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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 1,201 |  |
By Ray Monk Three more TfL Toyota Yaris cars in the car park at Acton Works on 11th December 2021, with 8898T nearest the camera. Parked beyond are 8895T (nearer) from the same batch, and 8597T (further), one of a pair delivered in late 2017. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,202 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray paid another visit to Acton Works on 11th December 2021 and, although there was very little in the way of new vehicles, some interest was provided by the presence of several TfL Toyota Yaris cars. Two batches of seven each had been delivered in spring 2019, the first seven curiously being given LUL white/blue/red livery before being changed to TfL white/blue before leaving the works. Ray had photographed most of the cars when they were first delivered to Acton, but I chose not to use all of these photos and instead to wait for photos of them in service. However, the cars were to prove remarkably elusive. Of the first seven (8836T to 8842T), 8836T was photographed in Barking in June 2021, 8840T was noted twice in south east London in July 2021 while 8842T was seen on LUL night work on a couple of occasions. Of the others, nothing was heard. The second batch were equally rare, with just a handful of sightings, mostly suggesting use by LUL. I had speculated that the cars would be for TfL Streets and/or Infrastructure, but perhaps they were for use by LUL. The use of generic TfL white/blue livery on cars could be a new policy, as evidenced by the allocation of white/blue Nissan Leaf cars 9100N to 9103N to LBSL work. As for the reason for their return to Acton Works in late-2021, it is believed to have been in connection with the fitting of updated tracking equipment. As they may not be seen again for a long time, I am showing four photos of these cars today! First up is 8838T from the first batch, seen in the front car park at Acton. This particular car was not actually seen in LUL livery but it is likely to have gained it then lost it, as with the others of the batch. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,203 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson This Vauxhall Combo van has been used by the engineers at Arriva London's Norwood garage for at least the past year, though it was in unmarked white for most of that time. By December 2021 it had been treated to a smart set of lettering and chevrons, and it was photographed at the garage on the 10th, parked close to one of the resident Vauxhall Corsa crew ferry cars. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,204 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray scored a double scoop with this photo taken at Eltham Bus Station on 10th December 2021, as it shows both a new operator and a new vehicle make. This small van had lettering for 'Works for London', but Ray noticed that the phone number and e-mail address shown were for TfL. Some digging revealed that Works for London (WfL) is a new joint venture set up in Spring 2021 to maintain TfL's infrastructure. This covers not only bus stops, bus stations, river piers and Victoria Coach Station but also the trunk road network (amounting to 5 percent of all London roadspace) and associated bridges, tunnels, streetlights, green spaces etc. The new eight year contract involves three companies (Ringway, FM Conway and Tarmac Kier JV) and has replaced the previous London Highways Alliance Contract which had run from April 2012 until March 2021. As with the Highways Alliance, vehicles used by WfL are in a 'grey area' as to whether or not they should be classed as service vehicles. It may be that some central fleet vehicles will be assigned to the operation, but most are likely to be sourced directly, and I don't think it will be practical to try and list these. I will be happy to publish photos of any related vehicles though. The vehicle itself is also of interest, being a Chinese-built Maxus E Deliver 3 electric van. If the Maxus name sounds familiar it is because it was a van model introduced by Birmingham-based LDV in 2004. LDV had been formed in 1993 and was named to reflect its parentage as the van division of Leyland-DAF. They continued to build vans at Washwood Heath that were based on the venerable Leyland Sherpa model, albeit updated as the Convoy (larger vans, based on the Sherpa 350/400) and Pilot (smaller versions, based on the Sherpa 200). The Maxus was launched in 2004 and was originally to have come in two sizes, though in the event only the larger variants were ever built. LDV was bought by the Russian GAZ Group in 2006 but the company was losing sales and the Birmingham factory was closed at the end of 2008. The designs were sold on and ended up with SAIC (formerly the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) in 2010. A year later, they set up a new company called Maxus, to build vehicles in China. One of their first products was a van based on the LDV Maxus, but now called the Maxus V80. This was sold in the UK from 2016, though was replaced in 2019 by the V90 (which looks very much like a Ford Transit Mk8). Also in 2019, a smaller, electric van was launched as the EV30, with sales to the UK (where it is branded as a Maxus E Deliver 3) starting in 2020. Six 'real' service vehicles can also be seen in this photo, comprising four Volkswagen Crafter Incident Response Unit vans, TfL Toyota Yaris 8690T on the left and Nissan Leaf 9100N behind the charging 'shed'. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,205 |  |
By Simon Dixon In 1992 the University of Hertfordshire set up a company to operate bus services between its campuses. Originally intended mainly for students, UniversityBus services were run commercially and also carried the general public. The company gradually expanded, rebranding itself as Uno in 2005 with a new purple and pink livery, and today operates numerous bus services around Hatfield, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Bedford as well as a small involvement in TfL tendered work in London. Seen at Northampton on 9th December 2021 was black Vauxhall Vectra car NA08BWK, used as a crew ferry vehicle and carrying the Uno logo in the rear window. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,206 |  |
By Dave Warby The new Crossrail train service linking East and West London had been due to start at the end of 2018 and, in preparation for this, a fleet of 24 service vehicles was delivered between July and October. These wore a smart new livery variant of white and blue with a purple stripe. Unfortunately the opening of the line was seriously delayed, with no firm date set as of the end of 2021. A couple of the vehicles were redeployed to LUL and re-liveried accordingly, while others can be seen parked up at the Plumstead Depot. Although the public services are not yet running, there is a need for vehicles to support the commissioning and testing of the trains, stations and equipment, and the service vehicle fleet has indeed been bolstered by a couple of LUL-liveried Ford Transit dropside trucks. The most numerous vehicles are Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew vans, of which there are 9. On 17th March 2020, the last of these (8642VW) was photographed somewhat off the beaten track at Chesham. The van may have been in use with LUL, though it is equally likely that it was just parked 'at home'. Note the Elephant and Castle pub sign in the background, the building having since been converted into a private residence. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,207 |  |
By Damon Cross As mentioned last month, 'select' registrations in the prefix series became quite popular in the 1990s. A-prefix marks were perhaps the most common, but there were others, particularly when the letter could have 'significance' A good example is this view of the Big Bus Company garage in Wimbledon, taken on 30th June 2006. Two vans are visible inside, the one on the right being registered B16BVS, no doubt to look like 'BIG BUS'. Presumably the even more suitable B16BUS was already in use. The original registration of the van is not known, though it is a Mk5 Ford Transit (as evidenced by the black 'grilles' in the upper rear corners) so must date from after 1994. On the left is N957WJM, a Ford Escort van in the brown livery used by the company. Neither of these vans have (yet) been added to the vehicle database on LTSV, though it is notable that a brown Ford Escort van registered B16BBC had been noted in 2005. It is possible that this later changed (or reverted) to N957WJM. The Big Bus Company was a new entrant to the London sightseeing tour market in the early 1990s, though it was owned by the Maybury family who had run tours using that name in the 1980s. With a smart brown and cream livery, the initial fleet was mainly former LT DMS class Daimler Fleetlines converted to open-top. Former LT T class Leyland Titans were added later in the decade, while in the 2000s, 3-axle buses were repatriated from Hong Kong (Dennis Condors, Leyland Olympians and MCW Metrobuses). The last Fleetlines were taken off service in 2006, followed by the first purchase of brand-new vehicles (Volvo B9TLs in 2009 and Chinese-built Anhui Ankais in 2012). In this photo, the bus on the left is a 3-axle Dennis Condor, that on the right a Leyland Titan. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,208 |  |
By Ivor Norman Very few bus company service vehicles with B-prefix registrations are known of. It is likely that some of the companies involved in the early years of bus tendering did operate such vehicles, but details were rarely published. The photo shown here was taken at Chingford Mount on 1st October 1991 and shows Ford Escort van B45MLP lettered for LeaValley. Things always get complicated when talking about the former London Country operations but here is a quick summary. London Country Bus Services (LCBS) was split into four separate companies in 1986. One was London Country North East, and this was further divided in 1989 into 'County Bus and Coach' and 'Sovereign Bus and Coach'. Vehicles with County did not carry that fleetname, being branded either as LeaValley (Hertford and Edmonton), TownLink (Harlow and Debden) or Thameside (Grays). There was a common livery of cream with green stripes. The company gained several LT bus routes, leading to the opening of a base in Edmonton, while it was eventually to become part of the Arriva empire (along with most of the other former LCBS operators). The bus behind the van is an Alexander-bodied Leyland Olympian of Capital Citybus, an operator that originated as Ensignbus with blue buses, and was sold in 1990 to Hong Kong Citybus with a new yellow livery. These operations later passed to First London and are now mainly in the hands of Go-Ahead London. Note the coloured patch on the side of the van bodywork, perhaps indicating repairs or graffiti removal. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,209 |  |
