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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 5,601 |  |
By Kim Rennie This photo taken at Ruislip Depot on 12th June 2009 includes no fewer than six cranes, or seven if you count both the twin jibs on track relayer TRM628 on the left! Despite its sun-bleached appearance, this is actually the newest vehicle in the picture, having been built by Cowans Boyd in 1993. Similar TRM627 was illustrated last month. C623 and C624 are single-jib cranes built by Cowans Sheldon in the 1980s. Part of a third similar crane (either C625 or C626) is just visible above TRM628. Finally, raised in the background are the jibs of the two road cranes, F561KNL on the left and the unidentified example on the right. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,602 |  |
By Kim Rennie The other yellow crane at Ruislip Depot was also photographed on 12th June 2009, although not in a way that reveals either the make or whether it is road registered. There does appear to be a hirers label on the chassis though. Compared to F561KNL, this crane is smaller with a combined cab. The extending jib is raised by twin rams and the counterbalance is raised to allow 360 degree rotation. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,603 |  |
By Kim Rennie Another puzzle solved. F561KNL has appeared on official fleetlists in recent years, with a nominal acquisition date of 1st January 2000. But nobody seemed to know where it was based. Aerial photos of Ruislip Depot showed a pair of yellow road cranes in a yard near the centre of the complex and, on a visit on 12th June 2009, Kim was able to confirm that one of these was indeed F561KNL. The vehicle has separate driving and lifting cabs, the former being on the centre-line and low-slung to allow the superstructure to swing above it. The main jib is raised by a single hydraulic ram and would appear to be extendable. Note the large stabilisers in use. The wagon in the background is one of several RW-series rail wagons modified to carry long-welded rails. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,604 |  |
By Ray Monk An Iveco of EPL Access has already been illustrated on this site (Daily van AD03OOU in 2006). The example seen here is also an Iveco Daily but a chassis-cab rather than a van, and the hoist fitted is rather more substantial. With 2 hinges and an extending final section, it is capable of lifting a 200kg load to a height of 16m. Registered AE08JUX, it was assigned to the Technical Services Group (TSG) of London Buses and was probably used in connection with the fitting of iBus transmission boxes to lamp-posts. Ray photographed it parked alongside a smaller Ford Transit-based cherry picker at the TSG offices in Chingford on 4th May 2009. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,605 |  |
By Kim Rennie Another view of 6296F at Acton Works on 12th June 2009 shows the 2-man 'bucket' complete with controls, and the roof bar that supports the lifting arm. A second light-bar is mounted on this bar, offset to the right. Note the re-positioned number plate and the extra lights fitted near the top of the rear. Although the fleetnumber of 6296F is not carried, it is notable for being rather low for an '08 registered vehicle. Adjacently numbered vehicles entered service in late summer 2007, but 6296F was not licensed until the end of June 2008. Presumably there was a longer than normal lead-time for leasing such a specialised vehicle. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,606 |  |
By Kim Rennie Steve reported this vehicle in Southwark in December 2008 but it has otherwise kept a low profile, until now! 6296F is a Ford Transit mid-height van modified with a roof-mounted Versalift man hoist. Such vehicles are often referred to as Cherry Pickers. It is operated by the Transport for London Highways department and is thought to be based at Carlisle Lane in Waterloo although Kim photographed it at Acton Works on 12th June 2009. Note the extra lights on the front grille, and the retracted stabilisers under the side door. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,607 |  |
By Julian Bowden-Green The numbered service vehicle fleet has only featured 6 pure cranes (as opposed to lorries that were also fitted with cranes). The first of these were built by Ransome and Rapier and were given R suffixes, this later being used to include cranes from other companies. 1292F was new in 1963 and wore a non-standard (at that time) red livery. A curious-looking machine, it had four wheels on two axles, the rear axle being considerably shorter than the front. The lattice jib was mounted on an A-frame beneath which an enclosed cab was fitted. Although the jib could not be turned, it could be tilted up and down by means of cables attached to the balance end. As such, the vehicle was rather similar to much older 352R. By the time it was photographed in Chiswick Works in the 1970s, it had lost its front registration plate (originally underneath the Rapier badge on the cab front) but was very unlikely to have ventured onto the public roads anyway. 1292R remained in stock until the mid-1980s. It is worth mentioning that some similar-looking small cranes were operated by London Transport as un-numbered plant. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,608 |  |
By Julian Bowden-Green collection A fine view of Jones 2-ton crane 968R at Chiswick Works in June 1973, by which time it was 25 years old. This rather basic machine was based here and remained in stock until at least the mid-1980s. It had a cab on the offside and a jib that could be tilted by means of a screw jack. Just visible in the background is Bedford Lacre sweeper BL2. |
19/06/2009 |
| 5,609 |  |
By Kim Rennie The other half of DISAB2, photographed at Ruislip Depot on 21st March 2009, is former cement mixer wagon CM954 (it is worth mentioning that these wagons are now referred to as CWs but they still carry CM prefixes). Fitted to the wagon are 7 power units (each with a Tube Lines logo!), connected at the top to a pair of flexible hoses. These provide the suction required to clear out wetspots in the trackbed. In operation, the two DISAB twin-sets each operate with a pair of GP flat wagons. One GP has a crane while the other carries replacement ballast, membrane rolls, etc. A flat wagon is presumably also required to support the front-end hose structure whilst in transit. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,610 |  |
