‘Scene’ today 12 May 2014 in Nottingham

It’s a couple of months since I visited Nottingham last so I thought I would start with what is new to me. 

 

I appreciate that it may not be new to you but that inevitably is the way it is.....!

 

I start unusually with a tram, No. 209. I do not normally include trams but  this one at the Theatre Royal stop was sporting a livery that I had not ‘Scene’ before.

It is advertising the ‘Dairy Council’ sponsored ‘milk Race’ (I don’t know who thinks this is good use of English but no matter) which is visiting the city on Sunday 25th of May this year. 

 

SN53 EUZ

A Transbus Trident with Alexander ALX 400 formerly with 'London United' now with ‘Skills Coaches’. I had seen its mate SN53 EUT previously but not this one.

YN05 GXG

This Scania/Wright Solar was previously with ‘Reading Transport’ and is now with ‘AOT Coaches’. It is pictured working the No.8 Hucknall-Nottingham route.

 

 

FJ56 MGO

A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter based minibus which I think is part of ‘Nottingham Community Transport’s Fleet’. I have seen many of these carrying ‘Locallink’ branding but I cannot recall the ‘infolink’ wording before. Then again it may just be me...!

 

I appreciate that advertising on the side of buses helps the finances of many bus companies but I have always felt that the advert sometimes defaces what otherwise is an attractive livery.

 

That being so, I present this small selection where fortunately, there are no adverts to be seen.

 

YP63 WFD

A Scania N230UD with Alexander Dennis Enviro (ADL) 400 bodywork.

 

YN14 MVL 

Another Scania N230UD with Alexander Dennis Enviro (ADL) 400 bodywork.

 

YN06 TGY

A Scania N94UD with East Lancs. bodywork.

YN05 WFF

Another of the same.

A trio of Alexander Dennis Dart’s with Enviro 200 bodies.

YX63 LHV

YX63 LHU

 

 

YX13 BNU

‘Scene’ in Nottingham yesterday the 24th. of March 2014

We are now officially in spring although the temperature seemed to suggest otherwise. The sun was shining and I had an hour to kill so I thought I would pay a visit with camera in hand.

 

YN14 MVH

My first ’14’ plate. A Scania N230UD with Alexander Dennis Enviro (ADL) 400 bodywork.

 

I had seen the ‘spare’ and ‘red line’ liveried buses a couple of weeks ago but this was my first ‘lime line’ liveried bus. Very smart.

 

LT52 WXJ 

A Dennis Trident with Plaxton’s President bodywork. One of a number that came last year from Go-Ahead London to help with rail replacement work when Nottingham railway station was closed.

 

The style of lettering in white is changed from the ‘nottingham network’ titling.

 

I include this image for no other reason that I like it.

 

YT09 YHW

Another Scania, this time a 270UD with Optare bodywork built after the style of other East Lancs built bodies in the fleet.

 

This turned up a couple of minutes after the Trident and it too was carrying the revised style of fleetname.

 

YD63 VDL

An Optare SoloSR from ‘trentbarton’ seen on Friar Lane with a livery that was new to me. ‘the rushcliffe greens’ which links Nottingham with Bingham and Radcliffe. 

 

I caught a glimpse of an Optare Tempo in the same livery. It would seem to be a variation of the Bingham ‘xprss’.

 

I always have time for an old timer, (my son Andrew says that is because I am one myself).

 

SN53 EUT

I have seen this former ‘London United’ Alexander ALX400 bodied ‘decker a number of times but it was the first time I have caught it on camera.

 

Now part of ‘Skills Coaches’ contract fleet.

 

W752 DOE

Another from ‘Skills Coaches’ contract fleet although this time in fleet livery is this East Lancs bodied Volvo.

 

R934 RAU

A Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork doing a stint on the ‘centrelink’. service.

 

It carries the ‘notts & derby’ livery but previously wore ‘trentbarton’ colours and I think its legal titling quotes ‘ Barton Buses’ all ‘Wellglade’ group companies.

'Scene' recently in Loughborough part 1

This small selection of bus images taken recently brings together two brief visits. One at the very end of 2013 and another in the first week in February 2014.

 

Loughborough, a small compact town sits astride the A6 North of Leicester and South of Derby.

 

It is blessed with a wide selection of bus operators who provide a busy and colourful scene.

 

There are a couple of locally based operators.

 

‘Kinchbus’ (Kb), a ‘Wellglade’ group subsidiary has the highest profile.

 

‘Kb’ has a history dating back to 1987 when Gilbert Kinch started trading as GK Kinch. At that time his operation was based in Barrow on Soar.

 

Expansion followed in the 1990’s and in 1998 the company was sold to the ‘Wellglade’ group.

 

Apart from local services in the Loughborough area, longer distance services operate as far as Leicester, Nottingham and Derby.

 

At the time of writing ‘Kb’ operates approximately 30 vehicles.

 

‘Kb’ took 4 Optare Tempo’s and 7 Optare Solo’s in 2007 and both deliveries are represented here.

 

 YJ07 VSV

 

YJ07 EFW

Seen in the dedicated livery of the ‘sprint' service which links the town with the University and the railway station.

FE02 KDZ

Another Solo, came from 'trentbarton's (tb)s main fleet having previously been painted in both fleet and ‘Harlequin’ liveries.

