Stagecoach Selkent Liveries - YOTB Bus Liveries

Stagecoach Selkent 36343, 10136, Brooklands Museum

Unveiled during the Brooklands event on the 13th April 2014, these buses were painted in heritage liveries that were previously used for buses from Selkent for the Year of the Bus celebrations.


Stagecoach Selkent 36343 blinded for Route 227
This bus is liveried with the Dennis Lance livery used in the 1990s by Selkent. They were used on the 36B (Alexander-bodied examples) (now 136) and the 208 (Plaxton-bodied examples). After Kentish Bus decided to move the 227 to Stagecoach as part of a rationalisation deal, the Plaxton ones went to the 227 (and ended up in red). 36343 is liveried in this, appropriately blinded here for the 227!


Rear/Nearside view of Stagecoach Selkent 36343
The moquette inside it is spare Routemaster moquette, similar to the ones worn on the Dennis Lances.

Here are photos of it in service:


Stagecoach Selkent 36343 on Route P4, Brixton


Stagecoach Selkent 36343 on Route P4, Lewisham

Also, 10136 was painted in the livery of L136 worn between 1990 and 1994

Stagecoach Selkent 10136 blinded for Route N47, Brooklands Museum
The original T136 was initially based at Plumstead, and throughout the time it wore the Tramway Centenary Livery it was at that garage. Only in 1995 did L136 end up at Catford Garage. In contrast, 10136 is a Catford bus for most of its life so far already!


Rear/Offside of Stagecoach Selkent 10136, Brooklands Museum

Here it is in service:


Stagecoach Selkent 10136 on Route 199, Canada Water Bus Station (first day 15/04/14)


Interior of Stagecoach Selkent 10136


Stagecoach Selkent 10136 on Route 199, Bellingham (15/04/14)

Here it is during the Catford Garage Open Day:


Stagecoach Selkent 10136, Catford Garage Open Day (© GloriousWater/Jack)
The bus at this time got white blinds, just like the counterpart of L136 back in its day

Then back into service with white blinds:


Stagecoach Selkent 10136 on Route 199, Greenwich


Stagecoach Selkent 10136 on Route 199, Canada Water


Stagecoach Selkent 10136 on Route 199, Canada Water

West London Railtours (18/10/14)

For once, we're covering trains again.


Great Western heritage weekend meant that a 'Bodysnatcher' (Class 57), a Class 150/0, and a Steam Railmotor went on tour around some rare track on the Greenford, and Southall-Brentford Freight line.

I was booked onto the Greenford Loop tour, and I had other priorities after I finished the trips, so I had no means of capturing the other units out on that weekend. The photos below have kindly been provided by George Odlum.



It was indeed an enjoyable weekend, well worth the initially expensive fares, that were eventually donated to charity by First GW

Have a nice day!
-LT3001

The Major Model Change, Part 2

I don't know whether its a coincidence that the Enviro 400 MMC is first in service on University services, but that's what has happened. Reading Buses have very recently received some for the 21/21a, which run to Reading University. The Au covered both the Reading and Oxford ones on the same day, this post covering the Reading examples. Note that these are the first highbridge ones, as Oxford's ones are low-height due to the Oxford Station bridge, not that you notice on those buses!

Reading Buses 754 on Route 21, Reading Station
These buses had only been in service for two days when this shot was taken on the 18th


Rear ends of two Enviro 400s - both Reading Buses.
Reading Buses 206 (SN60 EDK) on Route 26 being overtaken by Reading Buses 753 (YX64 VRN) on Route 21, Reading Station.
This photo shows the colourful variety shown by Reading Buses, noting that all of the shown buses are operated by them!


The Present and Future MMCs - in March 2015, Routes 5/6 will get the Enviro 400 MMCs
Reading Buses 754 on Route 21 and 838 on Route 6, Reading Station


Reading Buses 754 (YX64 VRO) on Route 21, Reading Station
These buses have a strip at the front below the LED display which demonstrate that the 21 is now a 24 hour service (replacing N21) and that these buses are fitted with free WiFi, just like the ones at Oxford!


Reading Buses 751 on Route 21, Reading Station

Route 21a, where the Enviro 400 Hybrids are intended to move to, started with the Olympuses ex-Loddon Bridge P&R and interestingly the demonstrator of the Enviro 400 MMC. Obviously, one of the batch of 8 will be silver/grey (758) and could be used on any route. The batch for the Green routes (5/6) will be 759-774 (759/760 being generic), replacing the various Scanias on the routes.

