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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 1,301 |  |
By Alan Greenwood A batch of six new VW Crafter crew vans for LUL was seen at Acton Works in October 2020, being notable for having white bodywork with no skirts or stripes. Sightings since then have been scarce but suggest that they have been allocated to Stratford Market Depot and are mainly active at night. As such, they are likely to have been acquired as replacements for some of the 14 Mercedes Sprinter crew vans leased in 2015 (8134M-8145M plus 8176M-8178M). If this is correct it will be notable that the fleetnumbers of the new vans are almost exactly one thousand higher than those of the vans they replaced. Alan found 9149VW parked up in Lewisham on 20th September 2021. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,302 |  |
By Ray Monk TfL Taxi-Private Hire Compliance Enforcement car 8690T is a Toyota Yaris that was first allocated to Eltham Bus Station in September 2018. It was a fairly regular sight there until 2020, when it was re-allocated, perhaps as a result of the COVID pandemic. It has been back a couple of times, the most recent being when it was photographed on 17th September 2021. In the background are several of the VW Crafter vans which form the bulk of the allocation here. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,303 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Another photo of a Go-Ahead Mercedes Vito at Canning Town on 4th August 2021, RF19UZR has yellow signs in the windows, including one that shows both local (FY04) and company (FV22) fleetnumbers. This suggests that it was operating from Silvertown Garage at the time. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,304 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Canning Town Bus Station is a good place to see Go-Ahead London crew ferries, with vehicles from three garages (Silvertown, River Road and now also Henley Road) regularly visiting. Most of the vehicles are Mercedes Vito minibuses in unmarked red livery, but there are some clues as to which garage each operates from. RX67OLN, seen on 4th August 2021, has a blue notice in the windows (this being about facemasks). Silvertown minibuses tend to have yellow signs, so this is probably from one of the other two. RX67OLN was new in September 2017 and has been noted at River Road Garage. There is still a lot of redevelopment going on along Silvertown Way, with various high-rise new-builds popping up. I was going to say that the McDonalds in the background must be new but then I noticed it also appeared in a similar photo published back in May. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,305 |  |
By Ray Monk No Ford Rangers were added to the central fleet between March 2009 (when 6786F arrived) and July 2015. Breaking the hiatus was 8044F, seen here at Acton Works on 27th July 2017. This was the first example of a 2011 Ford Ranger, and the designations now get a little complicated. Prior to 2011, a Ford Ranger in the United States was not the same as a Ford Ranger in the rest of the world. The former was introduced in 1983 and went through 3 major redesigns, while the latter was based on a Mazda design and had undergone 2 revamps. The new model was designed by Ford Australia and sold in Europe and Asia from 2011 and in the USA from 2019. So, in Europe it would be a 3rd generation Ranger, and in the USA a 4th generation! Perhaps to avoid this confusion, the version is referred to as a T6. The prominent wheelarches of the earlier Rangers (at least the 4-wheel drive versions) have been dispensed with, and the cab roof now has a slight hump compared to the previous flat roof. The new model has already gone through a couple of facelifts, mainly changing the front end details. Only six of these Rangers have so far been used as service vehicles. 8044F was followed in 2016 by 8064F and 8078F and then 9008F and 9009F in 2019, all being in LUL white/blue/red. Newest Ranger at present is Trams-liveried 9038F. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,306 |  |
By Colin Lloyd From the front, the 2nd generation Ford Ranger could be recognised by having slightly raked-back headlamps, in comparison to the almost vertical ones of the 1st generation. Just one Ford Ranger was added to the fleet in 2009, and it turned out to be the last for a while. As a result, no examples of the facelifted 2nd generation Ranger (which had revised head/sidelights) were used as service vehicles. The sole 2009 vehicle was 6786F, used by the Emergency Response Unit and carrying this distinctive livery of white/blue with a yellow bodyside stripe (edged in blue) and a red bonnet. It carried a normal-height hard-top and had a light-bar mounted on the cab roof. Colin photographed 6786F at Caxton Street (off Broadway, Westminster) on 23rd June 2010. It remained in use until September 2012 when it was replaced by Volvo estate car 7481. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,307 |  |
By Derek Everson Un-numbered Ford Ranger LS58XBV was new in late 2008 and lasted for over three years but was never the subject of a proper photograph. It appears in the background of a couple, such as this one taken at Acton Works on 7th July 2011. The Ranger can be seen behind Emergency Response Unit Mercedes Ategos 2594 and 2601, while Ford Transit crew vans 6914F and 6915F are beyond. LS58XBV carried an unmarked silver livery and had a super-cab (additional seats and side windows but no extra doors) and an extended-height hard-top. It was thus similar to 6410F (also new in 2008). However, LS58XBV was 4-wheel drive (unlike 6410F) and thus featured the flared wheelarches. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,308 |  |
By Kim Rennie Ford Ranger 6502F was virtually identical to 6134F in the previous photo, apart from the silver livery. It had carried Metronet logos when new in late 2008 but these had been changed for London Underground ones when seen at Acton Works on 19th January 2010. In the background are some of the old tube cars used for emergency rescue training and other tests. This area has now been cleared and a large new building erected. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,309 |  |
By Kim Rennie I need to backtrack a little now, as the first '2nd generation' Ford Ranger service vehicle was actually 6134F, new in late 2006. The size of the wheelarch mouldings and the clearance both appear to have been increased over the first generation model, and the wheels almost look too small. The height of the walls of the load-space also appears to have been increased slightly, no longer lining up with the bottom of the cab windows. Perhaps as a result of this, the 'normal' height hard-top is now a little taller than the cab. Kim found Tube Lines-branded 6134F in the DSM yard at Acton Works on 12th June 2009, a couple of months before it was returned off-lease. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,310 |  |
By Thomas Young Only two Ford Rangers were added to the central fleet during 2007, these being consecutively numbered 6114F and 6115F. Unfortunately, photos are scarce, even though both were based at Lillie Bridge and were seen on a number of occasions. The only clear photo I have of 6115F is this rear-end view, taken in the main low-level yard at Lillie Bridge on 6th February 2010. It will be noted that 6115F no longer carried the 'hard-top' it had when seen in 2007. It did however have the metal frame behind the cab, and it could be that this was fitted whether or not a hard-top was present. Closer inspection of the photo shows what appear to be hinged sections at each end of the top bar of this frame. These could presumably be folded upwards to make a 'H-frame', to ensure that over-length loads do not slide off. Both 6114F and 6115F survived until September 2011, although neither is thought to have gained the white/blue/red LUL livery that replaced the defunct Metronet-branded white/blue. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,311 |  |
By Thomas Young For a time, several Ford Rangers were based at the West Kensington Station yard, technically part of the Lille Bridge complex. It was not unusual to see four (or even five) Rangers there, but the only view in was down the ramp from the main Lillie Bridge entrance road, and photographs taken from there were not particularly good. Illustrating this is this view taken on 28th July 2007, with four Rangers (partially) visible. A revised ('2nd generation') Ford Ranger had been introduced in 2006 and, while it retained the overall shape, there were numerous detail differences. In this view, the vehicle at the back is 6114F, a 2G Ranger. The shape of the tail-gate and the position of the Ford badge are changed (compared to 1G Ranger 5958F alongside), while the rear light cluster has also been revised and the crease pressing along the bodysides has been dispensed with. Another 2G Ranger (6115F) is the third vehicle from the left, and it will be noted that both this and 6114F were fitted with extended height hard-tops, while the two 1G Rangers had regular height ones. The Ranger nearest the camera (and almost hidden behind the bushes) is 5953F. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,312 |  |
