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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 3,101 |  |
By Thomas Young Bob Milner scored a scoop when he visited Arnos Grove recently and found no fewer than seven new Ford Transits present. All were long-wheelbase, high-roof Mk.8 vans with Pointcare lettering on the cab doors. The doubled fences at Arnos Grove make photography very difficult, but luckily I came across a couple of the vans at Camden Town on the night of 18th/19th August 2016. First up is this rear view of 8112F. As mentioned before, there is not a lot of blue on LUL Mk.8 Transits. |
22/08/2016 |
| 3,102 |  |
By Thomas Young Camden Town is a good place to find service vehicles at night, the complex track arrangement at the station presumably resulting in increased maintenance requirements. On a recent occasion Steve found 19 service vehicles there. On the night of 18th/19th August 2016 there were eight, including this pair of consecutively numbered Ford Transit Custom vans. Both 8052F (behind) and 8053F belong to the Lifts and Escalators section. Note that the blue and red skirt is sloped to match the body design. The back door of 8052F was opened during the exposure, hence its ghostly appearance. The traffic cones seem to be in LUL blue! |
22/08/2016 |
| 3,103 |  |
By Ray Monk 6986F is one of two Ford Transits converted to hybrids by Ashwoods and added to LBSL stock in July 2010. Both were initially used by Bus Operations and hence wore Incident Response Unit livery, as carried by the large fleet of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. In October 2013 6986F was transferred to the Infrastructure unit and had its lettering amended accordingly. It has since been seen at various south London locations but it managed to avoid being photographed until Ray found it at Orpington Station on 14th August 2016. Alongside are Volkswagen vans in the normal Infrastructure livery of red with orange squares. |
22/08/2016 |
| 3,104 |  |
By James Mair Not previously seen on LTSV, 2433F was a Ford Cargo 0811 dropside lorry new in August 1986. It appears to be fairly pristine in this photograph, so it presumably had the Distribution Services pin-stripes livery from new. The location is High Street, High Barnet, suggesting that the lorry was coming from Potters Bar. The van in the background with what appears to be an LT roundel is in fact an Eastern Electricity vehicle, with their 'e' logo. |
22/08/2016 |
| 3,105 |  |
By James Mair Time for a quick dip into the archives. The first 'normal' Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the central fleet were a batch of eight 307Ds delivered in spring 1986. Two were fitted with curtain-sided van bodies, while the remainder had open bodies with twin drop-side doors. 2428M was photographed at Pinner Station carrying a fairly plain grey livery. |
22/08/2016 |
| 3,106 |  |
By Damon Cross Both of the ex-military AEC Militant recovery lorries bought by LT in 1966 survive, although not much is seen of either. 6x4 example 1457MR was last reported at Ongar in 2006 and was found recently at Finmere Station in Oxfordshire, looking somewhat neglected. This location is owned by the Coulsdon Old Vehicle and Engineering Society and is home to a motley collection of road and railway vehicles, the latter including some EMUs belonging to the Network SouthEast Railway Society. Also visible in this view is an ex-Metropolitan Police armoured prison truck and a left-hand drive Enviro 500 open-top bus. 14th August 2016. |
22/08/2016 |
| 3,107 |  |
By Thomas Young The business end of Sovereign Recovery DAF XF RO14TOR, seen at the Holloway Garage open day on 9th July 2016. I've just noticed that there is a garage sweeper in the background. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,108 |  |
By Thomas Young Not for the first time, Metroline held a bus garage open day on my birthday (9th July). The 2016 event was at Holloway and the main attraction as far as service vehicles were concerned was this 4-axle DAF XF recovery truck of Sovereign Recovery. The registration number looks like a select mark but the vehicle was actually built in 2014. It was with Sovereign by December 2015 but I don't know who had it before then. Note that it is left-hand drive. There are some nice photos of RO14TOR on Flickr, some taken at Holloway before that green RF parked alongside, and some at the West Ham garage event later in July. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,109 |  |
By Ray Monk Sovereign Recovery bought a batch of (at least) five Iveco Daily vans in 2014. GM14SVN was seen at Stratford Bus Station in 2014 but now seems to be used to cover west London. On 1st August 2016 it was parked outside Ruislip Station. The roadway in the background leads to the station car park, at the end of which is a small yard in which LUL service vehicles can sometimes be seen. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,110 |  |
By Ray Monk Another new Ford Transit Custom van for Stagecoach London is MD16SXL, lettered for use as the Rainham Garage Engineering Support vehicle. It also has a fleetnumber above the driver's door, which appears to be 90933. On 25th July 2016 Ray caught the new van on Ferry Lane, close to the garage. A new van has also been seen at Catford (not yet identified) while more should be expected at Barking, Bow, Leyton and North Street. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,111 |  |
By Ray Monk Stagecoach have started replacing their five-year old Ford Transit engineering vans with new Ford Transit Custom vans. First to be seen was MD16SWO at Bromley Garage on 14th July 2016, at which point it was still in unmarked red. There is an open day at Bromley on 13th August. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,112 |  |
By Ray Monk More unmarked vehicles, the bane of my life.... Seen outside Arriva's Watsons Road offices in Wood Green on 11th July 2016 were Vauxhall Corsa van FH65BZS in plain white, and Vauxhall Vivaro minibus FP16AZO in metallic grey. I have decided to add these two to the database but several others are going to be mentioned on the news page only, pending confirmation or otherwise. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,113 |  |
By Ray Monk Vauxhall Corsa van FH65CWY is a new engineering support vehicle for Arriva's Palmers Green garage, although you wouldn't know it to look at it. On 11th July 2016 the van was attending to a bus at Green Lanes on the North Circular Road. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,114 |  |
By Ray Monk The opening of River Road garage in Barking and the subsequent closure of Rainham appears to have led to some reshuffling of the Go-Ahead London crew ferry fleet. Seen at Eltham Bus Station on 27th July 2016 were a trio of Mercedes-Benz Vitos. The white minibus is clearly one of the 'native' Metrobus examples. Nearest the camera is crew van RK64OVH, which started life at Rainham while at the back is RK62OEX, latterly at Silvertown. The two red vehicles had gained London General logos in the past few weeks. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,115 |  |
By RML2760 A new car at a new location. Sort of. This is the third Toyota Mirai fuel cell car to be reported, and the second in TfL livery. It was found on 27th July 2016 in Redford Way, a backroad about 200 yards from Uxbridge station. TfL appear to have taken a couple of parking places outside Christ Church (also used by Hillingdon MIND) and Mirai WM65HZE is also kept here. I don't yet know if there are offices locally or if these are just the nearest places they could get to the bus station. The alley and yard off Bakers Road appear to have been redeveloped which could be a clue. Another thing I don't know is whether these cars are for use by LBSL (perhaps replacing the LN61Zxx Toyota Prius cars) or by some unknown function of TfL. Note the H2 labelling on the fuel filler cap. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,116 |  |
