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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 1,601 |  |
By Andrew Strachan A second new Ford Transit Custom minibus for Metroline arrived a week after AY21KFT. AY21KKT was photographed outside the garage on its first day in use, 25th March 2021. |
26/03/2021 |
| 1,602 |  |
By Bob Milner Rather surprisingly I had received photos of Metroline's latest minibus from three different correspondents before it was a week old! I have published all three photos today since they are all good quality. Bob's photo, taken at Potters Bar Garage on 20th March 2021, has the bonus of showing several other service vehicles. On the left is Honda Jazz LG69XDR with its poster trailer. Next to that is grey Mercedes Vito KN70SXK, then white Ford Tourneo Custom MT19CZG. The latter had arrived in about February to replace similar MT19CZH which had been in use since December. Note that the differences between the Transit Custom minibus and the Tourneo Custom minibus are limited to the details of the exterior and interior specification. Notably the Tourneo has body-coloured mirror casings and bumpers. Hidden behind new AY21KFT was Renault Grand Scenic car LX66OME. This photo makes an interesting comparison with one taken in the same place (also by Bob) in August 2019. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,603 |  |
By Les Savine Metroline's new Ford Transit Custom minibus AY21KFT was soon put to use, and was photographed at Waltham Cross on 19th March 2021 when still less than a week old. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,604 |  |
By Andrew Strachan The first 21-reg service vehicle to be reported was this Ford Transit Custom minibus photographed inside Potters Bar Garage on 17th March 2021, just two days after it was first licensed. The garage already had similar AV16CNY and AV16CNZ in use, and the new minibus is expected to replace one of these. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,605 |  |
By Lee Thatcher It now appears that two of the twelve Renault Master vans added to the RATP fleet in mid-2020 are operating in plain red livery and lack light-bars. The one we already knew about (MF20RZE) was caught outside the Treaty Centre in Hounslow on 8th March 2021. It was passing a Metroline DEL bus on route 235, which has recently been re-awarded to RATP (London United), although the new contract does not start until January 2022! North Brentford Quarter seems a curious destination. The 'Quarter' suffix is normally used in conjunction with something more descriptive than a place name. Indeed a Google search for 'North Brentford Quarter' doesn't return much apart from information about route 235. It seems to be that the name is derived from 'Great West Quarter', a development of 900 new flats on the site of (and partially re-using) the old Beechams factory in North Brentford. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,606 |  |
By Lee Thatcher MF20RYV is one of twelve Renault Master vans added to the RATP fleet in mid-2020. It has been given fleetnumber R70033 but its allocation is not known. It has been seen at Kingston and Wimbledon, and was photographed passing through Hanworth on 23rd February 2021. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,607 |  |
By Bob Milner While the supply of reports and photographs from many parts of London (most notably Acton Works) has dried-up due to travel restrictions, I am being kept abreast of developments at Potters Bar thanks to three local correspondents. The fleet of crew ferry vehicles at the Metroline garage has seen numerous changes, with several hired vehicles being used. First reported in late February 2021 were a pair of Honda Jazz cars. It would appear that these were acquired new in January 2020, perhaps as replacements for the Nissan Note cars. Found in the front car park at Potters Bar on 20th March 2021 was LG69ZDR. In unmarked red, it has been habitually coupled to a trailer bearing large bus driver recruitment advertising. The same trailer was in fact with the Nissan car in the photo linked above. Parked alongside was another recent addition, Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus KN70SXK in unmarked grey. This joined similar but black KN70SXP which had been in use since December 2020. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,608 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Abellio makes use of a lot of crew ferry cars, including from its newest garage at Southall (Great Western Industrial Park), this being quite a long walk from the nearest bus routes. When COVID-19 became an issue in spring 2020, four minibuses were added to the Southall allocation to enable a bit more social distancing. All four were Ford Tourneo Customs in unmarked silver, as shown by HY68AZJ parked outside the offices at the garage on 15th February 2021. Various other operators and garages have also been using hired minibuses but the current travel restrictions mean that I am not getting enough reports to be able to provide comprehensive details. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,609 |  |
By Lee Thatcher The small garage at Hayes (currently operated by Abellio) can actually be viewed from three sides, making it relatively easy to see all vehicles present. Parked there on 11th March 2021 was recently-added Citroen Dispatch van LB67UZS with fleetnumber 6909. The van is white with a side stripe that appears to be orange (some of these vans have green stripes), and it also has the yellow front warning panel (or mask) as seen on newer MC19XNE. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,610 |  |
By Lee Thatcher As has been shown on LTSV in the past, a view into Abellio's Hayes garage can be obtained from the Grand Union Canal towpath, with the height difference producing some unusual photos. Present on 11th March 2021 was previously-unreported Citroen Dispatch van LB67UZS. Abellio has been taking several vans of this type in recent years, either new or just a few years old. Most have been given fleetnumbers in a new 69xx series, and LB67UZS is 6909. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,611 |  |
By Lee Thatcher The large garage opened by Abellio at Southall (Great Western Industrial Park) in 2019 is typical of many recent bases in comprising mainly open parking areas. Covered accommodation is only provided for buses undergoing maintenance. All six of the bays are visible in this photo, though it looks like each might be long enough to take two buses. Parked in front when Lee was there on 11th March 2021 was a previously unreported service vehicle. LB17YAD is a Citroen Dispatch van in silver with orange side stripes and chevrons on the back. A fleetnumber is most likely carried but could not be discerned at this distance. Another topical aspect is the Bus Full sign displayed by the bus on the right. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the permitted carrying capacity of buses has been reduced, to facilitate social distancing. The sign shown above is supposed to be displayed when a bus has reached its new limit, to inform passengers waiting at bus stops. Their use is understandably not always correct, and I have seen the sign being shown on virtually empty buses. There are also similar boards to show buses that are intended only for schoolchildren, and also those that are not for use by schoolchildren. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,612 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Here is another of the London Sovereign Ford Fiesta vans that we assumed had been withdrawn. LS15DXO was new as FF26, changing in 2016 to FF75026, and was based at Edgware Garage. Following the delivery of new Dacia Sandero cars in early 2020, LS15DXO was moved to Twickenham (ex-NSL) Garage for storage. However, in early 2021 it resurfaced at Hounslow Garage for a few weeks, being photographed there on 1st March. Just visible is the new fleetnumber, this being applied on the front and back while the original fleetnumbers were on the sides. Note also that the parking allocation still refers to EO12UBZ, a similar Ford Fiesta van that was withdrawn in early 2020. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,613 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Lee has supplied quite a few photos recently, taken on various walks around his part of south-west London. A couple of these were taken in portrait orientation, which I have cropped to landscape. I have published portrait photos in the past but I am trying to stick to a 3:2 aspect ratio since it makes the page layouts neater. Lee's photos were still usable, though the cropping on this one was rather tight and I now realise I have chopped off one interesting aspect. Taken from Wellington Gardens on 22nd February 2021, it shows the corner of the front yard of Fulwell Garage, with the large water/oil tank on the right being adjacent to the main garage building. Most RATP staff were on strike on this day and the yard was crowded with buses. Of interest to us were the service vehicles visible. Nearest is Ford Fiesta van LS15CZY, new in 2015 and used by London Sovereign from Harrow Garage. Replaced by new Dacia Sandero cars in early 2020, it was presumed to have been withdrawn. Beyond is Renault Master van MF20RZK, one of a dozen delivered in July 2020. Most of these vans arrived with yellow/red chevrons on the rears and light-bars on the roofs, except that MF20RZE had neither. It appears that MF20RZK is also plain (the missing light-bar is the thing that I chopped off). RATP currently has eleven bus garages, so I had assumed that eleven of these Renaults would be garage engineer's vans, with RZE for admin duties. If RZK is also an admin van, then one of the garages will not have got a new van. Just visible on the right is one of the white Dacia Sandero cars. Allocations for several of these are still unknown, though at least eight are at Epsom Garage and are likely to become spare when that location closes later this year. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,614 |  |
