‘Scene’ In The Sunshine 2 (hopefully) on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The recent spell of warm, sunny weather set me in mind of open top buses which are traditionally used to enjoy this rare spectacle in British skies.

 

Some of these images have appeared before, but not for a long time, so enjoy them while the good weather lasts.

 

SIG 1847 ‘Maghull Coaches’, Liverpool.

DAF DB250 / Plaxton President

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

BYX 118V ‘Top Line Travel’, York Citysightseeing.

MCW DR101/9 Metrobus 1 / MCW

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

 

Converted to open top in 1997.

 

New to ‘London Transport’  No. M118.

 

Pictured just down the road from York railway station.

 

 

 

 

SJ16 ZZP ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd.’ No. 248, MAJESTIC TOUR.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

Most open top buses have previously been fully roofed double deck buses that have been cut down to either part open top or fully open top.

 

Unusually, this bus is one of a batch of buses ordered new as part open toppers by the ‘Lothian Buses’ group which includes ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd.’

 

 

 

T209 XBV ‘Yellow Buses’, Bournemouth No. 436.

DAF DB250 / Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA London North’ No. DLP9.

 

Converted to part open top in 2006.

 

 

 

 

HF54 KXV ‘Wilts & Dorset’ No. 1823., New Forest Tour.

Volvo B7TL / East Lancs Myllenium

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

 

New as No. 403.

 

Pictured in Lymington, Hampshire.

 

 

 

 

HF59 DMO ‘Wilts & Dorset’ No. 1406, Purbeck Breezer.

Scania N230UD / Optare Olympus

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

 

Pictured at Swanage railway station waiting to load for its return to Bournemouth.

 

‘Scene’ on a PSV Circle Organised Visit. At the Various Premises of R.S. Tyrer Ltd., Farnworth, Bolton 6 on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The PSV Circle (of which I have been a member for some years) aims to hold an Annual General Meeting in a different location in the UK every year.

 

Usually held at a weekend, they also include visits to operators and other bus related venues for the attending members to visit and enjoy.

 

This year, the location being in the North West of England centred on the Holiday Inn Express, Preston.

 

Friend Peter Rose joined me for what turned out to be a sometimes wet, but very enjoyable weekend.

 

As we have done before, we have combined all the images we have gathered. 

 

The credits being joint D.Basford/P.M.Rose.

 

‘Tyrers’ has a history stretching back to 1972 when Bob Tyrer at the age of 58 started his own business with a single, Leyland engined, Plaxton bodied Bedford coach.

 

Today, the company operates over 100 vehicles out of three separate bases in the area.

 

‘Tyrers’ provided the transport for our second morning until lunchtime, which was taken in Manchester.

 

TYR 25R ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Volvo B9TL / Optare Olympus

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

 

New registered PN09 OKA.

 

Seating 100 passengers in coach seats.

 

The Olympus body was originally an East Lancs design which was continued by Optare when they took over the company.

 

 

 

 

BIG 9783 ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Scania N94UD / East Lancs Omnidekka

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

 

New registered YN07 EYU to ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 757.

 

 

 

 

BIG 9782 ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Scania N94UD / East Lancs Omnidekka

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

 

New registered YN07 EYR to ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 755.

 

 

 

 

JRZ 3263 ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

DAF DB250 / Transbus ALX400

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

 

New registered LJ03 MTF to ‘Arriva London North’ No. DLA 376.

 

 

 

 

LX11 CWK ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New to ‘London General’ No. WVL 405.

 

 

 

 

BF62 UYC ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New to ‘Tower Transit’ No. VN37990.

 

 

 

 

LX59 CMZ ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Scania N230UD / Scania OmniCity

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach East London’ No. 15136.

 

 

 

 

YP59 ODU ‘Tyrers Coaches Ltd,’.

Scania N230UD / Scania OmniCity

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

 

New to ‘London United’ No. 40140.

 

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2022 A Delectation of Double Deckers 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I have attended a number of SHOWBUS events over the years but this was the first time I had attended one at the Hertfordshire County Showgound.

 

The 50th. show and, if we are to believe what we read, the last.

 

It would be a great pity if the reputation the SHOWBUS name has built up over the years were to be lost but we shall have to wait and see.

 

LKP 385P ‘Maidstone & District’ (M&D) No. 5385.

Volvo Ailsa B55 / Alexander AV7 /1

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

 

In the early 1970s. Leyland had mopped up UK based bus building competitors AEC and Daimler.

 

It was almost a Leyland monopoly.

 

Other manufactures associated with the bus industry decided to make a bid for a share of the business.

