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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 1,501 |  |
By London Spotter Two of Go-Ahead London's large fleet of Mercedes Vito minibuses were photographed at Canning Town Bus Station on 6th May 2021. RX67OLO was new in 2017 and based at River Road while RF19UZL arrived in 2019 and worked from Silvertown. Go-Ahead opened a new bus 'garage' at Henley Road (North Woolwich) in May 2021, this being a mere stone's throw from the existing Silvertown premises. The reason for the new garage was to operate the electric buses on newly-won route 69 and also to eventually take up some of the allocation from River Road Garage, which has had to give up part of its yard space. The Silvertown garage was not suitable as it is rather cramped with no prospect for expansion. It is quite likely that one of these minibuses was in fact operating from Henley Road, though there is no way of telling which. I could also mention the fleetnumbering scheme started by Go-Ahead London in early 2021. This will see letter-prefixed fleetnumbers assigned to service vehicles, with reports so far of ES (engineering support) and FV (ferry vehicle) prefixes. The process seems to be taking some time, with only a handful done so far. Having said that, I did receive a report that RF19UZL had become FV21 by 5th of May, though the number is not visible in the photo above. Perhaps it is only on the offside, or on one of the window labels. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,502 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Five for the price of one at Edgware Bus Station on 15th May 2021. Nearest the camera are WN17UEF and WN17UHE, both unmarked Vauxhall Corsa cars used by Arriva London as crew ferry vehicles from Palmers Green Garage. Beyond them are three LBSL Incident Response Unit vans (9065VW, 9078VW and 9086VW, order unknown), and beyond them is the LUL power supply building where dropside 8989F was photographed last year. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,503 |  |
By Derek Everson This van has been surprisingly elusive. New to HCT (Hackney Community Transport) in autumn 2016, it is based at the former London Transport garage at Ash Grove. It was actually there during the open day held in April 2017 but it was parked behind the bus wash and not really visible. Derek finally managed to get some photos of the van when it turned up at Walthamstow Bus Station on 6th May 2021. WN66HXY is a Nissan e-NV200 electric van, most likely used for engineering support. Note that the fog-lights are on, and the driver appears to have a torch headband, no doubt useful when poking about under the bonnet of a bus. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,504 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Quite a few of today's photos show vehicles which have already featured on LTSV not too long ago, though there is usually a reason for adding the second photos. In the case of this white minibus, a view of the nearside published in April suggested that it was now unmarked. Andrew's photo above, taken on Therapia lane in Beddington on 1st May 2021, shows that the vehicle does retain a small part of the lettering it originally had as a Metrobus vehicle. RE13CJY had been withdrawn as time-expired in early 2020 but seems to have been reinstated, perhaps in response to the need for additional crew ferry vehicles to enable social distancing. The yellow stripe was added at around this time, while the red/yellow chevrons on the rear are also not part of the original livery. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,505 |  |
By Derek Everson Although no sightings have been logged since August 2019, it is believed that Go-Ahead London's two Renault Master minibuses are still in use as driver training and assessment vehicles at Camberwell Garage. This is backed up by this photo taken outside the garage on 11th May 2021 showing LV59EJA with at least three people on board. These minibuses are now over eleven years old, which is fairly good going for service vehicles these days. Notably they replaced a pair of Ford Transit minibuses (EX54DYP/DYU) which had only been used for about five years. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,506 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit Mk8 van 9138F was new in November 2020 and appears to be based at Acton Works. It was photographed there on 1st May 2021. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,507 |  |
By Derek Everson Another Nissan Leaf rear-end, also taken by Derek on 6th May 2021. There are two reasons for showing this view of 9103N. Firstly, this car has recently moved from Turnpike Lane (where three of the four cars were initially based) to Stratford Bus Station. With most LBSL vehicles at Stratford now being kept at the City bus station, this is perhaps the first SV to be allocated to the 'old' bus station since the departure of the infrastructure vans about three years ago. The second point is that 9103N has gained two additional rear labels, both of which refer to the fact that the vehicle is driven to the speed limit. This seems odd. Firstly, why have two different labels? Secondly, why promote the fact that you are not breaking the law? |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,508 |  |
By Derek Everson The four Nissan Leaf electric cars delivered in August last year are now all in service. Following the appearance of 9100N at Eltham in April 2021, I pondered whether the three similar cars in North London also had chevrons on the rear, and here is the answer. 9101N was found parked nose-in at Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 6th May 2021. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,509 |  |
By London Spotter Several correspondents have sent in photos taken at Canning Town this month, their visits no doubt being to see the new Ee-class electric double-deck buses recently introduced on route 69. On 6th May 2021, Incident Response Unit van 9096VW from Stratford City was paying a visit. Also visible behind is CY68KKB, an unmarked black Ford Tourneo Custom minibus that was in use as a crew ferry vehicle from Go-Ahead London's newly opened Henley Road (North Woolwich) garage. The Ford has been added to the database, although it is believed to only be on hire. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,510 |  |
By Bob Milner 9007VW is a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van allocated to Finchley Central Station, where it was photographed on 11th April 2021. Several similar vans are based here, these having fleetnumbers in the 8966VW to 8971VW range. 9007VW was a one-off number allocation (being flanked by London Overground and Hainault vehicles). The fact that number 8968VW has not (yet) been reported makes me wonder if this van was originally intended to carry that number. This would not be unheard of. The Mercedes Sprinter van just visible behind the back of 9007VW was seemingly ordered as 8138M then changed to 8177M (although it is officially 8178M!). Also visible behind the fence is Toyota Prius car 8975T. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,511 |  |
By Bob Milner 8972T is a Toyota Prius with a fleetnumber somewhat higher than similar 8911T, but it was actually delivered almost a year and a half earlier. It can normally be found parked at Finchley Central Station, as seen here on 8th May 2021. Visible inside the compound is Mercedes Sprinter crew van 8177M, based here since new in December 2015 and somewhat overdue for replacement. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,512 |  |
By Bob Milner Bob found a new Toyota Prius car parked outside Rickmansworth Station on 2nd May 2021. Although only delivered the previous month it had the surprisingly low fleetnumber 8911T, filling a gap among vehicles that were mainly new almost two years earlier. Four of the parking bays in front of the station here are marked as being for LUL vehicles. 8911T was parked in 'CSM Only', while the adjoining bay is marked 'Tech Officer Only' and was often occupied by incident vehicles such as 7908VW. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,513 |  |
By Ray Monk Not much has been seen of this Ford Transit dropside truck since it was delivered in Autumn 2019. It was noted in central London at night a couple of times, but these did not help us to assign an allocation to it. 8789F was seen again at Acton Works on 1st May 2021, and it was photographed parked outside the building that I still refer to as the CDS offices. Note that this truck does not have a crew-cab. Until 2016, most Transit dropsides leased for LUL had crew-cabs, but there has only been one since (8472F). |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,514 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8577VW seems to be allocated to the Victoria line, with sightings mainly at Northumberland Park Depot and Stockwell Station (the latter at night). It has also been noted in Catford, this presumably being where its regular driver lives. Andrew photographed it on Ringstead Road on 12th May 2021. The badging on the rear of these vans seems to vary, with many just showing 'Caddy' and 'TDI'. This example has the additional 'Maxi' on the left, and also 'C20' under the TDI on the right. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,515 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Ford Transit crew van 8530F was new in late 2017 and since mid-2020 has been based at Morden Station (where it was photographed on 1st May 2021). Observations suggest that prior to this it was allocated to Edgware Track Depot, and this is supported by the 'No tools left in this vehicle' labels visible on the passenger and rear doors. Similar labels have been noted on several other vehicles based at Edgware (such as 7803VW). Be careful if reporting a sighting of this fleetnumber, since it is also carried erroneously by Transit 8503F (LN67KAA). The latter differs in being a medium wheelbase van assigned to the Bakerloo Line, while the real 8530F is a long wheelbase crew van attached to the Northern Line. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,516 |  |
