‘Scene’ when Derby Railway Station was ‘Bustituted’ 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Derby railway station has been closed for major refurbishment work since July which will continue through to October.

 

Travellers through Derby have found that they have had to switch to buses and coaches for the onward journeys.

 

The operation seems to be well organised with a selection of vehicles from a wide range of operators being used.

 

For an earlier blog on this subject see blog published 18/08/2018.

 

‘ARRIVA’ the local operator wes represented by.

 

YX17 NND ‘ARRIVA The Shires’ No. 3129. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC

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

 

 

 

FL63 DYA ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 3792. VDL SB200 / Wright Pulsar 2

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

 

 

 

BD12 DHG ‘ARRIVA The Shires’ No. 3930 ‘MAX’. Mercedes-Benz Citaro

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

 

 

 

Local coach operators also had a share of the work available

 

67 RT ‘Johnson Brothers’, Worksop ‘Roamer’. Van Hool Alicron

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

 

New as YJ15 EUX.

 

 

 

YR18 CLJ ‘Johnson Brothers’, Worksop. ‘Euro Royale’. Irizar i6

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

 

 

 

N1 JBT ‘Johnson Brothers’, Worksop. VDL Futura 2 FHD

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

 

 

 

YJ16 EHX ‘Whitestar travel’, Sunderland. Temsa Safari HD12 RHD

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

 

New to ‘Green’ Walthamstow.

 

 

BU14 EGE ‘Hunters’, Leeds. Volvo B11R / Jonkheere

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

 

New to ‘Park’, Hamilton.

 

‘Scene’ Coaching on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is becoming my second home it seems. Getting there by ferry from Gunwharfe Quay in Portsmouth is always an enjoyable experience and it is there, waiting to board that the first two images were captured.

 

BT14 LCT ‘Leon’s of Stafford’ Neoplan N5216-3SHDC Starliner.

 

YN64 AOK ‘Dunwood Travel’ Scania 360EB4 / Irizar i6.

 

‘Dunwood Travel’ of Dudley are part of the ‘Leons of Stafford’ group.

 

EDZ 114 ‘Avanti Coach Travel’ SETRA S250.

 

Originally R762 NFW.

 

‘Avanti Coach Travel’ is the trading name ‘E. Pitchers’ of Blofield, Norwich and the coach was with a company called ‘Hodson’s before that.

 

YT62 HZY ‘P & D York Travel’ Scania 360EB4 / Irizar i6.

 

‘P & D York Travel’ are based in Wolverhampton. 

 

It was previously operated by ‘Solus Coaches’ of Tamworth.

 

TL07 DGE ‘Group Travel’  (‘Moon & Benney’) SETRA S415GT-HD.

 

‘Moon & Benney’ hail from Bodmin in Cornwall.

 

The livery and the registration however identify the coach as previously being operated by ‘Lodge Coaches’ of High Easter, Chelmsford, Essex.

 

MT61 HUP ‘Happy Days’ Neoplan Tourliner.

 

‘Happy Days’ are based in Stafford.

 

What an excellent choice of company name and livery.

 

BX14 KPE ‘Globe Holidays’ King Long XMQ6129Y.

 

Chinese built and operated by ‘Globe Holidays’ of Barnsley, South Yorks.

T871 JBC ‘A.L.S Travel’ MAN 24.400 / Noge Catalan.

 

‘A.L.S Travel’ are based on the Isle of Wight at Lake near Sandown.

 

It was new to ‘Bennett’ (Hamiltons of Uxbridge) in March 1999 before moving to ‘Irvine’, Law in Scotland in 2003 and then to ‘Calne Travel’ where it was re registered EIG 3277.

It then went to ‘Swallow’ of Rainham in Essex before moving to ‘Anicks Travel’ of Bristol.

 

All that before finding yet another home on the IoW !

 

CDL 647 ‘Seaview Services’ Volvo B12B / Van Hool Alizee.

 

Owned by ‘Robinson’, of Sandown who trade as ‘Seaview Services’.

 

New to Nuttall (Redline Coaches) of Penwortham, Lancashire as YK04 FWB. 

 

It was re registered by them to 12 RED in February 2009.

 

It regained its original registration when it passed via ‘Plaxton’ sales in 2011 to 

 

‘M&M Coaches’ of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

 

It then worked for ‘Amport & District’ at Thruxton in Hampshire in September 2012 before coming to its current owner in October 2012 who re registered it yet again to its current mark.

