FoKAB have started 2024 with a very well attended New Year's Day running day with a range of historic routes and an additional route over Stagecaoch's 69 to Fareham to connect with the Provincial Society's New Years Day Ale & Ride event between Fareham and Gosport.
As a result of the Fareham route, there were a decent number of visiting vehicles, keeping the King Alfred vehicles to their usual routes.
The middle of the day provided one of the largest crowds meeting, if not exceeding, the crowds normally found on the larger May running days.
The featured vehicle on the event's timetable book was 595 LCG, one of two AEC Renowns, there doesn't appear to be any significance to it featuring on the cover.
The other AEC Renown, 596, also was out providing the post King Alfred Motor Services contrast in Hants and Dorest livery.
596 looks like it might have had a new set of destination blinds - the Broadway text was very vibrant compared to the route number.
The other duo that were out were Leyland Panther UOU 417H and UOU 419H.
417 was back out on passenger services having spent the last few running days on the side lines for maintenance.
Out of the two Leyland Atlantean's in the FoKAB fleet, HOR 590E was the representative at this running day.
HOR 592E was listed in the timetable as being present rather than 590, but presumably there was an issue preventing it from attending.
The weather was not great during the afternoon, so 590 spent a while in the bus station as the open top is not suitable in the rain.
Leyland Titan 494 was the final double deck FoKAB vehicle at this running day.
The Leyland Tiger Cub was also out completing a complete set of single deck post war buses with the Panthers.
The last King Alfred vehicle at this running day was Bedford VAL14 CCG 704C.
The VAL was out on the 69 to Fareham so it spent most of the day out of Winchester.
Usual visitor 1013 MW was also present but I was unable to get a clear photo. It was on longer routes, probably the 69, so it was not in Winchester much.
This event provided some of the best photo stops/oppotunities that I've had on a FoKAB running day.
On a trip to Stanmore, the driver stopped to allow anyone wanting a photo to walk under the railway bridge on Stanmore Lane before the bus passed through.
On a trip out to Crawley, the driver dropped anyone who wanted a photo by the duck pond of the bus returning from the turning point at the church.
As Stagecoach don't operate services on New Year's Day, the only service buses that were operating were the BlueStar services to Southampton. This means that FoKAB were using the bus station to leave buses and it was safe enough to walk out to where they were being parked.
On a normal day this area would have buses parked over it and it would not be possible to almost sit on the floor to get low down photos.
