As a few of you will have probably already discovered, Ex-Plymouth Citybus Mercedes 709D made its rally debut last Sunday, and also its last, before coming out of preservation, and back into service, this being with A-Line Coaches. This is to act as the spare bus, in place of R260 GNJ which has now been retired from the fleet. Despite being older, undoubtedly N276 PDV will be more reliable, although is unlikely to be quite as economical as the frugal Ford engine fitted to the Iveco. Certainly a welcome addition to the fleet though, this one certainly seems to sounds nicer than PUI 6627 does! She needs a bit of TLC to get her up to scratch, but this has to be expected seeing as she has been residing in a corner of Winkleigh for 3 months, before purchase last weekend.
Purists look away now!! The eagle eyed among you will note that N276 has now been fitted with a Western National blind! Shocking - but appropriate for her new use. She is pictured here at what was her final time at Milehouse Bus Depot before moving onto A-Line's Foss Quay depot, during the handing over ceremony, with myself and Derrick Cuff pictured. Photo comes with thanks to Bobby Darch.
She is seen here boarding the Torpoint Ferry for what is highly likely the first time, on her way to her new home.
A-Line Coaches latest addition to the fleet, PUI 6627, originally L813 SAE when new to Bristol, has been settling in well at the company over the last couple of weeks. Due to problems with the X reg Mercedes Vario, this week she has seen service on the 80A/B between Torpoint and Liskeard. PUI really is a great little 709D, certainly one of the best looked after I have ever had the pleasure to ride in, with some very comfortable coach seating and mock wooden dash. When asking a passenger how old he thought the bus was, just to test the water, he replied 2002, some 8 years younger than her real age, and indeed she does hide it very well. A-Line pretty much acquired a Vario for 709D money, and with all the benefits of a good reliable engine, without all those bloomin engine management systems, and improved fuel economy. PUI is pictured here on a corner I've always wanted to take photographs at, this being on the hairpin bend rising out of Downderry, towards Crafthole. Would have loved to have taken photos of the VRs and Olympians coming out of here on the old 81A though rather than a Mercedes minibus!
She is pictured again here climbing out of Portwrinkle.
And again looking over Whitsand Bay towards Rame Head.
Oakley's Party Limos have continued to go from strength to strength and have recently expanded the fleet with 2 new additions. As many of you will have seen on The Hoe last weekend, they have recently converted Optare Excel P152 CTV as their latest party bus. Owner, Paul Oakley, does all the conversion work himself, and I think you'll all agree, to a very high standard. Certainly looked extremely smart when displayed last Sunday.
The latest addition though, added only a couple of days ago, is this interesting Van Hool (LAG Motorcoach) EOS 180Z. I had at first thought K100 EOS must have been a private registration, surely this wasn't from 1992!? But indeed with many thanks to Graeme Selway, with his far superior knowledge, this is indeed its original reg, K100 being new to Coach Stop (Hopes) of Leigh on Sea. She then passed to McLeans of Whitney before its ultimate demise in January of this year, then passing to another local operator, this being Walter's of Forest Hill from whom she has just been purchased from. A very interesting company which is quite frankly blog worthy in its own right, and hence I shall return to this in due course. Certainly a very interesting, and rare thing to find in the UK, and it certainly seems to be in good condition. I have been reliably formed she performed faultlessly and with gusto on the trip back down to Plymouth on collection. This coach will now join the Van Hool bodied Scania K113 in the private hire fleet, rather than being converted for party use.
So, what we all feared and indeed expected has now materialised. First Devon and Cornwall has now been forced into the position of no longer being able to continue the operations in Barnstaple, with an onward sale to Stagecoach now off the cards thanks to the decision by the OFT. The press release on the First Devon and Cornwall website states:
First Devon and Cornwall today (23 July 2012) announced plans to discontinue its bus services in the North Devon area, including closure of the Barnstaple depot. The company also confirmed that it has started the collective consultation process with trade unions on the possibility of redundancies.
Firsts bus services in North Devon have underperformed for a number of years, despite the introduction of a variety of marketing and promotional initiatives. The company is now faced with extra cost pressures due to the economic climate and cuts in external funding and routes are now being discontinued in order to ensure the long term sustainability of operations elsewhere.
