First sailing for Bretagne

Sunday 26th saw the first reported sailing of the Bretagne the old flagship ferry of Brittany Ferries. The boat has now replaced Pont Avon on her sailings between Plymouth and Santander while Pont Avon goes on for her refit. The boat will also run at times in tandem with Pont L’Abbe until Pont Avon’s return early next year.

Should read 'Aven'

Sorry Farley

VDV 142S

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I've been very busy with other things at the moment.

The 17th November 2007 saw two boys life long dreams came to life with the chance to drive ex-Devon General/First Open top Bristol VRT VDV 142S. She was also in her lifetime in service known as Lawrence of Arabia, 39942 and 942 when with Devon General. She was built in 1978 and acquired by the Western National Omnibus company until 1983 where she passed into the hands of Southern National who renamed her Lawrence of Arabia as were all other open top VRTs. In 2001 she was bought by First Hampshire and Dorset and was used in Weymouth as the Harbour Sights open top tour bus until 2006. She was then brought into preservation by Terry Partridge. The bus uses the Standard Gardener 6LXB engine and can carry 76 passengers. Being an open topper she is slightly lower and wider than the standard VR at 13foot high and 9foot wide. If I am correct she is chassis number 22429 from a batch of 8 bought at the time. So on the Saturday Terry invited myself and Jon Harris up to a disused airfield at Winkleigh to come and have a go of driving our dream of a Bristol VR. At first we didn’t believe what he had said. Us driving a 9 ton Bristol VRT! Well he was serious and so we went up there me with him from Saltash as he is a local man and Jon by himself. We reached Winkleigh around 11:15 and we had a look around the more restricted areas of the site before going up to start the beast that Is VDV 142S. She roared into life first time and we gave her a few minutes to build up air pressure in the all important brakes don’t want them failing. As soon as the pressure was above 80 Terry set her off and showed us the course we would do and abut the controls of the bus where to watch out on the course and so on. Then it was our turn. Jon went first around the course very gingerly first In order to just get used to the VR. When I got in I was actually very surprised how easy the bus was to drive, the steering was a lot lighter than I expected and the gearbox was very easy to operate. A very good bus to drive and I now really appreciate why this iconic bus was loved so much by so many people. We drove round and round up and down in and out the whole 3 hours we were there we didn’t stop and the VR stayed loyal to us the whole time not one mishap. What a bus. Now I just need my own.

Videos available at http://uk.youtube.com/user/tgprojects

First takeover of Plymouth Citybus Routes

Sorry I haven't posted for a while I have been busy.

Recently First Devon and Cornwall has won the bid to take over all the retendered routes from Plymouth Citybus that have been given away. First Devon and Cornwall were only going to get a few the rest to Target Travel but they are all now going to First Devon and Cornwall. These routes will be 10, 13, 18, 30, 34B(not 34) 38, 44B (not 44) and 46B (not 46). If any of these apply to you please consult me for more information on the changes that will be taking place on your local route. The changes to your timetables and route operator will be taking place on Sunday 30th December this year just in time for the new year though there will Sunday operation the next day then no operation the next and then Sunday operation the day after that. These changes will be permanent and not short term as Plymouth City Council is currently trying to cut back on costs related to Plymouth Citybus therefore retendeing them seemed the best option for them to do. The timetables will be revised so if these routes apply to you please check the First Devon and Cornwall website which is www.firstgroup.com. The new timetables will be published in the near future there under the section “New Timetables”. The changes will also mean that the fairs will increase and certain passengers will no longer be able to buy return journeys for the routes as they could be operated by different companies at different times.

A message from the Transport Week

A message from the editor of Transport Week:

"Here at the Transport Week, we have received numerous complaints about our magazine. Unfortunately, it is not actually our magazine. 'PTOTPA', or 'Cor-Dev' as it is known as now, bears a remarkable similarity to Transport Week. I would like to take this opportunity to advise all readers that it is not the same magazine. We retain strict editorial independence. For all your up to date transport news, go to www.transportweek.blogspot.com. Any opinions, articles, or photographs featured in 'COR-DEV', are not the responsibility of the Transport Week in any way, so any copyright issues reside with 'COR-DEV' (leave a comment at this blog, if need be).

Subscriptions to the Transport Week, are available by emailing me. Please see our blog for further announcements.

Many Thanks,

Luke Farley

34812 leaving Cremyll

Taken this moring is Leyland Olympian 34812 on the school holiday only 81C 07:59 service to Derriford driven by Karl this moring. Plenty of time to talk to him and take some pictures when the bus arrives with a 30 minuite gap until the Cremyll Ferry departs.

