‘Scene’ on the Isle of Wight Once More part 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I have visited the Isle of Wight a number of times over the years and a number of blogs have appeared previously.

 

The major operator is ‘Southern Vectis’ which is part of the ‘Go-Ahead’ group’s 

‘Go-South Coast’ operations.

 

HF09 FVV ‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1402 ‘ISLAND BREEZERS’. Scania N230UD / Optare Visionaire /1

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

 

New to ‘Wilts & Dorset’ (another ‘Go-Ahead’ group company) for use on the Purbeck Breezer service between Bournemouth and Swanage via the Sandbanks ferry.

 

 

 

 

HF09 FVV‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1402 ‘ISLAND BREEZERS’. Scania N230UD / Optare Visionaire /2

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

 

 

 

HW67 AJV ‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1664. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

HW67 AJV ‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1664. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

 

HW67 AKF‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1666. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

 

HW09 BCK ‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1148. Scania N270UD / Scania Omnicity

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

 

 

 

HW63 FHN ‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1591. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400

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

 

 

 

Y704 TGH‘Southern Vectis’ No. 1940. Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘London Central’ as its No. PVL 240.

 

Used as a driver trainer,

 

Seen in the blue livery of ‘Damory Coaches’, another ‘Go-Ahead’ group company for whom it had previously worked.

 

 

 

HW64 AXC ‘Southern Vectis’ No. 2712. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200

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

 

Short bodied vehicles to work services to the limited access ’Red Funnel’ ferry terminal in West Cowes.

 

 

 

 

YN04 GHF ‘Vectis blue’ No. 7175.Scania K114EB4 / Irizar Century

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

 

‘Southern Vectis’ provide schools services under the name of ‘Vectis blue’. The dedicated buses can however be used for other work when not required for schools duties.

 

‘Scene’ in Bury. Coaches on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

One of Bury’s major attractions is its Market which advertises itself as being the best in the country.

 

Other towns may dispute that but it is a good market and as such it attracts people and the coaches they travel in.

 

YN07 LDK ‘Oakleaf Coaches’. Scania K114EB4 / Irizar Century

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New to ‘Clarkes’, Sydenham.

 

 

 

YN08 DGY ‘GrayShells Travel’. Scania K340EB4 / Irizar PB

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New to ‘Euroview’, Dereham, Norfolk.

 

 

 

2 HXA ‘The Travellers Choice’, Carnforth. Volvo B12B / Jonckheere SHV

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New as PN10 GJU.

 

 

 

PE12 OXJ ‘Voel’, Dyserth, North Wales. Neoplan Tourliner

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New to ‘City Circle’, Hayes, Middlesex.

 

 

 

RB16 ANT ‘Anthony’s Travel’, Runcorn. MAN 19.360 / Barbi Galileo

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

MXI 221 ‘Maxfields’, Sheffield. SETRA  S415GT-HD

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

New as BX07 NLR to ‘Dodsworth’s, Boroughbridge.

 

‘Scene’ Coaching in Scotland 2 on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.co.uk’

A few days based in Fort William enabled me to get a reasonable cross section of images of coaches both local and from further afield.

 

For part 1 see blog published 07/05/2017.

 

580 PCV ‘Lochs & Glens Holidays’ DAF Van Hool T917 Astron

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

 

New to ‘Burtons’ as YJ09 CYH.

 

seen at Moffat Mill Services.

 

 

 

PO16 HTV ‘timberbrush tours’ MAN 19.360 / Barbi Galileo

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

 

Seen at Urquart Castle.

 

I had a week in Italy last year during which we travelled on Barbi Galileo coaches and very good they are.

 

 

YN16 BSO ‘Viajar por Escocia’ Iveco 70C17 / Turas

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

 

Interesting, a locally registered tour bus working in Scotland for the benefit of Spanish speaking customers.

 

Seen leaving Fort Augustus.

 

 

 

 

PSU 620 ‘edinburgh coach lines’ Scania K111 EB4 / Van Hool Alizee

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

 

Seen parked at Fort Augustus.

 

 

KX15 GAO ‘Omega Travel’ (Milton Keynes) MAN 26.480 / Ayats

 

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

 

Seen parked at Fort Augustus.

 

SN14 CYK ‘rabbies’ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

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

 

There are a number of operators operating smaller coaches on tour work. The vehicle size allows them to get into locations where their larger brethren cannot go.

 

Seen in Oban passing below ‘Macaigs Tower’, a  folly built on Battery Hill.

 

 

 

SF14 JLO ‘Caledonian Travel’ Volvo 9700 Prestige Plus

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

 

Seen in Oban.

 

 

S10 JDO ‘Ogdens’, (St Helens) Bova MHD122.410MX Magiq

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

 

 

Seen at Mallaig ferryport.

 

 

 

EB GR 155 ‘Geissler Reisen’ Mercedes-Benz Tourismo

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

 

A German registered coach seen in Oban.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ Coaching in London recently part 2

It is now some time since I was in the Capital but such is the volume of bus traffic and such is the quality of the vehicles appearing that it would be a shame to leave these out.

 

One of my local operators here in the East Midlands is ‘Little’s of Ilkeston’ and it is with one of their coaches that we start.

