‘Scene’ at Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum. ‘The Lincolnshire Connection’ on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

A recent day out took friend Peter Rose and myself into pastures new when the transport delights of ‘Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum’ were explored

 

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.

 

One of the elements of going to somewhere like a museum where you have an idea what you are going to see is that it is always interesting to see what else just turns up.

 

NJV 995 ‘Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport’ No. 133, Lady Jane.

AEC Bridgemaster / Park Royal /1

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

 

I was amazed to see this turn up, I had no idea that it had survived.

 

New in 1960 and rebuilt to open top in 1974.

 

 

 

 

NJV 995 ‘Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport’ No. 133, Lady Jane.

AEC Bridgemaster / Park Royal /2

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

 

 

 

 

CX04 CVF ‘CLEETHORPES TRANSPORT’ No. 33.

Transbus Dart / Plaxton Mini Pointer 

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

 

New to ‘Jones’ Bontnewydd, Wales.

 

 

 

 

JV 9901 ‘Grimsby Corporation Transport’ No. 81.

AEC Regent 3 / Roe /1

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

 

New in 1947.

 

 

 

 

JV 9901 ‘Grimsby Corporation Transport’ No. 81.

AEC Regent 3 / Roe /2

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

 

 

 

 

JV 9901 ‘Grimsby Corporation Transport’ No. 81.

AEC Regent 3 / Roe /3

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

 

 

 

 

VBT 191 ‘W. H. Fowler’, Holbeach Drove, Lincolnshire.

AEC Reliance / Yeates Europa /1

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

 

Yeates were always known for the amount of chrome trim they could get onto a coach.

 

It must have added considerably to the all up weight.

 

This, by their normal standards, was quite restrained.

 

‘Fowlers’ is a company that, when I last looked, is still with us.

 

New in 1958.

 

 

 

 

VBT 191 ‘W. H. Fowler’, Holbeach Drove, Lincolnshire.

AEC Reliance / Yeates Europa /2

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

 

‘Scene’ on a 'Day Out with Dennis' to Sheffield via Mansfield on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

This set of images is to illustrate an article written for a magazine called ‘All Things Local’.

 

This community magazine is produced and distributed from a base in Kilburn, Derbyshire and covers large areas of the towns of Ripley and Belper.

 

If you are travelling from Belper your first and last bus of the day is one of ‘trentbarton’s ‘the sixes’. 

 

 

FJ55 BZP ‘trentbarton’ No. 689 Scania L94UB / Wright Solar Urban

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

A Swedish built Scania chassis fitted with a body built in Northern Ireland by ‘Wright’s of Ballymena.

 

From Ripley to Mansfield your transport is by ‘trentbarton’ ‘the nines’.

 

 FJ09 MVU ‘trentbarton’ No. 470 Optare Solo

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Built by ‘Optare’ in Yorkshire.

 

 

 

From Mansfield to Sheffield you will be travelling with ‘Stagecoach East Midland’

 

PX53 DJY ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ No. 34474 Transbus Dart  SLF / Plaxton Pointer 

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

‘Transbus’ was a relationship between Dennis who built chassis and Alexander who built bus and coach bodies which eventually led to Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) the UK’s biggest bus manufacturer.

The bodywork was built by Plaxton at Scarborough who eventually became part of ‘ADL’.

 

 

From Sheffield to Chesterfield you will be travelling with ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire’.

 

YN64 AOC ‘Stagecoach Yorkshire’ No. 15192 Scania N230UD / ADL Enviro 400

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

A Swedish chassis from Scania with bodywork with Bodywork by ‘ADL’ again.

 

 

 

The return from Chesterfield is by ‘trentbarton’ again.

 

FJ09 XPE ‘trentbarton’ No. 746 Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse

on ‘Dennis Basfords railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

Another Swedish chassis this time with a body by Wright’s of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

 

‘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.

‘Scene’ in Cardiff part 2

Another of those places like Chester, Bath and York that seem to be overflowing with buses.

 

My previous blog re Cardiff (published 18 April 2015) dealt entirely with the buses of ‘Cardiff Bus’. This blog covers the other operators that were seen on the day.

 

SN62 AOP

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D operated by ‘Newport Bus’ looking resplendent in the bright sunshine.

 

YT11 LUL

A Scania Omnicity again of ‘Newport Bus’ carrying route branding for the X30 Cardiff-Newport service.

 

The downside to a bright sunny day inevitably is shadows.

 

AE54 HYX

A Transbus Dart with Caetano Nimbus bodywork which used to work for ‘local Link’ in the Torbay area.

