That was the week

A Saturday look back on some of the stories of the last week or so from Plymouth and beyond that have some sort of Plymothian Transit link, or just caught my attention in some way.

Moor Money? A £4.5m funding bid is being submitted to the government to get better public transport on Dartmoor and Exmoor. The partnership behind the scheme said the money would pay for an improved bus and rail service. If the bid is successful, it wants to introduce more rail services on the Exeter to Okehampton line and the West Somerset Railway along the Exmoor coast. BBC Devon Fighting Fare More than 7,600 people have signed Norfolk County Council’s Fair Fares petition, which calls for the government to properly cover the cost of reimbursing bus companies for ferrying bus pass holders around. And the campaign is gathering traction, with Devon County Council officially joining the campaign and two other councils, in the north and south east of the country, indicating they are keen to follow suit. EDP Cheeky Ticket Cheats GRAMMAR school children could be stripped of their bus passes in a "clampdown" on cheeky ticket cheats. Plymouth Citybus is launching on-board checks amid a spike in what it has labelled "ticket fraud" on school services. This is Plymouth

Go Ahead Satisfaction Research carried out by Passenger Focus across the Go-Ahead Group’s bus operations outside London has revealed 91 per cent overall passenger satisfaction. The highest figures were at Konectbus in East Anglia (97 per cent) and Bluestar in Hampshire (94 per cent). The lowest score of 90 per cent was recorded at Brighton & Hove, Plymouth Citybus and Wilts & Dorset Bus & Coach Poppy Appeal Plymouth Citybus has pledged its support to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal by putting more than 150 extra large poppies on the front of the buses. This is Plymouth East End soon to Open One of Plymouth’s biggest ever transport improvement schemes is due to open on Tuesday 1 November. The East End Transport Scheme, which has been 18 months in the making, will completely change how people travel into and around this part of the city. Plymouth City Council

Westcountry Ambulance 1998

Over the years I have been interested in the local ambulance fleet I have seen the fleet go from separate Devon and Cornwall fleets merging into the Westcountry Ambulance and then further merges with Somerset and Dorset resulting in the current South Western Ambulance Trust. It now seems that there is to be a further merger with the Great Western Ambulance Trust which covers Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol. It even appears possible that they will take on the white elephant Fire Service Control Centre at Taunton which was so disastrously set up by the previous Labour government.
So lets have a look back to 1998 with some archive shots I have started scanning recently...

Torpoint Trident?

I was surprised to see 32762 at Derriford Hospital on Wednesday. Seeing a Trident at Derriford is not that unusual but this one was on the 81C which is a Torpoint bus so is more usually one the the Tamar Link Tridents. Does this mean that 32762 has been modified for use on the Torpoint Ferry? Come to think of it, do the Torpoint Tridents actually need to be modified these days?

This photo was taken back in 2007. 32762 has been the NSPCC bus for a few years but is now back in Barbie livery and looking very smart.

Sorry for the late post. That's the trouble with setting up the days post after midnight – when I set it to go live ‘tomorrow’ I didn't realise it was already tomorrow – so it ended up skipping a day!

 

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Recommended Links

• More than half a century since it was new to Great Yarmouth Corporation, Leyland PD2 No 66 (EX6566) briefly returned to its former Caister Road depot on Saturday last East Norfolk Bus Blog
• On my desk at home sits a list so long it had to be written on a loo roll. Whilst I'm a long way from being able to tear off even the first perforated sheet, here are some photos to prove I've been winning... 270KTA
• Bus No 900 (later 90), a luxury coach with centre entrance, was actually bought to convey the Sheffield City Transport Committee on site visits. When it was not so required, it was available for private hire or, of course, daily service carrying a driver and a conductor to slide the manual centre door. Public Transport Experience
• I’d like to think the National driver knew who he walloped and why. They said that the Leyland National was one of the tools of deregulation... Omnibuses
• Crosville Motor Services' owned Lodekka SRU981 arrived at the BusWorks today for interior refurbishing and a partial repanel, plus full repaint Busworks Blog
• Once again, another record was broken by a stalwart of Britain's railways, the High Speed Train, known to many outside the industry as the InterCity 125. These workhorses really have proved their worth, operating many years beyond their intended use. A Transport of Delight

In the beginning...

©Bryan Smith
”Parked in Bretonside bus station, Plymouth on 4 September 1989 was Duple bodied Dennis Dart G541 JBV. Owned by Duple Coachbuilders, it was on hire to Plymouth CityBus. To its left are CityBus East Lancs Atlanteans TTT 164X (nearest to it) and VJY 139V.”

