LTSV > Service Vehicles > News > Latest Data > Latest Data Details

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This page shows the most recently added or edited database records.

Photos Added

Count	Photo	Details	Added
901		By Bob Milner While many contributors were at the Ensignbus running day on 3rd December 2022, Bob visited Hounslow to check on the new Dacia Sandero cars. The three NU72FZ- examples were still present, and had been joined by NU72GBE. The numberplate fixing bolt on the latter makes it look more like NU72GDE. At about the same time we obtained a list of RATP service vehicles which showed that there were in fact eleven new Dacias, with fleetnumbers D75132 to D75142. As well as the four at Hounslow, there were four at Hounslow Heath and three at Westbourne Park. It remains to be seen whether any of these gain company lettering and logos.	03/01/2023
902		By Derek Everson Another vehicle found at Dagenham East Station on 3rd December 2022 was Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8979VW. As with Renault Kangoo 8941R, this van had latterly been based at Lillie Bridge.	03/01/2023
903		By Derek Everson Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8941R was one of six LUL vehicles found at Dagenham East Station on 3rd December 2022. Only reported a few times before, this van had been working from Lillie Bridge earlier in the year. More sightings will be needed before I can say whether it has now been reallocated.	03/01/2023
904		By Derek Everson On his way back from Lakeside on 3rd December 2022, Derek called in at Dagenham East Station and found 6 LUL service vehicles (more than the usual 2 or 3) in the yard just north of the platforms. Shown here are Renault Kangoo Maxi 8374R and Ford Transit dropside truck 8472F, with Kangoo Maxi 8941R just visible beyond.	03/01/2023
905		By Neal Marshall The smart Ensignbus Volvo FH recovery truck EB20TOW again made an appearance during the running day on 3rd December 2022 and was photographed at Lakeside Bus Station parked ahead of preserved Leyland Fleetline DM2646. The bus was the last Fleetline supplied new to London Transport and currently carries the colour scheme originally applied in 1979 for the Shillibeer anniversary.	03/01/2023
906		By Peter Terry Back to Lakeside Bus Station on 3rd December 2022, this van was also parked up and photographed by several people. Numbered 802, WG14FMZ is a Peugeot Partner van new in 2014 which has been with Ensignbus for at least three years. Licensing data suggests that it was sold later in December.	03/01/2023
907		By Paul Nicholls One of the special bus services operated on the Ensignbus running day on 3rd December 2022 was the X55 from Upminster, through Lakeside and across the river to Bluewater and Gravesend. As a result, some photographers also visited Bluewater, though I have not seen anything from Gravesend. Seen at the bus station was LBSL Incident Response Unit 9076VW from the Eltham allocation. I always thought that Whitecliffs would be a more descriptive name for this location...	03/01/2023
908		By Paul Nicholls Lakeside Bus Station (between Grays and Purfleet in Essex) is the focal point of the (normally) annual bus running day held by Ensignbus. During the 2022 event on 3rd December, this Ford Fiesta van was parked there and was photographed by several people. Almost anonymous, the 810 fleetnumber carried on the rear (and above the windscreen) pointed to it being an Ensignbus vehicle. Parked in front was 233 (MRJ233W), a 'jumbo' (33ft long) Leyland Fleetline with Northern Counties bodywork. Despite the Manchester registration, this bus was new to Southend Corporation.	03/01/2023
909		By Neal Marshall Parked under the railway tracks on the approach to London Bridge Bus Station on 3rd December 2022 was ERU tender 2609. Although in LUL livery, the truck was sporting a panel on the front offside cab door that properly belongs to the British Transport Police variant.	03/01/2023
910		By Neal Marshall Neal travelled via London Bridge on 3rd December 2022 and found two Emergency Response Unit tenders parked near the station. Both were from the Battersea allocation and were displaying LUL (rather than British Transport Police) panels. 2604 was on London Bridge itself, and was about to be passed by one of several former Stagecoach London Scania OmniCity buses now converted to open-top for tour work.	03/01/2023
911		By Derek Everson The Ensignbus running day was held on Saturday 3rd December 2022, and various people sent in photos taken either at the event or on the way to or from it. Derek called at Upminster on the way and found this Renault Kangoo Maxi van in the station car park. Interestingly, 8392R has mainly been noted at Edgware Track Depot, virtually on the opposite side of London.	03/01/2023
912		By Lee Thatcher Lee found three newly-delivered Dacia Sandero cars at Hounslow Garage on 26th November 2022, along with one of the 30 delivered in late-2019/early-2020. The new cars were almost identical apart from the lack of lettering and some slight styling updates, and it was not yet clear if they were replacements or additional. Note that NU72FZP (nearest) is parked in a bay that is allocated either to crew ferry vehicle EO12UBZ (withdrawn in spring 2020!) or the Operations Manager.	03/01/2023
913		By Ray Monk Walworth garage has not featured much in the photographs on this website, partly because it has not had many service vehicles allocated in recent years and partly because any vehicles there are often parked in areas that cannot be seen from the outside. On 26th November 2022, resident Citroen Dispatch van 6901 (LG19BFU) was parked in the entrance roadway (off Camberwell Road) together with an LT class bus and an anonymous silver Volkswagen Transporter crew van. Another Citroen Dispatch van (MJ17USE) is also reportedly allocated here, but has not yet been caught on camera.	03/01/2023
914		By Derek Everson Proving that you don't always need to have the sun behind you to achieve good photographs, Derek caught LBSL Incident Response Unit 9065VW in Harrow on 22nd November 2022. Harrow is often served by IRUs from the Uxbridge allocation, but 9065VW hails from Edgware.	03/01/2023
915		By Derek Everson On 22nd November 2022 Derek found Abellio London Citroen Dispatch van 6909 (LB67UZS) at the small engineering base on Rigby Lanes in Hayes. One of several youthful second-hand vans acquired over the past few years, this example was initially based at the former Wings Buses base on North Hyde Gardens in Hayes. It is now most likely attached to Dawley Road. Abellio is the name used for operations owned by Nederlandse Spoorwagen (NS - the national rail company of Holland) in other countries, and the NS logo is carried alongside the fleetname. It was planned that NS would sell Abellio's UK operations (including several rail franchises) to its UK-based management in late 2022 but it is not known if this went ahead. Perhaps unconnected, Abellio London has been in the news recently due to its drivers going on strike on several dates in late 2022.	03/01/2023
916		By Dave Warby A fine shot of Sullivan Buses Renault Zoe car EC2 (LN17XXG) turning onto Darke's Lane in Potters Bar on 21st November 2022. So, I put an apostrophe in Darke's Lane, but should there be one in Potter's Bar?	03/01/2023
