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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 5,201 |  |
By Malcolm Conway One of the last sizeable batches of inspector's vehicles for London Transport (identifiable by their roof-mounted roundels) were ten Astra vans registered in the F/MJR series, numbered 3673B to 3682B and delivered in spring 1989. Most of the batch gained new lettering later in the year upon the formation of the new bus operating units. A typical example is 3674B, allocated to Hanwell and seen with the early Centrewest logo in this view taken at Ealing Hospital on 3rd March 1990. This batch was notable for not having any manufacturers badging on the fronts (and I have never seen a photo of the back of one). General Motors was at the time in the process of dropping the Bedford name previously applied to Astra vans in favour of the Vauxhall brand. Although I have listed these vehicles as Vauxhalls, the DVLA records them as Bedfords. The B fleetnumber suffix continued in use for several years after the change. |
06/06/2010 |
| 5,202 |  |
By Malcolm Conway 2481F was one of two Ford Transit dropside trucks in the owned fleet that were allocated to bus operating unit London United. New in 1990, it was allocated to Stamford Brook garage and unusually carried both of the fleetnames then in use from there. The Airbus name was for the established services between central London and Heathrow airport, operated at the time by MCW Metrobuses. RiversideBus was a shorter-lived brand and applied to tendered routes such as the 237 and 283. The vehicle also has advertising on the dropsides for the accident repair centre at the garage, and a London Buses roundel on the light-bar. 2481F was sold to the recently-privatised London United bus company in 1995 and apparently gave up to a dozen years further service, still at Stamford Brook. However, it was never seen during this time by any of the contributors to this site. |
06/06/2010 |
| 5,203 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Although the number is not carried, this is 2447M, one of ten Mercedes-Benz 307D curtainsided trucks bought in 1986 and used by the advertising department. It was photographed on Longbridge Road (Barking) on 24th March 1990, by which time it had gained London Transport Advertising logos and fleetnames. This batch of vehicles was allocated to Ferry Lane (Tottenham) and lasted until 1993. |
06/06/2010 |
| 5,204 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Following the acquisition of one each in 1982 and 1983, four further Leyland Freighter bus recovery trucks were bought in 1984, numbered 2415L to 2418L. All originally had twin-boom equipment by Wreckers International and ran on trade plates until about 1990. 2417L was allocated to Shepherds Bush then Victoria (where it was photographed on 27th May 1990), and initially carried trade plate 942LC. It was later given retrospective registration B733XJD. For various reasons the fleet was cut back in the early 1990s. Two of the 1984 batch were given new bodywork featuring more capable 'spectacle hoists' and remained in service, while the other pair were sold. 2417L passed to BTS of Borehamwood in 1991, where it retained the red livery with yellow bumper. 2418L was sold to the Linkfast Group soon afterwards. |
06/06/2010 |
| 5,205 |  |
By Malcolm Conway London Transport bought just two Leyland Cruiser articulated tractor units. 2389L, new in 1982, seems to have been seen a lot, and I have already published three photos of it. 2410L of 1983 was rather less conspicuous but can now also be illustrated thanks to a contribution by Malcolm Conway. On the 17th September 1989 it was found at Leytonstone, passing a line of buses engaged on railway replacement duties. Trailer YT28 is loaded with what looks like railway sleepers, and the lorry is on a stretch of road that disappeared when the A12 was extended to Hackney. 2410L was sold less than a year later, although YT28 was repainted blue and survived until 1995. |
06/06/2010 |
| 5,206 |  |
By Malcolm Conway In 1979 the Permanent Way Engineers took delivery of four Ford A0609 box trucks for use as emergency vehicles (hence the red livery). They were allocated to Lillie Bridge (2), Whitechapel and Baker Street, replacing Leyland Titans such as 1275LD. The allocations seem to have been rotated at times. Among the relatively few photographs of these vehicles in my collection are one each of 2135F, 2136F and 2137F (seen here on 5th October 1986) at Baker Street. 2138F was a shorter wheelbase vehicle, which I have never seen a photograph of. According to my notebooks, I did see all four vehicles, but I was a mere lad whose interest didn't go far beyond underlining numbers in the books! |
06/06/2010 |
| 5,207 |  |
By Thomas Young Along with 1416LD, the other service vehicle found at the Pump House Museum in Walthamstow on 23rd May 2010 was Video Bus AML91H. New as bus SMS91 (later SMD91), this AEC Swift was renumbered STB91 in November 1978 upon conversion to a mobile classroom. Repainted with a white stripe and roof, it appeared at open days for a few years but then disappeared in the mid-1980s. It was apparently sold in 1991, making it by some measure the last AEC Swift to be owned by London Transport. Bought by a preservationist, it turned up at a few rallies in as-acquired condition but then disappeared again in the mid-1990s! Happily it does survive, and was found at the Pump House Museum in Walthamstow on 23rd May 2010. It was not in very good condition though, with most of the white paint on the roof gone. Parked alongside was fully restored MB641. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,208 |  |
By Thomas Young I visited the Pump House Museum in Walthamstow for their AEC-themed event on a sweltering 23rd May 2010. Among the vehicles on display was resident preserved service vehicle 1416LD. Unlike some of the exhibits, this Leyland Titan breakdown tender is in fairly good condition. I wonder why the LONDON part of the main side fleetname has been left off though. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,209 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Quite a few small vans were seen at Stagecoach in Merseyside's Gillmoss depot on 11th May 2010, presumably being used as crew ferries. Among them were some Vauxhall Corsas carrying fleetnumbers and logos (like 91662 to the fore) and some unmarked Ford Fiestas. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,210 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Time to go travelling again! Stagecoach now has a sizeable operation in Liverpool, branded as Stagecoach in Merseyside. Seen at their Gillmoss garage on 11th May 2010 was R641SPO, a Vauxhall Brava evidently acquired from the AA. R670SPO from the same batch was acquired by Arriva Wandsworth, while London United operated older N511UDP. The vehicle (I can't decide whether to call it a van or a truck) carries fleetnumber 91631 in the national Stagecoach series. It would be interesting to know if anyone has ever obtained or compiled a full list of all the vehicles given numbers. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,211 |  |
By Thomas Young This photo was taken by carefully poking my camera through the air-bricks adjoining the path that runs alongside First London's Uxbridge garage. Although unlettered, this Volkswagen Crafter van is believed to be the new engineers van here. Greenford garage already has a VW Crafter, while the parking location of VO59XRM here is the same as that latterly occupied by Ford Transit YF05MVH. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,212 |  |
