‘Scene’ In The Sunshine 4 (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.

 

W631 PSX ‘ACE Travel’ No. 305, City Sights Liverpool.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 31.

 

 

 

 

SFZ 404 ‘SEAFORD & DISTRICT’ No. 819, Eastbourne Sightseeing.

Dennis Trident 2 / East Lancs Lolyne

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

 

New registered T819 RFG to ‘Brighton & Hove’ No. 819. 

 

Pictured waiting for custom outside Eastbourne Pier.

 

 

 

 

BX55 XLV ‘East Yorkshire’ No. 889, Scarborough’s Beachcomber.

Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New to ‘Travel London’ but purchased via the ‘Ensign’ dealership.

 

 

 

 

SJ16 CTK ‘Edinburgh Bus Tours Ltd.’ No. 230 City Sightseeing 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.’

 

This image courtesy of friend Peter Rose.

 

 

 

 

HF09 FVY ‘Wilts & Dorset’ No. 1405, more.

Scania N230UD / Optare Olympus

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

 

Pictured in Sandbanks having been demoted to bus work from its previous ‘Purbeck Breezer’ branding.

 

 

 

 

MXZ 7653 ‘First Scotland East’ No. 32729, Bright Bus Tours Edinburgh.

Dennis Trident 2 / Plaxton President 

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

 

This image courtesy of friend Peter Rose.

 

‘Scene’ In The Sunshine 3 (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.

 

L999 SSB  ‘shoreline suncruisers’, Scarborough.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President

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

 

New in 1999 registered V522 ESC to ‘Lothian Buses’ as No. 522.

 

Rebuilt to open top in 2011 by its then owner ‘Majestic Tours’.

 

Pictured on the Marine Drive with Scarborough Castle looking down from the top of the cliff behind the bus.

 

 

 

 

V309 KGW ‘Seaford & District’ No. TA9, Eastbourne Sightseeing 

Dennis Trident 2 / Alexander ALX 400 

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

 

New to ‘Connex’, London No. TA9 which it still retains.

 

Pictured waiting for customers outside Eastbourne Pier.

 

 

 

 

T407 SMV ‘Transdev’ No. 4009, ‘CitySightseeing York’. 

Dennis Trident / East Lancs Lolyne 

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

 

Originally a diesel engined bus that has been converted to battery electric propulsion.

 

New to ‘Metrobus’ as No. 407.

 

Pictured just leaving the stand outside York railway station.

 

 

 

 

A10 EYD ‘East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd’. No. 881, Scarborough & District Sea Front Service.

Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President 

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

 

New registered X579 EGK to ‘Go-Ahead London’ No. PVL 179 from which time it retains its second door.

 

Pictured on Scarborough seafront.

 

 

 

 

L555 SSB ‘shoreline suncruisers’.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President

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

 

New In 1999 registered V516 ESC to ‘Lothian Buses’ as No. 516.

 

Rebuilt to open top in 2010 by its then owner ‘Edinburgh Tours’.

 

Pictured on the Marine Drive with Scarborough Castle looking down from the top of the cliff behind the bus.

 

 

 

 

V519 ESC ‘Transdev’ No. 4019 ‘CitySightseeing York’. 

Dennis Trident 2 / Plaxton President 

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

 

The ‘CitySightseeing’ open top operation in York earns its green credentials by being 100% electric.

 

Originally a diesel engined bus that has been converted to battery electric propulsion.

 

New to ‘Lothian Buses’ as No. 519.

 

Pictured waiting for customers in York

 

‘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 Premises of ‘Diamond Bus (North West) Ltd’.1, Bolton. on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The seventh blog of ten, posted over ten consecutive days. 

More tomorrow.

 

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.

 

MX20 KXC ‘Diamond Bus (North West) Ltd’. No. 40747, Bee Network.

Wright Streetdeck 

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

 

‘Transport for Greater Manchester’ have announced the rebranding of some of the area’s bus fleets ahead of the first phase of bus franchising which starts in September 2023.

 

Buses working on franchised routes are to be painted in yellow and branded as the ‘Bee Network’.

 

 

 

 

MX20 KYR ‘Diamond Bus (North West) Ltd’. No. 40759, Bee Network.

Wright Streetdeck 

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

 

Painted but not yet with its branding vinyls applied.

 

 

 

 

MX20 KYK ‘Diamond Bus (North West) Ltd’. No. 40751.

Wright Streetdeck

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

 

This was a bit different.

 

I remember at the time thinking it looked a bit rough but it was Peter who realised that it had been wearing the livery for the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the vinyls had been stripped off.

 

Presumably, it will now revert to the rather drab shade of blue that ROTALA use.

 

However, it would look much better as a member of the Bee Network!!

 

 

 

 

PN03 ULU ‘prestonbus’ No. 40631.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President

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

 

‘Diamond Bus (North West) Ltd’. and ‘prestonbus’ are associate companies, both being part of the ‘ROTALA’ group.