By LTSV Collection At least 25 Ford Fiestas were added to the central fleet in 2015, many of which were noted on delivery through Acton Works. However, a lot of them have subsequently vanished! Van 8001F is a case in point. Seen at Acton in unmarked white/blue in Spring 2015, nothing more was reported until this photograph came in from an anonymous contributor. It shows the van parked in a compound at the end of the car park at Hillingdon Station. I have since been told it has also been seen at Uxbridge and Ruislip, so it does seem to be attached to the Metropolitan Line. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,117 |  |
By LTSV Collection The least visible part of Neasden Depot is the north west end, accessed by a gate at the end of Quainton Street. This area contains an electrical sub-station and a large area in which a handful of vehicles are sometimes parked. These cannot be seen from passing trains, and it is a long walk down Quainton Street that might turn out to be fruitless. Luckily we have some people on the 'inside'. Photographed on 12th July 2016 was Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 7907VW. Rather surprisingly, this vehicle has only been reported once, when it was visiting Acton Works in December 2015. As can be seen, the van has now been treated to Incident Response Vehicle livery and is thus very similar to consecutively numbered 7908VW at Rickmansworth. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,118 |  |
By Colin Lloyd We have had some splendid weather over the past few weeks but this photo is actually from last summer. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van 7869M is one of several Incident Response Units based at Victoria Coach Station to cover duties in central London. On 9th July 2015 it was photographed at Marble Arch. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,119 |  |
By Derek Everson Two more of the current LBSL Incident Response Unit vans are being shown today, leaving just nine more that have yet to appear on LTSV. First up is Stratford City based 7861M, caught at Tottenham Hale on 19th August 2015. It was less than a year old at the time but had already lost some of its side chevron markings. By the way, I have yet to discover the rationale behind the rather odd layout of the markings. Why not continue the chevrons all the way round? |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,120 |  |
By Ray Monk Several visiting service vehicles were in the yard alongside Neasden Station on 1st August 2016. This photo shows Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 7796VW new in 2014. One of a batch of six, 7796VW is based at Wembley Park Station while the rest are at Stratford Market Depot. Parked behind (and highlighting the extra length of the Caddy Maxi model) is Peugeot Partner Tepee estate car 7102P. This was based at Dagenham East for a while but seems to flit around all over the place lately. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,121 |  |
By Ray Monk Service vehicles based at Neasden Depot can be found at four distinct areas within the depot. Best known is the small yard alongside the station, which can be viewed from passing trains or from Brendon Avenue. The access road to the depot passes this yard, then goes under the North Circular Road bridge to the location shown above. Just visible on the right is the Service Control Centre, and one or two SVs are often parked outside. On 1st August 2016 Renault Kangoo estate 7388R was there, one of a batch of 19 new in 2012 of which about half have gone off lease already. On the left is a level crossing where the road into the actual train depot crosses the tracks leading to the stabling sidings. SVs in the main depot can only really be seen from passing trains, or in the distance from Great Central Way. The final parking area is a yard at the north end of the depot and will feature here shortly. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,122 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Two of the ten Mercedes-Benz Atego rescue tenders used by the Emergency Response Unit were repainted in British Transport Police livery in 2011/2012. 2592 was the second of these, done in July 2012. Based at Stratford Market Depot, it managed to avoid being photographed until Colin caught it at Parliament Square on 27th June 2016. As is the way with such things, I have also been sent photos of it attending an incident at Gants Hill Station about a week later! These tenders are expected to be replaced by new Volvo units later this year. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,123 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Although basically the same, the two preserved former LT tractors have a few significant differences. 351X on the left has solid tyres, electric lights and a registration plate. 626X on the right has pneumatic tyres, mudguards with a running board between them and what seems to be some sort of platform (or seat?) alongside the engine. Both tractors have a wire strop running over the radiator header tank that appears to hold up the beams to which the front buffers are attached. These two tractors probably never met during their LT careers. 351X was only ever at Charlton works, going from there straight to the British Transport Museum. 626X worked from Hertford and Edgware garages before spending its final ten years at Chiswick Works. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,124 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The new Toyota Mirai cars may be sleek and futuristic, but take a look at these babies! London Transport operated a fleet of agricultural type tractors mainly for use as shunters in garages and works. To facilitate this, most were fitted with large 'buffers' at front and rear. All were sold by 1966 but fortunately two ended up being preserved. 351X dating from 1937 is normally at the LT Museum Depot in Acton, while 626X of 1942 resides in the East Anglian Transport Museum at Carlton Colville. Both are Fordson 1.75t models. During 2016, 351X was moved to Carlton Colville, offering the chance to pose the pair together. This photo, taken on 10th July, shows the rear of 351X with 626X beyond. |
05/08/2016 |
| 3,125 |  |
By Ray Monk Visitors to the Shepherd's Bush open day on 21st May 2016 may well have noticed this fork-lift truck parked at the back of the garage. Made by Jungheinrich and registered Q785XCY, it has been resident for at least a few months, possibly much longer. Vehicles such as this are somewhat problematic for LTSV. They could be classified as service vehicles and added to the database, especially if they have registration numbers. However, with no 'livery' or markings, it is hard to be sure that they actually belong to the company (London United in this case) and not to a contractor. As with the Epsom Buses 'vehicles' found last year (which were at least lettered), this one is registered but not currently licensed. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,126 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Seen passing Blackhorse Road on 3rd June 2016, EO16PKZ is a new Ford Transit Custom van for Go-Ahead London, used by its London General subsidiary from Northumberland Park garage. Go-Ahead becomes the fourth London bus company to take the Transit Custom model (after Stagecoach, London United and Tower Transit) and the new van has replaced Transit Mk7 EF10UUX. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,127 |  |