By Derek Everson The Ford P100 was available in the UK from 1982 onwards and married the front end of the Cortina car to a pick-up style rear end. In 1988 it was replaced by a new variant, based on the Ford Sierra. London Transport leased just six examples of the original model, three each in 1984 and 1986. 3295F was new in late 1984 and was allocated to LT Builders at Parsons Green. Photographed at Hatton Cross Station on 5th November 1985, the dropping tail-gate can be seen. Note the large doors in the station building. I have never seen these open but they presumably lead to an equipment room of some sort, and are large enough for a vehicle to enter. A couple of Ford Transit vans were officially allocated to Hatton Cross at this time (assigned to the Permanent Way Manager), though I don't know if they were actually kept here. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,210 |  |
By Richard Eversden 56 B-prefixed vehicles were added to the leased fleet in 1984/1985, with a further pair added second-hand in 1988. As was normal at the time, the majority of vehicles were supplied by Ford, with Transit and Escort vans being the most numerous. I have already published most of the photos I have of these vehicles, but I did find this one of a former service vehicle which shows a rather unusual feature. Ford Transit Mk2 van B267TKE had been leased by London Transport in September 1984 and given fleetnumber 3220F. It was allocated to the Commercial Advertising department at Jamestown Road in Camden and remained in use until February 1989. It was photographed a few years later while in private use, when it retained its grey livery albeit unlettered and with the addition of foglamps and a thin coachline around the waist. The interesting feature is the hinged side cargo door. Some of LT's long-wheelbase Transit vans had these doors but they were very rare on the smaller variants. Although some other Transits new at the same time were also allocated to the advertising department, most seem to have lacked cargo doors. Indeed the department often specified sliding cab doors which would preclude the fitting of cargo doors. With the advent of the Mk3 Transit a few years later, cargo doors became more common, though they were then sliding doors rather than hinged ones. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,211 |  |
By James Mair James photographed this dustcart in a low sun at Edgware sometime in the latter half of the 1980s. Although his photos taken of the front were better, I have chosen to use this one of the rear, as it shows the fitting of a bin lift. These appear to have been fitted some time after the lorries were delivered in 1985, and can be seen more clearly in Derek's photo of similar 2421D. Because the lifting gear obscured the original rear hazard markings, new markings were carried on plates added to the bodywork on either side. Note also that the exhaust pipe runs up inside one of the bodyside ribs to exit at roof level. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,212 |  |
By Derek Everson London Transport organised open days at the large Chiswick/Acton Works complex in 1983, 1984 and 1985, and it was normal for a display of service vehicles to be put on. At the 1985 event (on 11th August), Dodge dustcart 2419D was one of the vehicles on show. New a few months earlier, the vehicle still looked fairly pristine, or perhaps it had been cleaned up especially. On the right is another B-prefix service vehicle in the shape of Freight Rover Sherpa 350 van 2422L, while on the left is older Ford Transit minibus 3010F. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,213 |  |
By James Mair Apart from the four Leyland tow trucks (which only gained their marks following changes in trade plate rules in 1990), the only B-prefix registered large lorries were a trio of Dodge Commando dustcarts bought in March 1985. These were the first 'modern' refuse vehicles for London Transport and were used to collect rubbish from tube and bus stations. As an aside, does anyone know what arrangements were in place before these vehicles arrived? The Dodges wore standard grey livery but were slightly unusual for having four fleetnumbers each. The numbers were applied on the front (either side of the radiator grille) as well in the more normal positions of the front corners. This feature can be seen in this undated photo of 2419D on Station Road in Edgware. The three lorries had been modified with bin-lifting equipment a couple of years after delivery. Although the equipment is not visible in this view, the four additional hydraulic lines on the left side of the front of the bodywork can be seen. Two of the Dodges were withdrawn in 1990 (following the arrival of a pair of larger Mercedes dustcarts), while 2420D was kept until 1996. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,214 |  |
By Damon Cross Another view of Leyland Freighter bus recovery truck 2416L at the Wood Green Garage open day on 23rd June 1990. As well as showing the original bodywork and the recently applied grey-skirt livery, this photo shows the arrangement for towing buses. The twin booms (which could be rotated to either side if required) were used to lift the bus, while a pair of metal bars at the bottom of the lorry were used to actually pull (and steady) the bus. The new lifting gear fitted in about 1991 was of the spectacle-hoist type, which reached under the front axle of the bus. It should also be mentioned that the non-matching B73-XJD registrations carried by the four tow trucks bought in 1984 were only actually applied in early 1990. Prior to that, the trucks had operated on trade plates. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,215 |  |
By Damon Cross Another vehicle that is no stranger to LTSV is Leyland Freighter bus recovery truck 2416L, with 8 photos already published. Added today are another two, both taken during an open-day at Wood Green Garage on 23rd June 1990. Interestingly, these photos show a livery variant that has not previously been seen, namely red with a grey skirt along both the cab and bodywork. The grey skirt livery (with white waist-band) had been adopted as standard by London Buses at the end of 1987, but this appears to be the only one of the six tow trucks to have been given it (2415L later gained the London General variant with a slightly darker grey skirt topped with a yellow stripe). As with 2415L, 2416L was rebuilt with new bodywork and booms in about 1991, and it remained in use with Leaside until about 2001. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,216 |  |
By Colin Lloyd This vehicle has appeared several times on LTSV, but each photo shows variations in the livery carried. 2415L was one of six Leyland Freighter bus recovery trucks bought to replace smaller Ford D-series vehicles. 2372L was the first to arrive (in spring 1982) and was followed by 2391L in early 1983. While 2372L had a single, telescoping boom, 2391L was fitted with twin cranes, these also being fitted to the batch of four bought in 1984 (2415L to 2418L). The cranes do not appear to have been very successful and two of the vehicles (2415L and 2416L) were extensively rebuilt in about 1991 with new bodywork and a low-mounted spectacle hoist. 2415L turned out to be the longest-lasting of the type, passing to London General in 1995 and remaining in use until the arrival of a new Volvo lorry in 2004. When seen on Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria on 4th August 1993, its livery had recently been amended (compared to a 1992 photo). The large London General logo on the front and the London Buses roundels on the cab doors had been displaced by 'THUNDERBIRD 3' titles. The London General B-type bus logo was now carried on the front corners, this in turn displacing the 2415L fleetnumbers to a non-standard position at the very rear of the bodywork. The London Buses roundels were now carried on the lockers of the revised bodywork while another change was the addition of a white stripe below the windscreen. Although bus recovery trucks were photographed more than most other types of service vehicles, photos of 2415L in its as-built condition are surprisingly rare. There is at least one on Flickr and I may add this in due course. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,217 |  |
By James Mair Seen parked on Melton Street (close to Euston Station) during an incident in the mid-1980s, 2413L was one of a pair of Freight Rover Sherpa 350 long-wheelbase vans allocated to the Signals and Electrical Engineer at Lillie Bridge. As can be seen, the vans had large Emergency signs mounted above the cabs, and they were used from 1984 until 1990. Although the date of this photo was not recorded, it could have been during the same flooding problems when Kim Rennie photographed service vehicles 3210B and 3409F. In fact, the Vauxhall Astra estate car parked beyond 2413L could well be 3210B. Although the larger Sherpa van models were only slightly bigger than a Ford Transit, they appear to have crossed a line in terms of purchasing policy. After 1982, all vehicles up to and including Ford Transits were leased and given fleetnumbers in the 3xxx series. Anything larger (including 300-series Sherpas and Dodge S-series vans) were purchased and numbered in the 2xxx series. |
05/01/2022 |
