'Scene' in Bakewell 1

When I first knew Bakewell, which is over 60 years ago. It was a typical country market town. Its primary function was trading in livestock at its large market together with produce, farm equipment and everything else that goes to support a basically farming community.

 

None of that has changed. The markets are still very busy particularly on Mondays. What has changed is that Bakewell has re invented itself and is now very much on the tourist trail and holidays map.

 

Situated on the river Wye and lying to the South of Manchester and Buxton. To the North of Derby and Matlock and to the West of Sheffield. Bakewell is ideally placed and the level of its bus services reflects that.

 

North-South links to Derby and Manchester are provided by ‘High Peak Buses’ (HPB) ‘transpeak’ services

 

Historically a Trent Motor Traction route that passed to today’s ‘trentbarton’ (tb) and when ‘tb’ joined forces with ‘Centrebus’ (Cb) to form ‘HPB’ in 2012 it passed to them

 

YN08 MRO

A Scania 230UB with Wright Solar bodywork. It came from another ‘Cb’ fleet. That of the Huddersfield Bus Company and before that was with ‘Cb’ in Leeds.

YN07 EXP 

A Scania CN230UB OmniCity that previously worked for “Cb’ in Leicester in its original white livery.

YN08 OAJ

 

Another Scania 230UB with Wright Solar bodywork. As with YN08 (above) it worked for ‘Cb’ in  Leeds.

 

X233 WRA

An Optare Excel that worked for and still wears the basic livery of ‘tb’ although it is working for ‘HPB’.

 

Although an elderly bus, I have travelled on it and it seems to have worn quite well despite the hammering it gets up and down the A6.

 

Locally based operator ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ are major operators in the town. It is 100 years this year since Henry Hulley bought his first ‘public transport’ a Ford model T taxi. The first bus followed in 1921 to operate from Bakewell to Chesterfied and as they say the rest is history.

 

There have been changes of ownership along the way but the smart blue and cream buses still carry his name.

 

LX51 FJA

A Dennis Trident with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork formerly of ‘Stagecoach in London’.

 

This particular bus has appeared before on my ‘blog’. I make no apology for including it again because it is such a superb vehicle.

 

 

MX11 CZM

An ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd’ Dart SLF (ADL) with ‘ADL’s Enviro 200 body waits at the Rutland Square bus stands.

 

AE55 EHL

A MAN 14.220 with an MCV Evolution body.

PL06 TGE

 

Another MCV Evolution body sits on a Dennis Dart SLF chassis. 

 

It was one of 3 similar which came from North West Bus Rentals. The other 2 being registered PL06 TGF and PL06 TFZ.

 

MX09 AOF

An Optare Solo fitted with the ‘slimline’ version of the body to be better able to cope with Derbyshire’s narrow lanes. It recently had to be fitted with a new engine.

 

YJ62 JZT

A VDL SB200 with Wright Pulsar bodywork which previously worked for ‘Wrays of Wigton’ in Cumbria.

 

In the lower image the contact details for ‘Wrays’ are clearly visible above Wright's ‘W’.

 

‘Scene’ in Buxton

Buxton, the highest market town in England lies close to the borders with Cheshire and Staffordshire but is quite definitely in Derbyshire.

 

When I first came to Buxton, the bus services were in the hands of ‘The North Western Road Car Company’ (NWRCC) then part of the BET Federation group. 

 

With the coming of the ‘National Bus Company’ in 1969, NWRCC was split up being shared between ‘Crosville’, ‘SELNEC PTE’ and ‘Trent Motor Traction’ as it was then. Trent got the Buxton and Matlock operations. 

 

Trent became ‘Trent Buses’ and then ‘trentbarton’ (tb) in 1989 when the company took over the long established company of ‘Barton Transport’.

 

Things stayed that way until April 2012 when ‘tb’ and ‘Centrebus’ subsidiary ‘Bowers Coaches’ of Chapel en le Frith set up a 50/50 joint operation based in ‘tb’s depot at Doveholes. This new venture being called ‘High Peak Buses’ (HPB.)

 

‘HPB’ has a varied fleet mainly comprising of Optare Solo’s. Here are a selection of them.

 

TIL 4051

Is carried by this rather grubby bus. The registration itself has appeared on at least one other ‘Cb’ vehicle whilst working in Luton.

 

MX04 VLV

Was previously operated by ‘Litttles Travel’ of Ilkeston.

 

X233 MBJ

Had an earlier life with ‘Ipswich Buses’.

 

V266 HEC

Was originally with ‘Blackpool Transport’ before going to ‘Holmeswood Coaches’ of nearby Ormskirk before joining HPB.