 

PB09 LTL

A Scania K340EB4 with Irizar PB coachwork.

 

KX56 OVF

A Volvo B7R with Plaxton Profile bodywork working for London operator ‘Corbel’.

 

BN63 NYU

A Chinese built King Long XMQ6129Y working for ‘Excalibur Coaches’ who are another London based operator.

 

This coach appeared on the King Long stand at the Bus & Coach Live 2013 show at the NEC.

 

B2 EBT

A Volvo B12M with Plaxton Paragon bodywork with a cherished registration that identifies it as a member of the

‘Eddie Brown Travel’ fleet.

 

BL14 LSX

A Sunsundegui bodied Volvo working for’ Terravision’ on route A50 which takes in both Stansted Airport and London Victoria.

 

I have only seen one other of this body type which is called the SC7 and that was at the NEC last year and I commented then on its very close similarity to the Caetano Levante.

 

TUI 1646

A Dennis Javelin with Caetano Algarve 2 bodywork. Formerly registered N786 SJU.

 

Working for ‘Britannia Holidays’ who operate from the Hitchin in Hertfordshire.

 

9 HDX

This Volvo B12B/JonkheereSHV combination has to be one of the most elegant vehicles on the road.

 

Working for ‘The Travellers Choice’ who are based at Carnforth in Lancashire. 

 

An operator with a history going back over 140 years !

 

WAF CO 444

A SETRA S 415HD working for German operator ‘Engel Touristik’.

 

GB04 EBL

 

A Scania K114B4 with Irizar Century bodywork in the fleet of ‘Lucketts Travel’ of Fareham in Hampshire.

 

FDY 383

A Volvo B12B with a Volvo built body that was new to ‘Rambler Coaches Ltd.’ of Hastings in 2008 as CR08 RAM. 

 

It was reregistered to its current mark in early 2015.

 

YJ11 AMV

A Mercedes-Benz 0816D fitted with Sitcar ‘Beluga’ bodywork working for ‘Alba Coaches’.

 

I have commented before that I think the name ‘Beluga’ which is a species of whale is an unfortunate choice for what is quite a dainty coach.

 

‘Scene’ on the West Coast of Scotland part 2.

Earlier this year, I had a short break staying at the Alexandra Hotel in Oban. The tour company was ‘Highland Heritage’ (HH) with whom I have no connection other than as a satisfied customer.

 

‘HH’ have a fleet of 16 identical Van Hool Alizee bodied Volvo B12BT’s. 

 

All carry different names to identify them to passengers because there are times when more than one is at the same place.

 

Part of the ‘HH’ holiday package is a Highland Concert which takes place on one afternoon either in Oban or Fort William.

 

Here 9 of the fleet are seen in Fort William waiting for the end of the days performance.

 

YN07 KHB

A Mercedes-Benz 0816 with Plaxton Cheetah bodywork.

 

Currently operated by ‘shiel buses’ of Fort William. A company that has been around for over 30 years and today operate a fleet of over 20 vehicles.

 

Prior to joining ‘shiels’ this bus worked for ‘Express of Batley’ in Yorkshire wearing basically the same livery.

 

PN11 ZBW

A MAN/Neoplan Tourliner operated by 'Mearns Executive Insight Vacations' a Glasgow based company.

 

FG10 WEN

A Mercedes-Benz Tourismo operated by Owen’s Coaches of Oswestry which is on the English Welsh border in Shropshire. The ‘Travelmaster Holidays’ branding is one of Owens own brands.

 

K80 SBL

 

A Mercedes-Benz 1523LL with Esker bodywork operated again by ‘shiel buses’.

 

PO14 HHY

A Jonkheere bodied Volvo of ‘Trafalgar’ tours.

 

M17 YNE

A DAF Van Hool Alicron TX15 of ‘Mayne’s of Buckie’. One of 7 in the 30 plus vehicle fleet. 

 

Mayne’s are a long established company with a history going back over 60 years.

 

JIL 3961

 

A Mercedes- Benz with Spanish built UNVI GT-R bodywork again in the fleet of ‘shiel buses’.

 

 

BZ-VD-68

A VDL Futura from Dutch operator ‘contiki Holidays’ seen in Oban.

I thought I would eventually get used to the new ’Futura’ shape but I still prefer the original.

 

 

BI+NR 3500

A Neoplan ‘Cityliner’ with Neumann of Bielefeld in Germany seen at Inverary.

 

SN13 DBO

Another UNVI body on a Mercedes-Benz chassis . This time the Vega GT from J. Russell of Strathaven in Southern Scotland.

 

YN13 EGU

Unmistakably an Irizar i6 from ‘Silver Fox’ coaches of Renfrew. Seen in Inverary.

 

H9 CTT

A Scania K114EB4 with Van Hool Alizee T9 bodywork.

Operated by ‘Coopers Tourmaster’ of Bedlington in England’s Northeast. It is an interesting vehicle having previously carried the registrations AE03 LFH and 450 UXM. 

 

As AE03 LFH it operated for ‘Peakes of Pontypool’ in South Wales and also had a spell with ‘Kenzies’ of Shepreth in ‘Cosmos’ colours.

 

As 450 UXM it had a spell with ‘Reay’s of Wigton’.