‘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’ in Derby today 17th. February 2014

YN05 GZB

Scania L94UB/Wright Solar which came into 'notts + derby' ownership when 'Wellglade' group took over ‘Felix of Stanley’.

YR59 NNU

Another Scania/Wright combination that has recently joined ‘Arriva’ in Derby from Hinkley. 

 

 

W475 BCW

The Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork makes for a handsome bus. It was 1 of 4 received from 'London United' 4 years ago.

 

BK10 MFY

A Volvo B7RLE/Plaxton Centro freshly repainted in ‘yourbus’ livery waiting to go to Ilkeston.

 

I first new this bus when in ‘Nottingham University Hopper Bus’ it worked for ‘Premiere’ travel.

 

Their ceasing to operate brought it into ‘yourbus’ hands still in 'Hopper' livery and ‘K&H Doyle’ ceasing trading recently caused it to be repainted.

 

I do not know who does ‘yourbus’ repaints but this one is a particularly fine job. Well done!

 

YJ07 VSA

An Optare Tempo on the jointly operated (with Arriva) X38 service to Burton on Trent.

 

The X38 normally departs from Victoria Street and I have never seen one in Derby’s bus station before.

 

It might have been a crew comfort stop or a maintenance issue or could the X38 be coming into the bus station on a regular basis .............?

 

YN62 AOV

An ADL Enviro 200. 

 

I always think it brave to choose a white based livery. It soon gets dirty, however on a dull, damp day in February ‘Littles’ have done a good job in keeping this bus looking smart.

 

 

FJ55 BZP

One more Scania/Wright on one of ‘trentbarton’s ‘sixes’ services. 

 

It seems a long time since these buses started being repainted but with rumours of a ‘sixes’ re launch in the near future, maybe the old livery is about to become a thing of the past !!

 

A trio of ‘unibus’ liveried vehicles to conclude.

 

X236 WRA

An Optare Excel.

 

M135 PRA

A Northern Counties bodied Volvo B10B. 

 

The oldest of the lot having just registered its 19th. birthday.

 

YJ07 JWA

A VDL SB200/Plaxton Centro that came into ‘Wellglade’ ownership with the purchase of TM Travel in 2012.

Sweating the Assets

‘Sweating the Assets’ In accountancy ‘speak’ means getting the absolute maximum return out of any asset that you possess.

 

In this age of high costs and austerity it means making things last longer and work harder but still be able to get a viable return out of them.

 

In the bus world, this used to mean getting ten to twelve years out of a vehicle before it was either sold on or scrapped.

 

These days, buses much older than that are still in regular service and still presumably earning a living. 

 

As an enthusiast, I can regularly be found in and around Derby and Nottingham bus stations watching what goes on and recording what I see.

 

Wellglade group companies (which includes trentbarton (tb), Notts & Derby and Kinchbus) are past masters at ‘Sweating the Assets’ as is seen by this small selection of images.

 

The newest buses in this veterans group are 13 years old and include Optare Excel 

X232 WRA which covers many miles per day on ‘transpeak’ routes albeit in ‘tb’s partly owned High Peak buses operation.

 

 

S937 UAL 

This Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart dates from 1968 and is 15 years old.

The single Volvo B10M/Plaxton Interurban that is used regularly on ‘red arrow’ services to Chesterfield and Nottingham. 

 

Although now registered YRC 182, it was originally registered R62 RAU in 1997 which makes it 16 years old.

 

Whilst L126 LRA and L127 LRA are amongst a number of Volvo B10B’s with 

Northern Counties bodies still in daily use that were new in 1993. Twenty years ago !

 

So with a bit of luck, the Excels, Darts and Volvo’s will hopefully be around for some years to come.

'Scene' in Ashbourne & Derby 5th September 2013

It is a while since I visited either of these two places. It was a very pleasant day so why not?

I had arrived in Ashbourne by way of 'yourbus' service (yb) 111 which originates in Matlock that I had picked up in Wirksworth.

The route branding applied for this service to Wright Streetlite WF MX62 GVL is seen to good effect.

I said almost a year ago when 'yourbus' introduced these buses that I thought them solid and well made.

I still do!

 

 

Ashbourne was a bit quiet, These two Optare Solo's from the High Peak Buses (HPB) fleet put in an appearance MX53 FDG wearing its 'Centrebus' (Cb) livery.

HPB being a joint venture between Centrebus and trentbarton (tb)

While S276 AOX still carries its 'Bowers' livery. (Bowers being part of Cb).

 

 

 

Local operator 'Glovers of Ashbourne' sent along Plaxton Primo AIG 2912 to have its picture taken. Formerly withTM Travel, the Primo has never met with real success. 

 

My transport to Derby was this (tb) Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse bodywork FJ09 BXA.

 

Derby was as busy as ever but there were a some vehicles worth highlighting.

Recently (Cb) closed its 'Kimes of Folkingham' operation. Today a former Kimes bus turned up on the HPB trans peak service. 

YN51 MJE is a Scania L94UB with Wright bodywork that was new to 'Fowler's of Holbeach Drove'.

 

I do not like 'contravision' wrapped buses but they have to be recorded when seen.

Here we have Arriva's Dennis Dart MPD with Plaxton Pointer bodywork SN03 LGD shuttling between Derby's bus and railway stations.

 

When Wardle Transport  (part of Arriva) introduced its X50 service from Hanley to Derby it was run with two Wright Gemini Pulsar bodied VDL SB250's. Then a couple of 'older' double deckers came on the scene (all in Wardle's red livery) and today we had this.

W103 EWU A Volvo B10BLE with Wright's Renown bodywork that at one time worked for Arriva Yorkshire.

I wonder what next week will bring?

 

YN05 GZV a former 'Felix' Scania L94 with Wright Solar now with 'notts and derby' has a partial nearside advert for 'Turkish Airlines' flights out of Birmingham.

 

'yourbus' were much in evidence with Mercedes-Benz Citaro's on a variety of services.

Here we can see BF62 JYU on the Y5 to Beeston, BF62 JYW on the 'citylink ' to Nottingham and BK13 XYE on the Y3 to Ilkeston.

 

I had expected a 'Streetlite' to Ilkeston on the 59 but instead A3 UOB was in use. Another Volvo B7RLE with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork which at one time worked in and around Bath.

 

tb are still in the process of refurbishing buses on the 'sixes' services. There seems to be a couple in service that are partially done but equally there still seems a lot more to do.

 

Finally, I finish with what is my favourite modern?? double decker.

The Plaxton President. If any bus could tempt me into becoming a preservationist. This is it.

 

More buses 'Scene' in Derby and Ashbourne here Flickr