Fleet News

Bus Fleet News

May 2012

Latest News

***trent barton: I4 Tempos in service*** ***High Peak: Decker on transpeak, more scanias on the way*** ***Hawkes: Alexander PS repainted***

Here you will find all the latest bus fleet news for many bus operators in and around the Derbyshire area. If you have anything to report please contact me by clicking here.

Andrews of Tideswell

NEWS
2nd July 28th April
Volvo B9R / Plaxton Panther (YN11 AXX) is here.

Arriva Derby

NEWS
18th May:
Former Arriva Derby Citybus (F114 TML) and Scania (M831 SDA) have both been sold by Heartlands Travel to Pygalls Travel, Hutton Henry, Durham.

10th May:
The King Long demo has moved on.

16th April:
4215 have moved to Burton for use on a college contract with 2228 back at Derby in return.

Derby Gemini 4215 in Burton. Derby 4223 can be seen in the background.
(C) Geoff Girling

Bowers / High Peak

NEWS
28th May
Former NCT "Skyline" Scania Omnicitys (YN04 GMY/Z) are to be painted for transpeak.

Scania Olympus 907 (YN07 LHP) has arrived here for use on transpeak. It is still in Centrebus livery.

Centrebus Omnicity 788 is being repainted for transpeak.

Centrebus Scania Olympus 907 (YN07 LHP) passing through Ashford in the Water on the transpeak.
(C) David Harrison

6th May
Solos 262 and 269 now carry High Peak fleet names on centrebus livery.

2 Scania / Wright Solars may be due for transpeak, but this remains unclear. Scania Omnicity 788 remains in service in Leicester, so plans may have changed.

Meanwhile, the usual mish mash of vehicles have been used on the service this week, including the loan of coach 60 (back on old ground, and the best the routes seen in a while!) and Paladin 112 from notts+derby.

26th April
Scania Omnicity 789 (YN07 EXP) is here for the transpeak (trent used this when a demonstrator). Still in allover white with centrebus names, it is due for repaint next week on the arrival of similar 788 (YN06 CJE), which is currently away for repaint into transpeak livery. Both vehicles have moved from the Leicester fleet. Scania Olympus 907 (YN07 LHP) may be trialed on the route in the near future, and two Omnilinks may also be allocated to the route soon. This would allow 5 Excels to move north within centrebus for lighter schoolbus duties.

Former Veolia Solo (YN04 LWU) and former Littles Solo (MX04 VLV) are now in service here (269 and 270 but not sure which is which!).

The High Peak fleet list should now be up to date!

Centrebus Scania Omnicity 789 (YN07 EXP) on the transpeak service. The vehicle is due to be repainted into TP livery next week when freshly painted 788 should arrive to take its place.
(C) David Harrison

27th March
Solo 262 (W301 EYG) now carries centrebus livery ready for the high peak launch.

13th March
Another former Blackpool Solo here is (V266 HEC). It is in an all over silver livery with small centrebus names applied.

8th March
Solo 377 (YJ05 XMU) has been painted into Centrebus livery.

A new arrival here is white Solo 267 (V265 HEC) in Hayfield. The vehicle is ex Blackpool, but was more recently with Homeswood.
(C) Ash Hammond

29th Feb
Solo 263 (W293 EYG) is now (B6 WER).

13th Feb
White Solos 262 (W301 EYG), 263 (W293 EYG) and red 261 (B8 WER) confirmed to be in service here. None carry fleet names or numbers.

31st January
Bowers Centrebus operations are set to become part on the High Peak bus company along with trent bartons DOve Holes operations from 1st April 2012.

430 (YU04 XHY) Mercedes Benz O814D is now here, a transfer from the former Veolia / Paul James operation.

Vario/Alexander ALX100 440 (R164 UAL) now in use in Centrebus livery.

Solo 263 (W293 EYG) is here in plain white. Solos 261 (B8WER) former (V263HEC) and 262 (W301 EYG) may also now be here?

9th October
(YAZ 4143) was originally (M859 RCP) and came to Kimes from Teamdeck (K-Line) and so comes back into the fold!

D & G

NEWS & Sightings
-

Doyles

NEWS & Sightings
18th May:
Doyles are confirmed to have ex Willfreda Beehive Solo (YJ54 UBU), now painted in fleet livery with fleet number 116 and also (YJ54 UBP) and (YJ54 UBT), both are still in Travel SY colours and receiving workshop attention.

8th March:
Solo (YN53 SVJ) was destroyed by a fire in Pinxton last Friday.

Felix

NEWS

28th May
The two red Iveco coaches have been sold. The W reg Volvo coach is now on loan to Swiftsure in its place. The Bova below was purchased by Swiftsure to be used on the acquired Felix work.