Citybus have had a long tradition of borrowing demonstrators of just about every flavour of new bus that’s going, and then ordering ‘same again please’ but every now and again something special comes along and succeeds. When G541JBV was photographed I dont suppose for one minute anyone had any idea of just how successful the Dennis Dart was going to be and just what an impact it was going to have on the streets of Plymouth (and just about everywhere else!) 

 

Thanks to Bryan for the photo more on his Flickr pages here

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Recommended Links

• Now, its certainly not everyday that you hear of First Devon and Cornwall, and Plymouth Citybus working in partnership! PTOTPA
• little things go wrong (a minor engine fire on a boat, and a busted floggle-toggle in a train) and our disintegrated system can so easily forget that many passengers will be confused and disorientated. Public Transport Experience
• I have had two Leyland National operational and both still survive as such. TGP Photos Unlimited
• An old decaying color slide reminds fbb of his childhood routine. It was a walk from Northampton town centre, along Derngate and down to Victoria Promenade. Public Transport Experience
• This September, eleven young people from all over the world quit their jobs and started driving 10,000 miles from London to Sydney in "Tadpoles" in a re-creation of one of the original "Top Deck" trips Public Transport Experience
• BlueStar 5 took off today, replacing the existing Wilts & Dorset service connecting Romsey and Eastleigh. We predicted that the service would be operated by Dennis Tridents from Eastleigh depot, and we were half right.. Southern England Bus Scene
• ainting of United Counties Lodekka 651 back into Tilling Green & Cream has now started, completing the Busworks' work programme for the restoration of this vehicle to operating condition Busworks Blog

Fifty with a bang

The Tamar Bridge is fifty - and they put on a spectacular firework display to celebrate...
Video by BlinkeeBear  - great work.

A Coach on bus work

No catch up news of the week today, as to be honest nothing much has happened!
One thing which did catch my eye yesterday, although thanks to arriving on the scene about 30 seconds too late I was unable to catch on camera was the use of a coach on a bus service in Plymouth. Target Travel were using one of their Van Hool bodied coaches on the 47!
I am pretty sure that it was M364LFX but it may have been another of the same batch as I believe they have M360LFX at least as well. This run is more usually one the of Olympian double deckers of occasionally a long Solo has been used, but this is the first time I have seen them use a coach.
It did bring my mind back to the 1980s where Western National had a large coach fleet and it was not unusual for them to appear on normal bus services. The two examples below were on Tavistock services but it was not unheard of for them to be used on the Plymouth City services from time to time...
Plymouth July 1987

Plymouth July 1987
Both ©Jos Van Hemert

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Recommended Links

• The final two withdrawn Optare Deltas have left Blackpool Fylde Bus Blog
• It is worth remembering that the counties have no obligation to publish any timetables at all; indeed neither has the bus company any legal requirement other than to send the details off as indicated above. Incredibly, a bus company does not have to tell Joe Public when its buses will run! Public Transport Experience
• 336EDV, my Bristol SU4A ECW C33F coach suffered a major problem a few weeks ago when the pinion shaft broke. TGP Photos Unlimited

The Key to using The Key

A nicely produced video from Plymouth Citybus on how to use The Key.

 

It is good to see the bus company using video like this as it can often be easier to show something than to explain it.  I have often seen such efforts ridiculed by the press (and bus enthusiasts!) as teaching people to suck eggs – but there are a lot of people out there who do need this kind of helpful information.

Thanks to watching this I have only just realised that I can view all the Citybus journeys I have taken since I got The Key. Found that my 07:39 bus on the 50 has varied between 07:38 at the earliest and 07:48 at the latest. It has also highlighted a few differences in how the same journey is recorded. Most of the time it is shown as Asda, Plymouth, which s correct as its the main stop before mine. A few are Keswick Cresent Shop (the next stop from mine) a few are down as Bampton Road and recently there are a few down as Miller Way Shops!

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Recommended Links

• The Firstbus dinosaur is a large slow moving beast but the message from the tail in Northampton to the brain in Chelmsford is on its way and First has excelled itself and put a man with a clip board in the bus station! Public Transport Experience
• there are still two types of small operator: the good and the less so. Actually, the same is applicable to larger ones! Omnibuses

Life after Plymouth–Liverline

Thanks to Kenneth Aveyard for sending me these nice archive shots of former Citybus Atlanteans with Liverline.
Liverline 34 ex Plymouth Bootle 12/12/92
North Western 708 ex Liverline, Hyndburn, Plymouth, Bootle 08/04/95
Liverline 35 ex Plymouth Liverpool 16/02/91
All © Wimborne Railway Society archive.