917		By Keith Grimes One last D-prefix photo today. Here we have Ford Escort van 3517F, photographed on the Isle of Dogs on 19th November 1988. This was another petrol-engined vehicle, most SVs using diesel. It was registered in Lincolnshire and leased from Avis in spring 1987 for use by Group 3 (the 'general purpose' section of the fleet). When photographed it had gained the boxed Distribution Services lettering that was used for a couple of years in the late 1980s. The regeneration of the Docklands area was well underway by this time, with the first sections of the Docklands Light Railway opening in 1987. The elevated DLR tracks are in the background and I wonder if the queue of people is waiting for a replacement bus service.	25/11/2022
918		By Richard Eversden In the 1980s you could still get 'estate' cars with just three doors (one on each side and one in the back). LT made use of a number of such vehicles over the years, including this Ford Escort Mk4 seen at Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 7th August 1989. 3506F was new in July 1987, was petrol-engined, allocated to the Catering Manager at Telstar House (near Paddington) and was kept for the normal 3 year period. The vans in the background may well be Grey Green service vehicles, in particular the Ford Escort van with green wheels.	25/11/2022
919		By Colin Lloyd About a quarter of the D-prefix service vehicles added to stock in 1986/1987 were Ford Transits, though they do not seem to have been photographed as much as other types. A fairly typical example was 3490F, caught passing through Hammersmith on 18th September 1989. Again the allocation information is a bit sketchy. Acquired for use by 'Supplies' (?), it was attributed to Lots Road Power Station at one point, then to the Electrical Engineer at Wood Lane. Curiously one fleetlist shows it as being at Wood Lane but used by the 'Change Manager'! It may not have been carried from new but, when photographed, the van had 'London Underground Ltd' cabside lettering. As seems to have been common at this time, 3490F was returned off lease after just 3 years.	25/11/2022
920		By Colin Lloyd In the 1980s domestically-produced vehicles still outnumbered imports in most fleets. A total of 147 vehicles with D-prefix registrations were added to what we now call the Central Fleet in 1986/1987, and the vast majority were from either Ford or Vauxhall/Bedford. A sign of things to come was the leasing of four Peugeot 504 pick-up trucks, the first from this French manufacturer. A further 20 or so Peugeots were leased over the following five years (mainly 504s but also four 205 vans) but it was not until the late 2000s that Peugeot became a 'routine' supplier of central fleet vehicles. Three of the initial four Peugeots were allocated to bus garages, with oddity 3486P going to Cleaning Services. Taken into stock in January 1987, it was photographed leaving the Bollo Lane entrance of Chiswick Works on 19th February 1987. The only lettering carried is the fleetnumber (plus tyre pressure markings), while it will be noted that the vehicle was operating with an open back (as were the three bus garage vehicles). When photographed again in 1988 it had been given a 'hard-top' cover.	25/11/2022
921		By Keith Grimes When I was growing up I had a particular fondness for T class Leyland Titan buses. They were still being delivered when I first became interested in buses, and I always preferred them to the competing MCW Metrobus type. However, looking at this photo I realised the Titan was quite a 'boxy' design. I think that cropping out the upper deck windows (which were tapered-in slightly) has emphasised this. Anyway, Catford Garage was a major user of Titans in the 1980s and it also had a couple of the Bedford Astra vans used by bus inspectors. 3477B was photographed on the garage forecourt on 3rd September 1988. Note that, as was common, much of the cabside lettering has worn off.	25/11/2022
922		By Colin Lloyd Another peak-capped inspector in his Bedford Astra van. 3472B was another Wandle District vehicle and was based at Sutton Garage by late 1988. Its earlier allocations are not clear and a reference to it being at Fulwell may be another red herring. Five points if you recognised the location of this photo taken on 12th November 1988. It is the slightly curious bus stand at the bottom of Longmead Road in Tooting, just round the corner from Tooting Broadway Station. Buses stand on both sides of the road here, as well as in painted bays marked in the middle of the road. The stand is still in use today but you won't see many of the distinctive B20 DMS buses there these days!	25/11/2022
923		By Colin Lloyd Allocation data for service vehicles of the 1980s is a bit sketchy to say the least. Leased service vehicles were never included on LT's detailed Variations in Rolling Stock documents, and what we know comes from a few official fleetlists that were obtained, along with observations, which often contradict each other. For example, this Bedford Astra van was shown as being taken on lease in late 1986 for use by Abbey District, yet it was allegedly at North Street (Romford) a couple of months later. It looks as though the latter might be a red herring, since it was photographed at Ash Grove Garage (Abbey District) on 14th December 1986 and was later associated with Hobson House (the Abbey District HQ). Note that 3471B still had its full set of cabside lettering. On most examples, the London Transport lettering was soon removed, leaving just 'General Manager Buses'.	25/11/2022
924		By Colin Lloyd With a friendly wave from the capped driver, Bedford Astra van 3465B was seen opposite West Croydon Bus Station on 22nd August 1987. This was a Wandle District vehicle, initially allocated to Merton before moving to Croydon Garage. I seem to recall there was a model railway shop here at about this time, though the buildings have since been demolished.	25/11/2022
925		By Colin Lloyd Seemingly the most photographed service vehicles with D-prefix registrations were the Bedford Astra vans that formed the 10th generation of bus inspector's vehicles. Fitted with the handed-down roof roundels, they were a common sight at bus stations and garages across London. 3464B was allocated to Abbey District and this excellent shot shows it speeding past the bus stand at Parliament Hill Fields on 12th April 1987. It had evidently fully recovered from its earlier accident.	25/11/2022
926		By Richard Eversden A large batch of 18 Bedford CF2 vans was leased in mid-1987, all with Newcastle D3xxYBB registrations and for use by the bus publicity section. Unusually it seems that none of the batch ever carried their allocated fleetnumbers (3426B to 3443B), the initial markings just being a rectangular yellow label showing 'London Transport Advertising, Bus Stop Maintenance'. Stockwell Garage was a place you could always find a few of these vans, the publicity section having an office alongside the garage entrance roadway. Parked there on 3rd January 1988 was 3429B with Ford Escort van 3252F alongside. The racks of timetables can be seen inside the office behind.	25/11/2022
927		By Derek Everson It seems that the breaking up of London Transport into separate companies in the latter half of the 1980s led to some uncertainties about how to letter service vehicles, and for a while it was not uncommon for vehicles to have no markings other than fleetnumbers. Illustrating this is this view of Ford Escort van 3413F at Heathrow Central Bus Station on 10th June 1988. The van had been leased in October 1986 for use by the Abbey bus operating district and remained in stock for a shade over 3 years.	25/11/2022