By Derek Everson Another of the LBSL Toyota Yaris cars to move around is 8419T. Ironically, this was one of a pair that started out at Morden, with reports suggesting that it transferred to Southwark in 2019 then to Acton Works by early 2020. However, on 6th May 2021 Derek found it parked near the covered part of Stratford City Bus Station. If there are further reports of it at this location I will add a transfer to the database. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,517 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The five Toyota Yaris cars leased for LBSL in early 2017 and given white/blue/red livery have seen some allocation changes since. 8417T went initially to Eltham, then moved to Morden before it was a year old. It was seen in the yard next to Morden Station car park on 1st May 2021. I left this photo uncropped as it includes part of one of the VW Crafter vans allocated here. This shows the difference between the red/yellow chevrons applied to the rear of many service vehicles, and the orange/yellow stripes that are applied to the sides. |
26/05/2021 |
| 1,518 |  |
By Phil Hambling London Country Bus Services (LCBS) used a variety of number ranges on its service vehicles. Those inherited from London Transport either continued with their existing numbers (as with 1148F) or had them modified (for example the lorry ordered by LT as 1578F became LCBS 578F). Other vehicles continued the 5xx series (for larger vehicles) or started a new series at 1 (for smaller vehicles). The latter series eventually became standard for everything except recovery vehicles, though it should be noted that fleetnumbers were sometimes re-used. The main series only got as high as 71F, this being applied to a Ford Transit Mk2b van new in September 1985. 71F was photographed at Northfleet Garage in November 1986, by which time LCBS had been split into four new operating companies. 71F was then owned by London Country South East and, although barely visible in this view, the fleetname had been suitably amended. LCSE later transformed into KentishBus, and this van was given a new livery and fleetnumber as 927. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,519 |  |
By Phil Hambling Another of London Country's long Leyland Nationals to see further use as a service vehicle was LNB57. New as a Green Line coach (numbered LNC57) in 1973, it was soon demoted to more suitable bus work and renumbered LNB57. By 1980, many of the batch were stored pending overhaul, with only a few returning to bus work. LNB57 was not one of these and in 1981 it was moved to the central works at Crawley for conversion into a uniform issue unit. In this role, for which it was repainted into this green and yellow livery, it replaced AEC Regent 581J. The latter vehicle, converted from low-bridge bus RLH44, was sold for preservation, while LNB57 seems to have only been used until 1986 and is presumed to have been scrapped. It was photographed at Leatherhead Garage in June 1986, when it carried no lettering. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,520 |  |
By Derek Everson Also seen at Stevenage Garage on 17th May 1980, London Country's LN7 had been converted for a similar role to LT's SPB753 (which it was parked in front of). By the beginning of the 1970s the UK's bus manufacturing and operating industries had been nationalised and rationalised. Most bus builders were either owned by or had been absorbed by British Leyland, while most bus companies in England and Wales (apart from those in larger towns and cities) had become part of the National Bus Company (NBC). Leyland proposed replacing a variety of single-deck models with one new type, and planned to restrict the options and paint finishes available. The new type was called the Leyland National, and initially all were to be fitted with dual doors. London Country (LCBS) was one of the largest NBC companies, and they ordered 70 long (11.3m) Nationals. These were mainly intended for use on Green Line services, though the bus seats and dual-door layout were not ideal for this. In the event, Leyland bowed to pressure to offer a single door option, and only the first 23 LCBS buses came with dual doors, these being classified LN. The LNs, along with the single-door LNB (bus) and LNC (coach) Nationals, did not prove very popular with LCBS, although the company went on to successfully operate almost 500 of the shorter (10.3m) model. Because of all this, several of the long Nationals were taken out of use while quite young, and were thus good candidates for conversion to other uses. LN7 was rebuilt as a mobile information point and shop, emerging in spring 1980. That year saw several events to mark the 50th anniversary of the Green Line network, and LN7 - branded as InfoMotion - was prominent at many of these. It is not known how long the vehicle remained as such, though it seems likely it was out of use before the split-up of LCBS in 1986. Although LN7 is only a year younger than SPB753, it marks a watershed in single-deck bus design. SPB753 was a late example of the high-capacity single-deckers introduced in the 1960s (when one person operation of double-deckers was not permitted). Most such buses had been withdrawn by the early 1980s. LN7 represented a type that was to remain in production until the mid-1980s, and to be a common sight across the UK until the mid-1990s. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,521 |  |
By Derek Everson Photographed during an open day at Stevenage Garage on 17th May 1980, JGF753K was former bus SMS753, converted in 1978 into a mobile shop and information centre. Officially renumbered SPB753, there is no evidence that this fleetnumber was ever carried. The vehicle was used in a mainly white livery during 1979 but was then repainted into the blue/white/red scheme as shown. The blue was carried around the front of the bus - this other photo being taken after the bus was sold and restoration to all red livery had begun. Note the socket near the rear blind box being used for connection to a shore power supply. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,522 |  |
By Phil Hambling Certain types of service vehicle do seem to have been photographed more than others, high on the list being breakdown lorries and Inspectors' cars/vans. Fortunately some people also turned their cameras on less prominent types but the coverage is notably lower. Seen at Harrow Bus Station in May 1986 is 3279B, a Bedford Astra van used by the Buses Operating Manager and officially based at Hendon Garage. The oldest part of this vehicle is of course the roundel on the roof, these being transferred from one generation to the next. 3279B was from the first batch of Astras used in this role. They replaced a single generation of Vauxhall Chevettes which themselves had replaced the last of numerous batches of Ford Escort estates. Two further rounds of Astras were to follow (in 1986 and 1989), although vans in the final batch were badged as Vauxhalls. Another change that also occurred in the late 1980s was that registration plates with 'special' numbers (like 444) were withdrawn from normal circulation and kept aside for sale at higher prices. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,523 |  |
By Phil Hambling A photo of this van at this location has already been published, but I am adding this one as it shows the subject more clearly. The location is the industrial estate off Ferry Lane (near Blackhorse Road Station), which was used by London Transport's publicity department from about 1986. Ford Transit Mk2b van 3226F had arrived on lease from Avis in September 1984 and was initially based at Walthamstow Bus Garage. The van was kept for over four years, and was photographed in April 1988 parked beside a Mk3 Transit hired from Swan National. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,524 |  |
By Phil Hambling Until the late-1980s a visit to the raised roadway outside Baker Street Station would normally find at least three service vehicles present. Along with a breakdown tender there were usually a couple of vans, such as Ford Escorts 3126F and 3242F photographed there in March 1986. 3126F was new in August 1983 and was assigned to the Signals and Electrical Engineer. Baker Street was its official allocation, though it was to be withdrawn before the end of the year. Similar 3242F was almost a year younger, assigned to the Electrical Engineer (Cables) and officially allocated to Lillie Bridge. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,525 |  |
By Phil Hambling I suspect that many of you will recognise this location as being Brixton Bus Garage, which of course is not actually in Brixton! Taken in November 1986, this view shows Dodge Commando dustcart 2419D about to turn towards the garage, no doubt to empty their bins. Three of these lorries were delivered in March 1985, these being the last of the Commando type bought by London Transport. In fact only one more Dodge was taken (S75 dropside 2424D in late 1985), and the brand was soon to be dropped in favour of Renault. The Renault diamond logo was displayed along with the Dodge name for a while, as seen here. 2419D and 2421D were both withdrawn in 1990 following the arrival of larger Mercedes dustcarts. 2420D was kept as a reserve vehicle, lasting until 1996 and being the only one repainted to white/blue. The buses in the background are typical of the time, including three DMS Fleetlines and a single Routemaster. If you are interested in buses of this era, Phil's Flickr site is well worth a look. The album for Fleetline buses alone has 1,661 photos, most of which are LT DM/DMS types. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,526 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff This photo taken at Ruislip Depot in about 1989 shows a Foden tractor unit of Vic Berry being used to move a withdrawn 1962 stock tube car. The carriage was being taken to Heathrow Fire Station where it was to be used on fire-fighting and evacuation exercises. Vic Berry was based in Leicester and became famous for being the last destination of many BR locos and coaches, the firm being contracted to scrap numerous trains which had asbestos insulation. Note that railway sleepers have been used to provide a hard-standing at rail height, enabling the lorry to align itself with the track. Also visible is Ford Sierra estate car 3642F, used by the Neasden Depot Breakdown Foreman, while tender 2201F was also in attendance. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,527 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff The Leyland Titan breakdown tenders used by the Rolling Stock Engineer (such as 1279LD), were replaced by new Ford D0710 box trucks between 1976 and 1980. Last to arrive was 2201F in February 1980, later 2217F being for the Signal Engineer. Based at Neasden Depot, 2201F was photographed at Ruislip Depot in about 1989, the reason for its visit being shown in the next photo. The revised frontal design (with square headlamps in a black grille) was introduced in 1979 and thus only featured on the final 10 lorries bought by London Transport. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,528 |  |