 

Volvo via the Ailsa, MCW’s Metropolitan with the Scania underframe and Bristol / Eastern Coach Works who were better known for the Lodekka all entered the competition with the VR.

 

If my memory is correct, this bus was one of five of its type that were purchased for assessment by the BET Federation group in 1975.

 

MCW’s Scania / MCW Metropolitan (5 ordered), and Bristol’s VR / ECW (7 ordered) made up the balance of the competition.

 

All went to ‘M&D’ with a view to bulk orders being placed for whichever proved the most successful.

 

The Bristol being the eventual winner with several thousands being produced.

 

 

 

 

LKP 385P ‘Maidstone & District’ No. 5385.

Ailsa B55 / Alexander AV7 /2

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

 

 

 

 

J257 NLU ‘Reading Buses’ No. 701.

DAF DB250 / Optare Spectra

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

 

Originally registered MRD 1 by Optare for use as a demonstrator prior to being delivered to Reading.

 

Now 30 years old and still in my view one of the most attractive double deck bodies ever built

 

The design was ahead of its time being of integral construction which probably cost it in terms of sales.

 

 

 

 

LJ59 LYW ‘First Essex Bus’ No. 34462.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Trident / ‘ADL’ Enviro400

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA’ London.

 

 

 

 

W425 XKX ‘ARRIVA MIDLANDS’ No. 5425. ‘SHOWBUS Control’.

Dennis Trident / Alexander ALX400

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

 

New to ‘Arriva The Shires’.

‘Scene’ at Showbus 2022 London Deckers Across the Years /2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I have attended a number of SHOWBUS events over the years but this was the first time I had attended one at the Hertfordshire County Showgound.

 

The 50th. show and if we are to believe what we read, the last.

 

It would be a great pity if the reputation the SHOWBUS name has built up over the years were to be lost but we shall have to wait and see.

 

GYE 394W ‘London Buses Ltd’. No. M394.

MCW Metrobus DR101/12

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

 

New in 1980.

 

 

 

 

R101 GNW ‘ARRIVA LONDON’ No. DLA 1, ARRIVA serving London.   

DAF DB250 /Alexander ALX400

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

 

New to ‘Arriva London North Ltd’.

 

New in 1998.

 

 

 

 

LK04 UWW ‘Metroline’ No. VP614.

Volvo B7TL / Transbus President

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

 

 

 

 

LJ16 EZN ‘uno’ No. BYD 1472, a breath of fresh air for London

BYD K8SR / BYD

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

 

New to ‘Metroline’.

 

 

 

LK67 ELV ‘Metroline’ No. VWH 2390, ZERO EMISSION.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Gemini 3

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

 

 

 

 

LG71 DXZ  ‘RATP GROUP’ No. BCE 47061.

BYD D8UR DD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400EV

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

 

‘Scene’ in Warrington, Double Deckers on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

W10 MPT ‘Omega Busways’.

DAF DB250 / Optare Spectra

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

 

The ‘pick of the day’ for me being a very rare bus these days.

 

Now almost 20 years old, being new registered YJ53 VBN to ‘Universitybus’, Hatfield. 

 

The Spectra was developed from the MCW Metrobus by DAF and Optare and was Optare’s first venture into the world of low floor double deck buses.

 

The choice of route number deserves comment.

 

The B52H is currently the only model of Boeing’s B52 strategic bomber aircraft still in service with the ‘United States Air Force’.

 

The B52 dates back to the early 1950s and the current survivors are due to be re-engined by Rolls-Royce to give them another 30 years service.

 

Somebody at ‘Omega Busways’ has a strong sense of aviation history.

 

The company operates widely across Manchester and Warrington providing contract bus services.

 

 

 

 

PN16 PAV  ‘Warrington Borough Council’ No. 303. Warringtons own buses, we’ve been part of Warrington since 1902.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400City

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

 

 

The PAV part of the registration is to mark the passing away of a popular driver Pawel.

 

 

 

 

SN09 CDY ‘Warrington Borough Council’ No. 311. Warringtons own buses, we’ve been part of Warrington since 1902.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. Trident / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400

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

 

New to ‘Centrewest’ (London) No. DN33578.

 

 

 

 

SN09 CDX ‘Warrington Borough Council’ No. 308. Warringtons own buses, we’ve been part of Warrington since 1902.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. Trident / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400

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

 

New to ‘Centrewest’ (London) No. DN33577.

 

 

 

 

 

BN61 MWF ‘Go North West’ No. 3002.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini /1

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

 

New to ‘First Manchester’ No. 39208.

 

‘Go North West’ came into being in 2019 when the ‘Go-Ahead’ group bought ‘First’ group’s Queens Road (Manchester) depot and the associated services worked from there.