| 1,218 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson As well as a large number of crew ferry minibuses and engineer's vans, Go-Ahead London also has a number of smaller vans for other roles. Several Ford Fiesta vans have been sold recently and we were wondering what might have replaced these. On 5th December 2021 Andrew found this unmarked white van parked outside the company offices next door to Merton Garage. Signs inside the vehicle suggested that it was a Go-Ahead vehicle so it could well be one of the replacements. The previous vans were also unmarked, although most were red, which made them a bit more noticeable. The most interesting aspect about HG21XBL is that, even though it looks very familiar, it is a new type not seen before on LTSV. Evidently based on a Renault Kangoo, it is actually a Nissan NV250. Launched in late-2019, this is the second case of badge-engineering for the Kangoo model, with the Mercedes Citan having been available since 2012. While looking up this information, I also discovered that an all-new Renault Kangoo is on the way. Referred to as the Kangoo III (or Third Generation), it has a slightly sleeker design, losing some of the type's individuality. There will also be a Nissan-badged version, the Nissan Townstar, and this will replace both the NV200 and NV250 models. And there will be a Renault Express, similar in appearance to the Kangoo III but slightly smaller and based on the Dacia Dokker (which was actually built by Renault). All slightly confusing, but I look forward to seeing photos of these new types if/when they are acquired by any of the service vehicle operators! Given LUL's extensive use of the Kangoo model over the past decade, they are likely to at least try the new variant. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,219 |  |
By Paul Nicholls One more service vehicle photographed at Lakeside Bus Station on 4th December 2021 was this Vauxhall Insignia car in unmarked dark blue. Signs on the dashboard showed that HN66XPE was being used by Arriva, most likely from the garage in Grays. Does anyone know the purpose of the drive-through shed in the background? |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,220 |  |
By Paul Nicholls This is the business end of Ensignbus Volvo FH recovery truck EB20TOW, seen at Lakeside Bus Station on 4th December 2021. The lifting gear was made by Boniface and is painted red, providing some contrast to the blue and silver bodywork. Note the back of the large spoiler mounted behind the cab. As well as providing a place to fit the light-bar, these increase the down-force (and hence grip) when operating at high-speed. Actually, that might not be so relevant in this case... |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,221 |  |
By Derek Everson Another vehicle seen at Lakeside during the Ensignbus running day on 4th December 2021 was this rather impressive Volvo FH recovery truck registered EB20TOW. Ensign had acquired a new Volvo FH540 in March 2020, registered AY20TXB. Although I never got a photo of that vehicle, there are plenty of images on-line and these suggest that the vehicles are one and the same. In addition, the licensing data provides evidence that the vehicle was re-registered in September 2021. The standard Ensignbus blue and silver livery has been adapted to suit the lines of the cab and bodywork, while the minimal lettering and absence of 'bling' give this vehicle a very attractive appearance. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,222 |  |
By Derek Everson Two different contributors sent in photos of this van recently, both being taken at virtually the same time (the gent in the green coat in the background was somewhat further from the building in a photo sent in by Paul Nicholls!). This is not as strange as it may sound, as the photos were taken at Lakeside Bus Station on 4th December 2021, and this was the date of the (normally) annual Ensignbus Running Day. During this event, special and vintage buses are used on routes linking Lakeside Shopping Centre (in Essex) with Bluewater Shopping Centre (in Kent) and various other points. You'll find photos of many of the buses on Flickr and elsewhere, but the subject here is Renault Trafic NL66OLU. This van has been in the Ensignbus fleet for a couple of years but had not previously been photographed. We now know that it has been given fleetnumber 807, suggesting that it was a replacement for the previous 807 (YR07KWB), and that it carries the full standard blue and silver livery. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,223 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Stagecoach South East sent six Ford Transit Connect vans to London in November 2021 to replace an equal number of 2016-vintage Ford Transit Custom vans, the aim being to place vehicles with lower emissions into London service. Interestingly the Transit Connects varied in age with the oldest being only a few months younger than the van it replaced. This was MW66XNV (national fleetnumber 90760) which moved from Ashford to Bromley in exchange for MD16SWO (90797). Aside from being white (instead of red), the replacement vans are considerably smaller than the high-roof vans used before. It remains to be seen whether these are temporary replacements, pending the delivery of new vans. Also of note in this photograph taken at the side entrance to Bromley Garage on 27th November 2021 is that MW66XNV is completely unmarked. Reports (and photographs) of the newer vans now at Bow, Leyton, Romford (North Street) and West Ham would be welcomed. Plumstead and Catford had already gained newer vans in the past couple of years, while (so far) Rainham has continued with its 16-reg Transit Custom. Perhaps they figured that a Rainham vehicle was unlikely to have to enter the Ultra Low Emission Zone of inner London. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,224 |  |
By Paul Nicholls Another nocturnal LUL vehicle caught 'sleeping' is Renault Kangoo maxi van 8367R. A regular sight amongst the midnight gatherings at Griffith House, it was found in Ockendon (Essex) on 25th November 2021. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,225 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Although at least five of the 14 Mercedes Sprinter crew vans acquired for LUL in 2015 have been withdrawn, several remain in use. These vehicles are mostly active at night and daytime sightings are scarce. Providing an exception was Andrew's discovery of 8142M parked in Norbury on 23rd November 2021. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,226 |  |
By Bob Milner An interesting development in November 2021 was a series of vehicle swaps between Stagecoach London and Stagecoach South East. A total of six red Ford Transit Custom vans dating from 2016 were moved out of London, being swapped one-for-one with newer Ford Transit Connect vans in white. The moves were said to be to do with emissions standards, presumably to avoid London vehicles incurring ULEZ charges when attending breakdowns within the North and South Circular Roads. Barking Garage's MC16YUK (which was allocated national fleetnumber 93106 but carried 95261) now resides at Thanet, while their MT70ANP (national fleetnumber 90693) moved the other way. Bob found the newer van at Barking garage on 20th November 2021, although it was unfortunately parked hard against the fence making photography difficult. This view does show the recruitment advertising carried, this reading 'Help keep us on the road. Engineering vacancies across the South East'. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,227 |  |
By Ray Monk The hired DAF XF artic lorry that Derek photographed at Acton on 2nd November 2021 was still around when Ray visited on the 20th of the same month. This view taken in the lorry yard shows a bit more of the large folding crane fitted behind the cab, and also of the accompanying Dennison flatbed trailer. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,228 |  |
By Ray Monk Also seen at Acton Works on 20th November 2021 but in the lorry yard across the railway lines was hired DAF CF flatbed lorry NC14NDC. This has been in use for at least a few months and has gained small TfL/LUL logos on the cab doors. Interestingly these appear to have been applied using transfers/vinyls rather than on temporary labels. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,229 |  |
By Ray Monk This Ford Transit truck was delivered to Acton Works in early September 2021, but it was destined to remain there for over two months before it had lettering applied. When photographed on 20th November it had recently gained green side stripes, Trams lettering and the fleetnumber 9108F. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,230 |  |
By Derek Everson Apart from the slightly unfortunate shadow, this is a lovely shot of LUL Mercedes Actros WN12NDV coming down Bollo Lane in Acton on 2nd November 2021. This lorry has the new TfL/LUL lettering but has not gained the red stripe normally carried, unlike similar WP61ZXE which did. Both lorries are coming up for their tenth birthday, while crane-equipped 2591 has just turned fifteen. What is interesting about this photograph is the trailer. The single-axle flatbed is numbered CT36 and was new as a dropside trailer in grey livery way back in 1984. It is the last survivor of eight Crane Fruehauf trailers bought in 1984 and its retention is believed to be down to its short length, making it able to negotiate the tight turns at Neasden Depot and other locations. Having also published some photos of A-prefix registered service vehicles today, it is interesting to consider that this trailer was new at the same time. Will it reach its 40th birthday? |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,231 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek caught another line-up of service vehicles, this time at Falcon Buses' Byfleet base on 24th October 2021. Falcon has applied a smart white, red and blue livery to its fleet, including most of its service vehicles. This is shown on Ford Fiesta vans YL15THF and KO16SXX and also on Vauxhall Corsa van EY62UCN at the back. The interloper is Ford Fiesta van BF16MHV, still in as-acquired white/blue. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,232 |  |
By Derek Everson I like photos taken at night, and I like photos that show a line-up of service vehicles, so this one ticks two boxes for me. Having said that, I should point out that this photo was actually taken shortly before dawn on 12th October 2021, as Derek is one of these enviable people who are able to get up very early! The location is the car park behind Morden Station, base for the London Buses Incident Response vans covering much of South London. Five vans were present at the time, the nearest being 9071VW. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,233 |  |
By Derek Everson Another LBSL IRU at Eltham on 10th August 2021 was 9084VW. I had not previously noted the non-matching bumpstops on the rear doors, the one on the nearside door being much more pronounced. These vans have so-called 270 degree hinges, allowing the rear doors to open such that they rest alongside the bodywork. Such fittings are of particular use in scenarios like loading bays with restricted width. The nearside door bumpstop is presumably longer so that the side door can still be slid open when the rear door is fully open. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,234 |  |