This Swiftsure Travel Bova (RBZ 2567) now carries the Felix name.
(C) Geoff Girling

21st April
Strider (M301 KRY) has been preserved.

Volvo (V708 GRY) has passed to Harrogate Coach Travel who have named the bus Felix: Photo of Felix

One of the coaches has been on loan to Swiftsure, all others are thought to be stored since operations ceased.

Gills Travel

16th April 2012:
Former Trent Dart 931 (R931 RAU) is here. It was recently with Belle Vue, Stockport.

G&J Holmes

NEWS
-

Glovers of Ashbourne

NEWS
28th May 2012
Coach (AIG 1346) is here. It was formerly (L776 LUJ) with Welsh operator Owens of Four Crosses.

18th August 2011
Former Winsons Volvo Plaxton coach (FJU 973) arrived here in June.
A Mercedes Plaxton Cheetah is also here.

Harpurs Coaches

NEWS

28th May 2012
Volvo coach (S315 SRL) has been painted and ready for the road, the third Dublin decker is also nearly ready.

(D922 UOD) has been sold for scrap and (RIL 5084) is expected to go soon. (G379 REG) is expected to stay on until schools finish at the end of July.

Olympians (N595 BRH_ and (G362 YUR) are now withdrawn.

20th March 2012

Former Stagecoach Volvo B10M / Alexander (R897 XVM) looking smart after repaint into fleet livery.
(C) Geoff Girling

Former Dublin Olympians has been registered (V351 DJU).
(C) Geoff Girling

Hawkes Coaches

NEWS
10th May:
The two Alexander PSs have been painted into blue fleet livery.

21st April:
One of the Volvo Alexander PS has been painted blue.

8th Feb:
Former Stagecoach Manchester Volvo / ALexander PS (P851 GND) is reported here from Ensign.

1st December:
Former Stagecoach Volvo / ALexander PS (P134 XCN) is here, still in stagecoach livery. The vehicle has arrived from Stagecoach Cumbria, and was originally fleet number 472 in the Ribble fleet.

Hulleys of Baslow

NEWS + SIGHTINGS
28th May
Former Woods of Barnsley VDL VAN HOOL (YJ06 JFD) was on hire from Arriva (dealer) for two days last week, to cover for VDL MARCO POLO 6 (YJ06 LDF) which had gone back to Arriva for warranty work.

13th March

New here is VDL SB3000 / MARCO POLO, which is 6 (YJ06 JDF).
(C) Ian Moorcroft

Dennis Javelins 4 (M437 PUY) and 6 (R140 XWF) have been sold to Arriva (dealer) in exchange for a VDL SB3000 / MARCO POLO, which is 6 (YJ06 JDF) (now C53F, downseated from C57F when it was part of the Arriva hire fleet).
Volvo B7 / ALEXANDER number 22 ( a fleet number it never carried) (V140 LGC) is now renumbered 4.

Johnson Bros / Redferns

NEWS & SIGHTINGS
-

Linburg

NEWS + SIGHTINGS
17th January
Former T M Travel Tiger (G435 EWU) is here, and is expected to be used in service!

Littles Travel

NEWS + SIGHTINGS
21st April
The Solo that was used on route 9 has passed to Centrebus.

27th March
Two former NCT Tridents here are (V427/31 DRA).
Former trent barton "bargain bus" Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer (R932 RAU) is here being operated in red livery.

One of the two former NCT Tridents with Littles.
(C) Richard Dobbie

Former Trent Dart 932 with Littles. The vehicles carries the Bargain Bus red livery.
(C) Richard Dobbie

Midland Classic

NEWS
24th May
Tridents 94 and 95 now carry fleet livery.

29th March
Volvos 81 and 82 have been branded for the X12.

Volvo 81 is one of the buses branded for the X12.
(C) Geoff Girling

Former NCT Scania 86.
(C) Geoff Girling

27th February
Olympian (L649 MYG) is fleet number 90.
Ex trent Dart (R919 RAU) has been sold to P&C buses, Newmains, Scotland.

16th February
Former NCT Scania (X94 USC) is now in use after repaint.
MAN (RX53 LNJ) should be appearing in a few weeks time!
Dart 22 has left the fleet, and Olympian (L649 MYG) is now with the company long term.

22nd December
Former NCT Scania / Wright (X94 USC) is here, although not yet in use.

Premiere, Nottingham

NEWS
28th May 2012

Scania (Y46 HEE) advertises the fairs fare promotion. It is seen here leaving Broadmarsh Bus Station.
(C) Geoff Girling

Former Veolia (FJ55 YCN) after repaint into Premiere red livery.
(C) Geoff Girling

16th April 2012
Enviro 200 3359 has left the fleet. Dart 3385 (KP54 BYN) has arrived in its place for Red1. Two more Darts are due soon for red1 to replace 2 Enviro 200s.