 

Older readers might well remember the Albion ‘Nimbus’ of many years ago which was similar in size to the Dennis Dart MPD. I believe the name on Albion’s Nimbus was an amalgam of the words NIMble and BUS.

 

YJ13 HLX

An Optare Versa of ‘First Cymru Buses Ltd.’ The unusual dark blue and gold livery is used across the South Wales express services.

 

YJ61 MMV

An Optare Tempo on the ‘Traws Cymru’ (TC) service T4. 

 

‘TC’  is an operation funded by the Welsh Government to provide medium and longer distance services across the country. T4 linking Cardiff to Newtown in Mid Wales.

 

 YN55 PXL

A Scania K113 EB with Irizar PB coachwork. Used by ‘First Greyhound’ part of ‘First Cymru’ between Swansea and Cardiff whilst some services used to run through to Bristol Airport.

 

‘First Greyhound” was an attempt to enter the specialist long distance coach market occupied by the likes of ‘megabus.com’ and ‘National Express’.

 

Services from London to Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Poole were started in 2009 and had all been discontinued by the end 2012.

 

I do think that the addition of a destination box to the PB body is ugly.

 

FJ11 GNK

A Volvo B9R with Caetano Levante coachwork working for ‘National Express’ contractor ‘Bebb of Llantwit Fardre’.

 

V670 FPO

 

Enveloped in the gloom of the shadows in front of Cardiff Castle is another of ‘Bebb’s fleet.

 

This time a Dennis Javelin with Caetano Cutlass bodywork.

 

At one time it operated in the fleet of Norfolk Norse in a yellow livery on ‘Norfolk County Council Services’.

 

X314 CBT

An Optare Solo in the sunlight working for ‘EASYWAY’. 

 

The branding states the ‘We Give Change’. No doubt a reference to ‘Cardiff Bus’ who operate a ‘farebox’ system only accepting the correct fare.

 

Originally with ‘Durham County Council’ and then ‘Travel Master’ (Manchester).

 

A couple of ‘Stagecoach Wales’ standard types put in an appearance

YX63 ZUC

A Dennis Dart SLF with 'ADL' Enviro 200 bodywork.

CN56 EXF

‘Stagecoach’s website shows this as being A Dennis Dart SLF with Alexander Pointer 2 bodywork. Seeing that ‘ADL’ do own Plaxton, I suppose that this is technically correct however most enthusiasts would recognise the bus as being a Plaxton or Transbus product.

 

 

N548 LHG

A Volvo Olympian with Northern Counties bodywork working on the Cardiff sightseeing service.

 

An information panel on the rear of the bus points any enquirers about the bus and its services to the ‘Bath Bus Company’ who are in turn are owned by the French group ‘RATP’ .

 

A Swedish chassis with English bodywork working for a French owned English based company in the Welsh capital.

 

Who would have thought it ....!

 

‘Scene’ in Chester bus station

A brief visit to Chester on a cold but very sunny winters day produced the following in and around the bus station

 

YD02 PXM

 

A DAF powered BOVA Futura of ‘Albert Wilde and Son Coaches’ who are based at Heage in Derbyshire.

 

Formerly in the fleet of ‘KM Travel’ (KMT) of Barnsley. The basically ‘KMT’ livery looks well with the new owners livery superimposed on it. Driven by ‘Son’ Phillip.

 

Y531 NHK

 

A Dennis Trident with Alexander ALX 400 bodywork on the Chester City Sightseeing service. 

 

Formerly No. 17470 in the ‘Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire’ fleet. It originally worked in Chester during 2013 in an all red livery with no other branding than prominent ‘Stagecoach’ titling.

 

Y969 WDM

 

A Volvo B6BLE with Wright Crusader bodywork working on the ‘Townlynx’ service. Previously with ‘Dublin Bus’ where it was registered 01-D-10041. 

 

MX13 AAY

A MAN A22 EcoCity with Caetano City Gold bodywork. Powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). One of 10 similar, it operates from ‘Arriva North West’s depot at Runcorn.

 

S267 JUA

 

A DAF DB250RS with Alexander ALX400 bodywork. Previously employed in London by Arriva as DLA 67 in dual doored form (H45/17D). It is now single doored (H45/23F) and works out of Winsford depot.

 

CX07 CPZ

 

A VDL SB120 with Wright Cadet bodywork working for ‘Arriva Buses Wales’ out of Chester depot. A bit odd that seeing that Chester is in England.

 

MX07 NTT

An Optare Solo M880SL of ‘Arrowebrook Coaches’ to whom it was new and it operates out of that operators Wervin Road depot in Chester. they also have a depot on the Wirral at Heswell.

