‘Scene’ at the GCR’s Bus & Train Spectacular 2021 ‘Other Operators’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

XOI 105 ‘G.H. WATTS Coaches’

Chassis not known / Alexander RL

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

 

 

 

 

ARC 666T ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 666 ‘Andrew Pickering’. Leyland Atlantean AN68 / Northern Counties /1 of 2 

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

 

Very much a one off where ‘NCT’ explored various ideas for incorporation in future buses.

 

This bus has appeared on my blog before but I think that it is such an attractive bus that I make no apology for including it again.

 

 

 

 

OLD 714 ‘London Transport’ No. RT 4494

AEC Regent lll / Weymann

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

 

New in 1954.

 

Originally built with a Park Royal body. It acquired its current Weymann body at overhaul in 1966.

 

 

 

 

 

D113 DHY ‘Badgerline’ No. 113

Volvo B10M / Alexander ‘P’ type

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

 

Alexanders have for many years produced stylish, elegant, attractive bus and coach bodies.

 

This, however, was not one of them.

 

 

 

 

GCK 279S ‘Florence & Grange Tours’ No. 21 ‘Violet Rose’

Bedford YLQ / Plaxton Supreme

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

 

It also had a spell on the Isle of Man registered A111 MAN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FJU 973 ‘Paul S. Winson’, Loughborough No. 147

Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

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

 

MY02 BAN ‘SOUTH STAFFS COACH HIRE / HYLTON & DAWSON of Leicestershire’

Dennis R410 / Plaxton Panther

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

 

New registered LA02 RZG to ‘Banstead Coaches’ where it gained its current registration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

‘Scene’ in Edinburgh by Peter Rose 1 Tourist Buses on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Peter, a friend of many years standing, was in Edinburgh on holiday recently and has forwarded these images for me to share with you.

 

As usual, they appear with his consent and my thanks.

 

Many images in this selection were captured on Princes Street which is shared with other forms of transport including Edinburgh’s trams.

 

The track of which can be observed beneath the bus.

 

SJ16 CSO ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd’ No. 222. ‘CitySightseeing’.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd’ is part of the ‘Lothian Buses’ group.

 

Above the bus is part of the overhead power supply to the trams.

 

 

 

 

SJ16 ZZG ‘Majestic Tours Edinburgh Ltd’. No. 243. ‘Majestic Tour’.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

‘Majestic Tours Edinburgh Ltd’ is part of the ‘Lothian Buses’ group.

 

 

 

 

SJ16 ZZE ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd’ No 241. ‘Edinburgh Tour’.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

 

 

 

 

SN08 BXV ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 905. ‘3 BRIDGES TOUR’

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

 

 

 

ACZ 7494 ‘Bright Bus Tours’.

Dennis Trident / Alexander ALX400

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

 

New registered X274 NNO to  ‘Selkent’ as No. TA99, then to ‘Stagecoach East’. as No. 17274.

 

‘Scene’ at the GCR’s Bus & Train Spectacular ‘Confidence Bus’, ‘Barton Transport’ & ‘Devon General’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

B190 BLG ‘CONFIDENCE BUS, Leicester’ No. 70.

Leyland Olympian / Eastern Coach Works

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

 

New to ‘Crosville Wales’ as No. DOG190.

 

 

 

 

WLT 655 ‘CONFIDENCE BUS, Leicester’ No. 15.

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New to ‘London Transport’ in 1961 as No. RM655.

 

 

 

 

‘Barton Transport’ was one of the major independent bus operators in the East Midlands. 

 

Eventually becoming part of the ‘Wellglade’ group of companies.

 

Always known for their style and flair when it came to buying buses, this is but one example.

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /1.

AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge

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

 

It spent some time at ‘Quantock Motor Services’ where it was part of the heritage fleet.

 

 

 

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /2.

AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge

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

 

 

 

 

851 FNN ‘Barton Transport’ No. 851 /3.

AEC Regent 5 / Northern Counties Lowbridge 

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

 

For those readers who don’t fully understand what a lowbridge body was.

 

It was a way of building double deck bus bodies to a lower overall height. Generally, a foot or thereabouts lower.

 

What would have been the centre aisle upstairs was moved to the offside and dropped into the downstairs saloon. 

 

It intruded over the offside downstairs seats and was ready made for banging heads on when leaving seats.