Red5 is now all double deck with 4603, 4604, 4616 (formally Red8) and 4636.

2201, 3306 and 3354 are now in fleet red, 3322 is next for painting.

20th March 2012
Coaches 972 (FJ54 ZDD) and 973 (FJ54 ZDH) are branded for Red Flyer, ready for the launch on Friday.

Two more Scanias, from the same batch, are due here, they should be 3343 (X473 AHE) and 3344 (X474 AHE). Already painted red.

Scania 3349 now has a Red Flyer advert above the windows, and 3350 has been branded for the Fair Fares campaign. Photos please :-).

Former Veolia National Express coach (FJ54 ZDH) is one of two that have been branded for the direct Red Flyer service to East Midlands Airport..
(C) John Moore

Stagecoach East Midlands
Chesterfield, Mansfield, Worksop

NEWS

Stagecoach in Yorkshire ( legal lettered for Chesterfield Transport in Derbyshire) has received some tri axle Levantes from Stagecoach West including 59305 seen here Barnsley bound from London in Chesterfield..
(C) Ian Moorcroft

To keep up to date with Stagecoach in Chesterfield, and many other operators in the area, take a look at the excellent Transpire website.

TM Travel

NEWS:
See Wellglade section.

Translinc

NEWS
:

The Wellglade group
trent barton, kinchbus, notts+derby and T M Travel.

NEWS

Volvo 727 has been repainted into a new mango livery, and carries the new trent barton logo. It is seen here in Nottingham covering for one of the new Tempo SRs on the i4.
(C) John Moore

New Tempo SRs have been introduced on the i4 service which has now replaced rainbow 4. The Commuter Xprss which complimented this route by offering fast peak time journeys from and to Stapleford and Sandiacre has been re-branded as "club class" using coaches 57 and 58. 58 is ssen here near QMC.
(C) John Whittingham

Former Lothian Volvo 34 in Nottingham for the Cricket P&R services.
(C) John Whittingham

Former Indigo Volvo 724 now carries this version of the trent barton livery.
(C) John Whittingham

Tempo SR 323, the new bus for Derby and Nottingham, leaves Derby bus station on the first i4 departure last Sunday.
(C) JM Media

18th May:
Red Arrow coach 69 has been involved in a mishap with Allestree Solo 462. The Solo may be a write off.

Volvo 725 is in service in Nottingham in trent barton livery.

The Tempo SRs are set to be on the road on 27th May, Some have been branded up already, whilst others are still being prepared. The ones that appeared for at the promotional events have now been renumbered, the correct details are:
323 (YJ12 GWA),
324 (YJ12 GWC),
325 (YJ12 GWD), was 335
326 (YJ12 GWE),
327 (YJ12 GWF),
328 (YJ12 GWG),
329 (YJ12 GWK), was 334
330 (YJ12 GWL),
331 (YJ12 GWM),
332 (YJ12),
333 (YJ12),
334 (YJ12),
335 (YJ12).

10th May:
Volvo 724 has returned to Nottingham in trent barton red livery with branding for the Rainbow charity.

6th May:
Former Lothian Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President 291-7 (H45/30F 297 is H45/29F) have arrived here for notts+derby. They are to be partially repainted very soon, and may be out in service later next week. They are:

33 (W291 PFS),
34 (W292 PFS),
35 (W293 PFS),
36 (W294 PFS),
37 (W295 PFS),
38 (W296 PFS),
39 (X683 RDA), (was WDF 297 with Lothian, ex Conn, Rathcoole (N.I.)).

Two ex Lothian Olympians (driver trainers) have been acquired for spares only. These have been allocated fleet numbers for record keeping, but are not to be operated in service. They are:

8 (E318 MSG),
9 (E319 MSG).

New Tempo SRs 334 (YJ12 GWK) and 335 (YJ12 GWD) on display in Nottingham. Note the branding above the window on the two vehicles is different. The near side still shows the "i am the new bus for Nottingham" branding.
(C) John Moore

TM Solo 1159 (YL02 FKW) is back in service. It has been re-registered (FB02 LFP).

21st April:
18 Versas are due for the Rainbow 3 in July. The route is expected to be changed and the combined routes will offer a 10 minute frequency between Nottingham - Hucknall - Sutton and Mansfield. This has increased the PVR for the route from 16 to 18.
From the same date route 146 will be withdrawn (covered by one of the R3 services) and the 90 will be reduced to a 2 bus working, operating from Sutton to Ripley and not run via Coxmoor (replaced by 3C) or McArthur Glen (connections at Sutton).

The former Trent fleet has been numbered into the High Peak / Centrebus fleet as follows:

Darts 949/39 are now 514/35,
Unibus Paladins 102-4 are now 679-81,
Excels 233/158/225/224 are now 682-5,
Excels 226/7/31/2 are now 686-9,
Scanias 640-8 are now 690-8.

