‘Scene’ by Peter Rose in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland /1 on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

YY18 TFN ‘Stagecoach Fife Scottish’ No. 26120 taylink99.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200MMC

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

 

Pictured leaving St. Andrews Bus Station on its way to Dundee.

 

 

 

 

YX67 UPB ‘Stagecoach Fife Scottish’ No. 54357.

Volvo B11RT / Plaxton Elite

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

 

Pictured leaving St. Andrews Bus Station.

 

 

 

 

YY18 TFE ‘Stagecoach Fife Scottish’ No. 26116.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200MMC

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

 

Pictured entering St. Andrews Bus Station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YX65 SXT ‘Stagecoach Fife Scottish’ No. 53811.

Volvo B11R / Plaxton Elite

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

 

Pictured leaving St. Andrews Bus Station.

 

‘Scene’ in Ilkeston, Derbyshire 2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Ilkeston, pronounced ‘Ilson’ by the locals, has not featured in my blogs for some years.

 

Located close to the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border and only ten miles or so from both Derby and Nottingham.

 

The bus services in the town are almost all in the hands of ‘Wellglade’ group companies ‘trentbarton’ and ‘notts+derby’.

YD63 VDM ‘trentbarton’ No. 502, mango.

Optare Solo SR M970

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

 

‘mango’ is ‘tb’s discounted travel card and buses in this branding regularly work around all the routes as a spare bus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YJ11 ENH ‘trentbarton’ No. 804, my15.

Optare Versa V1110

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

 

The my15 route runs from Ilkeston to Sawley every 15 minutes with one bus an hour being extended to the East Midlands Airport at Castle Donington.

 

The 2011 intake of Versas were the first of their kind in the fleet and became the standard single deck bus until 2014 in which time 49 were purchased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FJ09 XPB ‘trentbarton’ No. 743. 

Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

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

 

This image shows the bus in what is the standard, unbranded livery.                 

 

A go anywhere livery.

 

It is also the first time I have seen this livery on a Volvo/Wright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FJ58 KKM ‘trentbarton’ No. 718, llkeston flyer.

Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

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

 

The ‘flyer’ in the branding is to indicate that much of the journey is on roads not subject to lower speed limits where the driver (where it is safe to do so) can ‘let it fly’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YN56 OWP ‘notts+derby’ No.1181.

Optare Solo M920

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

 

New to ‘TM Travel’, Staveley, Derbyshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YJ12 NBE ‘trentbarton’ No. 496.

Optare Solo SR M970

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

 

This image shows the bus in what is the standard, unbranded livery.                 

 

A go anywhere livery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YN08 CWT ‘notts+derby’ No. 761.

Volvo B7RLE / Plaxton Centro

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

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in ‘Stagecoach Manchester’s Hyde Road depot on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Regular readers/viewers might have noticed a longer break than usual between posts these last few days.

 

That is because friend Peter Rose and I have been attending the Annual General Meeting of the PSV Circle which this year was held at the Holiday Inn Express hotel on the outskirts of Preston, Lancs.

 

Apart from the official business, we were also treated to a series of visits to bus operators in the area.

 

‘Stagecoach Manchester’s Hyde Road depot being one of them.

 

Stagecoach fleets usually display many standard buses in standard liveries.

 

This, however was a bit different.

 

The first (and so far the only) bus I have seen in a ‘Coronation of King Charles lll’ livery or as it has been widely referred to in the media ‘KC3’.

 

SN69 ZFP ‘Stagecoach Manchester’ No. 11255, The Coronation of King Charles lll.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /1

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Midland Red (South)’.

 

 

 

SN69 ZFP ‘Stagecoach Manchester’ No. 11255, The Coronation of King Charles lll.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /2

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

 

 

 

 

SN69 ZFP ‘Stagecoach Manchester’ No. 11255, The Coronation of King Charles lll.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /3

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

 

 

 

 

SN69 ZFP ‘Stagecoach Manchester’ No. 11255, The Coronation of King Charles lll.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /4

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

 

‘Scene’ Between Newark and Nottingham, Service No. 90 Once More on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Shortly after ‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ announced their withdrawal from the route, (see blog posted 16/04/23) the following announcements appeared in various news outlets.

 

‘Vectare’ Statement 1.

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

 

 

 

 

‘Vectare’ Statement 2.

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

 

 

 

 

‘Vectare’ Route map.

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

 

 

 

‘Vectare’ are a Loughborough based transport provider who have a small network of routes based in the town of Bingham, Nottinghamshire.

 

They also operate routes in Essex and other parts of Eastern England.

 

The major change they have made to service 90 is to include Bingham on the route.

