‘Scene’ in Tamworth

Midland Classic ‘MC’ are a relatively new company on the bus scene having been created in 2005 by James Boddice.

 

Normally operating in and around Burton on Trent (BoT) and Swadlincote in Staffordshire, the company has built up a wide range of routes locally in competition  with ‘Arriva’ and ‘trentbarton’.

 

The company has also looked to widen its area of operations by extending its X12 service to Lichfield on to Sutton Coldfield on the edge of the West Midlands.

 

In May this year, further expansion saw the introduction of service X13 from ‘BoT’ to the town of Tamworth. It was this service I used recently to take a look at buses in Tamworth.

 

X94 USC

 

A Scania L94UB with Wright Solar bodywork that at one time worked for ‘Nottingham City Transport ‘which proved to be my transport to and from ‘BoT’.

Not the comfiest of buses with particularly hard seats.

 

Tamworth is an ‘Arriva’ stronghold with a number of the fleet’s standard types represented.

 

BJ12 YPZ

 

A Mercedes-Benz Citaro. YPU and YPV also put in an appearance.

 

YN08 HZL

A Scania Omnicity working on the Tamworth-Nuneaton service for which it carries specific branding.

 

Other Omnicity’s were present wearing variations on ‘Arriva’s livery were.

YN08 HZV

 

YN08 HZT

 

Other single deckers in the fleet were,

BF52 OAE

 

Which is a DAF SB200 with Wright Commander bodywork.

 

MX61 AWV

A VDL SB200 with Wright Pulsar bodywork.

 

‘Arriva’ has brought its ‘Sapphire’ standard to Tamworth to work on service 110 to Birmingham.

YX64 VMC

 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D which carries Enviro 400 bodywork. VMF, VMH and VMD all put in appearances.

 

Also working on the service was fleet liveried

FJ08 LVL

 

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Gemini Eclipse bodywork.

 

Other operators in the town were ‘Central Buses’ who had a pair of ‘ADL’ Enviro 200’s wearing different liveries.

YX63 ZXK

 

Branded for the service 55 to Lichfield. The route number being cleverly worked into the ‘expre55’ branding.

 

SK15 GYA

 

In fleet livery. 

 

The driver of this bus entered into the spirit of things by positioning his bus especially for me. 

 

If you read this sir,

 

Thank you, it was appreciated !

 

‘Stagecoach in Warwickshire’ came from and went back to Atherstone with.

KX60 DUA

 

Another ‘ADL’ Enviro 200.

 

MX12 CGE

Yet another ‘ADL’ Enviro 200. 

 

This one having previously worked for both ‘Sheffield Community Transport’ and ‘Quantock Motor Services’.

 

Now working for ‘Solus Coaches’. A local Tamworth based operator.

 

KX07 HFJ

This Mercedes-Benz 813 minibus carried ‘FLEXIBUS’ branding, with ‘Warwickshire County Council’ legal titling whilst its crew wore ‘West Midlands Special Needs Transport’ Hi-vis vests.

 

No doubt it was on Community Transport type work.

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Euston Square

I recently spent some time in Euston Square taking a look at the bus operations that come and go in the small bus station adjacent to the railway station.

 

I was surprised at the number of older buses in service with 52 plate vehicles still in use. I would have expected by now that buses of that age would have been long gone.

 

Although ‘Transport for London’ specify that London buses should be primarily red, it is interesting how the operators get their bit of individuality into the liveries used. Black or blue skirts for instance.

 

BF60 UVH

A Volvo B9TL with Wright Gemini 2 bodywork working for ‘Metroline’ a member of the ‘Comfort DelGro’ (CDG) group. Classified as ‘VW’ in London terminology.

 

PJ52 LVT

 

A Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘Go-Ahead London’. Classified ‘PVL’.

 

SN13 CGZ

 

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D /ADL Enviro 400 of ‘Tower Transit’ which was once part of the ‘First London’ fleet. Classified as ‘DN’.

 

LK58 KFZ

A Dennis Trident with ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 bodywork in the livery of ‘Metroline’ ‘CDG’ Classified as ‘TE’.