By Kim Rennie This strange-looking contraption was photographed at Ruislip Depot on 21st March 2009. Lettered as a TUBEVAC I presumed it was used for tunnel cleaning. However a contact was able to put me right so I can reveal that this is in fact a DISAB Ballast Sucker! Its role is to deal with wet spots where the ballast has become waterlogged. Partly out of frame to the left is an articulated hose that can be lowered to track level to allow wet ballast and spoil to be sucked up. The materials are presumably collected in the yellow contraptions, while flexible hoses continue onto the next wagon. The equipment is mounted on a low-deck wagon numbered MW958. Procor built 12 wagons in 1987, formed into 2-car sets with an intermediate low-level coupling. Each pair originally comprised a cement mixer wagon (CM950-955) and a match wagon (MW956-961). CM951, 951, 954 and MW958 were modified as DISABs in about 2005. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,611 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Almost as elusive as the Metronet VW Transporter vans were a pair delivered to TfL Highways in September 2008. Ray saw them at the Carlisle Lane depot soon after delivery but, while the Ford Transit Connect vans that they replaced were fairly often seen around town, the VWs kept themselves out of sight. Colin was therefore lucky to encounter 6602VW at the north end of London Bridge on 1st June 2009. The lettering is slightly unusual in not stating what the role or department is, while that on the doors is notably the same size as the others (usually smaller). The light-bar is unlike those used on other types. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,612 |  |
By Ivor Norman Following on from the batch of 20 for Metronet BCV, further single Volkswagen Transporter vans were added to the leased fleet for use by BCV, SSL, TfL and Tube Lines. SSL took two mid-height vans numbered 6524VW and 6575VW, the latter of which was found at Upminster Station on 4th May 2009. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,613 |  |
By Thomas Young 6187VW was parked outside Mansion House Station on 9th May 2009 in company with some contractor's vehicles. It was however not ideally placed for photography. The picture seen was actually taken from the back window of a Routemaster on the 15. Note the 'tacked-on' appearance of the roof, and the spinning vent. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,614 |  |
By Thomas Young The mid-height VW Transporter van has a rather odd appearance from the rear, the roof appearing to be something of an afterthought. It probably results from a desire to use the same design of doors as on the low-roof variant. 6185VW was photographed on Trinity Square near Tower Hill Station on 9th May 2009. We had visited this location earlier in the day and found four Metronet Ford Transits present. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,615 |  |
By Ray Monk Found on a residential street in Bexleyheath on 12th June 2009, VW Transporter van 6176VW was rather far from its usual 'BCV' operating territory. Many service vehicles are allocated to particular members of staff so can be found parked at their homes during the daytime and weekends. 6176VW is one of several of this batch to have additional 'Signal Projects BCV' lettering on the doors. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,616 |  |
By Ray Monk The largest block of continuous fleet numbers allocated to a single type of tube support vehicle is the range 6169VW to 6188VW. As the suffixes suggest, these are Volkswagen vehicles, being Transporter vans with the curious mid-height roof design and allocated to Metronet BCV. Until recently the batch was particularly camera shy, seemingly only coming out at night. However quite a few have been caught in the last couple of months. First up is 6171VW seen in the car park at Loughton Station on a sunny 8th June 2009. It was parked alongside 6198F, one of several Ford Focus Hatchback cars taken into the numbered fleet in recent years. 6197F to 6199F are allocated to the same operational pool as the VW vans, and wear white livery with varying amounts of lettering. 6198F has just the 'Working in partnership' portion of the standard logos. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,617 |  |
By Moragh A peer into former 5673VW in its new role as a camper van, seen in Wales on 9th May 2009. Further details on the conversion can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/amdro-alternative-camper-conversions/49029340221 (scroll down to Mo's Angel). |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,618 |  |
By Moragh This is former 5673VW, one of the batch of 12 high-roof Volkswagen Transporter vans leased in early 2005 for use by London Buses. Despite now being over 4 years old most remain in daily use but two were returned earlier this year. The high-roof design makes the type ideal for conversion into a camper van, and a very smart job was done on 5673VW. Note the addition of windows in the sides and rear, and the rebadging as an AMDRO ANGEL! One thing the van did not get was a full repaint, and the LBSL roundel is apparently still in situ on the roof. These pictures were kindly sent in by its new owner, having been photographed on its maiden 'mission' to a country music festival in Anglesey on 9th May 2009. |
17/06/2009 |
| 5,619 |  |
By Kim Rennie We end today with another track tamper, again taken at Ruislip Depot on 21st March 2009. TMM773 is one of three Plasser and Theurer 07-16 Universal tampers delivered in 1980. The 07-16 was in production from the early 1970s and British Rail bought 80 along with similar-looking 07-275 and 07-32 models. The London Transport examples differed in being built to tube gauge, the design allowing for this by having all the equipment mounted low down below the raised main frames. As such, the main differences were in the cabs and the height of the end frames. TMM773 now has TransPlant fleetnames and appears to have been named Alan Jenkins. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,620 |  |
By Kim Rennie A couple of rail items to finish with today. Seen at Ruislip Depot on 21st March 2009, 627 is a twin jib crane built by Cowans Sheldon in 1986. It was initially prefixed DHC (for Diesel Hydraulic Crane) but is now known as TRM627 (Track Repair Machine?), although it carries just the number. The design is built to tube gauge but is similar to many machines used by BR. The two crane jibs are mounted on turntables and the machines are most commonly used to carry track panels for laying parallel tracks. To facilitate this, such cranes are usually self-propelled, although they are not permitted to operate under their own power outside of work sites. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,621 |  |
By Damon Cross A couple of Pseudo-SVs have been illustrated on this site before, and here is another one. Seen at Wisley during the Cobham event on 5th April 2009, LD53NJE is a Ford Transit van owned by the Routemaster Association. As can be seen, it carries London Transport style lettering including the fleetnumber of 1722F and an allocation to Watford Workshop (WT)! The real 1722F was a Ford D700 flatbed lorry new in 1971. I can't help but think that this van would have looked even better painted red. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,622 |  |
