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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 5,301 |  |
By Colin Lloyd We haven't shown the front of Aldgate-based Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Incident Response Unit 6618M before but (unsurprisingly) it is very like the other 46 such vehicles! Hmm, de ja vu. It was photographed on Wormwood Street (near Liverpool Street) on 2nd March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,302 |  |
By Ray Monk Although the 2007 batch of mid-height VW Transporters have not gained new liveries, later deliveries of the same type have. 6575VW was caught as it was about to turn from Gunnersbury Lane into Bollo Lane at Acton Town on 25th February 2010. The London Underground lettering on the sides appears smaller than normal. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,303 |  |
By London Spotter Ford Focus estate car 6536F is one of many that I would categorise as 'lesser-spotted'! It works for the sub-surface lines division but we don't actually know where it is based. On 23rd January 2010 it was found parked at a residential address in Ardleigh Green (Essex), still wearing Metronet logos. Just over a week later it was seen near Acton Works in London Underground livery. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,304 |  |
By Thomas Young Pumps and Drainage Rapid Response Vehicle 6516F has been rather camera-shy since delivery in spring 2008. On 19th February 2010 I caught up with it at Ruislip Station, although it was unfortunately parked nose in. The Metronet logos have been replaced with London Underground ones but a red stripe was not added. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,305 |  |
By Malcolm Glover Another view of Toyota Hilux 6467T at Chingford on 6th of March 2010. Aside from the fact that no logos have been applied to the rear (despite there being plenty of space), it also notable that the vehicle has a slide cover over its load space. Most pick-ups (which have primarily been Ford Rangers of late) either have open backs or hard-top covers. This suggests that the vehicle was obtained mainly to get crews to off-road locations rather than to act as a load carrier. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,306 |  |
By Malcolm Glover Here is something slightly special from a new contributor. Very much a one-off in the current fleet, 6467T is a Toyota Hilux D4D pick-up with crew cab, delivered to the Central Line Track Manager in spring 2008. Based at Hainault (which seems to be home to quite a few non-standard service vehicles) it spent its first two years in unmarked silver livery, and hence might easily have been overlooked by observers. However, the program to relivery all Metronet vehicles with new London Underground logos fortunately included this one. It was photographed while parked near Chingford Station on the 6th of March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,307 |  |
By London Spotter Numbers 6377V to 6385V were given to a batch of Vauxhall Combos assigned to Tube Lines at Stratford Market. The batch is notable for generally only being active at night. On the last day of January 2010, 6383V was found parked at Chadwell Heath. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,308 |  |
By Colin Lloyd We haven't shown the front of Aldgate-based Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Incident Response Unit 6368M before but (unsurprisingly) it is very like the other 46 such vehicles! It was photographed at Parliament Square on the 1st of February 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,309 |  |
By Thomas Young New in September 2007, 6308H was the only one of the 16 Honda Civic hybrid saloon cars leased for London Buses to gain a 57 registration. It was also notable for being the only liveried example never to carry its fleetnumbers. For its first year and a half it was based at Victoria Coach Station and was hardly ever seen. However, during 2009 it migrated to Uxbridge Bus Station, making it much more visible! On 19th February 2010 the car was parked behind one of the resident IRU vans. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,310 |  |
By Ray Monk Another example of a rarely-seen vehicle at a frequently-visited location is this view of Ford Transit Connect 6278F parked outside Bollo House on the 1st of March 2010. Although part of the Tube Lines escalators operations based at nearby Frank Pick House, this particular vehicle has never been reported there. It may have been visiting Bollo House (but would perhaps have parked in their car park if so) or the Smallbills garage that is just off frame to the right. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,311 |  |
By Ray Monk Three Renault Kangoos delivered in 2007 were non-standard in that they lacked the blue parts of the standard livery. They also had their fleetnumbers in an unusual position on the front wheelarches (where you would expect to find the tyre pressure markings). Two of the trio worked for Tube Lines while the third was initially with Metronet, but none of them has ever been photographed. Until now! Ray found 6226R parked outside the Northern Line control room at Coburg Street (Euston) on 15th March 2010. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,312 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray has managed to photograph quite a number of service vehicles at residential locations in the Bexleyheath, Welling and Eltham areas. These are no doubt kept at the driver's homes during the day and used at night. The vehicles have included several of the large batch of VW Transporters new to Metronet in 2007. As these are coming up for being three years old, none have been treated to the new London Underground logos. On 21st February 2010 6170VW was found on Avondale Road. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,313 |  |
By Ray Monk Three Mercedes-Benz Econic 3-axle dustcarts were ordered for delivery during 2009, to replace the two existing lorries plus a hired one. The third of the new lorries was slightly delayed and appeared in September with a 59 registration. On the 25th of February 2010, Ray photographed the still-clean looking machine leaving Acton Works. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,314 |  |
By Colin Smith Two small dustcarts were delivered in December 2009 but have so far been rather camera shy. This photograph, taken on the 18th of that month, is the only one I have so far. The vehicle, seen in the lorry yard at Acton Works, is an Iveco Eurocargo. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,315 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The various dustcarts operated by Tube Lines can be seen almost anywhere on the LUL network, collecting rubbish from stations and offices. On 26th February 2010, Mercedes-Benz Econic WX08KUT was parked near to Barking Station. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,316 |  |