Troubles on the 83

Lately with the timetable change and improved frequency of the 83 has been causing major confusion for the commuters of the route. On Tuesday the driver had on the blind 83 but then changed to an 86 therefore went towards the railway station meaning commuters to Devonport had to walk from the railway station mainly to Devonport High School For Boys as that was the popular school route. This also means 86 goes into Derriford "An uneeded journey" says Danial Chalinor as no body got off or on. He says that this should be left to travelers on the 83 not the 86. Then on Wednesday the bus did not arrive to pick the boys up until 5:30 some 30 minuites late meaning some very un happy pupils and parents. They say with all this new rebranding and more frequent buses has acctually made the route less reliable.

New timetable swings into action

Good picture today of the first day of week service on the new timetables A-line and first pictures in Cremyll. Yesterday the new All Cornwall bus timetables were released and the timetables I am happy to report are now a lot better. The connections with the ferry is even better than the times that 81B and 80B used to do and are at much more convenient times with better links with the ferry. For example my buses the old 0830 and 1615 which I couldn't get becomes 0827 and 1633. This will mean 30mins wait in the morning for the ferry but much better links in the afternoon and throughout the day where buses leave Cremyll at --56/57 minutes past. This means very good connections for both ways of traffic. But this does mean that again A-Line Travel are being forced into competition with First as they both run the afternoon bus at very near the same time. A-Line Travel leave first ahead of First at 1630 and First last at 1633. This will mean that most of the traffic going to Millbrook will use First and Cawsand traffic which will most likely just be me will use A-Line. This will mean the same battle as many years age but companies leaving at the same time. This therefore again could mean that A-Line could be forced out of the equation once again. Though some people may still choose A-Line because A-Line is near a pound cheaper than First are. And if Jim drives fast he could still likely beat First by driving fast which Jim doesn't really like doing but he could likely beat first still. Especially as First are using the Olympians on that route. I'll give you the results to see how the timetable is going as soon as a get news from the drivers.

Northern goes in for refit

Sorry I haven't psted for a few days been busy with other things.

Northern Belle was taken out of service at Lunch time today marking the start of operation for Tamar Belle on the Cremyll-Plymouth route. The Northern will now go in for refit at Voyager Boat yard and undergo her yearly refit including painting and maintenance. This will continue until the Spring of next year. But for now Tamar Belle will ride the waves. And rock too.

Major Shortages at Torpoint

Over the past two days there have been major bus shortages at Torpoint because of so many buses braking down. There has been three Tridents out of action but today returned to 2 out of operation. Just one Leyland was working this afternoon after 34813 had a breakdown at Tregantelle Fort yesterday meaning she was out of action today and today 34809 broke down in Antony. The dart has not been sighed by me the whole time no I don't know weather she is in service or not. This meant that there was only the Volvo Olympian usually the least reliable, three Tridents, two Leyland Olympians and what turned out to be the workhorse of the day five Mercedes Varios. As I have called it the Vario revival. The three Tamar Link Varios were operating along with two Marchall Varios from Plymouth here to cover from the breakdowns. This could continue throughout the week until it gets fixed. But the Varios have been running to full capacity and many people have had to be refused to get on by the drivers as they just didn't have any more room. The picture above shows the crowding on 50306 on 81C in Torpoint going towards Plymouth. I've said it before and I'll say it again. They should have kept the VRs.

Another pink for Plymouth

The first of the Newly branded Tavylinx buses has been finished. This bus has been down here for a while and is fleet number 40570 YJ51 PZZ. Again the route branding for the bus has been done into Pink and Purple nearly the same shade as is seen with Tamr Link but is done in a different pattern. The photo linked at the bottom was taken by Derrivk Cuff yesterday. The bus will hopefully go into service the start of next week though could be earlier.

http://taketwo.fotopic.net/p46047769.html

Torquay 100th Aniversary

Today was the 100th Aniversary of public Transport in Torquay. I will bring you the full story tommorow but the bus above was particully interesting. The bus above is a Stagecoach Dennis Trident T653 KPU. The bus has been re-painted and re-upholstered into an old Devon Genaral livery just for the occation. It was done very nicely and I congratulate Stagecoach a lot on there work on this bus. I really am getting to value Stagecoach a lot more and nearly more than First. Because of costomer service, quality of the fleets and there secdual which they acctually keep to.

Tavylinx

First Devon and Cornwall route 83 and 84 are very well used routes operating a service between Bretonside bus station and Tavistock. Well last week First Devon and Cornwall Managing director Marc Reedy says we will be getting seven 51 reg (2001) Volvo B6BLE’s (pictures on the cover coming) down here from York and will be painted into a new branded livery expected to be much the same as Tamar Link and Mayflower Link in design instead of the now phased out colour routes e.g. blue 7. This livery will be branded as Tavylinx which will be applied to the newer seven buses. To come with this the frequency will be increased from the current 20minuite gap down to every 15 minutes. STOP PRESS: The buses should be fleet numbered 40580-40586. These should be an all over livery and not just vinyls. And was also heard 40570 is already down here and may have been rebranded?

