‘Scene’ in Chichester

Whilst on a short break staying in Southsea, I had chance for a quick visit to Chichester and of course, as well as the beautiful Cathedral, I had to take in the bus scene.

GX13 AOF

 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) Enviro 300 of ‘Stagecoach South’ (SS). The first time I have seen ‘Gold’ branding on single deckers.

 

GX13 AOC

 

Another ‘ADL' Enviro 300 of ‘SS.

 

GX12 DXR

A ‘ADL’ E40D of with Enviro 400 bodywork of ‘SS’ wearing the dedicated livery for the '700 Coastliner’ service which operates between Portsmouth and Brighton.

 

GX10 KZG

 

A ‘ADL’ Enviro 300 of ‘SS’. Again wearing the dedicated livery for the '700 Coastliner’ service which operates between Portsmouth and Brighton.

 

MX07 HLR

 

A Dennis Trident 2 with ‘ADL’ 400 bodywork of ‘SS’ in fleet livery.

 

R752 DRJ

A Volvo Olympian with Alexander RL bodywork of ‘SS’ which must be coming towards the end of its days.

 

GX58 GJV

 

An Optare Solo of ‘SS’.

 

J10 JYY

A Bova Futura of Chesterfield based operator NOVA Tours.

 

YJ12 PLZ

An Optare Solo ‘SR of Compass Bus’ who are part of ‘Compass Travel’ based in Worthing, West Sussex.

 

R524 YRP

A Dennis Dart with East Lancs Sprite bodywork. Working for ‘Emsworth & District’ (E&D).

 

Its previous owners reads like a who’s who’ of the bus world and includes.

 

‘Busy Bee’ of West Bromwich.

‘Pete’s Travel’ of West Bromwich

‘Linkstart’ of Craven Arms

‘Bus Eireann' as 97-D-63758

‘Meteor Parking’ London

‘Durham’ Travel

‘Bournemouth Transport’

 

and I think that I may have missed a couple

 

Where next I wonder ?

 

Looking at the livery, it would seem that all ‘E&D’ have done is retain the top half of the Bournemouth yellow and repainted the bottom half only.

 

‘Scene’ in Southsea and Portsmouth 2

A recent short holiday at the side of the Solent gave me an opportunity to see what transport variety was on offer.

 

Apart from the buses, there are trains, Hovercraft, The Royal Navy and Merchant shipping fleets. 

 

Something for everyone I should think.

 

Buses are provided mainly by ‘Stagecoach’ and ‘First Hants & Dorset’ (FHD). However, in what normally are fairly standardised fleets, I found much of interest.

 

Apart from the dedicated livery on ‘The Star’ ‘FHD’ operate in more standard colours also.

 

SN14 ECC

 

A Wright ‘Streetlite’ DF.

 

The standard ‘FHD’ livery carries the branding ‘SOLENT’ on the cove panel.

 

S630 KTP

 Dennis Dart with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork and still wearing the old ‘Barbie’ livery.

 

It is now 3 years since the livery to replace ‘Barbie’ was introduced so how much longer can she hang on for ????

 

S799 RWG

A Volvo B10 BLE with Wright Renown bodywork.

 

GX10 HBG

 

A Scania 230UD the ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd’ Enviro 400 bodywork of ‘Stagecoach in the South Downs’ in the dedicated route 700 ‘coastliner’ livery.

 

Seen helping out on the 23, it is usually seen operating between Portsmouth and Brighton.

 

YN54 NZA

A Scania CN94UB OmniCity of ‘FHD’.

 

KX09 NCE

 

A Volvo B12B with Plaxton Panther bodywork.

 

Operated by ‘Stagecoach’ subsidiary ‘megabus.com’. 

 

Seen waiting at the ‘Hard’ bus station in Portsmouth before operating a service to my home town, Sheffield.

 

S642 XCR

 

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork of ‘FHD’.

 

I was a bit surprised that this now elderly bus was in the new ‘First’ livery whilst newer buses were still wearing the ‘Barbie’ colours.

 

S372 SUX

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork of ‘FHD’.

 

I was intrigued by the appearance on the roof of what appears to be an air conditioning pack. An internet search into the buses background found that it had been originally supplied to ‘New World First Bus’ in Hong Kong along with another example S659 SNG.

 

I presume the a/c pack was for the Hong Kong conditions and it has never been removed 

 

Both were sold to ‘First’ group in the UK in 2000.

 

‘Buses’ magazine for January 2016 carries an article about this bus on page 64 which records its history and records its sale into preservation.

 

This image taken from the top of the ‘Spinnaker’ tower make the bus station at the ‘Hard’ together with the nearby Portsmouth Harbour railway station look like models.

V346 DLH

A Dennis Dart SLF with Marshall Capital bodywork of ‘FHD’.