By Ray Monk Same vehicle, same location, different livery (part 1). Including in today's update are 4 photographs that show the same vehicle in the same location as photographs that have already been published. However, in each case there is a good reason! First up is a view of Iveco EuroCargo dropside lorry 2585 leaving Acton Works on 1st March 2010, comparable to another view taken back in 2006. This is the only lorry that does not come under the control of Tube Lines, and it originally had slightly wonky Metronet lettering. By early 2010 these had been replaced by London Underground lettering, including a roundel squeezed in on the front. Perhaps more interestingly it had a new fleetnumber applied that included an I suffix. It is unlikely that this will spread to the other Iveco lorries in the fleet. It is a shame that the red stripe normally a feature of the new livery was not applied. By the way, this vehicle is one of the most frequently reported, with over 70 sightings at present, most of which were at Griffith House. |
28/03/2010 |
| 5,317 |  |
By Damon Cross Caption to be added later. For now, feel free to use the comments facility to add your own, humorous or not! |
28/02/2010 |
| 5,318 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Caption to be added later. For now, feel free to use the comments facility to add your own, humorous or not! |
28/02/2010 |
| 5,319 |  |
By Ray Monk Caption to be added later. For now, feel free to use the comments facility to add your own, humorous or not! |
28/02/2010 |
| 5,320 |  |
By Damon Cross Caption to be added later. For now, feel free to use the comments facility to add your own, humorous or not! |
28/02/2010 |
| 5,321 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Despite the London registration, this service vehicle breaks new ground Northward for us. Ford Escort van LC51NFJ was latterly part of the Rapsons fleet (this name is still visible on the bodysides) but is now part of the Stagecoach group. Photographed at the garage in Thurso on 21st January 2010. Bus breakdowns in this part of the country can be a lot more problematic than in London! |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,322 |  |
By Richard Davis Talking of DAFs in the Sovereign Recovery fleet, here is one such recent addition. GN58KTX is a DAF CF model with dolly rear axle, new in early 2009. Note the usual array of mirrors and front lights. Photographed in Dunstable on 18th October 2009. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,323 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Staying at Brixton Garage now but going back a couple of years, this photo was taken on 8th December 2005. This was the penultimate day of normal Routemaster operation in London, route 159 being their last allocation. The photo shows previously unseen Volvo FH12 recovery truck P9SOV of Sovereign Recovery, towing an unidentified Routemaster out of the garage. The amount of green in the Sovereign livery was later reduced, while the fleet of Volvo trucks was joined by some DAFs. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,324 |  |
By Ray Monk Given that Arriva London seems to have just about got rid of its large fleet of Vauxhall Combo crew ferry vans, I was surprised to see this photo of a brand new example. FD59OVH was photographed at Brixton Garage on 21st January 2010, the day on which the new Dennis Tridents for route 133 were being moved from temporary storage here to their operational base at Norwood. It may be that this van was acquired to act as a crew ferry for the newly-won route (and it certainly goes nowhere near Norwood), or it could be that it was being used by the engineers. Time will tell. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,325 |  |
By Ray Monk Although I still list their vehicles as Epsom Buses, this name has been all but dropped in favour of the 'Quality Line' branding. Ford Transit Connect van LB09HXS is lettered as a Route Control Unit and was found parked near to Cromwell Road bus station in Kingston on 31st December 2009. As well as a light-bar it has low-vis rear chevrons (if that is not self-defeating!) and small LBSL roundels. It also has subsidiary fleet lettering under the Quality Line name showing 'Epsom Coaches Group'. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,326 |  |
By Graham Brown Of the three '57 reg Mercedes Sprinter vans operated by Metroline, at least two have now belatedly gained full lettering and rear chevrons. KR57FUO was found at Marble Arch on 20th January 2010, perhaps on breakdown standby duties. Unlike similar KR57FUT, this van has additional Buses roundels on the side doors and bonnet. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,327 |  |
By Damon Cross Preserved London Transport depot sweeper RL92 was moved during 2009 from Cobham Bus Museum to Twyford Water Works, where it was photographed on New Year's Day 2010. This view highlights the way in which the engine is mounted directly above the front wheel, and turns with it. The operator sits on the 'saddle' mounted on the main unit, and steers using the handle fixed to the engine housing. It would appear that there is no drive connection between the engine and the main unit, with the brushes being driven using chains from the trailing axle. However, there are at least four controls visible on the body (two levers, one pedal and one hand wheel). These presumably raise/lower the brush, move the brush scraper, control the water flow, etc. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,328 |  |
By Ray Monk Interestingly, the application of new London Underground logos to vehicles has included a few that latterly operated in anonymous liveries. As such, these become eligible for addition to the database. One such vehicle is Ford Focus LC58AZG, reportedly used by the Automatic Train Control managers section. It is notable however that some of the other unmarked cars used by this team latterly gained small Metronet logos (such as Focus VN56YMD and Mondeo MV58WCP). As such it may be that not all unmarked vehicles will be so treated. Photographed at Leytonstone Station on 18th January 2010. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,329 |  |
By Kim Rennie Unmarked vehicles continue to be a feature of the central fleet. Details are not usually published here but this one has now been added since it can be seen quite regularly at Acton Town. A relatively rare short-wheelbase mid-height Ford Transit van, LT08UDV is allocated to the BCV operation and is one of six unmarked Transits registered in the LT08xxx series (otherwise used mainly on Vauxhalls). On 19th January 2010 it was found parked at Acton Works. Another reason for including this photo is the Renault Master dropside truck just visible in the background. This is probably one of the three numbered but unmarked vehicles (6644 to 6646). Based on information and sightings, I had shown these as being allocated to Lillie Bridge (6644/6646) and Hainault (6645). However, their unmarked livery suggests they were acquired for pool use, in which case one may now have been reallocated to Acton. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,330 |  |
