Fleet News

Bus Fleet News

April 2012

Latest News

***trent barton: I4 Tempos start to arrive*** ***Arriva Derby: King Long demo arrives*** ***Harpurs: Olympians painted, additional coaches and an Volvo Alexander PS*** ***Midland Classic: NCT Scania arrives*** ***Hulleys: Get a decker***

Here you will find all the latest bus fleet news for many bus operators in and around the Derbyshire area. If you have anything to report please contact me by clicking here.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Andrews of Tideswell

NEWS
2nd July 28th April
Volvo B9R / Plaxton Panther (YN11 AXX) is here.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Arriva Derby

NEWS
16th April:
4215 have moved to Burton for use on a college contract with 2228 back at Derby in return.

Derby Gemini 4215 in Burton. Derby 4223 can be seen in the background.
(C) Geoff Girling

DAF Wright Gemini 4776 now branded for the new Wardle X50 route which starts this Monday.
(C) Stokie14 on flickr

Former Derby MPD 2224 now with Wardle Transport.
(C) Stokie14 on flickr

20th March:

King Long (BX12 CDK) in Derby Bus Station.
(C) Richard Barber

The King Long Demo is now in service. It was on route 37 on Monday.

Wardle Transport are promoting the X50 service in Derby on Friday 30th March from 10am. The new double deck service links Derby with Uttoxeter and onto Stoke every 2 hours Monday to Saturday.

2nd March:
The King Long demo is 900 (BX12 CDK).

29th February:
The King Long Demo should arrive on Friday.
Wardle are expected to use DAF / Gemini 4776/7 and a Trident on the X50 when the routes starts, with similar branding to the X38.

13th February:
Wardle Transport will start operating a two hourly X50 service from Derby to Uttoxeter and Hanley from the begining of April.

24th December:
A 12m King Long is expected to be tested here later next year. The bus will be built to Malta spec, and is expected to stay in Derby for around 2 months before moving elsewhere in the UK. Gemini 2224 is now back at Derby and Versa 2987 back at Burton.

8th December:
Versa 2987 is here from Burton in exchange for 4224.

2nd December:
Gemini 4224 on loan to Burton (on X38 today).
2212 has been repainted into interurban livery.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Bowers / High Peak

NEWS
26th April
Scania Omnicity 789 (YN07 EXP) is here for the transpeak (trent used this when a demonstrator). Still in allover white with centrebus names, it is due for repaint next week on the arrival of similar 788 (YN06 CJE), which is currently away for repaint into transpeak livery. Both vehicles have moved from the Leicester fleet. Scania Olympus 907 (YN07 LHP) may be trialed on the route in the near future, and two Omnilinks may also be allocated to the route soon. This would allow 5 Excels to move north within centrebus for lighter schoolbus duties.

Former Veolia Solo (YN04 LWU) and former Littles Solo (MX04 VLV) are now in service here (269 and 270 but not sure which is which!).

The High Peak fleet list should now be up to date!

Centrebus Scania Omnicity 789 (YN07 EXP) on the transpeak service. The vehicle is due to be repainted into TP livery next week when freshly painted 788 should arrive to take its place.
(C) David Harrison

27th March
Solo 262 (W301 EYG) now carries centrebus livery ready for the high peak launch.

13th March
Another former Blackpool Solo here is (V266 HEC). It is in an all over silver livery with small centrebus names applied.

8th March
Solo 377 (YJ05 XMU) has been painted into Centrebus livery.

A new arrival here is white Solo 267 (V265 HEC) in Hayfield. The vehicle is ex Blackpool, but was more recently with Homeswood.
(C) Ash Hammond

29th Feb
Solo 263 (W293 EYG) is now (B6 WER).

13th Feb
White Solos 262 (W301 EYG), 263 (W293 EYG) and red 261 (B8 WER) confirmed to be in service here. None carry fleet names or numbers.

31st January
Bowers Centrebus operations are set to become part on the High Peak bus company along with trent bartons DOve Holes operations from 1st April 2012.

430 (YU04 XHY) Mercedes Benz O814D is now here, a transfer from the former Veolia / Paul James operation.

Vario/Alexander ALX100 440 (R164 UAL) now in use in Centrebus livery.

Solo 263 (W293 EYG) is here in plain white. Solos 261 (B8WER) former (V263HEC) and 262 (W301 EYG) may also now be here?

9th October
(YAZ 4143) was originally (M859 RCP) and came to Kimes from Teamdeck (K-Line) and so comes back into the fold!

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

D & G

NEWS & Sightings
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| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Doyles

NEWS & Sightings
8th March:
Solo (YN53 SVJ) was destroyed by a fire in Pinxton last Friday.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Felix

NEWS

21st April
Strider (M301 KRY) has been preserved.