By Lee Thatcher I haven't featured any Abellio Ford Fiesta cars on LTSV for a few months now, so here is a three-in-one to make up. Seen at Hatton Cross Bus Station on 15th February 2021 were mid-blue 6806 (OY13LXF, initially at Hayes but since moved to Fulwell/Twickenham), dark-blue 6791/TW5 (FH61EDU) and an unidentified third example which appears to be black. The double-deck bus behind on route 285 shows a recent technological change, with the wing mirrors replaced by cameras. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,615 |  |
By Dave Hooker Talking of LBSL Nissan Leaf cars, here is one now! Four of these electric cars were delivered in August 2020. Three were soon dispatched to Turnpike Lane, while the fourth (9100N) lingered in the Acton Works car park for several months and has not been reported since. The three at Turnpike Lane can often be found visiting other locations, with 9102N being particularly well-travelled. During February 2021 it turned up at both Eltham and Uxbridge, being photographed at the latter on 27th February 2021. Note that the car has a poppy sticker on its bonnet, not previously reported but surely due for removal. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,616 |  |
By Ray Monk Another mystery solved, perhaps! Ford Transit Mk8 crew van 8863F was new in mid-2019. However, it was missed by our Acton watchers, so we were not sure of its livery. A couple of reports later in the year stated that it was in TfL white/blue, but it was then not seen again for some time. On 5th March 2021 it turned up at Eltham Bus Station, and luckily Ray managed to catch it. The reported livery had made me wonder if this van was allocated to the rump of the infrastructure services department (which seems to still make use of white/blue VW van 8267VW). However, Ray's photo suggests that it may be with Passenger Data. Their Vauxhall Movano minibus 8302V is visible parked in the background (along with several of the resident Incident Response vans). So, I am now going to speculate that the white/blue/red applied to LBSL vehicles from early 2017 (and carried by 8302V) has been dropped because it is too similar to the LUL livery. This would seem to be supported by the fact that the four Nissan Leaf cars new in TfL white/blue in autumn 2020 have been allocated to LBSL work. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,617 |  |
By Paul Nicholls LUL Toyota Prius car 8653T was photographed in Little Thurrock, Grays on 24th February 2021, in the same location that Renault Kangoo 8825R was seen in 2019. This car's claim to fame is that it started life in 2018 wearing Elizabeth Line white/blue/purple. This was changed for LUL white/blue/red in early 2020, no doubt due to the continuing delays to the start of Elizabeth Line services. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,618 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Numbers 8473VW to 8478VW are on a batch of six Volkswagen Caddy Maxi vans that appear to be used for LUL internal mail duties. Last of the batch, 8478VW, was found parked near Acton Town Station on 28th February 2021. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,619 |  |
By Dave Hooker Another car with an incorrect fleetnumber, Toyota Yaris LO66YSV was one of five leased for use by LBSL in February 2017. It was officially numbered 8416T (the other four being 8417T to 8420T), but it somehow got the number 8357T applied and this has never been corrected. After serving at Turnpike Lane for three years the car was moved to Uxbridge in early 2021, being photographed in the bus station there on 27th February. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,620 |  |
By London Spotter LUL has operated 17 of the diminutive Smart Fortwo cars since 2011, though from 2017 there has only been one in the numbered fleet. 8349SM was new that March and was to a revised design compared to the earlier examples. It also differed in being plain white rather than white/blue/red (the black sections seen here are part of the factory finish of the model). Showing the incorrect fleetnumber 8176SM that it has carried from new, the car was found in Harold Hill on 26th February 2021. |
24/03/2021 |
| 1,621 |  |
By Google The third completely new bus garage to open in 1981 (after Ash Grove and Westbourne Park) was Plumstead on 31st October. Situated in what was effectively a large roundabout close to Plumstead Station, it replaced a smaller garage with the same name (located about a mile to the south east) and also Abbey Wood. This view looking almost west shows the four doorways (one of which is used as an entrance, the rest as exits) and the bus parking area in front. The resident engineers van is often kept by the small 'control booth' facing the parking area, but on this occasion it was parked next to the access road. There is talk of the garage moving again, to vacant land between the prisons and the Crossrail depot. This would allow the land shown above to be released for residential development. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,622 |  |
By Ray Monk An interesting find at Eltham High Street on 26th February 2021 was a Go-Ahead London van carrying a fleetnumber. Ford Transit Custom EF19HFT was new in mid-2019 in unmarked red (apart from a yellow safety stripe and rear chevrons) and was allocated to New Cross Garage. When photographed attending to a broken-down bus, it had gained the fleetnumber ES11. Some Go-Ahead London service vehicles have carried fleetnumbers, but these have mainly been crew ferry vehicles with 4-digit numbers derived from the erstwhile Metrobus scheme. ES is presumed to refer to Engineering Support, and it will be interesting to see if the vans at other garages have also gained numbers. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,623 |  |
By Derek Everson A third photo from Windsor Garage, this time on 25th April 1975, and the subject is an Austin J4 van. Acquired new by London Country in June 1972, it was given the fleetnumber 5A. The original colour scheme is not known but it was repainted into National Bus Company corporate green in November 1974. Based at Garston, the van was used by the publicity department and remained in use until 1978. The fleetnumber was later re-used (as 5B) for a Bedford KGA tanker bought second-hand in 1979. Note that the van has the initial white double-N logo on the bodyside and the later red/blue variant applied to the windscreen. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,624 |  |
By Derek Everson Towing bus RF647 is seen at Windsor Garage again, this time on 9th January 1977. The conversions entailed the cutting back of the lower body panels around the rear and presumably some modification to the chassis to allow towing chains/bars to be attached. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,625 |  |
By Derek Everson London Country converted a trio of 20-year old RF-class buses into towing vehicles in the 1970s and they were given a curious grey and yellow livery. RF647 was based at Windsor Garage, where it was photographed on 21st October 1974. The Rennie/Aldridge book on the subject of SVs states that a total of six RFs were so converted, original RF79, RF556 and RF594 being added to in 1978 by RF125, RF175 and RF183. However, it also states that RF647 was a mobile recruitment bus, when it was in fact RF594 that served in that role. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,626 |  |
By Phil Hambling Following the mass withdrawals of AEC Swift buses by London Transport in the late-1970s, five examples were retained, having been converted for other roles. SMS753 had become SPB753 in November 1978 and saw a few years use as a mobile publicity shop. It was then converted into a plumbing and electrical workshop and store, being used at Bow while that garage was being rebuilt. Finally, towards the end of 1985 it was bought for preservation. Not a great deal has been seen of the bus since then, although it is believed to still exist. It was last licensed in 1996, but it had a new logbook issued (suggesting a change of ownership) in 2009. In October 1986 it was photographed on the farm at Northaw where SMS300 was seen a few months later. The livery (which had been white/red then red/blue/white while in service vehicle use) was in the process of being restored to all red. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,627 |  |
By Damon Cross After I added the photo of London Transport brake van FB578 last month, Damon got in touch to say the wagon still survives, having been preserved at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road. He kindly supplied a couple of photos he took of it in recently-restored condition on 4th August 2013. You can read more about this unusual wagon at https://www.brc-stockbook.co.uk/lt_brake_2.htm. Also visible is ballast hopper wagon HW418, one of 23 (HW412 to HW434) built for London Transport by Gloucester in 1951 and used until the early 1980s. They are broadly similar to the BR 'Catfish' type. In the background are a grounded Mk2 coach body, a Mk1 coach and (at the left) an articulated, steam-powered 3-coach railcar built by Sentinel and Metro-Cammell in 1951 for use by the Egyptian National Railway. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,628 |  |