By Ray Monk London Central has a pair of Renault Master minibuses used to train and evaluate new bus drivers, a role latterly performed by a pair of anonymous Ford Transits. Although based at Camberwell garage, LV59EHP was photographed at Horn's Cross in Kent on May Day 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,213 |  |
By Ray Monk Metrobus bought three Renault Trafic vans for engineering use in September 2008, along with a number of minibuses. The high-roof vans have been rather camera-shy since then but Ray found Croydon-based 9103 basking outside the garage on 5th May 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,214 |  |
By Ray Monk More Abellio! New fleetnumbers 6101/6102 and 6106/6107 are assigned to four Vauxhall Combo vans acquired in December 2010. All are based at Beddington Cross, where this photo of 6106 (NV56TMZ) and friends was taken on 8th May 2010. Note the minimal chevrons on the rear, and the Dutch Railways logo appended to the fleetnames. The silver car alongside is a Seat Alhambra (a design-sharing variant of the Ford Galaxy). As this also carries the company name, I have added it to the database as a service vehicle. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,215 |  |
By Ray Monk Additions to the service vehicle fleet of Abellio have started a new fleet numbering sequence at 6101, instead of the 89xx series used by Travel London. However, like Travel London, the numbers appear to be allocated on paper only. Ford Transit van NG56EKV was found parked at Hayes garage on 15th May 2010 with company names and 'Engineering Support' titling. It did not appear on a fleetlist earlier that month so must have been a very recent addition. This does mean that we don't know its number of course... Hayes is one of the smallest garages in London, with a peak run out of 28 buses. This includes just one double-decker, used on school journeys on route 350. At other times, Volvo B7TL 9066 (visible in the background here) sits in the garage yard. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,216 |  |
By Ray Monk Travel London had built up a large but mixed fleet of service vehicles over the years, through second-hand acquisitions and also from the companies it took over. National Express sold the operation to the Dutch Railways in June 2009, and it was rebranded as Abellio later that year. The new owners seem to have set about updating the service vehicle fleet, with 9 arriving in December 2009 and several more since. Most have been about 4 years old and many were registered in Newcastle. All of them have been treated to a smart livery of white with a black and red fleetname, plus small red chevrons on the rear. Three of the first batch were Ford Fiesta vans, sent to Hayes garage for use as crew ferries. All three were present on 15th May 2010, with 6105 (NA56GLV) nearest the camera, 6104 (NA56GXB) on the left and 6103 (NA06KFO) on the right. Also visible is older (and unmarked) Ford Courier van Y866WBP, allocated number 8939 in the Travel London scheme. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,217 |  |
By Colin Lloyd This previously unreported service vehicle was found parked on Northumberland Avenue on 30th April 2010. It is a long-wheelbase Ford Transit Connect van fully liveried as an Emergency Support Vehicle for the Arriva Tour operation based at Wandsworth. Unlike earlier vehicles there, it does not (yet?) carry its MV-prefixed fleetnumber. Note the low profile light-bar, and the black bump (presumably a radio aerial of some kind) above the windscreen. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,218 |  |
By Thomas Young I have found myself at Uxbridge a couple of times this year, and will no doubt be returning now that they have some more new buses there. The engineering van based at the garage for the past few years has been Ford Transit YF05MVH, numbered 22 in the mysterious First London sv numbering scheme (although this does not seem to be applied externally). On 8th April 2010 it was caught returning to the garage, passing LBSL Honda 6308H. A month later it was replaced by a Volkswagen Crafter. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,219 |  |
By Thomas Young One of twelve service vehicles found at Abellio's Hayes garage on 15th May 2010, this one was thought to have been just visiting. Ford Transit Connect van BN54FPY was photographed at Fulwell back in 2008. Since then it has had the Travel London logos and names removed, and has also lost its light bar. It was parked next to a Ford Transit that is believed to be the resident engineer's van, and left soon after we arrived (back to Fulwell?). The whole garage can be seen from adjoining roads and footpaths. There is a canal towpath just beyond the bushes in the background. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,220 |  |
By Thomas Young Also photographed at the back of Abellio's Hayes garage on 15th May 2010, and presumably also out of use, was unmarked red Renault Kangoo estate HX03ZGT. Travel London acquired a motley collection of second-hand service vehicles over the years, but few carried company logos or lettering. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,221 |  |
By Thomas Young Ray and I visited the Abellio (formerly Travel London) garage at Hayes on 15th May and found no fewer than 12 service vehicles present, along with just 6 buses. However, six of the service vehicles were out of use, dumped in the tiny yard at the back of the main garage building. These are visible from the road (beyond the fence in the background) but we were given permission to have a look around and take some photos. Visible here are two Ford Fiesta vans that started life with British Telecom, and that may have later served Wings Buses. Note that the rear fleetnumbers do not match those on the offside, presumably as a result of door swapping. No.4 (R753VUK) had the door off No.2 (P425MOK, withdrawn earlier in the year), while No.5 (R568VUK) had the door off No.4! In the background is Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van LX51WAJ, which at least had some company lettering, albeit outdated. All these vehicles were allocated 89xx fleetnumbers by Travel London but these were never applied. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,222 |  |
By Malcolm Conway With Arriva Southern Counties recently having acquired some FX4 taxis for crew ferry use, here is a reminder of one of the earlier companies to do so. Thamesway was formed from the southern half of Eastern National and was acquired by Badgerline before becoming part of the First group. The company was for a time successful in gaining London Buses route tenders, leading to the appearance of crew ferry vehicles like Carbodies taxi NYK713Y at locations such as Romford Bus Station (as photographed on 21st September 1996). The livery worn is the same as on previously shown HYE545W. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,223 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Here is the business end of Ensign's 4-axle Scania 143M 450 recovery truck UJF182, photographed at Purfleet garage on the 2nd of February 2008. Note the grippers on the rear stabilisers, and the curious livery application whereby the front half of the cab is blue and the rear half silver. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,224 |  |
By Malcolm Conway We recently showed the Go-Ahead group's P735RYL (formerly bus LDP35) in the white livery it wore in 2005. As noted then, the vehicle was repainted red in 2007. Malcolm found it parked at the former Blue Triangle garage in Rainham on 12th April 2010. Although the livery is almost the standard Go-Ahead London bus livery, it lacks the yellow trim line and is also devoid of lettering. Note also the blacked out windows, LED destination equipment and additional side grilles. Curiously it appears to have retained its driver's assault screen. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,225 |  |
