'Scene' in Southport

The last time I went to Southport, the buses were painted in 'Southport Corporation Transport's cream and red livery.

Interestingly, although todays major operator is 'Arriva', they paint their Park and Ride buses in guess what ??? cream and red.

A mark of respect to the 'old' days perhaps.

This Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF CX08 DJU certainly looks well in it.

 

 

The rest of Arriva's operation appears to be in standard Arriva colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local Independent ‘cumfybus’ provides a bit of light relief (literally) with their yellow livery.

Operating widely across Merseyside, its commercial and tendered services are run with almost a hundred buses of which more than half are Optare Solo’s.

 

 

 

 

 

BU53 OAN a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter visiting from Bolton was having a day out at the seaside. 

 

While the star of the day was TUI 1608.

Formerly E706 EFG in the Brighton and Hove fleet, currently with Maghull Bus &  Coach.

 

The ‘essential travel for our city’ strapline came with the bus from Brighton.

Stagecoach Northwest put in an a welcome appearance with a couple of Scania 230UD’s with Alexander’s Enviro 400 bodies.

 

 

 

 

Stockport’s railway station is centrally located in the town. Apart from its links with the rest of the system operated by a selection of diesel multiple units. It also links in to the Merseyrail network based on Liverpool to the South.

 

Northern Rail’s class 142049 waits its next turn of duty.

 

Merseyrail’s class 507014 is just about to depart for Liverpool.

 

 

 

Northern Rail's 156464 looks like a good clean would not come amiss.

 

'Scene' in Blackpool and Fleetwood recently

Although rail connections are still in place in Blackpool and a good range of destinations can be reached from the town.

 

It is the coach that seems to carry the large numbers of holiday makers that visit Blackpool. Many of these making their way to Fleetwood Market on a Tuesday.

 

They come from far and wide. I saw coaches from as far away as Devon, Aberdeen and the Isle of Wight.

 

What follows then is just a sample of what was on display. 

 

KN07 SPA

 

A Volvo B12B with VanHool Acron bodywork from ‘Spa Coaches’ of Strathpeffer.

 

 

 

T999 PVC

A Bova Futura from ‘Pewsey Vale Coaches’ from Pewsey in Wiltshire. Note the use of an appropriate registration.

 

K10 LHT  

A Neoplan Transliner N316 SHD from ‘Living High Travel’ in Dunfermline in Fife.

 

 

 

WA08 JVX

A VDL Bova FHD127.365 of ‘Silcox’ of Pembroke Dock and Tenby in South Wales.

 

 

 

T118 SOA

A Setra Special from ‘Lambs’ of Stockport.

 

 

PN10 AFO

A MAN R33 with Beulas Stergo Spica bodywork from ‘Walton’s’ of Freckleton, Lancashire.

 

MW51 PJW

Another of ‘Walton’s’ fleet this time an Ayats Alpha A2E.

 

 

OU58 BOF

Another of Walton’s fleet. This time an Ayats Atlantis A18.

 

 

 

YN07 DZK

A MAN 18.360 with Noge Catalan bodywork from 'Seaview Services on the Isle of Wight.

Seaview Services are a long established company with a history going back to 1918.

 

At one time it worked for the 'Kings Ferry' in the Medway area.

 

 

 

OE02 WAU

Is a rare Dennis ‘R’ with a Plaxton Paragon body. Now operated by 'Carmel of Devon'. Carmel operate across Devon having depots in Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and Okehampton. 

It previously worked for 'Dartline' also in Devon. 

 

 

 

MIB 394 (formerly K4 HWD)

A VanHool Alize bodied MAN from ‘Copelands’ of Meir, Stoke on Trent looks to be in superb condition for a vehicle now approaching its 20th. birthday.

 

C560 BUS

I have always thought that this type of bodywork from Jonkheere to be one of their best efforts. Elegant, stylish and immediately recognisable. 

The chassis is a Volvo B12B (thanks to Andrew Jones at Coachstyle for that piece of information).

 

'Coachstyle' are based in Chippenham, Wiltshire.

 

 

JJZ 8701

A Volvo B10M with Jonkheere Mistral bodywork dating from 2001 that previously worked for 'RJG Bullick' coaches a Northern Irish operator. 

 

'Gwyn Williams' its current operator being based in Llanelli in South Wales.

 

Sadly, shortly after this picture was taken. Director Graham Williams announced that the loss of six schools contracts was the ‘final straw’.

 

As a consequence the company was put into voluntary liquidation and ceased to operate as from the 27th. of September 2013 after just over 50 years in the industry.

 

 

YJ11 GGX

Is a VanHool T916 Astron of 'Galloway Coaches'. The company operates out of a number of bases in East Anglia.

