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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 1 |  |
By Chris Jennings Stagecoach London received a batch of Vauxhall Vivaro electric minibuses in late 2023, mainly to replace the Hyundai I800 minibuses used as crew ferry vehicles from Rainham garage. The minibuses are often used on longer runs such as to Romford, where Chris caught DV73FSA on 24th April 2024. Rainham is a rather remote garage and hence uses multiple crew ferries. In addition to the five Vivaros, there are three electric vauxhall Corsa cars in white plus about a half-dozen hired cars in various unmarked liveries. |
31/05/2024 |
| 2 |  |
By Ray Monk Various 7-year old Renault Kangoo Maxi vans have been noted at Acton Works recently, and it would appear that these are ones that have been replaced by the new Ford Transit Connect vans. In the lorry yard on 20th April 2024 was 8365R, new in February 2017 and often to be found in the night-time congregations at Griffith House. Alongside is new 9210F. |
31/05/2024 |
| 3 |  |
By Ray Monk Up in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 20th April 2024, there were still several of the new Ford Transit Connect crew vans delivered at the end of March. However, there were also several other LUL vehicles present, which could well be ones that have been replaced by the new arrivals. Of interest was 8567T, one of only two Prius+ cars in the central fleet. To be fair, the type can easily be mistaken for the more numerous Prius, the main difference being a raised roof-line towards the rear. 8567T is also unusual for not carrying permanent lettering. Labels with TfL/LUL lettering were usually applied to the front doors whilst in use, but the absence of the roundel on the bonnet was noticeable. 8567T was delicensed at the end of April, but has now been re-done, so it is not yet clear if it still in the fleet or not. Parked in the background are new Fords 9200F and 9198F. |
31/05/2024 |
| 4 |  |
By Ray Monk Also seen at Acton Works on 20th April 2024, but presumably not for replacement, was Ford Transit dropside truck 9027F. Just over 3 years old, it is normally based at Edgware Track Depot. |
31/05/2024 |
| 5 |  |
By Ray Monk A number of older LUL service vehicles have been noted at Acton Works in recent weeks. Given that deliveries of new vans has now re-started, these could well be the vehicles that have been replaced. Seen on 20th April 2024 was VW Caddy Maxi crew van 8272VW, over 7 years old and latterly a Hainault Depot resident. |
31/05/2024 |
| 6 |  |
By Clive Greedus Clive reports that this Ford Transit crew van is often parked at the side of Newbury Park Station (the opposite side to the bus stops), as seen in this photo taken on 10th April 2024. 8783F is nominally allocated to Hainault Depot, but perhaps we should add a new code for this location... |
31/05/2024 |
| 7 |  |
By Ray Monk Among the vehicles whose delivery was disrupted by the first COVID lockdowns in 2020 was a batch of five Ford Transit Courier crew vans for Lillie Bridge (9120F-9124F). They have proved to be rather camera shy, but Ray caught 9122F at its home base on 6th April 2024. |
31/05/2024 |
| 8 |  |
By Peter Terry In 2019 I published a photograph showing a Boleyn Recovery 4-axle Volvo FH towing an East London Transit liveried LT-class bus at Aldgate (link). Here is the sequel, with their AV23OKK (fleet number 5) pulling LT933 out of Canning Town Bus Station on 30th March 2024. |
31/05/2024 |
| 9 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit dropside truck 8773F was new in 2019 and based initially at Lillie Bridge Depot. It may have recently moved to Acton Works (based on sightings) and it was photographed there on 30th March 2024. |
31/05/2024 |
| 10 |  |
By Ray Monk The vegetation on the embankment backing on to the staff car park at Acton Works has been cut back in recent months, as seen in the background of this photo take on 30th March 2024. The subject is 8797VW, a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van new in March 2019 and based at times at Hainault and Upminster Depots. It has been rather elusive, as the only other photo I have was also taken by Ray Monk in the Acton car park, when it was brand new. |
31/05/2024 |
| 11 |  |
By Derek Everson I was surprised to see this photo of Abellio Ford Fiesta van NG56HNF at Beddington Cross garage on 26th March 2024. First licensed in December 2006, it has been with Abellio since at least autumn 2010 (over 13 years) and it is one of the oldest service vehicles still in use in London. Having said that, the van does have a VOR (Vehicle Off the Road) sign in the windscreen, and Transport UK (as Abellio is now known) has been getting rid of many older cars and vans, so its days may be numbered. The van lurking in the shadows inside the garage belongs to Grayson Thermal Systems. This firm is involved in thermal management systems for electric buses (among other things), and various new buses for Transport UK have been noted at their premises in the West Midlands prior to delivery to London. |