 

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Recommended Links

• Southampton, a city I've long enjoyed. After my years in Liverpool I do enjoy the atmosphere of a good port and its southern rival sees its streets shared between First and also Go-Ahead, in the form of their Go South Coast fleets. Transport Illustrated
• The final word : There will be 24 (that's twenty-four!) different One-Day tickets on sale in South Yorkshire from 30th October 2011, ranging from £3 to £10.50. Public Transport Experience
• It was no surprise to see Konectbus had scored a passenger satisfaction rating of 97 per cent in the recent Passenger Focus audit of Go Ahead bus operators. 97 per cent. It couldn’t do much better. Omnibuses

We believe in promotion

You may have noticed that there is a big marketing push by First Bus at the moment. I am not sure if the television advert has been played locally yet but you dont have to go far on First web site to notice the new look adverts that appear across the top.
I have to admit I actually quite like this campaign. Its very easy to be dismissive and cynical especially with some of the claims above, but if it works and gets more passengers on the buses than surely that's a good thing.
One or two First companies have buses in an all over advert scheme which carries the same theme but it remains to be seen if we get one in Devon & Cornwall. I certainly hope so anyway.
One aspect of the promotion that is here is the Millions of Freebies promotion.
You can check the back of your ticket or register on line. Bus pass users are also catered for as you can register your pass and go online everyday to see what you have won. I have registered and checked three days and so far have only 'won' promotional vouchers with Blockbusters offering me half prize DVD rental etc. The site does mention lots of other prizes so you never know - you might just pick up something really good.

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Related Links

• Battle over Barne Barton Plymothian Transit 9 June 2011
• One Million Bus Tickets Plymothian Transit 20 September 2010

Recommended Links

• If you want to make an enquiry with someone face to face, these days, how do you go about it? Whatever happened to the universal bus station enquiry office? Omnibuses
• Put at its most basic, from 30th October, the service 52 operator-specific day and weekly tickets have been stuck together with a bit of sellotape and called Optio Red. Public Transport Experience
• The new Plymouth Monopoly is launched today and features many historical sites around Plymouth. Plymouth Local History Blog

Full Steam Ahead

Thanks to Dave Godley I can give you advance notice of a steam train into Plymouth this coming weekend Saturday 22nd October

The Devonian provides an opportunity for a very special day out travelling by train from Dorset and Hampshire to Devon. The special train will be hauled from Westbury to Plymouth and back to Westbury by two steam locomotives, Britannia Class No.70013 Oliver Cromwell and Castle class No. 5029 Nunney Castle.

Plymouth
13:29 (Arrive)
16:29 (Depart)

More details on the trip can be found here

70013 Oliver Cromwell is a British Railways standard class 7 (also known as the Britannia class) preserved steam locomotive. The locomotive is notable as one of the four steam locomotives which worked the last steam railtour on British Railways (BR) in 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban.

Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by Smudge9000
5029 Nunney Castle is a preserved GWR 4073 Class steam locomotive, built at Swindon in May 1934.

Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by Crowcombe Al

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Related Links

• Laira 1965 Plymothian Transit 31 January 2011
• Steaming in Plymouth Plymothian Transit 27 September 2010
• Oliver Cromwell Plymothian Transit 8 April 2009
• Full steam for Saltash Plymothian Transit 20 January 2009

Recommended Links

• This 709 really did look stunning in the new livery of which pretty much the whole fleet is wearing now. Certainly a lot better than the red livery, which never really did the 709s any favors, PTOTPA
• fbb's purpose in publishing his pontification on Arbourthorne was to show that it wasn't always better in the "Good Old Days"; some old timetables were particularly complex and confusing. Public Transport Experience
• So, this is the clearest indication yet of the direction of travel at First—it would seem that First will be refocusing more along Stagecoach than Go Ahead lines as the preferred delivery model. This, perhaps, is not surprising and even potentially a little disappointing. Yet, Fearnley is known to be impressed by the Stagecoach model. He will know that it delivers (nearly) every time. Omnibuses
• King Longs 509–512 & 514 TGP Photos Unlimited

Quick step back into service

I really did expect the days of Plymouth Citybus step entrance Darts to be over, and in a way they are. However, 119 L119YOD is now under the ownership of the expanding Jacketts Coaches and was in use on their X85 Plymouth – Barnstaple service on Saturday. I am not sure of the total running time of this service as the timetable does not appear on their web site yet but I am sure it will feel like a long time in one of these.