The Major Model Change, Part 1

I don't know whether its a coincidence that the Enviro 400 MMC is first in service on University services, but that's what has happened, first with Oxford Bus Company running their versions on the Brookes University bus routes (U1, U5, NU1, U5X). Afterwards, Reading Buses have very recently received some for the 21/21a, which run to Reading University. The Au covered both the Reading and Oxford ones on the same day, this post covering the Oxford examples.

Oxford Bus Company 610 on Route U1, Oxford Carfax


Passenger Information Display inside Oxford Bus Company 612
The Oxford ones have next stop displays + announcements + a route map as shown for the route it goes on. For example, this is for the U1.


Oxford Bus Company 612 on Route U1, Oxford Station


Rear of Oxford Bus Company 610 on Route U1, Oxford Station
The distinctive Enviro 400 MMC rear end is clearly show with the tiny rear windows, large grilles and angular styling.


Oxford Bus Company 604 on Route U1, Oxford Station
Notably, as per usual with Oxford Bus Company, all the buses have the "OXF" ending with the numberplates.


Oxford Bus Company 603 on Route U5, Oxford Queen's Lane


Oxford Bus Company 614 on Route U5, Oxford Carfax

Overall, they do, barely, keep their promise as a rattle-free bus, but the squeaks are already heard, there is no new bus smell and the front information screen does really take a lot of visibility out of the front upper deck! The ride is notably slightly harder than previously, but then again, this is the first versions of the new bus and hopefully things will pick up with ADL, especially with the late deliveries of many buses, causing notable effects from Reading right to TfL work! Oxford Bus Company have so far seem to have done well with their Enviro 400 MMCs.

Meanwhile, here's a teaser to see the comparison between the rear ends of Enviro 400 non-MMC and MMC, albeit Reading Buses style with full rear destinations:

My Picture Archive Post 28

First London TNA33364 on Route 295, Hammersmith 29/05/11

This bus was ordered in 2003 as part of the batch ordered for the conversion of Route 23 into OPO buses from Routemasters, using these Transbus Trident/ALX400s. They were nominally allocated at Westbourne Park Garage, hence they strayed on routes like the 7, 10, 27, 28/31 group and 295, as seen here. The bus moved on before the sale of First London because of the 23 getting new buses, ending up at Glasgow for the 'simpliCITY' network of routes.

Route 295 itself is actually older than the 23 (in its present life). It is an example of how what a seemingly pointless route changes to a regionally important route. It started out running East Acton-Hammersmith via White City via Westway in 1967, but after an extension to Wandsworth Bridge in 1968 and the diversion of the route from Shepherd's Bush via St Anne's Road to Ladbroke Grove in 1972 caused the Monday-Friday route to look closer to today's incarnation. It gained a Saturday service in 1972, extended to Clapham Junction in 1975 and gained a Sunday service only in the 90s! Post privatisation, it ended up at London General from Victoria Basement, Battersea Base and later on Stockwell, before handing over to First London from X in 2000.Since then, the route has gotten stronger, and is currently running today with its own B9TL/Gemini 2s, with the odd stray at times.

8112 on the K3 (Rare bus Observation) (15/10/14)

While browsing some of Abellio's day allocations on London Vehicle Finder, I stumbled upon this rare find!!!

8112 (DK04SUU) on the K3 at Norbiton Station

As you can probably tell, I was quite happy after this catch, despite waiting in the rain for 25 mins!!!

I will have a new series of posts out soon called 'Country Bus routes around London', so stay tuned for that!!

Anyway, till next time, have fun, and be happy :)

-LT3001 out.

Abellio Delayed Latemess - 201 to Abellio 04/10/14

Route 201 was also affected with the late mess of ADL, but this time, Abellio had their own buses available to hand over for the 201, which didn't lead to awkward stickers like on Route 100. The route is supposed to have new hybrid Enviro 200s, but older conventional diesel Enviro 200s took over due to their late delivery.

Abellio London 8516 on Route 201, Morden Station

The first day had its usual troubles, including significant gaps in the service, bunching and curtailments, but overall, the service was frequent enough to run.


Abellio London 8516 on Route 201, Morden Station


Abellio London 8525 on Route 201, Morden Station

There has been at least five routes called 201 in London, this being the incarnation from 1995 running initially between Tulse Hill and Mitcham, before being extended to Herne Hill and Morden (both under Mitcham Belle). It was intially run by London General, before being passed onto troubled operators like Mitcham Belle, Centra London and East Thames Buses. It returned to London General when Go-Ahead bought East Thames Buses, before this current tender result brining it to Abellio from Beddington.

The use of single deckers has caused a mix of older single deckers on the 407 and a lot of double deckers on Route 152:


Abellio London 9033 on Route 152, Mitcham