By Ray Monk I would be very surprised if this did not turn out to be a service vehicle, as it has a light-bar and tyre pressure markings. Coming down Bollo Lane towards Acton Works on 10th May 2010, RO10ZHG is the first example seen of the 'facelifted' Volkswagen Transporter T5 series. The changes made are quite subtle, the best visual clues being the different shaped mirrors, and that the bottom edge of the bonnet is now straighter. Actually, this is not the first T5 facelift to be shown! Similar RV10CYZ was photographed nearby on the 1st of March, although that van may not actually be a service vehicle. As I said at the time, some red VW vans are expected, to replace similar 4-year old vans in the London Buses Infrastructure fleet. Update 01/06/10. I now have a photo of this van in full LBSL ID livery as 6902VW. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,226 |  |
By Ray Monk Not a great photo, but the best one we have of a unique vehicle in the fleet. Vauxhall Insignia estate car LT59HWD was new in September 2009 for use by the Train Operations Manager based at Morden. This role has previously been referred to on the vehicles as the Duty Response Manager, but this one is lettered as an Incident Response Vehicle. As with Ford Galaxy 6552F (which performs a similar role at Wembley Park), additional lettering for 'Incident Officer' appears in the curious position of above the rear wheelarch. As far as I can tell, this is the first time a liveried vehicle has been used in this role south of the Thames. Earlier vehicles at Morden, and those at North Greenwich, have been unmarked. Other IRVs can be found at Harrow-on-the-Hill, Acton Town, Edgware Road and Arnos Grove. Note the curious black wheels. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,227 |  |
By Ray Monk Here is a rather unusual vehicle to be seen with London Buses markings, and also another case of Ray's detective work solving a mystery. We received an official fleetlist earlier this year, and the number 6794F was shown as being on a Ford Transit chassis cab operated by London Buses. As we had earlier seen hired hydraulic hoists ('cherry pickers') at the LBSL Technical Services Group base in Chingford, I speculated that 6794F may be one of these. Ray paid a visit on 20th May 2010 and found 6794F parked in the yard. It also appears that he had seen it before without realising, as it seems to be the vehicle in the background of a photograph he took there a year earlier! The vehicle is presumably used for maintenance of streetlight-mounted iBus equipment. The only other cherry picker in the fleet (6296F) also has equipment by Versalift but is based on a Transit van and used by TfL. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,228 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Having earlier used un-numbered Vauxhall Astra and Vectra estates cars, the duty manager of the Emergency Response Unit now has a somewhat chunkier Ford Ranger with high-visibility markings. Unfortunately the reflective stripes on the sides were applied over the fleetnumbers! 6786F was photographed heading down the Strand on 12th April 2010, with a rather large dent in the offside door. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,229 |  |
By Ray Monk Three for the price of one. 6661F is one of many silver Ford Focus estate cars based at Lillie Bridge (in fact another is visible just behind, along with a London Buses Incident Response van). It only gained its allocated fleetnumbers when it was reliveried with London Underground logos in early 2010, and was photographed leaving the West Brompton exit of its home base on 10th May 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,230 |  |
By Ray Monk Yet another scoop for Ray! Ford Transit dropside truck 6655F was new in December 2008 for Transport for London's Highways operation, where it replaced former Metronet 5728F. It differed from its predecessor in being shorter (LWB rather than LWB ECF) with a single cab and non-standard design tail-lift. It also carried an all white livery with no markings other than a fleetnumber. Initially based at Carlisle Lane, beneath the railway arches at Waterloo, this location was closed soon afterwards and we still don't know where the vehicles are now kept. It was eventually caught on 'film' on Bollo Lane on 10th May 2010, having just paid a fleeting visit to Acton Works. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,231 |  |
By Colin Lloyd 6547F is one of a batch of four Ford Transit vans leased for the Depot Engineering Support Unit in December 2008. Originally with Metronet logos, it had gained London Underground ones when photographed coming off Waterloo Bridge on 12th April 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,232 |  |
By Thomas Young London Underground liveried Ford Transit dropside truck 6491F was photographed in Lillie Bridge depot (from the flyover) on 6th April 2010. Also just visible are two of the elusive Renault Trafic vans, including 6639 on the left. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,233 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Vehicles 6438R to 6443R are all Renault Kangoo estate cars allocated to London Underground's former Metronet operation. Three of each are based at Barking Station and Earls Court. While all of the former's allocation have been illustrated here, this is the first Earls Court example to appear. 6438R had recently been reliveried in London Underground colours, although the red stripe is largely obscured by the bodyside rubbing strip. Photographed on Victoria Embankment on 12th May 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,234 |  |
By Colin Lloyd A fairly ordinary-looking Ford Transit Connect van, 5944F in the Tube Lines fleet is notable for being very rarely seen in daylight. Having joined the fleet in March 2006 it was rather overdue for replacement when photographed rounding Trafalgar Square on 7th April 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,235 |  |
By Kim Rennie There were changes to the Emergency Response Unit in late 2009, with Tottenham depot closing and the Vauxhall base being relocated. We don't yet know how the ten Mercedes-Benz Atego rescue tenders are distributed between the three remaining bases, and the application of allocation stickers seems to be rather hit and miss. On 16th April 2010, two of the trucks were called out to an incident at Mile End Station. To the fore is long-cab 2598 with one of its side panels open to reveal the equipment shelves inside. Short cab 2600 behind shows a Vauxhall allocation plate. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,236 |  |
By Ray Monk Still the newest lorries in the central fleet, the two Iveco EuroCargo dustcarts bought in late 2009 have proved to be rather camera shy. EK59ZKL, new in November, was caught as it entered Acton Works on 6th April 2010. |
29/05/2010 |
| 5,237 |  |
By Michael Mair It is nice to be able to show a high quality photograph of a Mark 1 Ford Transit service vehicle, almost all such photos being black and white. Long wheelbase 100VUR was found at Wisley during the Cobham Bus Museum event on 11th April 2010. This van has been seen around before but it now has large lettering for Carousel Buses, an operator on the North West fringe of traditional LT territory. It is presumably semi-preserved. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,238 |  |