Volvo (V708 GRY) has passed to Harrogate Coach Travel who have named the bus Felix: Photo of Felix

One of the coaches has been on loan to Swiftsure, all others are thought to be stored since operations ceased.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Gills Travel

16th April 2012:
Former Trent Dart 931 (R931 RAU) is here. It was recently with Belle Vue, Stockport.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

G&J Holmes

NEWS
-

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Glovers of Ashbourne

NEWS
18th August 2011
Former Winsons Volvo Plaxton coach (FJU 973) arrived here in June.
A Mercedes Plaxton Cheetah is also here.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Harpurs Coaches

NEWS

20th March 2012

Former Stagecoach Volvo B10M / Alexander (R897 XVM) looking smart after repaint into fleet livery.
(C) Geoff Girling

Former Dublin Olympians has been registered (V351 DJU).
(C) Geoff Girling

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Hawkes Coaches

NEWS
21st April:
One of the Volvo Alexander PS has been painted blue.

8th Feb:
Former Stagecoach Manchester Volvo / ALexander PS (P851 GND) is reported here from Ensign.

1st December:
Former Stagecoach Volvo / ALexander PS (P134 XCN) is here, still in stagecoach livery. The vehicle has arrived from Stagecoach Cumbria, and was originally fleet number 472 in the Ribble fleet.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Hulleys of Baslow

NEWS + SIGHTINGS
13th March

New here is VDL SB3000 / MARCO POLO, which is 6 (YJ06 JDF).
(C) Ian Moorcroft

Dennis Javelins 4 (M437 PUY) and 6 (R140 XWF) have been sold to Arriva (dealer) in exchange for a VDL SB3000 / MARCO POLO, which is 6 (YJ06 JDF) (now C53F, downseated from C57F when it was part of the Arriva hire fleet).
Volvo B7 / ALEXANDER number 22 ( a fleet number it never carried) (V140 LGC) is now renumbered 4.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Johnson Bros / Redferns

NEWS & SIGHTINGS
-

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Linburg

NEWS + SIGHTINGS
17th January
Former T M Travel Tiger (G435 EWU) is here, and is expected to be used in service!

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Littles Travel

NEWS + SIGHTINGS
21st April
The Solo that was used on route 9 has passed to Centrebus.

27th March
Two former NCT Tridents here are (V427/31 DRA).
Former trent barton "bargain bus" Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer (R932 RAU) is here being operated in red livery.

One of the two former NCT Tridents with Littles.
(C) Richard Dobbie

Former Trent Dart 932 with Littles. The vehicles carries the Bargain Bus red livery.
(C) Richard Dobbie

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Midland Classic

NEWS
29th March
Volvos 81 and 82 have been branded for the X12.

Volvo 81 is one of the buses branded for the X12.
(C) Geoff Girling

Former NCT Scania 86.
(C) Geoff Girling

27th February
Olympian (L649 MYG) is fleet number 90.
Ex trent Dart (R919 RAU) has been sold to P&C buses, Newmains, Scotland.

16th February
Former NCT Scania (X94 USC) is now in use after repaint.
MAN (RX53 LNJ) should be appearing in a few weeks time!
Dart 22 has left the fleet, and Olympian (L649 MYG) is now with the company long term.

22nd December
Former NCT Scania / Wright (X94 USC) is here, although not yet in use.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Premiere, Nottingham

NEWS
16th April 2012
Enviro 200 3359 has left the fleet. Dart 3385 (KP54 BYN) has arrived in its place for Red1. Two more Darts are due soon for red1 to replace 2 Enviro 200s.

Red5 is now all double deck with 4603, 4604, 4616 (formally Red8) and 4636.

2201, 3306 and 3354 are now in fleet red, 3322 is next for painting.

20th March 2012
Coaches 972 (FJ54 ZDD) and 973 (FJ54 ZDH) are branded for Red Flyer, ready for the launch on Friday.

Two more Scanias, from the same batch, are due here, they should be 3343 (X473 AHE) and 3344 (X474 AHE). Already painted red.

Scania 3349 now has a Red Flyer advert above the windows, and 3350 has been branded for the Fair Fares campaign. Photos please :-).

Former Veolia National Express coach (FJ54 ZDH) is one of two that have been branded for the direct Red Flyer service to East Midlands Airport..
(C) John Moore

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Stagecoach East Midlands
Chesterfield, Mansfield, Worksop

NEWS

Stagecoach in Yorkshire ( legal lettered for Chesterfield Transport in Derbyshire) has received some tri axle Levantes from Stagecoach West including 59305 seen here Barnsley bound from London in Chesterfield..
(C) Ian Moorcroft

To keep up to date with Stagecoach in Chesterfield, and many other operators in the area, take a look at the excellent Transpire website.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

TM Travel

NEWS:
See Wellglade section.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Translinc

NEWS
:

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

The Wellglade group
trent barton, kinchbus, notts+derby and T M Travel.

NEWS

21st April:
18 Versas are due for the Rainbow 3 in July. The route is expected to be changed and the combined routes will offer a 10 minute frequency between Nottingham - Hucknall - Sutton and Mansfield. This has increased the PVR for the route from 16 to 18.
From the same date route 146 will be withdrawn (covered by one of the R3 services) and the 90 will be reduced to a 2 bus working, operating from Sutton to Ripley and not run via Coxmoor (replaced by 3C) or McArthur Glen (connections at Sutton).

