'Scene' in Cromer

For a small seaside town on the North Norfolk coast, Cromer has a wide range pf transport connections. 

 

Norwich, Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth are just 3 of the wide range of destinations served from the town.

 

The bus station seen here, is a bit spartan and only seems to serve services heading South and East.

 

Services to the West leave from a bus stop across the road which gets very busy.

 

YN03 UWG

A Scania CN94UB OmniCity operated by ‘Sanders Coaches Ltd’ of Holt (SCL).

 

Seen laying over on a car park which has some provision for bus parking about 100 yards away from the bus station.

 

YJ09 LBF

 

An Optare Solo operated by ‘Stagecoach Norfolk Green’ seen in the same car park as above.

 

Branded for the lengthy ‘Coasthopper’ service to Kings Lynn.

 

T367 JWA

 

A Scania L94UB with Wright Axcess Floline bodywork working for ‘SCL’.

 

MX58 ABV

 

An Optare Tempo of ‘konectbus’ (kb). ‘kb’ became part of the ‘Go-Ahead’ group in 2010.

 

YN54 AFV

A Scania N94UD East Lancs Omnidekka working for ‘SCL’. This bus is named ‘Neptune’.

 

In a previous employment it worked for ‘Reading Transport’.

 

SN10 CEX

A Dennis Trident 2 with ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd.’(ADL) Enviro 400 bodywork which was new to the operator again in the ‘konectbus’ fleet.

 

SGF 965

 

A Volvo B12M with Plaxton Paragon bodywork laying over. Operated by ‘SCL’ but wearing ‘Sanders Holidays’ livery.

 

This is a ‘cherished’ registration which has appeared on other vehicles previously but this coach dates from 2006.

 

There were a couple of visiting coaches both of which were from ‘Alfa Travel’ who are based at Chorley in Lancashire.

BN11 UFK

A Mercedes-Benz Tourismo.

 

 

PN08 KXM

 

A Volvo B12B with Plaxton Paragon bodywork.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ today (03/12/15). Double Deckers in Burton on Trent (BoT) I make no apology for going to ‘BoT’ again because in bus terms, it is one of the most interesting towns in the Midlands. The major interest is mainly provided by local operator ‘Midland Classic’ (MC) although ‘Arriva Midlands’ and ‘trentbarton’ are also active there. The purpose in todays visit was to catch up with a small batch of DAF SB250’s with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodies that have joined ‘MC’ from ‘Arriva London’. The batch are, Registration ‘MC’ No. LJ03 MWA 42 LJ53 BFP 43 LJ53 BGK 44 and LJ53 BGO 45 The retention of the double set of doors is interesting. LJ53 BFP

I make no apology for going to ‘BoT’ again because in bus terms, it is one of the most interesting towns in the Midlands.

 

The major interest is mainly provided by local operator ‘Midland Classic’ (MC) although ‘Arriva Midlands’ and ‘trentbarton’ are also active there.

 

The purpose of todays visit was to catch up with a small batch of DAF DB250’s with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodies that have recently joined ‘MC’ from ‘Arriva London’.

 

The batch are, 

 

Registration ‘MC’ No.

 

LJ03 MWA      42

LJ53 BFP        43

LJ53 BGK       44

and

LJ53 BGO       45

 

The retention of the double set of doors is interesting.

 

LJ53 BFP

 

LJ53 BGK

 

Interestingly, a current ‘Arriva Midlands’ DAF DB250 with Wright Gemini bodywork put in an appearance.

FJ58 KXR

 

 

Whist I was waiting to get further images of the ‘new’ buses I was treated to a couple of an earlier delivery of former London buses.

 

Some time ago, Scania N94UD’s with East Lancs Omnidekka bodies.

 

Registration ‘MC’ No.

  YN54 OAC    52

  YN54 OAB    53

  YN54 OAC    54

  YN54 OAG    55

 

were acquired from ‘London United’ and appear not to have previously appeared in my blog.

 

YN54 OAC

 

YN54 OAA

 

 

As sometimes happens, you wait for one bus to turn up and three arrive. 

 

So it was today because in the midst of all the action. A third and again different decker put in an appearance.

 

This has appeared in my blog before and it is such a magnificent vehicle that here it is again.

 

JB10 MCL

 

A Scania N230UD with Optare Olympus bodywork.

 

Previously registered D10 SLT when it worked for ‘South Lancs Travel’.

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on trentbarton’s ‘calverton connection’

Since 2009, ‘trentbarton’ (tb) has been using a batch of Mercedes-Benz Citaro’s on this Nottingham based service.

 

BN09 FWY

 

iIlustrates one of them.

 

Recently these buses have started to be withdrawn and transferred to fellow ‘Wellglade’ group member ‘Kinchbus’ of Loughborough.

The replacements seem to be a small number of Scania L94UB’s with Wright Solar Urban bodies which at the moment are sharing the service with at least one Citaro (seen 26/11/15) and a mixture of fleet liveried vehicles.

 

At least 2 of the Scania’s have gained dedicated liveries and are,

 

FJ03 VWU

 

FJ03 VWS

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on the streets of Norwich

LT02 ZCU

 

A Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘First Norwich’ (FN) part of 

‘First Eastern Counties’.

 

The livery appears to be an attempt to inject some added colour to the old ‘Barbie’ livery.

 

LT52 WTJ

Another Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘First Norwich’ (FN) part of ‘First Eastern Counties’.

