It was quite a surprise to see a familiar looking blue and white liveried vehicle residing in the corner of Waterloo Depot - the home of the Centrebus owned Huddersfield Bus Company, as I whisked by on my daily commute into University on Thursday. It was certainly one of those situations where you had to double take to make sure you were correct in registering that the vehicle was indeed not in the usual orange livery! But indeed I was correct; emblazoned down the side was the Country Bus fleetname, along with its Newton Abbot telephone code. YX54 HBB, Country Bus' only DAF SB120, and indeed, about the only SB120 in the whole of the South West, was unfortunate enough to be involved in an RTA, and suffered considerable frontal damage. Despite only being around 8 years old, and having only been in the Country Bus fleet for less than 2 years, it seems that it wasn't economical for Country Bus to repair, and hence has been sold on to Centrebus. Fellow Centrebus owned company, K-Line, operate quite a number of SB120s within Huddersfield so it seems logical that YX54 HBB has been acquired either for spares for the sizeable fleet, or possibly even to repair and add her to the collection; only time will tell as to her eventual fate. Nice to see something local though since the withdrawal of R460 CCV by First!
As promised, and with many thanks to Aaron Fellowes and Tom Pearce, I'm able to bring you news of the latest addition to A-Line's fleet, replacing the ill fated R651 YCR after Wednesday's incident.
Mercedes 811D M242 VYA has certainly done the rounds, and quite locally too, after being new to Southern National, passing later to Carmel Coaches and Hill's of Stibbs Cross, from which she was collected from on Sunday. It must be said, for M242's 1995 vintage, she looks very tidy indeed, particularly when you have a look at her very fresh looking appearance within the passenger saloon. The somewhat less common 33 seat Wright bodywork looks very straight as well, so she certainly appears to have been a sound buy, though of course, only time will tell whether she can prove herself in service. Although a small step down from R651 YCR's dual purpose seating, the extra capacity will undoubtedly be welcome on the busier peak journeys, particularly on the school service that M242 is intended to be used on, during her rotas on the 80B (80A is now discontinued). I certainly look forward to a trip aboard her come Easter time - let's just hope no other objects decide to land on any other vehicles!
It is quite frankly my pleasure to report that after this potentially horrific accident, all involved have come out the other side completely unscathed - all except one little fighter. The wreckage you see before you is of poor old 'Bertie' the Vario, of A-Line Coaches, the stalwart of Route 80 for the last 4 1/2 years.
I'm sure for many of the you the name Paul Burch of the PCTPG will ring a bell, and it was this man that had the misfortune to be driving R651 YCR just as a substantial tree gave way on Maker Lane yesterday evening, crushing the UVG body into a cripple. Quite frankly how Paul managed to escape with but a small cut to his hand from the shattering windscreen completely evades me, when you consider the area of the bus the tree actually hit. It surely must have been inches away from causing frightening consequences - thank god, somehow he managed to come out the other side laughing. And indeed also quite amazingly, joking about how thankful he was that Ex Plymouth Citybus Mercedes 709D N276 PDV had been taken off the service just hours before, and that she had been saved from the accident. To add, there were also thankfully no passengers travelling aboard R651 YCR at the time of the incident, largely thanks most likely to the fact that the last Cremyll Ferry had already departed, reducing demand for travelers to Cremyll just at the point that it mattered.
As is quite plain to see, R651 YCR will not be returning to the road, having sustained a lot of damage not only cosmetically, but also undoubtedly structurally as well. From the photo there appears to be a lot of damage to the nearside, and the platform, as well as the whole bonnet section, and the predominant split right down the middle of the roof/blind box area. I wish I could say it was a sad end for the bus, but despite the hundreds, if not thousands of miles I've done aboard her, I've never warmed to her. As has often been remarked, the somewhat boxy and ugly UVG bodywork did her no favors, along with being a constant source of problems for all involved at A-Line. She's seen a lot of change over her 4 short years in service though, but I can't say she's really truly earned her keep over the years. Still on wards and upwards, I have reports of a Mercedes 811D arriving at A-Line this weekend to take up R651 YCR's space in the depot.