By Kim Rennie Kim found this Jumbo Ford Transit van in the DSM yard at Acton Works on 19th January 2010, presumably newly delivered. Unfortunately the fleetnumber could not be made out so we will have to wait until it is seen in use. 'Fold-back' rear doors are standard fit on extended length vans, as evidenced by the bump-stops and larger hinges. According to the brochure, the doors open 256 degrees, and magnetic retainers are fitted to keep them held open against the bodysides. Also visible is unmarked Renault Kangoo van 6631, listed as grey but evidently more silvery. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,331 |  |
By Kim Rennie The Ford Transit Connect design was 'refreshed' in 2009, the main difference being a completely new front bumper and grille unit. The first example of a van to be reported was long wheelbase 6838F seen at Acton Works on 19th January 2010 wearing the new London Underground livery. Interestingly this vehicle is to Ford's 'Trend' specification, with body-coloured bumpers, fog-lights (the standard model also has the circular recesses) and wheeltrims. As I have been reading the brochure I can tell it also has a 6-way driver's seat with armrest and lumbar support, and a map reading light! The white bumpers do somewhat jarr with the LUL livery however, the basic black version (as seen on Tourneo Connect 6848F) perhaps looking better. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,332 |  |
By Ray Monk My theory that the new mid-height VW Transporter vans for the London Buses Infrastructure unit would replace the earlier low-roof examples may have been incorrect. Firstly, there do not seem to be enough of them to achieve this. Secondly, at least some of the low-roof vans are still in use. Thirdly, the mid-height vans have been seen at locations that previously had high-roof vans. Illustrating the last point is this view of mid-height 6828VW at Aldgate Bus Station on 29th December 2009. The previous resident was 5668VW. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,333 |  |
By Ray Monk Unless there are some yet to be reported, the recent batch of Volkswagen Transporter vans for LBSL Infrastructure Development appears to total nine vehicles. Six of these are high-roof vans like 6823VW seen at Cromwell Road, Kingston on the last day of 2009. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,334 |  |
By Kim Rennie The application of new London Underground logos (and the red stripe on white/blue vehicles) is proceeding apace, although there are around 400 vehicles to be done. Ford Transit Jumbo crew van 6704F was one of the last to be delivered with Metronet logos but had been dealt with by 19th January 2010 when it was photographed at Acton Works. This photo is useful as it highlights the differences between the Jumbo Transit and the largest standard Transit. Both the vehicles seen here are long-wheelbase and high-roof. However, 6704F has an extended rear overhang. The main visual clue is the presence of body panelling (and hence skirt colour) behind the rear wheel. However, there are also extra sidelights along the sides and on the bumper, while the main sidelight is replaced by a stalked one. The mark on the rear bodyside (below the logo) is thought to be the magnetic retainer for the fold-back rear doors, and can be seen more clearly here. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,335 |  |
By Kim Rennie There are around 20 silver Ford Focus estates in the leased fleet, and most of them live at Lillie Bridge. However, many are generally kept in the small car park in the center of the complex and hence cannot be seen from public vantage points. Kim visited Lillie Bridge on 19th January 2010 and found at least 14 of the cars present. This photo shows four of them (with a fifth just visible behind the Transit). Notably all had already had the new London Underground logos applied. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,336 |  |
By Ray Monk Thirteen Ford Focus Estate cars numbered in the 65xxF range carry registrations in the VO58xxx series, along with at least six further cars in the unmarked fleet. Five of the thirteen are silver, including 6550F photographed at Uxbridge Sainsburys on 23rd January 2010. New with Metronet logos, these had recently been replaced with (larger) London Underground ones. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,337 |  |
By Colin Smith The Depot Engineering Support Unit received four new Ford Transit vans (6544F to 6547F) in December 2008, to replace earlier 5820F to 5823F. They were to the same configuration (long-wheelbase, mid-height) and wore the same silver livery. Their base appears to be in the complex behind the Museum Depot at Acton, although 6544F was photographed on 18th January 2010 paying a visit to Upminster Depot. The Metronet logos will no doubt be replaced soon by London Underground ones. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,338 |  |
By Kim Rennie Low-roof Ford Transit van 6533F was new in summer 2008, carrying plain silver livery with Metronet logos. It was operated by the Trackforce team, who seem to have a preference for this colour scheme (other examples being Transit Connect 6501F, Ranger 6502F and Caddy 6533VW). 6533F was one of the first to gain new London Underground logos (by 1st December 2009), and it was photographed at Acton Works on 19th January 2010. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,339 |  |
By Ray Monk The Tube Lines Signals department operates nine of these all-white Ford Transit crew vans with distinctive roof racks. Six are assigned to the Jubilee Line and are based at Stratford, Borough and Wembley Park. The remaining three work for the Northern Line, with two living in north London (Finchley Central and Golders Green). We now know that the third is based at Morden traincrew offices, where it was photographed on 6th September 2009. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,340 |  |
By Colin Smith Vauxhall Combo van 6373V was originally registered LN57UMB, but this was changed to LN08NXE before it entered service. It was one of several vehicles allocated to Pelham Street (South Kensington) that carried Metronet logos with additional lettering for the Operations Group. On 18th January 2010 it was paying a visit to Upminster Depot, together with Depot Engineering Support Unit Ford Transit van 6544F. It remains to be seen if the Operations Group retains its identity when the time comes to rebrand its vehicles as London Underground. Note the missing front wheeltrim. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,341 |  |
