‘Scene’ in Nottingham. More Gas Powered Double Deckers on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

‘Nottingham City Transport’ has set a cracking pace with the introduction of its fleet of Scania gas powered double deck buses.

 

With more than 90 having been delivered over the last 2 years and more to come. Nottingham will have the World’s largest fleet of buses of this type by the end of 2019.

 

This time its service No. 89 ‘Purple Line’ that operates between the City Centre and Rise Park.

 

YN19 EFD ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 470 ‘Purple line 89’. Scania N280UD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400CBG City 

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

 

 

 

 

YN19 EFE ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 471 ‘Purple line 89’. Scania N280UD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400CBG City 

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

 

 

 

 

YN19 EFC ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 469 ‘Purple line 89’. Scania N280UD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400CBG City 

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

 

 

 

 

YN19 EFG ‘Nottingham City Transport’ No. 473 ‘Purple line 89’. Scania N280UD / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400CBG City 

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

‘Scene’, Colourful AEC Routemasters (RM) Part 3 on ‘Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I must admit that for the first 20 or so years of their lives I was not particularly interested in them.

 

To me the fact that London was still building half cab buses into the late 1960’s when my home town fleet ‘Sheffield Transport’ and most of the rest of the country had been running ‘modern’ Leyland Atlanteans and Daimler Fieetlines since the late 1950’s only went to ‘prove’ how backward them ‘darn sarth’ were.

 

It must have been at least 20 years later that I actually travelled on an ‘RM’.

 

It was only when ‘London Transport’ started taking them out of service that I took any interest in them at all.

 

For Part 1 see blog posted 22/05/2019. For part 2 see blog posted 09/06/2019

 

The second group of operators pictured were those that kept some of the basic colour but added further colour(s) of their choosing.

 

 

EYY 776B ‘japanorbust.org.uk’. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

The only operator outside the London area to take new RM’s were ‘Northern General’ (NG) who had RM’s with a front entrance which made them RMF’s.

 

New to ‘NG’ registered RCN 701, as No. 2101 in 1964.

 

It has had a varied and colourful career but just which company’s livery this is I have no idea.

 

 

 

 

WLT 835 ‘Clydeside Scottish’. No. RM 835. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

I was living in Southwest Scotland at the time ‘Clydeside Scottish’ bought a batch of RM’s which they operated with conductors.

 

The local populace who were mainly a generation that had grown up with one man operated buses thought they were fantastic. 

 

There were stories of passengers travelling from all over Scotland to be ‘looked after’ by the conductors.

 

New in 1961.

 

 

 

 

ALD 913B ‘Clydeside Scottish’. No. RM 1913. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

 

 

 

WLT 757 ‘Scarborough & District No. 810. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

‘Scarborough & District’ being an operating name of ‘East Yorkshire Motor Services’

 

New in 1961.

 

 

 

 

OWJ 112 ‘South London Transport Ltd’. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New as 822 DYE in 1964 as RM1822.

 

 

 

 

ALD 990B ‘Reading Mainline’. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New as RM 1990 in 1964.

 

 

 

 

JJD 375D ‘Daily Mail’. AEC Routemaster / Park Royal

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

 

New as RML 2375 in 1966.

 

 

 

‘Scene’ over Exeter on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

We were on a short train riding holiday based in Exeter. The weather was typically British summertime, wet and cold but I can always find something of interest.

 

Whilst taking a stroll by the River Exe I came across this doing practice approaches at the nearby Exeter Airport.

 

It made at least four approaches.

 

 

ZM411 Royal Air Force Airbus Military A400M Atlas C1 /1

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

ZM411 Royal Air Force Airbus Military A400M Atlas C1 /2

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

 

 

 

 

 

ZM411 Royal Air Force Airbus Military A400M Atlas C1 /3

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

 

‘trentbarton’s refreshing of Volvo B7RLE’s/Wrights continues on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The fifty or so Volvo B7RLE’s with Wright Eclipse bodies that ‘trentbarton’ bought 10 years ago have given sterling service in that time and continue to do so. 

 

Many having been refurbished and re liveried in the past two or three years.

 

I have dealt with earlier refurbishments/reliveries in previous blogs. 

 

My blog dated 14/02/2019 covered ‘mango’, ‘the villager’ and ‘the calverton’.

 

‘Rapid1’ was covered on 01/07/2018.

 

‘Ilkeston flyer’ was covered on 28/03/2017.

 

‘the keyworth’ and ‘the cotgrave’ were covered on 16/07/2017 and 31/07/2017 and ‘the comet’ appeared as far back as October 2015.

 

This time its been the turn of the buses on the ‘swift’ service that runs between Derby and Uttoxeter via Ashbourne to get the treatment.

 

FJ09 BXA ‘trentbarton’ No. 736 ‘swift’. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse /1

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

 

 

 

 

FJ09 BXB ‘trentbarton’ No. 737 ‘swift’. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse /1

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

 

 

 

 

FJ09 BXA ‘trentbarton’ No. 736 ‘swift’. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse /2

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

 

 

 

 

FJ09 BXA ‘trentbarton’ No. 736 ‘swift’. Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse /2

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

‘Scene’ on Cambridge ‘park&ride’ services on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

The City of Cambridge wants rightly in my view to keep unnecessary diesel/petrol engined vehicles out of the city for fear that the pollutants they produce will damage the historic fabric of the city.