924 seen here in Looms scrapyard. The Dart caught fire shortly before Kinch withdrew service 9 (Loughborough to Nottingham) which ran in competition with Premieres Red 9 service.
(C) Shane Ross

Kinch Solo 7 has been branded for the Sprint service.

7 W/X reg Volvo B7 / Plaxton Presidents are expected from Lothian in May. These will be split between the notts+derby and TM Travel fleets. 2 other older vehicles have also been purchased from Lothian!

16th April:
Solo 451 has moved from trent barton at Langley Mill to Kinchbus. It has been repainted in Kinchbus livery. Dart 896 is still in use with Kinchbus too, route 9 branding removed and Kinch names applied. Centro 761 is now in the new Skylink livery too.

Centro 792 has arrived at notts+derby. Fleet names have been applied to the current livery.

Excel 201 has been withdrawn and is stored at Loughborough along with Paladins 105, 111, 117, TM Merc 1138 and Vario 286 amongst others.

Dart 931 has returned to the area and is now with Gills Travel.

I4 is expected to be launched with the new Tempo SRs on Sunday 6th May.

1st April:
Sutton Dart 906 has lost its trent barton names, despite the fact that the route it has been used on since they were applied, the 146, will be a trent barton route from tomorrow (previously a Midland General).

Several vehicles have passed to the High Peak bus company which began operations today. These include Excels red Excels 225,226,227 and 233 plus Darts 939 and 949, the transpeak and skyline branded vehicles (plus 2 spare red Scanias based at Dove Holes). Unibus Paladin 113 on transpeak today too, so the Dove Holes based Paladins may have also passed. The Bowers / Centrebus vehicles should now be based at Dove Holes too.

High Peak Excel 233 on the transpeak service on the first day of operation. Although most branding has been removed, there are still signs of a connection with the really good bus company. The service is now registered as four separate routes, hence the TP2 service number displayed on the front.
(C) Geoff Girling

27th March:
Many Darts have been moved from the Kinchbus yard to Looms, Spondon for scrap.
Indigo Volvos 724/5 have gone to Langley Mill for repaint into trent barton red. Solos 418/437/440 also at Langley Mill, suplus now that the Long Eaton Xprss has been scaled back.
Dart 939 has had trent barton names removed ready for the start of High Peak on Monday. 225 and some other Excels have also had fleet names removed in preparation.

20th March:

Scania 669 in the new style Skylink livery for the revised Nottingham to East Midlands Airport service.
(C) John Whittingham

An I4 Tempo is at Langley Mill, registered (YJ12 DWA).

Centro 792 is yet to arrive from TM Travel, but is set to replace 202 on the D1. 791 is due for repaint into notts and derby livery, and 793 into Unibus livery (for the 6, replacing last years write off, 223?).

Scanias 637, 662/3, 665, and 668/9 should now be in the new blue Nottingham Skylink livery, ready for next weeks launch. Some Indigo Volvos will become spare as a result.

Former Felix Centro 767 is now in service with Kinchbus in the revised Derby / Leicester Skylink livery. it has replaced 637 (now on Nottingham Skylink).

Former Felix Centro 767 now repainted in Skylink livery, seen here at East Midlands Airport.
(C) John Whittingham

Yourbus, Nottingham

NEWS

New Levante 4032.
(C) Dan Louch

24th December:
Many thanks to Stephen and the Yourbus Yahoo Group for the info below.

Please see below regs and fleetnumbers for the 15 new Volvo B9R / Caetano Levante II that will enter service on 9th January.

4029 (FJ61 EXM),
4030 (FJ61 EXN),
4031 (FJ61 EXO),
4032 (FJ61 EXP),
4033 (FJ61 EXR),
4034 (FJ61 EXS),
4035 (FJ61 EXT),
4036 (FJ61 EXU),
4037 (FJ61 EXV),
4038 (FJ61 EXW),
4039 (FJ61 EXX),
4040 (FJ61 EXZ),
4041 (FJ61 EYA),
4042 (FJ61 EYC),
4043 (FJ61 EYD).

4029 - 4039 are all at Heanor, with 4040 - 4043 due for delivery on January 3rd. These vehilces are to increase PVR with extra diagrams being taken over from Arriva Midlands & Classic Coaches on services

040 Bristol - London,
310 Southsea - Bradford,
324 Bradford - Paington,
425/435 Newcastle - London,
440 Derby - Leicester - London.

These extra diagrams mean that Yourbus will be operating 10% of the entire National Express network and takes our NX fleet upto 55 vehilces. 4041 will also be the 50th brand new vehilce purchased by the company and is part of 52 brand new vehilces bought this year.

Dennis Darts 1104-1108 have been moved to Tuxford depot for storage.

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