 

Upstairs, the two pairs of seats were replaced by one seat that seated 4 people.

 

It was a most uncomfortable arrangement where you could finish up climbing over the other passengers seated with you.

 

Fortunately, this arrangement came to an end with the introduction of the drop centre rear axle which I think debuted on the Bristol Lodekka.

 

So allowing conventional 2X2 upstairs seating in a low overall height bus.

 

 

 

 

EOD 524D ‘Devon General’ No. 524.

AEC Regent 5 / Metro-Cammell Orion

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

 

The body shell was built in 1966 by Weymann but completed by MCW.

 

 

 

 

9 RDV ‘Devon General’ No. 9.

AEC Reliance / Marshall

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

 

Built by ‘Marshall’ to the BET Federation standard of the time.

 

‘Scene’ Once More, Down ‘Memory Lane’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Cars have appeared before on my blog but not for some years.

 

Recently a motor museum called ‘Great British Car Journey’ has opened at Ambergate in Derbyshire.

 

Superbly located in what were industrial premises, the story of the British car industry is told in a display of almost 100 vehicles.

 

There are another 40 cars in reserve and the display is sometimes changed.

 

For further information, Google ‘Great British Car Journey’.

 

Well worth a visit, I do not think you would be disappointed.

 

I have illustrated only a few cars. Five of which are types I have owned and one gem (out of many) that I wish I had owned.

 

464 LHT Morris Minor.

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

 

Mine was a beige 1000 model for which, in 1968, I paid £30.

 

My very first car!

 

 

 

 

UVS 828 Ford Anglia.

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

 

Mine was cream with a three speed gearbox with a very long gear lever which made changing gear a bit like stirring a pudding with a garden fork.

 

The windscreen wipers were powered by some sort of vacuum arrangement that meant the the faster the car went, the slower were the wipers.

At approximately 45 mph, which it did not manage very often, the wipers stopped completely.

 

The price I paid had gone up considerably to £35.

 

 

 

 

 

XUP 149L Vauxhall Viva.

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

 

I was now into 3 figures paying just £100.

 

I got about 4 years out of it.

 

Mine was a shade of brown that resembled freshly deposited horse manure.

 

Mind you with a wife, two kids and a mortgage, I couldn’t be too choosey.

 

 

 

 

ARO 848 Ford Escort Estate.

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

 

Mine was bright yellow and affectionately called the ‘yellow peril’.

 

It was so light and being rear wheel drive was almost uncontrollable in snow and ice.

 

So I lined the floor at the back with two inch thick concrete slabs which helped.

 

The person I eventually sold it to finished up parking it on its roof.

 

 

 

 

TGW 864X Vauxhall Cavalier.

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

 

Mine was fire engine red. I think the GL model.

 

All the previous cars had been ‘pre owned’. (Modern day parlance for ‘second hand’).

 

This was my first new car.

 

Thoughtfully provided by my then employer.

 

Unfortunately, Vauxhall did not provide it with power steering.

 

At speed it was beautiful to drive.

 

When parking, it was as manoeuvrable as a Centurion tank.

 

 

 

 

GK 9636 Austin Seven Swallow.

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

 

There are many cars on display that I wish I had owned but this was my favourite.

 

Dating from 1930 and, like many other Austin Sevens on display, a four seater.

 

How, these days, would you get four average sized people into this ?

 

Beautiful!

 

‘Scene’ in Huddersfield 4 ‘Arriva Yorkshire’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Or ‘uddersfield as we Yorkshire folk are given to calling it.

 

My first real day out ‘bus hunting’ in 2022 was to the two West Yorkshire towns of Halifax and Huddersfield.

 

Only 9 or so miles apart in distance but separated in fact by an enormous hill along the top of which runs the M62 motorway.

 

SN15 LLC ‘Arriva Yorkshire’ No. 1914 ‘MAX’ ‘GRAND YORKSHIRE CONNECTIONS’.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400

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

 

 

 

 

TWY 7 ‘Arriva Yorkshire’ No. 1546 ‘Arriva Sapphire 229’.

VDL DB300 / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2

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

 

The registration is a ‘cherished’ one, owned by ‘Arriva’.

 

When new, it was registered YJ61 OBW.

 

Interestingly, the cherished registration has been used twice before.

 

The first time was on a Park Royal bodied Leyland PD2 dating from 1957.