 

So making a connection with their other services in the town.

 

On the day that I travelled on the route, ‘Vectare’ had two buses in service.

 

One was a Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200MMC and the other a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

 

Unfortunately, on the day, I was unable to capture a sufficiently good image of the E20D to include in this blog.

 

Fortunately, I did capture an image of the same bus at last years ‘Showbus’which I have used here.

 

 

 

YX22 OGR ‘Vectare No. 306, Transport Made Simple.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro200MMC /1

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

 

 

 

 

YX22 OGR ‘Vectare No. 306, Transport Made Simple.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro200MMC /2

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

 

This image was captured on the day I travelled on the route.

 

 

 

 

YX22 OGR ‘Vectare No. 306, Transport Made Simple.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro200MMC /3

on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk

 

The interior was smartly finished with the seating matching the exterior livery.

 

A first for me was the time AND date being displayed.

 

 

 

 

RX23 TFJ ‘Vectare No. 215, Transport Made Simple.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter / EVM /1

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

 

 

 

 

 

RX23 TFJ ‘Vectare No. 215, Transport Made Simple.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter / EVM /2

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

 

‘Scene’ out and about, ‘Bits & Pieces 4’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Most of my blogs have some sort of theme or purpose. 

 

There are, however, times when something just happens to turn up that does not fit any category. 

 

Collectively they are just ‘Bits & Pieces’. 

 

Individually they can be interesting.

 

See if there is anything out of these that you like.

 

BV13 ZDF ‘GoldenTours’ No. 112, HOP-ON HOP-OFF YORK.

Volvo B9TL / MCV

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

 

Pictured in York 

 

New to ‘GoldenTours’, London.

 

 

 

 

SP62 CSY ‘Tayside Public Transport Co. Ltd.’ No. 2433. XPLORE Dundee.

Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse 2

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

 

Pictured in Dundee

 

New to ‘Tayside’.

 

This image courtesy of friend Peter Rose and posted with his permission and my thanks.

 

 

 

 

YJ09 OTH ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 6.

Optare Solo M950

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

 

New to ‘Blackpool Transport’ No. 243.

 

This image courtesy of friend Peter Rose and posted with his permission and my thanks.

 

Pictured in Carsington, Derbyshire.

 

 

 

 

EC04 CHD ‘E’ Coaches, Alfreton, Derbyshire.

IVECO EuroRider 35

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

 

Pictured in Ripley, Derbyshire.

 

 

 

 

Y177 NLK ‘Freeway Coaches’, Pinxton, Derbyshire.

Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘Metroline’ London No.VPL 177.

 

Pictured at Kingsmill reservoir, Notts.

 

 

 

 

BD16 YDM ‘Daish’s Holidays’, Robinsons.

Volvo B11RT / Volvo

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

 

Still wearing the livery of ‘Robinsons’ who were taken over by ‘Daish’s in 2020.

 

New to ‘Holdsworth’  Great Harwood, Lancs.

 

Pictured in Derby Bus Station.

 

‘Scene’ Between Newark and Nottingham Service No. 90, the ‘Fosseway Flyer’ has Flown on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Service No. 90 has linked Newark and Nottingham for many years.

 

When I first knew it in the early years of this century it was operated by ‘Nottingham City Transport’ using fleet liveried Optare Solos.

 

At that time it terminated at Newark Northgate railway station.

 

For reasons that I know not, the service and the buses moved to 

‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ (MoSoT) in 2008.

 

Later, the buses used were Optare Versas.

 

Always smartly turned out and branded as The ‘Fosseway Flyer’.

 

This continued until ‘MoSoT’ made an announcement in early March 2023 stating that as from April 15th. 2023, the service would be withdrawn for economic reasons.

 

This must have drawn some comment from the travelling public because a week later they issued a statement explaining the financial reasons behind the withdrawal.

 

I, together with friend Peter Rose, made a farewell return trip this week.

 

At some stage the Newark terminus had been cut back from Northgate station to the bus station in Newark.

 

I can understand that because the constant stream of traffic along the road, a

roundabout and traffic lights between the two, must have made time keeping almost impossible.

 

It was an interesting day out but, at the end, Marshalls have to be credited with knowing their own business best.

 

After all, they are running a business, not a charity.

 

‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ /1

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

 

 

 

 

‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ /2

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

 

 

‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ /3

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

 

 

 

 

YJ67 GBE ‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ No. OP117.

Optare V1110 Versa

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

 

This being the bus that carried us to Newark.

 

 

 

 

YJ67 GBF ‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’ No. OP118.

Optare V1110 Versa

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

 

This being the bus that carried us back to Nottingham pictured coming into Newark Bus Station.

