‘Scene’ on trentbarton’s ‘calverton connection’

Since 2009, ‘trentbarton’ (tb) has been using a batch of Mercedes-Benz Citaro’s on this Nottingham based service.

 

BN09 FWY

 

iIlustrates one of them.

 

Recently these buses have started to be withdrawn and transferred to fellow ‘Wellglade’ group member ‘Kinchbus’ of Loughborough.

The replacements seem to be a small number of Scania L94UB’s with Wright Solar Urban bodies which at the moment are sharing the service with at least one Citaro (seen 26/11/15) and a mixture of fleet liveried vehicles.

 

At least 2 of the Scania’s have gained dedicated liveries and are,

 

FJ03 VWU

 

FJ03 VWS

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on the streets of Norwich

LT02 ZCU

 

A Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘First Norwich’ (FN) part of 

‘First Eastern Counties’.

 

The livery appears to be an attempt to inject some added colour to the old ‘Barbie’ livery.

 

LT52 WTJ

Another Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘First Norwich’ (FN) part of ‘First Eastern Counties’.

 

I have never liked the current bland fleet livery and I suspect that someone at ‘FN’ doesn’t either because although this bus retains some of the original colours, the front end is startlingly different.

 

 LR02 LXN

 

One more Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘First Norwich’ (FN) part of ‘First Eastern Counties’.

 

In the bland livery referred to above.

 

EU08 FHB

An Alexander Dennis Dart with Enviro 200 bodywork. This was the fourth ‘FN’ bus I had photographed and all of them were in different liveries.

 

PN03 ULR

 

A Dennis Trident with Plaxton President bodywork. Now working for ‘Norse’ on Norfolk County Council sponsored Park & Ride work.

 

Previously part of the ‘London General’ fleet.

 

YN08 HXZ

 

A Scania 230UB OmniCity working for ‘Sanders of Holt’ in a non standard livery.

 

It previously worked for ‘Beestons’ of Hadleigh and ‘Eastons Holidays’.

 

As it is not wearing ‘Sanders’ livery, I suspect that the livery is a hangover from one of them.

 

AU07 KMK

An Optare Solo  of ‘konectbus’ (kb).

 

‘kb is a one time independent who have joined a larger group. In their case the ‘Go Ahead’ group.

 

Previously a member of the ‘Anglian Bus Ltd’ fleet.

 

AE07 DZG

 

A MAN 14.220 with MCV Evolution bodywork working for ‘Simonds’ (Botesdale) on its ‘Countrylink’ service which operates widely across Norfolk.

 

YJ07 JSV

 

A VDL SB120 with Plaxton Centro bodywork in the service of ‘Sanders of Holt’.

 

Formerly with ‘Arriva Scotland West’ as its No. 1956.

 

AU58 AUV

 

A Scania CN230UB OmniCity of ‘Anglian Bus Ltd'.

 

YJ60 KGU

An Optare Versa.

 

Not quite what it seems in that it is wearing the livery of ‘ABL’ while carrying the titles of ‘kb’.

 

H684 GPF

 

A Volvo Citybus with East Lancs bodywork now working for ‘Norwich School’.

 

This veteran started life with ‘Arriva in London’ before being cascaded to ‘Arriva Midlands’ in Derby where I knew it well.

 

It was then bought by ‘Ensign’ the bus dealership in Essex before coming to Norwich.

 

I thought I had seen the last of it when it left Derby and it was a pleasure to see it still working and looking in good condition.

 

‘Scene’, the revised ‘trentbarton' 'red arrow’ livery on a Scania coach

When ‘trentbarton’ introduced the new Volvo B11R /Plaxton Elite coaches on their Derby to Nottingham express service in October, I expected them to use one or more of the older Scania/Irizar coaches as a back up in case of problems.

 

I did not expect the back ups to be repainted in the style of the new coaches.

 

However, I saw this coach today in Derby.

 

FJ10 OXR

 

 

Included to show how closely the Scania’s livery matches with the Volvo’s is. 

 

YX65 ZHO

 

Also included as a reminder of what the livery was on the Scania/Irizar is.

 

FJ10 OXM

'Scene’ today (23/11/15) in Derby

At the end of my ‘blog’ dated 26/10/15, I speculated just how the route branded buses on ‘trentbarton’s ‘the comet’ might appear when they eventually entered service.