By Colin Lloyd GM03TOW is the new London Buses standby recovery vehicle, provided by Sovereign Recovery and often to be seen at the bottom of Park Lane. The vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz Actros with Boniface equipment, and it started life with a recovery contractor in Scotland. On 14th April 2009 Colin found it passing Victoria Station. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,623 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Another photo taken inside the Metroline CELF at Perivale on 18th April 2009, this time showing their smartly painted fork lift truck. This (or a similar machine) had been based at the Fourth Way engineering depot in Wembley prior to its closure in late 2007. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,624 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray found this Ford Mondeo hatchback at Eltham Bus Station on 8th April 2009 when it was barely a month old. As the labels on the door and bonnet show, it is used by the Vehicle Inspectors of the East London Bus Group. The labels include the logos of both East London and Selkent. Silver Ford Mondeo estate BF09WTZ was seen a few weeks earlier with similar labels on the dashboard. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,625 |  |
By London Spotter Metrobus acquired 14 Renault Trafic minibuses in autumn 2008 and we are slowly working our way through them all! Seen at Lewisham Bus Station on 11th March 2009 was 8028, the first of the batch, and one of 11 based at Orpington. A 15th vehicle arrived in spring 2009, also for Orpington. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,626 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The East London Bus Group took 11 Renault Minibuses in 2008, all for crew ferry work. Most are based on the Renault Trafic model such as 96008 seen at Hackney Central on 17th March 2009, although there are also three of the larger Renault Master type. The fleetnumbers are 96006 to 96016 and apart from one at Rainham, and another that started life at Bromley, all are based at the new West Ham garage. Missing numbers 96001 to 96005 have never been reported and it is possible that they are used by Stagecoach elsewhere. ELBG was split from Stagecoach in 2006 but certain administrative functions (including fleet numbering?) continue to be provided by the former owner. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,627 |  |
By Damon Cross Metrobus has a large presence in south east London but also operates a sizeable fleet in Crawley. Among the service vehicles based there is Ford Transit Connect van 9023, photographed in the bus station on 24th January 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,628 |  |
By Glyn Matthews The Volkswagen Crafter design is easy to mistake for a Mercedes Sprinter, or even a Ford Transit from the front. It has not seen much use in the service vehicle fleets, First London VA57HXM being the only reported one among the bus companies. It carries their standard red livery with yellow lettering and skirt stripes. Its allocation is not confirmed but thought to be Greenford, supported by this photo of it passing the Red Lion pub on 15th April 2009. On the dashboard is what looks like a steering wheel cover with the First logo and the warning 'Do Not Move, Do Not Start'. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,629 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The middle of the Metroline KR57 trio is FUP, photographed inside the CELF at Perivale on 18th April 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,630 |  |
By Malcolm Conway At the end of 2007, Metroline took delivery of three long-wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter vans in plain red livery. The only clues to their operation are the light-bars fitted atop the cab, and the locations at which they are seen. It would appear that all three are actually based at the large Central Engineering Facility (CELF) in Perivale, and KR57FUO was parked outside the building on 18th April 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,631 |  |
By Glyn Matthews With no official information, and little in the way of reports, it is quite hard to keep up with the First London service vehicle fleet. EO57FNY is a high-roof, medium-wheelbase Ford Transit van, seen near Greenford on 15th April 2009. Although only evidenced by the badge on the rear, this is a rare example of the more powerful 140PS Ford Transit. It is thought to be based at Greenford garage. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,632 |  |
By John Forge An interesting photograph taken at Metroline's Central Engineering and Logisitics Facility (CELF) in Perivale on 5th April 2009 shows a pair of Mercedes Sprinter vans. KN05LZW on the left had been new in 2005 with full lettering as a 'London Bus Support Unit'. However, when seen, it had had the lettering removed. A week later the rear chevrons had also gone. It could be that it was due for disposal, or a repaint, or maybe it was going to operate incognito like the van alongside. On the right is newer KR57FUT, the last of a trio of unmarked vans acquired at the end of 2007. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,633 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Seen inside the former LT garage at Walworth on 5th April 2009, KJ04YDU is a Peugeot Expert in the Travel London fleet. Although it is assigned a fleet number in the crew ferry series (8970) it is thought to be used by the engineers. Since last illustrated in 2008, the front panel has been repaired. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,634 |  |
By John Forge Wearing a very non-standard green livery, VW Caddy van LR52LXM is used by the Metroline Quality Control staff based at Perivale CELF (where it was photographed on 5th April 2009). This van may have been operated since new as the registration series is the same as used on many Metroline buses. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,635 |  |