 

LX09 FBO

Another Dennis Trident with ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 bodywork in the employ of ‘Go-Ahead London General’.

 

LX06 EBC

 

A Volvo B7TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork working for ‘London General’ who are part of the ‘Go-Ahead’ group.

 

 

LX09 FBE

 

Another ‘Go-Ahead London General’ bus. Another Dennis Trident with an Alexander ‘Enviro 400’ body based at Camberwell.

 

 

The Wright New RouteMaster is appearing in ever increasing numbers as production ramps up. Classified as LT in London speak.

 

LTZ 1170 working for ‘London United’.

 

LTZ 1175

Another of the same again from ‘London United’.

 

LTZ 1111

 

This one is with ‘Metroline’.

 

Former Great Western Railway (GWR) loco's ‘Scene’ at Peak Rail, Rowsley

In May this year, Mr. Pete Waterman announced that he was re locating his Heritage Trust rail collection or part of it to the Peak Rail site located at Rowsley in Derbyshire.

 

On a visit there recently, I was fortunate to find that two of the locomotives had arrived.

 

5224

 

A 2-8-0T tank locomotive, belonging to the 5205 Class built at Swindon in 1924 for the ‘GWR’ specifically for moving heavy coal trains in South Wales. The class ran to 70 units.

 

Withdrawn from BR service in April 1963, it was recovered from the Woodhams Brothers scrapyard at Barry in 1978. 

 

The loco features the modified front end as fitted to the later 5275 class which has the footplate raised above the level of the cylinders.

 

5553

A 2-6-2T tank locomotive known as a ‘Small Prairie’. Built at Swindon, it was a member of the 4575 class of which 100 of the type were built between 1927 and 1929. (5553 being built in 1928).

 

Withdrawn in 1962, it was the last locomotive to leave Woodhams scrapyard in 1990.

 

It was restored in the early 1990’s and went on to spend some time on the East Somerset Railway and the West Somerset Railway where it was working as recently as 2012.

 

It was moved earlier in 2015 to Crewe Heritage Centre for the start of its overhaul.

 

Mr. Waterman has other loco’s in his collection which might reasonably be expected to make the journey to Rowsley. It will be interesting to watch the progress of the venture.

‘Scene’ on a Soggy day in 'Skeggy’

Or Skegness to give the town its full title.

 

It started raining the moment we arrived and it didn’t stop until we were well on our way home.

 

That as we all know is life in the UK !

 

A statue of the Jolly Fisherman for long the image of Skegness stands outside the railway station which itself is located at the side of the bus station.

 

Based on a poster drawing done in 1908 by John Hassall for the Great Northern Railway to promote Skegness and the GNR’s services to the town. 

It is one of the best and most famous holiday advertisements ever drawn. Usually paired with the line “Skegness is so bracing”.

 

John Hassall was paid the sum of 12 guineas for his work and died in 1948, penniless!

 

Skeggy has always been known for its open top bus services. and new to the fleet this year is.

 

YJ04 FZE

A Volvo B7TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork that was new to ‘First Chester and Wirral’  (FC&W) as its 32457.

 

‘Stagecoach (SC) took over the  ‘FC&W’ in 2012/13 and the bus moved to Scotland with  ‘Stagecoach Fife’ before moving South (losing its roof in the process) and coming to ‘Stagecoach East Midlands (SEM).

 

One of five that have joined the fleet and they are as far as I know the first Wright Gemini bodies to be converted to part open top in the country.

 

I believe there is another Wright bodied Volvo B7TL on open top duties in Skegness with three more scattered across Lincolnshire. The rest of the ‘SEM’ open top fleet I saw were all Alexander ALX 400 bodied Dennis Trident 2’s which were originally with the Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport operation (part of Stagecoach) and were,

 

PIW 4456 formerly T376 FUG named Sandy. Seen navigating its way round Skegness’s famous Clock Tower.

 

BLZ 1423 formerly T373 FUG named Candy.

WOI 3002 formerly T377 FUG named Shelley.

Less exotic ‘SEM’ were was provided by

MX53 FML

 

A Transbus Trident 2 with Plaxton President bodywork.