By Ray Monk I wasn't sure how to categorise this photo as it shows an unusual case of a provincial vehicle on loan to a London operator. Should it go under 'Non-London', or 'Bus Company' or perhaps 'Hires'? Anyway, Brighton and Hove Ford Transit van EX08CFF was found at Geddes Place, Bexleyheath on 13th April 2010 in amongst various local buses. Ray confirmed that the vehicle was being used by the engineers from the nearby London Central garage. I'm not sure if this is the standard Brighton and Hove SV livery. It does look rather like that of one of the major vehicle hire firms. Both Brighton and Hove and London Central are of course part of the Go-Ahead group, although it is perhaps surprising that it was not possible to borrow a vehicle from one of the nearer subsidiaries (London General, Metrobus). |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,239 |  |
By Damon Cross LTSV contributor Damon Cross is now a volunteer on the Spa Valley Railway, which has several items of former London Transport rolling stock in its collection. The latest addition is GWR pannier tank 7715, repainted to the livery it carried when it served LT as their L99. It was unveiled during an LT-themed event on 24th April 2010, during which it carried a headboard used for the commemoration of the last steam locos on the LT system (this event took place on 6th June 1971 and actually featured similar loco L94). Built by Kerr Stuart in 1930, the loco looks good for an 80-year old! |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,240 |  |
By Ray Monk The movement of railway vehicles by road is a relatively new phenomenon, resulting from decreased spare capacity and increased regulation on the railways, and increased capability of road lorries. As such, locos, coaches and wagons for repair, disposal or preservation are often to be seen on motorways across the country. London Underground vehicles are less commonly seen so Ray was lucky to capture two on 23rd March 2010. Allelys is one of the firms that specialise in work of this nature, and their DAF XF BX06XZY was seen shortly after leaving Acton Works carrying Victoria line car 3017 (although not visible, similar truck P840FAU was behind with car 4017). These are presumably among the first of the 1967 stock cars to be displaced by new trains, although interestingly the tender for their disposal did stipulate transportation by rail. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,241 |  |
By Thomas Young One corner of the yard at Arriva London's Edmonton garage is used by Sovereign Recovery (as seen here) and on 9th April 2010 two interesting vehicles were parked there. On the right was an un-registered DAF XF recovery truck carrying a livery similar to that of Sovereign but with demonstrator lettering. This vehicle (or an identical one) was present at the Boniface demonstration day at Bruntingthorpe on 16th March 2010 and was in fact driven by visiting LTSV contributor Richard Davis. On the right is an unmarked Vauxhall Combo van that was latterly number 42 in the Arriva London fleet. As has been seen in the past, Sovereign does sometimes take vehicles from Arriva, perhaps in part exchange for 'services rendered'. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,242 |  |
By Ray Monk Go-Ahead London now has two battery-electric service vehicles with the arrival at Merton Garage of Ford Transit van NK59DFX. As can be seen, this carries the same 'red with green leaves' livery as earlier NK09CZX and the various hybrid buses around London. The rather large 'little green van' displaced diesel EJ57RFK to the Blue Triangle fleet and it was photographed 'plugged in' at home on 1st April 2010. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,243 |  |
By Ray Monk Crew ferry duties from Metroline's former Thorpes garage at Perivale were undertaken by a quartet of anonymous white LDV Convoy minibuses between 2005 and 2009. They have since been replaced by several silver Renault Trafic minibuses, again without markings. However, they often have destination boards in their windscreens, Brent Cross being the most common. Two have so far been reported, including LL59XMW caught leaving the industrial estate (that is also home to Metroline's CELF works) on 6th April 2010. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,244 |  |
By Ray Monk Until recently Arriva London had a large fleet of Vauxhall Combo vans in use as crew ferry vehicles. Between 2008 and 2009 most were replaced by Vauxhall Corsa cars (of which 52 were taken). However, a few more Combos arrived in early 2010, including two at Barking given the curious fleetnumbers of 930 and 940. We had a theory about this that was more or less confirmed when I saw this photograph. As can be seen, the vans have the normal large fleetnumbers on the bonnet, but slightly offset. It seems that the vans were delivered as 93 and 94, following on from the earlier Combos which ran to at least number 90. Somebody must have realised that these numbers conflicted with those on the Corsa cars (92 to 143), so the numbers were amended by adding an extra zero. Further support came from the later sighting of a new Combo numbered 95 at Lea Valley. Surely it would have been more logical to add a one to the front! 940 was caught returning to the garage on 22nd March 2010. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,245 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Originally the engineers van at London General's Merton Garage, Mk7 Ford Transit EJ57RFK was replaced by a new electric van in spring 2010 and was cascaded to the associated Blue Triangle operation in east London. Curiously it gained the pre-takeover Blue Triangle logo and fleetname rather than a Go-Ahead style one. The van was photographed in Ilford on 31st March 2010. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,246 |  |
By Malcolm Glover Sullivan Buses no longer operates any TfL bus routes but retains a strong presence on railway replacement operations. They acquired a second Ford Transit van in early 2010 (joining mid-height Y437TDO), this being high-roof BT06JVG. It was photographed at Wisley Airfield during the Cobham event on 11th April 2010. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,247 |  |
By Thomas Young A fairly typical line up of service vehicles at Hatton Cross Bus Station on 8th April 2010 includes a pair of Transdev Ford Fiesta vans and two Abellio minibuses. The Abellio name replaced that of Travel London from October 2009 but there seems to be no hurry to reletter the service vehicles in the fleet. Perhaps somebody assumed that there was little point given that the name may change again at any time! Illustrating some of the complex history of this operation, the Mercedes-Benz minibus at the back came from Tellings-Golden Miller (although it may have actually come from the Capital Logisitics fleet), taken over by Travel London in 2005. It was one of five similar vehicles acquired from 'Mudi Bond, Oxford' (!) in 2002, although it appears to be the only one still in use. The anonymous LDV Convoy minibus alongside caused us some confusion. Allocated fleetnumber 8941 it appeared on a company fleetlist twice! As LN51NEF it was shown as a crew ferry based at Twickenham, then as LP51NEF it was shown as a trainer (also at Twickenham). This photo suggests that the former role and the latter registration were correct. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,248 |  |
By Ray Monk Another of Arriva Kent Thameside's recently acquired taxis is L177RML, photographed near Dartford Garage on 29th April 2010. As can be seen, the Arriva logo on the bonnet is all but invisible from normal viewing angles. It is notable that the vehicles latterly used as crew ferries from Dartford were considerably newer (and probably more comfortable) cars such as Vauxhall Zafiras and Astras. It is not known if the taxis are additional to these or replacements. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,249 |  |