By Ian Jordan I was going to add a recently-received photo of 1993F at Enfield but then I found this. 1992F is the only one of the four Ford D1010 uniform issue units not previously shown on LTSV and this photo was taken in Euston Bus Station in 1987. The role lettering beneath the LT fleetname had been removed but the vehicles were still in use and it was presumably parked here for the benefit of the staff at the nearby Underground station. The lorries actually lasted until spring 1993, by which time they were the last D-series lorries in the fleet. Their replacements were Carrymaster trailers with similarly tall bodywork. It is perhaps a shame that none of the Fords were repainted in the post-1990 white/blue livery. The bus in the background is interesting. At this time, central London bus routes that served tourist hotspots were being treated to yellow waist bands. Most of the routes were still operated by Routemasters, where the existing white band was simply repainted yellow. Route 188 was included as it gave access to Greenwich, but it was operated by Leyland Titan buses, which had not previously had waist bands. The result was quite attractive, and foreshadowed the later application of white bands (and grey skirts) in the new LBL livery. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,529 |  |
By Julian Bowden-Green Collection Here is another of the Orange/Tangerine/Tomato-Soup liveried Ford Escorts, not that you would know it! 1908F was from a batch of 22 estate cars numbered 1906F to 1927F. Intended for use by bus inspectors, the cars all had illuminated roundels on their roofs. These roundels were passed from one generation of cars to the next, with each batch only being used for a couple of years. For example, 1906F-1927F replaced 1797F-1818F in 1975 and were themselves replaced by 2038F-2059F in 1977. 1908F was based at North Street Garage in Romford and was photographed parked in Dagenham. Judging by the police, banners and men with armbands visible in the background, the car was probably present in connection with a strike or demonstration by Ford employees. 1908F (along with 1926F) gained a reprieve following replacement and was transferred to the Signal Engineers. Based at Telstar House near Paddington, it worked for them - doubtlessly without the roof roundel - until withdrawn and sold in 1979. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,530 |  |
By Julian Bowden-Green Collection I recently added a photo of an early Mk2 Ford Escort Estate with London Transport, to highlight the fact that some of these vehicles were delivered in a lighter shade of red than standard (sometimes referred to as orange or tangerine). Several Escort vans were also in this livery, but I don't have any colour photos of these. This view of van 1901F was taken in Camberwell Garage sometime between its delivery in 1975 and withdrawal in 1978. I was about to say that the lighter colour of the bodywork is evident in comparison with the buses in the background, until I noticed that the RT on the far right appears even brighter! So, inconclusive. Despite the evidence of engineering work all around, 1901F was in fact used by the Publicity Department. Camberwell seems to have been home to just one publicity van, and 1901F replaced grey 1704F, a photo of which is curiously similar to this one. In turn, 1901F was replaced by Bedford HA 2076B. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,531 |  |
By Derek Everson The second flatbed lorry used by London Transport for driver training was 1866B. This was in fact quadruply rare in the 1970s lorry fleet. It was a flatbed, it was a Bedford, it had three axles and it was acquired second-hand. Just three year's old when bought, this Bedford TK lorry was based at Chiswick Works until it was withdrawn in 1983. In this view taken on 23rd August 1977, 1866B is parked in the front yard at Chiswick alongside a pair of RT buses also being used for driver training. On the right is a Ford Escort estate car, several of which (like 1848F) were allocated to the training school. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,532 |  |
By Julian Bowden-Green If you tuned-in last month you might recognise this location as being the front yard of Chiswick Works, with the Scientific Laboratory building in the background. The photo shown here was taken a couple of years before Derek's 1977 view and shows the rear of Ford D700 flatbed lorry 1722F. Flatbed lorries were exceptionally rare as service vehicles, and the two main examples were used exclusively for driver training. 1722F was new in November 1971 and was listed as having a bolster and fixed sides. If so, it was presumably the same as 'unique' 1529F. I don't have any photographic evidence that this was the case, though I have just noticed something that makes it seem plausible. Open lorries with fixed sides would normally have an opening tail-gate, and this was often lower in height than the sides. Though 1722F clearly had a fixed rear end when photographed, there do appear to be bump-stops on the end of the chassis frame, suggesting that it originally had a drop tail. 1722F was transferred to the driving school in mid-1974, at which time it was presumably modified with the sides removed and end fixed. It remained in use, mainly within the confines of Chiswick Works, until 1983 when it was replaced by a Bedford TL lorry. Parked on the left is York dropside trailer YT7, still in green livery. Comparison with Derek's photo (linked above) shows that YT7 did not move but it lost its sides and was loaded with YT6. Both were sold in late 1977. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,533 |  |
By Derek Everson Six of London Transport's 143 Ford D-series lorries were articulated tractors, referred to at the time as Prime Movers. All six were delivered in 1971/1972 and they all lasted for at least 10 years. Derek caught 1668F passing through East Acton on 5th August 1981, this being one of two DA1610 tractor units that had a HIAB crane mounted behind the cab. It was coupled to a single-axle, step-frame York trailer, the fleetnumber of which is unfortunately obscured by the crane. It is likely to be either YT15 or YT20. These trailers were fitted with a high bolster at their front ends, which would enable them to carry over-length loads such as poles. However, it would also seem to limit the ability of the crane on the tractor to reach loads on the trailer (unless of course the tractor was uncoupled and then repositioned). When seen, the trailer was loaded with a mobile compressor which appears to still be in the traditional green livery. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,534 |  |
By Julian Bowden-Green 143 Ford D-series lorries were delivered to London Transport between 1966 and 1981, in a variety of configurations and mostly painted in the standard grey livery. 1529F appears to have been unique in being a 7-ton bolster lorry with fixed sides. LT had a number of Ford D-series open lorries with fixed sides but these were mainly larger 10-ton variants, or short lorries used for towing. 1529F was new just before Christmas 1968 and lasted until early 1981. The date of this photo taken in the lorry yard at Chiswick Works is not known but it is assumed to be in the mid-1970s. 1529F had had its white grille overpainted grey and also featured a green painted bolster and cab roof. The lorry behind is slightly newer 1753F, a crew-cab dropside lorry with a half-length tilt. This has the original white painted grille and has a grey cab roof. In the left background is the roadway leading up to the bridge over the BR tracks. It then dropped down into Acton Works, this part of the road remaining today as what we call the Stub Road. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,535 |  |
By Derek Everson Seen on 7th August 1975 outside the shed that appears to have been its home, 1492B was the ambulance based at Aldenham Works from its delivery in 1968 until the closure of the works in the mid-1980s. Along with similar 1532B at Chiswick, these vehicles would be used to deal with any major injuries to staff, taking the victims to nearby hospitals where necessary. Hopefully the pair did not see much use and both have survived in preservation. The buses in the background include newly-delivered DMSs and an RT that was probably being used as a staff bus. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,536 |  |
By Derek Everson The Ford Thames Trader was the standard lorry for London Transport from 1959 until it was replaced by the new Ford D-series in 1966. 136 examples were bought during that time, in a wide variety of configurations. 1302F was a 5-ton box truck delivered in December 1963 but not licensed until the following March. Always allocated to Chiswick Works, it was photographed there on 12th August 1974. Note the non-standard white London Transport fleetname, and the allocation plate showing 'CDS Chiswick'. Also the painting of the front of the box body is somewhat odd, perhaps as a result of repairs. Box-bodied Traders were not particularly rare but this is the first to be shown on LTSV (other than the crew-cabbed breakdown tenders such as 1283F). |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,537 |  |
By Bob Greenway via Ian Dyckhoff I don't think anyone could call London Transport's eight Leyland Titan breakdown tenders attractive, although the later 1416LD was an improvement with its continuous roof-line. 1279LD seen at Neasden Depot on 14th March 1970 was one of the four allocated to the Rolling Stock Engineer, recognisable by the large sliding doors in the bodysides (which the Permanent Way vehicles lacked). There were in fact several other differences between the two sets of Titans. The bodywork on the RSE vehicles was about a foot taller, with a more pronounced curve into the roof. The cabs of the PWE vehicles (such as 1276LD) had a beading strip along the sides, round corners at the bottoms of the door windows, 2 foot steps below the crew-cab doors and none under the front doors, and there was a pronounced lip over the front windscreens. As seen above, the RSE vehicles had no cab-side beading, square corners all round on the door windows, a single large foot step under the crew-cab doors and an extra foot step under the front doors (both with kick-plates), and a smooth curve into the roof above the windscreens. 1279LD was withdrawn in 1980 following the delivery of new Ford D-series box trucks, though fortunately it survives in preservation. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,538 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff In the early 1960s London Transport ordered eight Breakdown Tenders which were based rather unusually on Leyland PD3 chassis, a type normally used for double-deck buses. Delivered between December 1962 and March 1964, the batch was split with four each for use by the Permanent Way Engineer (1273LD to 1276LD) and the Rolling Stock Engineer (1277LD to 1280LD). Permanent Way 1275LD was found parked at Park Royal Station in 1977, a couple of years before it was replaced by new Ford A0609 box trucks. From the rear the PWE and RSE Titans were very similar, with two hinged, fold-back doors, behind which was a tail-lift (the lower parts of the tail-lift rails were exposed). 1275LD was badged as having a Burtonwood tail-lift, while RSE 1279LD had a USI tail-lift, though it is not known if this also applied to the other Titans. |
