Olympian with East Lancs Pyoneer bodywork, P 338-350 ROO were dual door and P 351-359 ROO were front entry/exit, they carried the lime green and blue livery with ‘Ilford Link’ branding.
Not all buses were available on the first day, Atlantean with Roe bodywork were hired from Ipswich Buses as cover.
Existing DAF DB250 with N/C Palatine II bodies were also used P 317/8 KTW.
The remaining buses arrived after 1st August so P 354-359 ROO were reregistered as R 354-359 XVX.
In 1998 the 132 was taken over from 24th January, a further eight Excels were acquired - branded as ‘Eltham Link’, this operated from Crayford.
The 180 was added from 14th February, this operated from a new site at Burts Wharf, Crabtree Manor Way, Belvedere, using 13 x dual doored Volvo Olympian with East Lancs Pyoneer bodywork, R 360-372 DJN - branded as ‘Lewisham Link’
The 108 and 132 moved here from 21st February and Crayford was closed (and I assume the 661 moved from Grays).
Another pair of Palatine II bodied DAF DB250 arrived in May for the Ilford routes, registered R 381/2 GTW, these were ex-demonstrators.
In 1999 the 108 was increased in frequency from 1st May, the four Excels were switched from the Thurrock services.
Harris Bus went into administrative receivership on 15th December, Frank Harris Coaches being a separate business carried on as before.
In 2000 the operation of the 150 was taken over by Blue Triangle using the single door Harris Bus Olympians with Blue Triangle drivers from 9th March on a temporary basis.
From 25th March London Buses then took over the Harris Bus operated LRT routes (108, 128, 129, 132, 150, 180, 661) the buses to operate them and Belvedere garage, but not Grays, via a new operation called East Thames Buses, Ash Grove reopened and the 128 and 129 transferred from Grays along with part of the 108 from Belvedere.
East Thames Buses took over the 150 from 15th April, it was operated from Ash Grove.
The Ilford Olympians were all repainted red by September, the Excels by October and the Lewisham Olympians most likely by the end of the year, there is no confirmed last sighting.
Source - various LOTS newsletters.
Elmers enD.
Flickr - Steve Hodgson, John Soutar and Mark McCann's photostream.
www.flickr.com/photos/nebp2/8...
www.flickr.com/photos/nebp2/5...

[@steventaylor3381]

I work at go coach swanley

[@ElmersEnd]

It's nice that Swanley is being used again for 'Country Buses' type work. I don't know the ins and outs - but Harris Bus seemed to spend 10 years being quietly successful operating a small group of routes in and around Grays, then took on several LRT routes and became unsuccessful. Clearly there was still money to be made operating a small group of routes in and around Grays because that's what Ensign ended up doing.