By Ray Monk Various London bus companies have made use of former London taxis as crew ferry vehicles over the years, most notably Metroline and Stagecoach. However, most were replaced within a couple of years by newer cars and/or minibuses. The latest addition to the list is Arriva Kent Thameside, who took four Carbodies TX4 taxis in April 2010, numbering them as CF11 to CF14. Based at Dartford they serve the TfL routes operated from there and hence can be seen at locations such as Bexleyheath and Eltham. Photographed at the latter on 28th April was K690FUL (CF13). Three of the four have been seen so far, and all retain standard black livery with just the addition of an orange Arriva logo on the bonnet. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,250 |  |
By Ray Monk Re-registration of service vehicles is thankfully rare, although Stagecoach and some other operators sometimes put former Routemaster marks onto cars. One recent exception was Metroline Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van WV51PZE, which gained the fairly random Northern Ireland mark of RCZ7361 in early 2009. Lettered as a 'London Bus Support Unit', the van had earlier been a regular sight in central London. Now reassigned to more suburban duties, it has only been seen a handful of times since reregistration. On the 6th April 2010 Ray found it parked outside the CELF works at Perivale. The bus behind is a Metroline (originally Armchair) Dennis Dart, repainted white for disposal. Just visible on the blind is the rarely seen destination of Harrodian School, Mortlake, this being served by route 609. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,251 |  |
By Thomas Young I was rather surprised to find this car among the 8 service vehicles parked at Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 9th April 2010. VO53SCV was one of four un-numbered Ford Galaxy cars that joined the London Buses fleet in September 2003. The other three had gone by early 2008 but SCV soldiered on, being based mainly at Stratford. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,252 |  |
By Ray Monk Ten Volkswagen Transporter vans were leased for London Buses use towards the end of 2009, comprising 7 high-roof and 3 mid-height examples. Three each were allocated to Orpington and Stratford, with one apiece at Kingston and Aldgate. The remaining two have proved elusive although they appear to be based in west London. High-roof 6824VW was not seen until well into 2010 and Ray caught it crossing the new roundabout outside Acton Town Station on 26th April. This van also differs from the others in the batch in having cab-side lettering for 'Bus Infrastructure' rather than 'Infrastructure Development'. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,253 |  |
By Thomas Young Not a brilliant photograph but it does show a previously unseen vehicle and it also highlights two recent related developments. The first is that we received a fleet list from Tube Lines during April, which means that we now know the fleetnumbers allocated to vehicles that do not carry them, such as the nearest pair of Ford Transits here. Secondly, the fence between the railway lines and the lorry yard at Acton Works was replaced a couple of weeks after this picture was taken. Although I haven't yet seen it, the new fence is apparently taller and coarser than before, presumably precluding photographs such as this. 6th April 2010. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,254 |  |
By Ray Monk This photograph is notable for two reasons. Firstly, it is the 500th photo by Ray Monk to be published on this site. Ray has made huge contributions to LTSV over the past four years. As well as thousands of vehicle licensing checks he has travelled extensively and submitted over 1200 photos and countless reports. In terms of published photos he is rapidly approaching Colin Lloyd's lead of 569, although to be fair Colin did have a 20 year head-start! This photo is also the first decent shot of a vehicle from the 6637 to 6643 batch. These seven Renault Trafic crew vans were taken on lease in November 2008 but carried neither lettering nor numbers. It is more normal for vehicles to be given fleet livery but not assigned numbers, the reason perhaps being that these vans (along with the other vehicles in the 6627 to 6646 range) are used on a pool basis. They certainly appear to be allocated to various operations at different times. 6642 has been noted at Lillie Bridge a few times but was found parked outside a house in Falconwood on 27th April 2010. As an aside, I would not normally publish photos of vehicles taken at what are presumably their driver's homes but under the circumstances I will make an exception. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,255 |  |
By John Lloyd-Martin For some reason I had not yet published a photograph of 6620M, the only remaining London Buses Incident Response Unit not to be illustrated on this site. John's latest visit from Leeds gave us an excuse to visit Turnpike Lane on 9th April 2010 and he photographed 6620M parked alongside first batch example 6353M. I'm not sure why so many IRUs (47 at present) are needed. The allocations are slightly fluid but Turnpike Lane is one of five locations that have 6 vans allocated, the others being Eltham, Stratford, Thornton Heath and Victoria. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,256 |  |
By Thomas Young This photo is similar to (though better than) one already published but is included as it shows a minor mystery. Ford Transit van 5916F was allocated to the Tube Lines escalators department based latterly at Frank Pick House at Acton. Although appearing anonymous it did have a Tube Lines logo on the offside. An almost identical vehicle (6728F) was delivered in April 2009 and, having been seen parked in the same place, was assumed to be a replacement for the then 3-year old 5916F. And indeed there were no more sightings reported of 5916F. However, it was seen again, ten months later, back in its old place! Was it reallocated? Did it remain in use but not get reported? Was it perhaps loaned back from the lessor for some reason? Two further facts are that 6728F was also at Frank Pick House on this day (6th April 2010), while a fleetlist received that very week did not include 5916F. |
07/05/2010 |
| 5,257 |  |
By Richard Davis Broadly similar to GN58KTX, Sovereign Recovery GN09ENF is a 3-axle DAF CF with Boniface bodywork and a trailing pony axle. However, it has a sleeper cab without the upper extension, and consequently has a much larger aerofoil on top. The bodywork is also slightly different, having three step-downs towards the rear. The photograph was taken on 21st June 2009 in the car park of Tescos in Dunstable. Richard has found several Sovereign vehicles there over the past year, including Volvo N11SOV and (ironically) DAF GN58KTX. Perhaps I should add an allocation code! |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,258 |  |
By Graham Brown Another fantastic night shot by Graham Brown (see also here) shows Sovereign Recovery GN58KTX on the Strand on 22nd March 2010, rescuing an Abellio Volvo Wright double-decker. One of Sovereign's Ford Transit vans brings up the rear. The larger cab type is fitted to this DAF CF, with extensions behind and above and a small aerofoil on top. The Boniface bodywork has the usual cupboard section with a single step-down behind, while the light-bar is mounted on a tubular framework. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,259 |  |