My thoughts are with Paul after what must have been an incident that would shaken even the most hardy of drivers; very thankful indeed that he is still here to tell the story, where other incidents of a very similar nature have indeed resulted in dire consequences My thanks go to Derrick Cuff for the photo.
With many thanks to Tom Pearce I can bring you this photo of Jackett's Coaches Dart, BX54 DLF, out operating on the very first day of the new service 85. For any of those who don't know, Jackett's have taken to the A386 to provide a link between Plymouth and Tavistock, following vaguely the same route as First Devon and Cornwall's 86, excluding the 'branches' to Derriford Hospital and into Woolwell, giving Jackett's 85 a competitive 53 minute journey time, versus 1hr 4minutes on the 86; but remains 4 minutes slower than the 83, not that this amount of time will really be noticed by anyone! Being under the full hour enables the 85 to run a bi-hourly service from 7 in the morning until 6 in the evening, very well timed both for commuters into Plymouth with a 0730 journey from Tavistock, as well as a 0930, ideal to pick up the concessionary fare users.
Indeed it has been reported that loadings were promising for the route's first day, and no doubt as word spreads, we can hope loadings will be boosted. As has been thoroughly discussed, this is a brave, commercial venture by a relatively new company, but certainly a worthy one. For years First has well and truly held the monopoly on Tavistock services, with fares abnormally high for the distance involved, so Jackett's £5 return will likely be attractive, but only I'd presume to the occasional user. First of course offer their 'Tavi Linx Week' ticket, at £26.50, so presuming workers are travelling 5 days a week, an extra £1.50 seems worth it for the added convenience of 8 times the amount of buses during the day, as well as use of the town service 89 on arrival in Tavistock. I'd expect therefore, shoppers and occasional users will be the main users of the 85, attracted in by a noticeable decrease in what they're used to paying. This does of course rely on their day being fairly well planned though, else you may face quite a long wait!
The Volvo Olympian it is safe to say is quite a dying breed within Stagecoach South West today, with this week's SoS being of the final example to still be running in Torbay; the honor going to R137 EVX. This is after quite a comeback during the summer of the type within the Bay, during the London 2012 Games, which saw the then brand new Scania powered Enviro 400s move to Exeter, to cover for the various batches of ADL Enviros that headed East to transport the masses. Since then the Olympians have been slowly dwindling away not only from Torbay, but also Exeter, with only very small numbers still left in operation. Quite a different picture when you consider the numbers of K reg Leyland Olympians with First have increased by 50% within FDC!
No sooner do Plymouth City Council splash what I considered (even if no one else agreed with me!) a welcome bit of colour around Bretonside Bus Station, they decide to take it away again, and adorn the pillars with paint somewhat resembling GWR Chocolate Brown! Really not quite sure what possessed them to do this! It's not unattractive, but it's just so dull! At least the multicolours were a bit uplifting...
It certainly all feels a bit more alive down there though, with the re-introduction of Western Greyhound's services to Bretonside, as well as the increase in First buses fighting on the Ivybridge corridor, with the 88 leaving from Bretonside every half hour, on top of the X80 and 180. The lack of buses had made Bretonside feel even more baron, but the vibrancy of operators has at least revitalised it a bit!
Refreshing to re-discover was H989 FTT, a Carlyle bodied Mercedes 811D, modified as a camper, but new to Red Admiral; later operating with Burtons of Brixham of which the parent company, Transit Holdings, also operated. H989 has been tucked away out of sight for many years in Millbrook, long lost by the bus enthusiast. Thankfully, A-Line Coaches manager Jim Goddard was still aware of its existence, and with a sharp mind, the bus sprung straight to thought when N276 PDV blew her engine a couple of months ago. After lying uninhabited for some time, H989 was dragged to the depot where her engine was extracted, and mounted into N276 PDV. Thanks to this, she is quite easily the nicest 709D I've ever ridden on. The more powerful turbo charged engine from H989 pulls N276 along like no other Mercedes minibus I've ever rode upon. As you may be aware, the hills around Cawsand, Cremyll and Millbrook and pretty steep, requiring 2nd gear with a 709D in places, with the engine revving high into the rev band. Amazingly, N276 now pulls up in 4th on the same hill, and can even be teased into 5th, and still pull! Thanks to this ability, N276 is now achieving even better fuel economy than before, as well as being able to keep to time much more capably on the demanding route. Really is quite a pleasure! The fate of the rest of H989 will lead her to a scrapyard in the very near future unfortunately, although, was probably quite well past a prospect of preservation looking at her general condition. Still, it's nice to know that she has been so noble in her last act, losing her heart to keep a sister going.
