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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 5,501 |  |
By Glyn Matthews My views on the First national bus livery have been expressed here before, but this is an example of how it can actually be made worse! Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 208D van R977BNE is part of the First Devon and Cornwall fleet and was photographed in Plymouth on 24th July 2009. The addition of a yellow reflective stripe, edged in blue, results in a rather discordant scheme. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,502 |  |
By Thomas Young Another view of Sovereign Recovery GJ58NUF on display at the Potters Bar Garage open day on 4th July 2009, showing the impressive capabilities of the recovery equipment fitted. On the right is a dragster that was periodically started up for a minute or two. In the enclosed space the racket it made was unbelievable. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,503 |  |
By Thomas Young Some restrained bling on display at the Potters Bar Garage open day on 4th July 2009. GJ58NUF was new to Sovereign Recovery in November 2008 and has not yet been 'treated' to a personalised registration. As advertised above the windscreen, this is a Volvo FH16 580 (16-litre engine, 580HP?) while the bodywork and lifting equipment was built by Boniface. It was on display with its nearside equipment lockers open and rear booms extended. Note that the metal bars fitted to the front are labelled as LoBar, MultiBar and HiBar! |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,504 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip This DAF XF recovery truck, with its curious extended snout appearance, has been illustrated here before. As the select registration suggests, it was latterly in the Lantern Recovery Services fleet but had passed to London-based SRE Rescue Recovery by 9th July 2009. On that date it was employed towing a WVL-class bus from Putney Garage out of Kingston Cromwell Road Bus Station. This is slightly curious as the route on which such buses operate into Kingston (85) actually terminates in the Fairfield Bus Station. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,505 |  |
By Colin Lloyd With a couple of exceptions, the Sovereign Recovery fleet has been formed of 3-axle Volvo FH-series units. Some variety has been seen recently with DAF and Mercedes-Benz lorries being acquired, but only two 2-axle lorries have been reported to date. The first was Volvo KX03ABF, followed in 2009 by DAF CF 85.430 N10SOV, as seen here at Trafalgar Square on 13th July. Such vehicles are evidently capable of shifting a standard double-decker (in this case Arriva London Volvo B7TL VLA160) on suspended tow, including backwards. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,506 |  |
By Ray Monk Metrobus operates buses in two distinct areas, namely south-east London and Crawley. Each has its own allocations of service vehicles and those from one are rarely seen in the other. Ford Transit Connect van 9008 is allocated to Crawley for use as an engineering vehicle (as indicated by the extended fleetnames). It has been seen in Orpington (presumably heading for the company's main base there) but on 15th June 2009 it was found further north at Lewisham. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,507 |  |
By Thomas Young Potters Bar Garage held another open day on 4th July 2009. As with the event the previous July, this was a fairly low-key but pleasant day, with several vintage buses running a variety of services, and a handful of buses on display inside the garage. The resident Mitsubishi pick-up was present again but was parked outside, thus showing off the fleetname in the rear window. This is the only indication of its role. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,508 |  |
By Glyn Matthews This Ford Transit Connect van was added to the First London fleet by early 2009, and Ray has made several visits to their Hackney / Lea Interchange garage to try and photograph it. However, it was Glyn that eventually found it paying a visit to Stratford Bus Station on 30th July 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,509 |  |
By Malcolm Conway We do very occasionally get service vehicle fleetlists from the bus companies, although it has to be said that the accuracy of them is very variable! R823CNB was listed by Arriva the Shires as being a 12 seat minibus acquired in 1997. The date is suspect as the vehicle was first registered in February 1998. More fundamentally, the vehicle is evidently a van rather than a minibus, although to be fair it is possible this was a (very neat) mid-life conversion. Anyway, the Ford Transit is allocated fleetnumber 1171 (not carried) and is based at Harlow Garage, where it was photographed on 24th July 2009. I could continue the Arriva-bashing by pointing out the rather rusty condition (the rear was worse) and pondering whether they were 'looking after our buses' at the expense of their SVs... but I won't. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,510 |  |
By Colin Lloyd VLT46 is a Volvo FM12 recovery truck operated by Go-Ahead London and usually based at Putney Garage. For such a high-profile and instantly recognisable vehicle, it has been reported by visitors to the website surprisingly infrequently. New in August 2004, just 13 sightings have been logged over the past 5 years. Admittedly some people chose not to log all (or any) of their sightings. On 1st June 2009 Colin caught the Volvo at work towing a Stockwell-based WVL-class bus across the junction at Bank. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,511 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Perhaps the most lorry-like lorries in the current fleet are a trio of Mercedes-Benz Axor delivered in 2008 to replace earlier Ivecos. All have triple-dropsides and nothing else. No cranes, no tail-lifts, no light-bars or toilets! WX08KUY was the last of the three to enter service and was found at Lillie Bridge on 16th July 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,512 |  |
By Ray Monk Ten new lorries joined the Tube Lines fleet in 2008 comprising 6 Merecedes and 4 Ivecos. The last of the 10 to be illustrated on this site is Mercedes-Benz Axor dropside lorry WX08KUY. Sister vehicles WX08KUT and WX08KUV were delivered in April while KUY did not turn up until June or July. An interesting aspect of these vehicles is that several were first registered some days after delivery to Acton, although the WX series are west country registrations associated with the Mercedes importer. On 23rd June 2009, KUY was caught passing Acton Town Station, loaded with a pair of tube bogie frames. Note that the front dropside panel is lowered although whether this was deliberate is not known. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,513 |  |