11/05/2021 |
| 1,539 |  |
By Malcolm Conway We have got used to the sight of service vehicles with police markings (such as ERU 2612), but there are also some police vehicles with service vehicle markings! The first were seen about five years ago and Malcolm photographed a more recent addition in Victoria on 3rd April 2021. OU70EDX is a Mercedes Vito crew van of the British Transport Police. The livery is fairly standard except that towards the rear it carries the same 'Transport for London, Every Journey Matters' lettering as seen on most service vehicles. It is also marked as belonging to the 'Network Incident Response Team' (NIRT?). Although some BTP vehicles were supplied by CDS/DSM in the past (and had 'shadow' fleetnumbers), it is not thought that the current vehicles have any connection with Acton. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,540 |  |
By Derek Everson The allocations of the twelve Renault Master vans acquired by RATP in mid-2020 are gradually being discovered. R70040 was seen parked at Tolworth Garage on 14th April 2021. The yellow label on the Portacabin behind the van reads 'Run out supervisor office'. The garden shed on the right is presumed to be the garage manager's office! |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,541 |  |
By Les Savine I was pleased to see this photo taken by Les outside Edgware Station on 21st April 2021, since it answered a question from last year. Derek had noted a red Renault Kangoo registered MA20WZN inside Metroline's CELF works at Perivale in August 2020. However, only part of the vehicle was visible and we were not sure that it was actually a company vehicle. Well, we are sure now. MA20WZN is a Kangoo ZE, the electric version of the model. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,542 |  |
By Kim Rennie It has been good to see photos from so many different contributors this month, with the slight easing of lockdown restrictions coinciding with some pleasant weather. A name from the early days of LTSV is Kim Rennie and he sent in this nice view of Tower Transit's VW Transporter van VU69FYO passing through Hackney Wick on 19th April 2021. I know that I have already published a photo of this van, but I thought I would leave this in as it shows how different cameras and lighting conditions can significantly alter the appearance of red vehicles. For example, in Neal's photo, the van appears darker than the bus following it. Yet in Kim's, the shade of red on the van looks quite bright. In a similar vein, I have recently been in dispute with Ray over whether some early Mk3 Transit vans were red or orange! More on that next time. Tower Transit is slightly unusual for operating over a large part of London from just two garages. Their entire fleet is based at either Lea Interchange in the east or Westbourne Park in the west. Having said that, they have seen some significant route tendering losses recently and are due to finish on routes 28, 69 and 328 this week. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,543 |  |
By Derek Everson Having just mentioned Epsom garage, here is a photo taken there, also on 14th April 2021. To the fore is D75101 (MJ69ZJY), numerically the first of 30 Dacia Sandero cars delivered to the RATP group in late 2019 and early 2020. When Epsom closes in July 2021, it is presumed that the allocation of cars will be dispersed to other garages. In the background are a pair of silver Optare Solo buses, these being used on a staff shuttle service for the NHS. This contract is due to finish at the end of May, the service then being run directly by the NHS. Finally, on the right is a Wright Streelite bus with blinds for route 463. This route, with ten WS-class buses, passes to Go-Ahead London on 7th May 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,544 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek visited RATP's Tolworth garage on 14th April 2021 and found a couple of service vehicles present. On the right is Dacia Sandero car D75102 (MJ69ZCA) which was originally allocated to Epsom. The premises in Epsom is being run-down ahead of a planned closure in mid-2021, with some of the bus routes being moved across to Tolworth. Some other routes will be novated (have the contracts changed without re-tendering) to be operated by Go-Ahead London. On the left is a Mk6 Ford Transit minibus which was in un-marked white. At around 17-year's old, this doesn't seem likely to be a company service vehicle, although with the changes in requirements resulting from the COVID pandemic, anything is possible. I have not added the minibus to the database but will do so if there are any further reports. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,545 |  |
By Les Savine At least 2 of the 30 Dacia Sandero cars acquired by RATP a year ago are based at Edgware garage. As has been commented on before, Edgware Garage is unusual in that is has been split into two separate premises, for use by Metroline and RATP (formerly London Sovereign). I have tagged this photo to the Metroline location, as most of what can be seen is part of the Metroline side. This includes the parking area on the far right, which was until recently occupied by an LUL power supply building. Interestingly, one of the buses parked there was an Arriva London Enviro 400. Dacia car D75121 (MJ69ZBZ) presumably came from the RATP side of the garage, and is about to drive up the short rise to the adjoining bus station. Photographed on 23rd April 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,546 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Although a couple of Go-Ahead London service vehicles have recently been noted with new fleetnumbers applied, it looks as though it may be a while before the whole fleet is done. Mercedes Vito minibus RF19UZN was still in anonymous red when seen at Eltham Bus Station on 2nd April 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,547 |  |
By Bob Milner Sullivan Buses pops up again. The small company recently added a newer Mk8 Ford Transit van for engineer's use, replacing Mk6 BT06JVG. The new van has been smartly marked-up and was seen attending to an Enviro 400 bus at Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 19th April 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,548 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The strange structure in the background of this photo is the bus station built next to Newbury Park tube station to form a transport interchange. Of concrete construction with a copper-clad roof, the building is now listed. The main subject of this 7th April 2021 photo is Sullivan Buses EC1, the first of five Renault Zoe cars acquired to serve as crew ferry vehicles. Sullivan Buses runs many of the planned railway replacement bus services (RRBSs) around London, either with their own buses or co-ordinating the use of buses from other companies. Also, although Newbury Park is on the Central Line, it is often used by other RRBSs. For example, when the Anglia services between Ilford and Romford are suspended, RRBSs often connect these stations to Newbury Park, to allow passengers to continue their journeys by tube. Several Enviro 400 buses with RRBS blinds can be seen parked in the station car park. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,549 |  |
By Les Savine Unlike Falcon Buses, the much larger Arriva London does not generally apply markings to its service vehicles. Typical of the current fleet is Vauxhall Corsa van WP16HDF seen leaving Edgware Bus Station on 23rd April 2021. Although this van is listed on LTSV as being allocated to Wood Green, it is believed that the Arriva routes at Edgware are run from Palmers Green. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,550 |  |
By Derek Everson Falcon Buses took over the Byfleet premises latterly used by Abellio in 2017 and uses it to run bus services in parts of Surrey. None are TfL tenders, though their buses do enter the TfL area at Kingston. The fleet is notable for its smart appearance, with even the service vehicles being treated to full livery and lettering. A recent addition is Ford Fiesta van KO16SXX, seen at Byfleet on 14th April 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,551 |  |
By Derek Everson Mercedes Actros artic WP61ZXE has made several appearances on LTSV since it was new 9 years ago. Here for a change is a photo of it not at Acton Works! It's not far away though, being caught passing through North Acton on 21st April 2021. The trailer is the short Cartwright flatbed numbered T74. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,552 |  |
By Derek Everson Also seen at the back of Acton Museum Depot on 21st April 2021 were another pair of vans used by the museum. LB62EJA is a Fiat Ducato van new in January 2013 and which started the new fleetnumber series as LTM001. Its main use is to carry museum shop sales stock to rallies and events, hence it has seen little use this past year. The other vehicle is LTM003, a Land Rover Defender van bought new in 2016. I have classed this vehicle as an exhibition unit as it has a lift-up panel on the nearside with display screens inside, although it is also used for other purposes including towing trailers and even buses (the latter only within the museum site). |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,553 |  |
By Derek Everson In autumn 2017 the London Transport Museum acquired an unusual second-hand van, this being a Fiat Ducato with drop-floor van bodywork. This type is often used for transporting motorbikes but it was acquired mainly to move inflatable structures used for children's education and play during events. The van was numbered as LTM008 but we marked it as withdrawn in early 2019, based on the fact that its MOT had expired and it was declared as SORN (off the road). I was rather surprised therefore to receive this photo taken by Derek in the back yard of the Acton Museum Depot on 21st April 2021. GX52ZGR is visible in the background, but the other van is identical GX52ZGS. This van is also unlicensed, and has been off the road for even longer than its sister. It is assumed that it was acquired to supplement or replace GX52ZGR, or to enable one good vehicle to be made from the pair. However, until COVID restrictions are eased enough to allow the resumption of open days and events, the odd-looking vans are likely to remain out of use. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,554 |  |