By Keith Ward Also present at Edgware Track Depot in February 2021 was this Schweerbau RGU rail grinding train. Similar to the milling machine illustrated last month, these machines grind the running surface of the rails to leave a smooth finish. What is special about this particular unit is that it is built to the tube loading gauge, allowing it to work on underground sections. A couple of service vehicles are also visible, including Ford Transit van LR20FEM, which has only been reported once and for which the fleetnumber is not yet known. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,629 |  |
By Keith Ward A nice surprise was to receive some photos taken inside Edgware Track Depot in February 2021, this being one of several locations which cannot be seen 'into' from any public vantage point. This view shows a line-up of vehicles with the (semi-permanent) office buildings in the background. The Northern line runs beyond these and in front of the trees in the background. The tower block being worked on in the right distance is located on Station Road, while the red brick building below this is part of Edgware Bus Garage. Although only one of the LUL vehicles can be clearly identified, it was conveniently one that we did not previously know about. 9028F is a Ford Transit Mk8 dropside truck new in November 2020. Also visible are two high-roof Ford Transits, and three hired vehicles. Of the latter, two were Mercedes Sprinter dropsides (though with differing frontal designs) and the third a Transit van. The fact that there are hired vehicles here (and there were more parked nearby) is perhaps because the normal supply of replacement vehicles has been disrupted by the COVID situation. If so, this might be a location to watch when deliveries return to normal. Two more points to mention. Firstly, note the broad similarity between the latest versions of the Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter (the two nearest vehicles). Secondly, a stream called Deans Brook runs beneath this location, more or less where this photo was taken. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,630 |  |
By Ray Monk The Peugeot Partner Tepee estate (more commonly referred to as an MPV) has been a feature of the central fleet since spring 2011, with over 75 having been used since, all in white/blue-based liveries. 7102P arrived in July 2011 and appears to have had spells allocated to Templar House (Holborn), Dagenham East and Griffith House. Sold in early 2017, it now resides in Falconwood, where it was photographed (with a smashed nearside quarterlight) on 9th December 2019. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,631 |  |
By Phil Hambling All-white service vehicles were very rare before the mid-1980s, with no more than seven featuring in the numbered fleet (and two of those were ambulances which were more cream than white). Things changed from 1986 and white vans in particular became fairly common for a few years. Among the first to arrive was Ford Escort van 3381F, delivered in October 1986 and seen at Enfield Garage in February 1988. This van was allocated to Distribution Services and the reason for it not being in the standard red livery is not clear. The bus on the left is DMS1833, in use as a trainer and looking smart in the new Leaside livery of red with a thick white waist band and black skirt. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,632 |  |
By Phil Hambling The advent of leased service vehicles in the early 1980s saw the appearance of many non-London registration series. Bedford Astra van 3283B was supplied by Wincanton and had a Southampton 'TR' registration. Assigned to the Operations Manager (Buses) it was primarily based at Victoria Garage. Curiously it did not have the roof-mounted roundel normally carried by such vehicles, even though Chevette estate 3074B (which it replaced) and Astra van 3478B (which replaced it) did. It was photographed on Allsop Place (Baker Street) in April 1986. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,633 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff Mercedes-Benz 1114 demountable lorries 2495M and 2496M were seen at Ealing Common Depot in about 1991. Each is fitted with a Locomotors box body featuring a crew compartment at the front. It is believed that these two lorries were based at Ealing Common, though official documents state that they were acquired to replace Neasden-based Fords 2200F and 2201F, yet were allocated to Acton and South Harrow respectively. Note that neither lorry carries its fleetnumber. This appears to have been the case for most of their lives, with just one photo of 2496M taken in 1997 showing it with a number. Both lorries were withdrawn following the delivery of new Volvo FL6 demountable lorries in late 1998, although the existing bodies remained in use. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,634 |  |
By Derek Everson In the 1970s, London Transport service vehicles were generally retained for 10-15 years in the case of heavy lorries, 7-8 years for mid-sized vans and 4-6 years for cars and small vans. An exception was cars used as 'radio control' vehicles by bus inspectors, these normally only lasting for 2-3 years. Fairly typical of such vehicles is Ford Escort estate 2041F seen outside Norbiton Garage on 30th March 1979. Picking up on a comment I made last month, I notice that this car has dual mirrors on the offside at least. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,635 |  |
By Derek Everson The mainstay of London Transport's bus recovery fleet from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s were ten Ford D1110 towing lorries. These short-wheelbase lorries had open bodywork with fixed sides and a small crane for lifting items such as replacement wheels. They were capable of towing any type of bus, though if a suspended tow was required, one of the larger Master Breakdown tenders would have to be called out. 1990F was based at Southall Garage (previously known as Hanwell but renamed to avoid confusion with Hanwell Trolleybus Depot) apart from a few months based at Merton shortly before it was withdrawn in 1985. It was seen at Southall Garage on 18th November 1977. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,636 |  |
By Google The early 1980s saw an ambitious programme of improvements to London's bus garages, which had remained largely unchanged since the mid-1950s. Several garages were extensively rebuilt, while there were also a number of completely new garages built. The first of these to open was Ash Grove on 25th April 1981 (the same day that the former Clapham tram shed/bus garage was reopened after serving as a transport museum for years, to allow Norwood and later Streatham garages to be rebuilt). Ash Grove replaced smaller garages at Dalston and Hackney and its name was unusually taken not from its locality but from a residential street over which it was built. The rump of Ash Grove (the road) remained as the main access route to the garage, passing under the Liverpool Street railway lines and joining Mare Street. The road can be seen in the bottom left-hand corner of this view, and is also the location of the previous photo. Another access point is at the opposite end of the yard, leading onto Sheep Lane. This was not normally used in London Transport days, though it appears to be open here (middle right). Ash Grove has had a somewhat chequered history since, with bus tendering losses rendering it surplus to requirements for a time. It is now back in use and is one of the small elite of London bus garages that are actually shared between two operators, in this case Arriva London and CT Plus (Hackney CT). However, unlike Fulwell and Edgware, there is no clear distinction between the sections used by each. An open day had been planned for this April, to mark 40 years since the garage's opening. Understandably this has now been postponed. Another of 1981's new garages features at the end of today's batch of photos. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,637 |  |
By Phil Hambling A fairly typical London Transport lorry of the late-1970s/early-1980s was Ford D0607 1983F, new in 1976 and photographed leaving Ash Grove Garage on 16th February 1987. It had a half-tilt cover from new, and hence the bodywork had fixed sides in the forward half and dropside doors in the rear half. A photo taken in 1984 shows the framework for the half-tilt, although the actual cover was missing at the time. By 1987 the tilt appears to have been shortened slightly, and the wheelarches have been repainted from grey to black. Always based at Holloway Garage, 1983F was to be sold before the end of the year. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,638 |  |
By Derek Everson A nice line-up of Ford service vehicles was found at Chiswick Works on 12th August 1974, featuring five D-series lorries and a pair of Transit Mk1s. Note how the same cab size was used across the D-series range, this being mounted higher up on the more powerful versions. Another difference is the chrome strip between the side indicators, this only appearing on the 9-10 ton models. Grey livery is standard to all the vehicles, though 1659F unusually has the London Transport lettering in white instead of the normal red. 1653F was one of only five London Transport Ford D-series lorries to have a full-length tilt cover, and it was noticeably taller than dropside 1641F and featured a solid front headboard. It also had fixed sides rather than dropside doors, and the white grille and bumper were later repainted grey. I have just noticed that the cab roof of this lorry appears to be green in the other photo. Was this a change after 1974? |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,639 |  |