A range of alternative options including the potential sale and transfer of employees and assets to Stagecoach Group plc were fully explored. That option will no longer go ahead following the Office of Fair Trading's announcement on 10 July that it was referring the case to the Competition Commission.
Giles Fearnley, FirstGroup Managing Director, UK Bus, said: "We understand that this news will be distressing for employees affected by the decision and that it will similarly cause our customers in the area some concern. We apologise and will be supporting affected employees over the coming months, as well as working with Devon County Council on the future of bus services in the area. We will give customers ample notice of the date that services will cease to operate in North Devon.
"We will be working hard to minimise the extent of redundancies, trying to redeploy people where possible. We would like to take the opportunity to stress that the decision to close the North Devon operation is a business driven one and does not reflect on the effort or individual performance of the employees in North Devon.
"We are progressing our strategy to reposition and rebalance our UK Bus portfolio to restore operating margins and help facilitate improved growth and returns. The decision by the Office of Fair Trading to refer our proposed sale of our North Devon operations, where we had a uniquely high degree of overlap with Stagecoach, was disappointing. We are confident, however, of future successful transactions in the coming months as a number of potential bidders exist in the markets where we have identified other businesses for disposal.'
First Devon and Cornwall today (July 23) began its official consultation process with affected staff. This will include offering opportunities in other areas. The timescale for closing the business will be confirmed once the consultation with the affected employees has been completed.
As afore mentioned, we all saw this coming as soon as Stagecoach pulled out. With such a large and powerful presence within the town, it was hard to see who would be willing to step up to the mark, where the 2nd largest operator in the UK couldn't successfully compete. Its been a rapid takeover by Stagecoach of the town, having only run in Barnstaple since 2006. But contracts have been won thick and fast, and their investment in a modern fleet, coupled with successful branding opportunities has meant First has been hugely weakened in just 6 years. Amazing really when you compare it to what it was during the Red Bus days.
So now that First are being forced into a direct closure, this will mean that unlike with an onward sale to Stagecoach, no set routes can be preserved, and no employees from FDC will 'have' to be taken on by the company. This also means of course Stagecoach won't have to shell out the 2.8million asking price for the Barnstaple operation, and will effectively be able to step into its shoes for free, other than adding some extra buses in and expansion of depot space, with hiring of extra employees, still a huge amount less than what it would have cost them otherwise. On top of this, First at this time could certainly have used that money in some extra investment to help its other suffering sectors in the UK. There is no set date as of yet for the closure of the depot, but at a guess it will be after the holiday season; hopefully there's at least a bit of cash that can be made during the summer boost in passengers!
So, with the PC back in action I am able to post the photo I was wanting to last week; hopefully it was worth waiting for! How many places can you find in the UK today with Bristol VRs operating in public service side by side, earning their crust at a combined age of 67. All of Rail River Link's fleet look immaculate, and these two are no exception. I feared that with all these Olympians arriving in recent weeks that finally it was the end for the VRs, but thankfully, from what I hear, there are no plans to lay them to rest just yet, and hence will continue in front line service for the foreseeable future.
PLEASE NOTE; TOMORROW (Thursday) will now be the final day of operation for the Volvo B10M Citybus and NOT FRIDAY as was previously thought. This is due to the end of the school term tomorrow and hence no services will operate on Friday. So unfortunately there's now just one day left to get in the final snaps before they're retired. Thanks to Dan Marker for informing me of this change.
Just as a quick reminder to you all, this week is due to be Plymouth Citybus' remaining Volvo B10M Citybus's last week in service before being withdrawn from service. Although of course it was announced that a majority of the school routes will be returning in September, I have it on good authority that unfortunately, the B10Ms will not make it back come September. As always plans can change; and they often do. We may indeed see a couple kept on as a last resort, or the stock due to replace them not arriving in time, along with a plethora of other problems that could always arise. But undoubtedly if you hold them dear enough to your hearts and don't want to miss it, then you will want to grab this opportunity. If you head upto Derriford Hospital at just after 1700 it is commonplace to see at least two, if not three operating in public service for their run back into the city from their respective termini. If you really want to see how a B10M can perform the best route of the 3 is undoubtedly the 28B, with some great hills to test their strength. Alternatively you can have a quick blast down Tavistock/Outland Road on the 34, or, if you're lucky, a B10M does still now and again operate on the 50 at this point in the day, although this is now somewhat rarer. The other, option you have is to head on up to Milehouse at somewhere around 1515-1530 to capture the B10Ms pulling out of the depot heading to their respective schools to pick up their journey. Unfortunately taking photos of the buses loaded is somewhat more 'dangerous' than it once would have been, but thankfully I am in quite a lucky position as a pupil who has just left Devonport, and hence, thankfully, I'm still a face everyone recognises and isn't 'threatened' by, and I shall most certainly be capitalising on this position over the coming week.