By John Forge LB51GGX is one of two Ford Fiesta vans based at the Transdev garage in Harrow. As with the more numerous examples at Hounslow Heath, this van has a local fleetnumber (3, not visible in this photo) and is thought to have been acquired from British Telecomm. It was photographed outside the garage on 5th April 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,636 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Photographed at Newbury Park Station on 13th April 2009, Ensignbus Ford Transit minibus S549XNP was supporting a large rail replacement operation for National Express East Anglia. It had recently gained large fleetnames (compare with this 2008 view). The buses in the background are an interesting collection, including an East Lancs Olympus of Stephenson, Essex, a former DublinBus Olympian pressed into use in still in Dublin livery (with unpainted metal patching over the former centre doors), an Ensign East Lancs Olympus and a former Metroline Olympian. Most interesting are the two MCW Metroliner 400GTs on the right. Designed as a more powerful (and more streamlined) version of the original Metroliner motorway coach, only three were built. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,637 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip I don't know how often service vehicles are usually repainted but this van evidently hasn't been treated for at least 13 years. The clue is the fleetnumber 4252F near the front, showing that it was originally part of the CDS fleet. New in 1992, the Ford Transit was allocated to the Fulwell garage of London Buses. On privatisation, it became part of the London United fleet, later renamed Transdev. The original London United fleetname, minus logo, is still carried, while it is now on the second version of the Transdev markings. Adding to the sorry state is the sheet of plastic replacing the driver's window. Seen coming off Richmond Bridge on 4th March 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,638 |  |
By James Mair MCW Metrobus M151 of Metroline was converted into a mobile IT classroom in about 2002. This photo was taken at Holloway Garage shortly afterwards and shows the reversed livery applied. As comparison with a 2007 photo shows, the livery was later modified with a shallower red skirt (and no white dividing line) and some changes to the lettering. Interestingly, it also regained M151 fleetnumbers. It ran for a few years with the 'cherished' registration number 33LUG but reverted to BYX151V in autumn 2008 by which time it was out of use at Willesden Garage and effectively marooned by the introduction of LEZ restrictions. The 33LUG plate was transferred to newer trainer bus AV33. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,639 |  |
By James Mair As recently promised, here is a view of former M1020 during its time in use as a joint exhibition vehicle for London Buses and the Metropolitan Police. The bus was sold by London United to London Underground (as managers of the central service vehicle fleet) in 2001, later coming under Tube Lines control. It had the windows covered with contravision, and some modifications to the staircase area (perhaps including a generator) but the interior fit is not known. When photographed in 2002 it had been attending the open day at Hounslow Garage. The vehicle has spent the last few years laid up inside Acton Works and is thought to be due for disposal. It is certainly not compliant with the Low Emissions Zone introduced in 2008. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,640 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Exactly a month after Ray had photographed it at Victoria, Malcolm found VW Transporter minibus RK09POV on Bollo Lane on 6th May 2009. In that period it had gained fleetnames for 'Transport for London, Community Safety Enforcement and Policing' but sadly no fleetnumbers. This is one of two minibuses that have replaced larger VWs 6010VW and 6011VW at Victoria. The earlier minibuses did not carry their fleetnumbers either so it is entirely possible that the new pair are allocated numbers on paper at least. Note how inconspicuous the low-profile LED light-bar is. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,641 |  |
By Ray Monk This Volkswagen Transporter minibus had been licensed for less than 2 weeks when Ray found it parked on the ramp at Victoria Coach Station on 6th April 2009. Although unlettered, the fitting of a low profile light-bar suggested that it was not just a short-term hire, as did the presence of identical RK09POU, parked at the bottom of the ramp. The recent disappearance of 6010VW and 6011VW from this location suggested that these two minibuses were their replacements. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,642 |  |
By Colin Lloyd At present (May 2009), this vehicle is the newest in the TfL Streets fleet. RV08YOT is a Toyota Prius delivered in March 2008 and assigned to the Streetworks team based at Chancel Street in Southwark. TfL Streets did have a steady intake of vehicles (particularly the hybrid Priuses) through 2006 and 2007 and the reason for this drying up is not clear. The car was seen passing the TfL offices on Victoria Street on 31st March 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,643 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Regular visitors to this site may recognise Colin's camerawork in this shot taken outside Victoria Coach Station on 31st March 2009. The subject matter is TfL Streets Vauxhall Astra estate car LM06FFT, new in July 2006 and based just around the corner in Eccleston Place. Interestingly, the TfL Streets unit has received no new (liveried) vehicles since March 2008. By the way, I didn't crop this shot because I liked the extremely-stretched look of the National Express coach in the background. Reminds me somehow of a DC8 series 70! |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,644 |  |
By Ray Monk Another of the Tube Lines service vehicles parked at Finchley Central Station during work on the Northern Line on 4th May 2009 was Ford Transit dropside truck 6735F. The highest numbered '58 reg vehicle, it has a crew-cab, new-style dropside body with headboard and a mesh tail-lift. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,645 |  |
By Ray Monk Sitting in the rain at Finchley Central Station on 4th May 2009, 6675F was a recently delivered Ford Transit Connect van for Tube Lines. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,646 |  |
By Thomas Young Not a great photo but the best I can do for now. Seen from the flyover at Lillie Bridge on 9th May 2009, this unmarked Renault Master dropside truck is officially numbered 6646 and assigned to Metronet BCV. This is one of several vehicles delivered recently that carry no markings. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,647 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The last IRU to be illustrated today is 6621M, basking in the sunshine at Chapel Road, Ilford on 17th March 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,648 |  |
By Thomas Young Aldgate gained an additional IRU from the second batch in the form of 6618M, photographed at home on 9th May 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,649 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Incident Response Unit 6616M is based with several others at Stratford Bus Station. The vans here cover most of East London, resulting in appearances at places such as Romford, as here on 17th March 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,650 |  |