Sorry I was unable to get a photograph of 119 in her new guise but if you can imagine the picture below but without the Citybus fleet names then you are there! I guess as the other Darts with Jacketts are in London red then they wont be in a hurry to repaint her.

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Related Links

• Web Site Jacketts Coaches
• Another one saved Plymothian Transit 6 August 2011
• Jacketts Jolly Jaunt Plymothian Transit 11 July 2011
• Truro or Exeter Plymothian Transit 7 June 2011

Recommended Links

• A major extra attraction at this year's revived West of England Transport Collection open day at Winkleigh in Devon was the first public appearance for nearly twenty years of a major collection. Transport Illustrated
• fbb has to confess that Stoke-on-Trent is a bit of a black hole; not, incidentally an insult to that noble City, but a reminder of the fact that the corpulent one last visited there for an interview at Keele University in February 1963. Public Transport Experience
• First are offering:- good time keeping, clean vehicles, polite staff and prompt replies to any enquiries. But, hang on a minute! Isn't that what we should be getting from EVERY bus service? As standard practice. Always Public Transport Experience
• Hard to believe it, but at the end of this year this blog will have been around for nine years. If someone had asked me in 2003 whether I would have still been doing this in nine years time, I'd have probably laughed at them Going Underground
• Virtu Ferries have been operating a high speed ferry service between Malta and Sicily since 1988. The JEAN DE LA VALETTE, 800 passengers, 156 vehicles including trailers, makes over 500 round trips every year between Valletta and Pozzallo (90 minute) and Catania (3 hours) effectively making Malta part of mainland Europe. TGP Photos Unlimited
• First Hants & Dorset have lost the contract to operate a route between Hamble and Hedge End, with the service passing to Brijan tomorrow. Southern England Bus Scene

That was the week

A Saturday look back on some of the stories of the last week from Plymouth and beyond that have some sort of Plymothian Transit link, or just caught my attention in some way.

Unhappy Passenger A PLYMOUTH mother is angry that her daughter had to walk home from school – because a bus driver turned her away. Citybus said the reason for Nicola's card not working on September 16 was because the driver hadn't scrolled the ticket machine to the correct bus stop. The ticket machine therefore appeared to be in the wrong zone for the pass, Peter Oliver, commercial manager for Plymouth Citybus, said. 7 October 2011 This is Plymouth Week of Walkies Fascinating facts and fabulous views with every footstep are on offer during a week-long series of events bringing city and countryside together. People of all ages and fitness are being invited to head up the Tamar Valley as part of a festival devoted to putting one foot in front of the other. The Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is hosting a trail festival and the Plymouth City Council’s Stepping Stones to Nature team has organised a walk along the Discovery trail. The seven kilometre free guided walk starts at Tamerton Foliot, taking in open farmland, woodland, the banks of the River Tavy and Lopwell Dam. To put a spring in people’s step, the walk finishes with a cream tea in Bere Ferrers. 12 October 2011 Plymouth City Council

Tamar Bridge Works to finish early Resurfacing work on the Tamar Bridge, which has delayed thousands of motorists travelling between Devon and Cornwall, is to finish early. 13 October 2011 BBC 1 in 5 council bus service cut We have been busy collecting data on local authority bus cut decisions, using the Freedom of Information Act, and we can reveal that council cuts to bus budgets totalling £36m have resulted in more than 1000 (1114) service cuts. Many more bus services are likely to be lost as two thirds (77%) of local transport authorities in England are either planning to, or could not rule out, further cuts in the future. Only 46 councils put a figure on the number of bus services that had been reduced, and only 20 reported how many passenger journeys will be affected. 13 October 2011 Campaign Better Transport   And finally… Tough economic times mean some transport company bosses are now cleaning their own offices, it has been revealed. As many as 55% of transport business owners frequently take on cleaning duties around the office, a survey by the Bibby Financial Services company found. 9 October 2011 UK Press

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Recommended Links

• A bus with a PA system? It must’ve been. And one that was actually used? I was towards the rear upstairs and I heard quite plainly such a proclamation, so I couldn’t’ve been mistaken. Could I? Omnibuses
• fbb had intended to bring his "Rise and Fall of the Roman Arbouthorne Empire" epic to an earth shattering close after Episode 3, but it became too complex to communicate convincingly without a bit more "stuff" Public Transport Experience
• Norfolk Green's latest addition Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX400 LV52HHR had its vinyls fitted yesterday Andys Bus Blog

immortalised

South West Bus Models Will Be Offering These Models At £21 Each

www.southwestbusmodels.co.uk

To Pre-Order Yours Today

These Are:

EFE 29627 Leyland Olympian - Devon General

Registration Number: A680 KDV Fleet Number: 1804

Working Route X80 To Plymouth

DUE : EARLY NOVEMBER

And EFE 16227 Bristol MW/LS Coach

Royal Blue (Southern National) Registration Number: VDV 776 Fleet Number: 2213

Working A Route To Torquay, Salisbury & Exeter

DUE : LATE OCTOBER

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Related Links

• Sunday Best: M52HOD Plymothian Transit 14 December 2010
• Sunday Best: M52HOD Plymothian Transit 27 June 2007

Recommended Links

• The dark and mysterious arts of the bus scheduler are worked out in dusty corners, accompanied by broomstick, black cat and cauldrons of bubbling potion. Often this wizardry seems designed to frighten the naive bus passenger into some sort of anaphylactic shock. Public Transport Experience
• Real time passenger information’s been with us for about a decade now, though it’s within the last six years that it’s taken off. Its deployment is nevertheless often patchy and confined to town centre or main locations. Omnibuses
• These cuts are now hitting Hampshire hard. Over the next three weekends, several phases of withdrawals are being brought in. They leave few corners of the county unaffected Dorset Bus Blog
• Though now 24 years old, both buses are in excellent condition, having been well looked after by Big Bus Tours Busworks Blog

Informed Pointer

Volvo B6 Plaxton Pointer 52 M52 HOD officially joined the Plymouth City Transport Preservation Group this week with the long term plans to fit it out as an information bus.
regards
Jason Beverley

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Related Links

• Sunday Best: M52HOD Plymothian Transit 27 March 2011

Recommended Links

• The West of England Transport Collection held its first open day for a couple of years at their base on the old Winkleigh airfield in mid Devon recently Transport Illustrated
• So, apparently, it is all very straightforward. There is, however, a problem which, a few years later, will cause inexperienced passengers to tear out clumps of their hair and, many many years later, will give fbb sleepless nights as he tries to unravel what actually happens. Public Transport Experience

Life after Plymouth NM02DNU

On Monday this week my bus to work was over ten minutes late, and when it did turn up was an Optare Solo which is a rare ‘treat’ on the 50 which really does need a bigger bus. The driver was less than impressed with the bus, having been given it after a breakdown earlier in the morning. He for one wont be sad to see the back of them!
©Kenneth Aveyard

Thanks to Ken for supplying this shot of former Citybus 212 NM02DNU which is now with Damory (Hants & Dorset) Go South Coast as fleet number 3713 still in full Citybus livery. Seen at Pimperne on Sunday 9 October

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Related Links

• Life After Plymouth: M221EAF Plymothian Transit 14 May 2011
• Life After Plymouth: L126YOD Plymothian Transit 6 February 2011
• Life After Plymouth: K110SFJ Plymothian Transit 26 January 2011
• Life After Plymouth: W805PAF Plymothian Transit 16 October 2010

Elsewhere on the net

• The Scottish Citylink Gold tri-axle 15m Volvo/Plaxton Elite was nothing other than stunning, inside and out. Omnibuses
• At the end of October we are promised the next stage of the overall Optio outpouring. Service 52 goes "Optio Red". In due course, when the publicity is fully released, fbb will be there, in the forefront of transport journalism, to report on the radical rubicund reorganisation. Public Transport Experience
• The LH Coaches TGP Photos Unlimited

The promise of worse to come

Following on from yesterdays post we had this story on This is Plymouth:

CORNWALL Council has said it has been left with "no alternative" but to make changes to the county's concessionary bus fare scheme.

A "significant" reduction in Government funding has led to the authority having to make changes. Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for transportation and highways, said: "We appreciate the importance of the bus network to people in Cornwall and already spend £4.5million subsiding around 60 per cent of bus routes, mainly services to rural areas and weekend and evening operation.

"The revised recommendation to reduce the level of reimbursement to a level equating to 50 per cent of normal fares rather than the original figure of 43.9 per cent achieved by rigidly following Government guidelines, means that we will still be paying bus operators well above the national average."

Cornwall Council's bus operators currently receive 73.5 per cent of the average adult fare as reimbursement.

Members of the authority's cabinet have agreed to delay introducing the changes until 1 April next year.