'tb' being another 'Wellglade' group company.

In 2008, 'Kb' took 6 Volvo B7RLE’s with Plaxton Centro bodies for the ‘skylink’ service that links Derby to Loughborough via the East Midland Airport. 

 

These were supplemented by another of the same which came into the fleet when (tb) took over ‘Felix of Stanley’ in January 2012.

 

YN08 CWV

Volvo B7RLE/Plaxton Centro.

 

FJ03 VWM

The route has since been extended to Leicester which necessitated the addition of one of 'tb's Scania L94UB's with Wright Solar Urban bodywork.

 

It is also anticipated that more of them will follow.

 

FJ03 VWM

 

 

X234 WRA

An Optare Excel. Now in the twilight of its career and helping out on Town Service No.11. It still carries the remnants of the old 'tb' fleet livery.

 

 

FJ03 VWN

Other Scania/Wright buses work on service 9 to Nottingham. At one time it worked on 'tb's Rainbow 5 service.

 

Route 9 was originally a ‘Premiere’ travel route that came to ‘Kb’ when ‘Premiere’ ceased to operate in early 2013.

 

 

FJ03 VVP

Another Scania/Wright working for 'Kb'. 

 

The livery it carries is for ‘tb’s  H1 Derby, Heanor and Alfreton service.

 

This bus and others in the same livery have been displaced on the H1 by new Optare Versa’s. See my blog

‘H1 New Shiny Bus’ dated 11/01/14.

Another ‘Wellglade’ group bus in town was,

 

FJ03 VWY

Another Scania L94UB with Wright Solar Urban bodywork working for (tb) on the lengthy ‘skylink’ service from Nottingham via the East Midlands AirportThis vehicle previously worked on and carried the liveries of the ‘Calverton’ and ‘H1’ services.

The other local operator ‘Paul S. Winson’ always operates buses and coaches that are superbly turned out.

 

I have never seen a dirty bus in service.

 

W647 SNA Dennis Trident 2 with East Lancs Lolyne bodywork came from ‘Nottingham City Transport’.

W563 RSG

A Dennis Trident with Plaxton President bodywork that was previously operated by ‘Lothian Buses’.

XX12 PSW and XX13 PSW PSW

ADL Enviro 200’s, Both purchased at the same time. 

 

The company makes regular use of PSW suffixed registrations.

 

‘Scene’ on Friar Lane, Nottingham today 30th. of September 2013

Nottingham has a variety of bus picking up points. The Victoria Centre and The Broadmarsh Centre are probably the most obvious.

 

Friar Lane is not so obvious but it does have a surprising range of services that terminate or simply call there.

 

Then there are the services that pass on their way to their own termini on Beastmarket Hill.

 

First up must be the service that is the newest which only officially started yesterday.

 

That is ‘trentbarton’s (tb) ‘sawley xprss’. The name says it all really.

 

I was a little disappointed that ‘tb’ have chosen to use fleet liveried vehicles on the service.

 

I rather thought that with (tb)’s flair for publicity that they might have been a bit more adventurous and had some form of route branding.

 

FE02 KFK 

An Optare Solo.

 

 

 

 

 

So what else was on view?

 

FJ58 KKR

A Volvo B7RLE/Wright on the ‘Indigo’.

 

 

L125 LRA

A Volvo B10B/ Northern Counties driver trainer.

 

 

FJ10 EHK

An Optare Solo on the ‘Radcliffe line’

 

 

Y12 GWL

An Optare Tempo 2 on the i4.

 

 

FD54 JYC

An Optare Tempo 1 working the ‘bingham xprss’

 

 

FN54 AEZ

A Scania L94UB/Wright linking Nottingham to the East Midlands Airport.

 

 

FH54 VRY

Another Scania L94UB/Wright deputising for a route branded Solo.

 

 

FJ03 VVU

A further Scania/Wright on route 18 from Stapleford.

 

 

two more (tb) vehicles were,

 

YJ07 VSO

another Optare Tempo1 linking Nottingham with Ilkeston.

 

 

and

FJ03 VWR

Another Scania L94UB/Wright on its way to Cotgrave.

 

 

Nottingham City Transport are represented by,

 

YN53 CFY

A Scania N94UD with East Lancs Coachbuilders body. 

 

This is operating the ‘navy line’ route No.1 to Loughborough.

 

 

YN04 AMX

Another Scania, this time a 94UB with Scania’s own bodywork.

 

 

YT09 YHW

A Scania 270UD with Optare bodywork designed to look like similar East Lancs bodies in the fleet.

 

 

YJ51 XST

An now elderly Optare Solo making a positioning journey.

 

 

YT09 YHS

Another Scania/Optare combination. this one working in from Clifton.

 

 

YJ61 CGU

An Optare Solo SR working in on a different route from Clifton.

 

 

YN04 AMV

Another of the short all Scania N94UB’s in a variation of the Network Maroon livery that I have not seen before.

 

 

 

YX62 ECT

An Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 operated by ‘Marshalls of Sutton on Trent’.

 

This route was at one time run by Nottingham City Transport and links not only to Newark but to Newark Northgate station. So giving Nottingham’s citizens a direct link with the East Coast main railway line.