‘Scene’ In The Sunshine 2 (hopefully) on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The recent spell of warm, sunny weather set me in mind of open top buses which are traditionally used to enjoy this rare spectacle in British skies.

 

Some of these images have appeared before, but not for a long time, so enjoy them while the good weather lasts.

 

SIG 1847 ‘Maghull Coaches’, Liverpool.

DAF DB250 / Plaxton President

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

New registered T206 XBV to ‘ARRIVA London North’ No. DLP6.

 

 

 

 

BYX 118V ‘Top Line Travel’, York Citysightseeing.

MCW DR101/9 Metrobus 1 / MCW

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

 

Converted to open top in 1997.

 

New to ‘London Transport’  No. M118.

 

Pictured just down the road from York railway station.

 

 

 

 

SJ16 ZZP ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd.’ No. 248, MAJESTIC TOUR.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Most open top buses have previously been fully roofed double deck buses that have been cut down to either part open top or fully open top.

 

Unusually, this bus is one of a batch of buses ordered new as part open toppers by the ‘Lothian Buses’ group which includes ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd.’

 

 

 

T209 XBV ‘Yellow Buses’, Bournemouth No. 436.

DAF DB250 / Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA London North’ No. DLP9.

 

Converted to part open top in 2006.

 

 

 

 

HF54 KXV ‘Wilts & Dorset’ No. 1823., New Forest Tour.

Volvo B7TL / East Lancs Myllenium

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

 

New as No. 403.

 

Pictured in Lymington, Hampshire.

 

 

 

 

HF59 DMO ‘Wilts & Dorset’ No. 1406, Purbeck Breezer.

Scania N230UD / Optare Olympus

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

 

Pictured at Swanage railway station waiting to load for its return to Bournemouth.

 

‘Scene’ In The Sunshine 1 (hopefully) on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

GYE 603W  ‘Guide Friday’ The York Tour.

MCW DR101/14 Metrobus 1 / MCW

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

 

New to ‘London Transport’  No. M603.

 

Rebuilt to part open top in 2011 for ‘Transdev York’ No. 4003 where this image was captured.

 

 

 

 

A517 VKG ‘Guide Friday’, York Citysightseeing.

Leyland Olympian / East Lancs.

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

 

New to ‘Cardiff Bus’ and converted to open top for ‘Transdev York’ in 1999.

 

Pictured in York.

 

 

 

 

HJ16 HSZ ‘Go South Coast’ No. 1704, Purbeck Breezer.

Volvo B5TL / MCV EVOSETI

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

One of my favourite bus journeys is aboard this service which operates from Bournemouth, via the Sandbanks Ferry to Swanage.

 

Pictured in Bournemouth.

 

 

 

 

T502 SSG ‘CitySightseeing Bournemouth’, Poole Bay & Sandbanks Explorer.

Dennis Trident / Alexander ALX400

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

 

New to ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 502.

 

Converted to open top in 2007.

 

 

 

 

VFT 189T ‘East Yorkshire’ No. 889, FLAMINGO LAND.

Leyland Atlantean / MCW

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

 

New to ‘Tyne & Wear PTE’ No.189.

 

Converted to open top in 2002.

 

Pictured at the North Bay terminus as was in Scarborough.

 

 

 

 

 

HF05 GGP ‘Wilts & Dorset’ No.1829, New Forest Tour.

Volvo B7TL / East Lancs Myllenium

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

 

New as No. 409.

 

Pictured in Lymington, Hampshire.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2022 A Delectation of Double 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.

 

WLT 902 ‘LONDON HERITAGE BUS HIRE LTD’ No. RML 902.

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New to ‘LONDON TRANSPORT’ in 1964.

 

What a lovely livery!

 

 

 

 

F718 LFG ‘Brighton & Hove’ No. 718, METRO LINE 49.

Scania N113DRB / East Lancs

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

 

 

 

 

WRD 162T ‘Reading Buses’ No. 162.

MCW Metrobus Mk 1

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

 

 

 

 

DBL154 ‘Thames Valley’ No. 809.

Bristol K6A / Eastern Coach Works

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

 

 

 

 

YUI 1498 ‘Country Lion Northampton Ltd’ No DA3.

Dennis Condor / Duple Metsec

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

 

 

 

 

FUF 63 ‘BRIGHTON HOVE & DISTRICT’ No. 63.

AEC Regent / Weymann

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

 

‘Scene’ on Wetmore Road, Burton on Trent (BoT) on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Wetmore Road for those who don’t know is where the fleet of ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ (MC) is garaged.

 

Over the weekend of 28/29th August 2021 ‘MC’ held a Heritage Weekend to celebrate two anniversaries.

 

On the Saturday to celebrate 15 years of ‘MC’ operating in Burton.

