Merseyside Bus Club
Fleet
News
Illustrated News & Analysis from Merseyside and Beyond
This section is for local fleet news or other bus-related news which may be of interest to members. If you want to contribute items for this section use the email address
.
30/04/2012: ABELLIO
Dennis Trident / Alexanders so far noted on the Liverpool Rail Replacement
services are 9741-4/6/50/2 (YN51 KUW / KUX / KUY / KVA / KVC / KVG
/ KVJ).
Source: seen by Ian Simpson
25/04/2012: HTL BUSES
A "peek through the railings" of the Wilson Road depot today revealed that
Optare Solo YJ12 GXR has arrived to join similar YJ12 GXP. Mercedes Sprinter
DK03 CVW, Dart SLF S540RKL and step-entrance Dart L354FPF all appear to be withdrawn.
Click here for a photo of L354FPF.
Source: seen by Ian Simpson
19/04/2012: IMPERA TRAVEL
Having launched new commercial route 39 (West Kirby - New Brighton) on April 4th, Impera's fleet has expanded somewhat of late. Thanks to Andy Clarke, the current fleet is as follows, with original operators and fleet numbers - where known - shown in brackets:
1168 Y168NLU LDV Convoy LDV 18-seat 1200 N900OAK LDV Convoy LDV 18-seat 2002 KU02YUH Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B34F (Jetsie, Hoddesdon) 2003 KV03ZGP Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B29F (Stansted Transit) 2051 KP51UFK Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B34F (Thames Travel 151) 2363 S363ONL Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B41F (Go Ahead Northern 8163) 2364 S364ONL Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B41F (Go Ahead Northern 8164) 2365 S365ONL Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B41F (Go Ahead Northern 8165) 2374 S374ONL Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B41F (Go Ahead Northern 8174) 2521 KU52YLE Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B31F (F.E. Thorpe DLF109) 2522 KU52YLD Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B31F (F.E. Thorpe DLF108) 2523 KU52YLB Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 B31F (F.E. Thorpe DLF106) 3317 R317LSK Volvo Olympian Alexander Belfast H74D (Dublin Bus --??--) 3426 P426KSX Volvo Olympian Alexander H80D (Lothian Buses 426) 3429 P429KSX Volvo Olympian Alexander H80D (Lothian Buses 429) 3490 P490MBY Volvo Olympian Alexander H74F (Metroline AV10)
2521-3 were acquired from Metroline (DLF109/8/6) and are in all-over white livery with
branding for route 39.
Source: Andy Clarke
18/04/2012: RAIL REPLACEMENT SERVICES
Our correspondent noted and photographed two Abellio London Dennis Trident /
Alexanders in Liverpool City Centre today; upon making further enquiries he was
informed (by Andy Rigby - many thanks) that these buses are part of a fleet to be
used on rail replacement services while Liverpool Central station is closed for refurbishment.
Still owned by Abellio (which is of course a partner in the Merseyrail operation),
the buses are being garaged and crewed by Selwyns of Runcorn. The two buses noted
today were 9742 (YN51 KUX) and 9752 (YN51 KVJ).
Click here for a photo of 9742 and
here for a photo of 9752.
Source: seen by Ian Simpson
20/02/2012: HALTON TRANSPORT
Preserved Halton Transport Leyland Lynx II 35 (H35HBG) is currently advertised for sale on
internet auction site Ebay for £3,500. If you're interested, click here
for more information.
Source: Spotted on Ebay by Ian Simpson
20/02/2012: GO-AHEAD ANNOUNCES TAKEOVER OF CAROUSEL BUSES
Go-Ahead PLC has announced that it will acquire High Wycombe-based Carousel Buses with effect from
3rd March 2012, adding some 50 buses to its 3,900-strong UK bus fleet. Carousel will retain its identity but will be
managed by Oxford Bus Company's senior management, recalling the days when the Wycombe Bus Company was
a subsidiary of the Oxford Bus Company before it was sold to Arriva. Carousel has a particularly interesting fleet,
including Mercedes Citaro, Renault Agora Line and brand new Mercedes OC500LF / MCV.
