‘Scene’ in Derby yet again. ARRIVA 2 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’.

A number of my most recent Derby based blogs have focused exclusively on the buses of ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’.

 

However, there are other operators who work on the streets of Derby, one of which is ‘ARRIVA Midlands’.

 

The company has its roots in what I knew as ‘Derby Corporation Transport’ which has travelled its own complicated route to become the company it is today.

 

 

FJ58 KXO ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No 4215. Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

The batch of buses from which these images are drawn have spent their entire working lives in Derby and although the fleet has acquired newer buses I feel that this particular body style is one of the most elegant ever produced which looks particularly well in the light blue livery.

 

 

 

 

 

FJ58 KXS ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No 4218. Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

FJ58 KXM ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No 4213. Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

This is one of my favourite locations in Derby Bus Station.

 

A quite sharp right turn which makes the buses lean outwards.

 

 

 

 

 

FJ58 KXN ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No 4214. Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini

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

 

‘Scene’ at Nottingham Railway station 30/04/2021 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

My son Andrew was on Nottingham station on Friday 30th. April when this turned up.

 

Which as many of you will know is the current ‘celebrity’ HST power car.

 

My thanks go to him for my use of the image here.

 

43102 ‘East Midland Railway’ (EMR) ’Intercity Swallow’. BREL Crewe built HST

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

 

Originally numbered 43102, but later re-numbered to 43302.

 

This power car formed one part of the set which set set a new World speed record for Rail Diesel Traction in 1987.

 

The record being 148.5 mph.

 

The re-paint and re-numbering into the current livery was done to mark the anniversary of the event which took place between Northallerton and York on the East coast main line.

 

The other power car being No. 43159.

 

This power car and the others currently operated by EMR are due to be withdrawn this month (May 2021). 

 

‘Scene’ in Derby yet again. ARRIVA 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’.

A number of my most recent Derby based blogs have focused exclusively on the buses of ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’.

 

However, there are other operators who work on the streets of Derby, one of which is ‘ARRIVA Midlands’.

 

The company has its roots in what I knew as ‘Derby Corporation Transport’ 

which has travelled its own complicated route to become the company it is today.

 

 

YY67 HDK  ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 4544. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC /1

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

 

Working on service 38 to ‘Sinfin & Stenson Fields’ which is normally the preserve of ‘Sapphire’ branded Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400’s.

 

 

 

 

 

YY67 HDK  ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 4544. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400MMC /2

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

 

 

 

 

 

YY14 LHJ  ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 4405 ‘SAPPHIRE’. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 

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

 

The ‘Sapphire’ branding was introduced at about the same time that ‘Stagecoach’ introduced its ‘Gold’ branding.

 

The purpose for both companies was to bring a higher standard of vehicle with semi coach seats and other improvements to bus routes.

 

Now getting on for seven years old, the paintwork on some buses is starting to look a little bit worn and maybe it is time for ARRIVA to re-visit the brand.

 

 

 

 

 

YY14 LHD  ‘ARRIVA Midlands’ No. 4400 ‘SAPPHIRE’. Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E40D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 400 

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

 

‘Scene’ in Derby yet again 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

I recently had to pay one of my occasional visits to The Royal Derby hospital (which went well I might add).

 

I took the opportunity to spend a short spell around the city centre gathering the images you see today.

 

On the 11th. of December 2020, I published a blog regarding the withdrawal of ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’s. (TMTL) Optare Versa’s from their ‘rainbow one’ duties to be replaced by ‘Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) E20D / ‘ADL’ Enviro 200MMC’s.

 

I went on to include images of these same buses, some of which had been repainted and entered service on TMTL’s ‘the sixes’ route.

 

Several of the Versas have also appeared in the ‘mango’ livery which promotes the company’s electronic travel card of that name.

 

They are used as spare buses and can turn up anywhere in the system.

 

YJ14 BRV ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’ No. 847 ‘mango’. Optare V1170 Versa /1

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

 

 

 

 

YJ14 BRV ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’ No. 847 ‘mango’. Optare V1170 Versa /2

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

 

 

 

 

YJ14 BRV ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’ No. 847 ‘mango’. Optare V1170 Versa /3

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

 

 

 

 

YJ14 BRV ‘Trent Motor Traction Ltd’ No. 847 ‘mango’. Optare V1170 Versa /4

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

‘Scene’ on the Rails on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Friend Peter Rose has forwarded another selection of his railway images for which I thank him.

 

As usual with Peter’s work the images are unedited and they appear with his

consent.

 

66774 ‘GBRf’. EMD built Diesel Electric Locomotive

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

 

Working 6X01 Scunthorpe Trent to Eastleigh.

 

 

 

 

 

67005 DB Cargo ‘Queen’s’ Messenger. Alstom built Diesel Electric Locomotive 

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

 

The Royal Train livery looks good.

 

Pictured with 66019 in tow.

 

 

 

 

 

66771 ‘GBRf’ ‘Amanda’. EMD built Diesel Electric Locomotive 

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

 

Pictured working the 0Z97 from Longport to Doncaster Roberts Road with 66797 in tow.

 

66797 has recently been imported from Germany clearly marked with its UK identity although it is still carrying the identity 513-3 from its previous employment.

 

 

 

 

 

47727 ‘GBRf’ ‘Edinburgh Castle’. Brush built Diesel Electric Locomotive 

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

 

Pictured with 56081 in tow also ‘GBRf’ owned.

 

 

 

 

 

57305 ‘railopsgroup.co.uk'. Brush built Diesel Electric Locomotive 

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

 

Originally a Class 47 that was rebuilt with an EMD engine and other modifications around 20 years ago.

 

The modifications were so extensive that a new class number was required.

 

The rolling stock marshalled in the train appear to be refurbished barrier vehicles.

 

‘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 age of 100. ’Hulleys of Baslow’ 17 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

Just when I thought I had posted an image of every bus I had photographed, this was found hiding in my camera.

 

For some reason it had not been downloaded.

 

YJ07 EJC ‘Hulleys of Baslow’ No. 13. Optare Solo M950

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

 

New to ‘Blackpool Transport’ as No. 287.

 

Pictured at Tupton, Derbyshire.