By Kim Rennie The new London Underground logos are being applied fairly rapidly to all the vehicles in the former Metronet operations. On silver and white vehicles the red stripe is omitted but all lettering is renewed. This is highlighted in the case of this plain white Ford Transit van seen at Lillie Bridge depot on 19th January 2010 by the fact that it did not originally have fleetnumbers. Even the fuel filler and tyre pressure markings are new, the former now featuring prominent advice of the correct type of fuel to be used. Although barely visible, the vehicle parked behind is of interest, being unmarked 6637, a Renault Trafic crew van. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,342 |  |
By Kim Rennie A large proportion of the vehicles photographed by Kim Rennie at Lillie Bridge on 19th January 2010 had already had the new London Underground logos applied, with red stripes added to those vehicles wearing white/blue livery. This photo compares the old and new application to the Vauxhall Combo van. The inclusion of the roundel on the front of vehicles will certainly make it easier to 'see them coming'! Also visible is one of the ever-present mobile generator trucks, complete with trailer. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,343 |  |
By Graham Brown I noticed that there had been few reports of ERU vehicles active over the winter, which could be said to be a good thing! Graham Brown found a pair parked at Waterloo (York Road) on 6th November 2009. Interestingly they are both short-cabbed versions, and the allocation plates suggest they had come from different bases (each location should have one of each type). 2597 on the left was showing a Camden plate while 2599 on the right was displaying Vauxhall. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,344 |  |
By Kim Rennie Kim Rennie's work took him to both Acton Works and Lillie Bridge on 19th January 2010, and he very kindly sent me a bundle of pictures taken that day. First up is this view of Iveco EuroCargo dustcart 2586 parked near the DSM yard at Acton Works. Although already well illustrated I wanted to include this photo for two reasons. Firstly a pair of new Iveco EuroCargo dustcarts were delivered in December 2009. They feature a slightly revised cab design and significantly smaller bodywork (not as tall as the cab). Photos of the new vehicles would be appreciated. The other point is that this photo includes former exhibition bus M1020 in the background. As will be noted, this has recently lost its London Buses / Metropolitan Police 'Community Vehicle' livery, this evidently having being applied almost wholly with vinyls. It has therefore returned to its former London United livery. Disposal is presumably imminent. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,345 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Malcolm Conway has been scanning his slide collection and has very kindly sent me lots of views of service vehicles from London and beyond. The latter include some very unusual looking beasts but I am staying nearer to home today with a well-known vehicle. As Malcolm pointed out, we had not previously shown it in this particular livery though. To recap, time-expired Land Rover 1761LR was overhauled by the apprentices at Acton Works in the early 1980s and repainted red. It spent the rest of the decade as a semi-preserved vehicle at Clapham and (later) Norwood garages. Although almost 20 years old, it then found a role as a response vehicle based at North Street garage in Romford. This photo was taken at the Hainault Street bus stand in Ilford on 27th September 1991, by which time it had gained East London unit logos and a grey skirt. It was later repainted green with Stagecoach logos. There have been no reports of this vehicle being seen since 1999, although it apparently remained licensed until 2007. |
27/01/2010 |
| 5,346 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Saving the best for last again, this peculiar vehicle is an 'Air Cushion Recovery Unit' in the fleet of Bristol City Line. Photographed at Lawrence Hill Garage on 27th June 1992, the vehicle is based on a Dennis chassis/cab more normally associated with fire engines. The Q registration disguises the real age of the vehicle but I would guess it dates from the mid 1970s. It does seem odd to have a vehicle dedicated to such a specialised role. In London, air cushion equipment (for righting overturned buses) was carried by the Leyland Freighter recovery trucks, as demonstrated at a couple of Chiswick Works open days during the 1980s. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,347 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Malcolm has sent in quite a few photos of non-London service vehicles recently, of which I am publishing two today. The first is ANA26Y (fleetnumber carried but not legible), a Leyland EA van of GM Buses, photographed at Manchester Piccadilly on 29th April 1989. I like this photo as the EA (the code stood for Easy Access) was for years a very familiar sight across the country, particularly in Royal Mail colours, but now looks most odd. This must have been one of the last to have been built, and was registered in a series also used on Leyland Olympian buses. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,348 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Typical, you wait ages for a bus in railway company colours and then two come along together! Former London Transport DM1090 was in use as a mobile workshop in the Maidstone and District fleet by 1990, carrying fleetnumber P90. It was presumably open-topped to allow its use as a tree-lopper. I am not clear on the reason why, but it was repainted into the livery of train operator Network Southeast (complete with yellow ends), in which condition it was photographed at East Croydon station on 12th March 1991. The vehicle was sent for scrap in 1994. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,349 |  |
By Damon Cross Somebody recently suggested that I add this vehicle to the database, and as a bus that has had significant modifications for an ancillary role I suppose it does qualify. New to London General in 1996 as LDP35, this Plaxton Pointer-bodied Dennis Dart was loaned to Armchair between May and October 2004. Early in 2005 it was repainted white and green with Southern lettering for use by the railway company (also part of the Go-Ahead group) as a mobile classroom. It was photographed in this condition at Brighton Station on the 1st of May 2005. By June 2006 it was back in London but not used until April 2007, by which time it had been repainted red and further modified as a mobile medical centre for use by London Central and London General. It appears to also see use as a crew rest room and/or mobile information office, being seen for example at Barking during a rail replacement operation in September 2009. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,350 |  |