Cornwall Council cabinet members have already written to MPs across the county requesting them to make representations to Government to increase funding for bus services to rural local authorities as part of the review of local government financing.

Sheryll Murray, South East Cornwall MP, said: "I have had a few letters from councillors and I do fully understand that we are in a difficult economic period.

Full story

Its not all bad news though. There is actually an improved Sunday service on 592/593 for Western Greyhound later this month:

On 29th October 2011, following numerous passenger requests, we are delighted to confirm that a Sunday service on the 593 is now introduced to provide new links between Newquay, Bodmin, and Liskeard, also connecting with the 592 buses to and from Plymouth. Buses leave Newquay at 0905, 1105, 1305 and 1505 linking into the 592 to Plymouth and returning from Liskeard at 1030, 1230, 1430 and 1630 to Newquay. We look forward to seeing you on the new Newquay to Plymouth Sunday through-service!

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Elsewhere on the net

• Heading for Devon in the glorious low October sun we enjoyed last Sunday we see Tamar II (?) crossing the river from Cornwall. Beautiful! PTOTPA
• It is more than likely that the vast majority of Sheffielders, and even many transport historians, have never known that the estate was named after the road and not vice versa! Public Transport Experience
• ... featured the obligatory London bus—in a document that specifically excludes the capital. Omnibuses
• Bus wars and competition. Mainly things of the past, surely? After all, deregulation was 25 years ago now Dorset Bus Blog
• First thing of note, is that Ryde depot has become London General's Isle of Wight outstation! Southern England Bus Scene

Its all too quiet

Usually at the beginning of each new month I like to look back at the activity on the Governments VOSA web site to see what bus service registrations have been logged. I check this site a few times a month and then go back over a whole month in case I have missed anything. Well September was a very quiet month with nothing of any real interest at all. this is in marked contrast with other areas of the south west with Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire seeing loads of service registration changes coming up over the coming months. Much of this is down to local authorities cutting back their transport expenditure dramatically. Anyone watching the site will think that Devon & Cornwall have escaped all the cuts as everything is almost too quiet at the moment.

September 1st

PH0006741/26 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Variation Accepted: Operating between POLPERRO, Crumplehorn and CALLINGTON, New Road given service number 573 effective from 29-Oct-2011. To amend Route and Timetable.

September 16th

PH1016164/24 - HOLSWORTHY LTD T/A BEACON GARAGE, DOLTON BEACON, DOLTON, WINKLEIGH, EX19 8PS
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Buckland Monachorum School
Finish Point: Yelverton Roundabout
Via:
Service Number: 624
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 19-SEP-2011
Other Details: School days only.

September 22nd

PH1101608/1 - TREVELLYAN JACKETT T/A JACKETT'S COACHES, KINGSETT HOUSE,, ALBASTON, GUNNISLAKE, PL18 9AL
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Tavistock Bus Station and Tavistock Bus Station given service number 87/87A effective from 12-Oct-2011. To amend Timetable.

October continues the quiet theme as there is nothing to report so far.

Of course Devon and Cornwall are not escaping the cuts. The troubles in Cornwall have been well documented. The cutbacks will happen but a bit later than the county had originally planned. Devon & Plymouth? Well I guess we will have to wait and see…

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Elsewhere on the net

• What’s the difference between Stagecoach Gold and First Gold Service? Omnibuses
• Towanroath Engine House, St Agnes. TGP Photos Unlimited
• Did someone say that our industry was *deregulated*? We may be on the verge of celebrating 25 years of market freedoms but the bus business has more regulation now than it had a quarter of a century ago, not less. Omnibuses
• Rural bus operators were less forthcoming but the conductor was legally required to produce his fare table on request to any passenger. Query for present day legality; does this rule still apply? Public Transport Experience
• It is show season with the American Passenger Transportation Association event in New Orleans and Coach & Bus Live at NEC Birmingham both this week and only 12 days before Busworld at Kortrijt Leon Daniels
• New to the UK were coach bodies by Tata Hispano. As the name suggests, this is a Spanish builder. It was taken over by Tata in 2005, three years before Tata acquired Jaguar Cars from the Ford Motor Company. Omnibuses
• Although they have received some criticism from enthusiasts for this, I am actually with Southern Vectis for leaving the branding on, as the vehicles do look a lot smarter Southern England Bus Scene
• A murex is a sea snail; and it is not at all clear why a company concentrating on making specialist metals for the welding industry should be so named. Public Transport Experience
• Finally, Bretonside is actually starting to look like a place where you wouldn't mind spending time. (No Laurence!) PTOTPA
• This week's Sunday Lost Scene comes from Winchester bus station, taken on Sunday 30th May 2004. Southern England Bus Scene
• Once every two months the church hall is invaded by a gang of sad old men serious transport enthusiasts. The group has been running for 16 years and aims to take a more "academic" interest in all things transportational in Sheffield Public Transport Experience
• The first to bear the type name Derwent was built in the 1960s and 1970s. It had strong BET influence with it’s double curvature windscreen and rear window and peaked domes. TGP Photos Unlimited
• One of the rewards of running the challenging business of bus restoration is seeing the 'fruits of our labour' at events and running days throughout the country, particularly during the summer months. Busworks Blog