May I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers. I would suggest that this is a somewhat more accurate representation of the winter we've been having this year in the South West; no opportunities for any picturesque snow photos as of yet! Dare I say it, worse than up North! Here was me expecting to be stuck in snow drifts unable to leave the student accommodation in a somewhat isolated area around 2 miles outside Huddersfield, sitting round a fire eating beans with a cocktail stick, but no, it's been positively barmy compared to the good old SW! I am down and around for a few weeks now before returning to Hudd in mid January, so hopefully there will be a bit of news to comment on over the next couple of weeks, I'm certainly well behind! Coming tomorrow, the re-discovery of what was/is quite an interesting survivor from Brixham...
After some four years of hard graft in service, stalwart Mercedes Vario R651 YCR has recently had a refresh, and has returned to the road in this new guise. There's no way of circling the facts with this one, the livery really doesn't look good. The UVG bodywork of 'Bertie' has never been something that is particularly aesthetically pleasing anyway, and this blocky, miss placed livery has done her no favors. The fleetnames in particular make the livery look even more ill-fitting, and the curve that you can't quite make out right at the rear of the bus again makes it all look a bit amateur. This said, R651 was in desperate need of a repaint, she had been looking very tatty indeed, particularly on the nearside, after 4 years of brushing through hedges and splashing through mud along its rural route, never really visiting any urban areas, other than its once a day blast through Liskeard before the route changes in April. So in that sense, this has been positive, but the loss of the 'map livery' is an unfortunate one. The idea appears to have been to copy the Stagecoach-esque livery adopted by the Volvo B6LE, but simply doesn't work on the Vario. Expect to see other members of the fleet follow suit in the near future though.
On another note, N276 PDV, which had suffered engine seizure has now returned to the road. An unfortunate mistake saw her grind to a halt a few weeks ago coming into Cremyll, as pictured, leaving her in need of a tow back to the depot. A replacement engine was quickly sourced though, and she is already back in traffic, earning her keep once again! A credit to manager Jim, and son Danny being able to get on and do a job like this so quickly, on top of everything else! She reportedly "Goes like a train" now, and she wasn't a slouch to begin with, so I look forward to sampling her in just over a month's time when I return to the South West for Christmas!
Photos come, with thanks, from Jon Oxley and Derrick Cuff
Just as I'd managed to catch up with an old friend from back 'home', so it is that she is taken away from me again - and how prematurely! Dennis Dart R460 CCV was unfortunately within the next batch to be withdrawn and taken away for scrap, pictured here resting before her final journey, in Old Fieldhouse Lane Depot. Somewhat frustrating in that I never actually got to ride on her to 'remind me of home' before she was withdrawn. As Nathan picked up on last week though, its so surprising that all these relitively young, low floor vehicles are being withdrawn up here, while down in Devon and Cornwall, more and more step entrance vehicles have been added to the fleet in recent months, including increasing numbers of the K-LAE batch of Leyland Olympians, and N reg step entrance Dennis Darts from Bristol. Why not send R460 back home to join her sisters, who have returned home to Plymouth after spending time in Barnstaple over the last few years, until its unfortunate closure this month. I'm sure she'd be most welcome!