By London Spotter With their plain white livery and lack of wheeltrims, the 17 Renault Trafic minibuses acquired by Metrobus in 2008/09 for crew ferry work look quite dull. The majority are based at Orpington and can be found at various locations around south London. One of their favourite haunts is Lewisham Bus Station, where 8031 was photographed on 17th November 2009. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,351 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Colin did a good job of 'stopping' this van (and a pigeon!) in low light at Victoria on 19th December 2009. I have included this already illustrated vehicle as this view shows the standard Arriva service vehicle livery more clearly. It is also slightly unusual in that the vehicle is based at Luton and is clearly marked as being for bus stop maintenance. However, it presence so far from home suggest it was actually being used as an engineering van, probably to attend to a failed Green Line coach. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,352 |  |
By Malcolm Conway When I saw this photo I thought 'Ah yes, I know about this one'. But a check of the database showed that we had vans M447OKP and M449OKP but not M448OKP! Like the other two, it is a long-wheelbase, mid-height Mk5 Ford Transit van operated by London Central. Notably (and like M449OKP) it has lettering indicating it was on contract to South London. This seems a curious arrangement, as the two companies were in separate ownership by then. Equally, the photos suggest they actually worked mainly for London Central. For example, this photo was taken at the Prince of Wales bus stand on the Harrow Road on 29th August 1999. This location was served by London Central's route 36. The photo was taken during Notting Hill Carnival weekend, as evidenced by the First Centrewest Metrobus on one of the extra routes provided at these times. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,353 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Yep, here is another previously unknown bus company service vehicle from the 1990s! Although unlettered, the yellow livery with red stripes, and the fleetnumber of 872, indicate it was part of the Capital Citybus fleet (as does the presence of one of their buses behind). Photographed at Crouch End on 1st February 1997, the first day of operation on route 91, the vehicle is a short-wheelbase Mk4 (note the rounded headlamps) Ford Transit minibus. It was new in November 1993, but may have been acquired second-hand, and was delicensed by May 2000. The Leyland Titans bought for the 91 were the first to carry the red-based livery (replacing the mainly yellow version), although they were very soon replaced by new Volvo Olympians. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,354 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Yet another previously-unreported service vehicle unearthed by Malcolm is this Vauxhall Corsa van of London Central, photographed at Trafalgar Square on Christmas Day 1996, when the company was involved in running a couple of commercial bus services. Although listed by the DVLA as a Vauxhall, it appears to have an Opel badge on the front. This vehicle is still licensed but the complete lack of sightings would suggest it is no longer in the fleet. Having said that, sister vehicle L206HYK has never been reported either but is still listed on company fleetlists. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,355 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Here is another photo that helps improve our records. Mark 3 Ford Transit van J415UTW was listed as being white with Arriva London by 2001, with the paper fleetnumber of GGCAR3. As the latter suggests, it originated with Grey Green (although was painted red!) and carried their fleetnumber 050. It was in use by 5th March 1997, when Malcolm found it parked on the bus stand at Hainault Street, Ilford. Although the vehicle has the extra windows that would classify it here as a crew van, it is not clear if any additional seats were fitted. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,356 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Newly-formed bus operator Centrewest bought three high-roof Leyland DAF 400 vans in June 1989, basing them at Westbourne Park, Alperton and Uxbridge. This is the first photo seen of the Westbourne Park example, taken at its home garage on 10th July 1990. It is not known how long the vehicle was used for but according to the DVLA it was later repainted blue and was delicensed in mid-1999. Note the Dennis Dart bus (DT47) alongside. This was a Selkent bus, loaned to Centrewest for familiarisation prior to the arrival of a large fleet of DW class Dennis Darts (to replace the MA class minibuses such as the one seen on the right). And who remembers Westbourne Park working route 15?! |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,357 |  |
By Malcolm Conway A previously unreported service vehicle, F305UFX was numbered 819 in the fleet of Captial Citybus. Note the legal lettering for Walthamstow Citybus Limited, and the Chinese characters included in the fleetname (reflecting the ownership by the Hong Kong-based CNT Group). The vehicle was a short-wheelbase Mark 3 Ford Transit van and the photograph was taken at Northumberland Park depot on the 3rd October 1993. Note that it appears to be carrying a bus seat in the back. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,358 |  |
By Malcolm Conway My database had this smart-looking Land Rover as entering service with First London by 2003 but this photo predates that by almost ten years, having been taken at Northumberland Park depot on the 3rd of October 1993, whilst the operation was still known as Capital Citybus. As the vehicle would then have been (exactly) six years old, it could perhaps have been operated since new. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,359 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The London Coaches operation moved to the former Wandsworth Bus Garage in April 1988 and acquired this DAF 2500 articulated lorry about a year later. It's main role was as a driver trainer, as evidenced by the plates on the front, and the slightly nervous looking instructor in the passenger seat! This photo was taken outside the garage on 3rd March 1989, very soon after the vehicle was painted into company livery. Also visible are Duple, Berkhof and Van Hool bodied coaches, an MCW Metroliner of West Midlands Travel (who shared the Birmingham London Liner service) and one of the Routemasters used on the Sightseeing tour. The coach operations were eventually disbanded, leaving Wandsworth to work the sightseeing tour (and LBSL route 337). |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,360 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Malcolm Conway has been scanning his extensive transport photograph collection and has kindly shared quite a few SV pictures from the 1990s, most of which are of previously unseen vehicles. Shown here is Thamesway Austin FX4 taxi HYE545W at Romford Bus Station on 15th March 1997. Already over 16 years old at the time, the vehicle lasted only until the end of 1998. Although Thamesway had a large presence on LRT tendered work, most of the bus routes into Romford (apart from some Mobility Buses) were non-LRT and worked from depots at Brentwood and Basildon. The vehicle behind could also be described as a service vehicle, being one of seven Ford Transit minibuses acquired by Capital Citybus for crew ferry work. All came from the first batches of National Bus Company minibuses (in this case Midland Fox). However, as the vehicles were unmodified and were listed in bus fleetlists of the time, they have not been added to the database here. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,361 |  |