By Derek Everson Another of the four former airport service AEC Regals later used as uniform issue units makes an appearance on LTSV now with this photo of 1467W at Chiswick Works on 12th August 1974. The substantial wooden shelving fitted inside is visible through the windows in the back, while the rear emergency exit has been retained. The one on the offside is obviously no longer usable, and although most of the windows appear to still be in situ, they have been painted out. Note also the tow bar used to attach the trailers (I presume they probably also sometimes used trailers when in airport use) and also the unusual white outline roundel. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,640 |  |
By Bob Greenway via Ian Dyckhoff The eight Leyland Titan breakdown tenders bought by London Transport in 1962-1964 were divided equally between the Permanent Way and Rolling Stock departments, those with the latter being recognisable by having a sliding door near the front of each side. This view of 1279LD taken at Neasden Depot on 14th March 1970 shows the neatly-organised interior and also the translucent roof panels fitted. Tail-lifts were fitted to all of the Titans but could only be operated when the rear doors were opened. Note that the doors had 270 degree hinges, allowing them to rest along the bodysides when open. One final point is that the tail-lift is badged as being a product of USI. Permanent Way department 1275LD had a Burtonwood tail-lift, but information on the others is not available. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,641 |  |
By Derek Everson Part of the fun of getting to go around bus garages was finding unexpected vehicles lurking at the back. This photo taken in West Ham Garage on 12th June 1977 shows AEC Regent Instruction Bus 1037J parked beside staff bus RMA11. Starting with the latter, this was one of 65 AEC Routemasters built for services from central London to Heathrow Airport. They differed from normal Routemasters in having a foward entrance and staircase (note the plain panel behind the cab), and they lacked opening windscreens. Twin headlamps were fitted, as also seen on the Green Line Routemaster coaches. Following the ending of the airport coach service, all 65 buses were sold to London Transport. A handful were tried in passenger service, while a few were converted to trainers (which entailed the removal of the staircase so that the instructor could sit behind the driver). The majority were used as staff buses, running between Aldenham Works and various parts of London. The buses were kept near to their destinations and hence could be found at many different garages. After the closure of Aldenham (and Chiswick) Works, a couple of the RMAs passed to London Coaches, while at least one saw service with East London on routes 15 and X15. 1037J was famous for having the body originally fitted to RT1, the first of about 7,000 broadly-similar vehicles to be built for LT. It was taken into service vehicle stock as a mobile instruction bus in 1956 and it is not clear how long it remained in this role. It certainly appeared to be out of use when seen, and it was sold for preservation the following year. Note also what appears to be a couple of complete bus chassis behind 1037J, perhaps also originally used for training purposes. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,642 |  |
By Bob Greenway via Ian Dyckhoff AEC Regent bus STL162 was rebuilt as service vehicle 832J in 1950 and spent the next six years as an auxiliary breakdown tender at various bus garages. It was then transferred to the railway side of London Transport and was based at Neasden Depot for the next 21 years. It was photographed at the depot on 14th March 1970 and I have left this photo uncropped as it shows how open this location was back then, with no fences between the depot and the running lines. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,643 |  |
By Derek Everson Seen at Chiswick Works on 23rd August 1977, this AEC Matador Master Breakdown Tender was devoid of markings. However, I am fairly sure that it is 746P since this was the only one of eight such vehicles to remain in stock after January 1977. Interestingly, it had been withdrawn from Leyton Garage in June 1976 yet was not sold until July 1978. Although it then entered preservation it was unfortunately destroyed in a fire a few years later. |
01/03/2021 |
| 1,644 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff I did a double-take when I first saw this photo, thinking it was of an office somewhere. This is in fact the interior of Ford Thames Trader lorry 1282F, converted in the late 1960s or early 1970s into a Communications Vehicle. As can be seen, the interior was fitted with a desk, several chairs (fixed to the floor) and numerous telephones. This was probably considered 'hi-tech' at the time! Note also the translucent roof panels. Photographed in about July 1981, the vehicle was eventually replaced by Ford A0609 box van 2086F in 1983. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,645 |  |
By Richard Davis Another view of the Linmag rail milling machine at Toddington Services on 19th October 2020 shows that the 'rear' in road-mode appears to be the 'front' in rail-mode! There is a rail-type cab here, though the diagonal panel break makes it look as though it would be removable. The rear rail wheels can just be seen in the raised position between the back road axles. The whole vehicle is liberally covered in safety and information notices, including the rail vehicle number of 99 80 9900 005-6. Readers of my other website may recognise that this denotes German registration. So, we have an Austrian-owned vehicle registered as a train in Germany and as a lorry in Ireland and seen in England! |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,646 |  |
By Richard Davis Richard Davis recently sent in a batch of photos, mostly of recovery trucks (some of which will be published in due course) but also including this odd-looking vehicle. Seen at Toddington Services on the M1 on 19th October 2020, this is a rail milling machine built by Linsinger of Austria and operated by sister-company Linmag. Rail milling machines grind the top surface of rails to remove irregularities, and Linmag has several of these road-rail vehicles which are hired-out for use by various railway companies. This example had been working in Ireland, which explains the road registration of the lorry. As an aside, the registrations in the Republic of Ireland changed at the end of 2012. They were previously formed of the last two digits of the year, a one or two letter area code and a sequential number. From 2013, the year was suffixed with a digit 1 (for January to June) or 2 (for July to December). Hence 162-D-25725 was registered in Dublin in the second-half of 2016. There are four pairs of rail-wheels on this vehicle, which would be lowered to enable it to run on railway tracks. Two pairs are on the tractor unit (one in mid-wheelbase and another at the rear), while two more pairs are at the rear of the 'trailer' section. The milling equipment is in the middle of the vehicle, marked by the yellow/black striping. Note also the large Austrian flags (the 'State' variant, with the eagle crest) applied to both sections. These seem to have been applied on top of green shamrock emblems carried whilst it was working in Ireland. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,647 |  |
By Ray Monk A few months ago I published a photo of Ford Tourneo Custom minibus YH19YWW which was being used as a crew ferry vehicle by Arriva London at Dartford Garage, and which had the number MF2 on a label in the windscreen. I can now show MF1, though I can't say for sure it is the first (or only) vehicle to carry this. Seen at Eltham Bus Station on 5th February 2021, GJ70UJU is a Peugeot 508 estate car in unmarked white. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,648 |  |
By Ray Monk A pleasant surprise was the discovery that Arriva London's Dartford Garage had taken delivery of a new engineers van in 2020, and that it was actually treated to a full set of company logos and names. This follows from a string of anonymous vans being used over the past year or so. DN70XED is a Vauxhall Combo E van first licensed just before Christmas and photographed at Bexleyheath bus stand on 3rd February 2021. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,649 |  |
By Ray Monk Seen in the snow at Eltham Bus Station on 10th February 2021, VW Transporter minibus GL68HFF is most likely on hire to Go-Ahead London's Orpington garage, similar (but silver) GL68HGE having been noted here a couple of months earlier. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,650 |  |
By Stuart Hicks Stuart Hicks recently sent in two photos of Stagecoach Ford Transit Custom vans seen at Barking Garage during the RT event on 30th March 2019. I initially thought that they were both of the same vehicle but it turns out that Plumstead's YE15EEU also paid a visit during the day. It was seen parked inside the garage, with Stagecoach's anonymous Mercedes Sprinter van OV65DSY visible in the background. The other photo was of resident MC16YUK and was very similar to my own photo. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,651 |  |
