‘Scene’ at Showbus 2018, West Midlands on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Not the most obvious or exciting bus to start a blog with BUT.

 

The future for public transport in the West Midlands seems to be that whoever operates services within the authorities boundarys will be obliged to wear a common ‘West Midlands’ livery.

 

This is the first bus I have seen in the new livery and I expect it to be the first of many.

 

BX62 FAK ‘Diamond’ No. 30925 ’West Midlands Bus’ 42 43. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban

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

 

New to ‘Flights Hallmark’.

 

 

‘national express West Midlands’ (neWM) have recently repainted several double deckers in the liveries of former operators who became part of ‘West Midlands PTE’ the forerunners to ‘neWM’.

 

BX54 DDJ ‘national express West Midlands’ No. 4601 ‘Walsall Corporation’. transbus Trident / transbus ALX 400

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

 

 

 

BJ03 EVC ‘national express West Midlands’ No. 4453 ‘national express Coventry’. transbus Trident / transbus ALX 400

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

 

 

BL53 EDF ‘national express West Midlands’ No. 4535.  transbus Trident / transbus ALX 400

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

 

I could not see any indication of the operator on the bus apart from the destination blind but the livery worn is that of the former ‘Wolverhampton Corporation Transport’.

 

 

 

D957 NDA ‘West Midlands Travel’ No. 2957 ‘Timesaver’. MCW Metrobus Mk. 2

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

 

 

A764 WVP ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 2957 ‘travelcard’. MCW Metrobus Mk. 2

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

 

It also had a spell with ‘Sharpe’ of Nottingham.

 

 

 

WDA 835T ‘West Midlands PTE’ No. 6835. MCW Metrobus Mk.1

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

 

 

 

V177 MOA ‘Travel West Midlands’ No. 1707. Mercedes-Benz 0405N

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

 

This bus was voted Best in Show by the visitors to the Buses Festival at Gaydon two weeks previously.

 

 

G266 EOG ‘West Midlands Travel’ No. 1266. Leyland Lynx

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

 

 

 

‘Scene’ at the PSV Circle gathering in the West Midlands April 2015 part 2

The PSV Circle Annual General meeting this year was held at the Menzies Strathallan Hotel at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

 

In addition to the meeting itself, attending members from around the country are treated to a half and two full days of visits to bus operators and locations where buses might be seen in some numbers.

 

I was only able to attend on the Saturday and here are a further selection of images from that day.

 

For part 1 see blog dated 25/04/2015

 

A lunch break was taken at West Bromwich bus station. Mainly covered in, the walls are made from a blue glass which changes the colours of anything that you look at. 

 

BU53 UMH

A Volvo B7TL carrying Wright Gemini bodywork working for ‘National Express West Midlands’ (NEWM) showing the blue cast imparted by the walls.

 

BL53 EDX

A Transbus Trident fitted with Transbus bodywork. More easily recognised as the Dennis Trident with Alexanders ALX 400 bodywork that were both marketed as Transbus products for a time.

 

Another ‘NEWM’ bus but this time seen without the ‘benefit’ of the blue filter.

 

BK13 NZR

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork working from new for the ‘Diamond Bus Company’ (DBC). ‘DBC’ are part of the ‘Rotala’ group.

 

SN64 ODB

An Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) E40D Another ‘NEWM’ bus carrying route branding for the West Bromwich to Birmingham service.

 

S589 VUK

A further ‘NEWM’ bus this time an all Mercedes-Benz 0405N.

One of a very large batch of these buses that were delivered over 2 years. Now 16/17 years old, these appear to be very rugged and long lasting buses.

 

YD02 PZJ

A DAF SB120 with Wright Cadet bodywork wearing the black version of ‘DBC’s livery. Previously it worked for ‘Birmingham Omnibus’.

 

KW02 CXG

A Transbus Dart SLF with Plaxton’s Pointer MPD bodywork seen at ‘DBC’s Tividale depot.

Seen in the red variation of ‘DBC’s livery, the red diamond seems to get lost in the background colour.

 

Final call of the day was at the bus station adjacent to the Merry Hill shopping complex

 

WX58 FSA

A Volvo B7RLE fitted with Plaxton Centro bodywork again working for ‘DBC’ carrying route branding for the Weoley Castle to Merry Hill service.

 

BX12 DDE

Another ‘NEWM’ bus. This one being a Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork carrying route branding for the X96 service.

 

SN51 SZW

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork working for ‘Hansons Local Bus’.

Now looking a bit shabby, It was new to London United as DPS559.

 

KX57 OVC

An Enterprise Plasma, better known as the Plaxton Primo in the fleet of ‘West Midlands Special Needs Transport’ in ‘igo’ livery.

 

26

 

A Tram operated by ‘West Midlands Metro’ who’s services travel between Birmingham and Wolverhampton from just across the road from the bus station.

 

Designed and built by CAF in Spain and known as the ‘Urbos 3’. There were 20 ordered with a further 5 optioned.