By Derek Everson Moving on to more recent photos (and shorter captions), this is a view of London Buses Incident Response Unit 9066VW at Eltham Bus Station on 10th August 2021. This was one of the pre-COVID deliveries and has been at Eltham since February 2020. Before today, just three of the 45 VW Crafter IRUs had yet to appear on LTSV. Curiously, two of those three are based at Eltham, which is normally one of the best covered locations on LTSV. Remaining after today are 9060VW at Stratford City and 9094VW at Eltham, though in both cases I am waiting for more interesting photos to use! There are also a few vans that have only been photographed at the dealership before delivery. |
11/12/2021 |
| 1,235 |  |
By Richard Eversden via Phil Hambling London Transport bought 4 AEC Mercury pole carrying lorries in 1958 and numbered them as 1078Q to 1081Q. These were the last generation of pole carriers used, and much of their work was related to the dismantling of trolleybus overhead wiring infrastructure as the network was gradually withdrawn. Two of the lorries were sold in 1967, while the other pair remained until 1975/1976. It is not clear what they were used for during their last decade, though they were both allocated to the Electrical Engineer at Hammersmith. For some reason I have always listed 1080Q as being preserved, though it is actually 1081Q that survived. It was sold in June 1976 to the London Trolleybus Preservation Society and was displayed at the Chiswick Works open day in July 1983. It then 'disappeared', with just a couple of reports of it being in Sussex and/or Kent, until it was photographed at an event at the EATM (East Anglian Transport Museum) in 2012. Some restoration had been undertaken but it looked like there was still a fair bit to do. Helping fill the gaps in the history is this new photo, taken at Carlton Colville (the EATM location) in September 1988. 1081Q seems to be parked in a field, along with parts of several other vehicles, and was looking rather decrepit. The missing front bumper changes the appearance considerably. Hopefully we will one day see this lorry fully restored with London Transport lettering. As an aside, I reckon that 1081Q may have been the last London Transport service vehicle to carry green livery, apart from Tree Lopper 1245F which was not sold until 1977 but which (oddly) had started life in grey. And before anyone mentions it, there was also the Thames Trader box truck 1282F which was red while active but repainted green to act as a 'heritage' vehicle in 1984. |
11/12/2021 |
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By Derek Everson Epsom Coaches acquired a pair of Mercedes Vito minibuses in July 2011, these being intended for picking up passengers booked on coach excursions and holidays. The vehicles also saw use as crew ferries to support the Epsom Buses operations. In July 2016 both of the minibuses were re-registered, using the 'select' marks held by the company. RJ11ZWW became A6HRR and was photographed at the Epsom Garage on 9th April 2017, while similar RJ11ZWX became A9HRR. Both reverted to their original marks in about June 2017 and have since been seen working from various London United and London Sovereign garages. |
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By Ray Monk Another of the A--HRR 'select' registration marks used by H R Richmond (trading as Epsom Coaches) was A8HRR, which was applied to a Toyota Corolla car by 2005. When photographed at Wallington Station on 3rd July 2007, it was no doubt being used as a crew ferry for the Epsom Buses operation, although it was lettered for Epsom Coaches. Note that the car also has a 3-digit fleetnumber (301), displayed in the front and rear windscreens. No other Epsom service vehicles had numbers of this sort, as far as we know. The A8HRR plates had been removed from this car by March 2009, though they were to reappear a few months later on a Ford Transit minibus used as a crew rest room normally to be found at Banstead. A similar vehicle was usually parked at Wallington, this becoming A9HRR. Epsom Buses was later acquired by RATP and was gradually integrated into the London United operation. Most of the A--HRR marks are now defunct, apart from A8HRR now with a new owner on a BMW car. |
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By James Mair The next three photos all show A-prefixed vehicles that are not as old as their numberplates suggest. From the early-1980s, many coach operators started applying 'date-less' registrations to some of their vehicles. These were mainly either pre-1964 plates (for example WSV541) or ones issued in Northern Ireland (e.g. HIL2361). Later, dated but personalised registrations were also used, sometimes with the 'correct' year (as in J111SAS) but more often not. For example, Excelsior Coaches of Bournemouth applied A--XEL and A--EXC plates to most of its large (and modern) coach fleet. In our area, Epsom Coaches got in on the act, acquiring several A--HRR plates. This is curious since few people would recognise that the HRR refers to the proprietor (and registered company name), H R Richmond. Initially used on coaches, three of the marks were later used on service vehicles, and in each case they were also later re-applied to different service vehicles. Tracing re-registrations is rather tricky since there is no official and freely available source of information that gives changes and dates. Looking at this photo has made me realise that the data currently on LTSV is not correct, or at least not complete. A6HRR was seen on a Ford Escort estate car in early 2005. A few months later it was reported to have been applied to a Volkswagen Transporter Caravelle minibus that had previously been N678JGP. This photo, taken at the Epsom garage in April 2005, does show a VW Transporter, but it is clearly a van rather than a windowed minibus. N678JGP is listed by DVLA as a Caravelle, so this is evidently not the former identity of the van. Perhaps A6HRR was carried by a VW van and then a minibus? What we do know is that, by 2009, the plate had been moved onto a VW Crafter van and in July 2016 to a Mercedes Vito minibus! |
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By Derek Everson This Freight Rover Sherpa van was photographed in Crawley Bus Station on 27th October 1992 and was in use with London and Country. Although lacking fleetnames, the emerald green livery and the fleetnumber 76A suggest that A286VMB originated from elsewhere. Rather usefully, the van still carried the legal lettering of its former operator, this being Crosville Wales Ltd, with an address in Llandudno Junction. Crosville was one of the larger National Bus Company subsidiaries, running buses in mid and north Wales and in adjoining English counties. In the run-up to privatisation, it was split into two sections, the Welsh operation becoming Crosville Wales. Things were a bit complicated (but interesting) for the next few years, with most operators having their own livery and identity but with a trend for ownership passing to ever larger groups and for numerous transfers of vehicles between companies. At this time, Crosville Wales and London and Country were both owned by Drawlane (or was it British Bus Group by then?), this later being taken over by Cowie and rebranded as Arriva. When I saw this photo I did wonder if the fleetnumber (76A) was an LCBS one. London Country Bus Services had a main numbering series which reached 71F before the company was split into 4 parts in 1986. They also applied suffix letters to indicate the make, and the letter A had been used for a single Leyland Sherpa bought in 1975, the Sherpa having originally been an Austin design. However, further research suggests that 76A was a Crosville fleetnumber, these being a simple numerical sequence, all with an A suffix (presumably for Ancillary). As an aside, Crosville had a unique system for numbering its large bus fleet. There was a 3-digit number with a 3-letter prefix, the letters indicating the class, model and engine make respectively. I remember this because they had some buses classified as DOGs (Double-deck, Olympian, Gardner engine)! A286VMB only lasted a couple of years with London and Country and it was out of use by 1995. |
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By James Mair This photo shows how peripheral details in a photograph can sometimes provide new information about a particular service vehicle. The main subject is DAF 2500 articulated lorry A869GRU, one of a pair acquired second-hand by London Coaches in the late 1980s to serve as driver training vehicles. London Coaches had evolved from the Tours and Charters section of London Buses, and ran open-top buses on London sightseeing tours and coaches on excursions and commuter services. It initially used Battersea bus garage before moving to the larger garage in Wandsworth. One of the first parts of London Buses to be privatised (in 1992), it was re-sold in late 1997 to Arriva, the recently-adopted new name for the Cowie Group. A869GRU was allocated fleetnumber DT1 on paper (with DT2 being similar B221PFX), and was thought to have been sold in about 2001. However, this undated photo has some clues that indicate it was taken in late-2002. The two buses alongside are MCW Metrobus double-deckers, many of which were transferred from the former Leaside and South London fleets under Arriva ownership. Most were converted to open top but this pair are closed top and, more interestingly, are blinded for London bus route 185. At the start of the new millennium there was an effort made by LRT/TfL to attract more companies to bid to run London bus services. One of the results was the unlikely involvement of Durham Travel Services, a company that had only been created a couple of years previously and which mainly ran National Express coach services from a base in Peterlee in the North East. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the company chose to use a different fleetname (London Easylink) when it was awarded the tender to operate route 185 in early 2001. It later added single-deck route 42 (which had earlier been operated from the National London base in Catford), but in August 2002 the company went into receivership. At 3pm on the 21st, all drivers working on the two routes were radioed and told to disembark their passengers and return to the depot immediately, where the buses were effectively impounded. This was an unprecedented and intolerable situation and within a few hours a limited service was restored to both routes using buses from various operators. Blue Triangle was tasked with coordinating the service on route 185 but, not having enough buses of its own, also employed an amazing variety of vehicles from Amberlee, Carousel, First London, London Central, Metrobus, Red Route and Sullivan Buses. From early September, 'Arriva The Original London Sightseeing Tour' became involved, this being the new name for the former London Coaches sightseeing operation and usually abbreviated (thankfully) to Arriva TOLST! They used closed-top Metrobuses, initially without blinds, though as this photo shows, fairly good blind displays were soon sourced. After six months the service was reassigned to East Thames Buses, at the time TfL's in-house 'operator of last resort', and used the buses originally acquired by Durham Travel to run the route! It was not to be the last time the 185 was involved in complications though, as I tried to describe back in 2006. The bottom line (finally!) is that A869GRU remained in stock until at least late-2002, and I will update the database shortly. |
