‘Scene’ at Heritage Shunters Trust (HST) at Rowsley, Derbyshire.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

A bit about the ‘HST’ if I may.

Founded in 1989, the ‘HST’ is a trading name of ‘The South Yorkshire Railway Co. Ltd’ and is the only preservation society to specialise in the preservation of diesel shunters in the UK.

 

At one time located at Meadowhall in Sheffield the society now occupies a site alongside the ‘Peak Rail’ facility at Rowsley.

 

The Rowsley site in earlier days was a motive power depot of initially the 

‘Midland Railway’, then the ‘LMS’ and finally ‘British Rail(ways’) (BR)’ closing in 1968.

 

I was fortunate to go on a private visit to the ‘HST’ organised by ‘Sheffield Transport Study Group’ and I would recommend to anyone interested in ‘heritage shunters’ that it is a worthwhile outing.

 

BR Class 03

 

The 03 class were built at both Doncaster and Swindon. 

 

When the question 

 “What is the difference between the two workshops production”, was asked

 

the answer was

 “the hinges on the cab doors are slightly different in shape”. 

 

03027

 

Built at Swindon in 1958, it worked for ‘BR’ until 1976 when it was sold to Queenborough Rolling Mills in Kent.

 

Finally withdrawn and preserved in 1991. It passed through a number of owners before coming to ‘HST’.

 

A long term project which is still in need of much work.

 

03099

Built at Doncaster in 1960, it spent its ‘BR’ life in the North East being retired from Thornaby in 1976.

 

Sold to National Coal Products in 1976 for use at a number of coking plants before being cannibalised to keep D2139 operational.

 

Eventually cut down  to provide clearance whilst working in coke ovens, it was bought as almost a wreck. 

 

It has taken 7 years and many new parts to bring it back to its current condition.

 

03113

Doncaster built in 1973, it worked for ‘BR’ at York until 1975.

 

Sold to Gulf Oil at Milford Haven (MH) in South Wales for use at their refinery.

 

Withdrawn and presented to the ‘MH’ Maritime Museum in 1991 it stayed there until 2004 when because of its poor condition, It was finally withdrawn coming to the ‘HST’ where it was restored to working order in 2012.

 

D2139

 

Built at Swindon in 1960 and based at Gloucester.

 

It remained on ‘BR’ Western Region being withdrawn in 1968 and sold to A.R. Adams of Newport ,a loco dealer. 

 

It was leased it to the National Coal Board (NCB) for work in a variety of collieries in South Wales.

 

Sold to Gwent Coal Distribution for use at a coking plant, it finally moved to Monkton coking plant in the North East of England in 1985.

 

Bought by the ‘HST’ in 1992 and restored to working order.

 

D2199

 

Built at Swindon in 1961 and allocated to Speke Junction at Liverpool. It stayed in the North West until being withdrawn from Workington in 1972.

 

Sold to the ‘NCB’ at Rockingham colliery it last worked at Royston Drift Mine before being stored at Monkton. 

 

Sold to ‘HST’ in 1987 it was restored to working order and sent toward on the Euro Tunnel site at Dollands Moor before moving to Hanson Aggregates.

 

03180

 

Built at Swindon in 1962. It worked across the South being withdrawn from Norwich Crown Point depot in 1983.

 

Sold to Mayer Newman for use in their scrapyard the loco was sold to the ‘HST’ in 1991.

 

Having spent some time at the ‘Battlefield Line’ it came back to the HST in 2012 where restoration is taking place.

‘Scene’ at the Seaside

A short winter holiday on the North Wales coast held all sorts of transport possibilities. 

 

‘Arriva Wales’ trains and buses including some ‘Sapphire’ branded deckers,

 

‘Express Motors’ yellow and white fleet together with whatever the countries coach operators could turn up with.

 

However, the first thing to take my fancy was a ‘Yutong’ TC 12 coach of ‘GEE-VEE Travel’ who operate across South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.

 

I had seen other coaches of this marque briefly as they passed but this was the first time I had had chance for a closer look.

 

Brought into this country by Pelican Bus & Coach Sales, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pelican Engineering Co. Ltd.

 

The company was established  almost a hundred years ago and having traded continually for all of that time, it is to be expected that they should be able to pick a winner.

 

Add to that pedigree, a tie up with Yutong, the largest bus and coach manufacturer in the world and the technology and resources that they command.

 

The product of such an association has to be something to be reckoned with.

 

The driver said that he was pleased with it  as were his passengers. 

 

A smart looking vehicle that could and might do very well.

 

Time, as they say, will tell.

 

GEE VEE Travel Yutong TC12 YC15 WDG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Reading

I passed through Reading this week on the way to somewhere else so I just had to look at the bus scene there.