By London Spotter Please choose one of the following captions. 1. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many working practices at organisations such as LUL have had to be revised, and this has resulted in vehicles being temporarily re-allocated. Unfortunately, with people not being able to get out and about, we are unable to provide much information on such changes. One vehicle that has been redeployed is this Ford Transit crew van numbered 8463F. Latterly allocated to Stratford Market Depot, it had found a new use as a garden ornament in Harold Wood, covering for a gnome that was caught up in quarantine restrictions whilst trying to visit its family in Texas. 2. I have sometimes wondered why LUL Ford Transit vans and crew vans come in various lengths and heights. Ford Transit 8463F was specified as a medium-wheelbase, mid-height crew van specifically so that it could fit (only just) in this front garden in Harold Wood. 3. Ford Transit crew van 8463F was new in October 2017 and, being based at Stratford Market Depot, was only ever seen out and about during the night. That was until London Spotter found it parked in Harold Wood on 4th February 2021. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,652 |  |
By Derek Everson Having previously shown this lorry near the end of its service vehicle career, here it is near the beginning. Acquired by London Country from Wreckers International in June 1976, this AEC Mercury recovery truck was numbered M2 and painted in the normal yellow livery for such vehicles. Previously registered as WYC736H, it was operated on trade plates, carrying 6959P when seen on 12th June 1977. Comparison with the later photograph shows some alterations apart from the obvious livery change. The indicators mounted on the front corners were replaced by new ones mounted slightly higher up, while the side profile of the recovery bodywork was revised with a longer and taller raised section. The location of this photo is interesting, being the London Road garage in Romford. This was one of very few garages within Greater London to pass to LCBS when it was split from London Transport in 1970, the reason being that it was used primarily for Green Line coaches. As can be seen from the lettering on the cab doors, M2 was allocated here but not for long, as the garage was closed the following month. The fate of M2 after that is not clear, though it evidently ended up with the south east part of the company. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,653 |  |
By Philip Hambling Parked in the front forecourt of Enfield Garage in October 1986, 3260B was a Bedford Astra van new in June 1984 and fitted with the illuminated roof roundel from one of the Chevette estate cars that it replaced. 'Radio Control' cars/vans were often kept for shorter periods than other service vehicles, and 3260B was no exception, being replaced by re-styled Astra van 3458B in early 1987. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,654 |  |
By Philip Hambling Another of the 'Bus Publicity' Bedford CF vans to make an appearance on LTSV is 3091B, seen at Enfield Highway in October 1986. New in January 1983, this was one of several based at Walthamstow to cover work in the north half of London. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,655 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff When new Mercedes demountable lorries were delivered in 1990 an important test was whether they would fit in the Breakdown Garage at Neasden depot. Apparently the arrival of the Leyland Titan tenders in 1964 had required some modifications to be made both to the building and the doors! This view shows newly-delivered 2492M being carefully backed into the shed in mid-1990. The lorry had yet to gain markings (apart from fleetnumbers) and was operating on trade plates, while parked alongside is the Breakdown Foreman's Ford Sierra estate car 3642F. This building was used by the breakdown vehicles for many years and the painted markings on the ground in front are in fact to do with staff assembly points in case of evacuation of the main depot being required. 'Cleaners' appears under 2492M and 'Conciliation' on the right! |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,656 |  |
By Derek Everson London Transport used a total of 45 Vauxhall Chevette cars in the early 1980s, including some saloons configured for driver training duties and estates for use as radio control cars. Unfortunately, photos of the type are quite rare. Even rarer though are photos of the related Bedford Chevanne model, of which LT had just two. I was therefore pleased to receive this photo from Derek, showing Chevanne 2354B leaving the back entrance of Chiswick Works on 8th October 1981. As can be seen, the type was very similar to the Chevette estate, but with the rearmost two windows replaced by a plain panel. Somewhat curiously, this panel on 2354B appears to be white rather than red. Both Chevannes were sold in 1984, having been replaced by leased Ford Escort vans. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,657 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff This van has been listed in the LTSV database as being a Leyland Sherpa, though it was actually licensed as an Austin Morris and (as can be seen), only carried the model name externally. The Sherpa model was destined to appear under several different makes, later being produced by Freight Rover. 2204L was new in October 1979 in standard grey livery and lasted just over three years, being replaced by Ford Transit van 3043F in late 1982. Allocated to the Distribution Services Manager, when seen in South Ealing in April 1982 it was being used by the CME Railways department. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,658 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff A look inside the back of Ford D-series breakdown tender 2199F at Neasden Depot in July 1981 shows the tail-lift and the translucent roof. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,659 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff No strangers to LTSV are the Ford D-series box lorries used as railway breakdown tenders for most of the 1980s. Kept at Ealing Common and Neasden depots, 2199F and 2200F were seen at the latter location in July 1981. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,660 |  |
By Derek Everson Another gem from Derek. London Transport operated lots of examples of the Mk1 Ford Transit but they were nearly all diesel-engined. The only known petrol-engined Transit Mk1s were four minibuses bought in 1974 and numbered 1877F to 1880F. The petrol Mk1 Transit was easily recognisable as it had a flatter bonnet and a wider, shallower front grille. Compare this photo with similar (but diesel-engined) 1600F. The distinction no longer applied following the introduction of the Mk2 Transit in 1977. Three of these four minibuses were operated by the Permanent Way Engineer, including 1878F seen at Neasden Depot on 17th September 1975. The fourth (1880F) arrived a couple of months later and was used by the Signal Engineer. All four were sold in 1980. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,661 |  |
By Derek Everson The switch to a light grey livery for London Transport lorries was said to be due to Ford not being willing to supply vehicles in primer, nor in factory-finished 'Chiswick' green. For a time, lorries delivered in grey did have some green paint applied, but only to the cab roofs. The colour used is usually referred to as 'light green', though this view taken at Chiswick Works on 14th August 1975 makes me think that it was actually the traditional 'Chiswick' green. Note that on this lorry, the bolster has also been painted green. The FORD lettering on the front, which was normally black or unpainted metal, has been overpainted in white. 1583F was a Ford D550 dropside lorry new in February 1970 and based at Chiswick Works for most of its 12 years with LT. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,662 |  |
By Ian Dyckhoff / Alan B Cross Having seen the photo of the uniform issue unit and trailer published last month, Ian sent in a couple of photos of the trailers taken after their disposal. These were taken at the Cobham bus museum in Spring 1975 and show two of the trailers parked outside. There is no sign of the UTx fleetnumbers officially allocated to these trailers, though they do carry the numbers of the units that they worked with. These are rather indistinct (being in white lettering) but appear to be 1466W on the left trailer and 1467W on the one on the right (with the pallet leaning against it). Three trailers were built by BB Trailers of Leamington Spa, being taken into stock as UT2-4 in July 1968, almost a year after the former buses had started work in their new role. The number UT1 had already been applied to a trailer new to British European Airways (BEA) as their N173. One of 88 baggage trailers (numbered N101-188) built by Marshalls in 1966-1967, these were used in combination with 65 new Routemaster double-deck coaches on the services run by LT between Heathrow Airport and central London on behalf of BEA. These replaced a fleet of AEC Regal coaches, 4 of which passed back to LT for use as mobile uniform issue units. N173 was also taken into stock by LT (officially on loan) on 4th October 1967, three days after the AEC Regal uniform issue units entered service, and was given the number UT1 (for Uniform Trailer). The Marshalls trailers had a distinctive appearance with sloping sides. The trailer behind 1468W in the photo bottom-right (taken by Alan B Cross at Chiswick Works on 24th July 1973) is evidently N173/UT1. Which leads me back to the identities of the BB trailers. Since the 'parent' vehicle number was painted on the trailers, it was suggested that they were semi-permanently associated, and that this would have been done in numerical order. This would mean that the trailers marked 1466W and 1467W would have been UT2 and UT3 respectively. However, the Alan Cross photo shows 1468W with UT1, so perhaps UT2-4 worked with 1465-1467W, meaning that the two in the photos are UT3 and UT4. I guess we will never know for sure. Another unknown is what happened to these trailers. The Regal uniform units remained in use until 1976/1977, when they were replaced by new Ford D-series lorries. However, the four trailers were reportedly sold to the British Bus Preservation Group in August 1974. This tallies with them being at Cobham in Spring 1975. What happened to them after this is not clear, though it is fairly certain that none survived. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,663 |  |
