Member Mike has submitted the following question regarding Western’s coach fleet:
In 1981, after the first batch of Duple Dominant III coaches had been delivered, the Volvo B58 Alexander M types were upseated from C42Ft to C45Ft. The original 42 seats were aligned perfectly with the windows so that no seat had a view blocked by a pillar. By upseating to 45 this would no longer be the case. Western didn’t rebuild the windows on the M types.
The Dominants and Goldliners delivered new with 46 seats would not have had the same perfect alignment as the M types when delivered new. However, when their London days were over, Western (and the other SBG companies) upseated them including to 55 seaters and rebuilt them with a variety of window styles/sizes: Dominant II, Dominant IV, and shallow windows similar to the Plaxton Supreme VI.
Bus Lists On The Web details a Goldliner III delivered new as C55F and Park’s of Hamilton taking ones new as C53F or C51Ft.
So why did Western (and the others) replace the windows when their London days were over?
In my opinion they were stunning when delivered in the second-generation SCOTTISH livery and original slanted windows. They lost their appeal when rebuilt and in Citylink livery.