 

An unusual angle captured from the top of the ‘Spinnaker’ tower.

 

YJ05 XOP

 

A short Optare Solo seen in the ‘new’ ‘FHD’ livery.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Southsea and Portsmouth 1

 

A recent short holiday at the side of the Solent gave me an opportunity to see what transport variety was on offer.

 

Apart from the buses, there are trains, Hovercraft, The Royal Navy and Merchant shipping fleets. 

 

Something for everyone I should think.

 

Buses are provided mainly by ‘Stagecoach’ and ‘First’ but in what normally are fairly standardised fleets, I found much of interest.

 

403 DCD

 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 300.

 

Formerly GX10 KZD which is one two buses painted in a version of ‘Southdown’ livery to celebrate that companies centenary.

 

‘Southdown’ was one of the constituent companies that go to make up ‘Stagecoach South’ (SS) the operator of the vehicle.

 

The bus was operating on route 23 which links Southsea to Leigh Park via Portsmouth.

 

 

SK63 KKH

 

A Wright Streetlite Max of ‘First Hants & Dorset (FHD).

 

Painted in a dedicated livery branded as ‘The Star’ serving Southsea, Portsmouth, Cosham and Waterlooville.

 

There are 26 buses in this livery carrying additional branding on the rear panels dedicated to Royal Navy warship’s both past and present.

 

This particular bus carries information relating to HMS Severn which is a River Class offshore patrol boat which joined the fleet in 2003.

 

VDL 744

 

Formerly HW58 ASX. A Scania CN270UD OmniCity of ‘Southern Vectis’ recently converted to open top and seemingly on the wrong side of the Solent. 

 

I saw it the following day in its ‘proper’ workplace which is on the ‘Isle of Wight’ (IOW).

 

Its appearance on the mainland is explained in part by its destination display which reads ‘The Provincial Society’.

 

They had held a bus rally on the mainland on the day in question for which the bus had been brought across to attend. 

 

When I saw it, it was on its way back to the IOW.

 

HY07 FTA

 

A Volvo B7TL with Wright Gemini Eclipse of ‘FHD’ which at one time worked in ‘First’ fleet livery in Southampton.

 

Seen in the  very attractive Park & Ride livery.

 

SN14 TPZ

 

An ‘ADL’ E40D with Enviro400 bodywork o ‘FHD’ similarly employed on Park & Ride services.

 

Despite the similarity of the livery, there are subtle differences.

 

GX06 DXP

 

A Dennis Trident carrying Alexander ALX 400 bodywork working for ‘SS’.

 

W703 PHT

 

Another Dennis Trident this time with East Lancs Lolyne bodywork in ‘FHD’ service.

 

At one time it worked for ‘First Bristol’.

 

YX63 GYJ

An ADL Enviro 200 working for ‘SS’.

 

Painted in a dedicated livery as the ‘HOVERBUS’.

 

Linking the hover terminal at Clarence Pier via Southsea and Portsmouth to the ‘Hard’ bus station. 

 

Adjacent to which are the Historic Ships, the Naval Dockyard, the IOW the cross channel ferries and the shopping complex incorporating the Spinnaker tower at ‘Gunwharf Quays’.

 

If you ever get chance to go up the tower, grab it, the views are spectacular.

 

 GX58 GNF

 

An ADL Enviro 300 working for ‘SS’.

Painted in the dedicated livery for route 23 which runs from Southsea to Leigh Park.

 

GX13 AOY

 

Another  ADL Enviro 300 working for ‘SS’.

 

Again working on the 23 but this time devoid of any branding and presumably a fleet spare.

 

 

‘Scene’ in Norfolk

This is the concluding part of series of blogs that came out of a weeks stay on the Norfolk coast.

They have included the buses in Cromer, Sheringham, Norwich (twice) and trains from the North Norfolk and Bure Valley Railways.

This blog essentially tidies up the items that did not feature in any of the above.

Norfolk is a beautiful county with a vast array of transport interest to offer in addition to all the other attractions.

I would not hesitate to recommend Norfolk to anyone, give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

FA10 ENG

A Scania K400EB6 with Irizar i6 bodywork seen at the Aylsham terminus of the ‘Bure Valley Railway’ (see blog dated 12th. Dec 2015). 

 

Seen in the livery of ‘Glenton Select’ who call themselves “the wee big Scottish coach operator”.

 

SP06 FBF

 

A Bova FHD12-340 Futura seen at the Aylsham terminus of the ‘Bure Valley Railway’ (see blog dated 12th. Dec 2015). 

 

Seen in the fleet of ‘Kingdom’s Coaches’ from Tiverton in Devon.

BD64 NCZ

 

A Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coach working for ‘Hamilton-Gray' (HG) but with a ‘Majestic’ sticker in the windscreen. 