By Ian Rivett New service vehicles for Metroline can often be found parked outside their CELF works in Perivale (such as in June 2012, March 2015 and March this year). The latest additions were photographed on 11th June 2016 and comprised Ford Transit vans AV16YGJ (at the front), AV16YGG and AV16YGH (at the back). The vans had light-bars but were yet to gain company lettering. I was surpised to see Metroline take Ford Transits as they had previously standardised on the smaller Transit Connect model. They do have a Mk7 Transit based at Greenford, but this was inherited from First London. The last Transit acquired by Metroline before that was HJ54WCF back in 2004. In terms of full-sized vans, Metroline do have a trio of Renault Masters new in 2011, so perhaps the new Transits are to replace these. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,128 |  |
By Ray Monk Currently unique in the Stagecoach London fleet is YE15EEU, their only Ford Transit Custom van. New in 2015, it seems to have been acquired to replace Ford Transit YC11JYR, which no longer appears on DVLA records (stolen and written-off perhaps?). The new van was operated in unmarked red for a while but now has lettering (but no fleetnumber, unusually), as seen here at Eltham, Court Road, on 16th May 2016. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,129 |  |
By Ray Monk This photo, taken on 23rd May 2016 (a week after the previous one), also shows a silver Arriva London Vauxhall Corsa car at Barking (Dagenham) garage. However, HV65OAZ is a 5-door car, and was unmarked. At least five such cars are now at Barking, with another at Edmonton. Note also that the frontal styling of the Corsa model has changed again. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,130 |  |
By Ray Monk Similar but not the same. The next two photos both show silver Vauxhall Corsa cars at Arriva London's Barking Garage. To avoid confusion with the Stagecoach (formerly London Transport) garage at Barking, the Arriva garage is named 'Barking (Dagenham)' on this website, reflecting its actual location. The Go-Ahead group also now has a garage nearby, this being 'Barking (River Road)'. Anyway, on to the vehicles. The Vauxhall Corsa car has been the standard crew ferry vehicle for Arriva London for several years, and most were given large fleetnumbers. After using (and re-using) numbers in the 92 to 145 range, deliveries from early 2014 started a new series at 201. FL14HMO, seen here on 16th May 2016, was probably new in spring 2014 but was not seen until two years later. Barely visible, it has an Arriva name on the bonnet, and fleetnumber 215 on the rear. As with most Arriva London Corsas, this is a 3-door hatchback. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,131 |  |
By Ray Monk The Arriva group is in the process of restructuring its companies running bus services around London. Garages that run TfL tendered bus services (principally Dartford, Grays and Garston) are now nominally under the control of Arriva London, and the buses are having their fleetnumbers changed to suit. So far this has had little impact on the service vehicle fleets, with Dartford still running mainly second-hand vehicles. A recent addition is Vauxhall Combo van DN57TZY, for use by the engineers. On 10th June 2016 the anonymous white van was parked at Bexleyheath bus stand. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,132 |  |
By Ray Monk Peering through the long grass at Silwood Depot on 28th June 2016, Ray caught this view of silver Ford Transit Custom crew van HG64HND with an Overground roundel on the front. This vehicle (or a similar one) has been seen here on numerous occasions, but never in a way in which it could be identified. I have also seen a silver van with front roundels at Willesden Depot. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,133 |  |
By Ray Monk The two Huyndai IX35 hydrogen fuel cell cars new in October 2014 have been very elusive. A lack of sightings, plus the delivery of two newer Toyota Mirai fuel cell cars in spring 2016, prompted me to suggest that they had been returned off lease. However, EK64ZNN was then found by Ray, parked with the LBSL vehicles at Stratford Office village on 4th June 2016. The few sightings reported suggest that it might be based here, and Ray wandered whether this was due to the hydrogen fuelling facilities at the relatively nearby Lea Interchange bus garage (from where Tower Transit operates eight VDL hydrogen buses for route RV1). Sister vehicle EK64ZNH appears to also still be in use, based at Acton Works. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,134 |  |
By Ray Monk Another rarely seen vehicle is Volkswagen Passat estate car KP14VXL. As with similar KR11XWK, this car has a mainly silver livery and no apparent fleetnumber. On 9th November 2015 it was caught leaving Acton Works. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,135 |  |
By Malcolm Conway At least three batches of the new Ford Transit Courier van have been delivered for LUL since the beginning of 2015 but all are proving to be quite camera-shy. First up were ten plain vans (7964F to 7973F) for Lifts and Escalators, nominally at Frank Pick House. These were followed in autumn 2015 by three crew vans which are probably based at Pelham Street (South Kensington). 8067F and 8068F have been seen at various locations, while LP15XXD is thought to be 8066F but has not been seen since delivery to Acton. The third batch comprised eight more crew vans (8099F to 8106F) which went to Lillie Bridge for night work, replacing Volkswagen Caddy crew vans. Of the Pelham Street trio, 8067F was caught at Marble Arch on 28th June 2016. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,136 |  |
By Ray Monk The LUL lifts and escalators section based at Frank Pick House in Acton Town has a large fleet of Ford Transit Custom vans at its disposal. Most were crew vans delivered in spring 2015, but that summer they were joined by seven plain vans numbered 8052F to 8058F. 8053F has barely been seen after its arrival in July. However, on 21st June 2016 Ray found it parked outside Smallbills garage at Acton Town. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,137 |  |
By Ray Monk London Buses took delivery of a batch of 13 Volkswagen Caddy Maxi vans over the turn of 2014/2015 for use by its infrastructure development section. Most are fairly easy to see, being kept at bus stations such as Stratford, Uxbridge and Orpington. 7891VW was based at the last named but may not be seen any more. In February 2016 it was involved in a road traffic accident at Chislehurst, ending up on its side. The damage did not appear too severe but the van has yet to return to service. In happier times, it was found at Bexleyheath Clock Tower on 26th January 2016. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,138 |  |
By Ray Monk Continuing the coverage of the 2015 fleet of Incident Response Unit vans, this view was taken at Edgware Bus Station back on 8th August 2015. Nearest the camera is 7871M with 7878M beyond. Both were new in February 2015. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,139 |  |
By Thomas Young The first London bus garage open day of the 2016 season was held at Shepherd's Bush on 21st May and one service vehicle was among the items on display. 7855M is one of the 46 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans delivered in spring 2015 for use by London Buses. Reports suggest it is one of several based at Acton Works. The van was parked alongside a unique bus in the form of Wright Streetlite SN65OKM. This bus was delivered to London United earlier in the year but had yet to enter regular service. London United undertook a renumbering of its bus fleet in 2016, joining Stagecoach and First in using five-digit numbers. The new numbers have so far only been seen on new deliveries and repainted buses. SN65OKM is allocated number WS20225 but this has not yet been applied. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,140 |  |