Unfortunately I am unable to post the photo I really wanted to this week due to it currently being 'stuck' on the main PC, after the screen going bang a couple of days ago, so I shall leave that for next week. In its place therefore I post this photo of another London-esque shot, again from two different operators. First Devon and Cornwall are continuing to place more Ex-London Darts into service including full length ones, in which the one furthest away from the camera is, this being X734 HLF. A shorter spec Dart, LN51 GOU is seen the other side of 32762 (which the keen eyed among you may have noticed has had its LED blind replaced with a Hanover 'flip-dot' blind!), and nearest the camera, Jackett Coaches BX54 DLF. With another of Plymouth Citybus' Darts also now painted in this still somewhat mysterious overall red livery (T129 EFJ), Plymouth is continuing its theme of becoming red all over. Dwelling on this for the moment, it was even more surprising to find that T129 EFJ had actually already had the front painted in the dark red of the livery whilst wearing the British Art Show advert livery, but yet has now had it painted into the lighter red of the livery.
Well, it seems that Plymouth Citybus has come up with a solution to the problem that many of us foresaw with the new livery. As many members of the public, as well as enthusiasts pointed out, there was no room for advertising on the new livery design, with the various large logos and Key Card messages adorning the whole sides of the new livery. But never fear, Plymouth Citybus have come up with a solution; and here it is!
Just slap it right across the lovely new logo and all the key card advertisements! It doesn't even cover it neatly...
A-Line's Iveco 59.12 R260 GNJ suffered substantial engine problems a week or two ago, leaving it pretty much incapable of moving itself, although was able to be limped back to the depot, although a repair seemed pretty unfeasible. Luckily, other local independent, Western Adventurer, had recently withdrawn their Iveco from service due to chassis rot, but the engine was still in good working order. So, over just 2 days, an engine transplant was made, and R260 returned to the road for the working week, on its usual school contract. Quite amazing work I think it has to be said!
Further to the 2 Olympians bought by Riverlink a short time ago, a third has now also been added to the fleet, again coming from well respected operator, EYMS (East Yorkshire Motor Service). Interesting that Riverlink have chosen to go with three different body styles across three different batches that these buses have come from.
The first to come was Northern Counties Palatine 1 bodied Leyland Olympian K573 RRH, my personal favorite of the trio, purely due to the fact that this one is fitted with a Gardner 6LXB! It was a pretty rare combinaiton at this point, so to find one still in such good working order really is a treat. I haven't yet had the chance to sample K573, largely thanks to the rain actually holding off during today, and hence the VRs were allowed out to play, with WTU 467W being used on the main duty today. K573 is also fitted with coach seats, which again looked to be in a tidy state. I shall look forward to having a bash when the weather turns for the worst!
Next arrival was Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian M832 HVC. This one features standard bus seating rather than coach seating seen on the other two acquired from EYMS. This one was new though as a Volvo demonstrator, visiting many operators around the country before settling down with EYMS, so this has got a nice bit of history behind it.
The latest arrival is Northern Counties Palatine 2 bodied Volvo Olympian, N589 BRH. Again, a very smart and well presented vehicle.
Interestingly, although the trio appear to be still in EYMS livery, they have infact been re-painted at Plymouth Citybus, but back into the same livery, with a few very minor modifications. Not quite sure why they have decided to move away from their tradition livery of Blue and White, which the VRs and Darts still carry. I would have presumed confusion with First's livery would be unlikely, but that's the only logical reason I can think of, off the top of my head as to why they may have done this. To my knowledge, none of the three Olympians are actually due to be converted to open top format, and hence the VRs look set to remain in frontline service for the foreseeable future, although it does seem slightly strange to have 2 VRs, 2 Darts and 3 Olympians operational, when the 100 only needs 1 bus for its PVR, along with the 100 GOLD and 100 GOLD + services requiring 1 bus each for 2 journeys per day. This leaves 4 buses spare, with 6 available for a majority of the day. I shouldn't nit pick, its a wonderful fleet, and one of an ever decreasing amount of operators who still strive to keep their VRs running, with more and more each year fading away.
