‘Scene’ in Retrospect (Retro Liveries in Modern fleets)

 

One aspect of the transport scene that has particularly pleased me in the last couple of years is the  use of ‘retro’ liveries in modern fleets, with modern buses appearing in the liveries of yesteryear. This has usually been done to tie in with an anniversary.

 

My thanks to the managements at ‘First Group’, ‘Stagecoach’ and others who whilst living in the modern world still find the time, the energy and the money to keep in touch with their past.

 

YN58 ETX

 

One of a number of Volvo B9TL’s with Wright Gemini Eclipse bodies painted in liveries specific to South Yorkshire. 

 

This appears in the dark blue and cream colours of ‘Sheffield Corporation Tramways’. 

 

3910 WE

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini body carrying a registration previously carried by a Leyland PD3 (but in reality YN08 LCJ) waits patiently in Sheffield Transport Interchange (Pond Street Bus Station to my generation).

 

YN08 LCL 

 

A Volvo B9TL’s with Wright Gemini Eclipse bodywork, this time in ‘Rotherham Corporation Transport’ colours.

 

‘First Manchester’ provided the following.

 

MX06 VOP

 

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork in the livery of ‘Bolton Corporation Transport’.

 

Bolton’s previous livery had been in the same colours of dark red and cream with the dark red being the predominant colour. This gave the buses a rather dark dull appearance. When the ‘new’ livery was introduced it certainly brightened up the buses and the town.

 

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A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban It is seen in the livery of  ‘Ramsbottom Urban District Council’.

 

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Another Volvo B9TL with Wright Gemini Eclipse bodywork in the livery of ‘Salford City Transport’ seen leaving Eccles Bus Station.

 

MX58 EAC

 

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork in the colours of ‘Rochdale Corporation Transport’ leaving that towns new bus station.

 

A move to The Midlands, specifically Hanley where two buses carrying an earlier ‘Potteries’ livery are seen

 

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A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork that migrated South from ‘First Manchester’ wearing an older ‘Potteries’ livery.

 

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A Scania CN94UB with Scania Omnicity bodywork in a retro ‘Potteries’ livery.

 

Further South to Leicester although these two images were both taken at ‘Showbus’ at Duxford in September 2014.

 

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A Volvo B7TL with Wright Gemini Eclipse bodywork in ‘Leicester City Transport’ livery.

 

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Another Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork in a livery based on that previously used by ‘City of Leicester Tramways’.

 

 

 

Whilst all the previous images are of ‘First Group’ owned buses. This next one is owned by ‘Nottingham City Transport’ (NCT) and shows a bus operating in the livery of the former ‘West Bridgford Urban District Council’ which was taken over by ‘NCT’ in 1968.

 

YN08 MLL

 

A Scania N270UD with Darwen built bodywork.

 

A move now to the East Midlands where ‘East Midland Motor Services’ (EMMS) were based in Chesterfield. The buses seen here are from the local ‘Stagecoach’ fleet of whom ’EMMS’ became part.

 

FY02 VCJ

 

A Dennis Dart with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork in the earliest livery EMMS that I can remember. Seen leaving Mansfield Bus Station.

 

After this there was a desperately dull unrelieved dark red. There was a period of green which when used with white in NBC days was very attractive.

 

YN05 XNZ

 

Another Dennis Dart with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork in the much brighter red and white colours seen at the ‘Transpire’ bus rally held at the Peak Rail facility at Rowsley in Derbyshire during 2013.

 

The same bus reappeared in 2014 in ‘Chesterfield Corporation Transport’ colours to celebrate 100 years of motor bus operation in the town.

A move to the Southwest sees ‘First Devon & Cornwall’s

 

W716 RHT

 

A Dennis Trident with East Lancs ‘Loline’ bodywork wearing the livery of the former ‘Western National’ company working in Plymouth.

‘Scene’ on a ‘Vintage’ day at Rowsley 21st. June 2015

 

I have attended most of ‘Transpire’ The Chesterfield Bus Society’s bus rallies since they started. This year I was there in the morning when it was cool and bright.

 

I am of a generation that grew up with half cab buses so I find it difficult to accept the Leyland National or Bristol VR as being ‘vintage’. 

 

The standard of presentation as usual was immaculate and Transpire are to be congratulated on another well attended and successful rally. 

