Two for Today: 4 times 709

Two photos of Mercedes 709s both featuring two consecutive registered buses.

Target Travel N94BNF N955BNF Bretonside November 2010

Plymouth Citybus N283PDV N284PDV both withdrawn from service at the back of Milehouse July 2012

The last one standing

It seems that N283PDV is the last remaining Mercedes 709 left with Plymouth Citybus.

Three have been sold on to Girlings Coaches, possibly for onward sale. All the others have now left the fleet.

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Recommended Links

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• One of the good things about visiting Weston-super-Mare is that I get to catch up with the former First Provincial Volvo B10BLEs now in service from the depot. Southern England Bus Scene
• The first photo shows a rare shot of the Gaumont Theatre in Union Street Plymouth Local History Blog
• It was in 1973 that the Passenger Transport Executives were formed. They took over all municipal bus operations in the area and had a remit to work with company operators and the railways to co-ordinate and improve services for the public. Public Transport Experience
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• Step entrance Dennis Darts have again returned to the region, but this time, not with Go-Ahead! Firstly, and most interestingly is with FDC! PTOTPA

Still earning their crust

After yesterdays Target Travel breadvans a reminder that Citybus still have a few of these work horses out and about. They wont be around for much longer though. Having said that I am sure I am seeing them out and about quite a bit at the moment.

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Elsewhere on the net

• Cutting a Dash Omnibuses
• Devolving bus policy - interesting argument for reregulation of buses. Environmental Transport Association

Still going…

The work horses continue to work hard for Citybus

When Citybus were taken over by Go-Ahead it was clear that the writing was on the wall for these old work-horses, but if anything these days they seem to be busier than they used to be. It may be coincidence but I am sure I see more of them than I used to anyway. It is taking longer than expected to prepare the recently acquired Solo's which will eventually replace most of these buses. Four Solos have arrived and more are promised from within the South Coast group.

Uncle Terry 085 Hospital watch TGP - the other Terry! If you go down to the woods today Painting oil on steel Omnibuses Musical Chairs Transdev developments Veolia - sad retrospective part 2 PTOTPA Transport Illustrated Somerset Coast Transport of delight In Bad Shape National Express West Midlands Leon Daniels Election Night Highton-Ridley New - including colour Go-Ahead news... The OFT has today decided that the completed acquisition by the Go-Ahead Group plc of Konectbus Ltd does not qualify for investigation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002. The full text of the decision will be available shortly 06 May 2010 17:41 CITYBUS Paradise road is closed due to an rtc. Disruption to services 45 and 36

Escaped from Plymouth: L258YOD

A little bit of Citybus still working in Glasgow

© Dave Ballantyne (with permission) Seeing as the Mercedes 709s are now coming to an end for Plymouth Citybus, when Dave Ballantyn posted this photo on one of the Google photo groups it just seemed appropriate to share it here. Former Plymouth Citybus 258 L258YOD seen in Jamaica Street Glasgow, October 2009. From other photos of Dicksons buses I have seen, it appears the red roof has been retained from the Citybus livery, all others just have the plain white. It does give it a slight touch of class compared with the other I think! (I did say 'slight' touch!) It did of course look a lot better in Citybus livery: from April 2002.

Further Reading Omnibuses: Wickham Wanderings - well worth a read Leon Daniels: Sightseeing and Supermarkets PTOTPA: Review of 2009 - nice one Laurence! TGP - Cotswolds and Cheltenham First on Twitter / Facebook 17 Jan 2010 nothing to see here! Citybus on Twitter / Facebook 17 Jan 2010 It was a very quiet day in Plymouth!