 

The fact that it was present at the former’s depot would seem to indicate that either it has been withdrawn from Preston service or that it was there for repair.

 

New to ‘London General’ No. PDL35.

 

‘Scene’ on a PSV Circle Organised Visit At the Premises of ‘preston bus’ /1 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.

 

‘Preston Bus’, which has a history going back to 1904, became part of the ‘ROTALA’ group in 2011.

 

PRN 909 ‘prestonbus’ No. 40628, 100 YEARS OF MOTOR BUSES IN PRESTON.

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New registered BJ15 TWG.

 

An image of the nearside of this bus appeared in my blog dated 24/09/22 when it appeared at SHOWBUS 2022.

 

 

 

 

HC 6422 ‘prestonbus’ No. 40510, CELEBRATING our 100th Anniversary.

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

Acquired from ‘Hallmark’, London No. 40510.

 

New registered HJ57 CZC.

 

 

 

 

PO56 RSZ ‘prestonbus’ No. 40407.

Scania N94UD / East Lancs Omnidekka

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

 

 

 

 

BJ15 TWF ‘prestonbus’ No. 40627, Tap & Go.

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

 

 

 

LX59 COH ‘prestonbus’ No. 40517.

Scania N230UD4 / Scania Omnicity

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

 

Acquired from ‘Hallmark’, London No. 40517.

 

 

 

 

BX21 DFD ‘prestonbus’ No. 40517, 23 Royal Preston Hospital.

Wright Streetdeck

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

 

 

 

 

SK18 TKX ‘prestonbus’ No. 40715.

Wright Streetdeck

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

 

Note the glazed staircase.

 

 

 

 

PN03 UMJ ‘prestonbus’ No. 40630.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President

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

 

The Vehicle Off Road notice placed in the windscreen of this now 20 year old bus must surely mean that the end of its road is in sight.

 

New to ‘London General’ No. PDL49.

 

Acquired from ’Diamond North West’.

 

 

 

‘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’ in Chesterfield 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

It is now the middle of February and the days are getting longer, warmer, drier and brighter (or so I kid myself).

 

Time to come out of hibernation and look at what the world has to offer.

 

What better place to start then than Chesterfield??

 

Chesterfield’s coach station on Beckingham Way has a small parking area for buses and coaches waiting to go somewhere else.

 

LR52 KXJ ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 22.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President /1

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

 

New to ‘Metroline’, London as No. TP 390 but acquired from JIM HUGHES COACHES LTD, FELL BANK, BIRTLEY, CHESTER LE STREET, DURHAM.

 

This was my first image of the day and the bus was my pick of the day.

 

I had not intended going to Bakewell but could you resist this??

 

Despite its appearance, it is quite a nice bus to ride on.

 

Pictured in Chesterfield.

 

 

 

 

LR52 KXJ ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 22.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President /2

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

 

Pictured in Bakewell.

 

 

 

 

LR52 KXJ ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 22.

Dennis Trident / Plaxton President /3

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

 

Pictured in Bakewell.

 

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

BV18 XZD ‘Transdev No. 804, THE Harrogate BUS COMPANY,

HARROGATE electrics, Saltergate

Volvo 7900E / Volvo

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

 

 

 

 

BN68 XSD ‘Transdev’ No. 808, THE Harrogate BUS COMPANY, HARROGATE electrics, Western.

Volvo 7900E / Volvo /1 

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

 

 

 

 

BN68 XSD ‘Transdev’ No. 808, THE Harrogate BUS COMPANY, HARROGATE electrics, Western.

Volvo 7900E / Volvo /2

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

 

 

 

 

BL65 YYU ‘Transdev’ No. 3621, LEEDS/HARROGATE 36.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

Pictured exiting Harrogate’s ‘compact’ bus station.

 

 

 

 

5209 UA ‘conneXionsbuses’, Tockwith, North Yorkshire.

Scania N230UD / Scania OmniCity

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

 

New registered YN08 DHD to ‘London United’ No. SP19.

 

 

 

 

BF63 HCV ‘Transdev’ No. 2775, THE Harrogate BUS COMPANY. 

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2

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

 

New to ‘Burnley & Pendle’, a fellow ‘Transdev’ group member.

 

 

 

 

V34 MOA ‘Transdev’ No. 2719, THE Harrogate BUS COMPANY.

Volvo B7TL /  Plaxton President

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

 

New to ‘National Express West Midlands’ as No. 4034.

 

 

 

 

SN57 GNJ ‘Transdev’ No. 2450, Transdev go.

Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New to ‘Lothian Buses’ as No. 872.

 

‘Transdev go’ Is a ‘spare bus’ livery in that they can be used anywhere in the group for either breakdown cover or for covering special events.

 

In this case running shuttle services from the town centre to the 

‘Great Yorkshire Show’ just outside the town.

 

Which, incidentally, caused no end of traffic problems!