‘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 Birmingham ‘national express West Midlands 1’ on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

A day out train and tram riding in the West Midlands took friend Peter Rose and myself into pastures new recently when the transport delights of Birmingham, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich 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.

 

My first comment about the area is: why does a major operator in the part of the country known as ‘The Black Country’ paint many of its buses in a very dark shade of grey.

 

If any part of the country could do with brightening up, it’s the West Midlands.

 

Most buses are named using people’s forenames which reflect the ethnic diversity of the area.

 

The choice of names are suggestions put forward by employees of ‘national express West Midlands’ together with some from the general public.

 

I think that is a nice touch because people of all ages will be happy to ride on ‘their’ bus.

 

BX21 DDZ ‘WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD’, No. H1019, national express West Midlands PLATINUM, Mel, relax extra legroom. 

Wright Streetdeck Hydroliner / Wright Gemini 3

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

 

 

 

 

SK19 EPF ‘WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD’, No. 6974, ‘national express West Midlands PLATINUM’ Samaira Thapa, Platinum 82 87.

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

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

 

 

 

 

SN67 WXH ‘WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD’ No. 6868, ‘national express West Midlands PLATINUM’, Rachel, Harborne 23 24.

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

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

 

 

 

 

SN15 LFF ‘WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD’ No. 6740, ‘national express West Midlands PLATINUM’, Sherish, FAST & FREQUENT to Birmingham.

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

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

 

Note the highlighting in green surrounding the destination display.

 

 

 

 

SK19 EUL ‘WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD’ No. 7519, ‘national express West Midlands PLATINUM’, Carly,  relax extra legroom. 

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

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

 

 

 

 

LF20 XOS ‘WEST MIDLANDS TRAVEL LTD’ No. E016, ‘national express West Midlands PLATINUM’, Samirah, ELECTRIC 6.

BYD DD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400City

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

 

 

‘Scene’ in North London, Finsbury Park Interchange again on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Friend Peter Rose has once more been exploring the delights that the capital has to offer.

 

This time he and his trusty camera have brought us the transport highlights of the area surrounding what was Finsbury Park railway station and has now been elevated to the level of an Interchange.

 

All the images reproduced here do so with Peter’s permission and my thanks.

 

The station dates back to the 1850s when the ‘Great Northern Railway’s line from Kings Cross arrived at what was then known as Seven Sisters Road  (Holloway) station.

 

Becoming Finsbury Park station in July 1861

 

This was gradually extended North to York by the GNR and eventually to  Edinburgh by the ‘North Eastern’ and ‘North British Railways’ so creating what is now known as The East Coast Main Line.

 

Underground trains arrived in the form of the ‘Great Northern & City Railway’ in 1904.

 

Trams and buses have been around since the early days when I suspect that they would have been powered by horses.

 

Today, such is the volume of traffic that two bus stations are required to service their needs.

 

LTZ 1325 ‘ARRIVA London’ LT 325.

Wrightbus NBFL (New Bus For London) New Routemaster

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

 

Pictured under the station canopy.

 

I wonder how the graffiti ‘artist’ managed to access the roof support??

 

 

 

 

LF20 XLS ‘Go-Ahead London General’ No. Ee16.

BYD DD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400 EV City

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

 

 

 

 

LK14 FBF ‘Metroline’ VWH 2012.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2

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

 

 

 

 

LF20 XLK ‘Metroline’ No. Ee9.

BYD DD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400 EV City

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

 

The bus is coming straight across the junction to enter the interchange.

 

 

 

 

LTZ 1341 ‘ARRIVA London’ No. LT 341.

Wrightbus NBFL (New Bus For London) New Routemaster

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

 

 

 

 

LK17 DBX ‘Metroline’ No.VWH 12342.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

‘Scene’ in Leeds City Bus Station ‘Transdev ’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

‘Scene at EUROBUS EXPO 2022 LIVE 

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

 

EUROBUS EXPO 2022 LIVE is being held at the NEC on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd. of November 2022. 

 

ALL BEING WELL ! I will be attending on the 1st.

 

I will then publish a blog a day for the next week detailing those entries that caught my eye.

 

My view is that for that week, I will be ahead of most of the professional press. 

