‘Scene’ at Showbus 2022 A Selection of Single Deckers 2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

I have attended a number of SHOWBUS events over the years but this was the first time I had attended one at the Hertfordshire County Showgound.

 

The 50th. show and if we are to believe what we read, the last.

 

It would be a great pity if the reputation the SHOWBUS name has built up over the years were to be lost but we shall have to wait and see.

 

PO12 HTC ‘Stagecoach CHELTENHAM & GLOUCESTER OMNIBUS CO. LTD.’ No. 27778, GLOUCESTER. 

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E30D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 300

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Glenvale Transport’ Liverpool.

 

 

 

 

Y359 LCK ‘Red Rose Travel’, Aylesbury.

Dennis Dart / East Lancs Spryte

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Unusual these days, still being owned and operated by its original owner.

 

 

 

 

UPB 312S ‘LONDON COUNTRY BUS COMPANY’ No. SNB 312.

LEYLAND NATIONAL 1 

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

AF52 VMD ‘WHIPPET (COACHES)’, FENSTANTON, CAMBRIDGSHIRE,

Go Whippet.

Scania L94UB / Wright Solar

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

 

 

 

P327 HVX ‘COUNTY BUS & COACH CO. LTD’ No. 327, ThameSide.

Dennis Dart MPD / Plaxton Pointer

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

 

BJ15 TWU ‘METROBUS’ No. 6019 fastway.

Volvo B8RLE / Wright Eclipse

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

‘METROBUS’ being part of the ‘Go-Ahead’ group.

 

'Scene' in Bury Bus station

Bury is a very interesting place for transport enthusiasts not only because of its bus station which forms part of Bury Transport Interchange which also includes the terminus of the Tramway line to Manchester city centre.

 

If that is not enough, there is also the preserved ‘East Lancashire Railway’ that runs North to Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom. This being based at Bolton Street station which is barely 5 minutes walk from the Interchange.

 

I will deal with the ‘rails’ connection in Bury in a later ‘blog’. So to the buses.

 

MX06 VMZ

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork belonging to ‘First Manchester’. It is seen in the livery formerly applied to ‘Ramsbottom Urban District Council’ (RUDC) colours.

 

Like many other operators, the years 2013 and 2014 have brought up the 100 years of operation and again pleasingly, the operator has seen fit to reproduce a ‘heritage’ livery.

 

Call me old fashioned but I personally prefer this ‘elegant’ style of livery to the swoops and swirls of more recent liveries.

 

 

Speaking of which....!

 

YJ61 JDZ

An Optare Solo diesel electric hybrid owned by ‘Greater Manchester Integrated Transport’ but operated by ‘First Manchester’ (FM).

 

YN05 GYG

A Scania N94UA with Scania Omnicity AB58D bodywork in ‘FM’ livery. I think this is the first Omnicity artic. that I have come across.

 

W332 RJA

 

A Mercedes-Benz (M-B) 0.530 Citaro carrying ‘FM’s rapidly disappearing ‘barbie’ livery.

 

I notice in the press that M-B have just produced their 40,000th. Citaro.

 

W735 DWA 

A Volvo B7TL with Alexander ALX400 bodywork with ‘FM’. It previously worked for ‘First South Yorkshire’ based in Rotherham.

 

 

MX07 BUH

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork again with ‘FM’.

The other major operator in Bury is ‘Rossendale Transport’ (RT) who are currently going through a re branding and re liverying process. 

 

The operator appears in ‘Buses’ magazine for June 2014 on page 38 in an excellent article written by David Barrow.

 

LK51 XGX

A Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. It previously worked for ‘Metroline’ in London as its VPL 227.

 

YN06 NXV

 

A Scania L94UD with Wright bodywork which was previously No. 1026 in the ‘Reading Transport’ fleet.

 

FJ57 CYX

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork wearing a hybrid livery. It previously worked in the area for ‘First Manchester’.

 

PN52 WWR

A Dennis Dart with East Lancs Spryte bodywork. Wearing the previous ‘RT’ livery which dates from the mid1990’s.

 

 YJ05 JWD

An Optare Solo in the same livery.

 

PF51 KMV

Another Dart/ELC Spryte combination of ‘RT’.