By Ray Monk Incident Response Unit 6613M is the only one of the new batch not to have fleetnumbers applied (although some of the others have incorrect numbers), and is based in West London. However, on 20th April 2009 it was seen passing Acton Town station on the back of a recovery truck, presumably having had a fairly major problem. Hopefully the repairs will include a visit from the man with the numbers! |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,651 |  |
By Ray Monk Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 6606M is based at Eltham Bus Station (where it was photographed on 14th March 2009) but, as with earlier vans here, is sometimes outstationed to London Bridge. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,652 |  |
By Damon Cross The new batch of Incident Response Units are now settled into their locations, 6604M being at Finsbury Park as seen on 19th February 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,653 |  |
By Thomas Young Parked near Mansion House station on 9th May 2009 at the head of a line of contractor's vehicles was Metronet Ford Transit crew van 6599F. This is a high-roof example. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,654 |  |
By London Spotter Another van found in Upminster Station car park, this time on 4th May 2009, was Metronet Ford Transit 6563F. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,655 |  |
By Thomas Young We only know of two Volkswagen Crafter vans in use at present, and both are illustrated today. 6558VW represents the leased central fleet and is currently based in a small yard next to Stanmore Station (in connection with platform works there). Although now in full Tube Lines livery, this van may have originally worked for TfL in plain white. Seen on 9th May 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,656 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The Volkswagen Caddy is not a common type in the leased fleet, and this is the only silver example at present. Not carrying its allocated fleetnumber, 6532VW is part of the BCV fleet and therefore currently carries Metronet logos (it is still not clear what will replace these). Photographed on Bollo Lane, Acton, on 6th May 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,657 |  |
By London Spotter Recent work on the eastern end of the District Line has made Upminster a good place to visit for SVs. In the station car park on 2nd May 2009 was numberless 6526F, one of the growing number of Staff Welfare Facility vans. It is notable that all such vehicles are provided by Tube Lines. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,658 |  |
By Thomas Young A look into the lower yard at Lillie Bridge on 9th May 2009 showed it to be fairly empty. Nearest the camera is Ford Transit dropside 5982F, with an unidentified Vauxhall Combo behind. Towards the back are two more Combos, including 6402V, while on the right is one of the unmarked Renault Master dropside trucks assigned numbers in the 6644 to 6646 range. Its rather unfortunate position precluded identification but I can say it is not 6646! |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,659 |  |
By John Forge This pair of IRUs at Edgware Bus Station on 5th April 2009 are from the first (left) and second (right) batches, although the differences are minimal. The 46 in stock represent the largest ever fleet of LBSL vehicles. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,660 |  |
By Kim Rennie A very fine portrait of Honda Civic 6301H parked outside Stanmore Station on 21st April 2009. This car had been based at the Olympic Way offices at Wembley but recent observations suggest that the LBSL presence there has decreased or even ceased. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,661 |  |
By Thomas Young With the possible exception of Ford Transit 5695F, the main LBSL fleet is now made up of just two types. There are 46 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 'Incident Response Unit' vans and 16 Honda Civic hybrid-electric saloon cars. Both types were found at Eltham Bus Station on 5th March 2009. Van 6347M is a regular here (with frequent excursions to London Bridge), as is Honda 6309H in the middle. Honda 6298H moved here in 2009 after a period based at Sycamore House. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,662 |  |
By Colin Lloyd As a look at the database will show, I have seen 6292F on numerous occasions passing near my workplace in Southwark. It appears to operate to a timetable, going east in the morning and returning in the afternoon, and is habitually loaded with rail hoists. However, this picture was taken at about 10am on 6th May 2009 when it was heading west along Old Brompton Road. The vehicle is a Ford Transit dropside truck used by Tube Lines Plant Hire. Those interested in such things will notice the EVL class bus passing the other way. This is one of several displaced from Sutton and operating temporarily from Putney to cover for WVLs being refurbished. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,663 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Smart Ford Tourneo minibus 6280F is part of the Metronet Pumps and Drainage department based at Griffith House. The vehicle, which has chevrons but lacks a blue skirt, can often be seen around town, in this case passing Parliament Square on 14th April 2009. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,664 |  |
By Thomas Young The Tube Lines escalator department moved out of Griffith House sometime towards the end of 2007, some of their vehicles now being based at Frank Pick House, Acton. Ford Transit 6150F was one that had regularly been seen at Griffith House but only rarely since. On 9th May 2009 I visited the North Wembley garage of Metroline and found none of their SVs present. However, 6150F was parked nearby, for unknown reasons. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,665 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The second of the convoy that Colin found at Stratford Broadway on 17th March 2009 was Ford Transit dropside truck 5928F, with 5930F and 5926F close behind (5929F was in the lead but has already been illustrated) |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,666 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Colin got a surprise when he arrived at Stratford Broadway on 17th March 2009 to see a convoy of four Ford Transit dropside trucks passing. All were from the rarely seen Jubilee Track team based at the depot nearby. Bringing up the rear was 5926F. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,667 |  |