By Thomas Young 5953F was different from most Ford Ranger service vehicles. It had a 'super-cab', with additional seats and side windows but no access doors (later 'super-cab' Rangers had rear-hinged access doors for the second row of seats). More noticeably, it lacked the pronounced wheelarch fittings and appeared to have reduced ground clearance. This suggests that it was a 2-wheel drive variant, although these were not normally available with the crew-cab option. 5953F was found parked outside Baker Street Station on the night of 6th December 2006. There are no photographs for evidence but it is probable that 5958F was also to this configuration. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,313 |  |
By Ray Monk 5948F was one of seven Ford Rangers added to the fleet during 2006, and it was an example to the higher 'XLT' specification. Visible differences from standard Rangers were the two-tone bodywork (darker silver around the lower parts), body-coloured wheelarches and the metal tubes around the underside. The latter are apparently known as Sports Bars, although I am not sure of their function. Carrying Tube Lines logos, 5948F was new in February 2006 and was withdrawn less than 2-and-a-half years later. Ray found it parked at Mottingham Station on 5th February 2008. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,314 |  |
By Ray Monk The 2005 intake of Ford Rangers included at least one in the 'private car' fleet. Such vehicles were unmarked but could often be recognised by their registration series. In this case, the KD05Pxx series was also used on several Ford Transit and Ford Transit Connect vans in the numbered fleet. KD05PGX was allocated to Metronet SSL and was caught leaving Acton Works on 6th February 2007. The load-space has a tarpaulin cover, rolled-up when photographed. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,315 |  |
By Damon Cross 2004 saw the arrival of another four Ford Rangers, although only 5653F seems to have been photographed. Six more followed in 2005, and again, photographic coverage is very limited. Damon managed to catch 5740F as it departed from Acton Works on 3rd November 2006. Due to the angle I can't be certain but the silver vehicle appears to be unmarked. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,316 |  |
By James Mair Tube Lines logoed Ford Ranger 5644F appears to be identical to 5643F in the previous photo, and this front-end shot taken at Kingsbury on 24th April 2004 shows the revised front grille of the facelifted first-generation model. The squared grille has been replaced by one with horizontal bars, while the dip in the top of the bumper is more pronounced. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,317 |  |
By James Mair Five Ford Rangers were added to stock in 2003, including the first known example for the 'private car' fleet (KJ03DXF in unmarked silver). The other four were in the normal white/blue livery, and at least two carried Tube Lines logos, as seen on 5643F in Queensbury. This view shows that the hard-tops (when fitted) always had a glazed rear, and that the side handrails and bolster behind the cab were absent when a hard-top was fitted. These Rangers were to the facelifted version of the first-generation design, although the changes were most noticeable from the front. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,318 |  |
By James Mair Also photographed on 25th October 2004, James was evidently tailing this Ford Ranger and managed to snap it as it turned from Oldfield Lane (Greenford) onto the Western Avenue. 5309F had been new in December 2001 and later gained Tube Lines logo as seen here. Also visible is the metal 'fence' that protects the rear window of the double-cab and which also acts as a bolster, enabling the carriage of over-length items. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,319 |  |
By James Mair Another three Ford Rangers were delivered in 2001, and thanks to James I can now illustrate the pair that arrived after the introduction of the revised vehicle registration system that September. 5243F was a double-cab pick-up and, when seen on Bollo Lane in Acton on 25th October 2004, it had a tarpaulin cover over the load-space. On other Rangers, a handrail was fitted along the top edges of the bodyside, and it is not clear if the tarpaulin has been attached to this, or if alternative fittings were used. Metronet logos had been applied, while the Ford Transit van visible heading the other way appears to have Tube Lines ones. Note that even 17 years ago, companies were already advertising their carbon reducing credentials. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,320 |  |
By James Mair The first three Ford Ranger service vehicles were relatively easy to see, normally being kept at Edgware Road Station. Even so, photos are quite scarce, and this is the only one I have of 4987F. Unlike the other two, 4987F was fitted with a 'hard-top' cover over the load-space. These covers came in a variety of configurations, with either solid or glazed sides and to two different heights. That on 4987F is the taller, solid type. The date and location of this photo are not known, though it looks to have been taken on Harcourt Street (near Griffith House), probably not long after the application of Metronet logos in 2003. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,321 |  |
By James Mair The first 17 photos in today's batch are all devoted to the Ford Ranger, one of my favourite types. Based on an American-style pick-up truck, the Ranger has only been available in the UK since 1998 and fewer than 50 in total have been used as service vehicles. Unfortunately, the type tended to be quite elusive as well as rare, and there are at least a dozen of which I have no photos. The first Ford Ranger service vehicles were a trio acquired in 1999/2000, of which 4985F was numerically the first, even though it arrived some 5 months after the other two. All were first generation Rangers (with the square front grille pattern) and were allocated to LUL Lifts and Escalators. Following the division of infrastructure work between Tube Lines and Metronet in 2003, the Rangers came under the BCV (Bakerloo, Central and Victoria) section of the latter company, and had the appropriate logos added. The trio all had double-cabs (with additional side doors) and seemed to be 4-wheel drive versions, based on the higher ground clearance and larger wheelarches. A 2-wheel drive option was also available. 4985F was photographed in Northwood on 27th July 2004, and it was to be withdrawn a couple of months later. |
19/10/2021 |
| 1,322 |  |
By Andrew Strachan The first 71-reg service vehicle to be reported (and photographed) was this Ford Transit Custom minibus, delivered to Metroline's Potters Bar Garage in mid-September 2021 (photographed on the 17th). It is believed to be a replacement for Renault car LX66OME and it joins two similar vehicles new six months earlier (AY21KFT and AY21KKT). With minibuses, the Transit Custom name is applied to vehicles with a basic specification, while those to a higher specification are badged as Tourneo Customs. The bodyshells are identical but there are numerous differences in the interior fittings and exterior trim. If you would like to try spotting them all, compare this photo with one of Metroline's Tourneo Custom AV68AYZ. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,323 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson An unexpected find by Andrew on 12th September 2021 was a pair of Nissan e-NV200 minibuses at Tower Transit's Lea Interchange Garage. He managed to photograph WM69GEJ through the fence, this accounting for the slight blurring at the bottom of this image. As can be seen, the vehicles are anonymous apart from a white 'Buses' roundel on the side. The electric-powered e-NV200 is more common as a van and has seen some use as a service vehicle in that form, most notably in LUL Incident Response Vehicle 8158N. These two are the first minibuses reported, although they could almost be classed as estate cars or MPVs. Not previously reported, it is not known how long these vehicles have been here. Both were first licensed in February 2020, though they had V5s issued in September/October 2020, suggesting a change of ownership at that time. Interestingly, Lea Interchange had previously used three Mercedes Vito minibuses in unmarked white, but all had been SORN (declared as being off the road) in mid-2020. Reports of the new Nissans in use would be welcomed. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,324 |  |