 

The second time was on a Northern Counties bodied Leyland Olympian dating from 1988.

 

 

 

 

KIG 7306 ‘Arriva Yorkshire’ No. 1103 ‘254/255’.

Volvo B7RLE / WrightEclipse Urban

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

 

New registered YJ08 DVF to ‘Arriva Yorkshire West’.

 

 

 

YJ15 AXM ‘Arriva Yorkshire’.

Optare Solo M8900SR 

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

 

New to ‘Yorkshire Tiger’.

 

 

 

 

YX17 NKC ‘‘Arriva Yorkshire’ No. 1074 ‘arriva sapphire 231/232.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC /1 

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

 

There are some suggestions on the internet that the chassis might be a Dennis Dart but I have never seen this body style on a Dart chassis before. 

 

New to ‘Yorkshire Tiger’.

 

 

 

 

YX17 NKC ‘‘Arriva Yorkshire’ No. 1074 ‘arriva sapphire 231/232.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC /2 

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

 

‘Scene’ in Huddersfield 3 ‘First HD Connect’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

My first real day out ‘bus hunting’ in 2022 was to the two West Yorkshire towns of Halifax and Huddersfield.

 

Only 9 or so miles apart in distance but separated in fact by an enormous hill along the top of which runs the M62.

 

Apart from buses painted in ‘First’ groups standard livery there are, a significant number painted in a ‘HD Connect’ livery.

 

Just what the significance is, I don’t know but it adds an bit more colour to the standard livery.

 

‘Scene’ in Huddersfield 1 which looks at the bus station was posted on 20/03/2022.

 

‘Scene’ in Huddersfield 2 which looks at ‘First West Yorkshire’ was posted on 02/04/2022.

 

YJ54 XUG ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd’. No. 32518 ‘HD Connect’.

Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini /1

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

 

 

 

 

YJ54 XUG ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd’. No. 32518 ‘HD Connect’.

Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini /2

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

 

 

 

 

YJ06 XKX ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd’. No. 37032 ‘HD Connect’.

Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

 

 

 

YJ06 XKX ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd.’ No. 37029 ‘HD Connect’.

Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

 

 

 

BV13 ZDH ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd’. No. 69556 ‘HD Connect’.

Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

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

 

 

 

 

SN64 CHL ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd’. No. 47498 ‘HD Connect’.

Wright Streetlite D/F

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

 

 

 

 

BD13 NFK ‘First West Yorkshire Ltd’. No. 69564 ‘HD Connect’.

Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

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

 

‘Scene’ when a Deltic visited the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (EVR) on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The ‘EVR’ might not be a name that is familiar to most enthusiasts but hosting one of the iconic English Electric built Deltics for part of the summer will certainly bring the railway to a wider audience.

 

Based in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, the railway began life as the start of the ‘Midland Railway’ advancing through the Peak District in an attempt to reach Manchester.

 

When the eventual choice for that line went via Ambergate and the Derwent Valley, it left Wirksworth at the end of a nine mile long branch line from Duffield on the Midland Main Line.

 

Duffield today being the southern terminus of the line where the station is jointly used with the national network although there is no direct rail connection.

 

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

Wirksworth Station Name board

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

 

 

 

 

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, British Rail.

English Electric built diesel Electric Locomotive /1

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

 

Many will want to see, hear and ride on No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier.

 

Pictured slowly moving down Platform 1 to take up its position at the head of the train when its coaches arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, British Rail.

English Electric built diesel electric locomotive /2

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

 

The loco advances.

 

Pictured to the right in Platform 3 is W55034.

 

A Class 121 ‘Bubble Car’ which is waiting to work a service up the Ravenstor incline.

 

 

 

 

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, British Rail.

English Electric built diesel electric locomotive /3

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

 

 

 

 

D1842 British Rail class 47 (formerly 47192)

Brush built diesel electric locomotive

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

 

The coaches arrive behind the 47 bringing the first working of the day in from Duffield.

 

55019 is just visible the the right of the image prior to running forward over a crossover and reversing onto its train.

 

 

 

 

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, British Rail.

English Electric built diesel electric locomotive /4

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

 

So its first working on the ‘EVR’ gets under way promptly at 09-50 looking and sounding as good as it ever did.

 

 

 

 

55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, British Rail.

English Electric built diesel electric locomotive /5

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