By Colin Lloyd This picture is quite old (taken at Elephant and Castle on 12th June 2008) but I have included it as this Toyota Prius is something of a mystery. Carrying the standard TfL Streets livery of white with an orange stripe, such vehicles are usually based at Eccleston Place (Victoria) or Chancel Street (Southwark) and can often be seen around town. However, this particular vehicle has never been reported by anyone else. Could it be that there is another base that we have not yet discovered? Or perhaps the vehicle has been out of service? Who knows! |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,514 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The blue beast! This un-numbered Citroen Relay exhibition unit is similar in configuration to the red-liveried AY07EYZ but the cab is to a later design and the bodywork is even larger, somewhat dwarfing the front end. First registered in February 2009, it was seen at the back of the Acton Museum Depot in early March in company with similarly-liveried Ford Transit 5494F. Although the lettering is different, it is thought to have replaced the latter vehicle in the role of instructing children about safety on the tube (as AY07EYZ does for bus travel). On 31st July 2009 it was parked outside Oakwood Station with its nearside awning extended. The week commencing 3rd August 2009 was 'be safe' week at the LT Museum and both the red and blue vehicles were thought to be attending. However, the tube function was actually performed by a small trailer. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,515 |  |
By Kim Rennie A second line-up in the Acton Works DSM yard on 30th July 2009, this one has a fair variety of vehicle types and liveries. Nearest the camera is un-marked VW Transporter minibus RJ09RNO. Whether this is actually a service vehicle may not be known until we next get an official fleetlist. The next van is white Renault Master 6761 while beyond that is silver Ford Transit 6027F. Note that this vehicle has had its Tube Lines logos stripped off and may be for disposal although it is a few months away from notching up the normal three years service. The London Buses IRU is 6361M from Sycamore House. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,516 |  |
By Kim Rennie An overview of one of the lines of vehicles in the DSM yard at Acton Works on 30th July 2009, this shot includes relatively few (at least 7) liveried service vehicles. The others are a mixture of contractors, anonymous, and police-related vehicles. Note the presence of two London Buses Incident Response Units. At least four such vehicles were in fact present, possibly in connection with 6-month checks. Also visible are a van with additional lettering for cleaning services (probably 6527F) and one of the red VW minibuses. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,517 |  |
By Kim Rennie Now, this could be a 'girl and an SV' shot! But it's actually relatively interesting. LN57UNM was one of three dual fuel Vauxhall Combo vans that joined the un-numbered fleet in early 2008 to work for TfL Highways (where they replaced Ford Transit Connect vans 5774F to 5776F). They were registered in the same LN57 series as many of the numbered fleet, and were most likely supplied by the dealership on Edgware Road. By mid-2009 the TfL Highways operation had been cut-back or closed down and the three vans were reassigned to JNP. They lost their light-bars and any TfL lettering that they had and were given Tube Lines logos and new fleetnumbers. These numbers are by a fair stretch the highest so far reported, and are consequently some 500-odd higher than other vehicles that entered service at the same time. Kim found two parked on Petty France (for the Broadway mail room) on 17th July 2009, including 6840V. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,518 |  |
By Ray Monk I thought I could liven up this website by having a Jowitt-esque 'The girl and the service vehicle' photo selection, but the range of source images is pretty thin. This photo, taken at Acton Town Station on 13th July 2009, hardly qualifies, and the only other one that springs to mind was taken about 10 years ago (Victoria Station, even the colours match). So, an appeal/challenge to all photographic contributors. Submissions that include SVs AND some totty will be especially welcomed! As for SVs, the inexorably progress of fleetnumbers continues, this being 6810F, the first 68xx to be shown. Exactly one week old, the vehicle lacked logos, either due to the newness or the de-branding of the Metronet operations. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,519 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray has been quite lucky/patient/successful at catching vehicles on delivery to Acton Works recently, and this is the second example of a vehicle seen on the day it was first registered. 6778F was a short-wheelbase Ford Transit crew van that later gained Tube Lines logos. It is slightly curious that some vehicles seem to be delivered without logos but with fleetnumbers already applied. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,520 |  |
By Ray Monk Vauxhall Astra estate 6768V was seen passing Acton Town station on 18th May 2009, the day it was licenced. It latter gained fleetnumbers and Tube Lines logos and was allocated to the control room at Cobourg Street, Euston. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,521 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Less than 2 weeks old at the time, Ford Transit dropside truck 6766F was caught about to turn into Lillie Bridge depot on 16th July 2009. Unlike most of the similar vehicles based here, this example is branded for Tube Lines, and has the 'one-stop' style of bodywork without a tail-lift. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,522 |  |
By Kim Rennie What sort of facilities do the Staff Welfare Facility vans provide? Well, this picture taken at Acton Works on 30th July 2009 should help answer that! Accessed from the rear are two small toilet compartments, complete with basins and mirrors. The compartment doors look like they are hinged from the centre partition, but there are notices to either side (under the no smoking stickers) that state 'In case of emergency turn here'. Any suggestions? The Clarks badge is just visible on the left of the rear step. There are apparently two types of these vans. Some have two toilets and a small kitchen/rest area in the front, these being the examples with additional side windows. Vans without side windows are presumably those fitted with four toilets. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,523 |  |