While pacing my way through Lancashire on Monday, I came across this Olympian parked down a side road near Accrington Bus Station, so thought it worth going out and having a look! To my, well, astonishment, N721 LTN which some of you may remember as being Stagecoach Devon 16721, was blinded up for an X38 to Buckfastleigh! After looking back through my own collection, and other people's photos, it appears that Pilkington's have never actually bothered re-programming the blind from its days with Stagecoach. A majority of the time it appears to be left with 'megabus.com' on the blind, which was indeed the case when I photographed it last in August of this year (pictured below). Nice bit of free advertising for them! Shame really, as its an very well presented bus for a small independent, but blinds definitely don't seem to be the company's strong point.
As promised I have managed to track down what has been an quite an illusive R460 CCV, during about the only sunny day I've had since I moved up here. That said, it hasn't been particularly nice anywhere in the UK over the past couple of weeks, but that hasn't stopped me pushing the concept of it 'never raining' in Cornwall ;-) R460 does appear to be a bit battered and bruised compared to her sisters who've stayed native, and indeed maybe this is the case underneath as well, I've only seen here out earning her keep once in the 15 days I've been in Huddersfield so far.
The other exciting news for this week is that I've got round to starting the new blog, Public Transport of the Huddersfield Area. After a hiccup with Blogger itself, I've been unable to use the website address I would have hoped to, so have had to resort to the closest I could get, this being WWW.PTOTHA12.BLOGSPOT.COM (it will work typing in lower case as well)! There's a couple of posts on there already, with at least 2 more in the pipeline for the coming week. There's so much out there to explore, not only are Yorkshire and neighboring Derbyshire very beautiful in their own right, but the companies operating within them also make for a very varied and interesting bus scene. With the likes of Trent Barton providing some of the most up to date thinking in the UK in terms of public transport, we can also find at the other end of the scale operators such as TM Travel, who operate a fantastic range of Leylands, Volvos and DAFs to keep the enthusiast happy! In terms of trains, it appears that there is much more loco action, with Class 31s reflectively easy to find. The local HST sets operated by East Midlands Trains are the only ones in the country fitted with the VP185 engines, rather than soulless MTUs we have in the South West, so these are most certainly of interest. And of course, the Class 142 is once again in abundance in my new home town, nice to have them back!
Purely a self indulgent photo for the final Snap on Sunday for now, this being of a batch of vehicles that have been so close to me since I first started taking an interest in the hobby. I'll never forget looking out the railings at Fourlanesend, my old primary school, and seeing not a Bristol VR struggling to reach the summit of the hill, but a gleaming bright pink bus, storming up the hill from Cawsand, how exciting! This was during the time they were being used for type training, before they had even entered service, and so this made it particularly special. This also spelled the beginning of the service going via Maker, rather than via Anderton, because it was felt that the Tridents were too large to negotiate this road, so to see them for the first time thrashing past the school up to Maker was also quite special. Of the 5, WA54 OLT 'Egret', has always been my favorite, and however much I have hated travelling aboard Tridents over the years, I think I may well end up missing Swan, Heron, Egret, Cormorant and Spoonbill; they're certainly the best Tridents I've ever been on!
So, after 5 1/2 years, and some 800 posts, today is the day PTOTPA finishes in its current form. As you may have gathered, I commence my university life tomorrow, at the University of Huddersfield, ready to embark on a 4 year course studying Transport and Logistics Management. As I've said to many people, there aren't many hobbies in which you can gain a potential career from, and hence I class myself as someone very lucky. So of course, no longer living in the South West means I personally can't keep you up to date on the day to day goings on within the Plymouth area.
This isn't the end of PTOTPA though, with the help of anyone who would like to contribute stories and photos within the area, I am very willing to process them, and write them into a full post. I will also be returning to the South West during key holidays i.e. Christmas and Easter, so there may be some opportunity for blogging at these times, and my summer lasts from the end of May to the middle of September, so again, during this 4 month period PTOTPA will be able to function hopefully near enough as it does at the moment. So its worth checking back here periodically for updates! Of course, Graham Richardson at Plymothian Transit will without a doubt continue to capably inform you of the goings on in Plymouth, with some very interesting times ahead; a shame I'm going to miss out on it all!