928		By Malcolm Millichip 972J was one of 5 forward-entrance STL class buses modified as tree pruning vehicles in 1952/1953 as replacements for former ST buses that had been converted during WW2. Four of the vehicles were allocated to the country ('green') area with just one left over to cover the central ('red') area, although all five carried the standard green livery. 972J was the central vehicle for most of its career, being officially allocated to Riverside Garage in Hammersmith but outbased when required. It was photographed in about 1960 at a location believed to be the back yard at Harrow Weald Bus Garage. Note that adverts have been applied to the front. Was this normal? The five vehicles were eventually replaced by custom-bodied Ford trucks in 1962, though fortunately 971J wound up being preserved.	25/11/2022
929		By Malcolm Millichip The location of this photo taken in about 1960 is still recognisable today, being the bus station / garage forecourt at Hounslow. Bedford KD truck 871B was the engineer's vehicle here between 1959 and 1965, it having already served almost nine years in a similar role at Enfield. The short truck has a half-length tilt cover which appears to have metal sides/top with a canvas front. Note that the buses in the background include one on route 73. This route ran from Stoke Newington at the time, though it was normally run in two overlapping sections with very few through workings. Curiously the route has nearly always stuck to Stoke Newington as its northern terminus, while the other end varied between Richmond, Hounslow, Kingston, Hampton Court, Hammersmith and (most recently) Oxford Circus.	25/11/2022
930		By Malcolm Millichip Malcolm has unearthed another trio of service vehicle photos he took in about 1960. First up is this view of Bedford OLBD lorry 656B at Friars Stile Road in Richmond Hill. The crew of the lorry was working on the bus stop flag mounted on a lamp post. Friars Stile Road was the terminus for very short bus route 235, which ran from Richmond Station and had a running time of just six minutes. It worked from 1955 until 1966 when it was apparently taken over by Isleworth Coaches. 656B had been new in 1946 and had worked for a variety of departments before settling with Works and Buildings at Parsons Green in 1951. It remained there for almost nine years, being withdrawn and sold in 1960. Note that the quarter tilt cover appears to be of sheet metal. It is sometimes not clear on older photos but canvas tilt covers certainly became more standard later on.	25/11/2022
931		By Andrew Lidinson A slightly unusual find at Go-Ahead London's Orpington Garage on 20th November 2022 was Ford Transit Custom van EA69MXE. While this type is common in the Go-Ahead London fleet, all previous examples have been red. EA69MXE had been first licensed in November 2019 but had a V5C (change of keeper) issued in November 2020, suggesting that it was perhaps transferred in from another Go-Ahead group company at that time.	25/11/2022
932		By Peter Terry You again! This van has already appeared on LTSV three times before, while I have actually been sent 19 photos of it since it was new in 2019. Initially assumed to belong to Abellio (since it carried their fleetnames), it soon emerged that it was in fact used by RGI Bus, a maintenance contractor. The lettering was revised to include a fleetname for LRR (London Rail Replacement) but has since been amended again. Although not particularly clear in this photo taken at Stratford City Bus Station on 19th November 2022, it now shows OBS as the main fleetname, with no apparent mention of Abellio or London. It does seem to still be doing the same work though, and was present in connection with an Abellio LT-class bus that had been working on railway replacements.	25/11/2022
933		By Bob Milner 8906VW is one of a batch of 11 VW Caddy Maxi crew vans delivered for LUL in mid-2019 and given fleetnumbers 8900VW to 8910VW. Most are based at Acton Works but Bob found 8906VW paying a visit to Cockfosters Station on 19th November 2022.	25/11/2022
934		By Ray Monk 8643VW was one of two Volkswagen Transporter crew vans that formed part of the initial allocation of service vehicles to the Elizabeth Line. Delivered in August 2018 it was given the purple skirt and roundels. Continued delays in the opening of the new line seem to have resulted in this van (together with Toyota Prius car 8653T) being reassigned to LUL. 8643VW was returned to Acton Works in early 2020 and had its livery amended to the standard LUL white/blue/red. It was then transferred, most likely to Stratford Market Depot. Ray found it paying another visit to Acton Works on 19th November 2022.	25/11/2022
935		By Ray Monk On the left in this photo taken in the van yard at Acton Works on 19th November 2022 is Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8216VW. A sister to 8217VW, this one was also based at London Road Depot. On the right is Volkswagen Transporter crew van 8281VW which was seen at this same location when it was new in January 2017. It worked from Hainault Depot for nearly six years but managed to avoid being caught on camera.	25/11/2022
936		By Ray Monk Another vehicle seen at Acton Works on 19th November 2022 that is probably on the way out was Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8217VW. New in December 2016, most sightings of this vehicle have been at night, with the locations suggesting that it was based at London Road Depot near Elephant and Castle.	25/11/2022
937		By Ray Monk LUL Toyota Prius car 8574T was parked outside the Vehicle Logistics offices at Acton Works on 19th November 2022, quite close to similar 8572T. Indeed 8573T was also present (in the front car park), which leads me to think this batch is being prepared for disposal. Another batch of similarly-aged Prius cars (8582T to 8585T) have already been returned off lease earlier this year.	25/11/2022
938		By Ray Monk LUL started taking Toyota Prius cars in 2017 and several examples have been withdrawn in recent months, although it is not clear whether this is due to their age or to changes in roles and requirements following the TfL cash crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A couple of cars were noted at Acton Works on 19th November 2022 and it is presumed that these will be leaving the fleet imminently. Parked opposite the Vehicle Logistics offices was 8572T, one which was often to be seen around Acton.	25/11/2022
939		By Ray Monk Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8665R was new in September 2018 and appears to have been based at Hainault Depot. On 19th November 2022 it was found in the car park at Acton Works, perhaps as a prelude to it going off lease.	25/11/2022
940		By Ray Monk Coming up are two pairs of almost identical photos. I normally try to avoid these, but the vehicles are (almost) all making first-time appearances on LTSV so... In the car park of Acton Works on 19th November 2022 was Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8720R, with similar 8665R in the background. 8720R has been noted here a few times since it was new in September 2018 but it is believed to have been based elsewhere for most of the intervening period.	25/11/2022
941		By Ray Monk On a visit to Acton Works on 19th November 2022, no new vehicles were noted, but some slightly interesting older ones were present, most likely being prepared to be returned off lease. The front car park contained 8194VW, from a batch of five Volkswagen Golf estate cars delivered in June 2016.	25/11/2022
942		By Dave Wolstencroft Following earlier requests I have been sent some photos and reports of vehicles in Works for London livery, though I am still inclined not to try and include them in the vehicle database on this website. Dave found these two Kia Niro electric cars at Morden Station on 17th November 2022.	25/11/2022