By Derek Everson Another photo of AEC Regal Uniform Issue unit 1466W at Chiswick Works, this time on 30th April 1973 when it was parked alongside similar 1465W. While most of the windows on the offside had been blanked out, those on the nearside remained, at least in the front half. Coupled behind is one of the three trailers built by BB Trailers. |
18/02/2021 |
| 1,664 |  |
By Derek Everson London Transport operated a fleet of wagons, mainly for engineering trains, and these were often accompanied by a brake van. Most of LT's brake vans were very similar to those used by the mainline railway companies, but not this one! Seen at Neasden Depot on 17th September 1975, FB578 had been built by Gloucester in 1935 as a 10-ton flat wagon numbered F330. Rebuilt as brake van FB578 in 1950, this and similar FB579 (ex F327) were still in stock in 1980 but must have gone pretty soon thereafter. Slightly over half of the wagon length is still a flat wagon (the sides are removable), which presumably accounts for the FB prefix, other brake vans being just B. The shape and size of the cabin added to the other part of the wagon is unusual. Was the curious plan form used just to allow space for the fold-over buffers? And does the presence of what looks to be a chimney suggest that a stove or heater has been squeezed in somehow? There is some cross-over with my other website (LTSV Rail-Data) here, as a BR TOPS diagram was issued for a type of wagon that looks almost identical to this. The diagram is PX031A, believed to be issued in about 1980, and it gives a basic side and end drawing along with key dimensions. The allocation of a TOPS diagram to LT wagons is not unusual, it technically being required before LT wagons could be used on BR tracks. Two TOPS stock numbers were also allocated to LT at about this time (LT5200 and LT5201), though it was suggested that these were one-journey allocations for new wagons being delivered. However, as I can't find any info on any two new wagons for LT around this time, I wonder if FB578 and FB579 were in fact the vehicles allocated these two numbers... Update. Some further digging has found that TOPS diagram PX031A was related to TOPS stock numbers LT95800 and LT95801. However, another source states that these numbers were applied in 1980 to ex B583 and B584, brake vans built for LT in 1961 to the standard BR design. These were replaced in 1990 by two former BR brake vans B955096 and B955112, which were given new TOPS numbers LT95802 and LT95803 and 'paper' LT numbers B586 and B587. However (!), B583 and B584 remained in stock and were later (erroneously) given duplicate TOPS numbers LT95803 and LT95802 respectively. So, um. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,665 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Malcolm sent in this photo of London Northern RML2282 at the Royal Forest Hotel in Chingford, being used on special service 121A on 15th December 1991. This one-day only service was run between here and Oakwood Station in connection with a bus rally. He drew my attention to the Bedford TK lorry in the background. The lettering on the front reads 'The Dans (Mini-Bus Hire) Ltd Show Jumping Team'. I am fond of Bedford TKs but I don't think this one really qualifies as a service vehicle, and I will not be adding it to the database. I do like the combination of horse-box body and 'Passenger Transport Specialists' slogan though! |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,666 |  |
By David Varley The next three photos are only indirectly related to service vehicles but I think they are interesting anyway. First up is this photo sent in by David Varley. Taken in about 1932, it shows his father standing proudly in front of the bus that he drove, AEC Regal T256. This bus had been new in December 1930, and entered service from Watford (where this photo was probably taken) a month later. It went on to serve at various other country garages, including High Wycombe, Staines, East Grinstead and Romford, being withdrawn at the end of 1938. It was then completely rebuilt and emerged as a lorry numbered 408W about seven months later. In this form, it saw another 22 years' use with London Transport, finally being sold in 1962. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,667 |  |
By Les Savine Shortly before Christmas 2020, Metroline replaced its three crew ferry cars at Potters Bar (Renault LX66OME and Fords AX19NAO/NAU) with a trio of hired minibuses. One was a white Ford Tourneo Custom, the other two Mercedes-Benz Vitos, one in grey and one in black. Newest of the three was black KN70SXP, seen in Waltham Cross on 25th January 2021. As they had been in use for more than a month, the minibuses have now been added to the database, though their use is expected to cease when (if?) COVID-related restrictions are eased. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,668 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Various parts of the UK had 'trouble with the white stuff' in the latter half of January 2021. Here in south east London it only snowed for about half an hour. I was rather surprised then to see this excellent photo taken in Hounslow on Sunday the 24th. It shows RATP Renault Master van MF20RVA (fleetnumber R70030) sploshing out of Bridge Road and heading for the garage. Lee suggests that R70030 is the van based at Hounslow (AV) garage, rather than R70034. Hopefully when the lockdowns are eased, people will be getting out and about and reporting where all of the other RATP vans (and cars) are based. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,669 |  |
By Lee Thatcher The 30 Dacia Sandero cars delivered to RATP around the beginning of 2020 all had MJ69xxx registrations, apart from one. MD69KGA was the odd one out, and was given the highest fleetnumber, D75130. Reports of it in use have been notably absent, until it was found parked at Stamford Brook Garage on 21st January 2021. It seems likely that the car is based here, but I would prefer to wait for a second sighting to confirm this. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,670 |  |
By Ray Monk Here is another Acton Works car park photo that I didn't use at the time, expecting there to be plenty of later photos of this car 'in the wild'. 9103N was one of four Nissan Leaf electric cars delivered in August 2020 in TfL white/blue livery. Despite this, they have been allocated to bus stations, or at least some of them have. 9101/2/3N have all been noted at Turnpike Lane Bus Station, while 9100N has not been seen since it left Acton Works. We expected it to go to Eltham to replace veteran KE14FJO, but anything is possible... The other vehicles visible in this 22nd August photo are rare Toyota Prius+ 8692T, VW Caddy Maxi 8909VW, Nissan Leaf 9102N, TfL Compliance VW minibus 8598VW and former LBSL IRU 7882M. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,671 |  |
By London Spotter Ford Transit Custom crew van 8753F is allocated 'on paper' to Frank Pick House at Acton. As with much of the allocation, it is not actually kept there, though it can be seen visiting. During the day, vans from the allocation can be found parked up on residential streets across London and beyond, while at night the vehicles can be seen going to various stations to attend to the lifts and escalators. LS found 8753F parked in Heath Park (near Romford) on 12th November 2020. Note that the similar van on the other side of the road has body coloured mouldings around the lower rear corners (compared to black plastic ones on the LUL van). This changes the appearance considerably. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,672 |  |
By Ray Monk Another Acton Works car park view, this one taken on 29th August 2020. 8726T was a Toyota Yaris that had been delivered in October 2018. It has only been seen a few times, always in or near Acton Works, and the actual working allocation of this car is not known. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,673 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit Custom van 8724F was photographed in the car park at Acton Works on 22nd February 2020, when it was just a couple of days old. I hadn't published this photo at the time as I had hoped to get a photo of the van at a different location (and from a different contributor!) in due course. Given the lockdowns that were in place for much of 2020, the fact that no further photos have been received is perhaps not too surprising. As indicated by the livery, 8724F is allocated to Trams, and is likely to be based (at least sometimes) at the Therapia Lane depot. Parked alongside at the time was TfL Streets Toyota Prius LS13EVV, awaiting disposal. This was the last service vehicle to carry the livery of white with an orange stripe. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,674 |  |
By London Spotter 8468F is a fairly standard high-roof Mk8 Ford Transit van, but it is yet another nocturnal vehicle, normally only venturing out of its Stratford Market base under cover of darkness. The first photo seen of this van was this one taken among the mock-Tudor suburbia of Corbets Tey (south of Upminster) on 22nd January 2021. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,675 |  |