The former Trent fleet has been numbered into the High Peak / Centrebus fleet as follows:

Darts 949/39 are now 514/35,
Unibus Paladins 102-4 are now 679-81,
Excels 233/158/225/224 are now 682-5,
Excels 226/7/31/2 are now 686-9,
Scanias 640-8 are now 690-8.

924 seen here in Looms scrapyard. The Dart caught fire shortly before Kinch withdrew service 9 (Loughborough to Nottingham) which ran in competition with Premieres Red 9 service.
(C) Shane Ross

Kinch Solo 7 has been branded for the Sprint service.

7 W/X reg Volvo B7 / Plaxton Presidents are expected from Lothian in May. These will be split between the notts+derby and TM Travel fleets. 2 other older vehicles have also been purchased from Lothian!

16th April:
Solo 451 has moved from trent barton at Langley Mill to Kinchbus. It has been repainted in Kinchbus livery. Dart 896 is still in use with Kinchbus too, route 9 branding removed and Kinch names applied. Centro 761 is now in the new Skylink livery too.

Centro 792 has arrived at notts+derby. Fleet names have been applied to the current livery.

Excel 201 has been withdrawn and is stored at Loughborough along with Paladins 105, 111, 117, TM Merc 1138 and Vario 286 amongst others.

Dart 931 has returned to the area and is now with Gills Travel.

I4 is expected to be launched with the new Tempo SRs on Sunday 6th May.

1st April:
Sutton Dart 906 has lost its trent barton names, despite the fact that the route it has been used on since they were applied, the 146, will be a trent barton route from tomorrow (previously a Midland General).

Several vehicles have passed to the High Peak bus company which began operations today. These include Excels red Excels 225,226,227 and 233 plus Darts 939 and 949, the transpeak and skyline branded vehicles (plus 2 spare red Scanias based at Dove Holes). Unibus Paladin 113 on transpeak today too, so the Dove Holes based Paladins may have also passed. The Bowers / Centrebus vehicles should now be based at Dove Holes too.

High Peak Excel 233 on the transpeak service on the first day of operation. Although most branding has been removed, there are still signs of a connection with the really good bus company. The service is now registered as four separate routes, hence the TP2 service number displayed on the front.
(C) Geoff Girling

27th March:
Many Darts have been moved from the Kinchbus yard to Looms, Spondon for scrap.
Indigo Volvos 724/5 have gone to Langley Mill for repaint into trent barton red. Solos 418/437/440 also at Langley Mill, suplus now that the Long Eaton Xprss has been scaled back.
Dart 939 has had trent barton names removed ready for the start of High Peak on Monday. 225 and some other Excels have also had fleet names removed in preparation.

20th March:

Scania 669 in the new style Skylink livery for the revised Nottingham to East Midlands Airport service.
(C) John Whittingham

An I4 Tempo is at Langley Mill, registered (YJ12 DWA).

Centro 792 is yet to arrive from TM Travel, but is set to replace 202 on the D1. 791 is due for repaint into notts and derby livery, and 793 into Unibus livery (for the 6, replacing last years write off, 223?).

Scanias 637, 662/3, 665, and 668/9 should now be in the new blue Nottingham Skylink livery, ready for next weeks launch. Some Indigo Volvos will become spare as a result.

Former Felix Centro 767 is now in service with Kinchbus in the revised Derby / Leicester Skylink livery. it has replaced 637 (now on Nottingham Skylink).

Former Felix Centro 767 now repainted in Skylink livery, seen here at East Midlands Airport.
(C) John Whittingham

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

Yourbus, Nottingham

NEWS

New Levante 4032.
(C) Dan Louch

24th December:
Many thanks to Stephen and the Yourbus Yahoo Group for the info below.

Please see below regs and fleetnumbers for the 15 new Volvo B9R / Caetano Levante II that will enter service on 9th January.

4029 (FJ61 EXM),
4030 (FJ61 EXN),
4031 (FJ61 EXO),
4032 (FJ61 EXP),
4033 (FJ61 EXR),
4034 (FJ61 EXS),
4035 (FJ61 EXT),
4036 (FJ61 EXU),
4037 (FJ61 EXV),
4038 (FJ61 EXW),
4039 (FJ61 EXX),
4040 (FJ61 EXZ),
4041 (FJ61 EYA),
4042 (FJ61 EYC),
4043 (FJ61 EYD).

4029 - 4039 are all at Heanor, with 4040 - 4043 due for delivery on January 3rd. These vehilces are to increase PVR with extra diagrams being taken over from Arriva Midlands & Classic Coaches on services

040 Bristol - London,
310 Southsea - Bradford,
324 Bradford - Paington,
425/435 Newcastle - London,
440 Derby - Leicester - London.

These extra diagrams mean that Yourbus will be operating 10% of the entire National Express network and takes our NX fleet upto 55 vehilces. 4041 will also be the 50th brand new vehilce purchased by the company and is part of 52 brand new vehilces bought this year.

Dennis Darts 1104-1108 have been moved to Tuxford depot for storage.

| Arriva Derby |

| Midland Classic |

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