Looking after our highways

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"The existing Highways fleet of Plymouth City Council passed to the new concern ” dbg Elsewhere... Numberzz 717000000000 17687 Others... TGP Saltash Townsfolk Its Beneath You Leave the Anoraks alone Bus Busting Bollards Poop n Ride

VU09DXG Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is one of quite a small fleet of trucks with the new Amey / Plymouth City Council Highways fleet. Other smaller vans in the fleet include... RF58DWC Vauxhall Combo van and ... BT57NKC a Ford Transit truck. The existing Highways fleet of Plymouth City Council passed to the new concern with V988ETT showing off the new logo on the cab door.

Tanked Up

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"Baby Fuel Tankers” Others... New advert format for First?

By far the oldest tanker seen for some time is this ERF ES6 of Watson Fuels. A real survivor! Not as old as Watsons ERF but looking quite a bit rougher! Y223CCY WX04FMV Volvo tanker of Tincknell Fuels. DK07HTV MAN of Total Butler

What a waste

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"I didn't expect to get any Plymouth City Council refuse trucks ” dbg Elsewhere... Numberzz 138000 Others... TGP gets a wash The Tamar Valley Giant Pasty Omnibuses 2.0 First Conumdrum

I spent an hour at lunchtime at Crownhill taking more photos, another 120 to add to my growing backlog of processing! Still, we continue with the pictures from last Friday with a selection of Skip trucks... Viridor Waste smart Volvo FE KM57JWU SWM Waste Recycling DAF 85CF Sims Metal FJ55WMK a smaller DAF LF truck. being a Friday I didn't expect to get any Plymouth City Council refuse trucks and I was right not to expect any as I didn't get any. I did however catch up with a couple from South Hams DC with VU58KGY which carries fleet number 190 and is a Dennis Eagle Elite 2 N2229VRC which carries their own version of the Recycle For... livery. A similar scheme is being rolled out onto Plymouth's new Mercedes trucks and of course features on some Citybus Darts.

Bread Vans Caught on Camera

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"I guess this just shows much much more comfortable we expect our buses to be these days” dbg Elsewhere... Numberzz 780000 Others… Tom gets 32879 Terry has a spring in his step An Enviro - naked! Omnibuses ponders - what's going wrong?

Continuing with the photos taken on Friday 13th March we have no less than three Citybus bread vans out and about. Two in the current livery... And one in the older livery... Its rare these days that I actually catch one of these machines. I did get one on the 52 recently and got quite nostalgic, for a few minutes at least. We then reached the speed humps on Miller Way - I then remembered why I never did like them! I also remember the old Renault trucks they used to have, and how much more refined the Mercedes were compared to them. I guess this just shows much much more comfortable we expect our buses to be these days. Perhaps I am just getting spoilt these days as my usual rides are on the Citybus Enviro’s on the 42, (when it remembers to come down off Derriford Roundabout - it didn't tonight!),and The Target Travel Optare Solos - the newer 55 registration ones are very comfortable.

Where there’s a Way

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"Once you give it a name you start to care for it” Elsewhere... Numberzz 391,000,000 3152 TGPs signs of the times Virgin Trains - Talking to you National Express - Anti Anorak?

Continuing my photo selection from last Friday we turn to the smart fleet of M.Way and Sons Ltd. Another fleet that obviously take pride in their vehicles with most of them having 'Select' registrations featuring the company name. Most of the truck in Way's orange livery also carry names. To paraphrase a line in Shrek - Once you give it a name you start to care for it! Lady Tanya CN03WAY DAF TRUCKS FTG XF95.480 TRACTOR (ROAD TRACTIVE UNIT) 12600cc Cathy Jane PN04BXK VOLVO TRACTOR (ROAD TRACTIVE UNIT) 12130cc (24-03-2004) DIESEL Maid Marian EG06WAY RENAULT TRACTOR (ROAD TRACTIVE UNIT) 10837cc (07-08-2006) DIESEL

Sunday Best on Flickr: Metroliner

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" It must be said that this design has dated extremely well ” Elsewhere … Paulmans photostream Omnibuses 2.0: 15 seconds of fame TGP On the rails  and stoned!

