Back up and running

I am now finally back up and running with a new PC which can actually cope with the large files I have to go through and can do more than just open a few pages on the internet before it gives up with lack of memory (Sorry if you caught any of the test posts that were being made this morning while I was trying to get my Editor to recognise Blogger)

I seem to have lost the red background in the process but I can live with that…

I have some catching up on photos to do so in the meantime we have my first decent shots of the single door conversion by Plymouth Citybus of their London Enviros. Compared with previous years they have done a great job!

473 LX06ECT seen a couple of weeks ago on Royal Parade

And just in case you were wondering what she would look like when viewed between a young ladies legs…

Swooped WA03BHZ

Another of the Darts to be repainted into full swoops is number 70

© Bradley Darlington

This one started off in one of the better Park & Ride liveries we have seen in Plymouth.

© didbygraham July 2006

In the Citaro inspired Black band livery with full Bus Watch lettering

© didbygraham February 2010

finally without the lettering..

© didbygraham July 2017

All Dennis Dart that remain in service now carry the swoop livery.

Swooped: WA03BHW

Catching up with repaints from the last few months starting off with Dennis Dart 67

67 WA03BHW

© Bradley Darlington 6th May 2018

Previous liveries carried

April 2008

July 2010 one of the better advert wraps

February 2011 the post privatisation livery, thankfully short lived.

Swoops and swirls

Another quick update this weekend to the Plymouth Citybus Fleetlist 

78 is now in red base livery awaiting finishing off with lettering and swoops etc. 72 is next with 68 70 71 and 75 currently untouched and waiting their turn.

A few buses confirmed as sold:

21 unknown buyer

202 to a PCTPG member for preservation. Great to see this one saved

204 to another member of the PCTPG

312 also sold to a member of the PCTPG. Yet another significant livery comes to an end in the fleet. I must admit I was always a fan of this livery which was very distinctive so its good to see this one save for preservation too.

City Swooped

The last of the new City’s is in full swoop livery

If you cant get enough of the new buses then Buses Magazine has more…

Ready Post

More updates to the Plymouth Citybus fleet list over the last few days include…

142 now in full swoops

This was the last Enviro in the dull red front livery

This means that all the 08 Enviros are now in full swoops although for variety only this one has the current Every journey taken care of strapline.

The other main update is that the fleet list now has all the E400 City registrations. (Thanks to Jason Beverley  for filling in the last couple of gaps!) At least one more of this batch is now in service:

557 WA17FTE

Thanks to Richard for the photos!

Fleet List Link: https://goo.gl/165xdT

Swooped!

The third of the 56 reg Enviros has now been repainted out of the dull dark red livery although unlike her GREEN FLASH sisters she is in full swoops livery, and looking a lot better for it.

Thanks to Richard Smith for the photo.

As mentioned she was in this livery which thankfully is now almost at an end

When new she looked like this

which was ok to begin with from  the outside at least (it was awful to ride in especially in damp weather as you couldn't see anything through that awful contravision) but by 2010 the images had faded really badly and it looked awful

Clearing the windows helped but it still didn't look good

For a bus that's coming up to eleven years old she is now looking better than she ever has!

Swooped: WJ52GNZ

Thanks to Richard Smith we now have a photos of 61 WJ52GNZ in full swoops, looking very smart indeed.

August 2014

May 2010 Bus Watch

August 2006

Before and After WA12ADO

The repaint program continues with 107 WA12ADO now out in full swoops and looking amazing

Considering that a few of the Dennis Darts are only just getting their first repaints 107 is now in her third livery

I personally think that the current swoop livery is the best of the three although I do like the Blue Flash and tp be fair, the dark red front livery doesn't look too bad on these buses either

Swooped

The Plymouth Citybus paint shop is getting busier with quite a few repaints due to go through over the coming few weeks. Work has started again on the newer Darts that have not already been repainted. The Volvo B7RLEs are being repainted out of Blue Flash into Swoops. These will soon be seeing more work in Cornwall.

Thanks to Richard Smith for the new photos, I did get 60 on camera but his photos of this one are a lot better than mine!

On the subject of photos, both Richard and myself are more than happy for our photos to be used by others but can I ask that if you do want to use them elsewhere please ask first! Permission will almost always be given. There have been a few cases recently where our photos have been downloaded into personal facebook albums as if the facebookers had taken the photos themselves. If you ask nicely first then its not stealing. Thanks. 

60 was previously in the black band livery as seen here back in July 2009

106 was of course new in the dark fronted livery which didn't look too bad on these buses, although I still think the swoop is a lot better.

106 then went into Blue Flash

There are lots of rumours and guesses about what is coming up over the next month or so, but the plan as I understand it is that the new Enviro City double deckers due next month are for the 21/21A (currently Red Flash). These will NOT be in Red Flash livery. I have heard several different views of what they will be in, but we will just have to wait and see - it wont be long!

The Red Flash Enviro 400s will then go onto the 40/41/42 routes which will become Red Flash instead of Blue. The Blue Volvos as mentioned above being swooped for Cornwall.

Swooped LX05EYW

The latest bus out in swoops

Photo by ‘Eddie’ May 2011 (cc)

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Sorry for the paucity of posting this week. I have not been in the best of health this week, even spending a day at my hospital as a patient. Feeling a bit better now though so hopefully get things back on track again for March…

Citybus Update

All the MAN Ecocity fleet are now in their new liveries

 

12 November 2016

28 January 2017

I think that proves it.

Both pics with thanks to Richard Smith

Richard has put together a Word Document which contains photos of all the MANs in their new liveries in order which can be viewed here

With all these extra buses in to the fleet there is the opportunity to replace existing stock. It was originally expected that more Darts would depart but now it seems that most (9 of them) Optare Solos are heading North to Go North East. 209 has already left Plymouth with 207,208 due to go very shortly. All should be gone within the next couple of weeks or so.

Finally, not strictly Plymouth news as such, but it seems that Go Ahead Group is to take over Thamesdown Transport from the council. It seems like its to come under control of the South Coast operation.

Every Journey Taken Care Of

I have been updating the Plymouth Citybus Fleet List over the last day or two which includes the slow introduction to service of the EcoCity gas buses. The full compliment of Orange Flash 701-705 are now ready. 711/712 are in swoop with a new tag line at the rear of the bus. It seems that 706-710 will now NOT be Purple Flash. 708 at least is now also in full swoop livery.

Thanks to Richard Smith for these shots of 712 and a few Oranges.

I will now be taking my Christmas break with just a few posts over the next week or so, with just the weekly Devon & Cornwall Transit posts planned at the moment. I will be back properly in the New Year.

Just looking ahead though, One thing I will be doing early in 2017 is looking back at the highlights of 2016. So if you want some homework - feel free to send in your highlights for the year - anything transport related is welcome (if they come with pictures even better!) I can then share them over a couple of posts.

I also realise that I never did get round to the predictions for 2016 so I want to put that right this year- What do you expect to see in 2017? Anything across Devon & Cornwall that is transport related. I will then get them out early in 2017!

In the meantime have a great Christmas and Happy New Year to all my readers. Thanks to you all for you support, especially over this last difficult few weeks.

Graham