943		By Dave Wolstencroft Parked in the tiny extension at the far end of Camberwell Garage's back yard on 17th November 2022, this minibus appears to have only just been delivered (licensed in October but V5C issued on 16th November). BX72ATZ is a Nissan Interstar minibus, this being the same base design as the Renault Master and Vauxhall Movano (prior to 2021). It is presumed that this minibus has been acquired by Go-Ahead London for bus driver assessments, replacing older Renault Masters LV59EHP and LV59EJA. It remains to be seen whether a second new minibus is added and whether it/they are given company lettering.	25/11/2022
944		By Keith Ward A trio of Ford Transit crew vans form the focus of this photo taken at Edgware Track Depot on 17th November 2022 and they were neatly parked in numerical order (left to right they are 9029F, 9030F and 9031F). Beyond is an unidentified Ford Transit dropside truck (possibly either 9027F or 9028F) while in the distance are a gaggle of Renault Kangoo vans plus some hired vehicles.	25/11/2022
945		By Keith Ward Another VW Transporter minibus (and another hired dropside) seen at Edgware Track Depot on 17th November 2022 was short wheelbase 9105VW. Although new over three years ago, fleetnumbers on central fleet vehicles have only increased by 60 (to 9165VW) since.	25/11/2022
946		By Keith Ward I do like to see photos taken inside depots and a bunch from Edgware Track Depot were received recently. Taken as dusk fell on 17th November 2022, this first one shows Volkswagen Transporter minibus 8386VW parked beside a hired Mercedes Sprinter dropside truck. Now getting on for six years old, sightings suggest this minibus has been based here since it was new in spring 2017. Note that it has the 'No tools left in this vehicle' labels which seem to be unique to vehicles based here.	25/11/2022
947		By Andrew Lidinson Andrew has been getting about a bit lately and took this photo in Dundee on 12th November 2022. The subject is ST20BVB, a Ford Tourneo Custom minibus in a distinctive silver/gold livery and lettered for Xplore Dundee. The main provider of bus services in Dundee has traded under several names over the years. Prior to 1975 it was Dundee Corporation, then changed to Tayside Buses. After a period of being management-owned it was sold to the National Express group and rebranded as Travel Dundee in 1997. This was changed again to National Express Dundee in 2008 and finally (for now) to Xplore Dundee in 2015. Interestingly this name has been retained even though the company was sold to the McGills group (latterly a small independent operator in Strathclyde) in 2020. The vehicle shown had a fleetnumber (7431) on a small label near the front number plate and a plural form of lettering for 'Operational Support Vehicles'. Curiously another Ford parked nearby had the singular version of this.	25/11/2022
948		By Ray Monk Another new Vauxhall Vivaro-E van for Stagecoach London, and the first reported with a 72 registration, was DY72XMA found at Bromley Garage on 10th November 2022. At the time it had neither lettering or a light-bar but both will likely be added in due course. Since the sale of Vauxhall (and Opel) by General Motors to the PSA Group in 2017, the Vivaro name has applied to a design based on the Citroen Dispatch. It can also be seen badged as a Peugeot Expert, a Toyota ProAce and a Fiat Scudo, while a passenger variant is available as a Citroen SpaceTourer, Peugeot Traveller, Fiat Ulysse and (perhaps confusingly) a Vauxhall Zafira Life!	25/11/2022
949		By Derek Everson It doesn't look like fleetnumbers are going to be widely applied to the Go-Ahead London service vehicle fleet, at least for now. RF19UZK was one of several (mainly from Silvertown Garage) to be given numbers in an FVxx sequence some time ago, seemingly as part of a company-wide scheme. Very few have followed since. As this photo taken at Stratford on 8th November 2022 shows, the fleetnumber was applied on the rear using transfers of two different sizes. Also apparent is the 'local' numbering of DS03 carried on labels in the windows. This shows that the minibus is actually allocated to Henley Road Garage, but as this is less than 100 yards from Silvertown Garage I am inclined to treat the crew ferry allocations as being combined.	25/11/2022
950		By Derek Everson Another good catch by Derek, also at Stratford on 8th November 2022, was DY22LDJ, a Vauxhall Vivaro-E electric van operated by Stagecoach London from West Ham garage. Engineering support duties at Stagecoach London had been fulfilled by a fleet of Ford Transit Custom vans until late-2021. Then a series of swaps with Stagecoach South East saw the vans replaced by smaller Ford Transit Connect vans that were better suited to use in the expanded Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London. It seems that this was just a temporary move, and that Vauxhall electric vans are to be the new standard. As mentioned in September, similar vans have been noted at Barking and North Street, while one for Bromley is coming up shortly. DY22LDJ was included on a recent company fleetlist, which showed it to be allocated national fleetnumber 91760.	25/11/2022
951		By Derek Everson A good catch by Derek at Stratford on 8th November 2022 was this LUL liveried Volkswagen Caddy Maxi van. 8732VW had joined the fleet almost exactly four years earlier in November 2018 but only one sighting of it has since been logged on LTSV. This makes it a bit tricky to work out where it might be allocated, though it was likely heading for Stratford Market Depot when seen. In the current LUL fleet, there are 20 VW Caddy Maxi vans compared to about 130 of the crew van variant. Also slightly rare is the Scania Omnicity bus following behind. Stagecoach and London United both built up sizable fleets of this type between 2008 and 2011 but their numbers are now declining.	25/11/2022
952		By Derek Everson A couple of months ago we showed a photo of LUL Ford Transit Custom van 8482F at the unlikely location of West Ham Bus Garage. Then on 8th November 2022 it was found parked at Stratford Bus Station in an area normally only used by LBSL vehicles (like Nissan Leaf electric car 9103N on the left). 8482F used to be a regular sight around Acton Works but less so recently, and it has perhaps been transferred to a different department/user.	25/11/2022
953		By Bob Milner Colourful line-ups of Abellio Ford Fiesta cars at Hatton Cross have featured on LTSV several times in recent years. Bob's photo taken on 5th November 2022 is bit more muted than some but it usefully shows EN11WVV, which has been operated since at least 2017 and which is allocated fleetnumber 6779. Reports of this car have been sparse, perhaps because (unlike most examples) it carries no markings. Alongside are ML13FNK, YP61HVC and AO13KKB.	25/11/2022
954		By Bob Milner If all of the 130-odd Renault Kangoo Maxi vans in the current LUL fleet were parked nose to tail you would have a line just over 2,000 feet long. Sorry, I was thinking what to say for this caption and it was just coming out a bit 'samey', so I thought I would spice it up with some silly statistics. 8390R is one of several Kangoo Maxi vans based at Edgware Track Depot and hence not photographed very much. Bob found it paying a visit to Finchley Central Station on 5th November 2022.	25/11/2022