By Kim Rennie There are now at least 14 Staff Welfare Facility vans in the leased fleet, all based on jumbo Ford Transits. Most were converted by Clarks of Doncaster and, since mid-2008, have been registered by them, resulting in the appearance of Yx Yorkshire registration series. 6727F is one of a couple to carry all-over white livery and it was photographed at Acton Works on 30th July 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,524 |  |
By Kim Rennie Ford Transit dropside truck 6708F was new to Metronet in April 2009 and would have been among the last vehicles to have their logo applied. On 12th June 2009 it was parked in the DSM yard at Acton Works alongside similar but older 5888F. The newer truck has a crew cab, a 'one-stop' style dropside body and a mesh tail-lift. I have only just noticed that Ford Transit trucks always seem to have a different design of front wheel to Ford Transit vans. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,525 |  |
By Kim Rennie Oh look, another Ford Transit. Let's see... it's got a high roof, it's a crew van, and it carries Metronet logos. Seen at Acton Works on 30th July 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,526 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit Connect 6698F carries no operator logos, although it apparently has chevrons on the rear. On 13th July 2009 it was waiting at the traffic lights near Acton Town Station. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,527 |  |
By Kim Rennie Parked on some parched grass near Acton Town station on 4th July 2009, 6697F is a Ford Mondeo estate in the Tube Lines fleet. Recent changes have made the differences between the Mondeo and the Focus less obvious, but the shape of the headlamps and the metal trim around the front grille are key recognition points. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,528 |  |
By Ray Monk A lucky snap at Acton Town station on 27th May 2009 sees two service vehicles passing. Waiting to turn onto Bollo Lane is newly delivered Ford Focus estate 6696F. It lacked logos but gained Tube Lines ones shortly afterwards. Passing the other way is an unidentified Metronet Ford Transit dropside truck loaded with bags of building materials. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,529 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit dropside trucks with rubbish cages are not particularly common, although for several years one has been based at Pinner Station at the leafy end of the Metropolitan line. Actually, that may be a clue to the vehicles' role, as they have been seen loaded with cut-down branches and vegetation. The vehicles so far have been Mark Five 4916F (1999 to 2003), Mark Sixes 5474F (2003 to 2006) and 5957F (2006 to 2009) and now Mark Seven 6694F. On 18th May 2009 Ray found the latest vehicle passing Acton Town Station, presumably before it entered service (it had only been registered eleven days earlier). As with most recent deliveries to the erstwhile Metronet operations, no logos are carried. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,530 |  |
By Kim Rennie The DSM (Distribution Services Manager) yard at Acton Works is usually packed with service vehicles, including new deliveries and those waiting disposal. Present on 12th June 2009 were new Ford Transit high-roof crew van 6689F for Tube Lines and Citroen Berlingo estate 6770, thought to be for Metronet (as was). On the left is Ford Transit Connect 5922F which is based here but which may well be for disposal having just achieved three years service. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,531 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Metronet Ford Transit dropside truck 6665F was caught as it turned onto Lillie Road on 1st June 2009. Visible in the background is the south entrance to Lillie Bridge depot, although the depot itself is at the far end of the Earls Court complex. Note the lights in the tunnel beyond the gate house. You can at least see vehicles coming from a long way off! |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,532 |  |
By Kim Rennie Vauxhall Combo van 6651V, photographed at Acton Works on 12th June 2009, seems to be allocated to the Metronet SSL Signal Projects Installation Delivery Manager (if I have decoded correctly!). It has bodyside logos (although these lack the red 'swirl') but none on the doors. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,533 |  |
By London Spotter Stratford Bus Station is the allocation for six of the London Buses Incident Response Units. Four are from the 2008 batch while the other two are from the 2009 batch, including 6622M (and 6616M in the background) seen at home on 4th June 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,534 |  |
By Les Savine The confusion caused by the incorrect application of fleetnumbers to the second batch of Incident Response Units may soon be over. Les spoke to the driver of this van at Brent Cross Bus Station on 26th July 2009 and was told that they were expected to have the numbers corrected in September. The van shown is 6608M, allocated to Edgware Bus Station and carrying the fleetnumber 6613M. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,535 |  |
By Ray Monk Ooh, I am getting caption writing fatigue now! I think trying to do 66 in one batch was a bit ambitious. I mean, I have drafted over 2,740 of the blighters since starting this venture, and though I try to always say something interesting it can get a bit repetitive, especially if the subject matter is a white and blue Ford Transit. If I took all the captions and put them in a book, it would be quite a weighty tome. We're talking Argos catalogues here! Hey, I could add the photos as well. Nice hard covers, glossy paper, £199 cover price. I could make a fortune... or I could keep providing it for free to you ungrateful lot! Metronet Fxxd Txxxxxt van 6594F is used by the BCV Electrical DLO (whatever that is) and was caught on camera as it left Hainault depot on 22nd June 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,536 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Since 2005 the vehicles used for staff uniform distribution have carried Transport for London logos rather than London Underground or Tube Lines ones. The third vehicle reported as such was high-roof Ford Transit van 6584F, new in about October 2008 to replace mid-height 5816F. On 16th July 2009 it was caught passing the Empress State Building on Lillie Road, close to the Lillie Bridge depot entrance. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,537 |  |