 

YJ13 GZB ‘Birmingham International Coachways’ Van Hool TX15 Alicron / Van Hool.

 

YD02 PXM ‘Albert Wilde & Son Coaches’ Bova Futura.

 

‘Albert Wilde & Son Coaches’ are local to me being based in Heage in Derbyshire.

 

Previously operated by ‘K & M Coaches’ of Chesterfield.

 

JMM 758B 1964 Morris Minor.

 

The first car ever to appear in my blog.

 

I could not resist this because my very first car was the same model in the same colour but not I might add in this condition.

 

The total instrumentation was a speedometer which had a mileometer set in it, a battery charge light at one side balanced by an oil pressure light at the other and that was it.

 

To cap it all, for a pound sterling I got 4 gallons of petrol and some change.

 

Those really were the days !!!

 

‘Scene’ once more in York

York is one of those city’s that I never tire of visiting and somewhere that I can always find something different.

 

BFZ 9999

 

A Van Hool Astrobel owned by ‘Richmond Coaches’ and operated from the City of Lisburn in Northern Ireland.

 

What a magnificent vehicle !

 

YX05 DHV

A Mercedes-Benz Atego 1223L with Optare Solera bodywork although my bet is that the bodywork was produced by ‘Ferqui’ in Spain and marketed as an Optare product. 

 

Currently operated by ‘Parkside Travel’ of Cramlington in Northumberland it was for some time operated by a company called ‘Bennetts Travel’.

 

PNZ 8266

A Mercedes-Benz 0814D operated by ‘Furlongs Travel’ of Knowsley in Liverpool.

 

GXZ 2986

 

A Volvo B13RT fitted with Plaxton’s ever elegant Elite body.

 

New to ‘Logan’ of Dunloy in Northern Ireland and is now with ‘Quinns Coach Hire’ of Ardboe in the same province.

 

 

AA-222-JD

An Irisbus Domino. A French registered visitor working for ‘Gatineo' from Beaune in Burgundy.

 

BP-JS-23

 

A VDL/BOVA Futura not often seen with three axles. This one is from Holland.

 

OU14 SVA

 

A Neoplan Tourliner working for ‘Malbank Coaches’ an operator based in Nantwich, Cheshire.

 

BR-BJ-31

 

A Van Hool T915 Alicron working for Dutch operator ‘Lanting Reisen’.

 

SIM NO 417

A Setra 417 HDH of German operator ‘BOHR reisen’ based in Frankfurt.

 

8784 ZW 42

A Setra 415 GT HD

 

I have included this relatively poor image because of the shade for its interest.

 

The operator being ‘Car Postal’ who are the French postal service.

 

 

‘Scene’ today (03/10/15) in Derby

Although I had done a ‘blog’ about the withdrawal of Notts and Derby’s Volvo B10B/Northern Counties Paladins earlier in the week. I still felt the need to go into Derby to say my own farewells.

 

I have only ridden on them half a dozen times and to be honest, they were not that comfortable. Too many seats of a not particularly good design packed into too small a space.

 

However, they were full of character and have appeared in a multitude of liveries down the years and they will be missed.

 

There were a reasonable number of enthusiasts dashing hither and yon and the four I was able to see were

 

L102 LRA

 

M131 PRA

 

M132 PRA and

 

M133 PRA

No matter how many times I visit Derby bus station, I always find something to photograph.

Pride of place goes to 

 

YX65 RGO

 

An Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 in a very stylish ‘Transpeak’ livery that was new to me.

 

Presumably a ‘High Peak Buses’ vehicle although it was gone that quickly I did not have time to check its ownership.

 

 

SIL 6434

 

A Neoplan Tourliner of ‘Skills’ was operating the ‘National Express’ (NX) service e to London.

 

They have been operating the service since ‘yourbus’ gave it up but rumour has it that the ongoing contract is going elsewhere.

 

Watch this space !

 

 

HSK 655

A Volvo B9R with Plaxton Elite bodywork in ‘NX’ livery but operated by ‘Parks of Hamilton’.

 

WA61 AKU

A Volvo B13R with Van Hool Alicron bodywork in ‘NX’ liveryworking for ‘Chalfont Coaches’ of Southall.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Victoria (London)

I think that most bus and coach enthusiasts will have visited the iconic Victoria Coach Station in London at some stage.