©Paulman265 Western National Metroliner A761VAF Victoria With the new extra long Volvo Plaxton coaches now entering service with Trathens it seems the days of double deckers on National Express are well and truly numbered. In much happier times we see Western Nationals answer to the Neoplan Skyliners of Trathens, in one of the fine MCW Metroliners A761VAF. I did like these machines a lot, but they never quite matched the Skyliners which were in a class of their own. It must be said that this design has dated extremely well though.

Good Evans

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"one of my favourite local haulage fleets thanks to its distinctive livery” dbg elsewhere: More of my photos of Evans Transport Vintage London Underground posters Other peoples stuff: Omnibuses2.0: Here to take you there? TGP5: Frozen in time

Not a brilliant shot, but included here as its my first 09 registration I have for Devon based Evans Transport. WA09AZU is a new Scania R480. This has to be one of my favourite local haulage fleets thanks to its distinctive livery. WA56KTN is a MAN TGA which does seem to be a favoured model in the fleet. The last of my photos of this fleet, all taken yesterday, is DAF XF WA06LVD.

First Caught on Camera

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"the camera was telling me the battery was almost dead ” Other First photos: First 42969 First 32803 First 42832 Elsewhere: Numberzz: 79 Red noses TGP in the fog 3D pavement art

Having the day off work and seeing that the weather was brightening up I decided to spend an hour or so down at Marsh Mills to get a few more photos of what is out there on the roads of Plymouth. It was my first such outing this year and was quiet successful in that I took over 400 photos, with most of them coming out pretty well. The results will be appearing here over the next week or so. Today I feature some of the First buses and coaches that I caught on camera starting with this fine Caetano coach which actually manages to look good even in the awful National Express livery. 20547 bog standard Plaxton coach on National Express somehow doesn't carry the livery so well On the X80 we see 48234 Volvo Wright and 32717 Dennis Trident East Lancs Two buses that were not in service: Mercedes 50306 in Tamar Link livery and then Dennis Trident 32875 which has just arrived from London. Not a brilliant photo as it caught me by surprise as I had finished taking photos for the day, the camera was telling me the battery was almost dead and it came around the corner as I was walking away from my photographers perch.

Gold Star Award

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" Well done Dave, we're proud of you ”   Elsewhere… Warning for bus spotters TGP: Tides out Warning - flying poo! and introducing… Numberzz: the new blog!

This is Plymouth A BUS driver who became a school governor has won the Gold Star Award. Dave Connell, a driver in Plymstock, is First Devon and Cornwall's nominated winner of the award, which the bus company sponsors. Mr Connell, aged 59, has worked 'on the buses' since 1968, and has driven the school bus at Coombe Dean School for seven years. He became a community governor at the school three years ago. Marc Reddy, managing director of First Devon and Cornwall, said: "Dave is one of the best bus drivers we have. He's committed and enthusiastic and he applies the same dedication to his role as school governor. "He's helped us build links with the school and the importance of this, in itself, should not be underestimated. He thoroughly deserves his Gold Star Award; Well done Dave, we're proud of you." [archive link] Having known Dave and his family for many years I have to add my own congratulations to Dave. A reward well deserved for a true busman!   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Well, I did it! I am now back to being a skinhead! Three years of growing my hair and I am now back where I started. Nearly £300 raised for Comic Relief so I cant complain- but my head is cold!