 

B8 WER

Is another former ‘Blackpool Transport’ bus that came via ‘Holmeswood Coaches’. It was originally registered V263 HEC. Its current registration would seem to relate to ‘Bowers Coaches’ who ‘Cb’ took over in 2007.

 

MX59 AVP

This time a Solo belonging to ‘G & J Holmes’ of Clay Cross operating the challenging Buxton to Chesterfield route. 

 

For many years the ‘transpeak’ (tp) service which runs from Derby to Manchester was a ‘tb’ preserve. The formation of ‘HPB’ and the transfer of the Buxton operations to it included the ‘transpeak’.

 

X232 WRA

An Optare Excel was one of the buses transferred fro ‘tb’ to HPB and it retains the branded ‘tp’ livery it gained in ‘tb’ days.

 

 YN06 CJE

A Scania Omnicity came from within the ‘Cb’ empire having previously worked in Leicester and before that was with ‘Beestons of Hadleigh’ in Suffolk.

 

The seating on this bus is quite hard and as such would not be my first choice on this long cross country route.

 

FJ59 FYT

A Plaxton Centro powered by a MAN 12.240 ‘chassis’. Part of the ‘Cb/HPB’ fleet. I have never seen it in any other livery than green which I always associate with the ‘tp’ service however I have never seen it or know of it operating on that service.

 

A trio of buses that came to HPB as part of the ‘tb’ legacy.

 

FN04 HTU

A Scania L94UB with Wright’s Solar Urban Bodywork on its way to Manchester Airport.

 

L114 LRA

A Volvo B10B with Northern Counties Paladin body wearing the livery of ‘Derby University’ which has a campus in Buxton.

 

X233 WRA

Another Optare Excel wearing this rather shabby version of its former ‘tb’ livery operating a ‘tp’ service to Manchester.

A 'Day out with Dennis' to Buxton

For the past year or so, I have been writing articles for a community magazine based in the Derbyshire village of Kilburn. The magazine called 'all things Local' is distributed free to 9,000 homes in Belper and Ripley. Apart from advertisements it carries all manner of general interest articles and information. It is widely read and indeed, copies of it can be hard to come by if you do not live in the two towns.

My contribution is to describe a variety of days out more or less locally that can be undertaken by anybody of any age. The purpose is to get folks out and about to enjoy the beautiful part of England in which they live.

I have provided a link from the articles to illustrations of the vehicles used that can be found here on by blog. So here goes !!

A Day out with Dennis to Buxton

 

The major local bus operator is ‘trentbarton’ (tb) which covers a large area of the East Midlands.

 

'tb' is an operator that has been known by various names including the word 'Trent' and during 2013 celebrated its 100th. birthday

 

Here we see a Swedish built Scania chassis carrying a Spanish built body by Irizar operating a ‘red arrow’ service approaching Derby bus Station.

Another Scania chassis this time with a Wright built body again approaching Derby bus station.

 

The body this time coming from Wright’s factory at Ballymena in Northern Ireland.

 

The ‘sixes’ service another ‘tb’ route links many towns along the A6 corridor going as far North as Bakewell, East to Ripley and West to Wirksworth.

 

‘tb’ also operate the Derby to Ashbourne and then on to Uttoxeter service.

Called ‘swift’ by ‘tb’, this bus has another Wright body this time powered by another Swedish built chassis. This time from Volvo.

 

Sometimes it is necessary to substitute another bus for the regular one. The maroon bus (which is in 'standard' livery is another Scania/Wright combination doing just that.

 

High Peak Buses (HPB), based just outside Buxton is a joint operation being owned equally by ‘tb’ and a company called ‘Centrebus’ based in Leicestershire. ‘Centrebus’ is a privately owned company with wide bus interests stretching from the home counties up into Yorkshire.

 

The 442 Ashbourne to Buxton service is generally run by buses made in Yorkshire by a company called Optare. The model’s name is the ‘Solo’. The Solo has been a major successes for Optare in recent years with many hundreds in service up and down the country.

 

Another HPB vehicle is another type produced by Optare. This time called the ‘Excel’ it is a bigger bus than the Solo carrying more passengers.

 

This one is seen operating the Manchester to Derby ‘transpeak’ service which for many years was a ‘tb’ route. it was handed over to HPB when the company was formed in 2012.

 

 

Another Optare Solo in the fleet of ‘G & J Holmes’ operates the Buxton to Chesterfield route. 'Holmes’ are a small independent operator based in Clay Cross.

 

Finally we have another ‘tb’ red arrow. This time a newer Scania with a later style of Irizar bodywork fitted. 