By James Mair A new service vehicle location recently discovered is Chorleywood Station, near the outermost end of the Metropolitan Line to Amersham (and only one stop beyond Rickmansworth, which we already know has an allocation of several vehicles). Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7712R is based at Chorleywood, probably since it was new in autumn 2013. It was photographed there on 21st February 2016. |
05/07/2016 |
| 3,141 |  |
By Ray Monk When I produced the SUP24G booklet for LOTS last summer I had to leave out CT Plus, since nobody had reported any current service vehicles operated by them. For a company running over 60 buses for TfL this seemed odd. This photograph taken at Stratford City Bus Station on 4th May 2016 may provide an answer. It shows Renault Kangoo estate car DK04BXH with Hackney Community Transport lettering and fleetnumber C2. CT Plus is the bus operating division of Hackney Community Transport, as evidenced by the double C logo carried by both the car and the bus parked behind. Hackney CT operates a large fleet of minibuses and cars (many equipped to carry wheelchairs), and perhaps CT Plus simply borrows vehicles as required. This car was in fact being used by an engineer attending to the bus. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,142 |  |
By Ray Monk Looking at the database on LTSV might give the impression that London Transport stopped using unmarked cars in the early 1980s. They have in fact continued to be a feature, with several hundred in use at any one time. However, from 1981 such cars were leased rather than bought, and the registration numbers were not generally in batches. Plus of course they were unmarked (duh!) and came in a variety of colours, making identification virtually impossible. As such, even when likely candidates are reported, I will not be adding them to the database. Ray found this pair of Volkswagen Golf estate cars in the yard at Finchley Central on 14th May 2016. Both were plain white and they had consecutive registrations, making it highly unlikely that they belong to members of staff. These VWs have perhaps replaced Peugeot Partner Tepees KP62FVH/J/K/L. By the way, the Peugeots did get added to the database since I assumed (wrongly) that they might be allocated fleetnumbers. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,143 |  |
By Ray Monk Twenty minutes after catching a new Toyota Mirai leaving Acton Works on 12th May 2016, Ray caught... a new Toyota Mirai leaving Acton Works! Consecutively registered WM65HZE differs from WM65HZD in carrying TfL white/blue livery. Note that vehicles in this livery do actually have a stripe between the white and blue sections. However, since this is reflective white it is not always apparent. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,144 |  |
By Ray Monk Oooh, here's something different. Caught leaving Acton Works on 12th May 2016 was a rather sleek looking car in full LUL livery (though without fleetnumbers). It turned out to be a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car, first licensed at the end of January. Two Hyundai IX35 cars with similar propulsion systems had been seen in spring 2015 but seem to have disappeared. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,145 |  |
By Ray Monk Perhaps because of problems with the new Mk8 Ford Transit, LUL took two batches of alternate crew vans in autumn 2015. 8121VW to 8133VW were Volkswagen Transporters while at least 8135M to 8145M were Mercedes-Benz Sprinters (the fleetnumbers of the latter batch are a little confused). Most vehicles from both batches are kept at Stratford Market depot and hence can only be seen out at night. However, two or three of each are based at Finchley Central, where they are a lot easier to see. On 3rd October 2015, Volkswagen 8125VW was parked in the yard. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,146 |  |
By Ray Monk I am very grateful to Ray for supplying this photograph. Steve and I had visited Westdown Road in Leyton on 30th April 2016 and noticed a new Ford Ranger parked in the yard. However, it was between two vans and we could only see the bonnet. Hence we didn't get its fleetnumber. Despite having an injured leg, Ray made the trek up to Leyton a few days later and found... the Ranger was gone. He suggested it might have been just visiting from Hainault Depot (which has more 'previous' when it comes to operating 4x4 vehicles). Even so, Ray decided to look again on 6th May and the Ranger was in. He even managed to persuade a passing member of staff to take a photograph of it for us. 8064F (as we now know it is) is the second Ford Ranger to be added recently, following from 8044F last summer. Prior to this, there had been no Rangers in the fleet since 2012, Mitsubishi L200s being the preferred model for such work. Parked alongside was new crew van 8062F, which is curiously described by the DVLA as a 'Ford Transit 350 (Motor Home/caravan)'! |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,147 |  |
By Colin Smith The Mark 8 Ford Transit is finally becoming a common feature of the central fleet, with deliveries picking up over the winter of 2015/2016. Acton Works has a batch of 15 (assuming that 8027F does exist) numbered 8024F to 8038F. All are medium wheelbase, mid-height crew vans, probably leased to replace the last of the large batch of Mk7s taken in 2010 (6907F to 6940F). On 30th March 2016, 8025F was photographed in the works. The van in the background seems to also be from the same batch but it looks to me as though it is a longer example. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,148 |  |
By Ray Monk Another occasional series on LTSV is 'I can't really explain this one', and here is the latest addition. Ford Fiesta car 7953F was new in March 2015 and was noted being delivered to Acton Works on the 2nd on the back of a transporter truck. It seems to have been in unmarked white/blue at this time. A photo taken of the Works car park 5 days later clearly showed it in full LUL white/blue/red livery. It was next seen about 2 months later, working the night shift off Griffith House, but curiously in unmarked white/blue livery once again. Ray managed to photograph the car in this state on 14th May 2016, when it was parked near to East Finchley Station. Were the markings (and stripe) removed, and if so why? Or perhaps the car was replaced and the number plates switched.... answers on a postcard please. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,149 |  |
By Ray Monk Another of the vehicles to have been given a revised livery recently is Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 7908VW. It was parked in its usual slot outside Rickmansworth Station on 4th April 2016, just as it was whilst in its previous livery last February. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,150 |  |
By Derek Everson The staff car park at Uxbridge Station has four spaces marked out for LBSL Infrastructure vehicles, but it is rare (though not unheard of) to find that many present. Derek was lucky on 13th June 2015 to find (from left to right) VW Transporter van 7836VW along with VW Caddy Maxi vans 7899VW, 7898VW and 7900VW. 7900VW appears to be the main Uxbridge vehicle. 7836VW and 7899VW divide their time between here and Acton, while 7898VW seems to be a floating spare, having also been reported at Finsbury Park and Morden. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,151 |  |
