All about us
Dorset Fox is a fictional bus company presented at model scale, providing a network of bus routes from our depot in Ferndown. Our services takes us across much of the English county of Dorset and into neighbouring areas.
The idea behind Dorset Fox was to create a fictional company that allowed for a combination of interests in diecast modelling and timetable design.
Services would be designed to complement those provided by the larger real life operators. A number of routes are in fact those previously offered in the real world, whilst others are adaptations of current "marginal" or local authority supported services.
A policy of realism is followed, so the following steps are considered:
- all services are timetabled and routed accordingly;
- any hazards or restrictions are taken into consideration;
- all models are presented in fleet livery, with all relevant detailing applied.
2014: the baby fox is born
The first route was established with a trio of Optare Solos, running out of a small depot in north Bournemouth.
Over the course of the following year, two more routes were added requiring three additional vehicles.
2015 - 2019 : slow and steady growth
The following few years saw Dorset Fox grow steadily with the addition of new contracts, and the doubling of our Optare Solo fleet up to 12 vehicles, plus the addition of our first full size buses in the form of two ADL Enviro200s for our busiest service.
By the time we reached 2019, we realised that our depot was getting too small. So we upped sticks and moved the short distance to somewhere more spacious.
2020 : a fresh look during a challenging year
The start of the new decade brought us a challenge nobody could have envisioned: the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and advice to avoid public transport meant we lost most of our passenger base practically overnight, yet we soldiered on regardless.
Despite this, 2020 heralded two major events... Firstly, we updated our image with a new livery and a modernised logo - out went dark green and large vinyl foxes, and in was a brighter lime green and white design. Having much of our fleet out of action due to reduced services meant we could get the fleet repainted in a much shorter timeframe.
The other milestone to occur was the arrival of two ADL Enviro400MMCs, not just our first double deckers but our first brand new vehicles. These proved valuable on our busiest routes, as social distancing meant capacity could be maintained, particularly at school times.
2021 : rebuilding and diversification
Despite a number of hiccups along the way, 2021 brought about some degree of normality, as well as new opportunities for expansion. A number of new routes were introduced during 2021, taking our buses beyond the confines of the BCP conurbation and right across Dorset, as well as into Ringwood and even Southampton. This was accompanied by the opening of a second depot in Ferndown.
In order to bring more revenue into the business, Dorset Fox diversified into rail replacement work, covering some major blockades and taking our buses to places we never imagined when we first started! We also purchased three vintage vehicles, providing another form of income and adding some interesting variety to the fleet.
2022 - present : restructuring
The start of 2022 saw a number of challenges thanks to reductions in post-covid funding and what turned out to be permanent changes in travelling habits. A number of contract losses in 2021 and 2022 meant we sadly took the decision to close our Bournemouth depot and move everything into the newer, larger Ferndown site. This allowed us to reduce our overheads and maintain our programme of investment in newer vehicles.
Where to next?
A policy adopted by the company since our inception was one of slow and steady growth, taking in opportunities as they come along. However, we always welcome new suggestions from fellow model operators and fans.
This means that the fleet will remain relatively small compared with some of our model fleet compatriots, but it also means less space is required for storing the models!