Sunday Best: Western National C491HCV

First generation Mercedes “Bread van” at Bretonside

© ewoodweddie1968: Summer 1989. 126 is a PMT bodied Mercedes Benz L608D new in March 1986 Seeing as the Citybus Mercedes mini's are now coming to their end it seems like a good time to look back at the first generation of Mercedes minibuses that were used in Plymouth. Small and cramped compared with the Citybus Renaults they did give a much more comfortable ride, but then the Renaults were incredibly uncomfortable buses so that wasn't difficult. The newer Mercedes 709s employed by both Western National and Citybus were a lot better in just about every respect. Click on the photo above to go to Ewoodeddies photo stream for more photos.  Sorry - I have just noticed that today's post didn't go live for some reason - probably put the wrong date in again!

First on Twitter / Facebook 16 Jan 2010 nothing to see here! Citybus on Twitter / Facebook 16 Jan 2010 09:39 Welcome to the weekend. No problems reported to us so far this morning with all services running. So whether work, shop or leisure, we can get you there. You may want to take an umbrella with you!

Bread van for sale

What better way to start the year than to get your hands on an ex Western National Mercedes 709D. L635VCV is for sale now on E-bay. LINK.
Bus List on the Web show L635VCV as MB 709D 669003-2N-017864, Plaxton 937MHV2123, B25F, 2/1994, Western National 635.
The bus had been with JSB Coaches, Newton Aycliffe by April 2004 alongside sister 634. It  certainly is not in original condition with the new Vario front end and different seat cloth.

K601ORL

Another delayed posting planned for Sunday night but only actually managed this evening (21st)

When you look at the First Devon and Cornwall fleet in Plymouth now its hard to remember the bad old days! K601ORL the first of a large batch of Mercedes 709s was still in regular use on Plymouth City services in 2002. Back in those days you would never have expected FDC to have got rid of theirs before Plymouth Citybus - who are not just still running them in Plymouth - but are still repainting them - so they must be planned to stay a while yet.

Staying a bit longer

It certainly seems that Plymouth Citybus are holding on to their Mercedes 709s for a while yet, as the N registered batch at least are being repainted into the new livery.
Confirmed in the new livery so far are 281, 282, 284, 286, 287, 288.

From Plymouth to Dakar

© Neil Rickard (blogged from Flickr)

Trawling through Flickr I came across this wonderful photo of one of our old First Devon & Cornwall breadvans, K621ORL in an unusual setting. Its seen in the dessert on route from Plymouth to Dakar in the Plymouth - Dakar challenge!

More details on this trip can be found here with many more photos of the trip here.

I guess it makes a change from Stoke Village!

Tarted up bread van

Having cleared the Park and Ride fleet into the new livery Plymouth Citybus have made a start at applying the new colours to other buses in the fleet apart from the low floor Darts. The first 'breadvan' to receive the new livery is Mercedes 281 N281PDV which I managed to catch home tonight and was able to get in front of the bus just in time to grab this shot.
The photo below of the old livery was taken in much more controlled conditions!

Target Travel

N94BNF and N95BNF are both on loan to First Devon & Cornwall at the moment and being used on various services. They don't even have any notices explaining they are on hire. This has already confused some passengers!

Citybus 709D

Took a few photos in town today so thought I would post a bog standard Mercedes 709D. The fleet is slowly dwindling down these days so these M registered buses will be among the next to go. I believe that there are a few L reg examples left although I have not seen any for a while so maybe they have left!

Blue Line

Seen passing through Plymouth International this morning is this Mercedes on the 6 route. This route still being marketed as the Green Line Overground low floor bus route. As you can see - this is not low floor! This bus has been seen on this blog before in my first post to this blog.

didbygraham

22nd June 2005: First Mercedes 709

Many of these buses have been taken out of service now but a few soldier on. K620ORL is on the 48, a school working which yesterday was covered by a Solo but can be just about anything from the First fleet.
didbygraham

Target Travel

Target Travel have just restarted the Plymouth - Bovisand service on behalf of the City Council. Years gone by this service was open top double deckers operated by Plymouth Citybus with bright yellow Atlanteans. Sadly these days is Mercedes minibuses like this one L168EKR seen driven by Derek, who until recently drove for First D&C. He did give a friendly wave but the camera just missed it!
didbygraham