 

’Reading Transport’ is well known for its positive views on the provision of public transport and indeed has been recognised nationally by winning awards for its efforts.

 

Usually at the forefront of technology, there is much to see and admire. 

 

Gas buses (more of which in a later blog) in some numbers for instance together with much new hardware in a dazzling array of liveries is a joy to behold to an simple enthusiast like me.

 

However what drew my attention was something certainly new to me that has appeared on 11 year old buses.

 

Reading Transport 809 Scania OmniDekka YN54 AFA

 

The branding at the rear of the between decks panel draws attention to what makes these buses ‘different’.

 

Generaly marketed as ‘claret spritzer’ and ‘the university shuttle’, the additional branding draws attention to the seperate lounge zone, a play zone and a study zone to which the entire upper deck is devoted.

 

Reading Transport 809 Scania OmniDekka YN54 AFA

Bearing in mind then that these buses are targeted at Reading’s student population.

 

The rear upper deck has a wood effect floor and is fitted largely with perimeter seating which can seat a dozen or so.

 

Forward of that, the floor is carpeted and there are seperate areas provided with brightly coloured seats both with and without tables. 

 

I understand that the ‘Lego’ is provided by the company.

 

 

 

The front of the bus is fitted out with seats in a different fabric to draw attention to the fact that this a different area and to underline that, a ‘tree’ where books can be picked up from is provided.

 

I would imagine that if you take a book to read, then you are expected to leave another in its place.

 

 

In my view this is a superb piece of marketing that deserves to succeed.

 

The students of Reading I have no doubt will readily appreciate their new surroundings.

 

I only wish that ‘Sheffield Transport’ had thought of this in my youth !!

‘Scene’ in Coalville

A pleasant town set between Burton on Trent and Leicester that has its history as its name implies in the ‘Black Stuff’.

 

Coalville’s outstanding feature is its War Memorial which is one of the highest I have ever seen.

 

Very much an ‘Arriva’ town with a through service from Burton to Leicester. Another main service is to Leicester via Loughborough while there are local services serving points around the town.

 

‘Robert’s of Hugglescote in Leicestershire operate a service to Coalville from Castle Donnington which runs via the ‘East Midland Airport’ (EMA). 

 

What attracted me to visit was the the decision by ‘trentbarton’ to extend its Nottingham, ‘EMA’, Loughborough ‘skylink’ service on an hourly basis to Coalville.

 

The extension starting at the ‘EMA’.

 

‘trentbarton’ Scania L94UB/Wright Solar Urban FH54 VRX.

 

Roberts Coaches Optare Solo MX57 UPD.

 

A sizeable operator with a large depot in the village of Hugglescote, Leicestershire.

 

I was fortunate to visit their depot a couple of years ago on a PSV Circle outing at which time they had just bought a large batch of MCW Metrobuses (or should that be Metrobi ?).

 

Arriva Midlands VDL DB250LF/Wright Pulsar Gemini YJ56 KFK.

 

Seen loading on service 126 to Leicester via Loughborough.

 

At one time this bus operated in the red livery of ‘Wardle Transport’ on the X50 service from Derby to Hanley which was not a success. (see blog dated 28th. April 2014).

 

Arriva Midlands VDL DB250LF/Wright Pulsar Gemini FJ06 ZSN.

Another VDL SB250LF with Wright Pulsar Gemini bodywork seen in an older livery.

 

Arriva Midlands VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar FL63 DXF.

 

Working on route 9A. This route operates from Burton on Trent through to Leicester but because of licensing requirements it is worked as two separate sections with the destination indicator being changed at Coalville.

 

Arriva Midlands VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar MX13 ANF.

Working the same route in the opposite direction.

 

Arriva Midlands Optare Solo YJ09 MJF.

 

Arriva Midlands Optare Solo YJ09 OUA.

 

Another Optare Solo with the War Memorial in the background.

 

 

Arriva Midlands Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro E20D MX12 JXE.

 

Arriva Midlands DAF DB250/Alexander ALX400 S220 JUA.

 

This bus is another that worked in full ‘Wardle Transport’ red livery on the X50 from Derby to Hanley.

 

Before that, it was part of ‘Arriva London’s fleet.

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Sutton Coldfield recently 1

I was in Sutton Coldfield (SC) on other business but seeing as it was almost three years since I had been there previously, the camera went with me as well.

 

It was a typically cold late winter’s day with strong sunshine set low in the sky creating all sorts of problems with shadows.

 

Challenging conditions then for photography.