By Bob Milner Following the report of a couple of new Mercedes Vito minibuses at Go-Ahead London's Croydon garage (e.g. WP21YCW), more soon arrived for use from Northumberland Park. WO21PFG carries (unsurprisingly) an anonymous red livery and was photographed parked outside Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 11th September 2021. Since preparing these photos, a 71-reg Vito has turned up at Croydon (RX71SYV), but I will save that photo for another time. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,325 |  |
By Bob Milner Back to Tufnell Park now, with another previously unseen vehicle. Present on 11th September 2021 (amongst many others) was Ford Transit Custom van 8852F, another from the batch delivered in early 2020. I have just noticed that these vans all have foglamps in the sections below the headlamps, this presumably being part of Ford's 'Leader' specification. The majority of LUL's Ford Transit Custom vans have this section blanked off. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,326 |  |
By Thomas Young The open day at Alperton Garage on 11th September 2021 (to mark its closure) was quite well attended, not just by enthusiasts but also what seemed to be local people and families. It was also nice to see some familiar faces after the lack of events during the past year and a half. I have always been interested in the layouts of London bus garages, as every one seemed to be different. As far as I know there is no single source of drawings/plans of garages, which is a shame, and I am hatching a long-term plan to possibly add some drawings to this website. For now, I will aim to take (or download) photos that show the interior layout, starting with this one at Alperton. The main shed at Alperton was square and relatively small. In this view, the main entrance is behind me, the engineering pits are out of frame on the left and the opening onto the tiny yard beside the railway is out of frame on the right. Further back the layout got a bit more complicated, and there was also a change in floor level. The Plaxton President bus in the previous photo is the one facing me, nearest the centre in this view. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,327 |  |
By Thomas Young An open day was held at Metroline's Alperton Garage on 11st September 2021, the garage having actually closed to operations the night before. Being located right next to the tube station, the site of the garage was a prime candidate for redevelopment, and alternative premises have been secured in an industrial area not far away. The new site will not be ready for a few months though, and bus routes have been re-allocated to other Metroline garages for the interim. Despite having closed, some Metroline buses were still in the garage, including several of the 2009 batch of Wright-bodied Volvo B9TLs inherited from First London and renumbered to VW1752-1782. New deliveries elsewhere, and resultant cascades, had enabled this batch to be withdrawn and they are due to be returned off-lease. Two of these buses are visible in the background of this photo, along with preserved VP614, one of the once-numerous Plaxton President buses. The main subject is Ford Transit Connect van AY20YYR, based here since it was new the previous summer. Any reports of where this van is subsequently moved to be would be appreciated. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,328 |  |
By LTSV Collection The Tube Lines branding has now gone the same way as the Metronet one and is no longer displayed on any current fleet vehicles. It can still be found in odd places though, including on this former demountable box body now used as an electrical waste store in the lorry yard at Acton Works. Its fleetnumber has been removed but comparison with other photos suggests that it must be DB9, another of the Locomotors bodies acquired in 1993. Tube Lines was the trading name for the JNP infrastructure consortium, responsible for maintenance of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. The logo cleverly incorporated segments in the house colours of each line into a graphic that brought to mind the view along a tube tunnel. 11th September 2021. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,329 |  |
By LTSV Collection Of the ten dustcarts in the current fleet, eight are Mercedes Econics (like WO66HHS on the left) and the other two are smaller DAF LFs (like DX67KXH on the right). The two DAFs also differ in not having the red stripe on their white/blue livery. Photographed in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 11th September 2021. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,330 |  |
By LTSV Collection A handful of hired lorries have been a common sight in the yard at Acton Works in recent years and on 11th September 2021 there were three present. Shown here is Y29BRS, a Volvo FL with curtainsided bodywork. As with Saunders Renault flatbed J222BRS (which was also present and visible in the background), this Volvo has a dateless, 'select' registration mark, the BRS lettering suggests it may too have come from Saunders. The livery however was a completely unmarked white. Perhaps the most curious feature is the light-bar mounted on the sloped section of the wind-deflector above the cab. It is unusual for these not to be mounted horizontally. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,331 |  |
By LTSV Collection RK14ETU's twin is RK14ETT, usually to be found parked perpendicular to the track in a gap between two of the buildings at Frank Pick House in Acton (as here on 11th September 2021). Both lorries have the jumbo tail-lifts preferred by the Lifts and Escalators section. The strange pipes visible above the tail-lift in this view are the 'arty' vents/chimneys of Frank Pick House. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,332 |  |
By LTSV Collection The top yard at Frank Pick House in Acton can hold about 10 service vehicles, but only three were there on 11th September 2021. All three were short-wheelbase, low-roof Ford Transit Customs. 8568F on the left is a van that was new in early 2018 and features the original front end design. 8752F (centre) and 8745F (right) are both crew vans dating from spring 2019 and having the facelifted design with the large trapezoid grille. Note the distinctive chimneys/vents of Frank Pick House. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,333 |  |
By LTSV Collection Frank Pick House at Acton is in the gap between Bollo House and the lorry yard of Acton Works, and there is now through road access between all three sites. All three adjoin the LUL District and Piccadilly lines and can be clearly seen from trains, though the service vehicles at Bollo House are unfortunately hidden by the building itself. Frank Pick House is currently used by the Lifts and Escalators division, and about 45 vehicles are currently listed as being 'allocated' here. However, the location is similar to Griffith House in that many of the vehicles are actually kept elsewhere. Between 6 and 12 can usually be seen at Frank Pick House, and these seem to regularly change. If you pass by often enough, you will probably see all 45, eventually! Parked outside on 11th September 2021 were Toyota Yaris car 8781T (it is quite rare to see cars here) and regular resident 8400F. The latter is unusual for being a medium wheelbase Ford Transit Custom crew van. The type is the most common at this location, but all other examples are short wheelbase. The LUL tracks are on the right, while the two Transit dropside trucks that are normally here are just visible behind 8400F. MAN lorry RK14ETT has its own bay here (q.v.), the zebra crossing on the right of this photo showing its relative location. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,334 |  |
By LTSV Collection As well as the construction of the vehicle preparation shed, the amount of space available in the lorry yard at Acton Works has also been reduced by the opening of a through road-way from Frank Pick House. A one-way system has been applied, with vehicles entering from Bollo Lane using the Frank Pick House entrance and leaving via the ramp down to the main works access road. It is not known if this applies to all vehicles, as the turns at Frank Pick might be a bit tight for larger vehicles. Anyway, this roadway is to the left of the two trailers shown in this 11th September 2021 photo. The trailers are Dennison T77 and T78, both new in 2017. T77 on the left has a taller headboard and is extendable in length. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,335 |  |