I will also more than likely begin a blog within my new area somewhere along the line, although as I have mentioned before, this may not be to everyone's interests. I will however post on PTOTPA any stories or photos taken up here, with a link back to the South West, for instance, in Huddersfield the local First subsidiary operates native Dennis Dart R460 CCV, and no doubt over the course of the next few years more vehicles will surface with some local connection.
One last thing, during my third year I will be on what is described as the 'Placement Year', effectively going into industry and working as I would be doing after I have graduated, with any company willing to take me on for the year. This could therefore mean that from 2014 til 2015 I will be back in the South West, and ideally right now, this would be desirable, but this is a long way into the future, so who knows what may actually happen!
So all I have left to say is, thank you all so much for your kind readership and support over the last 5 years. Its been a pleasure bringing you the local news, and I will dearly miss many aspects of the South West. So for now, farewell and thanks to all of you have have built up my 102'916 views to this little corner of the internet.
For my final day out in the South West before the move to Huddersfield this weekend I decided on a few trips on one of the most picturesque routes in Great Britain, that being the 93 (incorporated within a round loop using the X80/1). Typically though, pretty much everything that could have gone wrong, did!
The day didn't start off well, with me missing the 0705 80 to Cremyll, but was no matter, the 81 via Torpoint would be along by 0720, only putting me back by half an hour in Plymouth. The Trident that came to greet me on the preceding service to the one I planned was, thankfully, one of the newer East Lancs bodied 55' plate Tridents, WJ55 CRX, and not one of the dreadful Ex-London monstrosities. And so content with this, I boarded in a relitively decent mood, despite not receiving the Olympian which I was hoping for. Things started to go wrong worryingly early on though, with the windscreen wipers coming on with no intervention from the driver at all! It was if they had a mind of their own. This was followed by a worryingly small turn of speed on the A38, and on reaching Lee Mill, only 20ish minutes into the journey, the alarms started going off, and the bus was pulled over in the village. We stepped outside to find water leaking severely from the front of the bus, a problem which has been re-occurring with 32761 a worrying amount of times. It seems to have started when she first starting getting used on Torpoint service, in which she ground out several times and with it damaged the water pipes, and henceforth they never seem to have been repaired properly.
An hour passed by with the fitter unable to stop the leak, and therefore we were transferred onto the following service, operated annoyingly by Ex-London, LR02 LYS. Because we then effectively were getting two bus loads on one bus, the service got so packed that the driver actually had to start refusing passengers, it had completely reached capacity! And so I was very glad to leave the service in Paignton, to transfer to the X81 to Dartmouth!
A very pleasant journey ensued aboard what I'd come looking for, Leyland Olympian K619 LAE! Despite being the 'worst' of the 4 still in service from Plymouth, she performed immeasurably better than the two previous Tridents, and we made good time along the lovely stretch of road right through to Dartmouth.
Because so much time had been lost with the breakdown, I decided on getting on the first 93 that came along rather than hanging around, and this unfortunately ended by being provided by another Ex-London Trident, this time from the even more dire T-LLC batch. Before we'd even got going, T803 didn't want to play ball, with her not starting on the button! Luckily, the depot supervisor at Dartmouth was soon on hand to open up the engine compartment to start her manually. But things still were clearly not right with T803, the was banging and clattering into gear when the throttle was re-applied from neutral as the Voith gearboxes do, and this preceded to get worse and worse during the leg from Dartmouth to Kingsbridge. At points it simply wouldn't re-engage, with the bus just revving uncontrollably before eventually pulling itself back into gear. Sure enough, just minutes after leaving Kingsbridge bus station the inevitable happened, and T803 LLC ground to a halt outside Kingsbridge Hospital.