 

 

MX05 AHN

A Volvo B12M with Jonkheere Mistral bodywork shown in the livery adopted at the time that 'Shearings' took over Wallace Arnold. 

It was deemed to be the new livery that ‘joined’ the two parts. However, blue has appeared on later deliveries. 

 

 

 

WA03 MGE

A ‘big city’ operator ‘Plymouth city coach’ (Pcc) sent along this Volvo B12M fitted with Transbus’ Paragon bodywork. Pcc being part of the Go Ahead group subsidiary Plymouth City Bus.

 

 

D20 CTC

‘Central coaches (Aberdeen) Ltd.’ sent along this Scania/Irizar combination.

 

 

 

KIG 7218

While fellow Scottish operator ‘Blacks of Brechin’ were represented by one of the few King Long coaches that I have seen on the road. This being the XMQ6127C model.

 

I like the Saltire ‘flags’ that adorn the mirrors. 

 

 

HIL 9322

This anonymous Mercedes-Benz Touro although working for ‘David Urquart Travel’ is part of the ‘Hills of Hersham’ in Surrey fleet.

 

 

SF12 MUA

Is a VanHool T16 Alicron from ‘Prentice Westwood’. The company is based in West Calder, East Lothian and have over 50 coaches in service.

 

 

 

YJ04 GYP

‘boultons of Shropshire’ operate this Bova Futura.

 

 

CF54 VFC

Is a Setra S315GT HD operated by ‘Gwyn Jones and Son’ of Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan.

 

 

YJ54 CFL

Operated by ‘York Travel’ of Wolverhampton is a VDL SB4000 with A VanHool body.

 

YN56 FEU

Is an Irizar Century body sitting on a Scania K114 chassis. Operated by ‘Commandery Coaches’ of Worcester.

 

 

 

 

BX56 VTJ

This Setra S416GT-HD integral is operated by 'Howe' of Ramsgate in Kent although it is wearing the livery of of

‘Just go Holidays’. 

It was new to 'Mcleans of Witney' in 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Scene’ at Coach & Bus Live 2013 Part 4

Held in Halls 19 and 20 at the NEC on Wednesday and Thursday the 2nd. and 3rd. of October 2013. 

 

The show had so much to offer and there was so much to see that to try and put it all in to one article would be a mammoth undertaking and would probably overwhelm the reader.

 

Tucked away in a corner was another Spanish produced vehicle the ‘INDCAR’ MOBI BUS

 

Based on the Iveco Daily 70C. It can carry 33 seated passengers or five wheelchairs or a combination thereof.

 

Only present in left hand drive form. It will be interesting to see if it generates many sales.

 

 

Another vehicle that I thought was interesting was MAN Lions’ City. Another bus in left hand drive form.

 

Three doors on a rigid bus has never been common in the UK. However if the 

‘New Bus For London’ (I refuse to call it the B.........r) proves to be a success with three doors things might change.

 

It was some features of the internal layout that I thought were interesting.

 

From the front doorway, it all looks reasonably straightforward but what drew my attention was

the arrangement of seats over the rear wheel arches. To maximize the seating capacity it has been necessary to arrange the seats on two levels. Whilst I have no doubt that it is a practical solution, it does look odd.

 

 

 

 

At the very back of the bus is what appears to be a row of three seats which share the width of the bus with a cabinet which houses parts of the buses ‘mechanicals’.

 

Closer inspection shows these not to be seats but upholstered ‘bum perches’ where the passengers can lean rather than stand.

 

 

 

Whether its the two axle coach or its bigger three axle ‘brother’ the Irizar i6 is a magnificent vehicle. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the past I have always been impressed by the King Long stand. I think their vehicles are well built and well presented.

 

However, this time I was disappointed with the stand. All they seem to have done was to line the coaches up side by side as if they were in a depot.

 

 

A look outside  is always worthwhile although this year the vehicles seemed to be packed tighter than usual. Perhaps it’s all down to cost.

 

New to London Transport in 1952 152 CLT (RM1152) looks as good as it did 51 years ago when it joined LT.

 

King Long are the only manufacturer brave enough to put the cost price of the vehicles on the windscreen and credit due to them for that.

 

 

 

Dawson Rentals possibly had the shows biggest bargain at 14.99 per day for a Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated bus.

 

 

 

The ‘big hitters’ on display were the Neoplan Tourliner.

While Plaxton had its Elite i

 

 

 

Before I close this epic which I have spread out over four days. I would like to say how much I enjoyed the show.

 

I would like to thank everyone who participated in making the show the success that it was and say that all being well I shall be back next year.

 

To you. Dear reader. If you got this far.

 

A very well done and thank you also.

 

Just for those who only want to look at images, these are for you.

 

 

 

I must have one of these for the dining room !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The end