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By Colin Lloyd A photo of this Freight Rover Sherpa truck in KentishBus cream/maroon livery was added to LTSV many years ago. However, this view taken at Catford Garage on 19th June 1986 shows that it had started out in white livery with National London fleetnames. National London was a fleetname of National Travel (London) Ltd, a National Bus Company subsidiary that only ran coaches and control of which passed to London Country Bus Services (LCBS) in 1984. The company had a garage in Catford, which proved to be useful when LCBS bid for some of the early LRT route tenders. A couple of fairly local routes (the 42 and P4) were awarded to LCBS and operated from Catford using Leyland National buses, some of which gained National London fleetnames. The National London coach fleet was gradually dispersed around LCBS (which was split into four regional companies in September 1986), with the last vestiges becoming part of London Country South East (later KentishBus) in February 1987. The Catford base, which has not yet been added to LTSV as a location, is believed to have closed at the same time. |
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By Colin Lloyd The first seven photos in todays batch all show vehicles with A-prefix registrations. These were first introduced in August 1983, when the existing registration system was simply reversed. The year was now indicated by a single letter at the beginning, rather than one at the end. I do remember thinking at the time how odd these 'backwards' registrations looked... Seen crossing Buckingham Palace Road outside Victoria Coach Station on 5th May 1993 was Dodge Commando lorry 2406D, still in standard grey livery. In fact the lorry appears to still have the lettering applied when it was new in January 1984, namely 'London Transport' in red with 'Distribution Services Manager' in black underneath. London Transport had bought 35 Dodge service vehicles (mainly Commando lorries but also a few S-series trucks and vans) between 1981 and 1985. They were in decline by the time of this photo and 2406D was to be sold within a few weeks. Perhaps of interest are the two minibuses visible, both of which are Optare products. The blue one on the left is a CityPacer that was used by Eaton Square Schools for staff and student transport. The CityPacer was based on the Volkswagen LT chassis and was also used by London Buses for some central area bus routes, including the C1. Those on the C1 were later replaced by larger minibuses, including the MetroRider just visible on the right. The MetroRider had started out in 1986 as an MCW product but was bought by Optare in 1989 and continued in production for another decade. The use of minibuses on London bus services was also in decline by the time of this photograph, with bigger Dennis Darts being added in large numbers. These were to be followed by low floor Dart SLFs and then Enviro 200s. |
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By Ray Monk Ray has been getting around a bit lately, and on 13th November 2021 he took this photo of Guildford Bus Garage. This location is in the news at present, with Arriva announcing that the base will close on December 17th this year. The site had in fact been sold to a property developer a few years ago, and leased back for continued use. Around 44 buses currently work from here and the location is not to be replaced, services instead being transferred to other operators such as Stagecoach and Hallmark. Guildford Garage is notable for being one of very few former LT premises still in use in the 'country' area, and also for the fact that it is a rather constricted site, squeezed between houses and the River Wey. The building seen here is believed to be based on the original structure. Built in 1932 (for what was then 'London General Country Services'), the main building lasted until about 2001 when it appears to have been reduced in length. The front half was demolished, leaving the rear half (containing the engineering bays) in place. The shortened building was extensively re-clad, giving it a more modern appearance. At about the same time, a single storey office block on the other side of the yard (out of shot on the right) was also demolished, the net result being a much larger yard for bus parking. To keep the SV in LTSV, I should mention that three service vehicles are in this photo, although one can barely be seen. On the left is Ford Transit Connect van GM66WWL, the resident engineer's van. Parked in the fourth bay of the garage is Peugeot 308 car MD69ONF in unmarked dark greyish blue (or it might be blueish grey). Similar (but black) MD69RNA was parked in front of this, and both cars are used as crew ferry vehicles. The car in the yard on the right is believed to be private. LCBS (London Country Bus Services) inherited 33 garages from London Transport upon its formation in 1970. Much has changed over the past 51 years and the majority of the garages have been closed and demolished. Just Northfleet and Harlow have remained in continuous use, while Swanley is still a bus garage but now with a new operator. Garston closed in 2018 and demolition is reported to now be going ahead. Do any others survive? |
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By Ray Monk Do we really need a third photo of an unmarked red Mercedes Vito minibus at Eltham? Well, perhaps. The allocations of several Go-Ahead London minibuses have changed recently, perhaps as a result of the delivery of (at least) 15 new examples. RJ19HSV had been based at Northumberland Park garage since new in April 2019. By the time it was photographed at Eltham on 10th November 2021 it had moved to Orpington. According to the notices in the side windows it is normally assigned to support route R7. Although there are no notices about COVID and facemasks, there is a length of tape on the offside door, as also seen on other minibuses. However, closer examination shows this to be marked with something like 'Compliant Cleaning', so it could be that the tapes are applied to indicate that the vehicle has been cleaned, rather than to prevent the offside passenger door from being used (as was originally thought). Newer Vito WP21YCZ may have also moved recently. New in late August, it was seen at Canning Town in October and in Croydon in November. As always, reports of observations would be welcomed so that we can try and keep up to date with such changes. |
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By Kim Rennie Since early 2017 the only Vauxhall products in the central fleet have been a small number of Movano minibuses. Four remain in use, all in white/blue/red livery but actually split between three with LBSL Network Development and one with LUL. Kim caught 8303V (from the LBSL trio) on Colney Hatch Lane on 7th November 2021. I was going to give this location a name but it doesn't seem to have one, falling somewhere between Friern Barnet, New Southgate, Muswell Hill and Finchley! Also slightly confusing is that this is a second generation Vauxhall Movano, which is basically a badge-engineered third generation Renault Master. Following the merger of Fiat-Chrysler and PSA in 2021, the model has been replaced by a third generation Vauxhall Movano, which is based on the face-lifted third generation Fiat Ducato! |
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By Bob Milner One more photo from Tufnell Park on 6th November 2021 shows mid-height Ford Transit van 8860F parked with a couple of the resident Toyota Prius cars (8888T on the left and 8892T on the right). |
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By Bob Milner Quite a variety of service vehicles are allocated to LUL's power supply section, many of which can be seen parked at the base in Tufnell Park. The fleet was renewed in 2019 and most of the current vehicles are numbered between 8843 and 8892. Seen at Tufnell Park on 6th November 2021 were Ford Transit Mk8 dropside truck 8846F and Ford Transit Custom van 8851F. Transit van 8859F (with its unique external lights) and a couple of Renault Kangoos are also visible. |
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By Bob Milner Another location where you can get in among LUL service vehicles is at Station Road, Tufnell Park. Visitors should be aware that, even though there is unrestricted access, the property is technically private and you may be asked to leave. Among various vehicles present on a sunny 6th November 2021 was Ford Transit van 8862F, new in late 2019. A batch of seven Toyota Prius hybrid cars is also nominally allocated here, and 8892T and 8886T can be seen parked beyond the van. |
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By Bob Milner There are not many locations where you can routinely get up-close with LUL service vehicles, but Bob visited two of them on 7th November 2021. First up was Finchley Central Station, where there is a fenced and gated compound but some vehicles are often parked outside. Present on this day were three Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew vans (8970VW to the fore with 9007VW and 8971VW behind) and one Renault Kangoo Maxi van (8556R). Note that 8970VW and 8971VW have consecutive registration numbers as well as fleetnumbers, quite a rare occurrence these days. It is slightly curious that both these van models are available as plain vans and as crew vans, yet LUL seems to have a preference for van Kangoos and crew van Caddys. |