 

AA04 GHA

 

A VDL SB120 with Wright Cadet bodywork Working ‘GHA Coaches’ of Wrexham service No. 82 to Northwich Bus Station.

 

SF04 VTE

 

A Transbus International Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork currently working for ‘Stagecoach Chester’. Originally delivered to ‘Stagecoach Western’ at Kilmarnock before coming South in 2012.

 

YJ59 GFY

 

An Optare Solo of ‘GHA Coaches’ operating in the ‘deebee’ livery

 

DK09 GYH

 

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork working on the ‘Stagecoach Chester & Wirral’ (SC&W) operated

‘Park & Ride’ branded service funded by  Cheshire West & Chester council.

The history of the bus is unusual in that it was new to ‘First Group’ (FG). ‘FG’ had taken over ‘Chester Bus’ in 2007 and ordered a batch of buses of which this one was a member. 

It was announced in 2013 that ‘Stagecoach’ had taken over the ‘First’ services in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Wirral and Wrexham.

 

 

DK09 GXW

 

Another Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork with the same history as as DK09 GYH

 

 

Further photos can be seen on my Flickr 

 

‘Scene’ in Keighley Bus station

Whilst in Keighley, West Yorkshire on other business recently I had an hour to kill so it was off to the bus station.

 

‘Transdev in Keighley’ (TiK) are the major operator in town operating out of a modern bus station that presents a few challenges when it comes to photography. 

 

The buses themselves were clean and tidy and considering that it was early in the afternoon appeared to be doing a steady trade.

 

YD02 UMY

A Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork that has not always been with ‘TiK’ having spent some time with another ‘Transdev’ operation that of ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’. (TYC)

 

The ‘Coastliner’ is an arduous series of routes running from Leeds to the Yorkshire Coast resorts of Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington. 

 

I travelled on the Scarborough service a couple of years ago and it is a superb journey. If you get the chance, do it !!

 

Y712 HRN

Another Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TL with ‘TiK’ and another transferee. 

 

This time having been with ‘Transdev Lancashire United’ (TLU) on its route branded ‘The Witch Way’ in the Burnley area.

 

YJ04 LXT

A Transbus Dart SLF with Plaxton Mini Pointer 2 bodywork.

YJ04 LXU

Another of the same.

YJ07 PBX

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork. 

Another ‘Transdev’ bus this time in the livery of the ‘Shuttle’ which runs from Keighley to Bradford.

 

YJ05 FNP

Another two year older Volvo B7RLE with Wright Urban Eclipse body.

 

PJ05 ZVW

Volvo B7TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini dual purpose bodywork.

 

What a magnificent vehicle this is. 

 

Another ‘Transdev’ group bus this time from the ‘Burnley and Pendle’ operation.

 

At one time this and the other fourteen buses of its kind were liveried for the ‘Witch Way’ an express service that runs from Nelson in Lancashire to Manchester.

 

All of them carried names of alleged witches who lived in the ‘Pendle Hill’ area.

 

‘Mainline’ is another ‘Transdev’ brand.

 

I have made the point before that the Wright single deck body has not been subject to major change or re styling for many years. 

 

There have of course been slight changes which have been incorporated from time to time.

 

The benefit to the operator is that because the buses look very similar to each other that the oldest buses look as modern as the newest.

 

Only the number plate gives away the age of a vehicle to the public and I think that as long as a bus is presentable, clean, comfortable, warm and on time that is all that most of the public wants.

 

Y177 HRN                                                            

Volvo B10BLE Wright Renown Ex 'TLU'.

PO51 MUY

Volvo B10BLE Wright Renown Ex 'TLU'.

 

YJ05 FNN

Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urban Ex 'TYC'.

 FJ08 BZV

Another Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse Urban. 

  

 

In these four buses there are 2 VolvoB10 BLE’s with Wright Renown bodywork both ex ‘Transdev Lancashire United’. 

 

A Volvo B7RLE with Wright’s Eclipse Urban body which is ex ‘Transdev Yorkshire Coastliner’ and another B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban.

 

Four different but similar buses from different backgrounds that blend very well together into everyday operation.

 

Y153 HRN

A Volvo B10BLE with Wright Renown bodywork. Another bus from the ‘Transdev Burnley & Pendle’ fleet.

MX12 DZE

An Alexander Dennis Ltd Enviro 200. 

 

This was the only bus I saw that wasn’t owned by one of the ‘Transdev’ group company’s being owned my ‘TLC travel’ of Bradford.