Pacers hit our branchlines

Class 143 and 142 pacers were thought to have left the rails forever after they were phased out in the late 80s after so many complaints and unreliability. Well they have returned to haunt our branch lines. These trains are fitted out very nearly the same as Leyland National buses with in some cases the same seats, engine, doors windows, fittings bacicly everything except the wheels even though these have a revised bodywork to make then look less bus like. Though they are worse to ride on that the actual buses themselves. Oh well. I say enjoy them before they brake down. Picture of a Pacer link below:


http://christrerise.fotopic.net/p41018803.html

Sprosed up ex

News on ex-Torpoint Leyland Olympian now serving in her last years down in Penzance has been spruced up again. Only about two years ago she was re-painted and cleaned out when she came down to serve in Torpoint. Well she was had another re-paint but sadly looks the same as all the other Olympians as the depot down there haven't bothered to paint her grill like they did in Plymouth. I think you'll agree it doesn't look as good as when the grill was white. And they have given the interior a general clean up and is looking fine in her last days of service. Well at least I presume that theses are her last years. Same with all the Olympians. Problem is what they will replace them with when it does happen. There are plenty of disused step entrance Darts and Varios but they do need some double deackers. Who knows. They might just have to keep them going. Should have kept the VRs aswell.

Link below is to A167 VFM in Marazion in spruced up condition:
http://simon99.fotopic.net/p45378091.html

Song of the Napoli

Not quite public transport but just had to post this. Such a good song.

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/sidmouthherald/flatfiles/videos/2007/napoli_song.aspx

Marshall Vario helps out at Torpoint

Sorry for the lack of updates I have had problems with the camera uploading.

Saturday saw Marshall Bodied Mercedes Vario 52596 taken to Torpoint to help out on 181 dutyies. But I came into Plymouth at about 10:50 we passed the depot and was sitting there and on the return journey on the 2:30 from Plymouth it was still there. No need for it really.

Branding for A-Line

A-Line Travels Mercedes 709 has received her first branding for about ten years since she changed hands to Brigg's coaches. This was done in the form of local solicitor Richard Harris which also was done on the sidea of the old Ivecos (J234 KDL and J238 KDL) which I will pick up on as soon as I find out more on there current position. Anyway as you can see the branding really does make it look like a proper bus again not the coach its been for so long. Looking very smart. And was proposed another Mercedes 709 could be bought in the very near future because of the unrelibility of M152 LPL. More on this also to come.

Millbrook school bus blunder

This week the children of Millbrook have been treated with having on most occations a Leyland Olympian for there school bus becasue of Trident shortage because of broken down 32756. Therefore on Wednesday Leyland Olympian 34812 was roped in to do the run. This meant as she has slightly less capasity she had a full load on her. Probebly for the first time in her life. They were going up Hounster Hill away from Millbrook but without a run up because of heavy traffic at that time of the morning. The driver floored her up the hill but near the top she stalled and ran out of power. This meant at least 40 of the pupils had to get off and walk the rest of the hill in the pouring rain and let the bus kreep up the hill. Not a good start for there day I think you'll agree.

Cremyll plans

Sorry its taken me a while to do this but here we go.

On Saturday the exhibision in St Andrews church unvailed the new plans and drawings on the new buildings and redevelopment in Cremyll. Pictures that will be above but the downloader isn't working. They show the new extension added on which wil contain new deisabled toilets, a new waiting room the demolishing of the old porta cabin whih has been there for 20 years, the refurbishment of the old barn shed thing on the other side of the road, making the current turnstiles into an Ice-Cream parlour replacing the kiosk down there, realtime information system which I think isn't really needed and the other obvious one is there won't be any railings anymore leaving it open plan with not as much security. Pictures will explain all when they come.

Work will commence likely sometime in November and is due to be completed by the Summer. We look forward to this. PTOTPA will keep you informed of the happenings as they unfold.

Another brakedown at A-Line

Sorry its a short post again. I am quite busy at the moment.

Today A-Line travels "Unfaithful" Mercedes 709 broke down again today. This happened somewhere along the route 270 on the return journey from Trago Mills. Ths therefore meant on the 4:30 service we got the coach pictured above. It was a lot nicer than the 709 but what do you expect. Got us home in record time aswell. A lot nicer to be on and a lot faster even on a country route which the 709 is suited to.

Didn't know how to turn the picture round. Sorry.