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By Ray Monk 8802R is another of the 'Manchester' Renault Kangoos and has been based at Acton Works (where it was photographed on 6th November 2021) since delivery in April 2019. It was seen parked round the corner from the DSM yard, with the LBSL parking area on the left (with three IRU vans present) and the traverser in the background. The increasingly overgrown appearance of the traverser pit suggests that it is no longer in regular use. |
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By Ray Monk A rather surprising find at Acton Works on 6th November 2021 was 9142VW, a Volkswagen Crafter dropside truck with LUL markings but no skirt or stripe applied to its white bodywork. Interestingly, I had published a photo of this vehicle when it was seen at the Bedfont dealership back in November 2020, and I had speculated that it could perhaps be destined to be a service vehicle. The fact that nothing more was seen of it made me think I was probably wrong. The only solid fact about this vehicle is that it was not licensed until February 2021. Whether it was delivered to LUL then, or if it had only recently arrived when Ray photographed it, is unknown. |
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By Ray Monk Providing a bit of variety at Acton Works on 6th November 2021 was Nissan Navara 8731N. Two of these large pick-up trucks were leased in late 2018 and allocated to the Point Care team at Arnos Grove (where they appear to have replaced two unmarked Land Rover Defenders). Given the very small number of 4WD pick-up trucks that are required for the central fleet, there has been a surprising amount of variety in recent years. The Ford Ranger has been the most popular choice since 1999 but there have also been several examples of the Mitsubishi L200, two earlier Nissan Navaras and a single Toyota Hilux. The odd-looking car in the background is Mitsubishi i-MiEV WX10JUW. |
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By Ray Monk Another VW Caddy Maxi crew van seen at Acton Works on 6th November 2021 was 8214VW. The first of a group of four allocated to London Road Depot (Elephant and Castle), this is another location where the vehicles cannot normally be seen until they come out to play (work) at night. |
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By Ray Monk Ray was at Acton Works again on 6th November 2021, and photographed this Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van parked outside the DSM offices. 8384VW was delivered in spring 2017 as part of a largish batch of Caddy and Kangoo vans for Edgware Track Depot. Vehicles from there are very hard to see - the location is inaccessible, and the vehicles generally only come out at night. In common with many Edgware vehicles, 8384VW has gained additional 'No tools left in this vehicle' labels. |
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By Thomas Young Purists will realise that Creative Master Northcord's 1:76 scale model of a London Buses Incident Response Unit van (released in 2008) is based on a long-wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter van, whereas the real IRUs used medium-wheelbase Sprinters. This is not a big deal for me personally, especially as the livery has been extremely well replicated. I wonder what rivet counters would make of the Lego Routemaster that I posed the van with?! |
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By Thomas Young I lined up my two newest models with the Oxford Diecast Ford Transit van bought in 2019, and also the Creative Master Northcord Mercedes Sprinter van released way back in 2008. One of very few quibbles I have with these models is the size of the roundels on the bonnets of the three LUL releases. Looking at photos of the real vehicles on LTSV suggests that these should all be more-or-less the same size. |
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By Thomas Young Another view of the Oxford Diecast model of unique LUL Land Rover Freelander car 7429LR, showing the excellent livery application. |
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By Thomas Young As mentioned here a couple of years ago, Oxford Diecast has been producing various OO scale (1:76) road vehicle models decorated as London service vehicles. I recently managed to obtain two more of the models released so far, these being the Land Rover Freelander and Ford Transit Mk7 dropside truck, both in LUL white/blue/red livery. The detail and finish on both models is very good, although this large photo does highlight a couple of areas that could be improved with a bit of touch painting. Bear in mind that the car on the left is only 2 inches long! As with the vans shown earlier, the Land Rover comes in a small box and retails for around 5-6 pounds. The dropside truck requires the use of a considerably larger box and, perhaps as a result, seems relatively over-priced at 12-15 pounds. |
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By Ray Monk Swanley Garage, photographed on 5th November 2021. Several buses were parked in the roadway between the office block and the main shed, and in the yard at the back (including a red Routemaster). The offices building is quite clearly built to the 'modernist' style once favoured by LT, with rounded features and a flat concrete canopy. The small rotunda nearest the road originally had a large LT roundel mounted on top, while the square chimney visible further back is presumably the same one that can be seen in Ray's 1974 photo. |
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By Ray Monk Go Coach is a fairly new operator based in North West Kent and running buses in a distinctive yellow and purple livery. They have recently started running services to a new Amazon distribution centre in Dartford and have acquired a trio of former London taxis for use as crew ferries. I have yet to see any photos of these vehicles but here is a related photo that may be of interest. The main Go Coach operating base is in Otford but they also now use the former London Transport garage in Swanley. This had passed to London Country Bus Services in 1970 and then to LCSE (KentishBus) in 1986. It was closed in 1989 but later saw some use by Metrobus. Ray visited the location on 5th November 2021 and found it in use but closed up. The main garage building has been extensively modified, with three new doors replacing the original wooden folding ones. The front and sides of the shed have also been re-clad, making them appear quite modern. In fact, the main clue to the location's LT heritage is the office building to the left, more clearly shown in the next photo... |
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By Ray Monk Another new Mercedes Vito minibus for Go-Ahead London, this being Orpington's RX71SZO seen at Eltham Bus Station on 4th November 2021. At least 15 of these minibuses have been delivered over the past couple of months and there may be a few more that have yet to be reported. 22 were added in 2017/2018, with a further 21 in 2019. |
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By Ray Monk Another in the procession of vehicles used as crew ferries from Arriva's Dartford Garage is Volkswagen Transporter minibus GL69SHJ, seen at Bexleyheath Bus Stand on 3rd November 2021. This vehicle was presumably supplied by the same company that has sent similar minibuses to various Go-Ahead London garages over the past year. A week later GL69SHJ had been joined (or replaced) by similar GL68HGY. |
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By Derek Everson A very nice capture of Volvo FL 816 rescue tender 2611 arriving at Acton Works on 2nd November 2021. The alternate fleetnumber (B883) at the rear of the cab shows that this is one of the five Emergency Response Unit tenders that are capable of being operated in British Transport Police markings, although at the time it had the TfL/LUL variant panels on display. |
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By Derek Everson An interesting vehicle seen arriving at Acton Works on 2nd November 2021 was Y28BRS, a DAF XF 510 artic tractor unit with a large folding crane behind the cab (similar in size to that fitted to LUL Mercedes 2591). The lorry was unmarked apart from small LUL/TfL labels on the doors, and the 'personalised' registration disguised the fact that it was actually new in 2018. It is believed that the 'BRS' reflects ownership by B R Saunders, rather than British Road Services! Renault flatbed lorry J222BRS in Saunders livery has been Acton-based for over a year, while unmarked Volvo curtainsider Y29BRS has also been seen at Acton recently. The trailer behind Y28BRS was a 3-axle Dennison flatbed, very similar in appearance to LUL T77, but with different lettering and presumably also on hire. |
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By Ray Monk The other two Northfleet crew ferry cars seen at Bluewater Bus Station on 2nd November 2021 were both Vauxhalls in unmarked greyish silver. The more interesting of the pair was NV68KMK, a rather high-end Insignia saloon. The bus in the background is Ensignbus 162, a Wright StreetDeck new earlier this year. Although Essex-based, Ensignbus runs the hourly X80 linking Bluewater with Lakeside via the Dartford crossings. |
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By Ray Monk A correspondent recently reported several cars in use as crew ferry vehicles from Arriva's Northfleet garage, apparently having replaced some Peugeot minibuses that had not lasted long. Ray visited Northfleet on 2nd November 2021 and saw the three cars, though photography was not possible. Fortunately he then saw them all again at Bluewater Bus Station. I have visited Bluewater quite a few times in recent years, and I don't recall ever seeing crew ferries there. Presumably drivers used to ride service buses to get back to the garage. One of the three cars was Kia Sportage RJ19YOY, in an unmarked black/grey/silver (take your pick!) livery. |
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By Andrew Lidinson On his way to the Plumstead Garage open day on 30th October 2021, Andrew called in at Eltham and found this previously unreported Mercedes Vito minibus RX71SZN. Crew ferry vehicles from Morden Wharf have been visiting Eltham recently (for route 286), but the labels in the windows of RX71SZN showed that it was one of the more frequently seen Orpington vehicles. |
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By Thomas Young Another view of Dynes Volvo FH540 recovery truck OK70WME at the Plumstead Garage open day on 30th October 2021. The lorry (or perhaps its driver) appears to be named Edan. |