Source: Go-Ahead Corporate Website
http://www.go-ahead.com/media/news/2012news/2012-02-20.aspx
15/02/2012: MERSEYSIDE SURVIVORS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS
Thanks to a London Midland Great
Escape day ticket, your correspondent spent a very enjoyable day in the West Midlands where he caught up with
a number of buses with Merseyside connections.
Alexander B29F- bodied Dennis Dart SLF Y302KNB,
whose first operator was Happy Al's, was noted in Walsall in service with Midland, the D&G-owned
former Midland Choice operation. The same fleet has East Lancs-bodied Dart SLF R54OCK, new to Avon
Buses where it was affectionately known as Rocky. It is now numbered 5054. You wouldn't know
it from its current registration number but Midland 3462 (GNZ3462) was originally with Norbus, Kirkby where
it was registered V265BNV in the same batch of Mini Pointer Darts of which Supertravel had several. All these Midland
buses were noted in Walsall, a town with several interesting independent operators and well worth a visit.
A short ride away in Birmingham Sunny Travel has a fleet of step-entrance Darts, most of which have Plaxton Pointer
bodywork. Two of these were new to North Western as its 1154 (L154UKB) and 1188 (M188YKA). The
latter was obviously acquired from the Thandi Group as the remains of its THANDI EXPRESS vinyls can still be seen.
| Links to photos of buses discussed above (all open in new windows): | ||||
| Y302KNB | R54OCK | GNZ3462 | L154UKB | M188YKA |
Source: Ian Simpson
11/02/2012: STAGECOACH MERSEYSIDE & SOUTH LANCASHIRE
A further brand new Alexander-Dennis Enviro 200 Dart at Gillmoss is 27773 (PO61 NTK).
Source: Ian Simpson
07/02/2012: ARRIVA NORTH WEST
Volvo B10BLE / Wright 2721 (Y721KNF) has been transferred from Speke to
Green Lane; it was at work on Shiel Road Circular route 26 ("The Belt") today.
Source: Ian Simpson
07/02/2012: STAGECOACH MERSEYSIDE & SOUTH LANCASHIRE
Alexander-Dennis Enviro 200 Dart 27769 (PO61 NTE) is now in service.
Source: Ian Simpson
18/01/2012: MERSEY SURVIVOR IN BURNLEY
Former Merseybus Leyland Olympian / Northern Counties 0263 (F263YTJ)
is still hard at work in East Lancashire where it is now no. 163 in the Transdev
Burnley & Pendle fleet. Still in the Accrington Corporation Transport livery it
acquired a few years back for the centenary of public transport in that fine town,
it gave a very good account of itself on service 9 (Burnley - Accrington) today.
Source: Ian Simpson
Click here for photo (opens in new window)
18/01/2012: SUPERTRAVEL, SPEKE
Dennis Dart SLF / Alexander Y185KNB has found a new owner: M&M Travel,
Accrington, Lancs. It now wears M&M's all-over red livery, still without fleetnames
at the time of writing. It is one of the larger buses in the predominantly minibus fleet
(M&M operates several now-rare Mercedes-Benz 709s) and one of only two low-
floor buses out of 27 owned.
Source: Ian Simpson
Click here for photo (opens in new window)
17/01/2012: MAYNE, WARRINGTON
Not hitherto reported here is the acquisition of a former Bus Átha Cliath
Volvo Olympian / Alexander (Belfast) via EnsignBus. S961YOO, fully repainted
into Mayne's red and cream livery, was registered 98-D-20416 and its Dublin
fleet number was RV416.
Source: Ian Simpson
12/01/2012: HATTON, ST. HELENS
Two new Alexander-Dennis Enviro 200s here are registered MX61 KOD
and MX61 KOE.
Source: Ian Simpson
Click here for photo of MX61 KOD (opens in new window)
Click here for photo of MX61 KOE (opens in new window)
Site designed and maintained by Ian Simpson for the Merseyside Bus Club. © All Rights Reserved, 2007-12