 

To that end an excellent network of Park & Ride services are provided from five points outside the city.

 

It is almost four years since I last visited and in that time, the buses I recorded then have gone and the livery they wore has been modified.

 

I should add that on the day I was in Cambridge, after a fairly wet and windy morning all the buses were carrying a degree of ‘weathering’ for which allowance must be made by the viewer.

 

‘City Of Cambridge’ Park & Ride Map

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

 

 

 

 

Before going into details of the changes, I will illustrate the style of livery in use in 2015.

 

AE07 KYW ‘Stagecoach East’ No. 19296 ‘park&ride trumpingtoncambridge’. Dennis Trident 2 / Alexander Dennis Ltd. Enviro 400 

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

 

Pictured in 2015, by 2017 it had moved on to ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ based in Lincoln.

 

While the colours used today remain approximately the same, the new livery is applied in ‘Stagecoach’ corporate style which I suppose makes it easier for the paintshop because the earlier version with the the ‘swirl’ could not have been easy to produce.

 

 

 

 

SN66 VZS ‘Stagecoach Cambus’ No.10794 Trumpington park&ride. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

This image was captured at the same location as AE07 KYW was four years ago.

 

 

 

 

SN66 VZM ‘Stagecoach Cambus’ No.10790 Madingly Road park&ride. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

 

SN66 WAE ‘Stagecoach Cambus’ No.10803 Miton park&ride. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

New to ‘Glenvale’, Liverpool. (Part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group).

 

 

 

 

SN66 WBD ‘Stagecoach Cambus’ No.10807 Newmarket Road park&ride. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

New to ‘Glenvale’, Liverpool. (Part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group).

 

 

 

 

SN66 VZV ‘Stagecoach Cambus’ No.10797 Babraham Road park&ride. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

New to ‘Glenvale’, Liverpool. (Part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group).

 

 

 

 

SN66 VZZ ‘Stagecoach Cambus’ No.10801 Cambridge park&ride. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

New to ‘Glenvale’, Liverpool. (Part of the ‘Stagecoach’ group).

 

As with any fleet of route branded buses, additional spare buses are required to cover for buses not available on the day.

 

On the side  of the bus apart from the comprehensive map. The wording to the left of the park&ride logo reads

 

“ your usual colourful bus is being serviced today 

  this one’s the same just not so colourful”

 

A nice touch.

‘Scene’ in Sutton Coldfield. ‘National Express West Midlands’ (NXWM) 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

A busy little town with all the bus stands on the streets. There can be problems with deep shade taking photographs on a sunny day.

 

It would seem that all West Midlands area operators are soon to lose their individual liveries in favour of a West Midlands livery. 

 

This is pretty much what happens in London where a very large percentage of the bus must be painted in red no matter what the normal livery of the operating company is.

 

See blog dated 30/11/2018 for an example of the new livery.

 

Speaking personally, I think this is a backward step. I prefer the form of colour route branding within a recognisable livery layout such as is used by ‘trentbarton’. 

 

The intending passenger can tell from half a mile away what service is approaching and because the livery follows a ‘standard’ form of application it is obvious who the operator is.

 

SN66 WDP ‘NXWM Platinum’ No. 6810 ‘X3, X4, X5. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

The bus carries the name ‘Bethany Grace’.

 

 

 

 

SN66 WDE ‘NXWM’ Platinum No. 6802 ‘X3, X4, X5. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

 

SN22 WEA ‘NXWM’ Platinum No. 6820 ‘relax/stay connected’. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

SN66 WEH ‘NXWM’ Platinum No. 6823 ‘relax/stay connected’. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BJ03 EWR ‘NXWM’ No. 4483 /1. Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BJ03 EWR ‘NXWM’ No. 4483 /2. Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

‘Scene’ in Lincoln, ‘Stagecoach’ on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I know some bus enthusiasts who are dismissive of ‘Stagecoach’ buses because 

“they all look the same”.

 

This small selection of images taken on the same day within just over an hour prove that they do not.

 

FX10 AFO ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 15653. ‘Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal’. Scania N230UD /  Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400

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

 

 

 

 

 

FX10 AFY /1 ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 15656. ‘Protect Our Marine Life’

Scania N230UD /  Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 /1

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

 

It is a bit unusual to see the same bus with entirely different branding on opposite sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FX10 AFY /2 ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 15656. ‘Love our country’’

Scania N230UD /  Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 400 /2

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

 

It is a bit unusual to see the same bus with entirely different branding on opposite sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YX67 VCK ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 10897 ‘Interconnect’. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMc

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FX06 AOF ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 16944 ‘Interconnect’. Volvo B7TL / Wright Gemini Eclipse

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FX10 DUU ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 16944 ‘Proud to be Lincoln’. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Enviro 300 / ‘ADL’ Enviro 300

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DK09 GYE ‘Stagecoach in Lincolnshire’ No. 21270 ‘Interconnect’. B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban

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

 

An interesting bus. New to ‘First Potteries’ as No. 69494. 

 

Then moving to ‘First Chester & The Wirral’ where it joined ‘Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire’ when that company took over the ‘First’ operation in Chester gaining the fleet number 21270 in the process.

 

In Chester it worked in Park & Ride livery where I photographed it and it subsequently appeared in my blog dated 22/02/2015.