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By Thomas Young Apart from the resident Stagecoach van (parked in the yard as usual), there were two service vehicles present at the Plumstead Garage open day held on 30th October 2021. One was Ford Transit LM62YSR, once 7478F in the Tube Lines fleet and now used by enthusiast group LOTS. The other was this Volvo FH540 recovery truck belonging to Dynes. Registered as OK70WME, the letters were arranged to make it look like ''OK, TOW ME''! |
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By Thomas Young Plumstead Garage open day on 30th October 2021, and this photo shows that the event was quite well attended, both by visitors and by traders. This photo was taken from near the front of the Dynes vehicle in the first photo, looking due east towards the three exit doorways. Two more maintenance areas are on the right, with roller-shutter doors on each of the 8 bays. |
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By Thomas Young Another photo from the Plumstead Garage open day on 30th October 2021, this one was taken from almost the same position as the last, but looking south-east towards the (out-of-sight) entrance. One end of the long 'shed' is visible on the left, while another maintenance area (with 5 pits) is behind the line-up of red buses in the background. This part of the garage was given over to a display of current vehicles, including types currently operated by Plumstead as well as visitors from various other Stagecoach group garages in London and beyond. |
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By Thomas Young An open day was held at Stagecoach London's Plumstead Garage on 30th October 2021, marking the 40th anniversary of the original opening of the facility. The garage was built to replace smaller premises at Plumstead and Abbey Wood, and was originally intended to be called Thamesmead. Although built on a large 'brown-field' site, the design has a curious footprint and internal layout. It is somewhat like a letter C, with buses entering at the bottom and leaving at the top. The middle of the 'C' is occupied by offices and five different engineering areas, of which four have pits to enable work on the underside of buses. This photo was taken at the most westerly point inside the garage, looking north-east towards the (out of sight) exits. An array of (mainly) preserved buses was on display in this area, while some service vehicle interest was provided by the presence of a Dynes recovery vehicle (more on which shortly). The 'wall' on the right is part of a long 'shed' containing two double-length pits, though the doors at each end were unfortunately closed. One benefit of the layout is presumably that most vehicle movements inside the garage are generally always 'one-way'. |
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By Derek Everson Another familiar resident of the Brooklands museum is AEC Militant recovery vehicle 1456MR. Built for the Ministry of Defence and acquired by London Transport in 1966, it was sold in 1981 and later saw some use with The National Rescue Group. Its current owner has decided to keep the vehicle in the brown livery applied by the latter company, although it has recently had its former LT fleetnumber reapplied, as seen on 24th October 2021. |
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By Derek Everson Seen in the revamped London Bus Museum at Brooklands on 24th October 2021 was Ford Thames 100E van 1096F. This van worked for London Transport for 5-and-a-half years from mid-1959, and is now over 60 years old. Note that the Ford name does not appear on this van. Rather confusingly, up until 1957 commercial vehicles built by Ford (UK) were not badged as Fords. The name 'Fordson' was used in the 1930s, then 'Fordson Thames', then just 'Thames', or sometimes 'Ford Thames'. The LTSV database generally refers to these as 'Fordson' or 'Ford Thames'. |
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By Bob Milner Bob found a couple of vans from the large Stratford Market Depot allocation parked at High Barnet Station on 23rd October 2021. Shown here is Ford Transit Connect 8261F, from a batch of four long wheelbase vans delivered in November 2016. The Transit Connect used to be the standard small van in the central fleet but it has largely been supplanted by the Renault Kangoo and Volkswagen Caddy, and there are only about ten remaining in the current fleet. |
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By Ray Monk Ford Transit dropside truck 8593F was new on May Day 2018 and is based at Acton Works. It seems that Ray has photographed it there almost every time he has visited, so I figured it was about time I showed it on LTSV. As with most of the recent Transit dropsides for LUL, 8593F has a standard cab (rather than a crew cab with an additional row of seats) and a tail-lift. Among the other vehicles present at Acton Works on 23rd October 2021, Elizabeth Line Ford Transit crew van 8648F stands out due to its purple roundels. |
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By Ray Monk Also seen in the car park at Acton Works on 23rd October 2021 was VW Caddy Maxi crew van 9130VW, one of a batch of six delivered in June 2020. It was noted at the small Dagenham East Station base in spring 2021, and may be allocated there. Just visible on the right is Toyota Prius car 8512T, a regular sight here. |
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By Ray Monk The Renault Kangoo van has been a standard type in the central fleet since about 2011, with over 360 taken into stock, mostly of the longer 'Maxi' variant. Arrivals after spring 2019 had Manchester registrations, though (as far as we know) none have been added since mid-2019 apart from a handful for TfL and one for Trams. LUL's 8816R was delivered in June 2019 and has been more elusive than most. It was eventually photographed in the car park at Acton Works on 23rd October 2021. |
14/11/2021 |
| 1,279 |  |
By Derek Everson Talking of municipals in the west, I was surprised to read that Reading Transport is still council-owned. What has that got to do with this Thames Valley service vehicle you may wonder. Well, Reading bought out 'independent' operator Courtney Buses in 2019 and started using the 'Thames Valley' fleetname for their services. This name harks back to the traditional operator that merged with Aldershot and District to form the NBC subsidiary Alder Valley. The vehicle shown here was originally with Courtney, as was similar LS14HGE, which was shown on LTSV last spring. In fact LS14HGE was parked nearby when Derek photographed YJ65VXH at Bracknell Bus Station on 18th October 2021, both vehicles carrying the same livery of white with a grey panel (looking like an additional window at first glance). As with LS14HGE, YJ65VXH looks like a Renault Kangoo but is in fact a Mercedes Citan. |
14/11/2021 |
| 1,280 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Andrew headed even further west in September 2021, into the territory of First Cymru. I believe this operator evolved from the National Bus Company subsidiary South Wales Transport. Seen at their Port Talbot garage on the 22nd were two Ford service vehicles, and an unmarked Vauxhall van that may also be in use with the company. Ford Transit Mk8 van SM18WWK in the centre has red chevrons around its skirt, and similar SM18WWN and SM18WWP were seen at garages in Swansea and Bridgend respectively. FD19FUG on the right is a Ford Transit Connect van with a low-profile light-bar and reflective side stripe. |
14/11/2021 |
| 1,281 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The fleetname that replaced Thamesdown Transport is seen on this Ford Transit Connect van, photographed at the Swindon depot on 22nd September 2021. I have no idea whether there is significance to the highlighting of certain letters in different colours, but I do find the abandonment of capital letters somewhat IRKSOME. |
14/11/2021 |
| 1,282 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Bus services in the Wiltshire town of Swindon were for many years provided by the council-owned Thamesdown Transport. It was eventually sold to the Go-Ahead group in 2017, leaving fewer than ten UK bus companies running as 'municipals'. Go-Ahead combined the operation with its existing Go South Coast fleet, though the actual fleetname was changed to 'Swindon's bus company'. Andrew visited their depot on 22nd September 2021 and photographed Scania R480 recovery truck SF08JYR still carrying the now defunct fleetname. The name is also most likely carried by the preserved double-deck bus hiding inside the building behind. Parked alongside were three Ford Transit minibuses in plain white, believed to be in use as crew ferry vehicles but carrying 'Go South Coast' legal lettering. |
14/11/2021 |
| 1,283 |  |
By Ray Monk Somewhat surprising was the sight of LUL VW Caddy Maxi van 8872VW at Eltham Bus Station on 14th October 2021. Fortunately it was there again the next day (enabling Ray to get this photo) and again a couple of days later. Could it be on loan to cover for one of the LBSL vehicles? 8872VW had already been rather enigmatic with no other reported sightings after its delivery through Acton Works over 2 years previously. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,284 |  |
By Derek Everson Another view taken inside the former Brixton Tram Depot on 12th October 2021, with HV1 and three of the new EA-class buses present. It will be noted that the floor has been marked with parking spaces and walkways, and that the charging points are along each side wall. A one-way system has been instituted, with inward vehicles using the three lanes to the right of the central walkway and leaving vehicles using the three to the left. The tram tracks (including points) are also visible and it would appear that the depot originally had seven tracks, more or less equating to the newer 'lanes' plus the walkway. |
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| 1,285 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek visited the former Brixton tram shed on 12th October 2021 and was given permission to take some photos inside. Located a couple of hundred yards north of Brixton bus garage, neither is really in Brixton, being nearer to Streatham Hill. The tram depot was operationally closed when trams ended in 1952, although the location was retained for the storage of buses. It was later sold (or leased?) and was used as a car dealership for a time, before eventually returning to bus use in about 2003, when Arriva started outstationing some buses from the main Brixton garage. More recently the garage has been modified with electric charging points for use by new BYD/ADL double-deck electric buses for use on route 319 (class EA). Two of the EA buses can be seen in this view looking towards the front entrance, along with HV1, an early (2009) hybrid double-decker which is believed to no longer be in passenger use. Note that the tram tracks are still present. |