By Ray Monk The second 21-reg Ford Transit dropside truck found at Acton Works on 17th April 2021 was 9110F in the white/blue/green livery of London Trams. There are currently three dropside trucks shown on LTSV as being with Tramlink, although the oldest (7589F) has not been seen since September 2019 and may have already departed. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,555 |  |
By Derek Everson 9098VW is numerically the penultimate vehicle in the latest batch of LBSL Incident Response Units. First seen at the Bedfont dealership in June 2020, it was not delivered until September and is now one of 8 IRUs based at Morden Station. Vans from this location cover a large part of south and south-west London and Derek caught 9098VW in Kingston on 14th April 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,556 |  |
By Les Savine I figured that it might take a while to get photographs of all 45 Volkswagen Crafter vans used as Incident Response Units by London Buses. However, I was surprised to realise that (after today), just five remain to be shown. 9078VW was one of the batch that was delivered just before the first COVID lockdown in March 2020. It was photographed at its home base of Edgware Bus Station on 23rd April 2021. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,557 |  |
By Ray Monk The first 21-reg vehicles for the central fleet were found during a visit to Acton Works on 17th April 2021, although it is possible that some others had already been delivered and entered service. Two new Ford Transit Mk8 dropside trucks were present, this being LUL-liveried 9027F. There are still lots of 'gaps' in the fleetnumbers in the 90xx range, suggesting that more vehicles are still awaited. Parked behind 9027F were crew van 8921F, dropside 8118F and a hired box van. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,558 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek was out and about on 21st April 2021 and found this Transit Mk8 dropside truck parked at a Ford dealership in Alperton. 9002F had been new in November 2019 and, as with many dropsides, is based at Lillie Bridge. It is presumed to have been here for some repair work. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,559 |  |
By Ray Monk Another blue view of the car park at Acton Works on 17th April 2021, with a couple of larger than usual vehicles present. Nearest the camera is 8915F, a Ford Transit Mk8 crew van. Part of a large batch of similar vehicles numbered in the range 8912F to 8923F, delivery has been protracted, resulting in some of the vans (including this one) being to the 2020 Facelift design. Although deliveries of the batch started in mid-2019 there may be a few still to come, with fleetnumbers 8911, 8917 and 8924-8929 not yet reported. Parked beyond is 8599VW, one of six Volkswagen Transporter minibuses used by TfL Taxi-Private Hire Compliance Enforcement. 8599VW was at Mandela Way in Bermondsey for a while but seems to now work out of Acton. Beyond 8599VW is a Peugeot van which was either a hire or used by a contractor. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,560 |  |
By Peter Terry One more photo from Loughton Station on 17th April 2021 shows Ford Transit crew van 8913F parked in front of Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8910F. Both vans are from sizeable batches of similar vehicles (8900VW to 8910VW and 8912F to 8923F), all of which are believed to be based at Acton Works. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,561 |  |
By Ray Monk Fleetnumbers 8879R to 8882R are carried by four Renault Kangoo Maxi vans new in May 2019. Three have been seen fairly regularly at Griffith House but 8879R evidently went elsewhere and was very rarely reported. On 17th April 2021 Ray found it in the front car park at Acton Works. For some reason, Ray's camera often produces slightly blue-tinted results at this location, which has proved hard to rectify. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,562 |  |
By Les Savine 8877F was the middle one of three Ford Transit Custom SWB vans delivered in September 2019. Reports of the trio in service have been scarce so the allocations are unknown. On 23rd April 2021 Les caught 8877F leaving Edgware Bus Station. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,563 |  |
By Paul Nicholls Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8823R was found in South Ockendon on 26th April 2021. New in April 2019 it is one of a large batch (8812R to 8829R) which are mostly allocated to Griffith House. Of course that location can only hold a couple of vehicles, the remainder being parked elsewhere during the day. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,564 |  |
By Peter Terry A dozen Ford Transit Mk8s new in July 2019 were given KF19xxx registrations, and Peter found three of them at Loughton Station on 17th April 2021. 8794F was the only one of the 12 to be a plain van (the rest were all crew vans) and since no-one has ever reported a sighting of it before, the allocation of the van is unknown. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,565 |  |
By Peter Terry Another rarely-reported vehicle found at Loughton Station on 17th April 2021 was Ford Transit crew van 8784F, new in July 2019. As evidenced by the buses in the background, the Central Line service had been suspended and bus replacement services were operating. Sullivan Buses is often involved in such work, and two of their Renault Zoe electric cars can also be seen. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,566 |  |
By Peter Terry 8671F is a Ford Transit Mk8 crew van new in January 2019 but only reported a couple of times since. Possibly based at Stratford Market Depot, it was found parked in the sunshine at Loughton Station on 17th April 2021 during a Central Line engineering closure. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,567 |  |
By Peter Terry On his way to Loughton on 17th April 2021, Peter spotted this minibus parked at Snaresbrook. Although carrying what looks like LUL livery, it is in fact one of three Vauxhall Movano minibuses used by LBSL Passenger Data to assist with bus usage surveys (as shown by the lettering and red 'Buses' roundel). 8303V seems to be the most camera-shy of the three, all of which are believed to operate out of Chancel Street in Southwark. Apart from one similar vehicle used by LUL, these are the last Vauxhalls in the central fleet. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,568 |  |
By Peter Terry I have returned to my normal practice of arranging photos within each batch in order of their fleetnumber or registration. By coincidence, the result of this is that the first 5 photos today (plus one later) were all taken by Peter Terry on Saturday 17th April 2021. Most of Peter's photos were of LUL vehicles found parked at Loughton Station, the Central Line being suspended at the time. Another coincidence is that most of the vehicles seen had never been photographed before, suggesting perhaps that they are allocated to nearby Hainault. First up is Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8274VW, which has previously been noted at Hainault. It was new in December 2016 as part of a batch of six similar vans (8268VW to 8274VW), which may all be based there. |
28/04/2021 |
| 1,569 |  |
By External Source Information on early leased service vehicles is a little patchy, since they were not included in the detailed Variation Sheets produced by London Transport. I have always listed 3021F as being a Transit 190 Crew Van, this being how it was described in London Bus Handbooks of the time. However, this photo taken at Lillie Bridge in March 1985 seems to show that it was actually a plain van (there could have been an extra row of seats inside but the policy on LTSV is to only apply the 'crew van' description to vans with extra side windows). As with most long-wheelbase Ford Transit Mk2s, this van has flared rear wheelarches and a hinged cargo door with a higher sill than the front doors. 3021F was officially allocated to the Permanent Way Manager at nearby Pelham Street, although the lettering on the doors shows 'DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING'. It took me a while to place this photo. The flats in the background are still there (fronting West Cromwell Road and North End Road), but the building on the left (with a sign saying 'KEEP CLEAR FOR CANTEEN DELIVERIES') has gone. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,570 |  |
By External Source The 1975 batch of Inspector's Radio Control cars were Ford Escort estates 1906F to 1927F. What set this batch apart was that they were described as being orange (or 'tangerine') rather than standard red. Until recently I had only seen black and white photos of cars from this batch, so I was pleased to find this photo of 1917F, taken in Romford when it was still fairly new. The colour of the bodywork does not look too far off being red, although it does seem slightly lighter than the red of the roof-mounted roundel. Given the vagaries of colour film at the time, plus the changes that could result from the printing and scanning processes, I am not sure whether the livery was actually different enough to warrant distinction. Can anyone remember seeing these cars in the flesh? |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,571 |  |
By External Source This interesting photo was taken at Holborn in October 1978 and shows a gaggle of London Transport emergency vehicles, presumably attending an incident at the station. Nearest the camera is Ford Thames Trader Auxiliary Breakdown Tender 1281F, one of three similar vehicles bought in 1963. 1281F seems to have been the most elusive of the trio, perhaps because it was based at Hainault for some of its career. Behind 1281F are Leyland Titan 1277LD (with a similar vehicle in the distance) and another of the Trader trio. The other red vehicle is a Ford D box lorry which must be 1986F as the later vehicles had yet to be delivered. I had thought that the cream Land Rover might be a London Transport vehicle as well, but I can't find a vehicle in stock at the time that matches its layout and livery. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,572 |  |