 

On the Sunday to celebrate the 95th. anniversary of John Stevenson setting up in business to run buses between Burton and Uttoxeter via Tutbury.

 

A route that ‘MC’ still operates today.

 

I have referred to ‘Stevenson’s’ a number of times in my blogs over the years. 

 

Usually in connection with ‘Midland Classic’ the current major operator in ‘BoT’ who own a number of buses that carry ‘Stevenson’s’ livery.

 

This legendary operator dating back to the 1920’s operated in Staffordshire and eventually into what is now the West Midlands as far south as Birmingham.

 

Always innovative, they operated a fleet which was made up of a wide variety of vehicles from a wide variety of sources.

 

At the height of operations the fleet stood at over 250 buses.

 

This included in later years.

 

Bristol VR’s with Eastern Coach Works coach seated bodies working a commuter service into the centre of Birmingham.

 

Known originally as  ‘Stevenson’s of Spath. (the village that was the companies base).

 

Then ‘Stevenson’s of Burton & Uttoxeter until becoming part of ‘ARRIVA via ‘British Bus’ in 1994.

 

KLB 908 ‘Stevenson’s’ No. 11.

Leyland 6RT / Leyland /1

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

 

New to ‘London Transport’ as No. RTW 178.

 

Part of the massive family of RT buses in London.

 

Whilst most RT’s were 7 feet six inches wide this particular bus (and others of its class) were built to a width of 8 feet. Hence RTW - Wide.

 

 

 

 

KLB 908 ‘Stevenson’s’ No. 11.

Leyland 6RT / Leyland /2

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

 

 

 

 

KLB 908 ‘Stevenson’s’ No. 11.

Leyland 6RT / Leyland /3

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

 

 

 

 

F96 PRE ‘Stevensons Bus Services No. 96.

Leyland Olympian / Alexander RL

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

 

In service with ‘Stevensons’ at the time of the ‘ARRIVA’ takeover, it appeared in full ‘ARRIVA’ livery at one stage.

 

It spent some time with ‘transdev’ before coming back in 2016 to ‘midland classic’ (mc).

 

I posted a 4 image blog on 04/10/2016 showing the livery in which it returned to ‘mc’ when it was working a contract service into Derby.

 

 

 

 

F97 PRE ‘Stevensons Bus Services No. 97.

Leyland Olympian / Alexander RL

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

 

 

 

 

TOJ 592S ‘Stevensons Bus Services’ No. 80.

MCW Metrobus DR101/2

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

 

New to ‘MCW’ as a demonstrator.

 

MCW = ‘Metro-Cammell Weymann’.

 

 

‘Scene’ at the Buses Festival 2021 When ‘West Midlands PTE’ met ‘London Transport’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The annual ‘Buses Festival’ last year was held at the ‘East of England Showground’ which is near Peterborough.

 

NOA 462X ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 2462.

MCW DR102/27 Metrobus /1

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

 

 

 

 

NOA 462X ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 2462.

MCW DR102/27 Metrobus /2

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

 

 

 

 

JJD 579D ‘London Buses No. RML 2579 ‘Lionel’.

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

 

The RML of course being half a bay longer than the RM (see final image).

 

 

 

 

CUV 233C ‘London Transport’ No. RCL 2233 ’Green Line’.

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

The coach version of the RM. 

 

The twin headlights identify the RCL no matter what colour paint it is wearing.

 

 

 

 

CUV 180C ‘London Transport Executive’ No. RM 2180

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

The standard bus of which 2,123 were built.

 

‘Scene’ at the ‘Scottish Vintage Bus Museum’ at Lathalmond on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ ‘Edinburgh Corporation Transport’ / ‘Lothian’ 1

It is hardly surprising that a bus museum located about 30 miles away from Edinburgh should attract so many buses from that great City.

 

JWS 594 ‘Edinburgh Corporation Transport’ No. 314. Guy Arab 2 / Nudd Brothers

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

 

Although built to resemble a full fronted bus both the right hand panel of the windscreen and the panel above the front wheel are unglazed.

 

This feature was presumably to allow easier access to the engine for maintenance purposes.

 

The chassis dates from 1943 when it was delivered to ‘London Transport’ as No. G77 registered GLL 577 with utility bodywork by Park Royal.

 

Purchased by ‘ECT’ in 1952 and re-bodied.

 

 

 

 

OFS 798 ‘Edinburgh Corporation Transport’ No. 798. Leyland PD2 / Metro Cammell Weymann Orion

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

 

 

 

 

JSC 869E ‘Lothian Region Transport’ No. 869. Leyland Atlantean PDR 1 / Alexander ‘A’ type

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

 

Painted in the operators coaching livery.