 

Pictured just after crossing the bridge in Wroxham. ‘HG’ are based in Exeter.

 

A very brief visit to Great Yarmouth produced the following from the ‘Anglian Bus Ltd’. fleet

 

AU61 AVK

 

A Scania K230UB with OmniLink bodywork on route 7 which works in from Norwich.

 

WX62 HHF

An unusual MAN Ecocity gas powered bus in ‘ABL’s fleet. The bodywork is by Caetano. Working  service 7 from Great Yarmouth.

 

X229 WRA

 

An Optare Excel that at one time worked in the East Midlands for ‘trentbarton’.

 

 ‘First’ group (the major local operator’) produced

 

AU58 EDJ

 

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork. Working in the branded livery for route X1 which runs from Peterborough to Lowestoft.

 

The distance according to Google maps being 108 miles.

 

AU05 AUM

 

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork seen in our old friend the ‘Barbie’ livery.

 

How much longer can it last !!!!

 

 

Wells next the Sea (what a lovely name) had these two Optare products on view

 

YJ09 LBG

 

An Optare Solo of ‘Norfolk Green (NG) in the dedicated ‘Coasthopper' livery. This route links Kings Lynn with Cromer.

 

The small number 47908 on the front dash panel identifies the bus as being part of ‘Stagecoach’s fleet. ‘NG having been taken over by them in 2013.

 

YJ10 EYD

An Optare Versa in ‘NG’ standard fleet livery although at the time of writing buses are being repainted into ‘Stagecoach’ livery.

 

 

‘Scene’ on the Bure Valley Railway (BVR)

This 1 foot 3 inch narrow gauge railway runs on the old trackbed of a former standard gauge line from Aylsham to Wroxham in Norfolk.

 

The new line dating from 1990 has excellent connections with the rest of the world with bus stops linking to both Norwich and the Norfolk coast outside the station at Aylsham together with buses and a side by side connection with the national rail network at Wroxham.

 

Upon arrival at Aylsham, we were greeted by the sight of No 9 named ‘Mark Timothy’ painted in this glorious red shade being prepared to haul our train South.

 

This 2-6-2T loco was built in 1999 by Winson Engineering being subsequently rebuilt in 2003 by Alan Keef Ltd.

 

 

Also in steam was  No.8 named ‘John of Gaunt’. Painted in lined out BR black. This 2-6-2T loco was built in the BVR workshops in 1996/7.

Designed to resemble a ‘Vale of Rheidol’ machine, it was originally built as an oil burner being converted to coal burning in 2008.

 

Not in service on the day but sitting in a shed was No.1 named ‘Wroxham Broad’.

Originally built as a 2-6-2T diesel powered loco in 1964. It was converted to coal firing and rebuilt as a 2-6-4T in 1992.

 

I captured these 2 images when it was on loan to the ‘Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’ in Cumbria in 2013.

 

 

Arriving later in the day at Aylsham was No. 7 named ‘Spitfire’, A 2-6-2 tender loco built to resemble Indian Railways ZB class. The loco is painted in ‘Great Western Railway’ green. 

 

Built by Winson Engineering in 1994, it was partially rebuilt in 2004.

 

Also present was No. 3 named ‘2nd Air Division USAAF’. 

 

Named as a tribute to the American service personnel of whom 6,700 died whilst serving on Norfolk bases during the Second World War.

 

This diesel hydraulic loco sees year round service. Built for the BVR in 1988 by John Edwards of Great Yarmouth.

 

The train shed at Aylsham showing the two arrival roads with the centre loco escape road which is also used to store some of the lines coaches. 

 

The overall roof is welcome on inclement days.

 

 

There are 19 bogie coaches on the line, each seating 20 passengers in 5 bays. 

 

Here we can see one of them being positioned by the 0-4-0 Hudson-Hunslet diesel shunter which started life as a 2 foot gauge loco. Now re gauged it serves as Aylsham station pilot.

 

 

This ‘Special Saloon’ has double doors for easy access by wheelchairs.

 

 

 

No.81 is a 4 wheel Passenger Brake Van.

 

 

While No. 2623 is a generator van which is used for train heating in winter and to provide power for maintenance crews.

 

 

These two coaches which originated on the Fairborn Railway seem to be painted for ‘Thomas’ the Tank Engine’ operations. Although they are only of four bays in length, they are fitted with standard BVR brake and couplings.

 

 

The BVR is fortunate in that it has turntables at each end of its 9 miles run so enabling all loco’s to operate boiler first.

 

 

 Substantial coal supplies are maintained at Aylsham with the loco’s being coaled by buckets in hands !

 

‘Mark Timothy’ having been turned at Wroxham takes on water.

 

The cab controls of ‘John of Gaunt’.