By External Source Numerically the last of the LGOC-built vans, V50 was assembled at Chiswick Works in August 1925 and allocated to Merton Garage. Most of the V-class lasted 7 or 8 years, and V50 was withdrawn 1932. The Vehicle Record Card described V50 as being a van but I would probably now refer to it as a covered truck. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,573 |  |
By External Source This photo appeared on the title page of Kim Rennie and Bill Aldridge's excellent book on LT service vehicles published in 2003. It shows Underground van V48 being loaded with stripped posters at Lambeth North Station. 50 of these vehicles were built at Chiswick Works in 1923-1925, featuring bus-like radiator grilles and cast plates for the fleetnumbers V1 to V50. I have listed the 2-tone (or 3-tone if you include the silver roof) livery on V48 as being red/lake, although I am now unsure of where this information came from. The vehicle record card has survived but it (unusually) does not show this detail. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,574 |  |
By External Source The 31 vans numbered TV1 to TV31 were vans built by Trojan. The first four were built in 1927, joined by a fifth in 1929, all of these being withdrawn in 1931. TV6 came in late 1930 and was followed by slightly larger TV7-TV29 in 1931. Three more were bought in 1933/1934, numbered TV30, TV31 and 132 (in the tramway series). TV30 lasted just one year, while 132 remained until 1938. All of the rest were sold to E A Bradley of Cricklewood in December 1936. This photo was probably taken at Bradley's yard not long after this and shows TV9 still displaying its fleetnumber but with the other lettering painted out. Similar TV27 is in the left background, with another example parked alongside. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,575 |  |
By External Source London Transport bought a lot of Ford Thames E83W vans in the late 1940s and early 1950s, several of which have already been shown on LTSV. Here though is one of thirteen such vehicles that were fitted with so-called 'Laundry' bodies. Sharing the same bonnet as the standard vans, everything else was different, with a more upright windscreen, larger doors and a taller, slab-sided body. The payload remained the same but these vans were able to carry bulky items. Strangely, all thirteen vans were used by the publicity department (carrying bulky bus timetables?!). 764F was based at Highgate (Holloway) then Hackney (Clapton) and was withdrawn in 1961. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,576 |  |
By External Source Seen in about 1956, this AEC Matador Master Breakdown Tender is rather confusingly labelled as an AUXILIARY BREAKDOWN TENDER. Allocated to Cricklewood Garage at the time, it moved to North Street (Romford) in June 1956 but was withdrawn within 6 weeks, and sold before the end of the year. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,577 |  |
By External Source This posed shot was probably taken at Chiswick Works in mid-1948. 747P was an AEC Matador acquired from War Department in late 1947, when it was just a couple of years old. It was sent to Metro Coach Building of Hayes in March 1948 for alterations, returning to Chiswick in June and entering service at West Ham in September. There are two notable aspects to this photo. Firstly, the crane at the back has been rotated through 180 degrees. I didn't even know that these parts could be turned, and the position of the spare wheel mounted on the rear would appear to foul rotation. The second oddity is the plain panel fitted over the rear wheel. This feature was retained on 747P throughout its almost 30 years with LT, although all of the other LT Matadors had conventional wheelarch panels here. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,578 |  |
By External Source The most interesting aspect of this photo from about 1956 is the label applied to the side of the vehicle. 737J was rebuilt from bus STL197 in 1949 and was officially referred to as Auxiliary Breakdown Tender. Initially allocated to Cricklewood Garage (as marked on the cab door in this photo), it moved around a bit after mid-1956, being based at six other garages before it was withdrawn in 1962. The label on the bodyside reads 'MASTER BREAKDOWN TENDER', seemingly contradicting the official description. Curiously, AEC Matador Master Breakdown Tender 748P was parked behind and (as will be seen), this carried a label that read 'AUXILIARY BREAKDOWN TENDER'. Had the labels simply been applied to the wrong vehicles? |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,579 |  |
By External Source 402W was one of many AEC Regal lorries introduced in 1939 following conversion from T-class single-deck buses and coaches. 402W had originally been Green Line T227 and, after rebuilding, was allocated to Leyton Garage as a towing vehicle. In June 1944 it was damaged in an air raid, requiring a new body to be fitted the following year. It returned to Leyton but moved further out to Hertford in 1949, and remained there for most of the following decade. Converted from petrol to oil engine in 1954, it was eventually withdrawn and sold in 1960. This photo shows it leaving the main entrance of Chiswick Works in 1956. The lorry usually ran on trade plates, and carried 014GF from December 1955 until it was withdrawn. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,580 |  |
By External Source Fleetnumbers of service vehicles before 1939 were a little confusing since many lorries and trucks were numbered in series shared by buses with similar chassis. For example, the L-class of Leylands were mainly buses but included at least five lorries. One of these was L64, seen attending to a broken-down STL428 at an unknown location (possibly Camden Town) in about 1936. The bus is on route 137, introduced in 1934 between Archway and Elmers End, being extended to West Wickham on Sundays until 1936 only. It later reached Bromley for a while but was extensively altered in 1937 with Clapham Common being the southern terminus. Finally it was extended to Crystal Palace in 1938 and then stayed generally the same for over 50 years. The Leyland LB5 lorry L64 had been new as a bus with the City Omnibus Co in 1929. Rebuilt as a lorry in July 1935, it was used as a towing vehicle at Chalk Farm garage until 1940 (with new fleetnumber 211L from 1939). It then spent a year or so with the building department at Parsons Green and was withdrawn in 1942, though not sold until 1946. Note that the lorry has canvas flaps as cab 'doors', though it does at least have pneumatic tyres. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,581 |  |
By External Source Having recently been talking about green cab roofs on grey service vehicles in the 1960s/1970s, this photo reminded me that cream cab roofs had been a similarly short-lived feature in the late 1930s. Leyland Cub Trolleybus Rescue Truck 207C displayed the livery when it was parked at North Finchley in about 1939. The lorry was only a couple of years old at the time, and still carried its original fleetnumber of 222. It was destined to be based at Finchley Depot for many years, moving to Cricklewood in 1956 and being sold in 1962. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,582 |  |
By External Source London Transport's railway breakdown tenders generally wore this distinctive red and cream livery. Seen here is 131A, one of three Albion KN127 breakdown vans new in 1938. Initially numbered AN27-AN29, they were renumbered to 130A-132A in 1939. One each was allocated to the rolling stock department at Ealing Common (AN27/130A), the Signal Engineer at Lillie Bridge (AN28/131A) and the Lifts & Escalators division (AN29/132A which differed in being green). All three lasted for about 20 years, with 131A being the last to go, in 1962. It was seen at about this time, parked up with some similar vintage vehicles. On the right is Leyland Cub Trolleybus Rescue Truck 204C which was based at Stonebridge Park for many years but which was stored at Cricklewood prior to disposal in 1962. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,583 |  |
By External Source Photographed outside Tottenham Garage in 1933, this line of vehicles is headed by an AEC 506 stores lorry that had been delivered new in 1928. It had fleetnumber EN20 for a time, being renumbered 49Z in 1939. It is perhaps unlikely it ever carried its new number, since it was withdrawn and sold (to the War Office) in late 1939. In fact no fleetnumber is visible in this photo, just the name of its home garage applied both to the cab and the open bodywork. Parked behind the car (which may also have been at LT vehicle but which is unfortunately not identifiable) is a Morris 1-ton truck. Although listed as a van, it is clearly more akin to a truck with a tilt cover. Numbered M15 it had been delivered new in 1931 but was only to last 6 six years, hence not being included in the 1939 renumbering. |
17/04/2021 |
| 1,584 |  |
By Richard Davis Richard caught this Scania R440 of Motor Services towing Arriva London's HV75 along the M1 near to Toddington Services (Bedfordshire) on 20th June 2020. |
12/04/2021 |
| 1,585 |  |
By Clive Greedus Collection Here is another very interesting photo that has emerged recently. It shows a solid-tyred AEC lorry marked as a Dalston Garage Breakdown Tender and being used (most likely) for an exercise at righting a bus that had fallen over, possibly at Chiswick Works. Ropes have been attached to the front of the chassis, and also wound around a capstan fitted to the rear axle. The rear has been propped-up, lifting the wheels clear of the ground and allowing the vehicle to be used as a powered winch. The vehicle is thought to be an AEC Tylor (or Tyler depending on your source) that was bought in 1919. Although the details have not yet been added to the database, I do have a copy of the Vehicle Record Card for this lorry. Registered as LU8031, it actually operated on trade plate 066LA until 1937, then on 015GH until it was withdrawn in 1938. It was allocated to various garages, including Dalston from May 1919 until February 1924 and again from April 1925 (although it might be 1935) until withdrawal. The card states that a glass windscreen was fitted in June 1931 and this (along with the buses visible in the background) suggests that the photo was taken in the 1930s. The lorry was sold in 1938 and hence was never allocated a fleetnumber in the new series. Note that the bodywork appears to have dropside doors with lettering to indicate which equipment can be found inside each. |
12/04/2021 |
| 1,586 |  |