 

 

‘Scene’ in Aberdeen on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Another post featuring buses in Scotland but not on this occasion from friend Peter Rose but from my eldest son Andrew.

 

Posted with his permission and my thanks.

 

SV22 VXK ‘First Aberdeen’ No. 39723, H2 Powered by Hydrogen, Zero Emissions, First 17&18.

Wright Streetdeck FCEV Hydroliner

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

 

Something of a coup for Andrew with this being the first Hydrogen powered bus to make it into my blog.

 

 

 

 

SN09 CBO ‘First Aberdeen’ No. 38205.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. Trident Enviro500 / Alexander Dennis Ltd.

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

 

Another coup for Andrew with the first Trident/Enviro500 to make it into my blog.

 

New to ‘First Glasgow’ who took a batch of 25.

 

Other Enviro500 bodies went to the USA, Canada and the far east but the only other European purchaser that I know of was ‘Dublin Bus’ who bought them on Volvo B9TL chassis.

 

 

 

 

BG58 OME ‘First Aberdeen’ No. 11110.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated

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

 

Aberdeen is known as the ‘Granite City’ and the buildings behind the bus seem to underline that.

 

New to ‘First York’ where I photographed it some years ago.

 

 

 

 

YX65 ZKL ‘Stagecoach Bluebird’ No. 54251.

Volvo B11RT / Plaxton Elite-i

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Bluebird Buses’.

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in North London, Finsbury Park Interchange again on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Peter Rose has once more been exploring the delights that the capital has to offer.

 

This time he and his trusty camera have brought us the transport highlights of the area surrounding what was Finsbury Park railway station and has now been elevated to the level of an Interchange.

 

All the images reproduced here do so with Peter’s permission and my thanks.

 

The station dates back to the 1850s when the ‘Great Northern Railway’s line from Kings Cross arrived at what was then known as Seven Sisters Road  (Holloway) station.

 

Becoming Finsbury Park station in July 1861

 

This was gradually extended North to York by the GNR and eventually to  Edinburgh by the ‘North Eastern’ and ‘North British Railways’ so creating what is now known as The East Coast Main Line.

 

Underground trains arrived in the form of the ‘Great Northern & City Railway’ in 1904.

 

Trams and buses have been around since the early days when I suspect that they would have been powered by horses.

 

Today, such is the volume of traffic that two bus stations are required to service their needs.

 

LTZ 1472 ‘ARRIVA London’ No. LT 472.

Wrightbus NBFL (New Bus For London) New Routemaster

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

 

 

 

 

LK15 CWW ‘Metroline’ No. VWH 2098.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2

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

 

 

 

 

LX20 FLK ‘Go-Ahead London General’ No. Ee9.

BYD DD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400 EV City

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

 

 

 

 

LTZ 1471 ‘ARRIVA London’ No. LT 471.

Wrightbus NBFL (New Bus For London) New Routemaster

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

 

With LTZ 1575 in the background, two for the price of one. What a bargain!

 

New to ‘Arriva London North’.

 

 

 

 

LJ13 FBC ‘arriva London’ No. HV127

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2

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

 

Note the lower case fleetname.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ in Glasgow by Peter Rose, on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Peter Rose is rapidly becoming our ‘Scottish Correspondent’.

 

This last few months has seen him gathering bus images in Edinburgh, Dundee and now Glasgow.

 

As usual, his images reproduced here are posted with his permission and my thanks.

 

All were taken at Buchanan Street Bus Station.

 

LG71 DLX ‘First Glasgow Ltd’ No. 64108, 9/9A, electric bus/zero emissions.

BYD D9UR / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200EV

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

 

SN62 AUJ ‘McGills Scotland East’ No. 8492, X36.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E30D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 300

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

 

New to ‘First Glasgow Ltd’ No. 67762, but acquired from ‘First Scotland East’ in the September 2022 takeove.

 

 

 

 

SK68 LZB ‘First Glasgow Ltd’ No. 67032, Lanarkshire.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200MMC 

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

 

 

 

 

BF67 WHP ‘McGills Bus Service Ltd’. No. G3365, X7.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro

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

 

New to ‘Kinchbus’, Loughborough No. 916.

 

The G in the fleet number stands for ‘Greenock,’ the bus’s home depot.

 

 

 

 

 

YX65 PXN ‘McGills Midland Bluebird Ltd’. No. 4118.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200MMC

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

 

New to ‘National Express West Midlands’ (NXWM).

 

Wearing the livery of ‘Tayside Public Transport Co. Ltd.’ which was a subsidiary of NXWM prior to its takeover by ‘McGills’.