Seems slightly strange that just as Plymouth loses a Trident to Weymouth, it gains Tridents from elsewhere! Very little logic in that it seems but there we go. The plans for the covering of the Park and Ride services in Plymouth are beginning to come to fruition, with several of the stand ins out in service today.
You'll note that all of the buses received so far are Barnstaple allocations, including one of the Enviro 400s bought new for the X9, Bude - Exeter, appearing in a de-branded state on the PR1 today.
With Stagecoach having such a strong presence in Barnstaple now, running pretty much parallel to First along various key corridors, it would seem unlikely that deckers would be required for FDC's services in the town anymore, purely a presumption though, I may be completely wrong! I could of course use the classic 'I've never seen them full!", which indeed, I haven't, but I'm not there monitoring the services 24/7, so it would be wrong to say so for definite. When they were new in 2005 the capacity most likely would have been needed, as this was before Stagecoach began operating from Barnstaple, with First having it pretty much all to themselves. But of course Stagecoach have competed with them fiercely over the last few years, knocking them down to the onward sale we will imminently see. Ex-London Dennis Darts, as well as a couple of Volvo B6s and Volvo Olympians from Cornwall have been transferred to Barnstaple to fill in for the Tridents, but it will be interesting to see whether these are the buses that get sold on to Stagecoach within the deal and First are moving the good stuff out, or whether it will be in the sale agreement that the Tridents and Enviros have to be sold on with the operations. Only time will be able to tell us that.
All photos come courtesy of Tom Pearce, with many thanks from me.
Time's got away from me slightly, its actually the very early hours of Monday morning, but no matter, I shall press on regardless. As the low floor era at A-Line draws to a close with the iminent withdrawal of Volvo B6 R178 NPN, I post these photos of her on what will likely have been the last time she operates in service with A-Line, pictured at the top turning for Cawsand at Fourlanesend, and also shown at Maker Church.
A-Line Coaches have just received another addition to the fleet, this time in the shape of a very smart little Mercedes 709D, disguised under Vario modifications. You'll recognise this from the Plymouth scene in that this was quite clearly previously owned by Target Travel, but was new as L813 SAE to Bristol in 1994. This should be a lovely addition to the fleet, it certainly gave a good ride when I was last on it, with a nice refreshed coach spec interior. PUI 6627 will now takeover as the spare bus, meaning R178 NPN, the Volvo B6, can be retired and put permanently out of service. It has recently been filling in for a turbo-blown X891 YGU, but has suffered with some overheating problems; unsurprising considering the hills it has to contend with, rising and falling back to sea level effectively every 10 minutes. There will also be another 709D arriving in the next couple of weeks to act as another spare/permanent replacement for the Iveco, although full details cannot be disclosed at this time.
With many thanks to the First HD forum, via Luke Farley, I am able to post this photo of the first Plymouth bus to be painted into the new First Group livery (excluding the Enviro 400s for the Olympics of course), this being Dennis Trident WJ55 CSF, 32763. Unfortunately, 32763 is no longer based in Plymouth! She has just been transferred to Weymouth for the up and coming sailing events within Weymouth and Portland, and it is rumored that 32763 will be gaining branding for the 10/X10 which runs between Dorchester, and Weymouth and Portland. A shame therefore that Plymouth has lost this one, the 55 reg batch are a lot better than the W reg batch also used on X80s. It will be interesting to see if any of the other X80 Tridents are also moved to Weymouth in the coming weeks as well, as I'd doubt one decker would be satisfactory to the upcoming pressure that will be placed on Weymouth's network. This will of course mean Olympians will be playing an even more important part in the day to day running of Plymouth routes, as already, Plymouth is struggling not only for double deck capacity, but capacity in general. It has been reported that coaches have now also been escaping onto the Bude route, the 76. This of course was once quite common, particularly when the X8 variant was still in operation, but it is of course much rarer to find a coach operating in service today.