 

A trio of ‘SEM’ double deckers in ‘interconnect’ livery were

FX54 AOD

A Volvo B7TL with East Lancs Vyking bodywork came into the fleet when Stagecoach took over Road Car (previously Lincolnshire Road Car Co.) in 2005.

 

I have included this image for its interest despite it being pouring down with rain when I took it.

 

FX06 AOB

Another Volvo B7TL this time with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork.

 

FX12 BBV

A Scania 230UD with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork.

 

FX61 HGL

 

A Dennis Dart SLF with ‘ADL’ Enviro 300 bodywork that was formerly part of the ‘Stagecoach in Hull’ fleet was the only other Stagecoach fleet liveried vehicle I saw.

 

V126 LGC

 

‘Hunt’s of Alford’ were represented by this Alexander ALX 400 bodied Volvo B7TL which first saw life in London as AVL 126 with ‘London Central’.

 

 

JFZ 8629

 

This Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork is operated by local Skegness operator ‘Red Bus’ who seem to run between the town centre, Fantasy Island (an entertainment complex near Ingoldmells) and Butlins camp.

 

 

JFZ 8626

 

A Volvo B6BLE with Alexander ALX 200 bodywork which was new to ‘Stagecoach Greater Manchester South’.

 

The coach park had a few visitors, the pick of which was this

TIL 8275

 

A Hestair Duple 425 working for ‘Whitehead of Conisborough’. 

 

Originally G631 CRL with ‘Jennings’ of Bude’, it must be one of the last Duple bodies in regular service.

 

Built with running units supplied by Dennis which at that time were also part of the Hestair group.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in St. Ives (Cambridgeshire) Bus Station

Sitting at the Northern end of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway (CGB), St. Ives has a compact bus station flanked by these brick built structures which resemble lodges built at the entrance of a great estate.

 

Behind them however are 3 bays which accommodate the local services together with lay-over space for half a dozen buses.

The operators I saw during my visit were ‘Stagecoach East’ (SE) and ‘Go Whippet’ (GW) who  provide the services on the nearby ‘Busway’ and other services that do not access the ‘Busway’.

 

‘GW’ has its origins in the company ‘Whippet of Fenstanton’ who have a history dating back to 1919.

 

The company was taken over by Australian company ‘Tower Transit Systems’ in 2014.

 

BF63 HFC

 

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban 2 bodywork.

 

Close study of the front wheel will show the guide wheels that control the buses steering whilst in use on the ‘Busway’.

 

YN64 ANU

 

A Scania N230UD with ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd’ (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork working for ‘SE’.

 

Seen traveling South on the ‘Busway’ away from St. Ives.

 

H303 CAV

 

A Volvo B10M-50 fitted with Northern Counties bodywork that was new to the company in 1990 working for ‘GW’.

 

X636 LLX

A Dennis Trident 2 with Plaxton President bodywork again with ‘GW’. This bus started its career in London when it worked for ‘Metroline’ as its VPL 136.

 

AE09 GYN

Another Scania N230UD with ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd’ (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork working for ‘SE’.

 

Although this bus wearing ‘bio bus’ livery is equipped with guide wheels, I did not see any of the buses in this livery working on the ‘Busway’.

 

V183 OOE

A Volvo B7TL with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork working for ‘GW’. It is another bus with a London connection in that it first worked for ‘Transdev London United’ as their VA 67.

 

W136 EON

 

One more Volvo B7TL with Alexander ALX 400 with ‘GW’. Again it came from‘Transdev London United’ where it was VA100.

 

X57 XAW

Another of the same and again one with ‘Capital’ connections. The capital in question however is Dublin who’s livery it still carries. In Ireland it carried the registration 00-D-70104 which dates it to the year 2000.

 

On a personal note. If anybody out there found a pair of black gloves on the upper deck of this bus recently, They are MINE.

 

H13 WCL

 

A Scania L94UB with Wright Access Floline bodywork once more with ‘GW’. For some reason ‘GW’ have re registered this bus from T354 JWA.