‘ Scene’ in Nottingham, Heanor and Ripley today Saturday 26th. July 2014

This week has seen the launch of the new ‘trentbarton’ ‘rainbow1 and ‘rapid 1’ Optare Versa buses to the public (see my yesterday’s blog). 

 

Today saw them launched into service.

 

The plan it seems was to start the day much as usual and gradually replace the Wright bodied Scanias and Volvo’s that have given such excellent service down the years during the course of the day. 

 

All the images in this blog have been taken today so we start with a last look at how it used to be.

 

The rainbow 1 livery has always been a darker shade of blue than the rapid 1.

 

FN04 HSG

 

FJ09 BXE

 

I was lucky enough to catch old and new together in Nottingham’s Victoria Bus Station where YJ14 BTE is passing one of the rapid 1 Volvos.

 

It is also interesting to note that ‘rainbow 1’ and ‘rapid 1’ have now become ‘rainbow one’ and 'rapid one’.

 

Later in the day in Heanor we see FN54 AEX passing YJ14 BUE as the former is replaced in service by the latter. No doubt FN54 will re emerge in weeks to come on some other service in the Wellglade empire. I hope so !

 

A chance to admire again the new rolling stock.

 

 

 

The sticker on the drivers cab door.

 

It would not be ‘trentbarton’ without a bit of humour on the engine bay doors. All you might notice directed at persuading car drivers onto the bus !!

 

 

 

‘Scene’ today Friday 25th. July 2014 on ‘trentbarton’s (tb) 'rainbow/rapid one'

 

it is nearly 20 years since 'tb' launched the concept of 'rainbow' routes.

As from tomorrow, the mixture of Wright bodied Scania and Volvo buses currently running the service are being replaced on ‘tb’ s ‘rainbow 1’ and ‘rapid 1’. 

The routes link the Derbyshire towns of Alfreton and Ripley to the City of Nottingham. This is the latest change on the Ripley route that down the years has been run with Trams which were replaced by Trolleybuses which in turn were replaced by earlier generations of diesel buses.

The replacements are a fleet of brand new Optare Versa’s bought at a cost of two million pounds.

 

Painted in a dark blue colour scheme which recalls the livery carried by ‘Midland General Omnibus Company’ (MGOC) buses that worked the route for many years. 

 

MGOC being combined with ‘Trent’ in 1969 as part of the ‘National Bus Company’.

 

During the course of this week ‘tb’ have been introducing the new buses to the public with today’s event taking place in Alfreton.

 

The routes running from Alfreton and Ripley join and give a combined Eastwood to Nottingham bus every 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ at Sheringham

I recently had a day out on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) which runs from Sheringham via Weybourne to Holt. (A further ‘blog’ will appear in due course). The day was a father’s day outing paid for by my son Andrew and his wife Joy.

 

The roadway outside the ‘NNR’s station is where the local buses start their journeys and it is there that a bus shelter which is decorated with the mural seen below is located.

 

It depicts a ‘Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway’ 4-4-0 locomotive No. 55 and a coach both painted in what was the ‘M&GNJR’s golden ochre livery.

 

The ‘M&GNJR’ was one of many small railways located in the East of England which eventually went into making up the LNER.

 

YJ57 EHO

An Optare Solo of ‘Norfolk Green’ (NG) carrying the ‘Coasthopper’ livery. The ‘Coasthopper’ runs from Kings Lynn in the West to Cromer in the East and should you care to do the full journey, it would take about two and a half hours to do so.

 

‘NG’ were taken over by ‘Stagecoach’ (SC) in late 2013 and unusually, the buses acquired have not been painted into ‘SC’ livery. The decision to retain the ‘NG’ livery being underlined recently by the delivery of standard ‘SC’ vehicles painted in ‘SC’s livery style albeit in ‘NG’ colours.

 

Another ‘big group’ operator in the area is ‘konectbus’ now a member of the ‘Go-Ahead’ (GA) group.

 

R739 XRV

 

Their contribution to the day was this Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties bodied part open topper that the driver very kindly positioned for me so that I could get this shot.

 

The bus appears in the full livery that it ran in when it was part of the Southern Vectis’ (SV) fleet on the Isle of Wight (IoW). ‘SV’ being another ‘GA’ group member. 

 

The branding on the bus has obviously been changed to reflect its current workplace. 

 

I have ridden on it on the ‘IoW’ in the past and it is nice to see it looking as well as it does.

 

 Local operator’ Sanders Services’ of Holt were represented by,

 

 YN03 UWF and YN03 UWH a couple of Scania CN94UB Omnicities.

 

 

 

 

YJ03 PKZ

 

A Wright Cadet bodied DAF SB120 which was until recently with ‘Neaves Coaches’ of Catfield.

 

OU05 AVB

A Volvo B9TL with East Lancs Myllenium Nordic bodywork. Previously operated by ‘Weavaway’ of Newbury.

A magnificent bus....!

 

 

ODO 798

Visitng for the day was a Volvo B12R with Plaxton bodywork. Operated by ‘Fowlers Travel’.

 

The legal titling gives the address as Holbeach Drove and I must confess it has fascinated me what or where Holbeach Drove is since I first saw it mentioned in ‘Buses Illustrated’ many years ago.

 

The registration is cherished by ‘Fowler’s because it has appeared on a number of the companies vehicles in the past.

 

'Scene' in Southport

The last time I went to Southport, the buses were painted in 'Southport Corporation Transport's cream and red livery.

Interestingly, although todays major operator is 'Arriva', they paint their Park and Ride buses in guess what ??? cream and red.

A mark of respect to the 'old' days perhaps.

This Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF CX08 DJU certainly looks well in it.

 

 

The rest of Arriva's operation appears to be in standard Arriva colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local Independent ‘cumfybus’ provides a bit of light relief (literally) with their yellow livery.

Operating widely across Merseyside, its commercial and tendered services are run with almost a hundred buses of which more than half are Optare Solo’s.

 

 

 

 

 

BU53 OAN a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter visiting from Bolton was having a day out at the seaside. 

 

While the star of the day was TUI 1608.

Formerly E706 EFG in the Brighton and Hove fleet, currently with Maghull Bus &  Coach.

 

The ‘essential travel for our city’ strapline came with the bus from Brighton.

Stagecoach Northwest put in an a welcome appearance with a couple of Scania 230UD’s with Alexander’s Enviro 400 bodies.

 

 

 

 

Stockport’s railway station is centrally located in the town. Apart from its links with the rest of the system operated by a selection of diesel multiple units. It also links in to the Merseyrail network based on Liverpool to the South.

 

Northern Rail’s class 142049 waits its next turn of duty.

 

Merseyrail’s class 507014 is just about to depart for Liverpool.

 

 

 

Northern Rail's 156464 looks like a good clean would not come amiss.