With thanks to Jared Pengelly for tipping me off on this one, I can bring you some photos of R125 OFJ which has appeared out in service in a partial repaint of the new Plymouth Citybus livery. Hopefully they will get round to fully completing this one, unlike several that only ever wore partial livery since the previous livery was being applied, having only the red rim done where there was once grey, without the additional 'swoops' of red added.
Was quite a strange scene in fact earlier in Plymouth, you could have almost mistaken it for London! This photo shows two of First Devon and Cornwall's Ex-London Darts which have yet to be painted out of the First London livery, along with R125 OFJ looking somewhat Londonesque in its overall red.
Taken in Cremyll yesterday, it took me a while to remember where I'd seen a similar registration before! Of
course it was from Ex Red Bus Dennis Darts and 709Ds. Surprising therefore that not only has one of the Darts survived, now in service up with First Eastern Counties, but a Rover 420 has also managed to keep going that long. Particularly unusual seeing as Rover are of course defunct, and it is fairly rare to see a car even of this vintage out on the roads. Also that N810 VOD has managed to escape the scrapman, while newer local first generation low floor Darts haven't fared so well. N810 did spend a brief period in service within Plymouth during 2009, and therefore I post this photo below.
The selection of watercraft used over the years has been a lot more stable than that of the bus scene over the past 7 years, although that is most certainly not to say that standards haven't been improved. We shall start this looking first towards the boats that have covered the service due to breakdowns over the past 7 years, which have remarkably been very few and far between in retrospect.
Firstly, the Plymouth Sound. This fine vessel has only very recently left the fleet after many loyal years of services, outliving its younger sister, the Plymouth Sound 2. Quite obviously Plymouth Sound is much bigger than the standard ferry used on the service, the Northern Belle, and hence at high tide, cannot moor at the usual Plymouth terminus at Admirals Hard, and therefore docks instead in the Royal William Yard. A pleasurable boat to ride on for a change, but surprisingly, not as comfortable as the Northern Belle, and of course, less convenient.
The boat more commonly used as the stand in vessel in times of need was the Silver Crest. A much smaller boat, this was more suited to the task when she was required. Again nice to have for a change, but not a boat you'd want to have on the service all the time, due to smaller capacity.
The infamous Tamar Belle gets used each winter when the Northern Belle is sent away for her annual refit, and therefore I've got to know this boat very well. Yes it was all too easy to get excited with its open top deck and Union Jack decals, but very soon the novelty wears off, and you realise that the seats are shockingly uncomfortable, and that the open stern allows the freezing cold winter air into the cabin, and soon its not so much fun. Couple this with the racket that ensued when she was re-engined with a Ford power unit in 2007, and the story gets even worse.
Thankfully though, what Tamar Belle made you realise was what a wonderful boat the grand old lady of 86 years of age, the Northern Belle, really is. The elation that sweeps over every regular traveler when the Northern Belle returns from her annual refit is simply brilliant. There is no better boat for the job, and quite possibly never will be thanks to new regulations in boat building. The Northern Belle, sitting low in the water, was far more stable than the Tamar Belle, and hence was able to battle through harsh weather far more capably, meaning the service could run more consistently and definitely. The seating, when I started was 3 piece wooden benches, then 1 piece wooden benches, and now we have the luxury of leather seating. Even better, after the 2010 re-fit, the final blemish of the Northern was overcome, she was fitted with a rear door, and HEATING! Quite frankly, in harsher months it was colder on the Northern Belle than it was outside, thanks to it of course radiating the cold through the hull from the Tamar, but now with heat bellowing through, what more could you want! Lets not forget of course her beating heart, one of the best engines ever created, the Gardner 6LXB. During the FDC era, my whole journey to school was 6LXB powered, with of course the VRs and Leyland Olympians being powered with a Gardner 6LXB, and then stepping onto the Northern, powered in the same way, you always knew it would get you there - economically to!