Flickr Sunday Best: Western National

©Fray Bentos
A wonderful shot of a bus I used to catch a lot. I will leave Fray Bentos to fill in the details with his usual detailed captions:

An early Western National Bristol-engined FLF Lodekka, seen in Embankment Road, Plymouth, on Thursday 6th January 1977. I think I was walking out to Laira garage, where I hoped to find one or two of the former Bristol Omnibus Co. FSFs that had now belonged to WNOC for ten years. I did find one, but photographable only from the rear.
On Google Street View it looks as though the rank of houses on the far side of the road, behind the Co-op lorry, have been much remodelled, with most of the gables lost. The building on the left, which seems to be boarded-up ready for demolition, survives, although the chimney and door have gone and the windows been replaced.

Pending That was the week

A Saturday look back on some of the stories of the last week from Plymouth and beyond that have some sort of Plymothian Transit link, or just caught my attention in some way.

Embankment Link soon to open From Tuesday 1 November there will be a completely new way of travelling through and around the East End of Plymouth, as the new Embankment Lane link road and the new outbound lane on Gdynia Way are opened to traffic. This marks the completion of the main elements of the East End Transport Scheme, which has been under construction for 18 months by Plymouth Transport and Highways, the partnership between Plymouth City Council and Amey. Plymouth Citycouncil True Grit SHOPPERS say Plymouth City Council "cannot be criticised" for organising a winter gritting roadshow – despite hosting it on a blissfully balmy weekend. The authority's winter maintenance services team hosted the roadshow on Saturday encouraging shoppers to "think about their own property, area and travel needs in extreme weather". Councillor Kevin Wigens, Plymouth City Council's cabinet member for transport, told The Herald last week: "Keeping the road network clear and moving is essential to Plymouth's people and economy – and we are as prepared as we can be." 3 October This is Plymouth

Slow down on the buses Britain's biggest bus operator - which runs one in every five local services including swathes of London's services - today warned it expects passenger numbers to fall in the next six months as local economies suffer. The company warned today that the trading conditions in its UK buses business would worsen as the lower economic activity makes its impact on the UK. 29 September 2011 This is London Bus Competition Commission Proposals to open up the bus market to more competition have been published by the Competition Commission. It is calling for more schemes where tickets can be used on more than one operator's service. It also wants to restrict bus operators from changing the frequency of services to discourage "over-bussing". 6 October 2011 BBC Saltash Ferry Celebration It's almost 50 years since the ferry between Saltash Passage and Saltash ceased. To celebrate this, ferry trips will run again for one day only on Sunday 23rd October 2011 6 September 2011 Plymouth Local History

Things that make you go Mmmmm….

©Jason Beverley
Nothing more to say!

Evolution: Ambulances

Most ambulances for the South Western Ambulance NHS Trust (and its precdessors)for quite a few years have been supplied by either Renault, or Mercedes.

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Related Links

• Oh Dear Plymothian Transit 19 July
• The Ambulance Ambulance Plymothian Transit 24 September 2010

Elsewhere on the net

• Cliffs on the Wheal Coates sett. TGP Photos Unlimited
• In fact, it looks like it will be the least appealing trade show in recent years. Omnibuses
• Both these useful premises are situated at a community called Bedlington Station some two miles from Bedlington, although there hasn't been a station at Bedlington Station since 1964 when the "Blyth and Tyne" line closed for passenger services. There never was a station at Bedlington. Public Transport Experience
• This second instalment features the buses and coaches on display at Duxford that have been withdrawn from service work, although some may still earn a living in their retirement as heritage vehicles. Transport Illustrated

Swap Shop

On Saturday 1st October PCTPG Dennis Dart 131 M131 HOD left Milehouse for the last time and was driven to RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall to start the process of swopping over vehicles which will lead shortly to the repatriation of MCW Leyland Atlantean 214 FJY 914E back to Plymouth from the flying school where it has been for 25 years.