 

Working from and back to Manchester’s Shude Hill transport interchange.

 

A place where I have spent many happy hours.

 

 

 

 

BN61 MWF ‘Go North West’ No. 3002.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini /2

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

 

 

‘Scene’ on a PSV Circle Organised Visit ‘Drakelow Business Park’ 3 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The PSV Circle (of which I have been a member for some years) aims to hold an Annual General Meeting in a different location in the UK every year. (Covid permitting).

 

Usually held at a weekend, they also include visits to operators and other bus related venues for the attending members to visit and enjoy.

 

This year, the location was in my part of the world, the East Midlands.

 

Y706 XJF ‘ARRIVA’ No. 4706.

DAF SB250 / East Lancs Myllenium Lowlander.

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

 

Whilst with ‘ARRIVA Buses Wales’, it appears to have been numbered 4191.

 

New to ‘ARRIVA Fox County’.

 

 

 

PO58 KPY ‘Operator Unknown’.

Volvo B7RLE / Optare Esteem

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

 

New to ‘Kent County Council’ for use on ‘ParkandRide’ services in Canterbury where once upon a time I got to travel on it!

 

It then went on to work for ‘Diamond Buses’ in the West Midlands.

 

 

 

 

SP08 FPG ‘GDS Travel’.

Volvo B12BT / Plaxton Panther

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach megabus.com’ No. 54043.

 

I last photographed this coach in Fort William, Scotland 6 years ago.

 

It was new to ‘Strathtay Scottish’.

 

 

 

 

YK08 EPF ‘Ipswich Buses’.

Optare Versa V1110

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

 

New to ‘Nottingham City Transport’ as No. 311.

 

 

 

 

VUI 222 ‘Operator unknown.

Optare Solo

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

 

 

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

Friend Peter Rose recently spent some time in North Norfolk where he captured these images.

 

As regular readers/viewers will know Peter's work appears regularly on the blog with his permission and my thanks.

 

BV21 OOA ‘Sanders Services’ No. 518 ‘Coasthopper’ ‘Norfolk Adventurer’. 

Volvo B8RLE / MCV Evora 

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

 

One of 4 registered BV21 OOA/B/C and D. Unusual in that the bodies are shorter than the norm.

 

Numbered/named 518 Norfolk Adventurer, 519 Norfolk Rambler, 520 Norfolk Explorer and 521 Norfolk Discoverer. 

 

‘Coasthopper’ is a series of two routes which run from Wells to Cromer and from Holt to North Walsham.

 

Pictured outside Sheringham railway station.

 

 

 

 

LJ53 NHV ‘Sanders Coaches’ No. 109. 

DAF DB250 / Wright Gemini Eclipse /1 of 2 

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA London South’ as No. DW30.

 

Pictured outside Sheringham railway station.

 

 

 

 

LJ53 NHV ‘Sanders Coaches’ No. 109. 

DAF DB250 / Wright Gemini Eclipse /2of 2

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

 

 

 

 

YH63 CXF ‘Sanders Services’ No. 402. 

VDL SB200 / Wright Pulsar 2

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

 

New to ‘Fishwick’, Leyland.

 

Pictured in Cromer.

 

 

‘Scene’, Down Memory Lane with ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ (AM) 3 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

To continue, an occasional series which came about when I was looking through my collection of images for something else and this selection turned up.

 

In the early days due to the number of operators who formed the group, the fleet was a mixture of types amalgamated by the livery. 

 

It was plain, simple and some said boring.

 

I liked it so here are some examples of how it looked.

 

P203 HRY ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 2203. Dennis Dart SLF/ Plaxton Pointer 2 

 

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

 

New to ‘Midland Fox’ and pictured in Burton-on-Trent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FD02 UKU ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 4733. DAF DB250 / East Lancs Lowlander

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

 

New to ‘ARRIVA Fox County’.

 

Pictured in St. Margarets Bus Station, Leicester.

 

 

 

 

 

 

R46 VJF ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 2216. Dennis Dart SLF/ Alexander ALX 300

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

 

New to ‘ ARRIVA Derby’ as No. 46

 

Pictured in Burton-on-Trent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

P317 FEA ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No.  2317. Dennis Dart SLF/ Plaxton Pointer

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

 

New to ‘Midland Red North’ as No. 1317.

 

Pictured in Burton-on-Trent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

R422 TJW ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 1422. Scania L113CRL / Plaxton

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

 

New to ‘Midland Red North’.

 

Pictured in Burton-on-Trent.

 

The sources I have checked all show this bus as being bodied by Plaxton but I have my doubts.