‘Scene’ today (29th. January 2015) in Derby

A poor day, ice, snow, rain and wind. It reminded me of a typical English summer’s day.

 

A visit to the Royal Derby Hospital saw me in and out of the bus station where most of this small selection ere seen.

 

The exception was this, seen in Ripley.

 

M129 PRA

 

A Volvo B10B with a Northern Counties body working for ‘Wellglade’ group member ‘notts & derby’.

 

Normally, on ‘the sixes’, we get either route branded buses or spare fleet liveried substitutes so things must have been a bit desperate to send out this 20 year old.

 

Whatever the reason, well done ‘trentbarton’ (tb) for getting buses out at all in the conditions. The lady with the buggy no doubt was only to pleased to see any bus turn up. 

 

Although she might have had difficulty getting it up the steps.....!

 

In Derby, again on ‘the sixes there was this Optare Solo. 

 

I think the registration was FP51 GX something or other, the snow obscuring the registration plate.

 

FN54 AEW

A Scania L94UB with Wright Solar Urban bodywork.

‘tb’ have recently refreshed the buses in the ‘villager’ fleet serving Burton on Trent.

 

This was the first time I have seen one and I think the major change is the shade of yellow used. 

 

It is a much richer shade than what has been used before bearing a strong resemblance to the shade used on ‘tb’s ‘the sixes’.

 

FJ64 ETZ

A Wright Gemini 3 bodied ‘streetdeck’ in ‘Arriva’s ‘Sapphire’ branding.

I think this is the same bus that was on display at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC in Novenber 2014.

‘Scene’ at RAF Cosford (Transports)

We are particularly fortunate in the UK with the availability of Aviation Museums. Apart from the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford. There is the Imperial War Museum’s collection at Duxford and The Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon.

 

They of course are the major collections but there are many other private museums probably the best of which is at Newark in Nottinghamshire. 

Another excellent aviation museum is the East Midlands Aeropark which is located adjacent to the East Midlands Airport. See my blog dated 17th. December 2013 for details.

I have visited all of them at various times but its 4 years or so since I visited Cosford so it was a long overdue return.

 

Most of the exhibits are indoors but two major transports live outside.

 

XV202

A Lockheed Hercules C130K/C.3 

 

Built by Lockheed at Marietta in Georgia USA. One of a batch of Hercules numbering 66 that were delivered to the RAF between 1966 and 1968.

 

XV202 was delivered as a C. Mk1.

In the early 1980’s it was one of 30 aircraft that were converted to C Mk.3 configuration by Marshalls of Cambridge. This involved inserting a fuselage plug 15 feet in length.

 

It spent its early years in the Far East before coming home in1971 to become part of the Lyneham Transport Wing.

 

Retired in 2011, it was flown into RAF Cosford on 12th. August 2011.

 

XM497

A Bristol Britannia 312 named ‘Schedar’.

 

The original XM 497 was a Bristol Britannia C.1 which first flew in August 1960 and was delivered to the RAF in December of the same year. On withdrawal it was to have become OO-YCF on the Belgian Civil Register but this was not taken up and the aircraft passed to the Fire School at Stansted where it perished in 1981.

 

The current XM 497 was built in 1957 for ‘British Overseas Airways Corporation’ (BOAC) registered G-AOVF. It has never served with the RAF but for display purposes it has been painted to represent an aircraft that did.

 

It was converted to a freighter in 1964 and leased to ‘British Eagle’. It spent the rest of its working life with various airlines including. ‘Monarch’ and ‘Donaldson International Airways’before being retired to Cosford in May 1984. 

 

It was restored to its ‘BOAC’ livery and from 2008 it was repaired and re painted to represent an aircraft of

‘Royal Air Force Air Support Command’.

 

VP952

A De Havilland DH 104 Devon. 

Developed from the civilian Dove, one of 30 supplied to the RAF from 1947. It eventually served with 207 Communications Squadron based at RAF Northolt from where it was reduced to being a maintenance airframe serial 8820M. It regained its service serial for display purposes.

 

WV746

A Hunting Percival Pembroke C1. 

Delivered to the RAF in June 1955. Formerly a VIP configured aircraft when it served as the C in C of RAF Air Support Command’s personal aircraft.  It then went on to work for No 60 Squadron at RAF Wildenrath in Germany.

It became maintenance airframe serial 8938M. It regained its service serial for display purposes.

 

XL993

A Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CC2. 