By Ray Monk The Sovereign Recovery fleet includes three 3-axle DAF CF recovery trucks. First to arrive was GN07HRD, new in May 2007 and caught coming down Park Lane on the 22nd of that month with a Travel London Dennis Dart on tow. The vehicle is unique in featuring a day cab (with no length or height extensions) and also for the forward-leaning structures supporting the two light-bars. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,260 |  |
By Kim Rennie When Arriva London hybrid bus HW3 crashed into railings at Monument Station on 24th February 2010, Sovereign Recovery were among the various responders. 2-axle DAF CF N10SOV was present, being photographed at the north end of London Bridge, but the job of recovering the bus was left to larger Volvo GJ58NUF. N10SOV has fairly modest bodywork, and a tubular structure to support the light-bar. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,261 |  |
By Kim Rennie After several years mainly using Volvo trucks, Sovereign Recovery has taken a few DAFs in recent years. At least four are in the fleet at present and, although all are based on the CF-series design, each is unique as the next few photographs will show. N10SOV stands out by being the only 2-axle DAF, and also the only DAF to gain a select registration. It has a sleeper cab with top extension and was photographed on London Bridge on 24th February 2010. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,262 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Sovereign Recovery N9SOV is another 3-axle Volvo FH with Boniface bodywork, photographed rescuing an Arriva London VLW bus at Wood Green on 23rd June 2009. Almost identical to sister N8SOV, it lacks the bumper mounted winch and consequently has different front lights in this area. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,263 |  |
By Thomas Young The larger recovery lorries are even more impressive when viewed from behind. Aside from the lifting gear, the design of the bodywork, and the multitude of lettering and marker lights make for an unmistakable appearance. Volvo FH N8SOV was seen at Ilford bus stand on 18th March 2010 whilst its driver attended to the Citaro artic bus alongside. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,264 |  |
By Thomas Young Top of the range members of the Sovereign Recovery fleet are several 3-axle Volvo FH trucks, all with Boniface bodywork. Most of these vehicles carry select registrations with the letters SOV, as shown by N8SOV at Ilford bus stand on 18th March 2010. Some of the fleet carry names on the front domes but this one shows 'Heavy Recovery', albeit without the first E. However, it did have a painted fleetnumber of R06 on the cabside. Note the full-size lifting rear axle. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,265 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Sovereign are the main contractor for moving dead London buses and the next nine photographs show a variety of their impressive recovery trucks. Volvo KX03ABF is one of just two 2-axle trucks reported (the other being DAF N10SOV) and is based on the mid-weight FM series, recognisable by having less space between the grille and windscreen. On the 8th of March 2010 it was caught towing an East London Dennis Trident through East Ham. The vehicle has Boniface bodywork and the usual array of front lights. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,266 |  |
By Ray Monk Smaller buses can be moved with smaller trucks! Simples. The smallest type of bus in regular use in London is the Optare Solo. Quality Line of Epsom is the largest operator of the type, with 29 in stock at present. On 16th April 2007 one of the fleet evidently had a problem while working route S1 in Sutton. It was towed back to the garage by Iveco Cargo K580ARW of Langley Vale Recovery. Not much I can say about the truck but note the yellow-painted Dennis Dart (trainer K321GEW) in the garage on the right. The blind on the Solo is also noteworthy and reads 'We Are Awfully Sorry, But This Bus Is Temporarily OUT OF SERVICE'! |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,267 |  |
By Damon Cross Yet another new marque for LTSV, but one that will likely remain unique. As the design would suggest, Western Star is an American truck manufacturer, few of whose products are imported to the UK. One that was was this impressive tow truck photographed by Damon in Eastbourne on 27th March 2010. It is in the fleet of Mick Gould Commercials, whose penchant for US hardware has already been seen. One change since that earlier picture is that the Eastbourne Buses fleet was bought by Stagecoach, whose livery is carried by the Enviro 200 bus on tow. Among the various side lettering on the truck are CAT diesel power logos, addresses of Flimwell and Clacket Lane Services, and a graphic headed 'Mickey's Wrecker Service'. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,268 |  |
By Richard Davis Richard attended a Boniface demonstration day held at Bruntingthorpe Airfield on 16th March 2010. As well as having a go at driving a DAF XF (with a coach in tow) he photographed some of the various vehicles on display. Several former London buses were present to act as loads, including this Mercedes-Benz Citaro artic, presumably one of the former Red Arrow fleet. Appropriately enough it was hitched up behind an unmarked Mercedes-Benz Actros 1848. As the man from Sovereign might have said; 'Nice, but it needs more lights'! |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,269 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Coming back closer to LTSV territory is this view of Luton and District ERF recovery truck B167GNU at Luton Garage on 19th September 1992. Luton and District was formed from part of United Counties in 1986, and bought London Country North West in 1990. One of the buses just visible in the background carries LCNW green, while the other two Leyland Nationals wear variations on L&D's own red livery. Illustrating how complicated things were in the late 1980s and early 1990s is the minibus just visible on the right. This is one of several rare Talbot Pullman 3-axle vehicles acquired from Stagecoach East Midlands (whose livery it still wears). However, although only a few years old, the vehicles had actually started life working for United Transport in Preston... |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,270 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Another make new to LTSV (Scammell) and another yellow tow truck with the unusual 2+1 axle arrangement. However, the operator this time is a bit further afield, being SUT of Sheffield. The SUT (Sheffield United Tours) name goes back many years but this incarnation dates from 1987, when the privatised coach operator National Travel (East) diversified into local buses. Subsequent events were complicated to say the least, but the operator was bought by South Yorkshire Transport (SYT!) in 1989 and was eventually merged. The truck is representative of several flamboyant designs introduced in the 1960s and 1970s, although perhaps Scammell went overboard with the fluting.... Photographed at Sheffield Garage on 27th August 1990. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,271 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Another make not previously featured on this site is Atkinson, here represented by Eastern National Q391MHK at Chelmsford Garage on 28th March 1991. The vehicle has a fleetnumber plate (as carried also by their buses) on the offside front but this is unfortunately not legible. Note the use of large curved-glass windscreens and the curious axle arrangement. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,272 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Another view of Badgerline Bristol LH recovery vehicle KHU323P at Weston Super Mare on 27th June 1992 shows off the shortened chassis and rear-mounted towing gear. The neat conversion to the back of the remaining bodywork is visible too. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,273 |  |