©Jason Beverley

Evolution: ATS

Its not just coaches which seem to be more and more turning to basic white based liveries...

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Related Links

• Evolution: Plymouth Citybus Plymothian Transit 22 August 2011
• Evolution: Atlantean Plymothian Transit 27 August 2011

Elsewhere on the net

• The New Face of Exeter TGP Photos Unlimited
• Alan was off to the station, a ghostly destination served by ghostly buses for which there is not a jot or tittle of information in the town centre. Public Transport Experience
• Swifts #2 TGP Photos Unlimited
• Being a good, canny Scot, Jean is up for a good deal; Public Transport Experience
• As an aside, and repetitively, fbb wonders why we cannot have one single national timetable library. It could easily (?) be funded via the registration system and would ensure that the eager enquirer would not have trawl tediously through web site after web site to find out "what's going on". Public Transport Experience
• Over the next couple of months I shall be posting photos of all the buses I have owned. This first post features the Leyland Big Cats. TGP Photos Unlimited
• In the light of the Anonymous comment of 1544 on 28th August, I thought I ought to clarify that that my post entitled “No News is Bad News?” was designed to highlight as many of the positives as I could that have resulted from Alex Carter’s leadership at Go South Coast Dorset Bus Blog
• If you've never been before, Winkleigh is a rally that is just completely different to any other you'll visit. PTOTPA
• It’s still agriculturally based, Radio 4’s The Archers soap opera. This means it revolves around the rhythms of the seasons and the weather. Omnibuses
• Today's safari takes us in search of the shy and rarely seen creature, the gatcombus thirtysixus. This small green mammal has recently been reported on the remote Island of Vectis, a location known for the mysteries of nammet, gallybagger and pagan pilgrimages to nuppurt. Public Transport Experience

Flickr Sunday Best: JJY

©The Inspector

Smart looking former Plymouth Atlantean one of the JJY-G batch,

That was the week

A Saturday look back on some of the stories of the last week from Plymouth and beyond that have some sort of Plymothian Transit link, or just caught my attention in some way.

Winter is coming A south west council will be putting its gritters on standby from Saturday, despite the unusually hot weather. Plymouth City Council said that because of damage caused by the last two harsh winters, its seven gritters will be on standby for the next six months to keep the city's main roads open. 29 September 2011 BBC East End Traffic Diversions Road resurfacing will be taking place across Plymouth’s East End from Monday 26 September for two weeks.  This means there will be traffic diversions in place so that the work can be carried out quickly and safely. These works can only take place in dry conditions which means the resurfacing schedule will be subject to change. All works will take place overnight to minimise disruption. The current programme schedule includes sections of the following roads on the following dates: Embankment Road, Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 September Laira Bridge Road and Embankment Road, Wednesday 28 September to Saturday 1 October Laira Bridge Road,  Monday 3 to Friday 7 October Laira Bridge Road and Gdynia Way, Friday 7 to Tuesday 11 October 23 September Plymouth City Council Dont Knock it KNOCKING down the Civic Centre in Plymouth would take the heart out of the city, says the boss of English Heritage. Baroness Andrews, chair of the organisation which stopped the city council demolishing the 1960s building, was speaking in advance of a visit to the city next week. 30 September 2011 This is Plymouth

National Trust Plymbridge Parking PARKING proposals outlined by The National Trust for its controversial Plymbridge Woods project have sparked anger among objectors. The organisation has submitted a series of amendments to its two planning applications for the beauty spot, detailing parking proposals among other items. 27 September 2011 This is Plymouth Sherford start? THE much-delayed plan to build a new town to the east of Plymouth could go ahead next year. The project, for a community with 5,500 homes, along with schools, shops and other facilities, was given the go-ahead in 2007.The complex development for Sherford Valley south of the A38, involves three councils: Plymouth, where 320 of the homes and a sports hub will be sited; South Hams District Council; and Devon County Council. 27 September 2011 This is Plymouth On Board Information for Citybus SCREENS installed on Citybus buses are providing passengers with a range of information. To date 10 buses belonging to Plymouth Citybus have been fitted with the latest on-board information screens as part of a partnership with Plymouth based Blue Lollipop Media Ltd. 29 September 2011 This is Plymouth And finally… Sunderland to London King's Cross in 6 minutes (at 2660 mph!)