By Derek Everson During the lockdowns, access to the BCA (British Car Auctions) on-line information about vehicles being offered for sale has been unavailable, hence I am relying on other sources to determine which vehicles have been disposed of. The DVLA licensing data is the first port-of-call, but the Wheels Van Centre website has also been found to be useful. They have handled a variety of former service vehicles over the past few years, and their easy-to-use website features multiple photographs (including interior views) of all vehicles. I won't be publishing their photos of course, but Derek visited the Stanwell premises on 24th November 2020 and found three former LBSL IRUs being prepared for sale. On the left was 7868M, which spent time at various north London locations, while the other two were 7862M and 7882M (both from Acton). |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,676 |  |
By Ray Monk Back to the present now, with a photo taken in Acton Works on 5th December 2020. This shows that the Emergency Control Unit vehicle is still kept in its little tin shed. Since this building was last shown on LTSV in 2007, the occupant has changed from Mercedes 2488M to MAN 2587, though the body is still Lyntons pod DB25. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,677 |  |
By Philip Hambling A couple of months ago I published a photo by Phil Hambling of a red Ford Transit Mk3 van in north London with an Eastern National Bristol VRT bus in advertising livery in the background. Well, it's deja-vu all over again! (Sorry if that pun sounds familiar. I see that I already used it about a year ago.) Actually there is even more of a coincidence, because the two Transits carry consecutive registration numbers. Seen passing through Barnet in March 1987, 3396F was only two months old. Allocation information for this van is rather sparse, partly because it only lasted for slightly under three years. It was leased for the Permanent Way Engineer and is likely to have been allocated (on paper at least) to Pelham Street, South Kensington. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,678 |  |
By Philip Hambling The Ford Escort was the standard car in the London Transport service vehicle fleet for most of the 1970s and 1980s. Most of the examples taken were estates, with just a handful of saloons. Cars such as 3290F were referred to as estates, but they are perhaps more like modern hatchbacks than modern estates. There are no doors to access the rear seats, and the space behind is relatively short. 3290F was new in September 1984 for use by LT Catering and was allocated to Baker Street (Allsop Place). It was photographed there in May 1986. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,679 |  |
By Philip Hambling Time to show a few more of Phil's excellent 1980s photos, starting with a Ford Escort van that has already appeared on LTSV. When I published the earlier photo, I speculated that the non-standard gold roundel carried by this van was probably associated to its allocation to the Commercial Operations Unit (later 'Tours and Charters' and finally 'London Coaches'), based at the time at Battersea Garage. This new photo backs this up because, just visible on the side of the van body is the remains of lettering advertising the 'London Liner' service. This was a service between London and Birmingham, operated by double-deck coaches from West Midlands Travel and London Coaches. 3004F was photographed in May 1986 parked in the side yard of Victoria Bus Garage, a location which was often used by Tours and Charter coaches. The lettering must only have been carried for a short time, as the Birmingham service had only started in March 1986. A further service, to Eastbourne, commenced that May. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,680 |  |
By Derek Everson Very much a one-off in the CDS fleet, 1995L was a Leyland Lynx artic tractor, featuring the 'Ergomatic' cab design used on several AEC and Leyland models. New in September 1976, it was the first Leyland lorry added to the fleet since the early 1950s (there had been some Leyland breakdown tenders in the 1960s but these were specialised vehicles based on the chassis of the Titan PD3 bus). Derek caught 1995L passing through Hammersmith on 19th June 1981, with its regular partner, York semi-trailer YT28 (new in 1977 and destined to remain in stock until 1995). 1995L was withdrawn in July 1982, having been replaced by new Ford Cargo 2373F, and it was sold in early 1983. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,681 |  |
By Derek Everson We have got used to Ray capturing views of groups of newly-delivered service vehicles on his visits to Acton Works, but here is the equivalent from the 1970s. Seen at Chiswick Works on 30th May 1973 were a number of red Ford Escort estate cars, with 1799F to the fore and 1800F behind. London Transport used all the registrations in the block MGX901L to MGX998L on service vehicles, of which 76 went on Ford Escorts. Vans and estates were for the numbered fleet, while the 'private car' fleet got saloons. 1799F and 1800F were destined to become inspector's 'radio control' cars, forming part of the fourth generation of such. They would have been fitted with the illuminated roof roundels removed from the preceding batch (1729F-1747F) before entering service in June. One oddity I noticed was that 1799F has mirrors fitted to the wings only, while the remainder appear to have additional mirrors on the doors. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,682 |  |
By Derek Everson Land Rovers formed a very small part of the numbered service vehicle fleet, with a total of thirteen being bought between 1963 and 1974. Unique amongst these was 1670LR, a long-wheelbase example with open back and canvas cover. While most LT Land Rovers were supplied by dealers (mainly Mann Egerton or Henlys), 1670LR was listed as having come from Chipman Chemical Co. This is no doubt due to it having been fitted with weed-killing equipment, though there is no external evidence of this in the photo. New in December 1970, 1670LR was allocated to the Permanent Way Engineer at 'Acton', which may or may not mean Acton Works! Derek photographed it at Neasden Depot during an open day on 6th July 1971, and it was to remain in use until autumn 1980. Also visible in this view are trains of A-stock and 1938 stock (on the left) and a T-stock unit (on the right), presumably one that was retained for sleet clearance duties after the type was replaced by the A-stock in the early 1960s. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,683 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek Everson has very kindly sent me thousands of photos over the past decade, including many from the 1980s and 1990s. He is now able to tap into even older parts of his collection, following the arrival of a slide scanner from Santa Claus. I am presenting a few of the results today but the photos are so good that I have decided to ration them to just a few in each bundle. That should see me through the rest of this lockdown, hopefully! First up is this view of AEC Regal IV uniform issue unit 1466W at Chiswick Works on 24th July 1973. Four such vehicles were converted from ex-BEA airport coaches in 1967 and remained in use until replaced by the Ford D box lorries in 1977. I was surprised to realise how few photos of these vehicles I had in my collection, which in fact only covered one of the four (1468W). Also visible in this view are two of the trailers used with the Regals. The fact that the two trailers appear to be different suggests that one is the unique Marshall trailer (UT1), while the other is one of the three built by BB Trailers (UT2-4). Note that the fleetnumber on 1466W, and the lettering on the trailers, is white. |
01/02/2021 |
| 1,684 |  |
By Google This is Garston garage in about 2017 (when it was still operating a mixture of red and blue buses), looking roughly south-east. This garage, located about 2 miles north of Watford, was built by London Transport but latterly operated by Arriva the Shires, running both TfL and commercial 'country' services. In 2016 the operation of the TfL services was transferred to Arriva London (still working from Garston), while the country operations were moved out to Hemel Hempstead in 2017. Finally, following the loss of some TfL contracts, the garage was closed on 1st September 2018, with one remaining route transferring to Palmers Green. Since closure the garage has remained intact though there have been plans to demolish it to make way for new housing. The most recent plans were rejected, partly because they were felt to be inappropriate for the locality and partly because the garage building has been given listed status. Looking at this photo, there is nothing remarkable about the design of the garage buildings. It was built in the early post-war years to relieve pressure on two smaller garages in Watford. At the time, London Transport had a reputation for high-quality design and architecture, combining functionality with a distinctive but not ostentatious appearance. The site chosen for Garston garage was almost rectangular, allowing the layout to be designed for maximum efficiency. Ironically it turned out to be the only garage built to this model, many others being constrained by the shape of their sites. Along the front was a large building containing the admin offices, crew rooms, canteen and so on. At either end of this were two access roads to the main garage building (one for inward movements and one for outwards), both of which were wide enough and long enough to allow buses to be parked up if required. Linking these two roadways was a third, running behind the admin block and intended to be used by buses on layover. This link road also gave access to the docking area (i.e. the pits), which were in a separate building in the center of the site. I don't know how much of the garage has been listed but it seems likely that there might be an attempt to retain and re-purpose the front admin block at least. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,685 |  |