 

This particular picture was taken on a beautiful warm summers day (do you remember them ?) in the summer of 2013.

'Scene' in Matlock today 17th. October 2013

It is seven months since I did my last piece about Matlock. That appeared on the Focus Transport website and is still available to view by going to focustransport .org. 

 

Then go to articles from January to July and scroll down to 9th of March and it is entitled Matlock 2013.

 

Today however I was looking at what was new to me or different.

 

‘yourbus’ are perhaps better known for their tussles with ‘trentbarton’ (tb) in and out of Nottingham and Derby but quietly they have set about building a network in and around this central part of Derbyshire.

 

All the services currently operated have been taken over in the last couple of years or so from other operators, mainly

‘TM Travel’ and ‘Doyle’s Coaches of Alfreton’.

 

It does not end there however,  from the end of October they are taking over the 113 Belper to Ashbourne service from ‘Glover’s of Ashbourne.

In addition, a new route the 114 between Ashbourne and Derby replaces the old 109. It was formerly operated by 'Arriva'.

 

Services are run with a mixture of Wright Streetlite W/F and D/F ‘s which are now about a year old. 

 

My experience is that they have settled down to being regular, reliable performers being warm and comfortable at the same time. That will do for me !!

 

 

H822 DVL

Licenced as an Iveco Ford. It looks like a former mobile shop or library but gets included because of the use of the word ‘bus’ in its livery. 

 

Sat in Sainsbury’s car park it seemed to do a steady trade.

 

IIG 9818

Also at Sainsbury’s was this VDL Bova of ‘Caledonian Travel’ which was touring in ‘Nottingham and the Peak’.

 

(tb) are known to be refurbishing the Scania/Wrights on the ‘sixes’ services which cover a corridor of Derbyshire from Derby as far North as Bakewell, as far West as Wirksworth and as far East as Ripley.

 

It seems to be taking some time to complete. There are a small number of buses wearing the new base colour with little branding while the old livery is still in widespread use. One of each is illustrated.

 

FJ55 BZP

 

 FJ55 ABO

 

 

YN06 CJE

 

YN08 OAJ

 

were High Peak buses contribution whilst in a similar livery.

 

G535 VBB 

 

Brings the Sheffield to Matlock via Bakewell service 218 service into town.

 

Formerly this Leyland Olympian with Northern Counties Palatine body now with 'TM Travel' worked in London for ‘Arriva’ in full London red livery.

 

V327 KMY 

A Dennis Dart with Plaxton’s Pointer bodyworkIs another former London resident having worked there when it was part of ‘Metrobus’s fleet. Now with ‘DW Coaches’ of Clay Cross.

W423 RTO

The last time I saw this 'TM Travel' former ‘tb’ Optare Solo it carried no titling having been just at that time been transferred from one to the other. 

Now properly identified, its green livery dates back to the days when it worked on 'tb’s se7ens service between Derby and Belper.

 

YN09 AOJ

A Plaxton Cheetah bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario from ‘G & J Holmes’ of Clay Cross.

 

MX58 AVE

An ‘Amber Valley Community Transport’ Volkswagen Crafter unusually not carrying its normally distinctive side branding.

Sweating the Assets

‘Sweating the Assets’ In accountancy ‘speak’ means getting the absolute maximum return out of any asset that you possess.

 

In this age of high costs and austerity it means making things last longer and work harder but still be able to get a viable return out of them.

 

In the bus world, this used to mean getting ten to twelve years out of a vehicle before it was either sold on or scrapped.

 

These days, buses much older than that are still in regular service and still presumably earning a living. 

 

As an enthusiast, I can regularly be found in and around Derby and Nottingham bus stations watching what goes on and recording what I see.

 

Wellglade group companies (which includes trentbarton (tb), Notts & Derby and Kinchbus) are past masters at ‘Sweating the Assets’ as is seen by this small selection of images.

 

The newest buses in this veterans group are 13 years old and include Optare Excel 

X232 WRA which covers many miles per day on ‘transpeak’ routes albeit in ‘tb’s partly owned High Peak buses operation.

 

 

S937 UAL 

This Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart dates from 1968 and is 15 years old.

The single Volvo B10M/Plaxton Interurban that is used regularly on ‘red arrow’ services to Chesterfield and Nottingham. 

 

Although now registered YRC 182, it was originally registered R62 RAU in 1997 which makes it 16 years old.

 

Whilst L126 LRA and L127 LRA are amongst a number of Volvo B10B’s with 

Northern Counties bodies still in daily use that were new in 1993. Twenty years ago !

 

So with a bit of luck, the Excels, Darts and Volvo’s will hopefully be around for some years to come.