By Malcolm Conway A marque not previously illustrated on this site is Bristol, mainly because they only built buses (and cars) and they were never common in London. The Bristol LH was a light-weight single-decker bus with underfloor engine, popular with several NBC fleets (and London Transport) and later snapped up by independents. This example in the Badgerline fleet originated with the parent Bristol Omnibus operation. It is one of very few such vehicles rebuilt as a recovery vehicle, the conversion work involving the shortening of the chassis and the removal of most of the bodywork. It was photographed at Weston Super Mare garage on 27th June 1992. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,274 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Imperial Buses ran an interesting fleet from a base in Rainham, mainly on contract and railway replacement work but also on commercial routes in the Loughton area. The fleet was notable for including several former London Transport buses (including Metrobuses, Titans and a Metropolitan), and featured a smart green and cream livery. 'Ronnie the Happy Hooker' was an early Scania LB80 used as a recovery vehicle. It was photographed in the yard on 18th May 2002 in the company of a Metrobus and a former Mobility Bus Leyland National. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,275 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Mid-engined buses were suitable for conversion to towing vehicles, usually with the bodywork cut off behind the rear axle. Typifying such conversions is this view of Western Scottish DW1030, a Leyland Leopard PSU3/3R with Alexander bodywork. It was photographed at Dumfries depot on 30th June 1990. Three similar vehicles passed to Clydeside Scottish and were reregistered in the Q/RDS series. |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,276 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Now this is the sort of thing that most people probably think of a service vehicle! The first of 8 scans from Malcolm Conway's collection, this is Clydeside Scottish JW1 at Johnstone Garage on the 30th of June 1990. Although of half-cab configuration, the vehicle was never a bus. As the name on the bonnet suggests, it is an AEC Matador. The original registration is not known, although the Q/RDS series was used on several former buses in Clydeside's service fleet. Note that although the fleetname is Clydeside Scottish, the legal lettering reads Western Scottish. Clydeside was created from part of Western Scottish in 1985. The two merged in 1989, then split again in 1991! Note also the door to Australia in the background! |
04/04/2010 |
| 5,277 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Another landmark, this being the 3000th photograph to be added to the site! Searching for something a bit special I came across this photograph taken by Glyn at Purfleet on 29th January 2010. It was very murky that day but the photo tweaked-up OK. The subject matter is Ensign's mighty Scania 143M 450 recovery truck UJF182, one of very few such vehicles to have three axles at the back (the only other one on this site is a Peterbilt.). The next batch of photos will feature more recovery trucks, including some more weird and/or provincial ones from Malcolm Conway's collection. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,278 |  |
By Thomas Young One of two Mercedes-Benz Vito vans used as crew ferries by Docklands Buses, BG59EOS belies its role both by its location (the bus stand at Hainault Street, Ilford) and the small LBSL roundel on the rear. 18th March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,279 |  |
By Ray Monk Go-Ahead London operation Docklands Buses received a pair of Mercedes-Benz Vito crew vans in late 2009. Carrying a plain red livery, they are used for crew ferry runs to various points. On the 20th February 2010 Ray caught BG59EOX arriving back at the Silvertown garage. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,280 |  |
By Colin Lloyd A new Ford Transit Connect van for engineering support duties from Metroline's Perivale West garage was YE09ONO, photographed at Brent Cross Bus Station on 9th March 2010. Details are not available but we believe the anonymous silver Renault Trafic minibus behind is also a service vehicle, doing crew ferry runs to and from the same garage. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,281 |  |
By Ray Monk Metroline received a batch of Ford Transit Connect vans for engineering support duties during 2009. We don't have full details but it would appear that one has been allocated to each of their garages. Several carry the code for their home base, as seen here with Perivale East's (PV) YE09GYT photographed on 4th January 2010 near the Brentford base. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,282 |  |
By Thomas Young Anyone perusing the sighting reports on this website may have been curious to know what the 'Annexe' to Arriva London's Barking Garage was. Well, here it is. Arriva took over a small industrial premises next door to the main garage, and use it mainly for parking of the fleet of 12 or so crew ferry cars. Single deck buses have also been seen in the building, while cars also park in the area to the right. On 18th March 2010 just two cars were visible, being Vauxhall Corsas 94 and 103. The main garage entrance is to the left of this view, although the yard does extend behind the building shown. One oddity is that the parking notices mention Arriva London but are headlined Sovereign Recovery. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,283 |  |
By Ray Monk The fleetname Abellio started appearing on former Travel London buses at the end of October 2009. As seems to be usual with these things, there was no rush to extend the rebranding to the service vehicle fleet, and the Travel London name (plus anonymous vehicles) continued to be seen into 2010. In fact, the first report of the new logo on an SV was this Ford Transit van, caught about to enter Walworth Garage on 26th January 2010. The branding is notable for including the logo of NS Dutch railways (the new owners). |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,284 |  |
By Colin Lloyd I have commented before about Vauxhall Combo vans having additional crew seats without side windows. Well, here is the first example seen with windows, and it is not even from the central fleet. Smartly lettered up as MV9 in the Arriva Tour support fleet, YA04HJG is based at Wandsworth Garage but photographed on Camomile Street (near Liverpool Street) on 17th March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,285 |  |
By Damon Cross Here is TfL Citroen Relay exhibition unit AY58GDX, about to be 'unpacked' at the Museum Depot, Acton on 11th October 2009. It would appear that the inside of the vehicle is split in two, with different displays on the left and right hand side. There are similar doors (and roll-out awnings) on both sides. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,286 |  |
By Ray Monk Another 10-registered vehicle photographed at Acton Works on its first day on the road (1st March 2010) was this plain red VW Transporter van. The livery would suggest that this is destined for LBSL, and it would seem logical that some vehicles are due to replace similar vans 6012VW to 6014VW and 6072VW to 6075VW in the Infrastructure Development fleet. However, such vehicles would need light bars, and these are normally fitted before delivery. We shall see. One thing we can say is that preceding registration RV10CYY is carried by a smaller VW Caddy van in LU white/blue livery. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,287 |  |