By Lee Thatcher As predicted, one of the thirteen Renault Master vans acquired by RATP in mid-2020 has been left in unmarked red, presumably due to it being allocated to admin duties, or as a cover spare for the twelve vans used by garage engineers. On Boxing Day 2020 it was found parked at the back of Hounslow Heath Garage, showing that it had at least gained its R70036 fleetnumber. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,686 |  |
By Derek Everson Ford Transit Connect Mk2 van AV18ORO joined the Metroline fleet in mid-2018 but managed to avoid our cameras for over 2 years. Believed to be based at Harrow Weald Garage, it was finally caught on 8th September 2020 arriving at the CELF in Perivale. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,687 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek came across Abellio Ford Transit Mk8 van LO16GFV parked in Croydon on 13th October 2020 and he photographed it from every angle. I have chosen to use this rear offside view as it shows some changes since the similar view (also by Derek) of the van earlier in its career. Initially based at Walworth, LO16GFV was moved to Beddington Cross in about 2019, believed to be due to its replacement by a more ULEZ-compliant Citroen van. At about the same time, it gained a green stripe along the sides and also carried its allocated fleetnumber 6223 for the first time. Comparison of the two photos shows that there were in fact more changes. The company lettering on the sides and rear were renewed, using larger lettering, and the chevrons on the rear were completely replaced. Finally, two external lights were mounted on the rear doors. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,688 |  |
By Derek Everson Metroline has settled on the Ford Transit Connect as its standard van model since 2009, and has operated almost 50 of the type. A large batch of 10 were acquired in 2015 and these were all withdrawn towards the end of 2020. AY15LHO was one of the 'lesser-spotted' examples and I'm not sure where it had been based. On 18th August 2020 it was found parked at the CELF in Perivale, perhaps awaiting disposal. A batch of replacement Connects was taken in mid-2020, though only 7 have so far been identified. One slightly notable feature of the Metroline Connects is that all apart from the first 7 have been registered in Ipswich, with registrations starting in AV, AW, AX or AY. The lettering on the number plate of AY15LHO shows that it came from John Grose of Ipswich. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,689 |  |
By Derek Everson Unmarked red Mercedes Vito minibus RJ13DYB has now chalked up over seven year's use as a crew ferry vehicle from Go-Ahead London's Northumberland Park Garage. It can often be seen doing the short runs to Tottenham Hale Station, but it also ventures further afield, with sightings at Edmonton, Southgate and Turnpike Lane. It was photographed at the latter location on 21st July 2020. Minibuses like this allow greater social distancing than the use of cars, and some minibuses at Metroline have been reported as being fitted with a plastic screen between the front seats and the 'passenger' compartment. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,690 |  |
By Richard Eversden London and Country Mk3 Ford Transit van H394XCD was seen at the bus rally at Netley Country Park (near Southampton) in July 1996. The van was not a planned participant in the rally but L&C Dennis Arrow bus AD8 (which was) had suffered a puncture en-route. Since the earlier photo of this van when it was quite new in 1991, extensive side lettering has been applied, including promotion of painting, signwriting and bodywork repairs, plus the fact that the company was an agent for Econocruise. A fleetnumber had also been applied near the front corner, though this was 012 while the originally allocated number was A12. The preserved bus just visible at the far right shows that the combination of green and red, though unusual, was not unique to L&C. Does anyone know the other operator/livery? |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,691 |  |
By Derek Everson A fine study of LUL Mercedes Econic dustcart WO66HFL waiting at the traffic lights on Allsop Place (Baker Street) on 1st September 2020. The spherical beacon lights mounted on the nearside-front and offside-rear of the bodywork from new have at some point been replaced with more conventionally-shaped ones. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,692 |  |
By Derek Everson Nissan Leaf car KE14FJO has had a somewhat uneventful life. New in autumn 2014, it spent a few months working from Acton before moving to Eltham in February 2015, where it has remained ever since. Being over six years old, it has lasted longer than most central fleet cars, including similar Nissan Leaf LR14FFM which (for reasons that are not clear) was given fleetnumber 7762N but which was withdrawn in 2019. Although the shade of red on these two is much darker than standard 'LT' red, KE14FJO is now the only vehicle remaining in the red with orange squares livery introduced in 1999. Indeed, with the departure of the red Mercedes Sprinter IRUs (like 7848M and 7863M seen in the background of this photo taken on 22nd September 2020), the only red service vehicles are KE14FJO and perhaps a couple of vehicles used by the LT Museum. Actually, I need to add the qualifier of 'central fleet' to that statement, since many bus companies still specify red livery for their vans and minibuses. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,693 |  |
By Neal Marshall Renault Kangoo van 9117R in generic TfL white/blue livery was caught passing Waterloo Station on 5th October 2020. This angle highlights the fact that this livery does in fact include a stripe above the blue skirt, this being reflective white. This van is believed to be used by TfL Streets from the nearby Chancel Street base. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,694 |  |
By Les Savine The closest TfL bus station to the Arctic Circle is the one in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, although Potters Bar is slightly further north and is served by a couple of TfL routes. I don't believe Waltham Cross has ever had its own allocated service vehicles, with vans from Turnpike Lane being dispatched there when required. On 23rd December 2020, Volkswagen Crafter 9092VW was in attendance. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,695 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Seen in a gloomy Hounslow Garage/Bus Station on 29th October 2020 was London Buses Incident van 9088VW. As with many of this batch, 9088VW spent a couple of months at the dealership in Bedfont, delivery being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is most likely now allocated to Acton Works to cover various locations in west London. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,696 |  |
By Derek Everson Numerically the first of the recent large batch of Volkswagen Crafter vans for London Buses is 9055VW, seen at Morden Station on 24th November 2020 parked alongside similar 9068VW. Both vans still sported bonnet poppies, while just visible on the left is the 'battery shed', used to charge electric vehicles and similar to the one at Eltham Bus Station. Curiously, Morden does not have an allocation of electric vehicles, unless the facility can also be used by the Toyota Yaris hybrid cars. In case new visitors cannot find this location, it is in the car park north of the station itself. Vehicle access is from Kenley Road, though pedestrians can use a couple of footpaths from London Road, either side of the station. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,697 |  |
By Derek Everson Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8812R was new in June 2019 and is allocated to the Lifts and Escalators section. Though we have assigned it to Griffith House, it is just as likely to be found at the adjoining Edgware Road Station, as here on 1st September 2020. The van in the left background is unique Nissan e-NV200 8158N. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,698 |  |
By Derek Everson Ford Transit Custom van 8809F was found at Edgware Road Station shortly after dawn on 1st September 2020, keeping company with Ford Fiesta car 8379F. |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,699 |  |
By Paul Nicholls Volkswagen Caddy van 8307VW was new in March 2017 but has proved to be very elusive, with just one sighting later that year at Edgware Track Depot. It was eventually photographed when it was found parked in Corringham on 6th January 2021. If it commutes from Essex to Edgware, that might explain why it has not been seen much in inner London. By the way, I recently ran a query to find out how many current (central fleet) vehicles had not been seen by either Ray or Steve and the answer was 22. When I added Bob to the equation, the number came down to just 12 (i.e. about 1 percent)! |
14/01/2021 |
| 1,700 |  |
By Stuart Hicks I had speculated in the past that the reason a couple of Mercedes Sprinter dropside trucks had been added to the central fleet was because they offered a longer loadspace than the Ford Transit. However, there is a new version of the Transit dropside that is even longer, though none have yet been seen as service vehicles. This side-on shot of 8219M passing Acton Town Station on 11th October 2018 shows that the body is fairly long. It is also unusual for being unpainted metal rather than blue. |
14/01/2021 |
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