By Ray Monk Here is part 6 (roughly) of the occasional series 'Same vehicle, same location, different livery'. As mentioned recently, certain vehicles are gaining revised 'Incident Response' markings in connection with changes in the rules about such vehicles using bus lanes. Among those affected are the four Citroen Berlingo estate cars allocated to the Central Line. 7508C has always been at White City depot, although it is actually kept in the car park of the Westfield shopping centre (which was built on top of the re-sited depot). Comparing this photo with one taken in 2012 shows the changes to the livery and the addition of a light-bar. 7th April 2016. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,152 |  |
By Derek Everson Ford Focus estate 7406F worked for a little over 3 years, mainly out of Stratford Market Depot. Being a nocturnal vehicle it managed to avoid being photographed until Derek found it, devoid of markings, at the British Car Auctions site in Blackbushe on 11th September 2015. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,153 |  |
By Ray Monk The Renault Modus car looks set to disappear from the central fleet in the next year or so. A total of 17 were leased in 2011/2012 but no more have been taken since. The penultimate example was 7266R, new in February 2012 and photographed in Blackheath on 25th October 2015. It was to be withdrawn a few weeks later and was for sale in Ireland in January 2016. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,154 |  |
By Ray Monk Peugeot Partner Tepee car 7229P was caught outside Acton Works on 16th July 2015. Part of a batch of ten cars (7221P to 7230P) new in late 2011 and based at Lillie Bridge, they are presumably coming up for replacement soon. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,155 |  |
By Ray Monk The third (marked) Volkswagen Golf for LUL was 7156VW, added in February 2012. It is believed to be based at Pelham Street, South Kensington, but reports have been infrequent. On 14th May 2016 Ray found it in the car park at East Finchley Station. Parts of the Northern line were closed for engineering work and quite a few service vehicles were found. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,156 |  |
By Clive Greedus The 24 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans leased for London Buses in 2011 were replaced by newer vehicles in early 2015, since when quite a few have been noted with new owners. It seems that a lot of them have been bought by builders in the London area. Clive found the former 7000M parked near Newbury Park on 13th April 2016. It has gained lettering for its new role but traces of the Incident Response markings are still visible above the windscreen. It is highly likely that the registration number and roundel on the roof are also still in place. |
17/05/2016 |
| 3,157 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Normal-control lorries (ie those with bonnets) are rare in the UK, although several have been illustrated on LTSV in use as recovery vehicles. The first such Volvo to be shown is NH12 CA03TOW of Cedars Assist (with fleetnumber 7), seen at Stratford Bus Station on 19th March 2016. The flaming artwork at the front is similar to that on Stathams Kenworth VX56KFV. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,158 |  |
By Ian Rivett Each March and September our devoted Acton-watchers are camped out (not literally I trust) in the hope of catching the first of a new registration year. In 2016 the pioneers were not central fleet vehicles but these Renault Grand Scenic cars for Metroline. Four were found parked outside the CELF works in Perivale on 3rd March, with LX16LZW/LZN to the fore and LX16LZJ/MBF behind. The red car at the back is believed to be Nissan Note BW11MWX. A fortnight later LX16LZW and LZN were in use at Holloway garage, still in unmarked maroon. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,159 |  |
By Ray Monk Although many bus garages are surrounded by parked staff cars, there are a couple of clues that this pair of anonymous Ford Galaxy estates are in fact service vehicles. Seen at the Abellio garage at Beddington Cross on 15th March 2016, OE61YLZ has a fleetnumber on the filler cap (unfortunately not noted), while the parking bay has recently had 'ONLY - FERRY - CARS' painted on it. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,160 |  |
By London Spotter London Underground's fleet of track tampers was renewed at the end of 2015 with the delivery of two Matisa B45UE machines ordered in 2013. Both were in use at Barking on 26th March 2016 and this photo shows TMM775 coupled to battery loco L45. As will be apparent, the new machines are not to tube profile and hence can only be used on sub-surface and surface lines. The livery retains the use of yellow traditional for track maintenance machines but adds blue sections and a huge roundel. Note that the cab side windows are provided with sliding covers. Also visible is the EVN (European Vehicle Number) of 99 70 9128 003-9, this being a requirement for all such vehicles that will run on Network Rail tracks. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,161 |  |
By London Spotter There was major work being undertaken at Barking Station over the Easter 2016 weekend, with numerous rail and road service vehicles in attendance. This great photo shows 2007-built Plasser and Theurer 08-275 tamper TMM774 to advantage. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,162 |  |
By Ray Monk The London Safety Camera Partnership continues in a reduced form, and in early 2016 was still making use of Ford Transit crew vans 6121F and 6122F. Given the age of these vehicles, some replacements were not unexpected. Ray found this new Mk8 Transit parked at the back of Marlowe House in Sidcup on 14th February 2016. It carries the same livery as the earlier vehicles but has no visible fleetnumber. In fact the registration series (GK is a Kent prefix) makes me think this new vehicle may not have been supplied by Acton. Curiously, the two older vans were back here later in February. Beyond the fence in the background is the railway line between Sidcup and New Eltham stations. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,163 |  |
By Ray Monk In early 2016 a number of existing service vehicles were transformed into Incident Response Vehicles, usually by the addition of battenburg striping, suitable lettering and light-bars. This was in connection with a change in regulations that now permits such vehicles to use bus lanes when attending to incidents. Among the vehicles involved were the four Citroen Berlingo estate cars allocated to the Central line, such as 7511C seen on the right in this view of Loughton Station car park taken on 7th March 2016. The nearer vehicle has been similarly treated but started out as an un-marked car. Ford Focus estate LL13XNS was new in July 2013 and has now been given the fleetnumber 8171F. This sets it almost 500 numbers higher than the 9 other Focus estates with registrations in the LL13X-- range. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,164 |  |