By Kim Rennie A pair of Metronet high-roof Transit crew vans back-to-back at Acton Works on 31st March 2009 comprising 6583F and 5879F. The fleetlists obtained occasionally from Tube Lines do not give allocation details in a traditional format, instead using customer codes that are sometimes obscure (BCVZD42 BCV SRA TF OPS MANAGER is a good example) and which appear to be for accounting purposes as much as anything. The codes will naturally not be published but I will try to use them to provide some context when writing picture captions. Unfortunately the most recent list did not include the meanings for the codes and some of them have changed. For example, both the vans shown here are allocated to SSLMC24 which, apart from being Metronet SSL, tells us very little. However, by comparing the allocated vehicles to an earlier list (and ignoring the possibility of other changes!) I can deduce that this is probably the Power and Electrical department. 5879F would have just celebrated its third birthday so was probably due for replacement soon. 6583F was taken on lease in December 2008 and appears to have been an addition rather than a renewal. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,538 |  |
By London Spotter 'Short and low' Ford Transit 6580F has run without logos since delivery, although it is operated by JNP. It could be part of another group of 'pool' vehicles for allocation on an as-required basis. On 8th July 2009 it was found in the car park at Hatton Cross Station |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,539 |  |
By Thomas Young Another zoomed-in rear-end shot from 'Peeping Tom's' 12x optical Panasonic! The subject is another standard Ford Transit crew van but, being photographed at High Barnet station during line works on 4th July 2009, one would have expected it to carry Tube Lines logos. The recent official fleet list does not give much information except that 6577F is in a Tube Lines 'pool' with just two other vehicles, 6578F and 6580F. Notably, all three operate without logos. 6578F has been seen several times at Griffith House, suggesting that it is on loan to Griffith House. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,540 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit 6571F is a single-cabbed dropside truck with the recently introduced Ford 'one-stop' style of bodywork, complete with ribbed dropsides and tubular-framed headboard and step. It is allocated to the Central Line Site Services team and was photographed near Hainault depot on 8th June 2009. This operation is notable for running vehicle in non-standard liveries. Among the six numbered vehicles in use in spring 2009 were a dark-blue Tourneo Connect (6272F), a blue VW Transporter (6295VW) and a blue Transit van (6493F). |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,541 |  |
By Thomas Young Vehicles at Arnos Grove are usually parked in the car park at the south end of the main building (as seen here), which can be viewed by walking down Highview Gardens. The entrance is actually off Palmer's Road, and Ford Transit crew van 6555F was found parked at the end of the approach road on 4th July 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,542 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Although a large number of service vehicles are based at Acton works, Ford Transit high-roof van 6508F is currently the only numbered vehicle allocated to support the REW (Railway Engineering Works). It replaced similar 5439F in autumn 2008 and can often be seen from trains, parked outside the works building opposite Frank Pick House. On 6th May 2009 it was caught leaving the main works entrance. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,543 |  |
By Kim Rennie The Metronet yard at the centre of Acton Works (also seen here) is used by vehicles from both BCV and SSL. From the former is Ford Transit Connect van 6501F, currently the only such vehicle to carry silver livery. It was photographed on 5th March 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,544 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Lillie Bridge depot is home to a large number of Ford Transit dropside trucks. 6492F was new in autumn 2008 and has a crew cab and the traditional style of plain-sided body without a tail-lift. It was caught departing from Lillie Bridge depot on 6th May 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,545 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit crew van 6459F is allocated to the Victoria Line Depot at Northumberland Park and was seen nearby at Tottenham Hale Station on 15th June 2009. Not much notable about this vehicle apart from the badge on the rear, which appears to be a 'Van of the year' branding. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,546 |  |
By Kim Rennie For several years Tube Lines (and London Underground before it) has had a licence to operate one or two PCVs (passenger carrying vehicles). Such vehicles can generally be recognised by carrying the operator's address low on the nearside, and all such examples in the service vehicle fleet have been Ford Transit minibuses. The first known were Mark 4 Transits 2502F and 2503F (plus 2506F later), followed by Mark 5s 5076F and 5077F, then Mark 6 5724F and finally (for now) Mark 7 6426F. The latter two were both of the extended length variety, seating 17. The offside lettering gives instructions for shutting off the engine, while the nearside legal lettering can be seen here. On 31st March 2009 the minibus was parked at Acton Works alongside the disused community exhibition vehicle M1020. By the way, the Ford Transit designations given here are the correct (if unofficial) ones. Those given in my article on Ford Transits were wrong and will be amended in due course! |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,547 |  |
By Ray Monk As has been mentioned several times, we rely on the occasional release of official information to get a fuller picture of the fleet. Most vehicles are seen and reported by correspondents, but some would never have been noticed. A good example is this car photographed at West Croydon Bus Station on 17th July 2009. Although completely anonymous, this vehicle is officially 6312H, the last of 16 Honda Civic Hybrid cars taken on lease in 2007. All the other Civics have London Buses markings on a maroon base colour, and are fitted with light-bars. 6312H is allocated to the same operational pool and the reason for its 'covert' appearance is not clear. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,548 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Honda Civic car 6311H was allocated to Stratford Bus Station when new in 2007 but moved to Turnpike Lane in mid-2008. It was photographed at home on 27th May 2009 in the parking bay reserved for 'LBS Vans'. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,549 |  |