By Ray Monk A surprise appearance at Acton Works on 1st March 2010 was this Skoda Octavia estate wearing unmarked white/blue livery. As the registration would suggest, the vehicle was brand new. A number of Skoda Octavia cars have operated in the unmarked fleet for the past few years, but these are thought to have been used only by LBSL. FE10LYD is certainly the first to be seen in white/blue. It remains to be seen if the car is given logos and/or fleetnumbers. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,288 |  |
By Ray Monk This smart-looking Ford Transit jumbo crew van has been reported three times already, and the fleetnumber has never been caught! Sadly this photograph was not sharp enough to help. Taken at Acton Town station on 25th February 2010 |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,289 |  |
By Richard Jones LBSL Passenger Data minibus 6852F entered service one day later than its sister 6853F, and its first duty saw it parked at Northumberland Park on 16th March 2010 in connection with a local survey. Passenger Data vehicles often gain local fleetnumbers, usually based on the registration 'year', applied to the front bumpers. As there are two vehicles that would be '10', these will most likely be referred to as 52 and 53. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,290 |  |
By Richard Jones Minibuses in red livery tend to be for the Passenger Data section of London Buses, and the two delivered on 1st March 2010 were no exception. LT10SKD was the first to enter service, having been liveried and numbered as 6853F. Its first duty was on 15th March 2010 when several minibuses were parked at Plumstead Garage. The new pair were destined to replace similar 6063F and 6067F and differ from these only in details (switch of light-bars to the LED type, and the omission of fog lamps). Note also that all minor lettering, including the fleetnumbers and tyre pressure markings, is now applied with a white background. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,291 |  |
By Ray Monk March 1st 2010 was a nice sunny day and Ray and Steve decided to stake out Bollo Lane in the hope of being the first to see a service vehicle with a xx10xxx registration. I thought they were unlikely to see any but I was very wrong. Among the five seen were these two unmarked Ford Transit minibuses, LT10SKD and LT10SLZ. One of the pair was seen leaving the works shortly afterwards, presumably on an acceptance test drive. Over the next few days they had livery elements applied, then entered service as shown in the next two photographs. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,292 |  |
By Ray Monk Some of the Staff Welfare Facility Vans have been fitted with very large roundels on top of their cabs, reminiscent of inspector's cars of old. Oh, hang on. 1st April is next week. Let's start again... Ford Transit Staff Welfare Facility van 6805F was found parked outside Northfields Station on 13th March 2010. This is one of the two-toilet versions, all of which have additional side windows on both sides. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,293 |  |
By Thomas Young Ford Transit low-roof crew van 6778F was delivered on 13th of July 2009 and was soon allocated to Lillie Bridge depot. It was seen standing in its own puddle (showing up some of the underside detail) on 6th February 2010. Note the slightly posher wheeltrims on broadly similar 6723F, just visible at the top of the picture. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,294 |  |
By Thomas Young As I have mentioned before, Leyton Westdown Road is a tricky location! Nearest the camera when we visited on 18th March 2010 was Ford Transit crew van 6773F, delivered in unmarked white/blue in 2009. The man with the new logos has obviously not been here yet! Parked behind is another Ford Transit, registered LS59OAM and with Underground logo on the bonnet. This appears to be a silver minibus. Beyond that is Vauxhall Astra estate LM57AVT. We now know that this is not numbered, but we still can't tell if it carries any livery. Not visible here was another new Transit parked on the opposite side of the yard. All we got on that one was the number 6819F. No reg, no body details, not even sure of the colour! |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,295 |  |
By Ray Monk Same vehicle, same location, different livery (part 4). Leytonstone-based Citroen Berlingo 6771C was in full London Underground livery when photographed on 18th February 2010. It is notable that the relettering included the application of a full fleetnumber (ie included manufacturer's suffix), thus negating my earlier comments. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,296 |  |
By Ray Monk Same vehicle, same location, different livery (part 3).At least six Citroen Berlingo cars were delivered in May 2009 for use by Metronet BCV, generally replacing Renault Kangoos. Delivered in unmarked white/blue livery, several gained London Underground markings (and red stripes) over the winter of 2009/2010, including 6769C photographed at Loughton Station on 18th March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,297 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Ford Transit dropside trucks 6716F to 6721F were delivered in 2009 to replace similar 5925F to 5932F in the employ of the Jubilee Line track maintenance team. Like their predecessors, they are rarely photographed. Fittingly it falls to Colin Lloyd (who captured a convoy of four of the earlier vehicles shortly before their replacement) to be the first to photograph one of the batch, 6720F being seen on Parliament Square on 1st February 2010. It is notable that the new vehicles have tail-lifts. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,298 |  |
By Ray Monk Same vehicle, same location, different livery (part 2)! Since we last showed it, unique Ford Fiesta car 6714F has gained a full set of London Underground markings and red stripes atop the blue skirts. Seen on Woodbine Road in Sidcup on 14th March 2010, it is one of many vehicles that we have marked as being allocated to Griffith House but that in reality only turn up there at the beginning and end of overnight work. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,299 |  |
By Ray Monk Given that there are at least 15 Staff Welfare Facility vans in the current leased fleet, they are rarely photographed anywhere other than the lorry yard at Acton. 6706F is the odd one out being a 'Canteen Briefing Facility' vehicle. According to the Distribution Services brochure, this has a table with six chairs in the rear section (and a wash basin) instead of the toilets fitted to the others. It was caught heading down Bollo Lane on 15th March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,300 |  |
By Thomas Young It is only thanks to receiving an official fleet list last year that we know the identities of vehicles numbered 6627 to 6646, since they all operate in a totally anonymous condition. 6629 is one of five Renault Kangoo vans that were divided between various operations. This one was originally used by the Victoria Line Programme Manager but may have moved on since. It was photographed parked outside the Piccadilly Line track maintenance depot at Acton Town on 1st March 2010. I have referred to this location as Maxwell House in the past but evidence suggests the latter name applies to the former Metronet base behind the museum depot. The photo was taken from outside Acton Town station using my zooooooooooooooom lens! |
28/03/2010 |
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