One of 7 CC 2’s produced. It was the military equivalent of the civilian Series 3 which were powered by the uprated Alvis Leonides 531 engines.

Delivered in 1958 and eventually became maintenance airframe serial 8388M. It regained its service serial for display purposes.

 

XP411

An Armstrong Whitworth (AW) 660 Argosy C1.

This Rolls Royce Dart powered freighter was developed from the civil ‘AW’ 650. The major difference being that while the civil machine could be loaded from the front and rear, the military version had the nose loading facility sealed and was modified to carry the bulbous weather radome. A stronger floor and clamshell rear doors also featured. It was also equipped for para dropping.

 

New in 1962 it was initially issued to 105 Squadron in Aden. It later served with 114 and 267 Squadrons before being retired in 1975. It was used as a ground instructional airframe at RAF Cosford before being transferred to the Museum where it wears the livery of Training Command.

 

XR 371

A Short Belfast C1.

Another Rolls Royce powered freighter (this time the Tyne). Only 10 of these heavy lift transports were built. Entering service in 1966, the Belfast fleet barely lasted 10 years. Some were sold on for use in the civil market.

XR 371 was the last Belfast built and after service with 53 Squadron at Brize Norton it was retired to Cosford in 1978.

 

TS798

An Avro York C1.

 

The York was the wing, engines,wheels and tailplane of the Avro Lancaster married to a new square section fuselage that did service both as a freighter and an airliner in the postwar period. The war ended before this aircraft was delivered to the RAF so it became  G-AGNV with first of all ‘British Overseas Airways Corporation and then ‘Skyways’.

 

Many Yorks flew on the Berlin Airlift delivering coal amongst other things. One interesting feature of this aircraft is that the cabin windows are painted onto the sides of the fuselage.

 

KN 645

A Douglas Dakota 4 (the Mk 4 was the equivalent to the USAF’s C 47B).

Formerly 44-77033 in American service. From 1945 it became General Montgomery’s (Monty) personal transport. To enable it to fulfill that role it was fitted out as a VIP aircraft complete with kitchen, armchair, settees and even a cocktail cabinet...! 

It continued to lead a VIP ‘life’ being allocated to the British Military Governors in Germany. Serving eventually on the Royal Flight, the aircraft being used during a visit the Queen made to Nepal.

By 1970, it was the last Dakota with the RAF and was retired to RAF Northolt for preservation. Originally painted in ‘D-Day’ markings it was given its present colour scheme in 2005.

I used to hang my completed Airfix kits from my bedroom ceiling as a lad. I never thought that I would see it done with the real thing....!

 

TX 214

 

An Avro Anson C 19.

Developed from a 1930’s vintage Coastal Command patrol and attack aircraft the Anson  was developed through a trainer version to the transport seen here. Continuing in production until 1947, the last of their kind with the RAF were withdrawn in June 1968.

TX 214 was built at Yeadon (Leeds) it served with various communications flights and squadrons including the RAF Staff College flight, HQ Reserve Command an Metropolitan Communications. withdrawn in 1963 to Storage at RAF Henlow, it came to Cosford in December 1978.

 

TG 511

 

A Handley Page (HP) Hastings.

 

Powered by 4 Bristol Hercules engines, the Hastings was intended to replace the 

Avro York in the RAF’s transport squadrons.

 

Built in March 1948, as a C.1 the thirteenth of an order for 100, the aircraft served on operations such as the Berlin Airlift with various squadrons including No’s 47 and 99

 

In 1950 it was modified by ‘HP’ to  Met. 1 standard for use as a weather reconnaissance aircraft with 202 Squadron  in Coastal Command.

 

In 1959 it was further modified by ‘HP’ as a T.5 for use by the Bomber Command Bombing School (BCBS) for use in training navigators and bomb aimers for the ‘V’ bomber force.

 

I first new the aircraft in the 1970’s when it was based at RAF Lindholme near Doncaster by which time the ‘BCBS’ had become the Strike Command Bombing School.

 

It was withdrawn in 1977 and arrived at RAF Cosford in August of that year.

‘Scene’ in Torbay’

This is my second visit to ‘The English Riviera’ in under a year so I will leave out ‘Stagecoach’ liveried vehicles which appeared substantially in the previous blog and concentrate on the smaller players on the transport scene.

 

The first 3 images could be sub titled ‘Topless in Torbay’ but that would probably be more in keeping in an edition of the ‘Sun’ newspaper.