By Ray Monk The Technical Services Group of London Buses finally disposed of elderly Ford Transit van 6322F in spring 2016. Its replacement was somewhat smaller, being a Ford Transit Connect crew van with the fleetnumber 8159F. Points to note include the department lettering on the doors, the TfL lettering applied to the side windows (it presumably wouldn't fit on the small rear panels), the iBus equipment mounted on the roof rack and the almost hidden light-bar. Parked alongside was Ford/Ashwoods hybrid Transit crew van 6987F of the taxi private hire department. This vehicle has operated in plain white since delivery in 2010 but had recently gained a blue skirt and lilac stripe, as already seen on some of this section's Toyota Yaris cars (eg LL14VOH). The side lettering has been changed from 'Licensing Enforcement' to 'Compliance Enforcement'. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,165 |  |
By Ray Monk Only the fifth Skoda vehicle for the numbered fleet was Octavia estate car 8155S, new in February 2016. On the 13th of that month it was seen in the front car park at Acton Works awaiting collection. The allocation of this car is not yet known, although it could be a replacement for similar 7517S or 7592S. Parked alongside was TfL Ford Fiesta car 8175F, new in December 2015 but seemingly needing to be attended to at the works. It had a 'ready to go' notice hanging in the windscreen. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,166 |  |
By Steve Warman Photographed in Amersham on the grotty night of 26th March 2016 was Ford Fiesta hatchback car 8050F in London Underground livery. At least 25 Fiestas were added to stock in 2015, the type having been rare for the previous decade. 8050F is believed to be based at Lillie Bridge along with similar LP15YUN, which is probably numbered 8051F. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,167 |  |
By London Spotter After a couple of false starts deliveries of Mk8 Ford Transit vans for LUL started in earnest towards the end of 2015. 8032F was part of a batch of medium wheelbase, mid-height crew vans allocated to Acton Works, and was photographed parked near Barking Station on 26th March 2016. Points to note are the large rear step, somewhat curious roof-rack, and the very small area of the lower bodywork that is actually blue. I should also point out (again) that this is in fact the smallest version of the Mk8 Transit that is available. The short-wheelbase and low-roof options only apply to the smaller Transit Custom model. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,168 |  |
By Ivor Norman Vehicles numbered 8006 to 8018 are all Renault Kangoo vans delivered in spring 2015 and allocated to Lillie Bridge to replace Volkswagen Caddy vans. 8017R was found rather further away, parked in Harlow on 7th February 2016. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,169 |  |
By Ray Monk The first Mk8 Ford Transit dropside trucks were a pair leased in April 2015 for use by the lifts and escalators division (7909F and 7910F). It was not until the end of that year that further examples arrived, this time mainly to start replacing the numerous older dropsides based at Lillie Bridge. Several were numbered in the 799x range, somewhat behind the current allocations, perhaps suggesting a long lead-time. 7996F was new in February 2016 and was photographed leaving Acton Works on 3rd March. It has a crew-cab and a tail-lift. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,170 |  |
By Ray Monk About 20 examples of the diminutive Smart Fortwo car were added to the central fleet between 2005 and 2013 but there have been no more since. Apart from a batch at Lillie Bridge, most have been elusive, and in any case most have now been withdrawn. 7625SM was the penultimate addition and was only seen once 'at work'. On 12th March 2016 it was in the car park at Acton Works, perhaps as a prelude to disposal. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,171 |  |
By Ray Monk A crucial but rarely used service vehicle is the LUL Emergency Control Unit, kept at Acton Works and appearing only during major incidents or events. As such, the vehicles can last a long time. From 1991 until 2006, Mercedes-Benz lorry 2488M was the nominated chassis, fitted with demountable body DB7. The body was replaced by DB25 in 2006 but 2488M soldiered on until 2014 (by which time it was 23 years old). It was then replaced by MAN LE chassis 2587, which had been in general use since delivery in 2006. The lorry had red/blue chevrons and emergency lettering added to its front, and it may have had its fold-under tail-lift removed. The elusive vehicle was caught leaving Acton Works on 25th February 2016, a month short of its tenth birthday. |
29/03/2016 |
| 3,172 |  |
By Rob Waughman The Orpington garage latterly run by Metrobus but now part of Go-Ahead London makes use of a dozen Mercedes-Benz Vito minibuses for crew ferry work. With several undergoing maintenance, a pair of extra vehicles were loaned from Rossetts Commercials of Crawley in early 2016. RV65VYL is a crew van in dark grey livery, while minibus RJ64RXA is in plain white. The two buses on the left still have Metrobus fleetnumbers (with no class prefix), while on the right is MEC59, one of nineteen Mercedes Citaro buses recently acquired to update the allocation for route 358. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,173 |  |
By Ray Monk The car park of Arriva London's Watsons Road offices (at the back of Wood Green bus garage) contained a couple of unmarked vans on 4th January 2016. Nearest the camera was Vauxhall Corsa van FG11YAW, with similar FG11YHZ visible beyond. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,174 |  |
By Ray Monk The family of liveries based on the original LUL white/blue scheme grew again at the end of 2015 with the addition of a variant for the Public Carriage Office department of Transport for London. This featured a lilac stripe and roundels and was first seen on Toyota Yaris car LL14VOH at Eltham on 28th December 2015. This was one of a batch of cars delivered in mid-2014 in plain white/blue with unmarked blue roundels. Some of the batch are used by TfL Streets but other PCO cars are LL14VOJ at Kingston and LL14VOK at Wembley. For the record, the list of liveries is now red stripe (LUL), orange stripe (Overground), green stripe (Tramlink) and lilac (PCO). Plus no stripe on generic TfL vehicles and those remaining in Tube Lines livery. Perhaps Streets vehicles could be given a yellow line.... |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,175 |  |
By Ray Monk Back in July 2015 I commented that deliveries of Mk8 Ford Transits had finally started after an apparent hiatus. However, after an initial batch of nine vans in mid-year, things then went quite again, with batches of Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz vans being taken instead. This could just be a coincidence of requirements and orders, and there were also deliveries of the smaller Ford models (Transit Custom and Transit Courier) throughout the period. 7958F was one of the Mk8 Transits delivered in June 2015 and is a medium-wheelbase, mid-height crew van. On 24th October 2015 it was found parked on Granville Gardens near Ealing Common Station. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,176 |  |
By Thomas Young Another familiar angle, poking my camera through the fence at Westdown Road, Leyton. Taken on 31st October 2015 this photo has been included because it shows not only the entire fleet of LUL Renault Master minibuses (all two of them!) but also a fair proportion of their VW Golf estates. Around ten are in stock at present and four are (just) visible here. 8060VW is the nearest, partly obscured but with a confirmed identity. Beyond this are 8061VW, 7043VW and 7044VW. Four years (and a thousand fleetnumbers) separate the two pairs of cars and it looks like most of the bodywork details (eg lights, windows) have been changed in that time. Also present were two Ford Transit vans, the furthest being Ashwoods hybrid 7039F. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,177 |  |