955		By Bob Milner Metroline's Potters Bar garage was in the news earlier this year when a major fire in the rear yard destroyed six buses. The fire had started in one of the Optare MetroDecker electric buses (like OME2656 in the background here), and all examples of the type were taken off service for a few days while investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing. This also affected other users of the type (Go-Ahead London and RATP), though it was soon determined that the vehicle was not to blame. The return to service of the Potters Bar fleet was delayed somewhat since several of the electric charging points had been damaged. Enough about buses, this photo shows the crew ferry parking area in the front yard and was taken on 23rd October 2022. The main subject is Vauxhall Vivaro minibus DL70RGZ in unmarked white. First noted in September, this vehicle is perhaps only on loan, the same applying to silver Mercedes minibus WR71ODV just visible on the left.	25/11/2022
956		By Dave Elison You wouldn't know it to look at it, but this is an Arriva service vehicle, albeit not a London one. Nissan NV200 crew van BM68BRV works for Arriva North West and was photographed at Shudehill Interchange in Manchester on 22nd October 2022.	25/11/2022
957		By Derek Everson Stagecoach increased its presence on London bus work during 2022 when it bought two smaller operators. In June it took over the eastern half of Tower Transit, operating from Lea Interchange garage between Stratford and Leyton (the western half of Tower Transit had already passed to an RATP-led joint venture six months earlier). Then in September 2022 it absorbed the fleet and routes latterly run by Hackney Community Transport. Each take-over involved around 150 buses but only a handful of service vehicles. Volkswagen Transporter van VU69FYO was latterly with Tower Transit and when seen at Stratford Bus Station on 18th October 2022 the only evidence of the change was that the company logos on the forward panels had been removed (compare with a view from 2020). Stagecoach logos, and perhaps fleetnumbers, may be applied in due course.	25/11/2022
958		By Derek Everson Just two of the current fleet of 45 Volkswagen Crafter vans used as Incident Response Units by London Buses have yet to be shown on LTSV, and here is one of them. 9060VW has been based at Stratford City Bus Station since it was delivered in February 2020 (just before the first COVID-19 lockdowns). It was photographed 'at home' on 18th October 2022 with similar 9056VW alongside.	25/11/2022
959		By Andrew Lidinson Another DLR Keolis Amey service vehicle found at Royal Victoria station (this time on 16th October 2022) was this (Citroen) DS3 hatchback car. It seems that while a white livery is standard for vans, black is the colour normally specified for cars (see also FP68GCY).	25/11/2022
960		By Andrew Lidinson The first service vehicle to be reported with a '72' registration was this Peugeot Expert crew van found parked at Royal Victoria DLR station on 15th October 2022. GJ72MKA had the standard DLR Keolis Amey livery of white with green/yellow striping, though it lacked a fleetnumber. Parked alongside was slightly older and slightly smaller Peugeot Partner van 010 GF71CHN, which has presumably replaced earlier Partner van GN18RGV (also numbered 010).	25/11/2022
961		By Andrew Lidinson Seen inside Olive Grove Garage in Sheffield on 9th October 2022 was Ford Transit Custom van SM67MYJ which is numbered 90707 in the First national series (similar SM67MYL was also present). The First operations in Sheffield are based on the former South Yorkshire PTE, which was later known as Mainline. First has recently moved away from its earlier policy of having a single livery for the majority of its buses, and local variations are becoming more common. The Wright-bodied double-decker behind the van carries the blue and cream livery operation introduced for Sheffield buses a couple of years ago.	25/11/2022
962		By Andrew Lidinson I don't know if TfL was the first organisation to use the 'Transport for ...' prefix but it has certainly been followed by several others, including Transport for Wales and (as seen here) Transport for Greater Manchester. In each case the name is used by the body that controls and coordinates transport services, rather than actually running them. Andrew photographed TfGM Citroen Berlingo electric van MD19OCO at Stockport Bus Station on 7th October 2022. The MD19xxx registration series is local to Manchester although it has also been used on 22 Renault Kangoo vans supplied to LUL. In the background is an Enviro 400 bus in the current Stagecoach national livery. The bus station has nose-in stands. These are common outside of London but the only example in the capital that I can think of is Cromwell Road in Kingston.	25/11/2022
963		By Andrew Lidinson The Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van is one of the most numerous types in the current central fleet with over 120 examples in stock. 8949VW was new in 2019 and usually works out of Stratford Market Depot but on 30th September 2022 it was found parked in Norbury.	25/11/2022
964		By Tim Israel R41 was a three-wheeled sweeper built by Lacre and bought by London Transport in 1935. LT had a lot of sweepers, most being used at bus garages. R41 was a bit different in that it had an enclosed cab and was allocated to Chiswick Works. Although sweepers did appear on official documents (such as Variations In Rolling Stock sheets and Vehicle Record Cards), they were at some point reclassified as items of mechanical plant rather than miscellaneous vehicles, and they were no longer covered by the documents that have survived. As such, we don't know the disposal details for many, including this one. Though the exact date and location of this photo are not known, it is clearly not Chiswick Works. I noticed that the sign over the premises in the background shows Lammas Motors. This company bought many former LT service vehicles over the years, and was variously quoted as being based at Wandsworth, Earlsfield or Garratt Lane. It would appear that they also bought R41, and the approximate date of 1958 would tie in with it having been replaced by the arrival of newer BL2 in the mid-1950s. There appears to be an elevated railway line in the background, while the road is lined with poles which may have been for trolleybus overhead wiring. If anyone is able to clarify the exact location of these two photos, I would be interested to hear from them.	23/10/2022
965		By Tim Israel There is a famous photo of this curious-looking vehicle, taken by J C Gillham at Chiswick in 1955 and which has appeared in various books (including both the original SUP15 and the Rennie/Aldridge masterpiece of 2003). However, that photo was at an angle that did not reveal the arrangements at the rear of the vehicle. Thanks to Tim Israel, we can now see that it had an angled brush roller below its middle, and a single wheel at the rear. The number R41 is visible near the cab, along with 'Works Manager, Chiswick' lettering. But what is it?! R41 was a Lacre sweeper bought by London Transport in 1935 and given a fleetnumber that followed on from a batch of 40 garage sweepers built by Lacre in 1925-1930. R41 was however somewhat different, a bit larger and with a unique enclosed cab. Having said that, the only photos I have seen of the other R-type sweepers are of preserved Eastern Counties YL6093, which is thought to have earlier been LT R38. I cannot be sure that all the other R-types were the same. The date and location of this photo are not known, although it is evidently not at Chiswick Works. There are some clues in the next photo.	23/10/2022
966		By Tim Israel Another photo from about 1958 taken by Tim Israel, this is apparently Hammersmith, though it is unrecognisable to me. Is that part of Riverside Garage on the left? And an entrance to the tube station behind the truck? The subject is 823B, a Bedford OLBD with a half-length tilt and allocated to the CDS Group 3 (general purpose) fleet at either Lillie Bridge or Parsons Green. It was sold a couple of years later, having served for 12 years. I did wonder if the vehicle behind was one of LT's 'Private Car' fleet, but it doesn't seem to match the types that would have been in the use at the time.	23/10/2022