By LTSV Collection The newest semi-trailers in the LUL fleet are three built by Dennison and delivered in about 2017. T76 is easily recognised, being the only curtain-sided trailer in the fleet. It has a mainly white livery with very large TfL/LUL branding, as seen in this photo taken at Acton Works on 11th September 2021. It was parked near the top end of the lorry yard at the time, most trailers having been kept here until the construction of the shed visible on the left. The shed is using during the preparation of newly delivered service vehicles (for example the fitting of internal equipment and application of lettering). |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,336 |  |
By LTSV Collection Four large 3-axle semi-trailers built by Cartwright were acquired in 1999 (T65-68), followed by a single two-axle example in 2002 (T74). Two were disposed of a few years ago, but T65, T66 and T74 remain in use, and T65 was seen in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 11th September 2021. Brackets have been attached to the flatbed, believed to be to facilitate the carriage of train wheelsets and/or bogies. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,337 |  |
By LTSV Collection More heavy equipment in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 11th September 2021. WU64ATO on the left was new in October 2014 and is the oldest of the ten dustcarts in the current fleet. Comparison with the photo of newer LO66ZRC, also published today, shows that the bodywork and equipment fitted around the rear differs only in small details. On the right is a dropside lorry that is 2 months older, MAN TGM RK14ETU having been delivered in August 2014. This is one of two lorries allocated to the Lifts and Escalators section, who have always specified the fitting of extra large tail-lifts. Note that the tail-lift does not have vertical rails. It is instead supported by powerful hydraulic rams attached to the chassis in a similar way to the fold-away types seen on some of the other lorries. RK14ETU is often to be found parked in the small covered parking space under Griffith House, while sister RK14ETT (q.v.) is habitually kept at Frank Pick House in Acton. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,338 |  |
By LTSV Collection Although essentially a standard dropside lorry, MAN TGS RV12OFK is quite a complicated bit of kit, as this photo taken at Acton Works on 11th September 2021 shows. A large Palfinger telescopic crane is fitted, which neatly folds away behind the cab. When the crane is in use, stabilisers under the front and rear of the bodywork would be extended and deployed. The rear axle is of the lifting type, which can be raised when not required, thus saving wear on the tyres and mechanical parts. Finally, there is a fold-away tail-lift under the rear of the bodywork (to allow this to be used, the doors at the rear of the body are hinged at the side). Parked alongside was hired DAF flatbed lorry NC14NDC in unmarked white. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,339 |  |
By LTSV Collection Having just talked about demountable lorries and bodies, here is an example of a body on its own. DB10 is a senior member of the central fleet, having been acquired in 1993 to work with K-registered Mercedes chassis. Its dropside body was renovated a few years ago and it remains in the fleet, being photographed at Acton Works on 11th September 2021. I was considering how the process of demounting these bodies actually works. Presumably the extending sections of the rear legs are first lowered to ground level, then somehow jacked up a little to take the weight off the chassis. The chassis could then be driven forward until only the front of the body is supported. The front legs of the body must fold upwards (to clear the chassis wheels), so these would then be unfolded/lowered and jacked, taking all the weight off the chassis, which could then be driven away. Actually, it doesn't look as though the legs have any jacking/cranking mechanism, so perhaps the weight shifting is done using the air suspension on the chassis... |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,340 |  |
By LTSV Collection Although essentially similar, there is a fundamental difference between these two MAN TGM lorries seen in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 11th September 2021. LV66XYC on the left was new in late 2016 and is a normal lorry, while WU67AJX on the right was added about a year later and is an example of a demountable lorry. With these, the body (DB17 in this instance) is attached to the chassis using rails, and the two can be separated quite easily, allowing bodies to be changed to suit requirements. The main visual indicator of the demountable configuration is the telescopic leg fitted behind the rear wheels, this being used to support the body when the chassis is driven away. Both lorries have fold-away tail-lifts below the rear-ends (I need to update the database with this detail) and feature mesh drop-down panels. These have largely replaced solid metal drop-side doors on central fleet lorries in recent years and I initially classified such vehicles as flatbeds. The doors can be completely removed but I suppose they should still be listed as dropsides. Also just visible is larger MAN TGS lorry RV12OFK. This 3-axle lorry does retain solid dropsides, and can be recognised by the large folding crane fitted behind the cab. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,341 |  |
By LTSV Collection Since 1985 the LT/LUL fleet has always contained a few refuse trucks (or dustcarts), but the quantity has increased from an initial three up to the current establishment of ten vehicles. All are based at Acton Works and can often be seen parked up in the lorry yard beside the tube tracks. Almost the whole fleet was present on 11th September 2021 (a Saturday), and this photo shows the rear of 3-axle Mercedes Econic LO66ZRC. This example has Geesink Norba bodywork, which differs in several details from the NTM bodies fitted to some of the other Econics. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,342 |  |
By LTSV Collection This photo was taken from near the traverser in Acton Works, looking back towards the DSM offices. The girder at the top of the photo spans between two of the larger buildings and appears in many photos, while the LBSL vehicle parking area is off-frame to the right. A line of service vehicles parked here was headed by TfL Volkswagen Transporter minibus 8714VW, based at Victoria for taxi and minicab compliance checks. It carries the attractive white/blue/lilac livery variation, and it seems to have a flat tyre, perhaps explaining its presence here. Beyond that is a high-roof Ford Transit van, then another Transporter minibus and a Ford Transit Custom van, all three in LUL livery. Note that the low-roof variants of the Transporter and Transit Custom are almost identical in height. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,343 |  |
By LTSV Collection Several London Buses service vehicles have been based at Acton Works in recent years, and they are usually parked in the area between the van yard and the works traverser. Also kept here is the LUL vehicle cleaning van. This photo taken on 11th September 2021 shows LBSL VW Crafter van 9081VW parked with LUL 9141F. Note that the latter has rear chevrons, while the van which it replaced (6527F) did not. Also of interest is the 'Pool Cars Only' lettering painted on the wall, this presumably being quite old. The building in the background is long and thin, with the BR tracks behind it, and its current use is not known. A large metal shed occupied the area to the right of this photo until a couple of years ago, and has now been replaced by a smaller 'Portacabin' structure. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,344 |  |
By LTSV Collection Two fairly common types in the LUL fleet are the Ford Transit Custom and Renault Kangoo vans. Seen at Acton Works on 11th September 2021 were one of each, 8486F being a SWB low-roof Transit Custom with the original frontal design, while 8627R is one of the longer Kangoo Maxi models, which usually feature cargo doors on both sides. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,345 |  |
By LTSV Collection Service vehicles to be found at Acton Works typically include a mixture of vehicles that are based there and others that are visiting for various purposes. On 11th September 2021 this line-up was photographed outside Signal House (opposite the DSM offices). To the fore is Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 9131VW, new the previous June. In front of that was Ford Fiesta car 8233F, latterly one of the night-time, Griffith House gang, while beyond that was Acton-based high-roof Ford Transit van 8411F. More service vehicles can be seen in the distance, on the roadway leading towards the traverser. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,346 |  |