31/05/2024 |
| 12 |  |
By Derek Everson Round the corner from West Croydon Bus Station on 26th March 2024, Derek found this recovery vehicle preparing to tow an Enviro 200MMC bus. V1FLR is a 2-axle Volvo FH belonging to First Line Recovery, whose larger DAF V100FLR was shown on LTSV in 2022 (link). The bus is Transport UK 8217 from Beddington Cross garage. Note that this bus and the one behind (and a third that has been cropped out) are still carrying Abellio fleetnames. The rebranding to Transport UK had started in January 2024 but was only about 50% complete by this time. |
31/05/2024 |
| 13 |  |
By Derek Everson At least four of these white Ford Transit Custom vans were added to Go-Ahead London stock during 2023. Go-Ahead has not generally used second-hand service vehicles in the past, and it is possible that these were transferred from another group company. EA69MWJ was found parked near West Croydon Bus Station on 26th March 2024, at which point it was still in unmarked white. Yellow Go-Ahead logos were added by mid-May. |
31/05/2024 |
| 14 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray found another plain black Ford Puma in use as an Arriva London crew ferry vehicle on 23rd March 2024. AO23OYN was parked in the front yard of Barking (DX) garage, along with numerous white Seat Ibiza and Arona cars. It is possible that this car was added following the start of Superloop route SL2 (Walthamstow to North Woolwich) on 2nd March 2024, the route being worked by DX using HA-class buses displaced from Brixton (BN). |
31/05/2024 |
| 15 |  |
By Paul Nicholls From Manchester we go even further north to Greenock, a town on the Clyde estuary west of Glasgow. However, there is a common theme as both photos show Citroen vans with Welsh registration numbers! CN68CNC is a Citroen Berlingo van used by McGills, a name that has a long history as an 'independent' operator. The current operation is not directly descended from the original, which was bought out by Clydeside 2000 in 1997. The name returned to the streets in 2001 when the Greenock depot of Arriva Scotland West (which Clydeside 2000 had become) was sold. Growth and takeovers of other companies followed, and by 2012 McGills was able to purchase the remainder of the once large Arriva Scotland West operation. Although it is technically still an 'independent', it now has a fleet of over 400 buses. |
31/05/2024 |
| 16 |  |
By Dave Elison Manchester is in the process of introducing an integrated transport network, including franchished bus services, trams and (in due course) national rail services. A unified brand name of The Bee Network is being applied, apparently based on the worker bee that is a symbol of the city. The name and logo were seen on Citroen Dispatch van CK23JSY on 19th March 2024. |
31/05/2024 |
| 17 |  |
By Derek Everson Is it just me or do hired crew ferry cars seem to be getting a bit 'posher' these days? One of the latest examples seen working from Arriva London's Dartford Garage has been Ford Puma AO73JZA, a type also favoured by Metroline. The unmarked car was seen at Bexleyheath bus stand on 19th March 2024 parked in front of Go-Ahead single-deck Enviro bus SE85. The grey skirt and gold lettering on the bus mark it out as being a member of the commercial fleet, rather than a TfL vehicle. One of these has often been parked here lately, to act as a rest vehicle for bus drivers following damage to the permanent crew facilities building at this site. |
31/05/2024 |
| 18 |  |
By Derek Everson Go-Ahead London has applied these driver recruitment adverts to at least 25 of their Mercedes Vito minibuses, although that is less than half of the current fleet of 58 such vehicles. They are to be found at various garages, most notably Orpington and Northumberland Park, while other Go-Ahead garages still only operate anonymous red minibuses. The distribution presumably relates to which garages have bus driver shortages. Derek photographed RX71SZN at Bromley North station on 19th March 2024 and has perhaps unwittingly solved a slight puzzle. Bexleyheath garage has had a few crew ferry vehicles in recent years, and sometimes applies local fleet numbers (BX1 and BX2). For some reason, the numbers have often been applied multiple times. For example, I saw RJ19HSZ in 2021 with no fewer than four BX2s on the rear. RJ19HSZ later moved to Orpington and when I saw it there in 2023 it still had all of its BX2 numbers except those on the rear. As they are now carried by RX71ZSN, the logical assumption would be that the two vehicles have simply swapped rear doors, perhaps during repairs. By the way, Bexleyheath's current minibuses (RJ19HSN and RJ19HSN) are unfortunately unlettered. |
31/05/2024 |
| 19 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Two other service vehicles were in attendance at the Safeguard Coaches 100th anniversary event held at Guildford Cathedral on 16th March 2024. These were Ford Fiesta van LN10XUV (which Derek had earlier photographed at Woking) and Ford Transit Connect van KR58ZGF (which Derek had also caught before). The latter vehicle is lettered for Farnham Coaches, although this is owned by the same group as Safeguard (and uses the same font for its fleetnames). The cathedral, visible in the background, is notable for being constructed of bricks. Work started in 1936 but, due to the war, was not completed until 1965. |