967		By Tim Israel Saving the best for last again, Tim Israel recently got in touch with four excellent photos of service vehicles taken by him (or his father) in the late-1950s. First up is this shot of AEC Mercury Tower Wagon 76Q. I couldn't place the location, though I did note that Manor House was marked on the cabsides. However, it seems that all tower wagons carried this, perhaps because that was the headquarters of the Electrical Engineer's section. 76Q was in fact based south of the river at this time. It was variously listed as being at Earlsfield Sub-station and Garratt Lane Sub-station. Given that Garratt Lane is the main road through Earlsfield, I wondered if these were one and the same location. Some digging suggested otherwise, as the Miscellaneous Vehicle Advice Book shows a licensed transfer of 76Q on 12th June 1959 from Earlsfield to Garratt Lane. As the trolleybus network contracted, 76Q later had short spells at West Ham and Stonebridge Park before withdrawal and sale in 1962.	23/10/2022
968		By Dave Wolstencroft When the traincrew portacabins at Edgware Road Station were demolished quite a few years ago, the area was given over to service vehicle parking. Annoyingly, the fence along the perimeter was changed by having large boards added, making it virtually impossible to see what was beyond. Interestingly, these boards have recently been removed, allowing photos such as this one taken on 13th October 2022. Admittedly the existing metal fence does limit angles somewhat, but it is still an improvement. The subject here is Toyota Prius car 8629T, new in early 2018 and elusive for its first couple of years. It appears to have been reallocated to Edgware Road Station in late-2020 or early-2021.	23/10/2022
969		By Thomas Young I was cycling along the Thames riverside path on a fine 8th October 2022 when I found this van parked at a location I did not previously know about. A bit to the east of Woolwich, there was a circular building nearby which I assume is an emergency access point to the cross-river DLR tunnel. When riding the DLR between Woolwich and King George V stations, you do see signs for a couple of emergency exits, but I had not known where they came out. Anyway, the van was a Peugeot Expert in normal DLR Keolis Amey livery and with fleetnumber 005. It appears that renewal of the fleet had started in early 2022, with new Peugeot vans arriving and being given fleetnumbers that had already been applied to earlier examples from 2018. Two other vans were also present but were in unmarked grey and may have belonged to contractors.	23/10/2022
970		By Bob Milner Mercedes Sprinter crew van 8177M is easy to see, and has racked-up an impressive 61 sightings on LTSV. Notably, 55 of these sightings were at Finchley Central Station, where it is usually kept in the gated yard. For a change, it was parked outside the yard on 2nd October 2022, allowing Bob to capture this view of its offside. Fourteen of these vans were leased in late-2015 and were initially to have been numbered 8134-8147M. A change of plan saw the vans that would have been 8138M, 8146M and 8147M being numbered 8176-8178M instead, with the unused numbers remaining vacant. We don't know why this occurred, or whether it has also happened with other vehicles. In fact it is one of very few cases where the reasons for gaps in the sequence are (partially) known.	23/10/2022
971		By London Spotter One more photo from Upminster Station Car Park on 24th September 2022. VW Caddy Maxi crew van 9133VW is one of a batch of six vans whose delivery was affected by the first COVID-19 lockdowns. The six vans were allocated to various bases and departments, with 9130VW and 9133VW being in the east of London. A slight curiosity is the taped-over rear number plate, this perhaps being to avoid racking up charges from the car park's cameras.	23/10/2022
972		By London Spotter 8916F was another of the LUL vehicles parked at Upminster on 24th September 2022. Comparing this photo with one of similar 8608F (taken on the same day) will reveal a few differences. 8916F is a '2020 Facelift' Ford Transit, with a slightly revised front grille that has no body colour beneath it. 8916F is also a medium-wheelbase van, whereas 8608F is long-wheelbase. The difference is not particularly noticeable, except in the fact the the runners for the side door reach all the way to the back of the shorter vehicle. 8916F also lacks the roof-rack fitted to 8608F. Alongside is a Ford Transit Connect van of Coyle Rail, one of numerous contractors that are often involved in engineering jobs on both LUL and Network Rail routes.	23/10/2022
973		By London Spotter Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8736R is believed to be based at Stratford Market Depot but has not been seen much given that it is over 3 years old. On 24th September 2022 it was among several LUL vehicles found in the car park of Upminster Station.	23/10/2022
974		By London Spotter London Spotter found seven LUL service vehicles in the car park at Upminster Station during engineering work on 24th September 2022. Among them was Ford Transit Mk8 crew van 8608F, which we have nominally allocated to Acton Works but which actually 'lived' at Eltham for a while.	23/10/2022
975		By Derek Everson Inside the Carousel garage in High Wycombe on 20th September 2022 was the van that perhaps replaced CE57DSY. KT68XOZ is a Mercedes Sprinter van first licensed in December 2018 and seemingly acquired also in April 2021. Illustrating the common ownership, it has Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and City Sightseeing Oxford fleetnames in addition to Carousel ones. No fleetnumber was evident.	23/10/2022
976		By Derek Everson On 20th September 2022, Derek visited the Carousel bus garage in High Wycombe and photographed a couple of service vehicles. Although operating within the (pre-1970) London Transport area, I am not keen on adding their vehicles to their database. The company is owned by Go-Ahead and is managed jointly with the Oxford Bus Company, sharing a fleetnumbering system and with frequent vehicle swaps. Parked seemingly out of use in the yard (along with a Routemaster bus) was CE57DSY, a Renault Master van with fleetnumber 997. Although relatively elderly, and most likely since replaced, licensing data suggests it had only been acquired in April 2021.	23/10/2022
977		By Derek Everson Derek visited High Wycombe on 20th September 2022 to see the new Carousel 'pick-me-up' minibus operation. Although the start date for this DRT (Demand Responsive Transit) scheme had in fact been put back by a week, he still found some things of interest. In the bus station were several crew ferry vehicles. Nearest is BF68ZVP, an Arriva vehicle which we had listed as a black Vauxhall Insignia car. It is clearly actually a silver/grey estate. The car behind was a smart but rather older BMW X4 in unmarked black. It was also in use as a crew ferry vehicle, though I am not even going to try to keep up with short-term hires out in 'the sticks'. Derek commented that it was perhaps the poshest-looking crew ferry car around! In the background is one of Carousel's Mercedes Sprinter minibuses, the destinations for which show that it was also doing crew ferries.	23/10/2022