By Ray Monk Unlike the west London allocation, the Honda Civic cars in east London are easy to see, most being based at Turnpike Lane, Stratford or Eltham Bus Stations. Some of these locations are not ideal for photography though, the cars at the former often parking nose-in to the back wall, as seen here. It would be interesting to know what role these vehicles fulfil, as they are very rarely seen away from their home bases. On one of those occasions, Ray found 6307H (from the Turnpike Lane allocation) parked at Becontree Heath Bus Station on 18th July 2009. This vehicle is slightly odd in that it gained fleetnumbers about a month after delivery but has now evidently lost them again, on both sides! |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,550 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Honda Civic hybrid 6306H is from the rather hard to find west London allocation, latterly based (sometimes) at Wembley Olympic Way. This allocation is thought to have moved elsewhere but on 10th June 2009 the car returned to the area in connection with an England football game at the stadium. Tube services were seriously affected by a 2-day industrial action at the time, and numerous extra buses were provided as cover. Several LBSL vans were parked nearby. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,551 |  |
By Colin Lloyd A very colourful composition at Kingston Cromwell Road Bus Station on 20th June 2009. Nearest the camera is Honda Civic hybrid 6305H in the maroon livery standard for that type alone. Next to it is VW Transporter van 5672VW, now one of the oldest vehicles in the leased fleet and surely due for replacement soon. One correspondent mentioned that this example had recently been spruced up, and the bonnet certainly looks sparkling clean. The treatment does not appear to have extended as far as the raised roof section though! Completing the scene is one of South West Trains refurbished 455 units, in their 'interesting' revised livery. Note that the block of buildings to the left (once home to 'The Smokebox' transport bookshop) has been flattened. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,552 |  |
By Kim Rennie Among a variety of vehicles photographed at Acton Works on 30th July 2009 was Vauxhall Combo van 6273V. Although no logos are carried, the van is operated by the SSL Signals section. Most recent Vauxhalls in the fleet have been registered in London (for example the LR07xxx and LT07xxx series). 6273V is one of three Combo vans registered in East Anglia, the others being 6276V and 6277V. Interestingly, intermediate numbers 6274 and 6275 were not issued. Note the recently applied lettering on the rear, warning potential thieves of the tracking devices fitted. Also notable is the legal lettering on the skirt of Ford Transit minibus 6426F on the right. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,553 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Metronet Ford Transit van 6264F was photographed at the back of the Acton Museum Depot on 18th April 2009. This gated area was thought to be known as Hearne House, but other photos have shown that there are a collection of temporary-looking buildings in this yard with a 'Maxwell House' sign on them (and we're not talking about the coffee). The area beyond the substantial fence on the right is the playground of Acton High School. The best way to see the various Metronet vehicles based here is to wait on the corner of Gunnersbury Lane and Bollo Lane, outside Acton Town station, and hope that something either comes in or goes out. The only road access to the yard is via Museum Way and around the back of the Museum Depot. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,554 |  |
By Thomas Young Vauxhall Combo van 6246V is allocated to the Jubilee Line Track team within Tube Lines and has been seen at a variety of locations (including Derbyshire!). On 9th May 2009 it was parked in the JNP yard at Lillie Bridge, affording a comparison with Volkswagen Caddy van 6400VW. Both vans have a full set of logos. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,555 |  |
By Ray Monk 6210V is a Vauxhall Combo van supplied by the Edgware Road dealership and allocated to Tube Lines. Note that the logos are only applied to the doors (the larger bodyside logos are not always applied on smaller vans). It was found on Westerham Road near Leyton Green on 22nd June 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,556 |  |
By Thomas Young A long-zoom shot of Lillie Bridge depot taken on 9th May 2009 sees a number of Metronet vehicles parked in the gap between the buildings. The silver Ford Focus estate is 6201F (number not carried on nearside) with Ford Transit Minibus 6473F just visible on the right. The Transit dropside in the centre is BD56YCJ, a member of the unliveried fleet since January 2007, while Transit van 6331F is on the far left. Two more silver Ford Focus estates can be glimpsed further back, along with a single Ford Fiesta van. There are two Fiesta vans in the current leased fleet (6279F and 6399F) but it is not known if this is one of them. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,557 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Caught leaving Lillie Bridge depot on 27th April 2009, 6147F is one of over 20 silver Ford Focus estate cars in the current fleet. Like most examples, it is operated by Metronet. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,558 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray is doing good work trying to track down the LSCP (London Safety Camera Partnership) vehicles that are allocated fleetnumbers in the leased series. Following a lead, he attended the family fun day at Danson Park, Bexleyheath on 5th July 2009 and was rewarded with this shot of 6122F just arriving. Although the official fleet list (and consequently SUP24D) showed this as being a long-wheelbase van, it is in fact a medium-wheelbase crew van very similar to 6120F and 6121F. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,559 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Colin just managed to catch this shot of Vauxhall Combo 6111V as it passed him on Stratford Broadway on 17th March 2009 (just a few minutes after a convoy of Ford Transits!). Like the Transits, 6111V is a standard but rarely seen vehicle. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,560 |  |
By Ray Monk Trinity Square at Tower Hill again, this time on 9th May 2009, with Tube Lines Ford Transit 6107F in attendance. This high-roof van is allocated to the Transplant workshop at Ruislip and supports the engineering trains. As such, it can be seen at worksites that are otherwise dominated by Metronet vehicles. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,561 |  |
By Ray Monk 6101F is a standard 'small' (i.e. short-wheelbase, low-roof) Ford Transit van in the Metronet fleet. On 8th February 2009 it was parked on Trinity Square near Tower Hill Station. The larger Transit in the background is 6711F. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,562 |  |
By Kim Rennie A lot of vehicles are to be seen running without logos at present, as the branding to replace the Metronet name appears to not yet have been decided. However the example shown here (Ford Transit crew van 6007F) predates this and is thought to be one of several held by Tube Lines for loaning to any operator as cover (this was mentioned earlier in connection with 6006F and 6008F so it seems plausible). On 31st March 2009 it was parked at Acton Works ahead of a Metronet Transit dropside. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,563 |  |