By Colin Smith A rear view of new-style Honda CR-V 6874H at Acton Town Station on 24th December 2009. Earlier versions had a side-hinged tailgate with a spare wheel (see photo of 6108H). The new design is more aerodynamic with a top-hinged tailgate (with some curious panel sculpting), while the spare wheel has been moved or dispensed with. Note the small London Underground logo on the rear. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,362 |  |
By Colin Smith Found parked next to Acton Town Station on Christmas Eve 2009 was Honda CR-V car 6874H in silver livery with new Underground logos. This was by some way the highest fleetnumber reported during 2009. Note that the car design has completely changed compared to earlier versions such as 6053H. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,363 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray revisited Orpington on 27th December 2009 and found more new LBSL Infrastructure vans present, including the first example of a mid-height version. It remains to be seen how many new vans are being taken but it is possible that the high-roof vans are to replace identical vans in the 5668-5678/5781VW range while the mid-height ones will replace low-roof 6012-6014/6072-6075VW. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,364 |  |
By Ray Monk Another chance to compare the old and new Infrastructure vans, this time taken at Orpington Station on 2nd December 2009. Although first licensed in October, the new vans seem to have been delivered to Acton in mid-November, then to their operational locations in early December, 6821VW shown here being one of the first. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,365 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Looking brand new, Volkswagen Transporter van 6826VW was captured passing through Elephant and Castle on 16th December 2009. One of several long-wheelbase, high-roof vans being taken by the LBSL Infrastructure unit, it was later seen at Orpington. Note that the fleetnumbers (and tyre pressure markers) are in black on white patches, a feature also seen on the LBSL IRU vans. Could it be that white fleetnumbers are no longer available?! |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,366 |  |
By Ray Monk The batch of high-roof Volkswagen Transporter vans used by the London Buses Infrastructure Development Unit are among the longest-lived members of the leased fleet, having been new in January 2005. A start was finally made on replacing them from December 2009, with a batch of similar vans with fleetnumbers around 1,150 higher. As this photo taken at Stratford Bus Station on 14th December shows, the new vans are virtually identical in design but have differences in lettering and the type of light-bar fitted. The faded roof panels of the older van are typical of the batch. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,367 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The highest numbered of the second batch of LBSL IRUs (and the last but one to be illustrated on this site) is 6623M, found by Malcolm in Victoria on 8th May 2009. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,368 |  |
By London Spotter Found on Harcourt Street (near Griffith House) on 20th December 2009 was Metronet-liveried Ford Transit crew van 6567F. Although a fairly standard mid-height, long-wheelbase example, it apparently has chevrons applied to the rear. Note also the dirt, probably from roads that had been gritted during the bad weather of that week. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,369 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Also photographed at the Elephant and Castle on 16th December 2009 was high-roof Ford Transit crew van 6322F. Although in normal London Buses livery (apart from the blue fleetnumbers), the roof-rack complete with iBus receiver give away the fact that this is part of the Technical Services Group fleet, based in Chingford. It had been presumed that most of their iBus-related service vehicles would have been withdrawn or reallocated by now. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,370 |  |
By Colin Lloyd I was hoping to get some snowy shots from last month but this is the best I can do. Ironically this van was last shown with snow on the windscreen. Passing through Elephant and Castle on 16th December 2009. |
02/01/2010 |
| 5,371 |  |
By Graham Brown Saving the best photo till last today, this is a fine shot of Sovereign Recovery Mercedes-Benz Actros GM03TOW at work on the Old Kent Road on the evening of 2nd October 2009. As mentioned before, this is the only member of the Sovereign fleet to carry London Buses livery. The fact that it is rescuing a Wright Electrocity (from the Travel London/Abellio fleet) hardly needs commenting on! |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,372 |  |
By Ray Monk Croydon garage received three Vauxhall Corsa cars in late 2009, including number 138 seen here at Addington on 6th November. These may have replaced the last of the crew ferry Vauxhall Combo vans in the Arriva London fleet (reports please?) although a few of the latter remain in engineering roles. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,373 |  |
By Ray Monk Arriva London took a follow-on batch of seven Vauxhall Corsa cars in late 2009, taking the total fleet to 52. One of the seven was an additional crew ferry for Tottenham garage but the remainder were the first for Arriva London South. Number 140 is one of three for Beddington Farm garage, and it was photographed at The Plough, Beddington, on 6th November 2009. As with the earlier vehicles, wheeltrims are omitted. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,374 |  |
By Ray Monk Metrobus Mercedes-Benz Vito crew ferry minibus 8026 had an unfortunate accident in July 2009 when it crashed into a shop at Crystal Palace. By the 6th of November that year (when it was photographed at Addington) it was back in use, with a new bonnet as yet without company logo. And yes, that is an LUL-liveried Ford Transit Connect van disappearing in the background. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,375 |  |