By Ray Monk Now slightly overdue for replacement, Ford Transit dropside 5874F was new in February 2006 and has been recorded at a wide variety of locations. On the 4th May 2009 it was among many vehicles in the car park at Finchley Central Station. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,668 |  |
By Thomas Young My involvement with service vehicles has filled my head with lots of little bits of information such as registration numbers. This is sometimes useful, such as on 10th April 2009 when I was on a bus passing through Ilford and noticed this minibus parked outside the Baptist Church. Seemingly anonymous, the registration rang a little bell so I looked it up and found it was former Metronet 5717F. One of 6 taken on lease in March 2005, all were based at Lillie Bridge, where two remain at present. This example has had the blue skirt removed but retains the small lettering that often gives away former or unmarked service vehicles. |
12/05/2009 |
| 5,669 |  |
By Kim Rennie I have received some interesting photos of rail stock recently but I only have time to include one today. Seen at Ruislip depot on 21st March 2009 is tamper TMM774 in the yellow livery that is standard for on-track plant. Built by Plasser and Theurer, this is an 08-275/4ZW Tamper/Liner, the role of which is basically to align and settle ballasted track. Behind the nearest bogies are the tines that dig into the ballast and compact it by vibration, while further along are the guidance and alignment wheels. It is notable that the fleetnumber TMM774 (partly obscured in this view) is a reissue, having earlier been carried by a Unimog leaf-clearing machine. Note also that both Transplant and Tube Lines names are displayed. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,670 |  |
By Glyn Matthews 'LTSV on-tour' ventures abroad again. Well, sort of! Parked in the bus station outside Cardiff Central station on 24th February 2009 is Cardiff Bus Peugeot Expert van 071. The van wears the cream and green livery that has ousted the traditional bright orange. As with the buses, the fleetname is in a different language on each side. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,671 |  |
By Ray Monk Pictures of recovery trucks are always welcome, especially of ones not previously seen. Ray captured this fine view of Sovereign Recovery N9SOV departing the First London garage at Temple Mill Lane on 18th March 2009. This garage was opened in December 2007 to replace the one on Waterden Road that was due for demolition to make way for the Olympics park. The new base is referred to either as Hackney Olympic or Lea Interchange. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,672 |  |
By Ray Monk Go-Ahead London received a new Ford Transit dropside truck in March 2009, notable for featuring battery electric propulsion. As such it gained green leaves on its red livery, similar to the various hybrid powered buses entering service at present. Calling it 'Go-Aheads Little Green Van' is a bit much though. Apart from the missing apostrophe, it's not really green, and it's not a van! Anyway, the vehicle will be used to transport stores between its home at Camberwell and the other garages in the group, presumably replacing similar Transit EA53JVK. By the time it was photographed leaving New Cross garage on 31st March 2009, it had gained a fleetnumber of MF1. Ray suggests that this may refer to it being 'Milk Float 1'! Note that Ray also managed to catch another hybrid SV in the form of a TfL Streets Toyota Prius passing in the background. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,673 |  |
By Keith Grimes The renumbering exercise undertaken by Travel London in late 2007 revealed the relatively large number of service vehicles used by this operator, although many are rarely seen or reported. It is also worth mentioning that only a very few vehicles actually carry their new numbers. Keith found this high-roof Ford Transit van at Elephant and Castle on 14th March 2009. Evidently used for engineering support from Walworth garage, it is surprising that nobody else has reported seeing it out and about. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,674 |  |
By Ray Monk A new company to add to our list is CT Plus (also known as Hackney Community Transport). Although they have run LBSL tendered bus services since 2001, none of their service vehicles have been reported until now. Bearing the fleetnumber ENG1, X252AGX is a Ford Escort van which leaves us in doubt as to its role. It is possible that this vehicle has been operated since new in 2001. It was found on 9th March 2009 at the slightly unusual location of the Lea Valley Trading Estate in Edmonton. Arriva London have a base here, as do Sovereign Recovery and C&S motors. However, the main CT Plus base is at the former LT Ash Grove garage. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,675 |  |
By Keith Grimes Ah, another small trailer! The location is rather unusual this time, being the rear of Hillingdon Fire Station. Taken on 29th March 2009, this photo shows a four-wheel trailer in Transport for London Safety and Citizenship livery. The fresh-looking paint suggests that this may be the same trailer as the white one Damon found at Acton in November 2008. The registration shows that it was towed here by Tube Lines Ford Transit 6218F, although we are still unable to determine an ID on the trailer itself. Keith did confirm that no maker's plate or markings were visible. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,676 |  |
By Les Savine The new batch of LBSL Incident Response Units seems to total 22 vans, but there has been some confusion! For example, this van seen at Shepherds Bush on 13th March 2009 was carrying fleetnumber 6617M, also worn by WR58VYX at Eltham. According to an official fleetlist, WR58VZE should be 6610M, but that number is carried by WR58VZC. WR58VZC should be 6612M but that is carried by WR58VZF. I am going to wait and see if the numbers are changed before committing this all to the database! |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,677 |  |
By Ray Monk Rumbling over the bridge outside Acton Town Station on 13th March 2009, this was at the time the newest member of the Tube Lines lorry fleet. LK58HKN is an Iveco Trakker 360 4-axle tipper with Terex grab loader. This may be destined to replace similar Mercedes Actros 2578M. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,678 |  |
By Kim Rennie As of today, the highest reported service vehicle fleetnumber is 6786, carried by this smart looking Ford Ranger. It was parked on the sloping stub road at Acton Works on 31st March 2009 having only just been delivered. The vehicle appears to have a blue skirt but also has a red bonnet and a light-bar, suggesting it might be destined for the ERU fleet. Note the way the fuel filler cap cuts across the exaggerated wheelarches. Parked behind was one of several new Peugeot Partner vans. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,679 |  |