31/05/2024 |
| 20 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson The second-generation of Volkswagen Caddy van, with its distinctive stepped roof-line, was last produced in 2004 and hence is now quite rarely seen. Safeguard Coaches still uses KU52SNK and Andrew photographed it at Guildford Cathedral on 16th March 2024. An event was being held here to mark the 100th anniversary of the company, an occasion also marked by the graphic on the van doors. |
31/05/2024 |
| 21 |  |
By Bob Milner Ford Transit Mk8 crew van 8920F is one of many allocated to Stratford Market Depot and generally only seen at night. In spring 2024 it made a couple of appearances at Stanmore Station (as here on 15th March 2024), although this is not believed to constitute a reallocation. |
31/05/2024 |
| 22 |  |
By Derek Everson The 'white with blue skirt' livery that was virtually standard for LUL service vehicles from 1990 onwards does make it easier to spot former service vehicles, since the blue skirt is often retained. Derek noticed this VW Caddy Maxi crew van parked on railway premises at Eastleigh on 28th February 2024 and closer inspection showed it to be former Tube Lines 7549VW. It was one of several new in 2012 that were allocated to Edgware Track Depot and which managed to avoid being photographed whilst in London service. The strange pattern on the van sides is actually an enlarged and rotated VW logo. |
31/05/2024 |
| 23 |  |
By Peter Blake Following on from my rather poor photo shown last year (link), here is a better view of RATP Dev Mitsubishi Fuso Canter lorry HX15OTK. Taken inside Fulwell Garage on 20th February 2024, it shows that the truck is fully lettered, including the fleet number FB10000 below the windscreen and 'CCTV Support' on the doors. The role of this vehicle is to carry a portable hydraulic hoist that is used to provide access to CCTV cameras and other high-level infrastructure. |
31/05/2024 |
| 24 |  |
By Bob Milner The only really notable aspect of this photo, although it is not readily apparent, is the location. Royal Wootton Bassett is a town in Wiltshire just west of Swindon and about 80 miles from London. Found parked there on 16th February 2024 was LUL Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8363R, a vehicle that has previously been seen at Frank Pick House (Acton) and Griffith House. More recently, new TfL-branded Ford Transit Connect crew van 9215F has been seen parked in the same place. |
31/05/2024 |
| 25 |  |
By Ray Monk Having renewed its engineering support fleet with electric Vauxhall Vivaro vans in 2022, Stagecoach London has now started modernising its crew ferry vehicles. For Lea Interchange garage (taken over from Tower Transit in 2023), a pair of Vauxhall Combo Life electric cars have been acquired, including DV73FRR seen outside the garage on 15th February 2024. |
31/05/2024 |
| 26 |  |
By Derek Everson Three for the price of one at Woking on 9th February 2024. Leading this line-up is White Bus Service 92 (CK62XNJ, a Citroen C1 car in 'hospital' blue), while their number 94 is behind. RK58UPD is a dark blue Ford Fiesta van, even though it claims to be a 'white bus'. Bringing up the rear is another Ford Fiesta van in the shape of Safeguard Coaches' slightly newer and more sporty-looking LN10XUV. |
31/05/2024 |
| 27 |  |
By Derek Everson The first Chevrolet to be used as a London service vehicle in about 90 years is White Bus Service number 93, a Matiz car seen at their Horsell base on 9th February 2024. It has white fleetnames on the sides and a green one on the front, while the fleet number appears as a wonky black circled one on the nearside, a straight white circled one at the back of the offside, and with 'wheelie-bin' type stickers in the windscreen. Just in case any doubt remained, a White Bus label has also been added in the windscreen. |
31/05/2024 |
| 28 |  |
By Dave Wolstencroft Parked on Chapel Street (near Griffith House) on the night of 1st February 2024 were several LUL vans, with Ford Transit Courier 8770F nearest the camera. Beyond that is Renault Kangoo 8829R, Kangoo Maxis 8370R and 8366R and Ford Transit Custom crew van 8749F. Lifts and Escalators Transit Courier vans are sometimes seen at Griffith House, although they mostly seem to be associated with the Frank Pick House (Acton) operation. |
31/05/2024 |
| 29 |  |
By Chris Jennings Following the management buyout last year, Abellio London was rebranded as Transport UK in an exercise that started in early 2024. The first service vehicle to be noted with the new name was Ford Focus car YF17ZKL, seen at Hatton Cross Bus Station on 31st January 2024. Note that a fleet number is also applied, which shows that the series previously used by Abellio has been continued. Fleet numbers had been applied to most (but not all) cars up until about 2017, with number 6811 being the highest known. A variety of additional second-hand cars were acquired after that date, but these did not show their numbers. So, unless Transport UK starts applying numbers to existing vehicles, we may never know which vehicles were allocated numbers in the range 6812 to 6858. |