 

 

 

 

JSC 900E ‘Edinburgh Corporation Transport’ No. 900. Leyland Atlantean PDR 1 / Alexander ‘J’ type

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

 

 

 

 

BFS 1L ‘Edinburgh Corporation Transport’ No. 1. Leyland Atlantean AN68 / Alexander AL

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

 

‘Scene’ at ‘Transpire’s 2019 Bus Rally at Rowsley in Derbyshire /2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

‘Transpire’ being the name of ‘The Chesterfield Bus Society’.

 

A major event in my ‘Bus’ calendar. I have attended most if not all of the events over the years.

 

I am always surprised that although I think that I have seen everything that might turn up that on the day there is always something that I have not seen before and is new to me.

 

HW54 BUV ‘ hulleys of Baslow’ No. 22. Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointer MPD

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

 

New to ‘Musterphantom’ as No. 314.

 

 

 

 

P915 RYO ‘Owner Unknown’. Volvo Olympian. Northern Counties

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

 

New to ‘London General’ in 1996, It moved to fellow London operator 

‘Blue Triangle’ in 2007.

 

Since then it would appear to have had a varied career with someone taking the trouble to remove the original second door.

 

 

 

 

LED 71P ‘Warrington Borough Council’ No.71 Bristol RE / East Lancs

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

 

 

 

 

F810 YLV ‘Merseybus’ No. 810. MCW Metrobus 2 / MCW

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

 

 

 

 

RGF 231P ‘G. E. SYKES’ Bristol LHS6L / Plaxton Supreme

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

 

New in 1976 to ‘Richmond Coaches’.

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2018, West Midlands on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Not the most obvious or exciting bus to start a blog with BUT.

 

The future for public transport in the West Midlands seems to be that whoever operates services within the authorities boundarys will be obliged to wear a common ‘West Midlands’ livery.

 

This is the first bus I have seen in the new livery and I expect it to be the first of many.

 

BX62 FAK ‘Diamond’ No. 30925 ’West Midlands Bus’ 42 43. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban

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

 

New to ‘Flights Hallmark’.

 

 

‘national express West Midlands’ (neWM) have recently repainted several double deckers in the liveries of former operators who became part of ‘West Midlands PTE’ the forerunners to ‘neWM’.

 

BX54 DDJ ‘national express West Midlands’ No. 4601 ‘Walsall Corporation’. transbus Trident / transbus ALX 400

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

 

 

 

BJ03 EVC ‘national express West Midlands’ No. 4453 ‘national express Coventry’. transbus Trident / transbus ALX 400

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

 

 

BL53 EDF ‘national express West Midlands’ No. 4535.  transbus Trident / transbus ALX 400

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

 

I could not see any indication of the operator on the bus apart from the destination blind but the livery worn is that of the former ‘Wolverhampton Corporation Transport’.

 

 

 

D957 NDA ‘West Midlands Travel’ No. 2957 ‘Timesaver’. MCW Metrobus Mk. 2

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

 

 

A764 WVP ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 2957 ‘travelcard’. MCW Metrobus Mk. 2

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

 

It also had a spell with ‘Sharpe’ of Nottingham.

 

 

 

WDA 835T ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 6835. MCW Metrobus Mk.1

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

 

 

 

V177 MOA ‘Travel West Midlands’ No. 1707. Mercedes-Benz 0405N

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

 

This bus was voted Best in Show by the visitors to the Buses Festival at Gaydon two weeks previously.

 

 

G266 EOG ‘West Midlands Travel’ No. 1266. Leyland Lynx

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

 

 

 

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2017. ‘MCW’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

The history of the British bus industry is littered with companies that like shooting stars shone for a while and then fell to Earth.

 

‘MCW’ or to use what was its full title ‘Metro Cammell Weymann’ was one of them.

 

Dating back to 1932 as a group and to long before that as individual companies the end came in 1989 when owners the Laird group shut MCW down.

 

 

GJF 301N ‘Leicester City Transport No. 301 Scania BR111DH / MCW Metropolitan

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

 

 

 

LOA 400X ‘G.H. Watts Coaches’ MCW DR102/22 Metrobus 1

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

 

New to ‘West Midlands PTE’ in 1981 as its No. 2400.

 

 

NOA 462X ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 2462 MCW DR102/27 Metrobus 2

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

 

 

 

F53 XOF ‘Travel West Midlands’ No. 3053 ’900 Airport Link’ MCW DR102/64 Metrobus 2

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

 

 

 

F57 XOF ‘Travel West Midlands’ No. 3057 MCW DR102/70 Metrobus 2

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

 

 

 

UTN 501Y ‘Northern’ No. 3501 MCW DR102/37 Metrobus 2

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

 

New to ‘Northern General’.

 

 

MMM-400-G ‘National Express Rapide’ MCW Metroliner 400GT

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

 

New to ‘Yorkshire Traction’ as No. 99 registered E99 AAK. 

 

It was also registered HE 8899.