By LTSV Collection The location within Acton Works which we refer to as the 'stub road' used to lead to a bridge that crossed the railway line dividing Acton tube works and Chiswick bus works. The road is now often used to park vehicles awaiting entry to service. The slope of the road is not always apparent in photos, but is here obvious in relation to the former canteen building (now the DSM offices) on the right. The modern office block beyond is one of several built on the site of Chiswick Works. On 11th September 2021 the stub road contained four Ford Transit vans lettered for Point Care. These had been delivered a week or so earlier, although they had all been registered 18 months before that in March 2020. Numbered 9157F to 9160F, the vans still lacked the blue skirts on their LUL livery. Also present was Toyota Prius car 8583T with accident damage on its nearside. One of 14 Prius cars delivered in Autumn 2017, most have only rarely been reported and hence allocations are not known. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,347 |  |
By Derek Everson Golden Tours has been operating sightseeing tours in London since 2011 and now has quite a large fleet of modern open-top buses, along with some closed-top vehicles used for services to the Harry Potter World exhibition at the Warner Brothers studios in Leavesden (near Watford). The fleet is based at a garage on the Athlon Industrial Estate in Alperton and is supported by this Citroen Relay van, which is believed to have been bought new in 2013. YY13EAG was seen at the Alperton base on 11th September 2021. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,348 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The first new (as opposed to second-hand) service vehicle for the Falcon Buses fleet was Ford Transit Courier van EA21KFK, seen outside the Byfleet garage on 11th September 2021. Falcon operates both buses and coaches, with suitably suffixed fleetnames. While the Vauxhall Corsa van shown earlier carried 'Falcon Buses' fleetnames (and was used for bus crew ferry work), the new van has 'Falcon Buses and Coaches', as it provides engineering support to both operations. The 'Falcon Coaches' name can be seen on the Ford Transit minibus in the background. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,349 |  |
By Derek Everson New in June 2018 but not photographed until 11th September 2021, Ford Transit Custom van AV18ORT carries Metroline lettering on its red livery. It was photographed at Metroline's Central Engineering and Logistics Facility (CELF) in Perivale, which is most likely where it is based. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,350 |  |
By Derek Everson Abellio opened a large new garage at the Great Western Business Park in Southall in July 2019. Several crew ferry cars were based there, as the location was somewhat remote from the bus routes it operated. These were joined by four Ford Tourneo Custom minibuses in spring 2020, to enable more social distancing on crew ferry work. The four minibuses were all in unmarked silver and remained in use for well over a year. When Derek visited on 11th September 2021, three of the Tourneos were parked outside the offices at the front of the garage. HY68AZF was to the fore with HY68AZJ behind and HY68AZC on the left. Also visible was black Ford Galaxy car MK12LBY. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,351 |  |
By Derek Everson Falcon Buses is a relatively new name, having taken over most of Abellio's Surrey operations in 2016/2017. Vehicles are based at a depot in Byfleet (also taken over from Abellio) and carry a smart livery of white with red and blue relief. Unlike most operators, the livery is also applied to the service vehicle fleet, and a recent addition is Vauxhall Corsa van EY62UCN, seen near the garage on 10th September 2021. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,352 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Another night-time shot taken by Andrew Lidinson on 7th September 2021, this showing a pair of Ford Transit crew vans parked on Baker Street. 8288F on the right was new in February 2017 and appears to be based at Acton Works. 9019F on the left is newer but has only rarely been noted since it was delivered in March 2020. The coach in the background is one of very few to carry Green Line lettering, with the latest design of the livery for this once-common brand. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,353 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The use of flash while photographing service vehicles at night is obviously only appropriate at certain locations. It should, for example, never be used near moving vehicles. Harcourt Street (near Griffith House) is a quiet road where numerous service vehicles can be found parked at night, and flash can fairly safely be used. On 7th September 2021 Andrew found Ford Fiesta van 8355F there. The allocation at Griffith House is dominated by Renault Kangoo Maxi vans, along with a number of Ford Fiesta cars and vans, Ford Transit Customs and VW Caddy vans. As has been mentioned many times, the 'allocated' vehicles are not actually kept at this location, but can be found parked nearby at the start of each night shift. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,354 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Andrew Lidinson has contributed a lot of photos recently, including some taken on night-time visits to Griffith House. These were hand-held (i.e. not using a tripod) and the quality is pretty good under the circumstances. This view of Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8361R parked on Harcourt Street on the night of 7th September 2021 used a one third of a second exposure. 8361R has been seen at various locations since it was delivered in March 2017, but it has mainly been a Griffith House vehicle. Note the diplomatic-plated Mercedes car on the right. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,355 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson A batch of at least six new Seat Leon cars for Arriva London were first reported in mid-2021, with most allocated to Palmers Green Garage and just one at Dartford (where most of the earlier Seat cars were based). The cars are in unmarked red livery and have also been noted parked up at Edmonton Garage, for reasons that are not clear. On 5th September 2021 Andrew found CX70LUB (with CX70LWC beyond) at Palmers Green. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,356 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Another photo taken at Tufnell Park on 5th September 2021 shows Ford Transit Custom van 8850F. This was one of six such vans delivered in early 2020, a few months after the rest of the power supply fleet had been renewed. Transit van 8859F is in the background again, showing that it has spotlights on the offside as well as the nearside, while another of the Toyota Prius cars is on the left. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,357 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The LUL power supply depot at Tufnell Park is home to about 26 service vehicles, mainly numbered in the 88xx range. Some vehicles are actually kept elsewhere but it is not unusual to find a dozen or more vehicles parked outside. Andrew photographed mid-height Ford Transit Mk8 van 8845F there on 5th September 2021. Most of the fleet was replaced in the second-half of 2019, though 8845F did not arrive until summer 2020 and was not reported until that December. On the left is high-roof Transit 8859F, recognisable by its spot-lights and roof beacons, while 8890T on the right is one of seven Toyota Prius cars allocated to this section. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,358 |  |
By Derek Everson Making what was believed to be its debut in fully restored form, this AEC Regal half-deck airport coach was seen at North Weald on 5th September 2021. The photo has been included on this site because this was one of four such vehicles that became service vehicles after they had been replaced by new Routemaster coaches on the airport services. With seats removed and shelving fitted, MLL735 became 1468W and served for a further ten years, delivering staff uniforms across the LT network. In 1977 it was sold and was saved for preservation. However, before it was restored it was sold again, and spent some time as a mobile home with new age travellers. It eventually re-entered preservation when it was bought by Ensigns in 2006. The bus has now been restored to its original condition, using many parts from a similar vehicle, and was just awaiting the fitting of blinds above the windscreen when seen. To see photos of MLL735 in the other stages of its career, click on the 'View vehicle details' link above. Alongside MLL735 was RFW14, one of the AEC Regals fitted with skylight windows and used for tours and charters. The bodywork on these was 8-foot wide (hence the W in the class code) and was built by ECW to a quite different style to the standard RF type. This particular bus has been in preservation for a very long time and I remember seeing it at several events in the 1980s. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,359 |  |