By Kim Rennie 5946F was one of the more elusive Ford Transit Connect vans in the Tube Lines fleet. New in March 2006 it was seen at Acton Works on 31st March 2009, most likely for decommissioning. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,564 |  |
By Ray Monk On this website, I treat vehicles involved in the recovery of buses as service vehicles. But what about this? Midway Recovery Volvo X50TOW was seen on the roundabout at Redbridge on 22nd June 2009 with Mercedes-Benz Actros artic 2560M on tow. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,565 |  |
By Damon Cross Not previously illustrated, 626X is a Fordson tractor now preserved at the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville (near Lowestoft). Tractors were used by London Transport mainly to move buses, trams and trolleybuses within garages and works. 626X was one of four acquired in 1942 and it spent time at Hertford, St Albans and Edgware garages before disposal in 1966. To facilitate their use as shunters, most tractors were fitted with large buffing plates at front and rear, mounted on substantial metal sections that ran either side of the engine. The arrangement visible here, whereby the front of these sections is suspended by ropes that run over the radiator, suggests that the sections were pivoted from the rear. A similar tractor is preserved in the Acton Museum Depot (351X), though 626X differs in having pneumatic tyres and mudguards, while it lacks headlights and was never licensed, running on trade plates (013GJ and 046UL). Photographed on 1st July 2009. |
05/08/2009 |
| 5,566 |  |
By London Spotter A Sovereign Recovery van can often be found parked at Aldgate Bus Station. On 15th May 2009 the resident was Ford Transit MF05DHJ. This example is slightly unusual in being a high-roof mid-length van. Note the LT roundel on the number plate. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,567 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip An unexpected arrival in May 2009 was this Dennis Dart bus, seen at Richmond Manor Circus on the 16th of that month. Formerly used by BBC Lancashire as a mobile exhibition and computer unit, it seems to now be in use with NSL Services as a crew canteen and rest room. Not quite an NS though! The only lettering visible is the Keillor branding on the front, this being the specialist vehicle conversion company that modified the Plaxton Pointer bodywork. It remains to be seen if this vehicle becomes a permanent member of the NSL Services (latterly NCP Challenger) fleet. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,568 |  |
By Ray Monk Vauxhall Corsa car 123 (LN58UTL) and 126 (FG58NVX) are part of a large batch operated by Arriva London as crew ferry vehicles from the Lea Valley garage. However, on 15th June 2009, both were parked outside Stamford Hill garage. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,569 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip Having operated anonymously for over a year, at least one of the three Mercedes Sprinter vans acquired by Metroline in late 2007/early 2008 has now gained lettering. KR57FUT was parked outside the Old Vic at Waterloo on 18th June 2009. It seems likely that this van has replaced older KN05LZW in the roadside support role, both vans having been seen at Perivale works recently. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,570 |  |
By John Forge John found 3 small vans parked behind the offices at Merton Garage on 17th May 2009. Among them was Vauxhall Corsa van GV57XRJ. This had started life with the Blue Triangle operation in Rainham, and had gained a small fleetnumber (6) on the rear side panels. It is presumed that the vehicle has been transferred but further observations would be welcomed. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,571 |  |
By Damon Cross Ford Transit van EJ57PXY was new to London General, probably in late 2007, and allocated to Stockwell Garage where it replaced similar GD02FKX. The livery application is similar to the older van but includes the seemingly fashionable practice of missing out the chevrons on the centre panels (as on the IRUs). Photographed outside Victoria Coach Station on 10th May 2009. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,572 |  |
By John Forge The most elusive service vehicle in the Metrobus fleet is probably Ford Transit dropside truck EJ54RVE (the allocated fleetnumber of 9014 does not appear to be carried). Nominally allocated to the engineering base at Lagoon Road it can just as often (or just as rarely!) be found at the main Orpington Garage. When John visited the latter on 17th May 2009 he found the trucked parked in the bus wash, making photography difficult. Note the tail-lift. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,573 |  |
By John Forge On a rather dreary Sunday 17th May 2009, John Forge visited the Belvedere Garage of East Thames Buses and found several of their former Dial-a-Ride minibuses present. Nearest the camera is crew ferry vehicle E22 (R963SLL), repainted red for its new role. Alongside is trainer T19 (P185OLC) which retains the slightly darker red from its DaR days. Both vehicles have signs on the rear stating that they are limited to 60mph. |
12/07/2009 |
| 5,574 |  |
By Ray Monk The fleet of vehicles supplied by the Distribution Services Manager includes a couple of hundred unmarked cars for use by various operators. Details of these are not generally available and would not be published anyway. However, a handful have been seen carrying operator labels, which makes them eligible for inclusion here. A good example is Ford Mondeo estate MV58WCP, photographed passing Acton Town station on 18th May 2009. Interestingly, this vehicle is used by the BCV ATC Manager, as was the last such car illustrated (VN56YMD) and numbered vans 6041F and 6042F. By the way, the cafe in the background is a good place to spot service vehicles from, especially if you can bag one of the tables in the window. It is also very popular with staff from the nearby works. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,575 |  |
By Kim Rennie Another of TfL Highways' anonymous Vauxhall Combo vans is LN57USP, seen at Acton Works on 12th June 2009. In fact, all three such vans were at Acton that day (LN57UNM, LN57UNX and LN57USP). Could the lack of lettering be because their use was only temporary? Have they returned to Carlisle Lane or been replaced? Or has their work ceased? These and many other questions will be answered one day, maybe..... |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,576 |  |