 

Well here it is.

 

FJ09 XPH

 

A Volvo B7RLE with a Wright Eclipse bodywork.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on a Day Out with Dennis to Worksop

This set of images is to illustrate an article written for a magazine called ‘All Things Local’.

 

This community magazine is produced and distributed from a base in Kilburn, Derbyshire and covers large areas of the towns of Ripley and Belper.

 

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING FROM BELPER, 

 

your first bus of the day will be ‘trentbarton’s (tb) ’the sixes’ from Belper to Derby.

 

A Swedish built Scania Chassis carrying a Wright body produced in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

 

FJ55 BZR

 

Onward from Derby into Nottingham it is a ‘tb’ ‘red arrow’.

 

Largely these days in the hands of  Plaxton bodied Volvo six wheel coaches. 

 

Sometimes the use of the word luxury is overdone but not in the case of these brand new coaches. They really are superb.

 

YX65 ZHP

 

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING FROM RIPLEY,

 

your first bus of the day will be ‘tb)’ ‘rapidone’.

 

An Optare Versa which is produced in Yorkshire.

 

YJ14 BSO

 

The onward journey from Nottingham is provided by ‘Stagecoach’ who generally provide a bus specifically branded for the service

 

In this case a Scottish built bus being an Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 300.

 

FJ08 VPY

 

Sometimes because of operational problems a fleet liveried substitute may be used which in this case has the same history as the route branded one.

 

FX61 HGD

 

Worksop to Chesterfield is another ‘Stagecoach’ route that is normally worked with double deckers.

 

YN04 KGE

 

A Dennis Trident chassis which was built in Guildford together with another Scottish built Alexander body.

 

The return from Chesterfield.

’trentbarton’ have recently re  branded as ‘the comet’ what was the Northern section of their ‘red arrow’ route.

 

This follows on from the splitting of what had been the ‘old’ ‘red arrow’ route into two sections in May 2015.

 

The current buses are all Volvo’s with Wright’s of Ballymena built bodies in a yellow livery which they retain from when they worked on route 2 from Nottingham to Ilkeston and Cotmanhay.

 

My information would suggest that the yellow livery will be replaced by a black and grey or black and silver livery in due course as buses pass through the paint shop.

 

FJ09 XPD

 

 

‘Scene’ at Naples airport

A holiday in Sorrento took me through Naples airport both ways and this selection of images is a compilation from those visits.

 

EI-EWJ

 

A Boeing 717 of Spanish operator ‘VOLOTEA’.

 

The final development of what was the Douglas DC-9 and McDonnell Douglas (McDD) MD 80 and 90 series originally having been designated the MD 95. 

 

It became the Boeing 717 when Boeing took over ‘McDD’ in 1997.

 

Production ceased in 2006 with 156 aircraft built.

 

Still much in demand in the secondhand market with ‘Delta Airlines’ in the USA currently buying up samples from around the world.

 

Interestingly the aircraft is registered in the Irish Republic.

 

EC-MGT

The same type from the same airline but registered in Spain.

 

I-AIGH

 

A Boeing 767-23B(ER) of Italian operator ‘Meridiana’.

 

Originally built for ‘Air Mauritius’ in 1988 as 3B-NAK, it became N252MY with ‘MAXjet Airways’.

 

Going to ‘Air Italy’ in its current marks in 2008 and then to ‘Meridiana in 2014.

 

G-EUYA

 

An Airbus A320-232 of British Airways new in 2008 with the test registration of F-WWBM.

 

HB-ACA

An ATR-72 of ‘Etihad Regional’ (ER).

 

New as D-ANFH in 2001 for ‘Eurowings’ then to ‘Contact Air’ in 2005 with the same registration. 

 

It then went to Italian operator ‘Air Dolomiti’ as I-ADCB in 2009 before moving to ‘Darwin Air’ (DA) in 2014 with its current Swiss registration who operate it on behalf of ‘ER’.

 

EI-RDN

An Embraer ERJ-175 of Italian operator ‘Alitalia’. Another aircraft registered in the Irish Republic.

 

New in 2013.

 

LY-SPE

 

A Boeing 737-31S of Lithuanian operator ‘Small Planet airlines’.