 

However, topless, buses that is, there were.

 

FFY 403

A hastily snatched image of a Leyland PD2/3 with Leyland bodywork working for ‘Riviera Sightseeing Tours of Torquay’. It came from ‘Mardens Commercials’ of Benfleet in 2013 where it had been repainted.

 

Before that it had been part of the ‘London Bus Preservation Trust’ collection and prior to that it had worked in Southport.

 

 

LRV 992

Only a glimpse I am afraid of another Leyland PD2. This time with Metro-Cammell bodywork.

Currently part of ‘Stagecoach South-West fleet it is finished in the ‘Devon General’ livery formerly applied to amongst others, the ‘Sea Dog’ convertible open top Leyland Atlanteans of 50 years ago. That is overall cream with two dark red bands.

Seen inside the workshop at the back of Paignton bus station. It was new in 1956 to ‘Portsmouth Corporation Transport’ and eventually it went to ‘Southdown’. From there it passed to ‘Transit Holdings’ and then on to ‘Bayline’ who became part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group.

When I enquired about its welfare, I was told that there were problems with the brakes and that there were some flooring issues.

 

WTU 467W 

A Bristol VR with Eastern Coach works bodywork in the employment of ‘Rail River Link’ which feeds passengers from Paignton and Torquay into the River Dart cruising services that link Totnes with Dartmouth and Kingswear.

 

AHL 694

A Leyland Tiger PS1 with Barnaby B35F bodywork which dates from 1947 which makes it 68 years old.

It is used to transport visitors to the late Agatha Christie’s home called ‘Greenway House’ which sits high above the River Dart and is open to the public.

It was new to ‘Bullock’, Featherstone.

 

MF63 NYA

A Neoplan N2216SHD Tourliner working for ‘Buckleys Coaches’ of Doncaster.

 

FJ60 HYR

A Volvo B9R with Caetano Levante bodywork for use by ‘South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach' on 'National Express' services.

 

Most but not all of the ‘NatEx’ branding had been removed and it seemed to be setting passengers down in Torquay as any holiday touring coach might be expected to do. Possibly, it has been downgraded to such work.

 

K573 RRH

A Leyland Olympian with Northern Counties bodywork still wearing the livery of its former operator

‘East Yorkshire Motor Services’.

 

Like the open top VRT it is used on work that ties in with pleasure boat sailings on the River Dart.

 

Sorry about the picture quality but it was stood in deep shade with the sun behind it.

 

RK07 KOA

I love these ‘baby’ Optare Solo’s.

A model SE, it does not seem big enough to hold 24 seats. New to ‘Courtney’ for use on services in Windsor Great Park in an all white livery.

In 2012 it was sold to ‘Dial a Bus’ in Torquay for whom it initially ran in their dark blue and white ‘local link’ livery.

It has since gained this ‘Cockington Village’ service branded livery.

 

YJ06 FXK

Another Solo operated by ’local link’.

 

V113 DCF

Another Optare Solo. New to ‘Reading Transport’ in 2000. Now working for ‘Country Bus’ and seen in Brixham.

 

DD IT 134

A German registered Volvo of ‘Sachsen IdealTours’ of Dresden seen in Paignton Bus Station.

 

It also carries branding for 'MSC' cruise lines.

 

 

YN08 NKJ

A Dennis Javelin with Plaxton Profile bodywork operated by ‘Silcox Coaches’  (SC) of Pembrokeshire. ‘SC’ are a long established business with operating centres at Pembroke Dock and Tenby in South Wales.

Further photos can be seen on my Flickr 

A Day out to Loughborough

This set of images is to illustrate an article written for a magazine called ‘All Things Local’.

This community magazine is produced and distributed from a base in Kilburn, Derbyshire and covers large areas of the towns of Ripley and Belper.

 

We start by going to Nottingham’s Victoria Bus Station (VBS).

 

From the Ripley area we are spoiled for choice having ‘trentbarton’s (tb) ‘red arrow’, ‘rainbow one’ and rapid one’ services to choose from.

 

The choice is yours.

 

‘tb’ are currently looking at replacing the coaches used on the ‘red arrow’ but for the time being, it is the same as usual.

 

The majority of the vehicles used on this service are Swedish built chassis produced by Scania fitted with bodies built in Spain by a company called Irizar.