The look of amazement when you were able to tell people that you traveled to school on a ferry was really quite exciting. Even today, people are still shocked that I commute across water, to reach school in another county, and although the novelty of commuting in such an unusual fashion does unfortunately, eventually, wear thin, the reaction of others most certainly does not. Undoubtedly this will be a case of you don't realise what you've got until its gone. I've had some brilliant times on the Northern Belle, and the Tamar Belle for that matter. Being able to float, gently across a beautiful river, in the shadow of the Royal William Yard, looking out to Drake's Island and into Plymouth Sound will unquestionably be missed, how could you possibly ask for a more pleasurable everyday journey.
Climbing Duck Steps in Cawsand, to wait for the bus, looking out to the Mew Stone and the breakwater, when at 07:42, a Bristol VR rounds Cawsand Fort, boarding, taking my favorite top deck front seat, the VR departs, and winds its way to Fourlanesend, passing by my old place of education, Fourlanesend Primary School. We can then look out over Millbrook and out to Dartmoor, and at surrounding farmland. The VR then winds its way down through Millbrook, with exhaust note echoing loudly against the walls of Pete's Garage. Through Anderton we tackle some very narrow roads and tight corners, with the nearside dome knocking against trees, we navigate round Millbrook Lake and the estuary. The VR then struggles to climb once again as we head towards the junction to turn for Cremyll, once passed this point we can now gaze over the Tamar, looking right out to the Royal Albert Bridge, and Tamar Bridge, looking right over the whole of Plymouth. The VR swings itself into Cremyll, and its then just a short wait before the Northern Belle docks. We cross peacefully in the wake of the Royal William Yard and dock into Admiral's Hard. A 20 minute walk follows, not quite so beautiful, walking up through Stonehouse and past the Citroen Garage, a place that's been surprisingly interesting to walk past over the years, seeing all the latest models as soon as they arrive. We then track down past the howling coming from the PDSA, usually with various raging dogs outside as well chomping at the bit to chase after you, we pass by Princess Yachts, in which we can smell some surprisingly satisfying composites, as we then cross and walk through the Devonport playing fields, and then enter through the Watergate once more, to start another day at DHSB. What a satisfying way to get to school, day in, day out. Another element of going to DHSB I will sorely miss...
So, my days as a pupil of Devonport High School for Boys have finally come to and end, so I thought Id post a quick look back at all the vehicles that have transported me each morning and afternoon from Cawsand to Cremyll. Back when I started in 2005 the Tridents had only been in service for a few months, but thankfully, the vehicles I got each morning were none other than Torpoint's stalwart Bristol VRs, living out their final months. At the time I joined there were just three left, so to kick off, this is LFJ 844W taking part in the Plymouth Hoe Rally, as annoyingly, I never actually took any photos of her with my camera! The only photos I have are on my very first mobile phone, which unfortunately, I've never been able to retrieve the photos from. LFJ844W was the final VR to be used at Torpoint in the summer of 2006, and hence was the last VR trip I had down to Cremyll, during which time the C-HJN Leyland Olympians were being introduced into service.
Next came LFJ 846W, the only one which I did manage to photograph 'properly' while still in service. You'll note by this point 846 had gained the grille from LFJ 842W, which was never painted to match the rest of the vehicle. LFJ 846W was the only VR I was ever rewarded with for an afternoon journey from Cremyll, usually in the hands of Mercedes Varios. LFJ 846W was always driver Mike Hicks' weapon of choice when he was on that duty, and the look of glee you always had at 16:30, when you heard the VR bellowing down was brilliant, as you knew one of the best drivers Torpoint had was at the wheel, and you'd have a gorgeous ride around Anderton on a stunning bus.
Next was Bristol VR, LFJ 847W. Although arguably the best of the three, 847 holds the title of being the only VR ever to break down on me, and also, amazingly, the only vehicle that ever prevented me getting to or from school on time! This journey in late 2005 was the only time I have been failed by the bus service after 7 years of doing the commute, but to be fair, she certainly made up with it through the glorious exhaust note of her Gardner 6LXB. What better to wake you up in the morning!? It is also really thanks to these three VRs that I first took and interest in buses, and therefore I owe a lot to them. I know its very cliche to say that it was the school bus that holds your best and fondest memories, but indeed, that was exactly what got me into the hobby in the all those years ago! I wouldn't be here writing this now without the LFJ-W trio
The first vehicle that came in to replace the VRs was actually newer than what would end up replacing them full time. This was Volvo Olympian K802 ORL, which naturally, I despised from the off seeing as it had replaced my beloved VRs! The anger that spread over me when that THING came round the corner at 07:42 was never a good start to the day. Looking back, the gearbox and back axle on K802 was quite tuneful and interesting, unlike the other 3 K-ORLs, and the coach seats were certainly welcome, but of course, K802 was no match for the VRs really.