By Kim Rennie The fleetnumbers just keep getting higher! Recently delivered to Acton Works where it was photographed on 31st March 2009, 6776F is a Ford Transit dropside truck with the new style bodywork. It was awaiting application of operator logos and delivery to the user. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,680 |  |
By Kim Rennie Parked close to the familiar girder 'bridge' within Acton Works on 31st March 2009 was Renault Master van 6761. Part of a batch of five such vehicles, they mark a change in policy both in terms of the supplier and in being 'pool' vehicles. Although carrying Tube Lines logos, the vans could presumably be loaned to Metronet or any other operator with a short-term requirement. Note that the blue skirt is not (yet?) carried, and that the fleetnumber suffix has been dropped. In the background is former M1020, an MCW Metrobus that was latterly used as an exhibition unit in association with the police. I notice that I have not previously published any photos of this vehicle. I will dig one out for the next update. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,681 |  |
By Kim Rennie On delivery to Acton, new cars and vans are often parked on what we refer to as the stub road. This sloping area between the tube tracks and the Distribution Services offices used to be the road leading onto a bridge into Chiswick works. The bridge was demolished many years and the road is now marked out on one side as an additional parking area. On 31st March 2009, both sides of the 'road' were in use, with a batch of Peugeot Partner vans having recently arrived. All were white with blue fleetnumbers and minor lettering (tyre pressures and fuel capacities). 6750 nearest the camera additionally carried Tube Lines logos. The vans were not included on a fleetlist obtained the day before so it remains to be seen to what use they are put. Also visible here is a Ford Transit van that appears to be a former police vehicle. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,682 |  |
By Paul Snelling Paul did a good job of photographing Ford Transit Connect van 6682F parked tight against the fence at Finchley Central Station on 20th March 2009. Running without operator logos, this van is part of the DSM fleet and may therefore only be on loan to the Northern Line Track Manager (who is responsible for the vehicles based here). |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,683 |  |
By Ray Monk Thanks go to Ray for drawing my attention to one further difference between the 1st and 2nd batches of Incident Response Units (picture of 15/03/09 refers). As this rear shot of 6607M at Eltham Bus Station on 11th March 2009 shows, the new batch have external lights mounted low on the rear doors. There are also slight differences in the design of the rear step. Compare this photo to one of earlier 6364M. Also visible are two of the resident Honda Civic cars and a Dougland cleaning contractors vans. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,684 |  |
By Kim Rennie It is amazing what you pick out if you look at a picture long enough! What I have just noticed here is that the arrangement of the J, N and P coloured (ie silver, black and blue) segments of the Tube Lines logos is different on these two vans, the one on the front van being the more normal. Anyway, these are two more of the recent phenomenon of 'Staff Welfare Facilities' vans. An official fleetlist confirms our suspicions of what these are by recording 6517F as being fitted with 4 toilets! 6517F (nearest the camera) was converted by Clarks (hence the Yorkshire registration) but appears to have push-up roof vents as opposed to the 'spinners' seen on similar 6525F. 6464F has a more normal Kx registration. The pair were photographed at Acton Works on 31st March 2009. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,685 |  |
By Thomas Young Another shot of Ford Transit 6516F at White City Station on 27th March 2009 shows the unusual body fitted. As the label on the rear shows, this was built by JDC (John Dennis Conversions), the same firm that did some work on the Mercedes Atego ERU tenders. The lettering on the side stripe reads 'Rapid Response Vehicle' and the vehicle is used by the Metronet P&D Operations Manager based at Griffith House. P is pumps, anyone know what the D stands for? Rather stupidly I forgot to note the ID of the Ford Galaxy car that parked itself in front, although it would appear to be an unlettered example. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,686 |  |
By Thomas Young Having glimpsed this unusual vehicle parked inside Griffith House on several occasions, I was happy to chance across it at White City station on 27th March 2009. 6516F is a Ford Transit chassis cab fitted with a 'fire engine' type body. Embarrassingly, this is the best shot I managed of the front! |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,687 |  |
By Kim Rennie If it wasn't for the lone Vauxhall Combo, this could be used as an advert by Ford! The Metronet yard in Acton Works was photographed on 31st March 2009 containing a line up of 9 service vehicles. I have provided a database link for Jumbo crew van 6447F on the far right but, for the record, the other vans are (from right to left): Combo 6455V, Transits 6047F, 6560F, 6448F, one unidentifiable, 6323F, silver Transit 6533F and silver Connect 6501F). Note how the newer deliveries appear more white! I think there has been a change to the paint specification and this is not just down to cleanliness. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,688 |  |
By Kim Rennie The central fleet continues to feature some oddities and one-offs to keep things interesting! Illustrating this is 6408V at Acton Works on 31st March 2009. This is a long-wheelbase Vauxhall Movano van in standard livery with Tube Lines logos. Movanos used to be common with LBSL but, with the recent departure of 6026V from the Technical Services Group, 6408V and the LT Museum's anonymous 5911V are the only examples left. Having said that, recent deliveries have included some of the virtually identical Renault Master model. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,689 |  |
By Ray Monk To replace their four VW Golf estate cars, the Infrastructure Development ('Stops and shelters') section of London Buses took delivery of four silver cars in late 2007. Two were VW Tourans but it was not until spring 2009 that we were able to confirm the identity of the second of the pair as being 6398VW. This has been seen in the Wembley area but, when seen on 27th March 2009, it had been paying a brief visit to Acton Works. The other Touran is South-East London based 6397VW. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,690 |  |