By Kim Rennie LN57UNX, seen at Acton Works on 12th June 2009, was one of three un-numbered Vauxhall Combo vans operated in silver livery by TfL Highways. As can be seen, they had light-bars and chevron rears but no operator markings. Note the DUALFUEL badging and the LPG filler point beside the petrol one. It would appear that the trio replaced the three silver Ford Transit Connect vans that had been based at Carlisle Lane (5774F to 5776F). |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,577 |  |
By Kim Rennie As already illustrated, Ford Ranger 6786F was delivered at the end of March 2009 in plain white and blue with a red bonnet. Within a few weeks its appearance was transformed by the addition of reflective markings, as seen in this view taken at Acton Works on 12th June 2009. The yellow band on the sides has left just enough room for a Tube Lines logo to be squeezed in beneath. However, the fleetnumbers (and the model badging) have been removed or covered over. As expected, this car is for use by the Emergency Response Unit Duty Manager, replacing Vauxhall Vectra LR06VZY. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,578 |  |
By Ray Monk Parked outside the Chapel pub opposite Griffith House on 25th May 2009 was Ford Transit van 6783F of Metronet. The most notable aspect of this vehicle is the curious positioning of the fleetnumbers (on both sides) in front of the mirrors. On Transits the usual position is below the mirrors. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,579 |  |
By Ray Monk Parked close to West Ruislip Station on 12th June 2009 was Citroen Berlingo 6772. Although unmarked this is thought to be operated by the Central Line Signals Manager and to have recently replaced Renault Kangoo 5836. As seen already, more Berlingos were in the course of delivery by this time and it remains to be seen whether this type will supplant the Renault Kangoo in the role of 'utility estate car'. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,580 |  |
By Ray Monk An unexpected find at Leytonstone Station on 5th June 2009 was this Citroen Berlingo estate car numbered 6771. This was the first reported Citroen in the main central fleet, the only earlier examples being a C5 estate car inherited by TfL Streets, and an exhibition unit based on a Relay chassis. Sadly the C suffix was not resurrected, having last been seen on Leyland Cubs in 1962! The vehicle was parked in the slot reserved for the local Signal Manager, whose previous vehicle was a mis-numbered Renault Kangoo estate. Within a week, Ray had tracked down two more Berlingos, also allocated to Central Line Signal Managers. One was at Loughton and the third at West Ruislip. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,581 |  |
By Kim Rennie One week after Ray found the first example, Kim came across several more Citroen Berlingo estates at Acton Works on 12th June 2009. All were newly delivered and had not yet had company logos applied. However, as the replacement for the Metronet branding had not yet been finalised it was likely they would enter service in this condition. 6764 was seen in the DSM yard surrounded by Ford Transits and Tourneos. The Tourneo on the left is 6195F, which has additional 'Signal Projects SSL' lettering. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,582 |  |
By Colin Lloyd There are two entrances to Lillie Bridge Depot. One is alongside West Kensington Station while the other is on Lillie Road, some way south of the depot itself. Observations had suggested that a one way system was in operation, with vehicles arriving at the West Ken end and leaving via Lillie Road. However, this view shows new Peugeot Partner van 6754 turning into the depot from Lillie Road on 1st June 2009. One of about 10 such vans delivered that March, all were white while about half had Tube Lines logos and the rest were anonymous. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,583 |  |
By Colin Lloyd A lot of vehicles added to the leased fleet are obtained for specific roles, which accounts for the relative rarity of large batches. Upon expiry of the leases, generally after three years, vehicles are often replaced by similar ones. A good example of this is Ford Transit van 6728F. New in May 2009 this was unusual for carrying Tube Lines logos on a silver livery. It is often to be found parked outside Frank Pick House at Acton Town, in a position formerly occupied by similar 5916F. As mentioned before, we don't know why some vehicles are delivered in silver instead of white/blue but examples such as this suggest that it is a deliberate specification. Colin found 6728F leaving the West Brompton exit from Lillie Bridge depot on 1st June 2009. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,584 |  |
By Kevin Bullions Seen fairly soon after entering service, Ford Transit 6723F was photographed at Lillie Bridge depot on 28th May 2009. It is a low-roof crew van, slightly unusual for featuring roof bars and a rear ladder. Note also the lettering on the rear relating to tracking devices. This notice has recently been seen applied to many vans in both the Tube Lines and Metronet fleets. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,585 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray has really been coming up with the goods recently. As well as tracking down the first trio of Citroen Berlingos, he has done a lot of licensing checks for the database and sent in loads of photos. One lead to the other recently when he noticed that Vauxhall Combo van 5868V had been delicensed. This was sometimes to be seen parked on Woodbine Road in Sidcup, so on 21st June 2009 he took himself down there and found this! It is always tempting fate to describe a vehicle as unique but 6714F is at present the only Ford Fiesta car in the central fleet. There are two other Fiestas as vans so the model as a whole is rare. The sight of Metronet logos on an '09 registered vehicle is also uncommon, as the decision to drop the name was made that spring. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,586 |  |
By Ray Monk The Duty Manager's Incident Response car at Edgware Road Station has been a Vauxhall Zafira for several years, with 5318V being replaced by 5912V in March 2006 and then by 6713V three years later. The differences between the two most recent cars are minimal. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,587 |  |