 

However, it is the half cabs that I will concentrate on.

 

3156 WE

A Leyland PD2/20 with Roe H33/26RD bodywork. It was new to Sheffield’s ‘C’ fleet which was wholly British Railways owned.

With the formation of the ‘National Bus Company’ and its taking over control of the railways owned buses, it passed to

‘Yorkshire Woollen District’.

It saw further service with ‘Don’s of Dunmow’ in Essex before being preserved in 1997 with the South Yorkshire Transport Museum collection.

 

CDB 224

A Leyland PD2/1 with Leyland L53R bodywork in the livery of the ‘North Western Road Car Company’ to whom it was new in 1947.

 

MHY 765

A normal control Leyland Comet ECPO/1R with Duple C32F bodywork delivered by ‘Gliderways’ of Birmingham to ‘Orient Coaches’ of Bristol.

 

225 LRB

A Leyland PD2/20 with Weymann bodywork that was new to Chesterfield Corporation Transport. 

 

HVH 472D

A Daimler CVG6LX with East Lancs bodywork in the colours of 'Huddersfield Corporation Transport'. who bought it new in 1966. It eventually passed to 'West Yorkshire PTE' in 1974 until entering preservation in1972.

It is interesting to note that there was still a market for half cab buses which were still being sold 7 years after the introduction of rear engined double deckers such as the Leyland Atlantean.

 

YNU 351G

A Bristol FLF Lodekka with Eastern Coach Works bodywork in the colours of the ‘Midland General Omnibus Company’.

 

 

MDT 222

An AEC Regal 3 with Roe B29F bodywork seen in the livery it wore when in service with ‘Doncaster Corporation Transport’ whom it joined in 1953.

 

HD 7905

 

A Leyland Tiger PS1 with Brush B34F bodywork dating from1948. New to ‘Yorkshire Woollen District’, it remained in service with them until 1960 when it was withdrawn and used as a driver/trainer and eventually a tow wagon/gritter.

 

Acquired for preservation in 1988 it required 12 years of work to get it to the standard seen today.

 

 

WLT 467

An AEC Routemaster RM 400 from ‘London Transport’.

 

449 CLT

An AEC Routemaster RM 1449 from ‘London Transport’.

 

 

GEN 201

 

Leyland Titan PD3/6 with Weymann H41/32RD bodywork dating from 1958 in the colours of ‘Bury Corporation Transport’.

It eventually became No. 6351 with ‘SELNEC’ when the PTE took over all the bus services in what was to become Greater Manchester.

EOD 524D

 

An AEC Regent 5 with Metro- Cammell bodywork that was known as the Orion.

 

New in 1966, after 3 years of buying Leyland Atlanteans ‘Devon General’ (DG) briefly switched back to half cabs.

 

One of a batch of 5 it worked for ‘DG’ for 12 years ending up in ‘National Bus Company’ red and white.

After further service elsewhere, it was preserved in 1985 and very well it looks.

 

TNA 520

 

A Leyland PD2/34 with Burlingham bodywork in the service of ‘Manchester Corporation Transport.

 

Burlingham was  an unusual choice as bodybuilder being better knowns for building coaches. However being based in Blackpool perhaps it was thought that putting work to a ‘local’ (Lancashire) company was desirable.

 

WRJ 179

A Leyland PD2/40 with Metro-Cammell H36/28F bodywork of ‘Salford City Transport’.

 

‘Scene’ in Cambridge

I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS BLOG WITH AN APOLOGY TO THOSE OF YOU WHO BECOME USED TO MORE REGULAR 'BLOGS'.

SUFFICE TO SAY THAT I HAVE HAVE SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS THAT WHILST NOT YET FULLY RESOLVED AT LEAST ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE.

MANY THNKS ARE DUE TO MY SON ANDREW FOR THE TIME HE HAS (AND IS GOING TO) PUT IN TO GET THINGS UP AND RUNNING ONCE MORE.

 

‘Scene’ in Cambridge

A trip to this great University city to see and sample the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway (CGB) allowed time in the city to look at more straightforward transport provisions.

 

FJ12 FYL

 

A Volvo B9R with Caetano Levante bodywork on its way Norwich.

 

The major provider of bus services in the city are ‘Stagecoach East’ who are represented by.