By Keith Grimes There are more Vauxhall Combo vans in the fleet than we had thought, with many escaping detection by our spies. One that we had found was 6380V, part of a large batch for Tube Lines. On 19th March 2009 it was parked near Oakwood Park. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,691 |  |
By Graham Brown Gotcha! I get sent a lot of photos of LBSL IRUs, probably as a result of their high-visibility livery and the fact that they hang out at bus stations! However, one seemed to elude our photographers, despite being seen many times at Victoria and elsewhere. The duty of completing the photographic record of the first batch therefore fell to Graham Brown, who found straggler 6346M parked on Waterloo Bridge on 19th March 2009. Right, now for the next batch.... |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,692 |  |
By Kim Rennie Ford Transit van 6271F was used by the London Buses Technical Services Group during the development and implementation of iBus, being based at their offices in Chingford. Along with several other vans in this role, 6271F had a platform mounted on the roof, onto which cameras or iBus pods could be fitted. In this photo taken at Acton Works on 31st March 2009, a pod is just visible. These streamlined white housings can now be seen on the rooves of most London buses. A fleetlist released the day before did not include 6271F, suggesting that it was at Acton for decommissioning prior to going off-lease. Although this would make it one of the shortest-serving SVs, the iBus project is presumably winding down at present. Other vehicles in the DSM yard included the usual selection of Transits, the ERU Vectra (being covered by another car as mentioned here) and one of the elusive Metronet VW Transporter vans. The 4WD pick-up just visible between the TLS Astra van and 6271F is presumably a hired vehicle, although it could be unique Toyota Hilux 6467T! |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,693 |  |
By Kim Rennie Ford Transit dropside 6157F is one of three such vehicles based at Lillie Bridge that have been fitted with light-bars, the others being 6158F and 6159F. The vehicle parked alongside may be of interest. Lillie Bridge has long been home to a variety of un-liveried vehicles, many of which remain in use for several years (see this picture for an example). However, in late 2008/2009 several batches of vehicles were taken into the leased fleet which seemed to have been acquired on a pool basis, being allocated to a variety of users. As such, the vehicles are likely to be unlettered and may not carry fleet livery. Among these vehicles were three Renault Master dropside trucks with crew-cabs and tail-lifts, numbered 6644 to 6646. The vehicle alongside 6157F here is a Renault (see wheelhub) and appears to have both a tail-lift and a crew-cab, so is possibly one of this trio. 5th March 2009. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,694 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray found London Safety Camera Partnership Ford Transit 6121F at North Greenwich again on 27th March 2009, and this time photographed the offside. A recent list revealed that this fleet was larger than originally thought. As well as the expected Transits 6120F to 6122F, number 6123F was allocated to a fourth Transit (although this duplicates the number on a Metronet van), while five Vauxhall Vivaros are also operated (6058V and four un-numbered ones). The two LSCP-liveried box vans (LM55FJD and KJ06JXA) were also discovered to be assigned fleetnumbers. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,695 |  |
By Kim Rennie Is this the end for Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee?! These two VW LT minibuses never seem to go anywhere alone. New in spring 2006 they spent a year at Aldgate Bus Station then moved to Victoria Coach Station, with only very occasional sightings elsewhere. On 31st March 2009 they were parked at Acton Works, possible ahead of a return to the lessor. Interestingly a fleet list received the previous day confirmed the long-held suspicion that this pair were officially numbered 6010VW and 6011VW, although the order was the opposite to that expected. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,696 |  |
By Thomas Young It's farewell to 5793M to 5812M, the batch of 20 Mercedes Sprinter vans leased for London Buses in late 2005. The arrival of a second batch of Incident Response Units in February and March 2009 saw the older vans all returned off lease by the beginning of April. On 4th March, 5804M was parked at Turnpike Lane in company with IRU 6353M and Honda car 6311H. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,697 |  |
By Kim Rennie Two Emergency Response Unit tenders were parked in the open at Acton Works on 31st March 2009, although interestingly both carried Camden allocation stickers. Short cab 2601 is nearest the camera, with 2592 beyond. The car parked between the pair was Vauxhall Vectra DN07YYK with removable ERU stickers on the doors and roof. The normal ERU car (Vectra estate LR06VZY) was also present, but was parked in the DSM yard, perhaps as a result of being repaired or relicensed. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,698 |  |
By Kim Rennie The main base of the Emergency Response Unit is a large shed almost at the centre of Acton Works, which is notable for having several smaller 'buildings' within it. The one at the far end has a roundel-like sign proclaiming it to be Joe's Cafe! Parked in front are a pair of Mecedes Atego rescue tenders, short-cabbed 2599 to the fore. With ten vehicles in the fleet, four are based at Acton, of which two nominally act as spares. Two other ERUs were parked outside so the ones seen here are presumably the spares. Given that the fleet is fairly frequently rotated to even out usage, I will no longer try to keep track of individual allocations. Photo taken on 31st March 2009. |
05/04/2009 |
| 5,699 |  |
By London Spotter Compared to most Sovereign Recovery vehicles, this is a tiddler! Ford Transit Connect van EY58HXU was found parked in Terminus Place, Victoria, on 5th March 2009. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,700 |  |
By John Lloyd-Martin Metrobus re-equipped most of its anciliary fleet in 2008, acquiring 17 Renault Trafics and 4 Ford Transit Connects. Three of the Trafics were high-roof vans for use by the engineering department, including 9102, seen here near East Croydon Station on 4th March 2009. Listed as being based at the Orpington depot (rather than the closer Croydon base), it had been called out to deal with Orpington-based Dennis Dart 260 working on route 367. Note the curious side trim which swoops over the doors and then abruptly stops half-way along the body. |
15/03/2009 |
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