By Derek Everson Although each of Metroline's garages has a Ford Transit Connect van allocated to it, larger vans can also sometimes be seen visiting. Ford Transit Mk8 AV16YGH was seen at Alperton Garage on 19th August 2021, perhaps there in connection with the winding-up of operations ahead of the closure in September. In this photo it was parked in the engineering section, with the pits behind the doors on the left. The fork-lift truck in the background is believed to be based here but, being unregistered and unnumbered, has not been included in the database. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,360 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson This month's black Abellio Ford Fiesta is LR13LUW, found at the Cheviot Road terminus of route 315 in Norwood on 30th June 2021. Initially operated from the small Hayes garage, this car has been based at Beddington Cross for the past couple of years. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,361 |  |
By Ray Monk New in Autumn 2018, the allocation of this Renault Kangoo Maxi van is not known. It has been seen a couple of times at Acton Works but otherwise only once, in Roydon (Essex). On 26th June 2021 it was at Acton and was photographed in the front car park. |
22/09/2021 |
| 1,362 |  |
By Derek Everson The last of RATP's dozen Renault Master vans to be shown on LTSV is MF20RZG, now known to be numbered R70037 and based at Shepherds Bush. This confirms the suspicion that the whole batch was given fleetnumbers in the same order as their registration numbers. R70037 was photographed at its home garage on 5th September 2021. In case you can't place it, this photo was actually taken in the staff car park on the opposite side of the railway viaduct from the main garage. Buses are too big to use this parking area, which is accessed through the arches of the viaduct. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,363 |  |
By Derek Everson The Transplant mobile office is often to be found parked at stations during closures for engineering works, as seen at Hammersmith (City) on 5th September 2021. The vehicle is based on a Mercedes Axor chassis and carried a more normal dropside body from new in 2008. It was rebuilt with the current box bodywork in 2013/2014. There are two access doors, one in the rear and one in the nearside, and removable steps are fitted when the vehicle is parked up. In front of the lorry at the time was Toyota Prius car 8582T, while a couple of VW Transporter minibuses were also parked nearby. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,364 |  |
By Ray Monk LBSL VW Crafter Incident Response Unit 9076VW has not appeared on LTSV before, even though it was one of the early arrivals, entering service at Eltham in March 2020. It appears to have had a minor accident in about early July 2021, with minimal damage but losing its front numberplate. It had evidently been recently repaired when Ray found it in the DSM Van Yard at Acton Works on 4th September 2021. To the right is Ford Transit Connect van 8260F from Stratford Market Depot. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,365 |  |
By Ray Monk The omission of the blue skirt on a couple of batches of vehicles over the past few months does not appear to be policy change, as other vehicles are still getting them. Illustrating this is Ford Transit dropside truck LL21KPR, another vehicle seen at Acton Works on 4th September 2021. Licensed just over a week previously, it had yet to gain lettering or stripes. Note that this appears to be a relatively short truck, and it lacks a crew-cab and tail-lift. Various other LUL vehicles can be seen in the background. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,366 |  |
By Ray Monk Another of the new-but-not-new Point Care vans seen at Acton Works on 4th September 2021 was 9159F, parked outside the DSM offices. A further curiosity with these vans is that another four similar vehicles were licensed about a week later in March 2020. For some reason, these four were delivered, and had entered service (numbered as 9153F to 9156F) from Arnos Grove by early July. Also to the 'Trend' specification, these vans are reported to be in normal white/blue/red livery, although I have not yet seen one (or a photo) myself. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,367 |  |
By Ray Monk When Ray visited Acton Works on 4th September 2021 he found an interesting batch of four new vans present. There are actually several non-standard aspects to these vehicles, including 9158F photographed on the stub road. Firstly, the vans were all first licensed in early March 2020, although do not appear to have been delivered until almost 18 months later. Secondly, they had been given a full set of LUL markings and lettering (including Point Care branding on the doors) but did not have blue skirts. As such, the livery has been marked as white/red in the database. It remains to be seen if the blue skirts are applied retrospectively. Thirdly, the vans are to the slightly higher 'Trend' specification, notable differences being the wheeltrims, chrome surround to the radiator grille and the presence of foglights. Most Transits for the central fleet have been to the basic specification, lacking all of these features. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,368 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The second of Go-Ahead London's latest Mercedes Vito minibuses to be spotted was WP21YCV, found near the tram stop at Therapia Lane, Beddington on 2nd September 2021. The Vito model appears unchanged since the previous batch taken by Go-Ahead in mid-2019. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,369 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Ford Transit Mk8 van 8994F was allocated, at least initially, to Frank Pick House in Acton. It was in something of a minority there, being a long-wheelbase Transit van, whereas most vehicles used by the lifts and escalators section were smaller Transit Custom crew vans. 8994F is also slightly unusual for having a light-bar at the rear but no other signs of having an 'emergency' type role. On 30th August 2021 the van was found parked in Blackfen. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,370 |  |
By Bob Milner Maintenance work was being carried out around Oakwood Station on the Piccadilly Line over the 2021 August bank holiday weekend. Parked nearby on the 30th was VW Caddy Maxi crew van 8953VW in standard LUL livery and believed to be based at Stratford Market Depot. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,371 |  |
By Neal Marshall Delivered in late August 2021 were the first of yet another batch of Mercedes Vito minibuses for Go-Ahead London. WP21YCW was seen in West Croydon on the 30th, having been first licensed just five days previously. The location suggests it was working from the former Metrobus garage in Beddington. Similar WP21YCV was also there, while WO21PGK was seen at Northumberland Park. Note that the vehicles are totally unmarked. This is standard for most Go-Ahead crew ferries, though it is notable that there are no notices about wearing face masks. It is not yet clear whether these vehicles are intended to replace the various hired minibuses, or the older Vitos in the fleet. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,372 |  |
By Peter Terry There has been a lot of maintenance work on the tram infrastructure in central Croydon recently, offering the chance to photograph some of the surprisingly large fleet of support vehicles. Seen outside East Croydon Station on 30th August 2021 was Ford Transit dropside truck 8566F, new in late 2017. This vehicle has a tail-lift, carries standard white/blue/green livery, and has lost its front Ford badge. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,373 |  |
By Phil Hambling TfL's Taxi-Private Hire division is shown on LTSV as 'TfL PCO' since it originated as the Public Carriage Office. They operate a fleet of six minibuses (plus a couple of cars) which are mainly used by staff undertaking checks on taxis and mini-cabs. This suggests that the vehicles will be mostly used in the evening and around particular entertainment hot-spots. It also seems likely that they have not been very busy during the COVID-19 pandemic, when 'staying-in' became the new 'going-out'. Livery is an attractive white/blue/lilac variation of the TfL standard layout, as seen on VW Transporter minibus 8601VW at North Greenwich Station on 24th August 2021. I initially referred to this livery as white/blue/purple, but then the Elizabeth Line vehicles appeared with a stripe that was darker and could only really be described as purple. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,374 |  |