Next came the Leyland Olympian era, initially starting off with three, along with K802 ORL (obviously, these weren't as reliable as the VRs! ;-)) Again, I hated these when they first arrived. Where the heck are my whaling VRs, although they were boneshaking in comparison. Of course over the years I became to adore the C-HJNs, although C409 HJN was the worst of the lot unfortunately. The DP seating was very welcome though, and as mentioned, the air suspension was heaven when compared to the hard springs of the VR. The semi auto gearbox was also of course far superior when comparing them to K802 ORL.
C412 HJN was always my favorite of the quartet. Not very much to add from C409's description, but she always seemed to sound the nicest, and always felt faster than the others.
C413 HJN arguably actually had the nicer sounding engine of the 4, but it was definitely the slowest. I'm pretty sure C413 must have had a lower speed axle fitted at some point, as it never had the turn of speed that the other three had. Still, a lovely bus though, this being the final Leyland to be used at Torpoint, and the final bus in Torpoint and Plymouth to be powered by a Gardner after many decades of loyal service to the area.
Next came not a C-HJN, but a bit of a gap filler, this being A167 VFM. This DOG (Decker Olympian Gardner - for anyone confused by the expression) was more of a reminder of the VR era, with standard autumn gold bus seating, and what seemed like less sound proofing around the engine compartment. Not the drivers favorite though, and hence lived a relatively short life, only months long before it was replaced by the forth C-HJN.
Unlike the other 3 C-HJNs, C417 HJN came from Bristol, and not from its original home in Essex. 417 therefore seemed to have been somewhat pampered, with a much smarter coat of paint, a digital blind, and newer moquette than the other 3. C417 was also a bit of a celebrity after appearing in the television show 'Skins' multiple times while at work in Bristol in which she was generally used on private hire work during her time based there.
Pretty much every afternoon, unless Mike was driving, we used to have to put up with a Mercedes Vario. The S-RWPs were most common, even though only one of them was actually based in Torpoint and painted into Tamar Link livery, this being S529 RWP. Good buses for the route I suppose, the size was appropriate, but nothing very special.
The other 2 permanent Varios were from the S-GUB batch, with S407 GUB as pictured here.
And S412 GUB, pictured here. S412 was my personal favorite, but at the end of the day, it was still a Vario. No exciting tails with these!
Here we come on to the various Vario visitors we had over the years, which covered for the other Varios being out of service, which they often were being Varios! Here, we have S519 RWP.
S526 RWP made an occasional appearance, although was transferred to Cornwall quite early on.
S534 RWP was my 'favorite' of all the FDC Varios that we had, and indeed did spend quite a lot of time at Torpoint. S534 RWP also holds the title of being the final First bus ever to operate via Anderton in public service, although the school service did continue to operate via Anderton for several years.
Another Vario; S547 RWP.
The only Vario I can recall still being in Barbie fades when we had her was S556 RWP, awful photo I know, but its the only one I have!
Then we come on to the Marshall bodied Varios, which we did get occationally over the years, and always seemed a bit faster than the Plaxton bodied Varios, most likely because these had been looked after quite well during their years in London. R416 VPU is pictured here.
R417 VPU pictured here, one I can only recall having once on the run home.
And R418 VPU, the most regular of the three to visit Torpoint.
On the very rare occasion, I can only remeber this happening once, we had Dennis Dart S764 RNE. Never a bus I liked, but looking back, I think that would have been far nicer to have each day than the assortment of Varios.
So, that brings the First era to a close. When the 81C timetables changed towards the later end of 2007 I think it was, neither of the journeys I used to use were appropriately catered for, the morning journey leaving stupidly early, and the evening journey leaving before the Cremyll Ferry would have even docked! So, this is where our journey begins with A-Line Coaches, who of course now have Cremyll all to themselves; excluding Sundays. How times change! The bus that took over at first was Iveco 49.10 J234 KDL, as by this time, J238 KDL had been withdrawn from service. By no means the nicest vehicle I've had on the commute over the years, although, it was packed full of character!
