‘Scene’ in Mansfield Bus Station

It is two and a half years since Mansfield’s new bus station opened and whilst it is not that far from the old one in distance, it is miles away in terms of style and comfort. Built at an alleged cost of 9 million pounds, in my view it was money well spent.

 

It is also a genuine ‘Transport Interchange’ being linked to the railway station by an enclosed elevated walkway.

 

 

 

Since the images for this blog were taken, ‘Stagecoach’ group have started to remove ‘branding’ from buses. 

 

Whilst it simplifies the swapping of buses from fleet to fleet it also makes them less colourful and arguably less interesting.

 

T438 JJF

 

A Volvo Olympian with Alexander bodywork. New in 1999 to ‘Dublin Bus’ registered 99-D-524. 

 

Operated by ’Skills Coaches’ who apart from a large coaching operation also do a lot of contract bus work.

 

Unusually it retains its second door from its Dublin days.

 

FJ55 DZK

A Volvo B12B with Plaxton Panther bodywork. 

 

Working for ‘Silverdale Tours’ a long established Nottingham operator who have recently joined the ‘Skills’ group.

Although unbranded, it has spent some time on ‘National Express’ work.

 

YM52 UOW

A Dennis Trident with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork. Working for ‘Stagecoach East Midlands’ (SEM).

 

Still wearing branding for the ‘Mansfield Move’ which was used in the run up to the opening of the new bus station.

 

PX53 DJY

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork working for ‘SEM’. 

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Cumberland’ in 2004.

 

FX12 BSU

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D Enviro 200 working for ‘SEM’

 

Wearing branding for route No. 1 the ‘Mansfield Miller’.

 

FJ55 AAF

 

A Scania L94UB with Wright Solar bodywork working for ‘trentbarton’ (tb). 

 

Seen deputising on the ‘pronto’ service from Chesterfield to Nottingham for what is normally a route branded vehicle.

 

W261 EWU

An Optare Solo working for TM Travel. It was new to ‘HAD Coaches’ of Shotts in Scotland.

 

YJ12 PJY

 

An Optare Versa of ‘tb’. 

 

One of 18 buses branded for ‘the threes’ which are a series of routes linking Mansfield with Nottingham.

 

YJ07 VSE

An Optare Tempo of ‘tb’.

 

Carrying branding for the ‘black cat’ route that links Mansfield with Derby.

 

Since this image was taken, the ‘Black cat’ Tempo’s have been withdrawn and are expected to re appear on another route.

 

SL64 HSX

 

An ‘ADL’ Enviro 300 looking pretty in pink.

 

Working on the ‘pronto’ service from Chesterfield to Nottingham which is jointly operated with ‘tb’.

 

FJ09 MVR

 

An Optare Solo of ‘tb’ on the lengthy route to Derby.

 

SN63 YPW

 

Another ‘ADL’ Enviro 300 in fleet livery.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ at Manchester International Airport (MIA) Bus Station

The Bus Station at ‘MIA’ is part of a tri-mode transport interchange serving buses and coaches, the tramway system and the wider railway network.

 

Although I was there in the middle of the day and there was a reasonable throughput of buses, the passenger loadings were poor. Apart from ‘National Express’ services, there were seldom more than a handful of passengers on any bus.

 

The facilities are excellent. It seems a shame that they do not see more use.

 

 

MX12 EMV

 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro400 in ‘Stagecoach’s dedicated Hybrid livery. Working for ‘Stagecoach Manchester’ (SM).

 

DK09 ENW

A ‘baby’ Optare Solo operated by GHA Coaches who are based at Ruabon in North Wales.

 

Working on the Cheshire East Council funded service 200 to and from Wilmslow.

 

MX58 FTT

A Dennis Trident 2 with ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 bodywork again working for ‘SM’.

 

FN04 HSL

A Scania L94UB with Wright Solar Urban bodywork working from Buxton in the service of ‘High Peak Buses’ (HPB).

 

Originally a member of the ‘trentbarton’ (tb) fleet that moved to ‘HPB’ when ‘tb’ transferred its Buxton depot to ‘HPB’ which is jointly owned by ‘tb’ and ‘Centrebus’.

 

MX62 AWG

A ‘ADL’ Enviro 200 working for ‘Manchester Community Transport’ (MCT).

 

YJ13HLO

Another ‘MCT’ bus. This time an Optare Eco-Hybrid Solo SR.

 

FJ58 AJV

 

A Scania K340EB4 with Caetano Levante bodywork working a ‘Selwyns of Runcorn’ (SoR) on a  ‘National Express’ (NE) service to Liverpool. 

 

At the time of the image, it was un branded but it had previously worked for ‘SoR’ in full ‘NE’ branding.

 

MX61 AVD

A VDL SB200 with Wright Pulsar bodywork working for ‘Arriva North West Ltd’.

 

LSK 502

A Volvo B9R with Plaxton Elite bodywork owned by ‘Parks of Hamilton’ but working on a ‘NE’ contract that will take it to Plymouth. 

 

The registration is a ‘cherished’ one to Parks which has appeared on other vehicles previously.

 

FJ59 APX

Another Scania/Caetano Levante combination. Again owned by ‘SoR’ of  but working in full ‘NE’ livery this time and going to Leeds.

 

 

‘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’ at the NEC 2015 Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200

It was pleasing to see at last year’s show that ADL had moved away from the bulbous front end on their single deck offering with something a bit plainer but in my view smarter.

 

This year the look is continued and I think enhanced.

 

I think that the rear end is particularly distinctive

 

 

I also like the asymmetric front dash panel.

 

 

‘Scene’ at the NEC 2015- Buses for London

London is a massive market for the bus manufacturers to aim for with thousands of buses in daily service. No wonder they pull out all the stops to get a share of it.

 

Surprisingly, the ‘New Bus For London’ or as it is also known, the ‘New RouteMaster’ wasn’t at the show this year but Wright’s, its builder were represented by a Gemini 3.

 

Wright Gemini 3

 

 

 

Beautifully finished but look at all those different window sizes, it must be expensive holding stock of them.

 

Alexander Dennis Ltd. displayed their take on the theme which shows how they have cleverly incorporated much of the ‘New RouteMaster’ styling into their Enviro 400H City.

 

 

Optare’s MetroCity EV is aimed quite clearly at the small but still significant single deck market.

 

While the ‘new RouteMaster’ was missing the old one put in appearance in the shape of

152 CLT

 

RM 1152 now over 50 years old and doesn’t it look well.

 

I wonder how many, if any ‘New Routemaster’s or ‘Gemini 3’s or  ‘Enviro 400H City’s will make it to the 2065 show ?

‘Scene’ at Coach & Bus Live today October 1st 2015

There was much to see and admire at this years show and a lot of it will appear on this ‘blog’ but the undoubted star of the show for me was ‘trentbarton’s (tb) Plaxton Elite bodied Volvo for its Derby to Nottingham ‘red arrow’ service.

 

I am a regular user of the ‘red arrow’ and I must admit that I cannot wait to give them a try.

 

A truly magnificent vehicle for what is basically a high frequency bus service.

 

‘tb are to be congratulated on ‘pushing the boat out’ and buying these superb vehicles.

 

 

 

 

 

The driver appears to be well looked after.

 

As do the passengers.

 

The entrance is wide and welcoming.