By James Mair White City Depot and Wood Lane have always been listed on LTSV as two separate locations, based on various official documents. However, although the two served different purposes at times, I believe that they were both the same location, or at least adjacent to each other. In more recent times both of the locations have moved and are now distinct. White City Depot is underneath the Westfield Shopping Centre, while Wood Lane Control Centre is at the western side, closer to Shepherds Bush Green. This photo, taken by James in about 1990, shows what must have been the northern end of the original site, and I have marked it as being Wood Lane. That said, I now see that I have marked another of James' photos taken in the same area as being White City Depot!. The large building on the left still stands, having had a preservation order applied. Originally the power station for the Central London Railway (which became the Central Line), it was later used by a firm called Dimco (hence is referred to as the Dimco Building). More recently it has been repurposed again. The western half (the set-back part on the left of this photo) now contains an electrical substation, while the eastern half has had large openings made in each end and serves as a unique covered bus parking area for the new bus station built nearby. In this photo, White City Depot would be off-frame on the right, with the tracks running left to right just beyond the small red van in the distance. That van is most likely an LT service vehicle, as are the six Ford Transit vans parked at the left. The Transits all seem to be mid-height Mk3s (note the long rear overhang - the rear axle was moved further back with the Mk4 introduced in 1991). Five of the vans are in red livery, the sixth in white. Overall white (and overall blue) vans were briefly common in the late 1980s, before the introduction of LUL's new white/blue livery in 1990. |
12/04/2021 |
| 1,587 |  |
By Daniel Butler Collection This very interesting photo turned up on Facebook recently and I have been given permission to reproduce it here. Taken in about the mid-1970s, it is part of a set of photos showing activities at Acton Works. Taken from Quadrant House looking almost due south across the end of what is now the DSM van yard, several of the structures are still recognisably in place today. These include the skylighted building at the rear, the famous 'pipe bridge' and the small building in the foreground (which is adjacent to the old weighbridge - the buffer stop for the track over this is just visible at the far left). The buildings on the far left have changed, with the location of the wooden shed now being occupied by Portacabins. Three regular service vehicles are visible, though none can be identified. Two are Ford D open lorries, most likely examples of the 10-ton bolster lorries numbered 1655/7/9F and 1661-1663F. An interesting aspect of these is that the tailgates are not as tall as the sides of the bodywork, and that they seem to include a metal framework which forms an access step when the gate is lowered. The third vehicle is also a grey Ford D, this one being an artic tractor unit coupled to one of the single-axle dropside trailers. The trailer has cradles inside, most likely for the carriage of wheelsets. One of the bolster lorries is loaded with wheelsets, and probably had similar cradles. Slightly more mysterious are the two cranes visible. The yellow one is clearly marked as being a Coles product, and it does look very similar to Parsons Green's WYL724. There was another Coles crane in the service vehicle fleet, this being SLT49 new in 1956 (three years before WYL724). I have never come across any photos or even information about SLT49, though Clive advises that it was based at Acton. So, it seems quite likely that it is SLT49 seen here. The red crane on the right is to a different design, which Clive reckons is probably built by Jones. It is not thought that this was part of the service vehicle fleet or, if it was, it would have been part of the non-licensed 'plant' fleet, as would have been the yellow dump truck visible towards the left of this photo. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Neal Marshall This Mercedes Vito minibus was new to the Metrobus fleet in 2013, being numbered 8069 and allocated to Beddington Lane. About a year later it moved to Northumberland Park as part of a reshuffling of the Go-Ahead London crew ferry fleet. Three years later it moved again to Morden Wharf, by which time it had lost its Metrobus fleetnames and number. Then in late 2019 it was reported to be at Merton, which was odd since this garage had never previously had an allocation of crew ferry vehicles. Licensing data suggested that it had been sold in early 2020, although it now appears that this was incorrect or perhaps reversed. Neal found it passing near Waddon Station on 5th April 2021. Still unmarked, it had gained yellow side stripes, while the notices in the window show that it was still in crew ferry use. The notices state that face coverings must be worn, that ''this ferry vehicle'' can only carry 2 passengers, and that passengers must sit in the designated seats! I am not sure if this minibus is still working from Merton, though it seems more likely that it has returned to its original home of Croydon (Beddington Lane). |
12/04/2021 |
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By Neal Marshall This Abellio Ford Transit van has already appeared twice on LTSV, but both views were of the rear aspect. Thus I feel happier including this rather pleasing shot taken by Neal on the Purley Way on the evening of 26th February 2021. New to Walworth, LO16GFV migrated south to Beddington Cross in about 2019 having been replaced by a newer Citroen Dispatch van. Two aspects of the van's re-liverying that were not evident in the previous photo are that the green stripe is not quite straight along the bodysides and that reflective strips have been added either side of the windscreen. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Malcolm Conway River Road Garage took delivery of a new Ford Transit Custom engineer's van in autumn 2017, though it has proved surprisingly elusive. The first person to photograph it was Malcolm, seemingly as he was falling over (!) at Wanstead on 7th April 2021. As with many of the Go-Ahead London fleet, the vehicle is unmarked apart from a yellow reflective safety stripe. A new fleet numbering scheme is underway for these vehicles, so no doubt this van will soon gain (or at least be allocated) an ESxx number. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Ray Monk The second long-awaited photo (also taken on 1st April 2021) shows Nissan Leaf car 9100N at Eltham Bus Station. Four of these cars were delivered to Acton Works in early August 2020 and given TfL white/blue livery. Three (9101/2/3N) entered service at Turnpike Lane the following month, but 9100N seems to have been forgotten about and remained in the front car park at Acton Works for several more months. We had speculated that the new car was intended to replace rather elderly Nissan Leaf car KE14FJO at Eltham Bus Station. This turned out to be correct, but the actual swap over did not take place until the end of March 2021. Whether 9100N had indeed spent the whole 8 months parked up at Acton is not clear because of the lack of reports due to COVID restrictions. What we do know is that KE14FJO was still at Eltham on 31st March, but 9100N was there the following day. KE14FJO was then reported at Acton Works a few days later, no doubt pending disposal. The new car has red/yellow chevrons on the rear (as did KE14FJO). I presume the three at Turnpike Lane also have these, though I have not seen a rear aspect photo of any of them yet. Comparing this photo with a similar one taken in September 2020 shows the switch but also shows how the livery of bus station vehicles has changed. Traditionally red, these are now all white-based. Indeed KE14FJO was probably the last red service vehicle to remain in use in the 'central' fleet, even though it was actually more maroon.... |
12/04/2021 |
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By Malcolm Conway The next two photos were both taken on 1st April 2021 and both were long-awaited, though for different reasons. The first was taken at Mile End and shows Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8633R. As can be seen, this carries Elizabeth Line white/blue/purple livery. The first sections of the Elizabeth Line had been planned to open in late 2018, and a few months before then, a fleet of about two dozen services was supplied by the DSM at Acton. Most were Ford and Volkswagen vehicles that were soon based as Plumstead Depot. Odd ones out were two Renault Kangoo Maxi vans numbered 8632R and 8633R. Little was known about these until it was noticed that they were parked in the Network Rail Railway Operations Centre (ROC) at Romford. The vans carried an emergency response variant of the new white/blue/purple livery, with a stripe of red/white Battenburg markings (so named because they resemble the alternating square colours of Battenberg cake, though the spelling differs). Although visible from passing trains at Romford (more so from trains on the fast lines), there was no chance of getting a decent photo. Thus we had to wait until Malcolm caught 8633R on the road. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Phil Hambling Here is another of the 1980s Inspector's vans, this one being Bedford Astra van 3466B new in late 1986. It shows two features common to these vehicles, namely the roof-mounted roundel with the original inset sections not quite fitting the later shaped frames, and also the side lettering that seemed prone to rubbing off in places. 3466B was only used for 2-and-a-bit years, though we have listed it as being allocated to West Ham, Enfield and Wood Green during that time. However, I think the West Ham allocation may be incorrect. Being photographed at Edmonton Green Bus Station in February 1987, it was no doubt already based at Enfield. The minibus in the background is slightly interesting. London local authorities operated many minibuses for social welfare work, this seeming to be a London Borough of Enfield Bedford CF type. What is notable is the way in which a full-height door has been provided in the high-roof bodywork. Do you remember when you had to go to a travel agent to book a holiday? |
12/04/2021 |