 

New in 1997 to ‘Deutsche BA’ as D-ADBK, it has since been VT-SIX in India and EI-ANX in Ireland before going to Lithuania in 2009.

 

G-OOBH

A Boeing 757-236 of ‘Thomson Airways’ (TA).

 

Built in 1999 as N545NA for ‘National Airlines’ it has since been either G-OOBH or when in the summer it worked for ‘First Choice Airways’ (FCA).

 

Or C-FOBH when in the winter it worked for ‘Sky Service’ of Canada.

 

It came to ‘TA’ when they took over ‘FCA’ in 2010.

 

G-EZIW

 

An Airbus A 319-111 of ‘Easyjet’. New in 2005 with the test registration D-AVXE.

 

G-EZUW

An Airbus A 320-214 of ‘Easyjet’. New in 2012 with the test registration D-AUBY.

 

EI-IMI

An Airbus A 318-112 of ‘Alitalia’. New in 2002 as I-BIMI for ‘Alitalia’. Re-registered 2010 in the Irish Republic. 

 

Previously D-AVWZ for test purposes.

 

EI-FHD

A Boeing 737-8JP of ‘Norwegian Air International’ (NAI). New in 2012 as LN-DYX to ‘Norwegian Air Shuttle’. To ‘NAI’ May 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in and around Norwich Bus Station

Whilst on holiday on the North Norfolk Coast, the lure of the county town Norwich could not be ignored.

 

As we arrived by bus in the bus station, that seems a good place to start.

 

YJ56 ATX

 

An Optare Tempo of ‘Norfolk Green’ (NG).

 

At one time ‘NG’ was an independent operator but as of December 2013 it became part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group as ‘Stagecoach in Norfolk’.

 

YN57 HPU

A Optare Solo of ‘Anglian Bus Ltd’ (ABL).

 

YX63 LJV

 

Passing by the entrance to the bus station was this Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400 of ‘First Eastern Counties’ (FEC).

 

Seen operating on part of service X1 that at its longest links Lowestoft with Peterborough which according to Google maps is over 100 miles!

 

SN10 CFD

 

An ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 of ‘konectbus’ (kb) working on the Park & Ride (P&R) service from Harford.

 

‘kb is another one time independent who have joined a larger group. In their case the ‘Go Ahead’ group.

 

BL57 OXN

 

A Mercedes-Benz 0305G articulated Citaro. Another ‘kb’ bus working a ‘P&R’ service. This time from Costessey.

 

At one time it was part of the ‘London General’ fleet that was banished from the capital by London Lord Mayor Boris Johnson.

 

 

YN06 JWC

 

A Scania N94UD Omnidekka with East Lancs bodywork. 

 

Seen the livery of another independent operator ‘Sanders of Holt’ (at least at the time of writing they still were).

 

Formerly in the fleet of ‘Reading Transport’.

 

 

SN62 AVY

 

An ADL’ Enviro 400 again of ‘kb’. Working on service 6 from Watton.

 

 

W219 PRB

 

An Optare Excel once more working for ‘kb’. 

 

It has an East Midlands connection having formerly been a member of the ‘trentbarton’ fleet.

 

 

WX62 HHF

 

An unusual MAN Ecocity gas powered bus in ‘ABL’s fleet. The bodywork is by Caetano.

 

Working  service 7 from Great Yarmouth.

 

 

SN60 CAA

 

An ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 of ‘FEC’ being based in Great Yarmouth.

 

Working on service X1 from that town.

 

 

PN03 UMH

 

A Dennis Trident with Plaxton President bodywork working for ‘Norse’.

 

Formerly part of the ‘Go- Ahead London General’ fleet.

 

 

GX10 HBY

 

An ‘ADL’ Enviro 300 of ‘NG’.

 

Part of the deal when ‘Stagecoach’ took over ‘NG’ was to retain the ‘NG’ livery for a period of time (which I think was up to two years).

 

This bus shows the ‘NG’ colours but painted in what I would call ‘Stagecoach’ style which I think is very attractive.

 

 

YJ03 UML

 

A rare Optare Spectra. Seen working for ‘NG’. 

 

Based on DAF SB250 running units it was previously part of the ‘Reading Transport fleet’.

 

This was Optare’s first attempt at a double decker and at the time of writing, its most successful.