 

This Art Deco building dates from 1932 and id now a Grade 2 English Heritage listed building.

One of the delights is watching the streamed departures when a mass of coaches depart in convoy for all points of the compas.

 

A selection of coaches awaiting the ‘off’.

 

Just around the corner however is the ‘Green Line Coach Station’ which although smaller is perhaps more interesting because it sees more varietyYJ58 FJO

 

A Van Hool T917 Alicron working for Arriva The Shires’ seen in ‘greenline757 livery which links Victoria with Luton Airport.

 

KX61 GDU

A Volvo B9R with Plaxton Panther 2 bodywork belonging to ‘Stagecoach in Warwickshire’ seen on ‘megabus.com’ duties.

 

LK58 EDA Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork. Working for ‘First Berkshire’ in ‘greenline’ livery.

 

Based at Bracknell and working the 702 in from there.

 

 

L66 SGB

 

A Scania K340EB4 with Caetano ‘Levante’ bodywork working for ‘South Gloucester Bus & Coach’ who are a ‘National Express’ (NE) contractor for whom it is working service 040 to Bristol.

 

The registration is ‘cherished’ having appeared on previous coaches in the fleet.

 

The coach is widely travelled in more ways than one having been new to ‘Yorkshire Traction’ before moving to ‘East Midland’ and then to Kent before joining its current owner.

 

BF63 ZPY

 

A Volvo B9R with Caetano ‘ Levante’ bodywork displaying its ‘NE’ branding.

 

It is actually operated by ‘Go-Ahead’ group company ‘Go North East’.

 

YJ14 LFK

 

A Van Hool TDX21 Astromega of ‘Stagecoach Oxfordshire’s Oxford tube operation. 

 

One of a batch of 26 that were delivered in 2014 to replace entirely an existing fleet of the same which in turn replaced an existing fleet of Neoplan Skyliners.

 

These magnificent Euro 6 engined vehicles operate 24/7.

 

I remember traveling on this service in 1986 when it was run with double deck coach seated MCW Metroliners.

 

Remember them?

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ Coaching in London

Whilst in the Capital recently, I took the time to record some of the coaching activity of which there is plenty.

 

FJ60 HYL

 

A Volvo B9R with Caetano ‘Levante’ bodywork working for ‘Green Line’.

 

It previously worked in full ‘National Express’ (NE) livery for ‘NE’ contractor ‘Tellings Golden Miller’.

 

CC64 BMC

This immaculate Van Hool Alicron bodied vehicle belongs to’ BM Coaches’ of Hayes in Middlesex.

 

BS 085 DR 

This bit of exotica is a French registered Iveco Irisbus produced coach called the ‘Magelys PRO’. 

 

The manufacturers ‘blurb’ claims that it has 30% more glass and consequently better all round vision for the passenger than other coaches.

 

BS63 HDV

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork. Working for ‘First Berkshire’ in ‘greenline’ livery.

 

Based at Bracknell and working the 702 from there.

 

T60 UBE

 

A Van Hool TDX21 Astromega. One of 26 purchased in 2014 for the ‘Stagecoach’ group ‘Oxford Tube’ services from the city of that name into London.

 

These Euro 6 engined vehicles replaced a similar number of the similar (TD927) type some of which have been cascaded to ‘Stagecoach Western’ in Scotland.

 

CX 556 RE

Another French registered vehicle, this time a Van Hool Alicron operated by a company called ‘Bihan’ although it could be 13HAN which doesn’t seem likely.

 

C18 BUS

A Mercedes-Benz engined Neoplan N516SHD Starliner with Ayats Apollo bodywork working for ‘Coniston Coaches’ who work out of Stourport-on-Severn.

 

BJ-SF-13

 

This time Dutch registered. This is a Volvo chassis fitted with Berkhof Axial bodywork working for ‘Ruijs Reizen’ who are based in Oss in Southern Holland.

 

YJ55 WSV

 

A VDL SB4000 with Van Hool Alizee bodywork working for ‘Arriva The Shires’ and wearing ‘greenline’ livery.

 

CC60 CRC

A Mercedes-Benz chassis fitted with an unusual body the Beulas Stela working for ‘Chambers Coaches’ of Stevenage.