‘Scene’ in the Sunshine in Liverpool on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I couldn’t let the glorious summer of 2018 pass without including some of the buses that took advantage of it. 

 

W633 PSX ‘City Sightseeing Liverpool’ No. 305. Dennis Trident / Plaxton President /1

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

 

New to ‘Lothian Buses’ as its No. 33.

 

 

 

 

W633 PSX ‘City Sightseeing Liverpool’ No. 305. Dennis Trident / Plaxton President /2

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

 

New to ‘Lothian Buses’ as its No. 33.

 

 

 

 

SIG 9882 ‘Maghull Coaches’, ‘City Explorer Liverpool’. DAF DB250LF / Alexander ALX 400

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

 

New as LG52 DBO to ‘ARRIVA London South’ as its No. DLA 324.

 

 

 

 

SIG 1847 ‘Maghull Coaches’, ‘City Explorer Liverpool’. DAF DB250LF / Plaxton President

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

 

New as T206 XBV to ‘ARRIVA London North’ as its No. DLP6.

 

 

 

 

LJ03 MJX ‘Maghull Coaches’, ‘City Explorer Liverpool’. DAF DB250LF / Alexander ALX400

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA London North’ as its No. DLA355.

 

 

 

 

W5 ACL ‘Aintree Coaches Ltd’ No. 223. ‘Helms’. Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President

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

 

 

 

 

GB16 PUL ‘Pulhams Travel’, Bourton on the Water. Mercedes-Benz Tourismo

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

 

 

 

 

C5 PCV ‘Coachstyle’ Chippenham, Wiltshire. Neoplan N2216 Tourliner

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

 

 

 

 

YJ18 BCO ‘Enterprise Travel’ Darlington. Temsa HD 12RHD Safari

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

‘Scene’ in York again part 2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

A city that in transport terms never disappoints.

 

YN05 GXC ‘Harrogate Coach Co’ ’conneXionsbuses’. Scania L94UB / Wright Solar

 

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

 

 

 

New to ‘Reading Transport’ as No. 1004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BF62 UYO ‘Reliance’, Sutton on the Forest. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban 2

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

 

The bus was built as a demonstrator for Volvo.

 

It had a loan spell with ‘First Hants & Dorset’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YJ67 GGO ‘Harrogate Coach Co’ ’conneXionsbuses’. Optare Solo M9250SR

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

YX10 EYS ‘East Yorkshire Motor Services’ No. 367. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

YJ09 PBF ‘Reliance’, Sutton on the Forest. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban

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

‘Scene’ in Liverpool, ‘ARRIVA’ 2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

MX61 AYN ‘ARRIVA Merseyside’ No. 4437. VDL DB300 / Wright Gemini Eclipse 2

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

 

 

 

 

MX61 AXO ‘ARRIVA Merseyside’ No. 4472. VDL DB300 / Wright Gemini Eclipse 2

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

LF02 PKA ‘ARRIVA Merseyside’ No. 4170. DAF DB250 / Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA London North’ as No. DLP86.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MX09 LXG ‘ARRIVA Merseyside’ No. 4425. Dennis Trident / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400

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

 

Looking past its best, it was new to ‘ARRIVA Manchester’.

‘Scene’ at Trowell Junction on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Trowell Junction lies at the bottom end of the Erewash Valley line just to the South of Ilkeston station.

 

The main line continues South through Toton yard whilst the Nottingham line branches off to the East.

 

Class 66 GBRf No. 66751 ‘Inspiration Delivered’. EMD built Diesel Electric locomotive

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

 

Seen double heading with No. 66756 ‘Royal Corps of Signals’ working to Toton North Yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the two loco’s load was this Air Vacuum Excavator.

 

OTM RAUK-2 ‘railcare’. Air Vacuum Excavator No. 99 709 515 002-2. A end

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTM RAUK-2 ‘railcare’. Air Vacuum Excavator No. 99 709 515 002-2. B end

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

‘Scene’, Colourful AEC Routemasters (RM) Part 1 on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’’

I must admit that for the first 20 or so years of their lives I was not particularly interested in them.