978		By Bob Milner Each month, Stagecoach London produces a document showing its current bus fleet and summarising recent changes. Mainly for staff use, these 'Fleet Cards' were for a while also made publicly available on the company website. They are useful to us since they also include the service vehicle fleet, and fortunately I am still sent copies due to my connections with LOTS. In mid-2022, the number of service vehicles listed increased when about a dozen vehicles marked as 'Hired Taxi' were added. This seems to be how they refer to crew ferry vehicles, though interestingly the additions were quite a mixture of cars and vans. I wasn't going to add these to LTSV at first. They were not given company fleetnumbers, were in a variety of colours and were believed to be unmarked. However, they remained on subsequent lists, suggesting that they had been in use for at least a couple of months, so I decided that they should be listed. When Bob visited Barking on 19th September 2022 he saw a couple of the vehicles. Probably the smallest was this Toyota Aygo car parked outside the garage. Useful as the Stagecoach list is, it is not infallible. They are still showing a couple of Hyundai minibuses at Rainham which we believe have actually gone, while they have the Plumstead engineers van as being YE15EEU, which was actually replaced by MJ20UVH over 2 years ago.	23/10/2022
979		By Bob Milner Also on 19th September 2022, Bob found this unmarked red Vauxhall Vivaro-E electric van parked at Stagecoach London's Barking Garage. Given that he also noted similar DY22LDF at North Street (Romford), it would be fair to deduce that these are the first of a new batch of engineering support vans. Regular visitors may recall that Stagecoach London swapped its existing fleet of engineering vans for slightly newer vehicles from Stagecoach South in autumn 2021, believed to be in connection with the enlargement of the London ULEZ. The replacement vans were smaller and were perhaps only meant to be temporary. Reports of any other new vans with Stagecoach, or of these ones getting company markings, would be welcomed.	23/10/2022
980		By Bob Milner VW Caddy Maxi crew vans 8702VW, 8704VW and 8705VW have been based at Barking (Wakering Road) since new in October 2018. Intervening 8703VW eventually joined them in 2022, though we have no idea where it was based before then. On 19th September 2022, Bob found 8703VW in the small yard, packed in with several other LUL vehicles and staff cars. You'd need to do a bit of shuffling if you wanted to get one of the back ones out! Beyond the fence is platform 1 of Barking Station, which gained overhead wiring a couple of years ago but which is now largely redundant following the opening of the Riverside extension. Trains to and from Gospel Oak now use platforms on the other side of the station.	23/10/2022
981		By Andrew Lidinson Not previously shown on LTSV, DG69BDV is one of the more permanent members of the crew ferry fleet based at Arriva London's Dartford Garage. It is a Seat Leon in unmarked red and has probably been here since new in January 2020. On 17th September 2022 it was seen on one of its regular trips to the bus stand in Bexleyheath. A recent change had been the replacement of the EU symbol on the number plate with a Union Jack. Note also the Arriva sign in the windscreen.	23/10/2022
982		By Dave Wolstencroft Since delivery in late-2017, Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8563R has been based at Wembley Park Station, and it can often be seen from the station, parked in the yard behind the police station. Surprisingly it was never photographed until Dave captured this view on 15th September 2022.	23/10/2022
983		By Brian Maguire One more view of re-surfaced Leyland Titan breakdown tender 1278LD, this shows that, just 2 weeks after its arrival, restoration work was already under way. Shown here is the chassis and (remains of the) body around the nearside rear wheel.	23/10/2022
984		By Brian Maguire Another view of Leyland Titan breakdown tender 1278LD in Lincolnshire on 14th September 2022. With the covers removed, this photo shows more clearly how much work will be required to restore the vehicle. Much of the metal skin of the bodywork was missing, while the roof was just a framework, the metal coving and translucent centre panels being absent. The team plans to fully restore the Titan and then offer it to a suitable museum for safe-keeping. If anyone reading this would like to make a donation towards the considerable costs of this restoration, please contact Barry Coward at 8 Woods Terrace, Gainsborough, DN21 2RP or call 01427 678169.	23/10/2022
985		By Brian Maguire Rather surprising news in September 2022 was that one of the Leyland Titan breakdown tenders had been discovered intact and had been rescued for preservation. 1278LD had been sold by LT in 1983 and I had always thought it had been preserved. It was seen at a couple of events but then disappeared. It seems to have spent some time in use by travellers, but had been parked up in a yard in a village in Derbyshire for at least the past 27 years. It was rediscovered and bought by a team including Brian Maguire and Barry Coward, and this photograph shows it having just been unloaded at its new Lincolnshire home on 14th September 2022.	23/10/2022
986		By Clive Greedus The TfL Fiat Ducato van that had been seen at Cockfosters in August 2022 turned up at Leytonstone Station in early September, and was to remain there for a couple of weeks. The role and ownership of this vehicle are still not clear, though one person who saw it said it was like a mobile doctor's surgery, perhaps supporting the theory that it is used in a project to monitor mental health. Clive photographed the nearside of NX67NLP at Leytonstone on 6th September 2022, showing that it had an access door and a window. The back was plain apart from a hatch for equipment or storage. Note the pigeon awaiting a consultation.	23/10/2022
987		By Ray Monk A pleasant surprise recently was when LOTS passed on to me a list of Arriva London service vehicles that they had obtained. The list had several new (and not so new) vans that we did not previously know about, though this is perhaps not surprising since the default livery for most is anonymous white. The list also included allocations, and one van was shown as being at 'Purley Way iBus', a location we were not aware of. Ray went exploring on 4th September 2022 and found the location, complete with Vauxhall Combo D van WR15VTP.	23/10/2022
988		By Ray Monk Nissan Leaf car 8211N was transferred from TfL Streets to LUL in 2019/2020 and can now often be found plugged-in at the top end of the DSM van yard at Acton Works. On 2nd September 2022 it was joined by Ford Transit Courier crew van 8105F. A batch of 7 of these diminutive vans had been delivered in late-2015, seemingly for use from Lillie Bridge. All but two went off-lease 4 or 5 years later, with 8105F and 8106F retained but moving to Stratford Market Depot. It seems that their time is also now up, and they were both delicensed later in September.	23/10/2022
989		By Ray Monk I had recently decided that the vehicles operated by Works for London had nothing to do with the fleet managed by Vehicle Logisitics at Acton Works. But then Ray found this example in the yard at Acton Works on 2nd September 2022. LM71HNC was a Chinese-built Maxus E Deliver 3 van, similar to LR71KYP that had earlier been seen at Eltham Bus Station. LM71HNC had a different style of light-bar, mounted at the rear instead of the front. Reports and/or photographs of any Works for London vehicles would be welcomed, and it may be that I will need to re-assess their inclusion in the LTSV database.	23/10/2022