By Ray Monk A current fleetlist was obtained in July 2015 and it contained about a dozen previously unknown vehicles. Most have subsequently been seen but the allocations (and indeed operators and liveries) for several remain unknown. 7887F was listed as a Ford Transit Custom minibus, first licensed in October 2014. It was not seen until Ray caught it leaving Acton Works on 25th January 2016. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,178 |  |
By Ray Monk Of the 46 Incident Response Unit vans added to stock in the first half of 2015, 7862M (LX64ARF) managed only about a month in service before being seriously damaged in an accident at the beginning of March. It spent the rest of the year dumped at Acton Works. A replacement eventually arrived towards the end of the year and was unusually given the same fleetnumber. The new 7862M was first licensed in September and first reported on 1st January 2016 at Turnpike Lane. Apart from the registration series, it appears to be identical to the earlier vehicles. On 4th January it was photographed parked next to 7868M. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,179 |  |
By Derek Everson I will probably eventually add a photograph of each of the 46 Incident Response Unit vans added during 2015, but I am in no hurry. Here is a nice view of lowest-numbered 7841M arriving back at Uxbridge Bus Station on 14th October 2015. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,180 |  |
By Thomas Young I visited Hainault Depot on 31st October 2015 and had a peer through the back fence. About a dozen service vehicles were visible but only the line-up shown here could be seen clearly. The four Ford Transit vans are (from left to right) 7137F, 7344F, Mk8 7944F and 7703F. Alongside was rarely seen Peugeot Partner Tepee estate 7705P. Note that the high-roof Mk8 Transit is slightly taller than the equivalent Mk7 version, though the higher bonnet line and deeper windscreen can make it look smaller. Just visible on the left are a Mitsubishi L200 pick-up (probably 7136) and a Volkswagen Transporter van. This view compares with one taken four years earlier, which also shows four Transits. 7137F appears in both, first as the newest van and now as the oldest. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,181 |  |
By Colin Smith Ford Transit dropside truck 7472F has carried Tube Lines logos since it was new in November 2012. However, when photographed in Acton Works on 5th October 2015, it had also gained Emergency Response Unit labels. |
27/01/2016 |
| 3,182 |  |
By Thomas Young Westbourne Park was one of very few garages that I did not get into when I was kid, so I was quite interested in attending the open day held on 10th October 2015. What surprised me most was how small it seemed inside, kind of like the opposite of a Tardis. The engineering department here had recently taken delivery of new Ford Transit Custom van SP15XOW, and may also have briefly used Transit Connect van SP15GUC, the latter probably now at Lea Interchange or Atlas Road but not yet reported. The Transit Custom van was photographed from inside a bus that was giving rides through the bus wash. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,183 |  |
By Ray Monk An open day was held at Westbourne Park Garage on 10th October 2015. Opened in 1981 to allow the closure of Middle Row and Stonebridge Park Garages, it was built underneath the elevated Westway roadway. In recent years it has passed from First London to Tower Transit, and its large allocation of buses was reduced in 2011 when the adjoining yard beside the railway lines into Paddington had to be closed to make way for Crossrail construction work. The displaced buses were kept at a new base at Atlas Road in Harlesden and a small fleet of crew ferry cars makes frequent trips between the two locations. First up were five Vauxhall Zafira estates in unmarked red but recognisable as a batch by having similar registration numbers. It may be that more vehicles are now in use, this photo showing two plain red cars outside the garage during the open day. Nissan Micra LT10TXV was said to be an Atlas Road vehicle and had the remains of some company logo on the rear. Honda Jazz LR09SSZ arrived with some London Sovereign staff and later parked inside the garage, perhaps as a visitor. As usual, I am a bit reluctant to add vehicles like this to the database unless it can be confirmed that they do not belong to individual members of staff. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,184 |  |
By Ray Monk Epsom Buses has a pair of Ford Transit minibuses in its support fleet, these being used as crew rest facilities at Wallington Station and Banstead. When Ray visited the former location on 27th October 2015 he found that the previous resident (red A9HRR) had been replaced by newer BG11AXR. Fleetnumber MB02 was carried on the nearside corner, and the vehicle had 'Epsom Coaches Group, Quality Line, Rest' lettering very similar to its predecessor (though in red instead of white). I figured that there was probably another minibus at Banstead with fleetnumber MB01, but a visitor there a week later found older A8HRR still in use. It may also be expected that the select registration marks will be transferred in due course. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,185 |  |
By Ray Monk Arriva Southern Counties renewed much of its crew ferry fleet in early 2014 with a variety of minibuses transferred from the associated Tellings Golden Miller operation. Among them was long-wheelbase Ford Transit LT04CTV, given fleetnumber VF124 and sent to Northfleet. It proved to be rather elusive until winter 2015, when it appears to have transferred to Dartford to bolster the fleet of shorter minibuses used in support of TfL bus routes. Ray caught it at Bexleyheath bus stand on 3rd November 2015, with Vauxhall Astra estate CF12 (KS55VHV) parked behind. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,186 |  |
By Colin Smith Ah, something big at last! This photo was taken at Lillie Bridge Depot on 29th October 2015 and shows a Renault T460.26 3-axle crane-fitted tractor unit in plain white livery with LUL labels. It was coupled to a Nooteboom extending trailer in a very LUL-like blue livery. However, I would be very surprised if either vehicle is properly taken into stock. The yellow object above the lorry cab is attached to the structure behind, while the photo was taken from the recently added train sidings. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,187 |  |
By Ray Monk I was a bit annoyed to see this photo. DY64YBN is a Volkswagen Crafter van that was reported in plain white livery but with LUL labels on a couple of occasions in spring 2015. I saw it in August, at which time it had no markings. As a result I left it out of the new SUP-24G fleetlist booklet then being produced for LOTS. Lo and behold it was then seen again with the labels put back on! This photo was taken at Frank Pick House on 24th October 2015. It is perhaps surprising that the Lifts and Escalators section needs to hire additional vehicles, given the quantity of new stock they have had in the past year. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,188 |  |
By Derek Everson Another unexpected find recently was this Volkswagen Transporter van caught leaving Uxbridge Bus Station on 14th October 2015. It is clearly marked as an LBSL Infrastructure vehicle, but that unit was restocked with new vehicles over the turn of 2014/2015. Numbered 8149VW, the van stands out from the rest of the Infrastructure fleet by being a low-roof Transporter van (the other Transporters are mid-height or high-roof) and also by having red bumper panels instead of black. We can be fairly sure it is a one-off since its fleetnumber falls between two LUL Renault Kangoo vans. Observations so far suggest it is another van that alternates between working from Uxbridge and Acton. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,189 |  |
