‘Scene’ in Burton-on-Trent (BoT) again on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

It is now just over a year (August 3rd. 2022) since the takeover of ‘Midland Classic’ was completed by the ‘ROTALA’ group, rebranding the company ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’.

 

On 09/08/2023 I posted a blog built around friend Peter Rose’s images of the fleet additions since that time.

 

All of course in ‘ROTALA’ blue.

 

This blog illustrates a return to BoT by both of us to look at some of what is left of the ‘Midland Classic’ fleet.

 

Will any of them ever be painted blue??

 

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

 

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

 

YN08 MKO ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 40520.

Scania N270D / Scania Omnidekka

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

 

New to ‘Reading Transport’ No. 1102.

 

 

 

 

YN64 FWZ ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 30985.

Scania K230UB / Irizar i3

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

 

New to ‘Menzies’, Heathrow.

 

 

 

 

SN11 BNL ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 40521.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400

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

 

New to ‘First Capital’ No. 33623.

 

 

 

 

YJ66 AOY ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 30996 

Optare MetroCity V1080MC / Optare

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

 

New to ‘Midland Classic’ No. 6.

 

 

 

JB14 MCL ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 31429, X12 Burton upon Trent Lichfield.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro200

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

 

New to ‘Midland Classic’ No. 1.

 

 

 

YN05 GXL ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 30901.

Scania L94UB / Wright Solar

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

 

New to ‘Reading Transport’ No. 1012.

 

 

 

 

YN57 FWG ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 30908, the tutbury jinny.

Scania K230UB / Wright Solar

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

 

New to ‘Reading Transport’ No. 1031.

 

 

 

 

YJ16 DXT ‘Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd’ No. 30992.

Optare MetroCity V1010MC / Optare

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

 

New to ‘Midland Classic’ No. 4.

‘Scene’ in Barnsley on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has a thriving shopping centre and a genuine Travel Interchange.

 

My definition of that is where trains, coaches and buses all come together on one site.

 

YN60 FKS ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire’ No. 3618, Maggie’s Yorkshire to Kalida Barcelona cycle ride.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire Traction’.

 

 

 

YX66 WCW ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire’ No. 10656, TOWNlines 66.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire Traction’.

 

 

 

YN62 FVJ ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire’ No. 28673, X19 Barnsley to Doncaster.

Scania K230UB / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire Traction’.

 

 

 

KX07 HEU ‘Globe Holidays Ltd.’ No. 1073.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. Dart / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200

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

 

New to ‘Kent County Council’, Aylesford.

 

 

 

 

YX22 OJG ‘Globe Holidays Ltd.’ No. 1221.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E20D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200MMC

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

 

New to ‘Thames Valley’ No. 683.

 

Pictured having just left the Interchange at the rear of the bus.

 

 

 

 

KX60 DVP ‘Globe Holidays Ltd.’ No. 1601.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. Dart / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 200

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

 

New to ‘Thurmaston Bus’, Thurmaston, Leicester.

 

 

‘Scene’ on a PSV Circle Organised Visit At the Premises of ‘preston bus’ /3 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.

 

KY63 VTK ‘preston bus’ No. 20880.

Optare Solo M8900

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

 

New to ‘Airbus Operations’, Filton, Bristol.

 

At one time, ‘ARRIVA’ group ran the bus services in Malta under contract to the Maltese government.

 

An agreement which eventually came to an end.

 

Some buses sourced from the UK were returned and sold on.

This bus being one of them.

 

Registered BUS 352 and numbered 352 in the Maltese fleet.

 

 

 

 

LM18 UWW ‘prestonbus’ No. 21201.

Mercedes-Benz 516CDI / Mellor Strata

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

 

 

 

 

YT61 FEM ‘prestonbus’ No. 30118.

Scania K230UB / Scania Omnilink

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

 

New to ‘Flights Hallmark’ but acquired from ‘Diamond West Midlands’.

 

 

 

 

VT61 FEP ‘prestonbus’ No. 30116.

Scania K230UB / Scania Omnilink

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

 

New to ‘Flights Hallmark’ but acquired from ‘Diamond West Midlands’.

 

 

 

 

VT61 FEU ‘prestonbus’ No. 30115.

Scania K230UB / Scania Omnilink

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

 

New to ‘Flights Hallmark’ but acquired from ‘Diamond West Midlands’.

 

‘Scene’ in Leicester, Other Operators on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I had not been to Leicester for some years but I had read that the rebuilding of St. Margaret’s Bus Station had been completed so I thought another visit was due.

 

The new bus station has been rebuilt virtually following the original’s footprint.

 

The building is new and it would appear to be equipped with all the facilities  I would expect.

 

The only major change, as far as I could see, is that buses can now leave the bus station directly onto the A594 Burleys Way.

 

A significant saving of both time and fuel.

 

Friend Peter Rose joined me for the day and whilst we were attracted initially by the new St. Margaret’s, we spent most of our time at the nearby Haymarket Bus Station.

 

YD21 NFP ‘Roberts’ Hugglescote, Leics. Leicester park&ride.

Yutong E12 / Yutong

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

 

 

 

 

SN67 XCY ‘Stagecoach Midlands’ No. 26206, 48 stagecoachgold.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC

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

 

New to ‘Stagecoach Midland Red (South)’.