 

‘SC’ seems a pleasant, prosperous town that is served mainly by ‘National Express West Midlands’ (NXWM) and ‘Arriva Midlands North ’(AMN).

 

Other operators include ‘Central Buses’ (CB), ‘Midland Classic’ (MC) who work in from Burton on Trent and ‘West Midlands Special Needs Transport’ (WMSNT). 

 

I was impressed by the new ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd.’ (ADL) Enviro 200 MMC when I saw the prototype at the NEC last October.

 

Today was the first time I saw a production sample in service.

 

What I saw confirmed my initial reaction to it last year. An elegant, well thought out bus that looks very attractive in the new ‘NXWM’ livery.

 

National Express West Midlands 2203 ADL Enviro200 MMC YX15 OYR

 

National Express West Midlands 2229 ADL Enviro200 MMC YX15 OZU

 

Midland Classic 76 Scania L94UB/Wright Solar YN05 GXL

 

This bus carried me to ‘SC’ and had previously worked in the fleet of ‘Reading Transport’.

 

National Express West Midlands 7030 Scania K230UB OmniCity SP10 CWW

 

Again wearing the new livery.

 

 

An earlier version of the ADL Enviro 200 was represented by

WMSNT Alexander Dennis Ltd Enviro 200 T13 GAJ

 

WMSNT Alexander Dennis Ltd Enviro 200 T16 GAJ

 

Both of which previously worked for ‘Leven Valley Bus’ in the North East.

 

Arriva Midlands North Wright Streetlite D/F micro hybrid 3302 FJ64 EVO

 

The first time I have seen ‘Sapphire’ branding on a single decker.

 

Working on the 110 from Tamworth to Birmingham which in my limited experience is usually worked by double deckers.

 

From the new and shiny to,

 

Arriva Midlands North 2152 Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton MPD LJ51 DBU

 

Previously employed by Arriva in London as PDL 54.

 

Central Buses Optare Versa V1100 YJ57 XVW

 

Which previously worked for ‘Transdev Burnley & Pendle’.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Beeston (Nottinghamshire)

Beeston, is probably mainly regarded as a suburb of Nottingham. In fact it is a town in its own right.

 

Most recently, it has suffered tremendous upheaval with the years of work that have gone with the building of phase 2 of the tramway that passes through the town on its way from Nottingham to its terminus at Toton Lane (see blog dated 30th. August 2015).

 

Hopefully, the citizens will be able to enjoy the excellent transport service they now have.

 

The original rolling stock for phase 1 were 15 Incentro AT6/5 trams built by ‘Bombardier Transportation’. 

 

Numbered from 201 to 215 they were given names of well known local people. 

 

In time for the opening of phase 2, these trams were refurbished in 2014.

 

NCT No. 214 named Dennis McCarthy, MBE. 

 

A well liked and respected presenter on local BBC Radio who died in 1996.

 

New trams for phase two were 22 Alstom Citadis 302’s which have been delivered over the past 2 years.

 

NCT No. 224

 

The ease with which bus/tram connectivity is made is clearly shown in this image.

 

YN14 MVC

A Scania N230UD with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork.

Working for ‘Nottingham City Transport’ who have recently ordered several batches of this combination so they must be well pleased with them.

 

YN14 MUP

 

PF51 GXZ

An Optare Solo working for ‘trentbarton’ (tb) on service 18 that runs from Nottingham via Beeston and Chilwell to Stapleford.

 

‘yourbus’ of Heanor work a variety of routes in the area normally with the route numbers prefixed with the letter ‘Y’ to distinguish them from other operators routes with the same or similar numbers.

 

BD64 NCN/C

 

A Mercedes-Benz Citaro in the current fleet livery that owes a lot to the current livery of ‘Lothian Buses’.

 

 

 BF62 JYT/V

 

A pair of Mercedes-Benz Citaro's seen in the earlier livery.

 

 

 

W251 PAU

An  elderly Optare Solo of ‘Nottingham City Transport’ branded for the ‘Notts County Council’ sponsored.‘Locallink ‘group of services.

 

FJ58 KKM

 

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse bodywork of ‘tb’. 

 

Working on the ‘indigo’ service that links Derby with Nottingham via Long Eaton and Beeston.

 

This service runs 24 hours a day.

 

WP63 WFA

A Scania N230UD with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork. Working for ‘Nottingham City Transport’.

 

Seen in the ‘spare bus’ livery which is used to replace route branded buses that for whatever reason are not available.

 

The multi coloured ‘swoosh’ along the side is made up from the colours carried by route branded buses.

 

YX62 FRZ

 

FIAT running units with bodywork produced by ‘Bluebird’ at Scarborough before they were taken over by ‘Mellors’ of Rochdale.