Soon after, the Iveco was replaced with this charming little Mercedes 709D, M152 LPL, comparative luxury! Really was a great little bus this, generally it was pretty reliable, well looked after and very tidy. Sounded nice to! M152 has only very recently been scrapped, in which you've probably read in a previous post on the blog.
And so after a year away from Varios, they unfortunately returned to the scene in 2008. R651 YCR has by far been the bus I've had to endure most over the last 7 years. An ugly UVG body didn't help its cause, coupled with it being pretty unreliable. The coach seating was welcome though, and the 1st gearbox was very nice and tuneful, but since then I think we're on the 7th, possibly 8th gearbox since she was first bought 4 years ago.
X891 YGU is without doubt the most luxurious, as well as modern bus I have had over the last 7 years. The Crest bodywork is far better looking, and X891 has been a lot more reliable than R651 over the last 4 years, although, it gets used less on the 80 purely because of the annoying coach style door, increasing dwell time a surprising amount!
Ivecos returned in 2010, as well as the use of Marshall bodywork with R260 GNJ. A nice little bus, better than the J-KDLs in that these R260 has coach seating. Only been used a handful of times over the 2 year period its been at A-Line, usually relegated to school work.
The most modern of the buses in design terms has been the most recent addition to A-Line's fleet, R178 NPN. This is actually a really nice bus, most definitely the best since I stopped getting C-HJNs 5 years ago. Very comfortable DP seating, and a great sounding engine and gearbox equated in a very pleasurable experience.
So here we come onto the various stand in vehicles that have been used in desperate times due to vehicle failures, to ensure to maintain the service. The first of these was LDV Convoy T273 ABF, a stand in for M152 LPL during a point at which there was no spare bus.
When both Varios went bang on the same day another LDV was brought in, this being SK02 WDX of Torpoint Minibuses.
Coaches have also been used occasionally as stand in vehicles, or when capacity has been reached, including Volvo B10M E920 EAY pictured here.
The coach most commonly used for this job was Scania K112 JIL 3755, D359 OBA. This was due to it being the spare coach, as the regular school driver preferred E920 EAY. A really lovely solid coach this one as you will remember me saying previously, was always a joy to have this rather than the Mercedes!
B10M G526 LWU was used as an overflow vehicle during the time Transit P931 DFJ was used on 80s, due to a very tight route diversion.
Again, A182 MNE has been used for the same job while the Transit has been in action.
And finally, here we have Ford Transit, P931 DFJ. A useful little vehicle, but not the best!
And so, there you have it. All 34 buses that have transferred me between Cawsand and Cremyll over the past 7 years. Amazing to look back and see how much has changed! I hope its been of some interest to you, its certainly been enjoyable for me looking back over the 1000s of trips I've done since 2005!
Just slap it right across the lovely new logo and all the key card advertisements! It doesn't even cover it neatly...
The first to come was Northern Counties Palatine 1 bodied Leyland Olympian K573 RRH, my personal favorite of the trio, purely due to the fact that this one is fitted with a Gardner 6LXB! It was a pretty rare combinaiton at this point, so to find one still in such good working order really is a treat. I haven't yet had the chance to sample K573, largely thanks to the rain actually holding off during today, and hence the VRs were allowed out to play, with WTU 467W being used on the main duty today. K573 is also fitted with coach seats, which again looked to be in a tidy state. I shall look forward to having a bash when the weather turns for the worst!
The latest arrival is Northern Counties Palatine 2 bodied Volvo Olympian, N589 BRH. Again, a very smart and well presented vehicle. 
Next came LFJ 846W, the only one which I did manage to photograph 'properly' while still in service. You'll note by this point 846 had gained the grille from LFJ 842W, which was never painted to match the rest of the vehicle. LFJ 846W was the only VR I was ever rewarded with for an afternoon journey from Cremyll, usually in the hands of Mercedes Varios. LFJ 846W was always driver Mike Hicks' weapon of choice when he was on that duty, and the look of glee you always had at 16:30, when you heard the VR bellowing down was brilliant, as you knew one of the best drivers Torpoint had was at the wheel, and you'd have a gorgeous ride around Anderton on a stunning bus. 
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