By Ray Monk An unexpected development in autumn 2015 was the arrival of a batch of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans for use by LUL. London Buses has standardised on this type since 2005, taking 158 so far. LUL however has mainly stuck with the Ford Transit and has only had about a dozen Sprinters in the same period. The new vans are medium wheelbase, high-roof (the same as the LBSL Incident Response Units) but configured as crew vans and fitted with roof racks. Two are based at Finchley Central while several more are at Stratford Market Depot. On 24th October 2015, Ray found new 8139M parked at Finchley. I should add that the designation of 'high-roof' is Mercedes' own, and that there is a taller version referred to as 'super-high-roof'! |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,190 |  |
By Thomas Young Not a great photo but bear with me. Taken from the car park adjoining Upminster Depot on 31st October 2015, the van nearest the camera is Ford Transit 7134F, one of the more elusive vehicles. It has only been reported a handful of times, most frequently around Hainault Depot. However, the van just visible in the building in the background may be even rarer. Ford Transit crew van 7632F was new in March 2013 and is reputed to be based at Upminster. Nobody has ever seen it though. Unfortunately I only had my daughter's camera with me on this occasion and it does not have a very powerful zoom. Having made several efforts to get a readable image of the number plate, I was 80 percent certain that this was in fact 7632F. Good enough! |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,191 |  |
By Derek Everson The Vauxhall Combo van has been a significant fixture in the central fleet since the first was taken on lease in late 1996. A further 187 followed over the next 15 years, but the new version that was introduced in 2011 seems to have not been deemed suitable. As such, the number of Combos in the central fleet has been steadily reducing. By October 2015 just two were left, these being the pair allocated to Griffith House (7032V and 7033V). On 30th September 2015 7033V was found parked nearby on Old Marylebone Road - the same place it was photographed three years earlier. 7033V was auctioned at BCA in mid-November, while 7032V may already have departed, not being reported since August. |
25/11/2015 |
| 3,192 |  |
By John Godwin Green battenburg striping is usually associated with medical emergency vehicles, but here it is seen applied to a bus company service vehicle. CW04FND is a low-roof Mk6 Ford Transit van belonging to Arriva Yorkshire and photographed on 8th May 2011. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,193 |  |
By Derek Everson The Sovereign Recovery Renault Midlum flatbed truck BU51TOW (illustrated parked in the same location last month on LTSV) was replaced in September 2015 by new FX65DWK. The newer vehicle is based on the Renault D12 model and features a crew-cab but lacks the crane fitted to BU51TOW. Truck design seems to be going through a new phase of wilful ugliness, the bumper/headlight area on this model being particularly weird. Several other recent models from Renault and Mercedes-Benz also have rather aggressive styling. Another feature on this vehicle is the re-use of the forward door components for the crew-cab doors (note the redundant wheelarch recesses), this being a common economy measure on double-cabbed lorries. Photographed near Metroline's CELF works in Perivale on 26th September 2015. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,194 |  |
By Derek Everson Sovereign Recovery added at least two 65-reg vehicles during September 2015, one of which was this Skoda Octavia estate photographed passing Cricklewood Broadway on the 30th of that month. This seems to be the first time the company has applied their livery to a car, the smallest vehicles previously being a Ford Escort van and a Land Rover. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,195 |  |
By Derek Everson The sponsorship of the London cycle hire scheme was changed in April 2015 from Barclays to Santander. This has resulted in the blue-based markings on the support vehicles (and also all of the bicycles themselves) being changed to red. Re-liveried Ford Transit bike-carrying box truck BF63LYR was seen crossing Oxford Circus on 3rd June 2015 and can be compared to similar BN12AEY in original livery. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,196 |  |
By Ray Monk Metroline took a large batch of Ford Transit Connect Mk2 vans in spring 2015, for which some allocations are still unknown. AY15LHM was parked in Alperton Garage when photographed on 19th September 2015. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,197 |  |
By James Mair Two (or three) for the price of one at Edgware Garage on 12th August 2015. Nearest the camera is Ford Transit Connect Mk2 van AX14FVS, one of at least 14 of the type added to the Metroline fleet in the past year. AX14FVS is unique in carrying a dark blue livery, the remainder being red or white. On the right is original design Transit Connect van AV12WXF, one of four new in May 2012. In the background is a Ford Transit van (most likely ND53YJE) parked in the London Sovereign section of the garage. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,198 |  |
By Derek Everson Abellio has standardised on second-hand Ford Fiestas for crew ferry work, buying at least 30 3-4 year old cars in a variety of colours over the past few years. Derek found three recently-added examples at Staines Bus Station on 2nd October 2015, including red YP61HVC. Curiously they all had Abellio London fleetnames instead of the Abellio Surrey names usually applied to Byfleet-based vehicles. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,199 |  |
By Ray Monk This unmarked Vauxhall Combo van photographed at the bus stand in Bexleyheath on 24th June 2015 was evidently being operated by Arriva Kent Thameside from Dartford (as per the Ford Tourneo minibuses on either side). However, it was first used as a service vehicle by Arriva the Shires, with whom it carried fleetnumber 1148 by 2010. Being based at Harlow it came under the TGM Essex operation when that was split off in 2010. It was allocated fleetnumber V592 but there is no evidence that this was ever applied. Similar van YB53YXZ was 1153 with the Shires then V612 with TGM Essex. This too turned up at Dartford in 2015, still carrying its original number. |
09/10/2015 |
| 3,200 |  |
By Paul Snelling Arriva the Shires has a complex history and a very large territory, this being expanded further in 2006 with the takeover of MK Metro in Milton Keynes. In line with LOTS policy at the time, I initially ignored the Milton Keynes vehicles, especially as they could hardly be described as London related. However, increasing integration of the bus fleet has caused LOTS (and now LTSV) to extend their coverage to the entire operation. Hence I bring you this fine shot of Ford Transit Connect van KR05RVA in the Buckinghamshire town on 26th September 2015. This van was acquired in February 2015 and is allocated fleetnumber V224 in the new (Arriva Southern Counties inspired) series. Further changes to the company may be on the cards, with a merger of the country operation with Arriva Midlands being considered, while the TfL routes run from Garston may be transferred to Arriva London control. |
09/10/2015 |
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