None of FDC's engineers were available to come out to fix it, and naturally there were no spare buses/drivers left for the service to be taken over, so another wait followed. Tally Ho! engineers did arrive to attempt to get her going again, but it was difficult enough just getting into the engine bay, with the handle having been broken off an hour earlier in Dartmouth! Unfortunately with AGF (automatic gearbox fluid) leaking across the road, there wasn't much hope, and therefore it meant another wait for the bus behind. This was even worse considering the next service is the one I particularly didn't want to travel on, the infamous school service 93! Because of its extra journey up to the school, it took even longer to come than was hoped, and after a good 1hr 20minutes of waiting, the ever dependable Torpoint Trident WA54 OLP materialised, and quite frankly I was very glad of it! The Torpoint Tridents have always seemed to be far more reliable than any other Tridents I've ever experienced, and naturally, 32757 carried a full and standing load capably and efficiently back to Plymouth. This included passing yet ANOTHER Trident that decided to litter itself across Devon on Tuesday, with Mayflower Link branded LR02 LYV disgracing itself in a particularly difficult place to get past!
So, thanks for the sendoff Tridents! I'll be bloomin' glad to see that back of you...
First Devon and Cornwall have began to capitalise on the new freedom to be able to locally brand their fleet in tune with the area, the first of this being the various Cornish depot. Buses within Cornwall rarely stick to the same depot, switching regularly, if not daily between various outstations, and hence a general theme was needed. This has materialised as 'First Kernow' and has quickly found itself onto quite a number of buses within the fleet. Its kept nice and simple, in fact you could probably argue its slightly too low key, with it only being placed above the driver's window and the front doors, but none the less its tasteful, and satisfying to the locals - the Cornish flag being particularly welcome!
Over the boarder we have seen the first of Plymouth's fleet to be re-painted into the new First Group livery, with the honour going to Volvo B6BLE, YJ51 RJX. YJ51 also has the claim to fame of being the first B6 in the country to receive the new livery, and I must admit, it does look a lot better on a single decker with less block colour, than it does on the Enviro 400s. Unforutunately 40586 has yet to be branded with a local identity in pink lettering along the sides, and speculation continues as to what it might end up being! The obvious answer would be Plymouth, but considering that Plymouth depot operates to Torquay, Dartmouth, Tavistock, Okehampton, right across to Bude and south towards Torpoint and the Rame Peninsula, Plymouth doesn't quite fit in. South Devon is a possibility but again, several services do operate into Cornwall. Others suggest they may wind back the clock and apply Western National, although to my knowledge, no other First subsidaries have yet to take this route, and have instead stuck with geographical information with their branding. First Somerset and Avon have gone with 'West of England', so its possible we may see ours applied with South West. Through all this questioning though, its perfectly plausible that what we actually may end up seeing is First - 'Devon and Cornwall'! Now wouldn't that be bold...
This week's Snap on Sunday comes to you from in between Devon and Cornwall, at the mouth of the river Tamar. And aptly, the Tamar Belle is pictured within the shot, basking in the low summer sun, awaiting the point at which she will take over the Northern Belle's duties for her annual refit, in the not to distance future. Here also begins my final week in the South West before I move for pastures new on Saturday morning, but more on that later in the week!
A remarkable survivor within the First Group empire appears to be this J registered Dennis Javelin, J732 KBC, currently in use with First Somerset and Avon at their Taunton depot. The coach had been new to Martins of Kettering, but has spent a majority of its life working for First Southern National, and later of course FSA, ideally suited to some of the longer express routes in the area, and indeed she was primarily brought in at first to run on the X53 between Exeter and Poole, while based in Weymouth. She has since had spells working within Weymouth since her withdrawal from frontline service. Weirdly though, J732 has carried Barbie 3 within her past, including during her time as a driver trainer, but looking through photos, it seems she has relatively recently undergone a repaint into what appears to be an older First Group livery as pictured above, very similar to the original Barbie livery, without the pink fades, which many buses did carry. My first thought was that this was to distinguish her from her more modern counterparts in Taunton, but other First Group trainers are painted in a much more up to date style than this. But back to the point, while many younger driver training vehicles have been withdrawn around her, J732 pounds on thanks to her being fitted with a manual gearbox. Taunton and Yeovil are some of the few places within the First empire where you can still find Mercedes 709Ds and 711Ds operating, and hence where a majority of subsidiaries now only train their drivers to automatic licences, FSA have had to continue training their drivers to full manual licences, so that they are able to driver the Mercedes in service. Somewhat strange considering that FDC withdrew many automatic Mercedes Varios for scrapping, or onward sale to Poland. I shouldn't complain of course, its always nice to have a bit of variety, despite First Group's questionable logic at times. My thanks go to David Jory for providing the photos of J732, seen here resting in Taunton Bus Station.