By Ray Monk Metronet has for several years had a requirement for a single high-volume van, this being met by using a Ford Transit box van (as opposed to the more normal panel van variant) fitted with a tail-lift. 4958F was the first known example, replaced by 5519F in August 2003. This gave a creditable five and a half years service before being replaced by new 6685F in February 2009. The vehicle is based at Maxwell House behind the Museum Depot at Acton and Ray caught it about to turn into Museum Way on 23rd June 2009. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,588 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip The second batch of London Buses Incident Response Units was formed of 21 Mercedes vans identical to the first batch. However, things went astray with the fleet numbering, one number being used twice and five others differing from the official information. One that has not caused us any trouble is 6615M, based at Kingston Cromwell Road, where it was photographed on 20th June 2009. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,589 |  |
By Glyn Matthews The current London Underground Incident Response Vehicle at Wembley Park Station is Ford Galaxy 6552F. When Glyn visited on 23rd May 2009 he found it parked nose-out, thus making for a better picture than my earlier effort. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,590 |  |
By Ray Monk The number of Staff Welfare Facilities vans in the fleet appears to be still growing, with several new examples seen at Acton in recent months. As an aside, these vans now park at the south end of the lorry yard, making them much easier to spot. Ray found 6519F at work on Chenies Street, close to Goodge Street Station, on 25th May 2009. Note the push-up roof vents just visible. The vehicle behind is of interest, being a double-deck semi-trailer dining facility. Such trailers are becoming common at filming locations, supplanting the traditional use of elderly double-deck buses. This is the first time I have seen one being used in connection with rail works. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,591 |  |
By Kim Rennie The Emergency Response Unit makes use of two 'Jumbo' Ford Transit vans. 5862F has a tail-lift and a window in the offside only. It also retains the older livery with white/red side stripes. 6488F, seen at Acton Works on 12th June 2009, has windows in both sides and the newer livery featuring a blue-edged yellow stripe. An official list states that is also has a tail-lift but, unless it is a fully internal one, this would not appear to be the case. It is more likely that this is the current Signal Courier van, having replaced earlier 5813F. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,592 |  |
By Ray Monk Not a fantastic shot but worth using anyway, this is Vauxhall Zafira 6342V making the turn from Bollo Lane into Gunnersbury Lane outside Acton Town Station on 23rd June 2009. It is based at the nearby Bollo House, replacing similar 5617V in late 2007, and is used as an LUL Duty Officer's response car. As with most such vehicles, it carries white/red side markings and a light-bar, although the white EMERGENCY lettering on this example is unique. The livery on the cars varies with some having the blue skirt while others are all white. The lettering on the side also varies, 6342V being marked as an 'Emergency Incident Vehicle'. This car is actually very hard to see despite being habitually parked beside the entrance to Bollo House. You can walk past within five feet of it but a high wall and thick vegetation completely block the view, while the building itself means the car cannot be seen from passing trains. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,593 |  |
By Ray Monk It took me a while to work out why this van looked slightly different! Ford Transit Connect vans usually have a prominent black rubbing strip above the three recesses in the bodysides, and the blue skirt is normally applied up to that level. 6318F, seen here near Hainault Depot on 8th June 2009, lacks the strip and has a very shallow skirt. The van is allocated to the Central Line Track Manager and hence carries Metronet logos. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,594 |  |
By Kim Rennie A fine view of Metronet Ford Focus estate 6261F at Lillie Bridge on 20th May 2009 shows the rare silver/blue livery. This has been reported on just two cars (the other being 6258F) although it is possible that some of the other cars listed as being silver also actually wear it. Two more silver Focus estates (the nearest one lacking fleetnumbers) can be seen in the background. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,595 |  |
By Ray Monk Although the intake of Vauxhall vehicles has remained fairly constant over the recent years, the number of Astra Estates in use seems to have dropped. Just 10 were in the leased fleet in spring 2009, of which seven wore the white/blue livery. One of these was Metronet 6251V, found parked on Hythe Avenue in Bexleyheath on 15th May 2009. This street is often also host to a Metronet van, as on 12th June. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,596 |  |
By Kim Rennie 6222F, seen at Acton Works on 12th June 2009, is a fairly standard high-roof Ford Transit crew van. It is operated by the SSL Signals Projects team, as indicated by the small lettering below the logo on the door. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,597 |  |
By Ray Monk The elusive London Safety Camera Partnership vehicles are gradually being tracked down. As this photo shows, apart from the standard fleetnumbers, the vans could quite easily be mistaken for genuine police vehicles. Indeed 6120F was photographed on 20th June 2009 at the Hendon police training centre during an event there. The lack of blue lights is a clue however. 6120F differs from 6121F in having additional logos on the bonnet. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,598 |  |
By Ray Monk Since 2002 a small proportion of the central leased fleet has operated in a silver livery rather than the standard white and blue. The reasons for this are not clear, although most such vehicles were operated by Metronet BCV. Ford Transit high-roof crew van 6041F, seen here at Loughton Station on 8th June 2009, is used by the BCV ATC (Automatic Train Control) manager. Similar but mid-height 6042F from the same pool is also silver, as is Vauxhall Combo van 6669F. |
26/06/2009 |
| 5,599 |  |
By Kim Rennie The latest addition to the Sovereign Recovery fleet is a second DAF CF-series lorry, seen towing a Transdev (formerly London Sovereign!) Scania at Trafalgar Square on 13th June 2009. Compared to earlier GN07HRD, GN09ENF has a longer cab with an aerodynamic foil on top. Note the street nameplate for Charing Cross on the building in the background. This applies to the very short stretch between Whitehall and the Strand, and is distinct from Charing Cross Road. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,600 |  |
By Kim Rennie A close-up of Cowans Sheldon crane C624 at Ruislip Depot on 12th June 2009. Built in 1984 and capable of running through tube tunnels, these cranes have similar bogies to the longer TRM machines, but mounted much closer together. The single extending jib has a lifting capacity of 7.5 tonnes. |
19/06/2009 |
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