990		By Ray Monk 8811F is one of several Ford Transit dropside trucks taken into stock in late 2019 and can normally be found at Edgware Road Station. However, it was photographed paying a visit to Acton Works on 2nd September 2022. As with most Mk8 Transit dropsides in the LUL fleet, 8811F has a tail-lift but only a single cab.	23/10/2022
991		By Ray Monk The financial difficulties faced by TfL since the COVID-19 pandemic have had an effect on the service vehicle fleet. Deliveries of new vehicles virtually ceased in late-2020, while it was evident that there was less work for the existing vehicles, with maintenance and renewal work either deferred or cancelled. It seemed possible that the fleet would be reduced in size, at least until things get back to 'normal'. It looks as though this is now taking place, with a relatively large number of vehicles taken out of use in recent months. In the absence of any official fleet information, what we know is drawn mainly from vehicle licensing data, and hence involves a bit of deduction and guesswork. For example, a change of V5C date usually occurs when there is a change of ownership. However, new V5Cs can also be issued if there are other changes, such as to leasing arrangements. The three vans photographed by Ray in the DSM yard at Acton Works on 2nd September 2022 are all believed to have left the fleet later that month. On the left is 8387R, a Renault Kangoo Maxi van that had latterly been based at Edgware Track Depot. The licence of this van expired at the end of September and it has not yet been renewed. On the right are two Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew vans, both with the rarer 'tail-gate' rear door arrangement. 8240VW and 8241VW were both based at Stratford Market Depot and were getting on for being 6 years old.	23/10/2022
992		By Ray Monk Hybrid cars for the central fleet over the past few years have featured two Toyota models. A handful of the smaller Yaris design were leased from 2013, but from 2017 preference seemed to change to the larger Prius type. Examples of both types continued to be added almost until the (temporary) suspension of new deliveries in 2020. On 2nd September 2022, Ray photographed one of each design parked outside the Distribution Services (now Vehicle Logistics) offices at Acton Works. Yaris 8488T was new in 2017 and has mainly been seen at Acton, while Prius 8973T behind has been more elusive and may be based at Cockfosters Depot.	23/10/2022
993		By Ray Monk This TfL-liveried Toyota Yaris car has been in stock for very nearly 5 years, but we still have no idea where it is based or what it does. On 2nd September 2022 we finally managed to get a photo of it when Ray found it in the front car park at Acton Works. Similar vintage VW Transporter minibus 8599VW is visible in the background, though this is nearly always kept here.	23/10/2022
994		By Ray Monk Vehicles in the livery of Works for London are still quite rare, though perhaps people do not bother reporting or photographing them due to my decision not to count them as 'proper' service vehicles! This Kia Niro 3 electric car has been parked at Eltham Bus Station a few times recently, as seen on 27th August 2022.	23/10/2022
995		By Peter Terry 8863F is a Ford Transit crew van in TfL white/blue livery which we now know is used by the Passenger Data department of LBSL. Despite being in use for over 3 years, it has proved to be quite elusive. Except to Peter Terry, who has now come it across three times! On 27th August 2022 it was parked outside the southern entrance to Harrow-on-the-Hill Station. The LUL cars allocated here are now kept in the multi-storey car park visible on the left.	23/10/2022
996		By Peter Terry The trams operation in Croydon has been supported by central fleet service vehicles since 2008, with the white/blue/green variant of TfL livery first appearing in 2013. For small vans, Renault Kangoo Maxis were used at first, but three Volkswagen Caddy vans (not the longer Maxi version) were added in 2019/2020. 8995VW was photographed at the Therapia Lane depot on 5th August 2022.	23/10/2022
997		By Peter Terry Dynes Recovery Volvo FH truck OK70WME, one of the stars of last year's Plumstead Garage open day, was seen earning its keep at Wimbledon on 23rd August 2022, towing a Go-Ahead London WHV class bus.	25/08/2022
998		By Thomas Young This photo has been included for information rather than for its quality! New contributor Dave Wolstencroft had reported seeing some Elizabeth Line service vehicles at Royal Oak Station recently, including one of the two Renault Kangoo Incident Response Vehicles. These had latterly been based at Romford Rail Operations Centre and it was only when LX68MHU moved to Whitechapel in May 2022 (following the opening of the central section of the Elizabeth Line) that we discovered it was numbered 8633R rather than the officially allocated 8632R. I wanted to check the other IRV but did not know where it was now based. So, when Dave reported it at Royal Oak, I paid a visit myself. This photo was taken on 22nd August 2022 from the LUL station platforms (alongside the lines out of Paddington Station) looking north towards the elevated A40 Westway road. Two vans can be seen, but the presence of fences and several containers meant it was hard to get a good viewing angle on them. Using my mega-zoom camera I was eventually able to confirm that this Kangoo (LX68MJO) is indeed numbered 8632R instead of 8633R. As the identities have simply been transposed, the LTSV database has been updated to reflect the actual numbers rather than the allocated ones. The Ford Transit van on the right is 8656F, though only the last two letters of the registration could be seen. VW Caddy Maxi crew van 8635VW was also present, but in another part of the yard to the west of the station and again requiring optical assistance to identify. I have added this location to the LTSV database, as Royal Oak Elizabeth Line with code ROE, though I suspect it may only be temporary. The Elizabeth line is currently being run as three separate sections. Trains from Reading and Shenfield still terminate at Paddington and Liverpool Street stations, as before, while the new service from Abbey Wood terminates at Paddington (Elizabeth Line) station. Trains then continue out of service, rising to the surface to reverse in sidings at Westbourne Park, just to the West of Royal Oak. The through service is now scheduled to commence in November 2022.	25/08/2022
999		By Dave Wolstencroft Another vehicle that is no stranger to LTSV is LO19MUE, the Nissan NV300 operated by RGI Bus on behalf of Abellio London. On 20th August 2022 it was found at the unlikely location of Warminster Station in Wiltshire. It was there in connection with the 2022 Imberbus event, when vintage buses are used on services between here and the 'ghost' village of Imber. Imber is located on Salisbury Plain, large parts of which are used for military training exercises. The village was progressively taken over until the last residents were moved out in 1943. Since then it has been uninhabited, and inaccessible apart from on special occasions. Most years since 2009 have seen vintage buses being used on a one-day only route 23A, taking in Imber and other localities such as Brazen Bottom! The van was presumably here in case any of the buses experienced mechanical problems.	25/08/2022
1,000		By Simon Dixon LUL Ford Transit Custom crew van 8508F makes its third appearance on LTSV with this photo taken in Bletchley (Buckinghamshire) on 19th August 2022. Simon actually sent two photos, with one from the rear being slightly better quality. However, as the other two photos on LTSV were both from the rear, I decided it was time this van 'showed its face'.	25/08/2022

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