By Derek Everson These two cars seen at Stratford Bus Station on 24th August 2021 both started life elsewhere. Toyota Yaris 8419T (in the short-lived white/blue/red LBSL livery) was at Morden Station when new, and later had spells at Southwark (Chancel Street) and Acton Works. It was noted at Stratford City Bus Station in May 2021 but now seems to be a regular in the main bus station. Alongside is newer Nissan Leaf electric car 9103N, plugged in to the mains. This was first noted at Turnpike Lane (along with similar 9101N and 9102N), moving to Stratford in early 2021. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,375 |  |
By Peter Terry I do like Ford Rangers and that is why Trams 9038F makes its third appearance on LTSV. It was under the flyover in Croydon on 24th August 2021. As far as we know, there are only 3 Ford Rangers in the current fleet, the other two being with LUL at Hainault and featuring glazed 'hard-top' bodywork. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,376 |  |
By Derek Everson This Toyota Yaris car in LBSL white/blue/red livery has had rather a nomadic life. New in February 2017, it first went to Morden Station but within a few weeks had moved to Eltham. After a couple of years there it was sent to Southwark (Chancel Street) and later moved even further westwards to Uxbridge. It was photographed parked in the alley near the bus station/garage on 19th August 2021. The LBSL version of white/blue/red livery was only used for a brief period, appearing on five Toyota Yaris cars and three Vauxhall Movano minibuses used by Passenger Data. Since then, additions to the LBSL fleet (apart from the large batch of Incident Response Unit vans) have mainly been in TfL white/blue livery. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,377 |  |
By Derek Everson Unmarked service vehicles, particularly cars, are a bit of a nuisance. Unless you see them at particular locations, or clearly doing bus-related work, you would never notice them. Even then, there is no way of knowing if they are owned, leased, hired, loaned or perhaps belong to individual members of staff. Unfortunately there are a lot of them around at the moment. The situation with COVID-19 has increased requirements, as it is no longer appropriate for one car to carry several bus drivers. It also seems that further cars have replaced existing vehicles that have had to be withdrawn for whatever reason. Derek sent in this photo of Peugeot 308 car at Watford Junction on 19th August 2021, when it was no doubt undertaking crew ferries from Hemel Hempstead garage. A few days later I received a letter (in the post!) from another correspondent, which listed a dozen more cars with various Arriva operations. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,378 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek visited the 'new' South Harrow Station location on 19th August 2021 and found two Staff Welfare Facility vans present. 7674F is on the left with newer (and plainer) YT70VHD on the right. This photo also shows that there is a portable kiosk here in addition to the two containers, and that at least one of the containers is a 'walk-in' facility of some sort. The reason for the allocation of the facilities van here is not known, though it is presumed to be temporary, perhaps in connection with work on the nearby railway sidings. The presence of two vans was apparently so that one could be dedicated for female staff and the other for male. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,379 |  |
By Peter Terry Not previously reported, this VW Caddy van was first licensed at the end of August 2020 and presumably passed through Acton Works before entering service with Trams in Croydon. Numbered 9163VW, it is typical of the Trams van fleet in that it has a roof-rack and a light-bar. Although not visible, it is likely to have full chevrons on the rear. On 17th August 2021 it was found hiding under the bridge near Reeves Corner during work on the track nearby. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,380 |  |
By London Spotter A large batch of Ford Transit Connect Mk2 vans was acquired by Arriva Southern Counties in spring 2017, of which 5 are based at garages covered by LTSV. The vans are used by bus engineers and carry a white-based livery with large vinyls advertising aspects of Arriva's service or recruitment. GM66WFH is allocated to Hemel Hempstead, is officially numbered V078 and advertises the Arriva bus app. It was seen at Watford Junction on 16th August 2021 attending to a mechanical issue on a Wright-bodied single-decker. Strangely it does look like people are still getting on the bus. On the right is another Arriva single-decker but in the 'Max' livery variant, while behind that is a double-decker liveried for the service to the 'Making of Harry Potter' exhibition at the film studios in nearby Leavesden. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,381 |  |
By Paul Nicholls Arriva has used a lot of Vauxhall Corsa cars over the past thirteen years, most of which were in silver. Early examples were mainly 3-door and carried company logos and large fleetnumbers, while more recent ones tend to be 5-door and anonymous. Illustrating this is FP67PKD from Grays garage, seen at Lakeside Bus Station on 14th August 2021. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,382 |  |
By Ray Monk About five years ago it was common to find two or three Arriva vans and minibuses at the bus terminal in Bexleyheath, when they used to park in the adjoining alley. Since then it has been rare to find more than one present, while most of the crew ferries are now cars and they park in with the buses. On 13th August 2021 Ray managed to capture (just) four Arriva service vehicles present. Departing was hired Peugeot 5008 car GL21KNC, passing Vauxhall Astra car HV17SVK (with Arriva lettering). In the background is Vauxhall Combo DN70XED (the engineer's van), while hired VW Transporter minibus GL69TTV is just peeping in on the right. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,383 |  |
By Ray Monk Yet another car being used as a crew ferry from Dartford Garage recently was Toyota C-HR FP70OMM, seen (as usual) at the bus stand in Bexleyheath on 13th August 2021. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,384 |  |
By Ivor Norman As well as Transit 8863F, another TfL-liveried Ford van whose allocation and role is not clear is Transit Connect 8688F. New in autumn 2018 and lettered for 'Technology & Data', it has been reported a few times, at various locations. On 12th August 2021 it was spotted parked at High Beach in Epping Forest. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,385 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek's photo of Go-Ahead London Mercedes Vito minibus RJ19HSN at Eltham Bus Station on 10th August 2021 shows the notices in the windows relating to COVID-19 arrangements. There is also a piece of tape applied to the offside passenger door, presumably to prevent its use and hence deter people from sitting immediately behind the driver. Similar tapes were also seen on other Go-Ahead minibuses here. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,386 |  |
By Ray Monk Arriva London's Dartford garage has had a rapid turnover of hired crew ferry cars in recent months. One of the latest additions is this distinctive gold Renault Captur car, seen at Bexleyheath bus stand on 4th August 2021. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,387 |  |
By London Spotter A rather remarkable photo, and not just because it features a black Abellio Ford Fiesta that has not appeared on LTSV before! When London Spotter called at Hatton Cross on 29th July 2021, six Abellio Ford Fiestas were lined up, waiting to ferry bus drivers back to Fulwell/Twickenham and Hayes garages. What was rather special was that all six cars were in a different livery. From left to right the cars were red YP61HVC, green EK10XLJ, blue GY59MXR, brown GN13MUO, burgundy MF13PGO and black EY61UKJ. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,388 |  |
By Peter Terry The function of TfL-liveried Ford Transit crew van 8863F remains a mystery, mainly because it is very rarely reported. On 24th July 2021, Peter found it parked in the upper bus station at Hammersmith, together with LBSL VW Crafter van 9089VW. Given that the previous photo of the Transit was taken at Eltham Bus Station, it does seem to be bus related. Could it in fact be a new Passenger Data van, for use by staff conducting bus usage surveys? |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,389 |  |