By Ray Monk One of my 'local' bus garages is Plumstead, home since 2005 to this Ford Transit van. It was unusual for a (then) Stagecoach vehicle in not carrying any livery or lettering, and it was also notable by being rather elusive. Ray finally managed to catch it on film at Bexleyheath on 13th November 2009. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,376 |  |
By Ray Monk The Arriva Tour operation based at Wandsworth has a surprisingly high number of service vehicles allocated to it. All are given fleetnumbers in an MV-prefixed series starting at 1 (with numbers being re-used). MV1 and MV2 are red engineering vehicles that are a common sight around central London. The rest are small vans in either white or red, that don't seem to do much at all! MV6 was found parked at Wandsworth garage on 14th October 2009, with side lettering as a 'Service Support Vehicle'. This van was by the way omitted from the recent SUP24D publication due to a long-standing error in reporting the registration number. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,377 |  |
By Glyn Matthews With a livery designed by John Smith of Minimal Impressions Ltd, this Ford Transit van found parked at Pitsea Station on 11th October 2009 is a recent addition to the EnsignBus fleet. It is slightly unusual in being a more powerful 100 T280 model, most low-roof Transits having 85PS engines. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,378 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Most of the TfL Streets fleet has moved from Victoria (Eccleston Place) to Chancel Street in Southwark over the past year or so. Although mostly active in inner London, they do make forays into the suburbs, as shown by this picture of Toyota Prius RE56LCY passing Edgware Station on 29th October 2009. The unit has received no new (liveried) cars since spring 2008. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,379 |  |
By Ray Monk Frequent contributor Ray Monk has taken some very interesting photos over the years, often achieved through investigation, patience and persistence but sometimes through sheer luck. The latter must have been at play when he took this photo outside Acton Town station on 2nd November 2009, as he managed to catch two brand new vehicles on delivery to Acton. Curiously they are from different manufacturers but perhaps they are supplied by the same dealer. To the front is new-style Renault Kangoo van 6832R in plain silver livery (although listed on the DVLA as grey), while Ford Transit crew van 6812F is right behind. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,380 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Ford Transit van 6813F was one of many vehicles delivered through 2009 without company logos. It is based at Griffith House and is expected to gain the new Underground livery shortly. On the 1st of October 2009 it was found parked outside the Railway Tavern at Liverpool Street. Note that the doorway behind the van leads to the engine room! |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,381 |  |
By Ray Monk Five Renault Master vans were delivered in March 2009, unusual both for the model, and for the overall white livery they carried. As with the Peugeot Partners, these larger vans have proven difficult to see. Apart from one at Stratford Market, they appear to be based at Acton Works, but are rarely seen out and about. Ray was lucky to catch 6762 passing Acton Town station on 19th October 2009. Note that the bookmakers in the station has moved. Perhaps we could acquire the lease and open an SV observation lounge! |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,382 |  |
By Ray Monk About ten Peugeot Partner vans were delivered in March 2009 although we have had difficulty tracking them all down. All carried overall white livery, some having Tube Lines logos and others operating anonymously. One that is easy to find is 6751, allocated to Heathrow Airport Central. It is usually parked in a compound near the bus/coach station, as seen here on 21st November 2009 from the upper deck of a bus. The road in the background is the main airport exit road towards the tunnel. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,383 |  |
By Kim Rennie 6703F is a very smart-looking Ford Tourneo Connect minibus/estate car, delivered in April 2009 and one of the last to be given Metronet logos. It seems to be based at Neasden depot, where this photograph was taken on 21st October 2009. The railway wagons behind the fence are notable. The tank wagon is actually a barrier, fitted with LUL couplings for use when delivering new 'S' stock trains (this photo was taken on the day the first of these arrived at Neasden). The yellow open wagon is used to provide brake force. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,384 |  |
By Ray Monk One of the first service vehicles to be photographed in the new Underground livery was Ford Transit high-roof crew van 6700F, found on Bollo Lane at Acton on 1st December 2009. Like 6563F, this shows signs of having had just its lower panels cleaned. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,385 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Three of the 2009 batch of LBSL Incident Response Units are nominally based at Uxbridge Bus Station, although it might be rare to find them all there together. On 23rd September 2009, 6614M was caught leaving on a job. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,386 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip A reminder of the warmth of summer now, with Mercedes-Benz Incident Response Unit 6612M resting in the sunshine at Richmond bus station on 20th July 2009. The van is usually based at Kingston and actually carries number 6610M. Luckily (or not) the real 6610M carries the number 6617M! There was a rumour that the numbers were going to be corrected in the autumn but nothing has transpired yet. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,387 |  |
By Ray Monk Right, time to catch up with the latest batch of IRUs, a few not yet having been shown. 6603M was one of the batch not afflicted by mis-numberitis and was found at its regular haunt of Sycamore House, Thornton Heath, on 17th July 2009. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,388 |  |
By Ray Monk A Ford Transit that was previously illustrated at Upminster in Metronet livery that is now shown carrying the new Underground livery at Woodford Station, Take 2! 6563F is a crew van. It also has a relocated fleetnumber and was also taken on 12th December 2009. It would appear that only the lower parts of the vehicle were cleaned prior to applying the red stripe. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,389 |  |
By Ray Monk A Ford Transit that was previously illustrated at Upminster in Metronet livery that is now shown carrying the new Underground livery at Woodford Station, Take 1. Not much I can add to that really, except the observation that the fleetnumber on the offside has been moved down slightly. Presumably all lettering was stripped off during the re-branding. Photographed on 12th December 2009. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,390 |  |
