The Optare Prismas were a very common sight in Saddleworth but can now only be seen on journeys on the X84 (and the workings on the 183 in between). They have now been repainted in the "Barbie 3" colour scheme which in the case of these vehicles is a distinct improvement as they look a lot brighter. 60437 descends Oldham Road in Grasscroft.

The Alexander Royale-bodied Olympians were regular vehicles on the X84 at first, but are no longer seen as they have been transferred away from Oldham garage. They were able to show a full and correct disply, unlike many other vehicles, and that can be seen to good effect here as 30245 crosses the railway at Greenfield station. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

A timetable revision saw Dukinfield depot's solitary working on the 180 (q.v.) change to be one on the X84, and as a consequence a single morning journey on the service is usually worked by a Dennis Arrow (still with the same driver). Here 31950 approaches Greenfield station.

60445 passes under the majestic skew arch of the railway viaduct at Brownhill. This was an ambitious composition due to the traffic and I only just managed it, as you can see.

66831 stands on the canal bridge, having just turned into Dobcross New Road by Brownhill Visitor Centre. It is branded for the 82, but in practice anything can be seen on the X84.

66867 has just turned at the Woolpack in Dobcross. The shutter has missed the destination display completely, a frustrating quirk of these modern displays, particularly so when the picture is an attempt to show a less-common working.

34334 passes the site of Measurements Mill on Delph New Road. The road in the foreground was an access road to Tame Water Mill in its later role as a nightspot, and is now access to the housing development there.

Approaching Delph along the Sound is 66909, slightly blurred as the evening light was more subdued than the photo would indicate!

66909 returns through Delph village, still displaying the destination it has just visited and is returning to the garage in Oldham. Behind is another simialr bus on one of the evening peak extensions of the 82 to Uppermill, whence that will also return to the garage.

66864 passes through Delph having almost completed its journey from Manchester. Photo courtesy Mark Amis.

60228 was one of the large fleet of Mercedes-Benz Citaros which were almost unique in First Group to Oldham depot. They have all moved with the influx of new Volvos in 2005 and Bury depot can now claim the distinction. The X84 caused problems with the older electronic displays as they had not been programmed for it. Most drivers seemed to settle for the 84 instead, although as can be seen this gave a rather incongruous display of Langley via Broughton for this bus turning into Lodge Lane in Delph!

Volvo Olympian 30243 was correctly showing X84 as it arrived, but as the last passenger alighted at the bottom of Lodge Lane the driver reset the blind as shown. All perfectly correct, but very frustrating for the photographer!

66913 leaves the terminus at Carrcote having completed its evening journey on the X84 from Manchester. Note in the top left corner the direction sign put up by Tameside depot showing the 353 going onward to Denshaw and the 355 turning round at Carrcote using Lodge Lane, as this X84 has just done. The sign dates back to before deregulation in 1986 and the 355 stopped running in 2004!