By Ray Monk A quantity of cars have always been a feature of the central (leased) fleet, and various makes and models have been used over the years. The current fleet is very varied with at least 8 different makes represented. 17 of the current cars are Volkswagen Golfs, mainly estates and including 8194VW, seen at Acton Works on 26th June 2021. This was one of a batch of five acquired in June 2016. I was going to say they were overdue for withdrawal but, looking at the stats in the LTSV database, it is not unusual for cars to be kept for around six years. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,390 |  |
By James Mair When James visited South Harrow Station on 19th June 2021, three Staff Welfare Facility vans were present. 7675F and YT70VHD were in the new, temporary compound (visible at the far left here), while 7674F was parked outside the old station building. Note that this parking space is marked as being for the IMCO. I don't know what this stands for but I suspect it might be 'Infrastructure Maintenance something'. |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,391 |  |
By James Mair From mid-June 2021, South Harrow Station regained an allocation of service vehicles for the first time in about 20 years, although it is likely to be only temporary. During the 1990s, several railway emergency vehicles were based here, staff using the old station building as offices. The recent vehicles are two or three of the staff welfare facility vans, kept in a new compound at the far end of the station car park. As this photo taken on 19th June 2021 shows, a couple of containers have also been placed at the site. Present at the time were 7675F and un-numbered YT70VHD, the latter being in all white livery. 7675F shows evidence of having had its LUL logos covered over recently, perhaps while it was on hire to another operator. Both vans have the usual collection of notices on the rear, with 7675F also having a Clarkes label, this being the firm that undertook the conversions. Interestingly, the logo at the bottom left on YT70VHD states 'On Hire From ...' and then something illegible. Is that perhaps why this van does not carry a fleetnumber? |
07/09/2021 |
| 1,392 |  |
By London Spotter As will be fairly readily apparent, this is not a London service vehicle. Photographed in Cambridge on 30th June 2021, MX68ZLZ is a long-wheelbase Ford Transit Custom van used for 'fleet support' by Stagecoach East. It carries fleetnumber 92927, this being in the national Stagecoach series. It seems that most numbers starting in a 9 are assigned to ancillary vehicles, with various numbers in the 90xxx, 91xxx, 92xxx, 93xxx, 95xxx and 96xxx ranges being featured on London SVs. Numbers can be re-used when vacated by disposals, this accounting for the somewhat haphazard allocations. |
05/08/2021 |
| 1,393 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek photographed Dynes Volvo FH recovery truck KN20YBM in Richmond at dusk (note the quantity of small lights on the truck's front and side) on 13th July 2021, when it was being used to rescue RATP bus DXE30353 off route H37. The bodywork of this truck looks very similar to that on some of Sovereign Recovery's and, although not visible in this view, the name George was painted on the panels behind the cab side windows. The ADL Enviro 200 bus comes in various lengths, and some bus companies use different class codes to distinguish these (although other companies lump them all together in the same class). At RATP, 8.9/9.0 metre buses are coded SDE, 9.3/9.75m ones DDE, 10.2m DE, 10.5m DME, 10.8/10.9m DLE and 11.5m DXE! These codes seem to derive from Short (S), Diddy/Dumpy (?!) (D), Normal (-), Medium (M), Long (L) and Extra-long (X). |
05/08/2021 |
| 1,394 |  |
By Ray Monk Three unmarked red Seat Leon cars were noted at Arriva's Palmers Green Garage in June 2021, with a fourth found working from Dartford later in the month and another at Palmers Green in July. All were registered in the CX70Lxx series, and had first been licensed in November 2020. The Seat Leon is almost the standard Arriva crew ferry car at present so it is presumed that these are 'permanent' fleet additions rather than hired. Dartford's CX70LVU was photographed at the bus stand in Bexleyheath on 30th June. |
05/08/2021 |
| 1,395 |  |
By Bob Milner Over the last couple of years Abellio has standardised on the Peugeot Expert (or the virtually identical Citroen Dispatch) for engineering support vans, with a mixture of new and nearly-new examples being added and numbered in the series from 6900 upwards. The most recently reported is 6910, a Peugeot Expert in white with a red/orange stripe. It also has the yellow around the front, which I presume is simply to improve conspicuity. The van was photographed at Beddington Garage (Depot) on 10th July 2021, with black Ford Fiesta (yay!) LR13LUW alongside. |
05/08/2021 |
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By Ray Monk Google Streetview images had shown a black van with Arriva logos at their Grays garage a while ago. Ray eventually made the journey there to investigate on 17th July 2021 and found DO19GUA, a Combo E (the French fifth-generation model). |
05/08/2021 |
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By Ray Monk The fact that the Stagecoach garage in Rainham has gained four hired Mercedes minibuses (and also a VW Transporter and a car) is surprising, given that the existing allocation was of no fewer than eight Hyundai I800 minibuses. Actually, it was probably seven as it looks like 93641 was withdrawn a while ago. Even so, that is a lot of crew ferries for a garage which runs a maximum of about 115 buses. Ray found three of the Hyundais parked at Rainham Tesco on 17th July 2021. Although barely noticeable, 93649 (DV68TTZ) on the right is unique in being unmarked, and it originally worked from West Ham Garage. 93651 (DV68TTU) on the left and 93650 (DV68TTO) behind have the normal set of red lettering, comprising the fleetnumber under the mirrors and 'Operations Rainham' on the passenger door. It is hard to see due to the reflections, but the Stagecoach name was originally carried alongside the logo on the bonnet. |
05/08/2021 |
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By Andrew Lidinson Another Abellio car at Cheviot Road in Norwood, this time on 16th July 2021. DS68KGA is one of at least three Vauxhall Astra cars added to the fleet in May 2021. It is likely that these were acquired specifically for the take-up of the route 315 contract from 1st of May. This back-roads bus route officially terminates at Norwood Garage but it stands nearby at Cheviot Road, off Knights Hill. |
05/08/2021 |
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By Andrew Lidinson After a gap of a couple of years, Abellio seems to have resumed adding young second-hand cars to its fleet. While the Ford Fiesta was previously the preferred model, the recent additions have been more varied and one such is Ford C-Max WM18NRE, seen at the Cheviot Road stand in Norwood on 28th June 2021. The C-Max started as a taller variant of the Ford Focus but is now marketed as a separate model. Abellio lettering had been applied but there was no sign of a fleetnumber, and it is not known if the 67xx/68xx series is still being used. |
05/08/2021 |
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By Ray Monk This photograph clarifies the situation with Go-Ahead London minibus numbering which I mentioned back in May. To recap, it would appear that Go-Ahead has allocated new fleetnumbers to its service vehicle fleet, one of the engineering vans being noted with ES11 lettering applied in the traditional positions. I then got reports of some of the numerous Mercedes Vito minibuses being numbered in the FVxx series, although it was not mentioned where the numbers were applied. It would appear that only the minibuses at Silvertown have been done so far, and the numbers are carried on a yellow label in the side windows. The company fleetnumber is in the box in the bottom right of this label, and is prefixed FV, presumably for Ferry Vehicle . A larger number is also shown, these being in the FY0x series, and believed to be Silvertown's own 'local' fleetnumbers. Recent observations suggest that Vito minibuses from other garages are still operating without company fleetnumbers. The Northumberland Park minibuses have 'local' fleetnumbers on window labels, while the two at Bexleyheath have properly applied local fleetnumbers BX1 and BX2. Ray photographed RX18LLN, FV16 (aka FY01), at Beckton Asda on 17th July 2021. The Stagecoach bus visible to the left is one of the growing number of electric-powered double-deckers now in use. 14123 is a BYD D8UR-DD with ADL Enviro 400 City bodywork (such evocative names they give them these days!). Visible in this view is the rear-facing video camera that has replaced traditional mirrors on many recent deliveries. The round object above that is believed to also be a video camera, one of several that are used to present a composited image of the vehicle's immediate surroundings to the driver. |
05/08/2021 |
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