By Colin Smith Parked on the Acton Town entrance to Acton Works on 11th December 2009, 6388F is a Ford Transit Connect van, now carrying the new Underground livery. It is unusual for this type in having a roof-rack, here loaded with ladders. 6388F is the highest number carried by an '07 registered service vehicle, and it entered service without operator logos, despite this being some time before the decision to de-brand Metronet. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,391 |  |
By Kevin Bullions Taken on a gloomy 7th of December 2009, this photo shows the first Underground liveried service vehicle to appear at Lillie Bridge Depot. 6123F had been new in 2007 with Metronet logos, but now carries the Underground logos (including the roundel on the front) and the red stripe. I didn't tweak the lighting on this photo as it shows that the red stripe seems to be made of reflective tape. The vehicle is a fairly standard Mk7 Ford Transit crew van, the only notable aspect being that it carries a number also claimed by a Ford Transit in use with the London Safety Camera Partnership. Alongside is a Ford Transit minibus, while various other SVs can be seen in the background. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,392 |  |
By LTSV Collection I am not certain of the location of this photograph. The contributor suggests it is in the Kingston area but it does not look familiar, and the numbers on the bus stop cannot be made out. However, the Doric building in the far left distance may be known by someone. The vehicle is 1048AS, an Austin LD van new in 1956 and allocated to Griffith House. If only we had traffic levels like this today! The registration number would also be worth a bit now, and is of course close to the ones carried by the prototype Routemasters. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,393 |  |
By LTSV Collection 973J was one of five STL buses converted into tree loppers in 1952/1953 to replace earlier conversions from ST buses. These were the last ex-bus tree loppers, being replaced in 1962/1963 by Ford Thames Trader lorries. 973J (the former STL1512) spent time at various country area garages but was photographed at Chelsham. The bus alongside is an early RT (RT30?) in use as a trainer. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,394 |  |
By LTSV Collection Ford vans have come a long way since the 1950s. This is E83W van 801F parked beside the station at Kingston. Although no allocation plate is carried, this van was based variously at the nearby garages of Norbiton and Kingston itself. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,395 |  |
By LTSV Collection The first of four new pictures from the 1950s, this one is very similar to one already published (see here). I have included it however as it is not so closely cropped and therefore shows the location of the Kingston Sub-station facility. The contributor gives the address as Queen Elizabeth Road, with Norbiton Church visible in the background. The identity of the AEC Mercury Tower Wagon is not confirmed but thought to be 83Q again, and the photo was taken sometime in the 1950s. |
20/12/2009 |
| 5,396 |  |
By Ray Monk Roving reporter Ray Monk scores a triple scoop with this photo taken on Bollo Lane on 1st December 2009. 6848F is the highest number reported so far, and it is the first example of the 2009 Ford Connect to be illustrated. This features a revised grille with similarities to the latest Transit design. Most significantly, it carries a new variant of the standard livery which we expect is the long-awaited replacement scheme for the vehicles in the former Metronet operations. Several vans and cars have been seen with the London Underground lettering and roundels (the latter also being worn on the fronts) including vehicles delivered earlier in the year. It would seem that they are also to gain a red stripe at the top of the blue skirt. This ties in with the livery on the new class 378 trains for London Overground, which are white and blue with an orange stripe. The vehicle by the way is a Ford Tourneo Connect, a type that is either a big car or a small minibus! Oh, and it's not yet on the database.... |
01/12/2009 |
| 5,397 |  |
By James Mair London Transport took several largish batches of Bedford HA vans during the late 1970s and early 1980s, presumably as an alternative to the similarly-sized Ford Escort van. The last batch numbered in the owned series was a dozen that became 2326B to 2337B in summer 1981. All had left the fleet by the end of 1985. 2336B was later used by Thames Maintenance and had its red livery modified with a cream skirt. AKA 'Back of a red HA under a bridge, number 2'. |
09/11/2009 |
| 5,398 |  |
By James Mair Numbers in the range 2320 to 2371 were applied to the last small vehicles to be numbered in the 'owned' series, although they were probably in fact leased. Later such vehicles were numbered from 3000 upwards. Among this range was a variety of cars and vans from Ford, Bedford and Vauxhall. Surprisingly few seem to have been photographed though. The only 'in service' image I currently have is this one of Ford Transit van 2324F, thought to have been taken near the Broadway offices. The Mk2 Transit van was allocated to the Publicity department (lettered for 'Bus Publicity') and was fitted with the toboggan-style of roof-rack for carrying ladders. |
09/11/2009 |
| 5,399 |  |
By James Mair Another photo taken at Salter Street, Willesden, on a different day to the previous one but probably again in late 1991. Three Dodge Commando lorries sit forlornly, untaxed, stripped of most lettering and loaded with what looks like junk. The lead pair are crew-cabbed 2314D and 2317D, while single cab 2304D brings up the rear. Although comparison with the previous photos shows that the trio were moved within the confines of the industrial estate, none were ever licensed again. |
09/11/2009 |
| 5,400 |  |
By James Mair This is Dodge Commando G1685 dropside lorry 2304D, new in December 1981. It is carrying grey livery with the twin stripes used from about 1985 though with a later form of lettering. It was photographed on Salter Street, in the industrial area amid the tangle of railway lines between Willesden and Old Oak Common. And it was evidently out of use, with no tax discs and a missing offside rear wheel (with seemingly minimal propping). Another Dodge Commando (2314D) was parked behind. The location is close to the works used by Bus Engineering Ltd following the closure of Chiswick, but the lorries were in fact owned by a company that provided mobile generators. Many were used for spares or storage, and this example was last licensed in June 1991 (when it was sold by CDS). The photo is thought to have been taken in December 1991. |
09/11/2009 |
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