 

Pictured in Haymarket prior to working a service to Coventry.

 

 

 

 

KX12 AKZ ‘Stagecoach Midlands’ No. 28622.

Scania K230UB / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 300

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

 

 

 

 

YX20 OHB ‘Kinchbus’ No. 147 ‘skylink’.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC

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

 

Pictured leaving St. Margaret’s Bus Station with a service to Derby via the East Midlands Airport at Castle Donington.

 

 

 

 

BF21 DBX ‘National Express West Midlands No. 335. national express.

Volvo B11RT / Caetano Levante 3

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

 

Pictured turning into Abbey Street from Belgrave Gate on its way to St. Margarets Bus Station.

 

‘Scene’ in Derby once more on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

In Derbyshire, when bus routes have been re-tendered, the date for the changeover from the old operator to the new usually falls around the start of October.

 

You have already witnessed this in my blog where ‘Derbyshire Community Transport’ took over three routes from their previous operators.

 

So, with this in mind that I set off to see what was different in Derby and then this turned up.

 

SK72 CVY ‘Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Traction Co. Ltd.’ No.15, unibus.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /1

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

 

One of three, the others being.

 

SK72 CVZ No. 16 and SK72 CWA No. 17.

 

Painted in this very attractive livery that first appeared on their single deck brother which featured in my blog dated 04/10/2022.

 

 

 

 

SK72 CVY ‘Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Traction Co. Ltd.’ No.15, unibus.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /2

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

 

 

 

 

SK72 CVY ‘Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Traction Co. Ltd.’ No.15, unibus.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. E40D / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400MMC /3

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

 

 

 

 

YN64 FWV ‘DIAMOND BUS (EAST MIDLANDS) Ltd’. No. 30989.

Scania K230UB / Irizar i3 /1

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

 

So, back to the changeover.

 

Services 9 & 9A that seem to be interworked with one bus were previously operated by ‘Littles Travel’.

 

 

 

 

YN64 FWV ‘DIAMOND BUS (EAST MIDLANDS) Ltd’. No. 30989.

Scania K230UB / Irizar i3 /2

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

 

 

 

 

FX55 VLO ‘DIAMOND BUS (EAST MIDLANDS) Ltd’. No. 30905.

Scania L94UB / Wright Solar

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

 

Service 73 was previously operated by ‘Littles Travel’.

 

 

 

FJ10 NFV ‘Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Traction Co. Ltd.’ No. 767, ‘notts+derby’.

Volvo B7RLE / Plaxton Centro

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

 

Not part of any changeover but present on the day

 

New to ‘Felix’ Stanley.

 

 

 

 

YJ12 NAU ‘trentbarton’ No. 500.

Optare SoloSR M960

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

 

A rather snatched image that shows the bus having spoilt its manners and needing to be removed on a towbar.

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on a PSV Circle Organised Visit ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Since the PSV Circle visit, Midland Classic Ltd. was taken over in August 2022 by Rotala plc and the name changed to Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Ltd.

 

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.

 

This was the fourth visit of this the third day.

 

Regular readers and viewers will know of my liking for this operator.

 

They never disappoint.

 

The original ‘Tutbury Jinnie’ was a local railway service linking Burton on Trent with Tutbury.

 

Starting operation in 1848 it was initially very popular and at one time seeing eight trains each way per day. 

 

Following many years of bus competition, it was eventually withdrawn in 1960.

 

For many years there has been a model railway shop in Tutbury called the ‘Tutbury Jinny’ (note the revised spelling).

 

YN57 FWG ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. 75 ‘thetutburyjinny’.

Scania K230UB / Wright Solar /1

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

 

New to ‘Reading Transport’ as No. 1031.

 

 

 

 

YN57 FWG ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. 75 ‘thetutburyjinny’.

Scania 230UB / Wright Solar /2

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

 

 

 

 

YN57 FWG ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. 75 ‘thetutburyjinny’.

Scania 230UB / Wright Solar /3

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

 

 

 

 

TC60 MCL ‘Midland Classic of Burton’.

Land Rover Defender

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

 

I have always found support vehicles interesting.

 

 

 

 

YS55 EEX ‘Midland Classic of Burton’.

Ford Transit

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

 

 

 

 

TFA 13 ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. 85. ‘Stevensons Bus Services’.

Scania L94UB / Wright Solar

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

 

New as YN04 ANX to ‘Beestons’, Hadleigh, Suffolk.

 

 

 

 

NK09 FVE ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. 41.

Optare Versa V1110

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

 

New to ‘Go Northern’ as No. 8304.

 

 

 

 

HXI 3009 ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. 259. ‘Stevensons Bus Services’.

Leyland Lynx / Alexander Belfast ’N'

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

 

New in 1986 to ‘Citybus’, Belfast.

 

It also had a spell with ‘North West’, Liverpool.

 

The Leyland Lynx / Alexander Belfast ’N’ combination is very rare, I have never seen one before.

 

 

 

 

798 UXA ‘Midland Classic of Burton’ No. RM1168 ‘Wedding Special’.

AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New in 1962 registered 168 CLT to ‘London Transport’.