 

The old buses on both the ‘rainbow and ‘rapid one’ services have recently been replaced by a brand new fleet of buses called the Versa built in Yorkshire by a company called Optare.

 

Mechanically they are all the same. The only difference is the route branding either ‘rapidone’ or ‘rainbowone’.

 

 

 

From the Belper area, it will be ‘tb’s ‘the sixes’ which uses Swedish built ‘Scania’s again fitted with ‘Wright’ bodies built in Northern Ireland.

 

In Derby you will switch to the ‘red arrow’ (see above).

 

The bus from the ‘VBS’ Bay 4 to the Broadmarsh Bus Station (BBS)is a ‘Free’ to all service called ‘centrelink’.

 

The buses normally used are again built by Optare and called the Solo. These buses however are unusual in that they use electric battery power to reduce the emissions that diesels would emit in the city centre.

 

For those that can remember them, it is like riding on an old fashioned trolleybus in that all you can here is the whine of the electric motor.

 

‘kinchbus’ (kb) service 9 to Loughborough uses the same Wright bodied Scania combination as ‘the sixes’.

 

‘Kb’ and ‘tb’ are both owned by the same company i.e. ‘Wellglade’ so commonality of vehicles is not surprising.

 

The buses mainly used by ‘Kb’ on ‘skylink’ are Mercedes-Benz (MB) Citaro’s built in Germany. 

 

‘MB’ have recently announced that production of this bus has just passed the 40,000 mark...!

 

 

‘Scene’ in K & H Doyle of Alfreton’s fleet part 3

It is now one year since ‘Doyle’s shut down. I do not know why they did.  What I do know is that for a period of 25 years or so, they brought extra colour and interest to the East Midlands transport scene.

 

Time then before memories fade for a retrospective of the company.

 

The early buses in the fleet were a beige colour and some never made it into fleet livery. In addition one or two appeared in advertising liveries. 

 

After that, there were two distinct liveries adorning the fleet. The lime green and purple and the overall green. 

 

My son Andrew likened the lime green and purple livery to 

 

     “Looking like a fading bruise”.

 

I was fortunate to meet Mr. Doyle on a number of occasions. The first time was on a ‘Transpire’ (The Chesterfield Bus Society) visit to his premises in Alfreton. It was an evening visit and he was kind enough to conduct us around and then to give us the run of the place to take whatever pictures we wanted. Some of them appear here.

I have dealt with the other liveries in additional blogs. See blogs dated 14 and 16 January 2015.

 

S287 UAL

 

A Mercedes-Benz (MB) 814D with Plaxton Beaver 2 bodywork.

 

It was built for ‘Trent Buses’ and fitted with Dual Purpose seats. One of 7 so built the other 18 being bus seated. The thinking was that they could be used on long, thinner routes where a bit more comfort was desirable.

 

This particular bus worked for some time on the ‘Ilkeston Flyer’ service and another, R275 RAU worked on the X38 service from Derby to Burton-on-Trent.

 

I don’t know wether any other ‘MB’s made it into the green livery.

 

R556 UOT

A Dennis Dart with UVG Urbanstar body is seen waiting departure in Belper. The Urbanstar  was also marketed as the ‘Caetano Compass’.

 

V331 CVV

A Dennis MPD Dart with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork seen in Ripley. It has since gone on to work for ‘Leven Valley’ in the Middlesborough area.

 

Y866 TGH

 

Another Dart MPD/ Plaxton Pointer 2 combination seen leaving Nottingham Victoria Bus Station. Previously it worked in London for ‘London Central’.

 

W975 ETW

Another of the same albeit the longer version. This time seen in Mansfield’s new (April 2013) bus station. 

 

Prior to being with Doyle’s it worked for ‘Bus Eireann’ in Southern Ireland registered 00-D- 84191.

 

Since leaving Doyle’s it has moved on to ‘Ridgeways of Glamorgan’.

 

P301 HDP

A further Dart/Plaxton vehicle seen in the Alfreton depot.

New to ‘Limebourne’ in London. Before Doyle’s it had worked for ‘Metrobus’ in London and after Doyle’s it moved to

‘Irvine of Law’ in Scotland.

 

YJ54 UBP

An Optare Solo seen at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Before joining Doyle’s it had a spell with ‘Wilfreeda Beehive’ operating in the Doncaster area.

 

X791 NWX

An Optare Solo seen outside Derby’s Council House. At one time it worked for ‘Fair Rider’ of Huddersfield. It subsequently went to work for 'McEwens' of Mansfield on some of Doyle's former routes..!