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By Ray Monk There was still a morning mist in the air when Ray visited Acton Works on 9th October 2021. Present that day were two of the five Renault Kangoo vans supplied to TfL in January 2020. Diesel 9117R was in the front car park, while electric 9115R (shown here) was plugged in in the van yard. Could it be that these vans are going to be transferred to replace the electric+hydrogen Kangoos latterly used on internal mail duties? |
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By Ray Monk A pair of Ford Transit dropside trucks in the van yard at Acton Works on 9th October 2021. 8990F on the left was one of 20 new in late 2019 but which were given fleetnumbers across a wide range. It normally works from Lillie Bridge depot. 8073F on the right is the oldest Mk8 dropside in the fleet, having been retained even though some younger examples have been disposed of. It has always been based at Acton Works. |
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| 1,288 |  |
By Ray Monk A third LUL Renault Kangoo Maxi van in the Acton Works car park on 9th October 2021 also proved to be a rare one. 8963R was new in July 2019 but had only accrued a couple of night-time sightings, both at Lillie Bridge. Rather obviously, the yellow Ford Transit Mk7 in the background was not a service vehicle. |
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| 1,289 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray found a couple of rarely-seen Renault Kangoo Maxi vans in the car park at Acton Works on 9th October 2021, though of course they don't look any different from the numerous other Kangoo Maxi vans in the LUL fleet. Both date from 2019, soon after the supplier of Renault vehicles was changed. Up to the end of 2018, most central fleet Renaults had carried London registration numbers (starting with L) and were most likely supplied by the dealership in Park Royal. From early 2019, all Renaults have had Manchester registrations (starting with M). 8817R on the left appears to be a Lifts and Escalators vehicle, based on limited sightings of it at Frank Pick House, and at Camden Town at night. 8795R on the right is more elusive, not having been reported since it was new almost two-and-a-half years earlier. |
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By Ray Monk The procession of hired/leased/borrowed cars being used as crew ferries from Arriva London's Dartford Garage shows no sign of slowing down. In use since at least July, SH70SWW was seen at the bus stand in Bexleyheath on 6th October 2021. I didn't recognise the model but, having looked it up, I can tell you that this is a Vauxhall Grandland car/SUV, and it was in unmarked black livery. |
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| 1,291 |  |
By Derek Everson Seven examples of the original, curvy version of the Nissan Leaf electric car were added to the central fleet before the model was superseded by a more angular version in late 2017. All of these cars have been shown on LTSV before, but it is notable that most photos are of the cars parked up at various locations, while views of the type on the move are relatively rare. Derek caught LUL 8301N leaving Acton Works on 5th October 2021. This photo was taken in the early afternoon but the lower headlights are on. Are these still called foglights? |
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By Derek Everson As well as Skoda car 8218S parked outside, two more LUL service vehicles could be found inside the shed at Smallbills Garage in Acton on 5th October 2021. To the fore is Ford Transit Custom van 8481F, a regular sight around Acton Works, and which Derek had photographed entering then leaving the works less than an hour earlier. On the right is 8479VW, only two fleetnumbers away and also based at Acton Works but a Volkswagen Transporter minibus. The roof of this shed has limited clearance and anything larger than a low-roof van has to be tended to outside. |
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By Derek Everson If you walk down Bollo Lane towards Acton Works you will pass the premises of Smallbills, a small firm that undertakes vehicle maintenance. Service vehicles can often be seen here, or parked at the adjoining Bollo House awaiting attention - space at the garage is limited. On 5th October 2021 Derek found Skoda Octavia estate car 8218S parked oustide. Just 8 Skoda cars have featured in the numbered fleet since the first arrived in 2010, and 8218S is one of a pair currently based at Leyton, Westdown Road. At Leyton, only the backs of the vehicles are normally visible, and this photograph usefully confirms that this car (along with similar 8184S) is in non-standard white livery. |
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By Derek Everson Seen in the back yard of the depot on Museum Way at Acton Town on 5th October 2021 were a pair of LUL Ford Transit dropside trucks. 8321F on the left was new in June 2017 and features a tail-lift, while 8709F on the right dates from July 2019 and has a plain rear. Both vehicles were supplied by Hartwell of Dunstable and are based on the LWB ECF (extended chassis frame) version of the Mk8 Transit. |
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By Bob Milner A very fine portrait of Toyota Prius 8974T parked outside the compound at Finchley Central Station on 3rd October 2021. Twelve Prius cars were delivered in September 2019, after a gap of almost a year since the previous delivery. Of the 12, seven went to the power supply section at Tufnell Park (8886T to 8892T), one went to Stratford Market (8869T) and the other four (8972T to 8975T) are mainly at Finchley. I say 'mainly' because 8973T is no doubt allocated to the same section but has not yet been seen at Finchley and remains quite elusive. Since then, I am only aware of two further Prius additions, 9004T in late 2019 and surprisingly low-numbered 8911T in spring 2021. |
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By Ray Monk Ray found a new Mercedes Vito minibus at Eltham Bus Station on 28th September 2021. Route 286 (operated by Morden Wharf Garage - MG) had recently switched its crew changeover point from Vanbrugh Hill (Greenwich/Charlton) to here and Ray pondered whether WO21PFE was running from MG. However, a closer look at the photo showed that the minibus had a label in the offside passenger window stating 'Orpington Ferry Bus'. Note that there are no notices about facemasks or social distancing, and no tape has been applied to stop the offside passenger door from being used. Both of these features can be seen on the Vito crew van parked behind, this being RK64OVH, also from Orpington. This batch of crew vans has now been in use for seven years and early replacement seems likely. |
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By Malcolm Conway A nice night-time view of Ford Transit Custom crew van 8748F parked at Turnpike Lane Station on 26th September 2021. This is one of the numerous Lifts and Escalators vehicles nominally allocated to Frank Pick House in Acton, although this particular example has never been reported there. This photo was taken after 11pm, but you could still buy fruit and veg, or some Polish, Bulgarian or Romanian food! |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,298 |  |
By Ray Monk Six Renault Kangoo vans delivered in October 2017 were non-standard in having electric power and additional hydrogen range extenders. The vans (8611R to 8616R) were often to be seen near Acton Works and it seems likely that at least some of them were used for internal mail deliveries. Three of the batch appear to have been disposed of in early 2021, while it now looks as though the remainder are also going. 8612R was seen in the van yard at Acton Works on 25th September 2021. It was still at Acton a fortnight later but had had all of its livery and lettering removed. I was going to say that perhaps their period of trial operation had ended, but they in fact chalked up a fairly typical 4 years' service. I understand that larger vans will be acquired in the future, so that there is more space on the back to apply the various safety and warning signs! |
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By Bob Milner Bob visited the Croydon garage of Go-Ahead London on 24th September 2021 to see the two 21-reg Mercedes Vito minibuses delivered a few weeks earlier. However, he also found this even newer Vito there. RX71SYV, parked outside the front of the garage, had only been licensed two days previously. Note that (Go-Ahead branded) tape has been applied to prevent the offside passenger door being used, this being to improve social distancing measures. However, it does look as though the tape would also prevent the driver's door being opened! The garage on Beddington Lane was inherited from Metrobus, and this name is still carried on the main garage building. |
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By Derek Everson Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus RX17PCU was used as a crew ferry vehicle in unmarked white from a variety of Go-Ahead London garages between 2017 and 2019. It was also reported to be part of the associated Brighton & Hove fleet, and this photo suggests that it has now made the coastal town its permanent home. Taken on 22nd September 2021, it shows the Mercedes at the bus stops on Western Road (outside the Churchill Square shopping centre). The role of the vehicle appears to have changed as it is now fitted with rear chevrons, warning lights and 'Response Unit' lettering. Passing on the other side of the road was an East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania, a type that has recently disappeared from service in London. Unlike many bus companies outside of London, Brighton & Hove has always used the same basic livery, even though the layout has been somewhat modernised. The current Brighton and Hove was formed in 1985 when the Brighton services of National Bus Company subsidiary Southdown were split off in preparation for privatisation. However, until 1969, Brighton and Hove had been a distinct company, and used a livery of cream and red. |
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