Making life a little bit easier

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" So all in all its slow progress. But at least it is progress ”

Catching a bus from Keswick Crescent has finally become a little easier recently with the arrival of one of the new style bus stop flags. This makes it easier for me as I quite often use the sms service to check to see if and when the next bus is coming and it now means I don't have to try and search through my previous messages on the phone to find the bus stop code as it is now on the bus stop flag itself. There is also a nice little time table holder although this has remained empty so is not much use. Of course passengers going the other way get a shelter from the rain, which we don't get on this side, but then they have no notice anywhere of the sms bus stop code so cant use that facility. (on balance I think I would prefer a shelter really) Of course what would be nice is the Real Time display system being installed in the shelter but I am not holding my breath for this. We are still waiting for it to be installed at Derriford in our nice shiny new shelters - the fittings are there - but are boarded up. So all in all its slow progress. But at least it is progress! * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Just as an aside, those out there that know me may well notice a slight change in my appearance after tomorrow. The fat long haired git becomes a fat skinhead git! I am having all my hard grown head of hair shaved off for Comic Relief by the girls at work. Over £250 raised so I have to go through with it! I just hope that no one checks my brand new smart card bus pass to closely as it shows me with long hair and a beard - both will have gone by the end of tomorrow!

Fancy a Dash to London?

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"quicker than the train, cheaper than the train”       (so they say!)   Elsewhere…   TGP is stumped

©54North on Flickr - Air Southwest Bombardier Dash 8 300 landing at Leeds Bradford . CITY airline Air Southwest has today announced it is ‘set to revolutionise travel between Plymouth and London’ with a new route flying direct from Plymouth to the heart of the capital. The airline has announced a new twice-daily direct service from Plymouth to London City Airport which it pledges will ‘fly to the heart of London in just over an hour’. More on This is Plymouth (archived link) The comments are as usual most entertaining!

Flickr Sunday Best : BOD25C

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"The streets of Plymouth were much poorer for their departure” Elsewhere…. FF17285 Flickr stream Woops at Bretonside Initial Thoughts from The Master and Drakes Circus and even a frolic

©Nigel Utting (FF17285 Flickr) There is no date or any other notes on this photo, of former Western National Bristol 2065 FLF BOD25C which was new to Southern National in September 1965. Rob Sly's excellent web site gives the last recording of this bus as with Colin Billington January 2005 ‘derelict’ with a photo of the bus looking even rougher! It does look a bit ‘unloved’ in this photo but its still a great reminder of these wonderful buses. The streets of Plymouth were much poorer for their departure.

Incoming Trathens Big and Bland!

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Just a quickie tonight but thanks to ‘Jamie’ I can give you a link to see the new Trathens 15m Plaxton Volvo coaches which are to replace the smart Neoplan Skyliners.   LSK870 is shown on Dave Francis’ National Express Photos Fotopic gallery National Express really couldn't have managed a more bland look if they tried!

Fancy a day out?

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"Smart day wear is appropriate. You are asked not to wear jeans or trainers”

The British Pullman is making a rare visit to Plymouth on the 25th April 2009. Departing 11:30.  Details - click the picture!

Amey goes for a Cantor or two

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"No bus or coach 09s today but this little 'un caught my eye” Elsewhere… It’s funny how people seem at best to have a grudging acceptance of their bus service Terry observes the Art of a Bus Station

©Terry Partridge: No bus or coach 09s today but this little 'un caught my eye With Amey now running the Highways Department for Plymouth City Council we are now seeing the new influence in their vehicle fleet with this new Mitsubishi Cantor truck being the first 09 registered truck caught on camera by Terry. Not sure how many there are of these - I have seen a few - but this may just be the same one several times!

Reflections on Brunel's Bridge.

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" this beautiful monument to British engineering ” Other Links Lantographers Bridges of Plymouth set TGP gets rusty Top 10 train trips in UK

©Lantographer (Flickr) Still Waters Run Deep. "Just a busy shot to show how good the water reflections were last night. Adjusted and cropped in Aperture 2.0" We are coming up to the 150th anniversary of IKB’s wonderful bridge across the Tamar. Over the coming months I hope to bring a selection of some of the fantastic photos that have been taken of this beautiful monument to British engineering. This great shot by Lantographer is one of the more unusual shots I have seen but it is just stunning. I also hope to revive the ‘Plymothian Bridges’ series later this year as I have neglected this area for too long.