 

To me the fact that London was still building half cab buses into the late1960’s when my home town fleet ‘Sheffield Transport’ and most of the rest of the country had been running ‘modern’ Leyland Atlanteans and Daimler Fieetlines since the late 1950’s only went to ‘prove’ how backward them ‘darn sarth’ were.

 

It was at least 20 years later before I actually travelled on an ‘RM’.

 

It was only when ‘London Transport’ started taking them out of service that I took any interest in them at all.

 

So, how did they look originally ?

 

The vast majority appeared in virtually unrelieved red.

 

JSJ 797 ‘London Transport’ RM 1174. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New in 1962 as 174 CLT.

 

 

 

 

CUV 233C ‘GREEN LiNE’ RCL 2233. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

Much was made of ‘Green Line’ buses which came with coach quality seating and the twin headlights.

 

The dark green relieved with the light green contrast colour made for an attractive livery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

136 CLT ‘GM Buses’ No. RM 1136. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

A number of operators retained the original red livery with just a change of motif or other branding to note the change of ownership.

 

One such operator was ‘GM Buses’ in Manchester. who purchased a small quantity (10?) in 1988.

 

New in 1962.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SMK 731F ‘Metroline’ No. RML 2731. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

‘Metroline’ added a blue skirt and its own fleetname plus other bits in white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

798 UXA ‘Midland Classic’ No. RM 1168. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

A clever colour scheme which uses a yellow contrast which is ‘Midland Classic’s (MC) normal base colour. See blog dated 06/12/2017 for comparison.

 

The ‘MC’ fleetname is reproduced in the same style and colour as the  ‘London Transport’ original.

 

New as 168 CLT in 1962.

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2018. The ‘One offs’ part 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

A lot of buses and coaches at ‘Showbus’ do not fit into a group or category such as vehicle type or operator which allows them to be seen together and are simply ‘One offs’.

 

Here are but a few.

 

R738 XRV ‘Diamond Coaches of Rushden’ ‘Lady Patricia’. Volvo Olympian-50 / Northern Counties Motor Engineers 

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

 

New to ‘Musterphantom’ as its No. 738 (See below).

 

Also with ‘Southern Vectis’ (IoW) as its No. 638.

 

It then went to ‘konect buses’ in Norfolk where it appeared in basic ‘Southern Vectis’ livery with ’konect' lettering. Both operators are ‘Go-Ahead’ group companies.

 

For an image in this livery go to my blog dated 08/11/2015.

 

‘Musterphantom’ was a holding company set up to administer ‘Southern Vectis’ after it had been sold by the ‘National Bus Company’ in 1986. Other operatore were formed or acquired by the group including ‘Solent Blue Line’ and ‘West Wight Bus Company’.

 

In 2005 the group was sold to the ‘Go-Ahead’ group and today the companies form part of ‘Go-Ahead South Coast’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

564 KHT ‘North Somerset Coaches’ No. 59. DAF SB220 / IKARUS Citibus 480

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

 

New registered as L510 EHD to ‘Marchwood Motorways’ Totton Hants.

 

It also had a spell on the Isle of Wight with ‘Southern Vectis’ subsidiary ‘Bluestar’ as its No. 505.

 

 

 

 

 

 

J19 XEL ‘Xelabus’ No, 548. Scania N94UD / East Lancs

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

618 KRA ‘Felix’. Bedford SB1 / Yeates Europa

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

 

New in 1959.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HWY 36 ‘Todmorden Joint Omnibus Commitee’. Leyland PD2/1 / Leyland lowbridge /1

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

 

New in 1950.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HWY 36 ‘Todmorden Joint Omnibus Commitee’. Leyland PD2/1 / Leyland lowbridge /2

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEZ 9717 ‘Stanways’ (Elliott & Richman), Rode Heath Cheshire. Scania N113RD / East Lancs Cityzen

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

 

New registered W372 PHY to ‘Coombs Travel’, Weston-super-Mare.

 

Interestingly this ‘bus’ has a full complement of coach seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WRJ 179 ‘Salford City Transport’ No. 179. Leyland PD2/40 Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon Co.

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

 

New in 1963.