 

So, if you want to see some of what’s new first, the place to be is;

 

 

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

 

 

The company operates widely across Northern England working out of ten bases with a wide variety of services many of which are route branded.

 

SK70 BWM ‘Transdev York’ No. 2015 ‘CITYZAP’.

Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

Based in York to work the York-Leeds ‘CITYZAP’ service.

 

Now a service consigned to history.

 

Due to poor loadings the service was reduced from half hourly to hourly and as of early November 2022 has been withdrawn.

 

A service I have used several times and am sorry to see go.

 

 

 

 

X1 VTD ‘Transdev, The Keighley Bus Company’. No. 2791 ‘Aireline’.

Volvo B9TL /  Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New registered FJ08 BYH to ‘Yorkshire Coastliner’. 

 

One of ‘Transdev’s group of companies.

 

Based in Keighley.

 

 

 

 

BL65 YYR ‘Transdev, The Harrogate Bus Company’ No. 3618 ’36’.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

The livery is known as ‘Riding Redfined’.

 

Based at Starbeck, Harrogate.

 

 

 

 

BL65 YZB ‘Transdev, The Harrogate Bus Company’ No. 3627  ’36’.

Volvo B5TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

Based at Starbeck, Harrogate.

 

 

 

 

BD11 CEK ‘Transdev York No. 2424.

Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 /1of 2

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

 

Based in York.

 

Working an inbound ‘Coastliner’ service from Scarborough.

 

My ‘livery of the day’.

 

 

 

 

BD11 CEK ‘Transdev York No. 2424.

Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 /  2 of 2

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

 

 

 

 

BT66 MVX ‘Transdev Coastliner’ No. 3638 ‘Coastliner’.

Volvo B5TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

Based in York.

 

Just starting out on another 78 mile trip to Whitby.

 

The bus route that has been voted Englands most scenic journey.

 

 

 

 

FJ58 LSU ‘Transdev The Harrogate Bus Company’ No. 1857 ‘7’.

Volvo B7RLE Wright / Eclipse 2

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

 

Based at Starbeck, Harrogate.

 

Working an inbound service from Wetherby.

 

 

 

 

Y10 TDV. ‘Transdev York’ No. 240 ‘Flyer direct to Leeds Bradford Airport’.

Optare Versa V1170

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

 

Named ‘Kalvin Phillips’ a Leeds United and England football player.

 

New registered YJ16 DWG to ‘Keighley & District’ another  ‘Transdev’ company.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ In Edinburgh Once More on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Stuart Montgomery, one of ‘Lothian Buses’ volunteer photographers has recently forwarded some images of buses in his home city which I am pleased to share with you.

 

They are of course reproduced with his permission and my thanks to him.

 

SA15 VUV ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 569, co-op.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 /1

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

 

 

 

 

SA15 VUV ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 569, co-op.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 /2

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

 

 

 

 

SA15 VUV ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 569, co-op.

Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 /3

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

 

 

 

 

SB19 GLY ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 1128.

Volvo B8L / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro400XLB

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

 

I don’t know the reason for the all white livery. 

 

It is probably being prepared for an all over livery but I think this looks very elegant.

 

‘Scene’ in Manchester. Other Operators 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

SN16 OGZ ‘Selwyn’s of Runcorn’ No. 248. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

Working into the city centre from Wythenshawe hospital via Withington.

 

 

 

 

BL55 YZD ‘First Manchester’ No. 39237 ‘Vantage’. Volvo B5LH / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3

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

 

Built to work on the ‘Bus Rapid Transit’ guided busway between Manchester and Leigh.

 

In 2016 I spent a day on the ’Busway’ which was detailed in my blog posted on 13/05/2016.

 

 

 

 

PJ05 ZWA ‘The Blackburn Bus Company’ No. 2754 ‘PRIDE OF THE NORTH’. Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

New to ‘Burnley & Pendle’ who together with ‘The Blackburn Bus Company’ and others are part of the ‘Transdev’ group.

 

Working an X43 ‘Witchway’ service.

 

 

 

 

 

MX55 FFZ ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 14. ‘Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban

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

 

New to ‘First Greater Manchester’ as No. 66911.