Well respected coach and bus operator Carmel Coaches' latest expansion has now been revealed, with the first coach to appear in the Plymouth branded livery, and be moved to their current storage location in Plymouth. Carmel have been looking to expand into Plymouth for several months, and thanks to contract renewals for schools in the area, they now have a secure base to now be able to build on, rather than to dive in and hope for the best from private hire work.
Carmel have gained a very good reputation in Devon since 1984, and hence private hire work does come in from outside their immediate local area. The Exeter division of Carmel was only started 6 years ago, with just a handful of coaches, but has already grown into a dominant coach operator within the city, so it will be very interesting to see how fast they are able to grow in Plymouth. The coach industry in Plymouth has grown fast in itself in recent years, with the formation of Jackett Coaches and Oakley's, as well as the expansion of Target Travel, and Girlings (since their merger by Roselyn of Par). It will therefore be interesting to see how Carmel will mix in within Plymouth over the coming years. With the new base in Plymouth, it has also created quite an elegant triangle of coaches at the companies disposal, at Okehampton, Exeter and Plymouth, and therefore are in easy reach of any work that they may get within Plymouth, and over the borders into Somerset, and now quite possibly even Cornwall.
The coach itself that has started off has had an interesting history, passing through quite a few different operators over its working life. R36 GNW is a relatively rare DAF SB3000 bodied by Van Hool, which started life with Marchwood Motorways, and then passed to Armchair of London, but has also worked on National Express duties with Selwyns Travel, as well as private hire work. This was the first time I'd travelled on the SB3000, and I have to admit, I was extremely impressed! DAF often seem to make quite 'exciting' vehicles, despite their relative youth, and indeed the exhaust note from R36 was music to my ears! She really shifts as well, and cruised very comfortably on the limiter all the way down to Plymouth, on delivery from Exeter.
This week, a photo from the ever wonderful, annual Torbay Vintage Bus Rally organised by the Devon and Dorset Preservation Group. This shot sees Devon General vehicles DD 7497, an AEC Regent, posed next to a much more youthful A680 KDV, one of the Leyland Olympians that used to appear regularly on the Exeter to Plymouth express services 'back in her day'. The photo is taken at the iconic Broadsands Viaduct, part of the Dart Valley Railway at which if the timings are right, you can pose vintage buses and trains together to create a real bygone era type photo. The rally was ever popular with enthusiasts once again this year, no doubt thanks to the huge amount of effort put in by the team who organise the event, so many thanks from me personally for a thoroughly enjoyable day out!
Something a bit out of the ordinary this week for the Snap on Sunday. This 18 meter beast is a Van Hool TG821 'Alligator'. JPB 738V was new to Across in 1980, built to operate on 'Jumbulance' services across the UK. When new she was fitted with 14 beds along the nearside, stacked in twos, hence the non standard double tiered windows, with standard windows and seating on the offside for carers and family members. Her duties simply were to operate day trips for the sick, so that they were able to get out and see the world, from the comfort of a bed, and alongside friends and loved ones. Today, JPB has been converted to a mobile home (http://www.flickr.com/photos/76752978@N02/7860444132/in/photostream)
and despite looking a bit rough round the edges, drove 210 miles between her previous home in Chipping Camden, and her new home in Cornwall under her own power, and what power she's got! As you'd expect she's a heavy old lump, and therefore is fitted with an engine to match, a 17 litre Fiat V8! Certainly a very rare find, so thanks must go to Mr Mayhew senior for spotting this one among hedges on his commute through Cornwall. Her new owner certainly seems to have a real interest in bringing her back up to top notch condition, so it certainly appears that the future is bright for this remarkable survivor.
Photos of her in original condition can be seen by following the links below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trickyfield/5726883518/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/42318062@N07/6944854069/http://www.flickr.com/photos/42318062@N07/6944854191/
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