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By Phil Hambling Ford Escort van 3311F was seen parked outside the Manor House offices in November 1987. This van was leased from Hertz in 1985 as part of the Distribution Services (Group 3) fleet, and it was allocated to Wood Green Garage. There is a lot I can say about this photo, or more specifically, about this location. Sited on Seven Sisters Road, this large building contained offices for London Transport. I had originally thought that Manor House was the name of the building but it turns out that the name was taken from the 'Manor House Tavern' that stood at the junction with Green Lanes (the back of this building is just visible in the top left corner). The office building does not seem to have had a name, although following sale in the late 1980s and redevelopment as housing, it was named 'Ivy House'. This is slightly ironic as the extensive ivy growth across the front of the building was completely removed at the same time. Adjoining and behind the office building was a large shed, accessed by a roadway (with tram tracks) round the corner on Green Lanes. This latter building is also still in situ, now used as a private warehouse. There is another London Transport facility nearby, this being a ventilator shaft and electrical substation on Woodberry Grove. This is the only one of the three to remain in its original use, although it is not thought it has ever had a service vehicle allocation. Manor House Station is served by the Piccadilly line, although it is notable that the Victoria Line (which follows the alignment of Seven Sisters Road) also passes through the location. There had been plans to include a station on the Victoria Line, but it was decided that the interchange at nearby Finsbury Park would suffice, enabling the Victoria Line to offer a faster service to points beyond. My last comment is to say that I did go inside the Manor House offices when I was a kid. At the Edmonton Garage open day in 1983, I had entered a competition which I won. I had to go Manor House to be presented with the prize, by the head of Leaside District as I recall. Oddly I can't remember what the actual prize was, though a free travel pass of some kind rings a feint bell. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Derek Everson Found near the back of Stockwell Garage on 25th June 1978 were several service vehicles including unique second-hand Seddon tanker 2000S and Ford D550 crew-cab lorry 1517F. Another Ford D is parked behind the tanker, while one of the Leyland Titan Breakdown Tenders is on the far right. Seeing some of these old photos is almost like having a time machine. Although it was taken a few years before, this photo takes me back to numerous childhood visits to Stockwell in the early 1980s. I was only really interested in underlining numbers at the time, and I recall getting tired of seeing the ever-present 2000S! Unfortunately I only had a camera with me on one of those visits, and even worse, my dad somehow managed to re-use the same roll of film, and all of my photos were double-exposed and ruined. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Julian Bowden-Green Collection This lorry appeared in a photograph published last month which confused me slightly due to a detail of the livery. Certain lorries in the standard grey livery received green painted cab roofs and I had thought this was a 1960s practice that had died out by the mid-1970s. Last month's photo was from 1974 and appeared to show this lorry with a grey cab roof. However in another photograph, that was undated but which seemed to be from later in the vehicle's career, it had a green roof. Now we have a third photograph, unfortunately also undated, and it does not really help. The lorry clearly has a green cab roof, and there are a few details that make me think this was taken at about the same time as Derek's 1974 photo. The weathering of the planking on the front of the bodywork is similar, though the scuffing on the nearside corner of the bumper is absent. Another difference is that the FORD lettering on the grille is painted white, while it was picked out in black (or polished metal) in Derek's photo. So I am still not sure of the period during which cab roofs were green. What I can say is that 1653F was new in 1971, was unique in having a full-height headboard and full-length tilt-cover, and was withdrawn and sold in 1981. The appearance of a Daimler Fleetline chassis in the background is slightly unusual, these normally being delivered directly to the body-builders (Park Royal and Metro-Cammell). I seem to recall reading that there were times when chassis manufacture outpaced the body building, hence bare chassis may have needed temporary storage. Several similar chassis are also visible in another photo from Chiswick. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Julian Bowden-Green Collection Various Ford D lorries are seen near the top end of Parsons Green Works on an unrecorded date. To the fore is D550 crew-cab lorry 1516F, new in April 1969 and based here continuously until it was withdrawn in December 1980. As has been mentioned before, the roadway that runs the length of the Parsons Green site was not very wide. Two lorries could just about pass each other, but turning around would have been impossible. I now know that there was an additional entrance near the top end, so perhaps this was used as an entrance, with the main entrance on Parsons Green Lane being an exit. It does seem that vehicles were always facing in that direction (see photos from the 1960s and 1980s). No, hang on, we also have photos of vehicles entering at the bottom end (such as 2376D). |
12/04/2021 |
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By Derek Everson Kicking off today's batch of photos is this very interesting view of Chiswick Works taken on 23rd August 1977. The location appears to be part of the front yard, with the Scientific Laboratory building in the background. There was a road circuit around this yard, used by trainee bus drivers (and to build up speed before hitting the skid pan). A bus on this circuit is visible behind the red lorry on the right. The service vehicles visible are mainly ones that would have been awaiting disposal. On the left are two single-axle trailers (one atop the other) still in old green livery. The lower one appears to be York YT7, which had been new as a dropside trailer in 1960 and which was sold in November 1977. YT6 was also sold on the same date, these being the last of the original batch of York trailers to go. It is therefore highly probable that YT6 is the trailer on top of YT7. Next to the trailers is a Ford Thames Trader towing lorry, recognisable by its fixed sides and the cut-out in the centre of the tailgate. Derek reports that this was 1309F, withdrawn from Upton Park in 1977 (following replacement by Ford D1110 1988F) but not sold until April 1979. Next in line is AEC Mercury 1071Q, one of three new in 1958 and which were fitted with an early form of tail-lift. Delivered in Chiswick Green with unpainted metal dropside bodies, 1070Q appears to have ended up in allover green while 1071Q and 1072Q were repainted in the 'new' grey livery. The bolster behind the cab is certainly a different colour, probably green. This has been seen on other vehicles, but usually in conjunction with a green cab roof, which does not seem to be present on 1071Q. 1071Q had been withdrawn in 1975 but was not sold until 1979. Curiously the other two Mercury lorries were both withdrawn in 1977 and sold within a few months. Finally we come to the big red box thing. This is Leyland Titan Breakdown Tender 1278LD and, according to official records, it was the only vehicle in the line-up that was still in use. New in 1964 as a railway breakdown tender, it was switched to a bus breakdown role in 1976, being based at Cricklewood (although some official documents show it as still being allocated to 'Rolling Stock Technical Officer (Railways)' at the time). It was to remain in use until 1983 (as the last of its kind) so the reason for it being in the Chiswick dump is not clear. Actually I can go a bit further with this photo. Just visible through the windows of the RT-type bus on the right is another red service vehicle. Although only a fragment is visible, I believe that this is AEC Mercury Tower Wagon 1077Q. The only tower wagon to be retained after the dismantling of the last trolleybus overhead wiring, 1077Q was used for other jobs requiring high level access. It was withdrawn in 1975 but (yet again) not sold until 1979. There is something red at the opposite edge of this photo (behind the trailers). This could be a shed or something, with a low angled roof. Or it could be one of the AEC Regent auxiliary breakdown tenders. 830J was still in use from Cricklewood Garage at this time, while Neasden's 832J was withdrawn in July 1977 so seems to be a more likely candidate. |
12/04/2021 |
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By Google One more Google picture for today. I was exploring the railway facilities at Eastleigh in Hampshire when I noticed this yard close to the station that was literally packed with Ford Transits. There were in fact almost 400 of them present, most being dropsides or bare chassis-cabs. Transits used to be built nearby (at Southampton) but since 2013 all Transits for the UK have been built in Turkey. They are most likely imported through Southampton Docks, and the vehicles seen here are presumably recent arrivals. The connection to LTSV is tenuous, although it is notable that quite a few of the vehicles (particularly in the center of the image) have white cabs with blue bodywork and could thus have ended up as LUL service vehicles. |
26/03/2021 |
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By Google I continue to be amazed by the views available on Google. This is Plumstead Elizabeth Line depot, and I have included four different views to highlight the fact that this is a fully 3D-modelled environment which can be viewed from any angle. The level of detail does vary somewhat. At Acton for example, individual vehicles are modelled but they are a bit more blocky. Stratford Market has a higher level of detail but suffers more from ghosting (where a vehicle has moved between photographs). There is some ghosting in this view, with what appears to be a dropside truck that was parked beyond the line of four empty spaces. The other vehicles are all very clear though, and it can be seen that eleven were present, comprising 6 Caddy crew vans, 3 Transit crew vans, one Transit dropside and one Transporter minibus. I was interested to note that there are in fact 18 parking spaces in this small yard. Given that the entire Elizabeth Line service vehicle fleet (that we know of) comprises 22 vehicles, and that 2 are kept at the Romford Network Operations Centre, this location could hold almost the whole fleet, especially as there are also usually one or two in the main car park at the other end of the grey building. |
26/03/2021 |
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