 

AE10 BWO

 

A Dennis Trident 2 carrying Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) ENVIRO 400 bodywork wearing ‘citi’ branding.

 

AE55 DKU

 

An earlier Dennis Trident 1 again with Alexander bodywork, the ALX 400.

 

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A Dennis Dart SLF 4 with ‘ADL’ Enviro 200 bodywork again carrying ’citi’ branding.

 

The other main operator is ‘Go Whippet’ who have a history dating back to 1919. Working from a modern depot at Swavesway, the company was taken over by  the Australian company ‘Tower Transit Systems’ in 2014.

 

X471 AHE

 

A Scania L94UB with Wright Solar bodywork. 

 

An interesting bus which at one time worked for APCOA (a car park operator) and then had a spell with ‘Arriva North West’ in Liverpool wearing an all white livery.

 

V202 OOE

 

A Volvo B7TL with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork that started life with ‘London United’ as its VA79.

 

 

‘Stagecoach East’ operate a number of Park & Ride services into the city. They are distinguished by wearing different coloured liveries.

 

All the buses I saw were Dennis Trident 2’s with ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 bodywork.

 

AE07 KZA 

 

In a fairly neutral grey livery and thoughtfully carrying a broadside map which illustrates the network. 

 

Since all the other services buses are painted in bright colours and carry specific route branding. I am assuming that the grey liveried buses operate as spares and can be seen working on any of the routes as vehicle availability demands.

 

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Wearing a blue based livery and branded for the Trumpington P&R site.

 

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In the red livery serves either the Madingley Road and Newmarket Road P&R sites.

 

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Finally the green version serves the Milton and Babraham P&R sites.

 

‘Stagecoach Gold’ has come to Cambridge.

 

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A Scania N230UD with ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 bodywork.

 

YN14 OXA

Another Scania N230UD with ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 bodywork.

‘Scene’ once more in Loughborough

I have commented before that Loughborough is a very pleasant small town with a wide selection of operators.

 

A traffic pedestrianization scheme has recently come into force which means that buses traveling South no longer access the town centre but are diverted round the back of the town

 

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A DAF DB250LF with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork working for ‘Arriva Midlands’. It was new to ‘Arriva London North’ as DLA17.

 

X663 WCH

A Dennis Trident 2 with East Lancs Lolyne bodywork working for ‘Paul S. Winson’. The turnout of Winson’s vehicles is always immaculate.

It previously worked for ‘Nottingham City Transport’ (NCT).

YN08 MLV

Still working for ‘Nottingham City Transport’ is this Scania Omnidekka with bodywork by ‘Darwen’.

In 2007, East Lancashire Coachbuilders went into administration and were bought by the Darwen Group who branded the company Darwen East Lancs. A series of further takeovers brought the company into the Optare group.

 

Liveried in ‘NCT’s spare livery which enables it to work anywhere on the system.

 

GAZ 4503

This rather scruffy Van Hool Alizee bodied coach is seen working for ‘Ausden Clark’.

 

 

XX06 PSW

 

By contrast another spotless ‘PSW’ coach. A Volvo B12B with Jonkheere Mistral bodywork.

 

 

 

WW07 PSW

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 200. again with ‘PSW’.

 

YJ56 AUN

An Optare Solo on the ‘Centrebus’ (Cb) route 8 to Grantham via Melton Mowbray.

New to ‘Dunn Line’ of Nottingham, it later had a spell with ‘Veolia Transport’ before coming to ‘Cb’.

 

MX12 DYY

 

A Wright ‘Streetlite W/F’ working for ‘Roberts Coaches’ who are based at Hugglescote in Leicestershire.

 

 

FN04 HSU

A Scania L94UB with Wright Solar Urban bodywork working for Loughborough based ‘Kinchbus’ (Kb) who are part of the ‘Wellglade’ group.

 

Interestingly ‘Kb’ have been withdrawing 08 plate Volvo B7RLE’s with Plaxton Centro bodies and replacing them with these older Scania’s.

 

FD53 WWL

Another ‘Kb’ Scania L94UB/Wright Urban Solar waiting its next departure on route 9 to Nottingham. 

The route came to ‘Kb’ when its previous operator ‘Premiere’ of Nottingham went out of business in 2013.

 

FE02 KFJ

An Optare Solo working for ‘Kb’.