 

I have never liked the current bland fleet livery and I suspect that someone at ‘FN’ doesn’t either because although this bus retains some of the original colours, the front end is startlingly different.

 

 LR02 LXN

 

One more Volvo B7TL with Plaxton President bodywork. Working for ‘First Norwich’ (FN) part of ‘First Eastern Counties’.

 

In the bland livery referred to above.

 

EU08 FHB

An Alexander Dennis Dart with Enviro 200 bodywork. This was the fourth ‘FN’ bus I had photographed and all of them were in different liveries.

 

PN03 ULR

 

A Dennis Trident with Plaxton President bodywork. Now working for ‘Norse’ on Norfolk County Council sponsored Park & Ride work.

 

Previously part of the ‘London General’ fleet.

 

YN08 HXZ

 

A Scania 230UB OmniCity working for ‘Sanders of Holt’ in a non standard livery.

 

It previously worked for ‘Beestons’ of Hadleigh and ‘Eastons Holidays’.

 

As it is not wearing ‘Sanders’ livery, I suspect that the livery is a hangover from one of them.

 

AU07 KMK

An Optare Solo  of ‘konectbus’ (kb).

 

‘kb is a one time independent who have joined a larger group. In their case the ‘Go Ahead’ group.

 

Previously a member of the ‘Anglian Bus Ltd’ fleet.

 

AE07 DZG

 

A MAN 14.220 with MCV Evolution bodywork working for ‘Simonds’ (Botesdale) on its ‘Countrylink’ service which operates widely across Norfolk.

 

YJ07 JSV

 

A VDL SB120 with Plaxton Centro bodywork in the service of ‘Sanders of Holt’.

 

Formerly with ‘Arriva Scotland West’ as its No. 1956.

 

AU58 AUV

 

A Scania CN230UB OmniCity of ‘Anglian Bus Ltd'.

 

YJ60 KGU

An Optare Versa.

 

Not quite what it seems in that it is wearing the livery of ‘ABL’ while carrying the titles of ‘kb’.

 

H684 GPF

 

A Volvo Citybus with East Lancs bodywork now working for ‘Norwich School’.

 

This veteran started life with ‘Arriva in London’ before being cascaded to ‘Arriva Midlands’ in Derby where I knew it well.

 

It was then bought by ‘Ensign’ the bus dealership in Essex before coming to Norwich.

 

I thought I had seen the last of it when it left Derby and it was a pleasure to see it still working and looking in good condition.

 

‘Scene’, the revised ‘trentbarton' 'red arrow’ livery on a Scania coach

When ‘trentbarton’ introduced the new Volvo B11R /Plaxton Elite coaches on their Derby to Nottingham express service in October, I expected them to use one or more of the older Scania/Irizar coaches as a back up in case of problems.

 

I did not expect the back ups to be repainted in the style of the new coaches.

 

However, I saw this coach today in Derby.

 

FJ10 OXR

 

 

Included to show how closely the Scania’s livery matches with the Volvo’s is. 

 

YX65 ZHO

 

Also included as a reminder of what the livery was on the Scania/Irizar is.

 

FJ10 OXM

'Scene’ today (23/11/15) in Derby

At the end of my ‘blog’ dated 26/10/15, I speculated just how the route branded buses on ‘trentbarton’s ‘the comet’ might appear when they eventually entered service.

 

Well here it is.

 

FJ09 XPH

 

A Volvo B7RLE with a Wright Eclipse bodywork.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ on a Day Out with Dennis to Worksop

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 bus of the day will be ‘trentbarton’s (tb) ’the sixes’ from Belper to Derby.

 

A Swedish built Scania Chassis carrying a Wright body produced in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

 

FJ55 BZR

 

Onward from Derby into Nottingham it is a ‘tb’ ‘red arrow’.

 

Largely these days in the hands of  Plaxton bodied Volvo six wheel coaches. 

 

Sometimes the use of the word luxury is overdone but not in the case of these brand new coaches. They really are superb.

 

YX65 ZHP

 

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING FROM RIPLEY,

 

your first bus of the day will be ‘tb)’ ‘rapidone’.

 

An Optare Versa which is produced in Yorkshire.

 

YJ14 BSO

 

The onward journey from Nottingham is provided by ‘Stagecoach’ who generally provide a bus specifically branded for the service

 

In this case a Scottish built bus being an Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 300.

 

FJ08 VPY

 

Sometimes because of operational problems a fleet liveried substitute may be used which in this case has the same history as the route branded one.

 

FX61 HGD

 

Worksop to Chesterfield is another ‘Stagecoach’ route that is normally worked with double deckers.

 

YN04 KGE

 

A Dennis Trident chassis which was built in Guildford together with another Scottish built Alexander body.

 

The return from Chesterfield.

’trentbarton’ have recently re  branded as ‘the comet’ what was the Northern section of their ‘red arrow’ route.

 

This follows on from the splitting of what had been the ‘old’ ‘red arrow’ route into two sections in May 2015.

 

The current buses are all Volvo’s with Wright’s of Ballymena built bodies in a yellow livery which they retain from when they worked on route 2 from Nottingham to Ilkeston and Cotmanhay.

 

My information would suggest that the yellow livery will be replaced by a black and grey or black and silver livery in due course as buses pass through the paint shop.

 

FJ09 XPD