 

Working a return X57 ‘Snake’ service from Manchester International Airport to Sheffield and arriving in Chorlton Street to collect any waiting passengers.

 

The journey across the Pennines via the Snake pass is very scenic and is highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

R40 ANT ‘Anthony’s Travel’, Runcorn, Cheshire. MAN RR2 / MOBIpeople Premium ‘Club Class’

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

 

A Portuguese coachbuilder I had never heard of who have built a very attractive coach.

 

‘Scene’ in the sunshine in Edinburgh on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Stuart Montgomery, one of ‘Lothian Buses’ volunteer photographers has forwarded a selection of his latest images which I am pleased to display here.

 

As usual with Stuarts work they have not been edited by me.

 

SA15 VTO ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 435 ‘Skylink’. Volvo B5TL / Wright Gemini 3

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

 

Although branded for the service linking the City with the Airport, these buses have been downgraded to bus work where they now operate on route No. 41. 

 

This links Kings Buildings with Cramond via Edinburgh city centre.

 

Presumably at some stage they will be re-painted into fleet livery.

 

They were replaced on the airport service by new Volvo B8RLE’s with Alexander bodies.

 

My blog posted 21/08/2019 illustrates these newer vehicles together with an earlier livery on Transbus Trident/ Plaxton President buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 MXZ 1756 ‘Lothian Motorcoaches’ No. 846. Volvo B9TL / Wright Gemini

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

 

New registered SN57 DDX to ‘Lothian Buses’.

 

At the time of the image, this bus had been downgraded to bus work.

 

Why ‘Lothian’ persist with this drab livery I have no idea.

 

The coaching livery used to be overall white with black contrast which looked superb.

 

See blog post dated 25/08/2020 for an example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SN09 CUU Lothian Buses No 315 .Volvo B9TL / Wright Gemini

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

 

Pictured in the ‘Harlequin’ livery.

 

The purpose of which was to identify buses in this livery as being low floor from buses in normal livery that were high floor.

 

This particular livery stayed in use until all the fleet had become low floor at which point it was discontinued.

 

 

 

 

 

SN11 EBO Lothian Buses No 363. Volvo B9TL / Wright Gemini

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

 

‘Scene’ at the Bus & Coach show at the NEC in 2016 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

The annual B&C show at the NEC has been cancelled for 2020 because of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

 

Regular readers/viewers of my blog will know that I would normally have published a number of blogs built round what was new in the 2020 show.

 

As I am not able to do so, I will fill the gaps created by re-running some of the highlights from previous shows.

 

Sometimes (but not always) a veteran bus from earlier years  puts in an appearance.

 

The 2016 show today, 2017 tomorrow.

 

LJ66 CHK ‘Go-Ahead London General’ No. SEe37. BYD D9UR / Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 200EV 

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

 

The E200EV  how now got the hump so to speak which housed the BYD battery pack.

 

‘ADL’ were very quick to adapt their E200MMC body to accommodate the BYD power source.

 

See my blog dated 04/11/2016 for more images.

 

 

 

 

DD16 GAS ‘Scania’ demonstrator. Scania N280UD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400CBG City

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

 

At the time, a number of ‘alternative’ power sources were eagerly being evaluated but who would have thought that a fleet of over 100 gas powered buses would appear on the streets of Nottingham with another substantial fleet running in Reading?

 

I have produced many blogs over the past 2 or 3 years covering Nottinghams gas bus fleet.

 

 

 

 

Mercedes Benz Citaro, ‘McGills Bus Services’, Greenock. 

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

 

With more than 50,000 produced, the Citaro’ is a true worldbeater.

 

 

 

 

SJ66 LOA ‘Lothian Buses’ No. 441. Volvo B5TL / Wright Gemini 3

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

 

The stunning livery was/is known as ‘Fleet of the Future’.

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

The first of many of the type for my local operator ‘trentbarton’.

 

They are still buying them four years later with more to come.

 

For more images see my blog posted 01/11/2016.

 

 

 

 

3705 VM ‘City of Manchester’ No. 3705. Leyland PD2 / Metro Cammell

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

 

The half cab double decker was the type of bus I grew up with and although I am very much a fan of today’s ‘scene’, I still look at these ‘old timers’ with a great deal of affection.

 

New in 1964.