 

Y812 KBP and W296 EYG 

Two Optare Solo’s (almost) for the price of one seen in Sutton-in-Ashfield bus station. Formerly with ‘Courtney’, Bracknell. W296 EYG used to work for ‘EST’ Buses in South Wales.

 

YN53 SVJ

An Optare Solo seen in Derby bus station. At one time it worked in Perth for ‘Stagecoach’ and for ‘The Harrogate Coach Company’.

 

W296 EYG

The front side of this bus as opposed to its backside 2 images up. Seen in Sutton-in-Ashfield again.

 

 

P308 HDP

A Plaxton Pointer 2 bodied Dennis Dart on its way from Ilkeston to Derby.

 

New to ‘Limebourne’ in London, It then went to ‘Metrobus’ also in London from where it was loaned for a time to ‘Go-Ahead London’ before coming to Doyles’ in 2009.

 

It has since moved to Scotland with ‘Irvine of Law’.

 

 

T183 CLO

A Dennis Trident with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork. Seen ‘laying over’ in Mansfield bus station.

 

It previously worked as fleet number TA 83 for ‘Metroline’ in London.

 

Since leaving Doyle’s it has been reported as working in Worthing for ‘Compass Bus’ entering service in ‘Doyles’ livery.

‘Scene’ in K & H Doyle of Alfreton’s fleet part 2

It is now one year since ‘Doyle’s shut down. I do not know why they did. What I do know is that for a period of 25 years or so, they brought extra colour and interest to the East Midlands transport scene.

 

Time then before memories fade for a retrospective of the company.

 

The early buses in the fleet were a beige colour and some never made it into fleet livery. In addition one or two appeared in advertising liveries. (See blog dated 14/01/2015)

 

After that, there were two distinct liveries adorning the fleet. The lime green and purple and the overall green. 

 

My son Andrew likened the lime green and purple livery to 

 

     “Looking like a fading bruise”.

 

I was fortunate to meet Mr. Doyle on a number of occasions. The first time was on a ‘Transpire’ (The Chesterfield Bus Society) visit to his premises in Alfreton. It was an evening visit and he was kind enough to conduct us around and then to give us the run of the place to take whatever pictures we wanted. Some of them appear here.

 

I will deal with the other liveries in additional blogs.

 

I believe this to be P568 PRE.

An LDV Convoy dating from 1996/7 seating 8. By the time of this image it appeared to be on its way out. 

Seen at Lydford Road depot (LR)

 

N996 KUS

 

A Mercedes-Benz 709D (MB) with UVG bodywork. At one time it had worked for ‘Arriva’ in Wales.

 

M457 UUR

Another ‘MB’ an 811D which came from Lancashire United. seen on Ripley Market Place.

 

L953 MBH

Another ’MB’ 811D this time with Plaxton bodywork seen in Belper. At one time it worked for ‘Sovereign Buses’. After service with Doyle’s it was sold to a ‘theme park’ at Doncaster.

 

M460 EDH

A ‘MB’ 811D with Marshall bodywork was also sold to a ‘theme park’ at Doncaster. Seen on Ripley market place. It was previously with ‘Arriva Midlands North’.

 

S287 UAL

A ‘MB’ 814D with Plaxton Beaver 2 bodywork.

It was built for ‘Trent Buses’ (TB) and fitted with Dual Purpose seats. One of 7 so built the other 18 being bus seated. The thinking was that they could be used on long, thinner routes where a bit more comfort was desirable.

 

This particular bus worked for 'TB for some time on the ‘Ilkeston Flyer’ service and another, R275 RAU worked on the X38 service from Derby to Burton-on-Trent.

 

Seen in Alfreton.

 

M273 URC

A ’MB’ 811D with Wright Nimbus bodywork was earlier with ‘TB’ and its  fellow 'Wellglade' member ‘Notts & Derby’.

 

Again seen in Alfreton.

 

MX53 FDZ

An Optare Solo Seen at the Alfreton depot was at one time with ‘PaulsTravel’ / ‘Easyrider’ (Huddersfield). After its service with Doyle’s it moved to ‘Ace Travel’ in Liverpool.

Seen at 'LR'

YN53 SVJ

Another Solo Seen in Derby. At one time it worked in Perth for ‘Stagecoach’.

Seen in Derby.