31/05/2024 |
| 30 |  |
By Colin Smith Emergency Response Unit Volvo tender 2612 was found at Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station on 25th January 2024. Although these vehicles are fitted with removable panels to enable the livery to be switched between LUL and BTP (British Transport Police), this example seems to have a problem with them. The side panels show the BTP livery, but with black tape applied over the police crest. Another slightly interesting point is that I received two photos of this vehicle parked here. But the photos were taken 4 hours apart, unless somebody has their camera EXIF data set incorrectly.... |
31/05/2024 |
| 31 |  |
By Ray Monk Just visible on brand new 9195F at Acton Works on 30th March 2024 is another change to the livery. On the rear corner is a grey diamond with a graphic of a petrol pump. Similar stickers were applied to most London buses a few months ago, and their purpose is to inform fire-fighters what power source the vehicle has if they need to attend a fire. Other colours are used for hybrid, electric and gas-powered vehicles. Despite the 'budget' livery, the white bumpers and smart wheeltrims suggest that these are not basic specification vehicles. |
30/03/2024 |
| 32 |  |
By Ray Monk A close-up view of brand new Ford Transit Connect crew van 9194F at Acton Works on 30th March 2024 shows the plain blue roundel on the bonnet, and the TfL lettering squeezed in behind the side windows. Other lettering (fleetnumbers and tyre pressures) and notices (eg Do not slam doors) are fairly standard, so this suggests that the blue skirt livery is now defunct. Note that the vans include a mix of some with roof bars and some without (as on 9195F on the right). |
30/03/2024 |
| 33 |  |
By Ray Monk Backing onto the railway at Acton Works lorry yard on 30th March 2024 were ten brand new Ford vans (with another nine on the other side). All were Ford Transit Connect crew vans with LD24Oxx registrations and TfL lettering. Unless these are for some new function that we don't yet know about, I suspect that this will be the new default livery for vehicles used by LUL, LBSL and TfL itself (perhaps also Trams). Seen here are (right to left) 9217F, 9198F, 9208F, 9200F, 9191F, 9205F, 9206F, 9203F, 9201F and 9192F. The fact that there are ten gaps within the number range suggest that more of this type are on the way. |
30/03/2024 |
| 34 |  |
By Ray Monk It has been over three years since the last bulk delivery of new vehicles for the central fleet, the hiatus presumably being due to the financial difficulties resulting from the COVID pandemic. There had been some speculation as to whether normal renewal would ever resume, given that some of the work is now perhaps performed by contractors or using hired vehicles. Finally, at the end of March 2024, a large batch of new vehicles was delivered to Acton Works, and it was pleasing to see that these have continued the use of the fleetnumbering series that was started in 1939. This view taken at the south end of the Acton Works lorry yard on 30th March 2024 shows nine of the new vans (another ten were on the other side and are coming up next). All of the vehicles were Ford Transit Connect crew vans, which is curious as this type has not been very common since the Mk2 version was introduced in 2014. The vans all had an 'economy' livery of all white with plain blue roundels and TfL lettering. Nearest the camera is 9213F with 9202F, 9209F, 9204F, 9215F, 9210F, 9194F, 9195F and 9192F beyond. |
30/03/2024 |
| 35 |  |
By London Transport The last of the publicity shots shows leased Ford Transit Mk2 van 3293F at Parsons Green in about 1985. This photo was presumably taken to show the new lettering promoting LRT Builders, as it tried to become a more commercial operation by seeking outside work. |
30/03/2024 |
| 36 |  |
By London Transport Renewal of London Transport's bus recovery fleet started in April 1982 with the delivery of 2372L, the first of an eventual six Leyland Freighter units that were considerably larger than the Ford D-series lorries they replaced. The new trucks also stood out by wearing red livery instead of the standard grey. 2372L was seen at Chiswick Works when new, with a few Ford D-series lorries visible behind. Uniquely, 2372L was later used by London Underground (presumably to recover service vehicles rather than trains!) and it was given the new white/blue livery in about 1991. |
30/03/2024 |
| 37 |  |
By London Transport Another new Bedford TL lorry at Chiswick Works in about 1980, this being 12.5 ton dropside lorry 2267B. LT's Bedford TL lorries were very varied and 2267B was one of six of the TL1260 model of which just two (this and 2268B) had a single-cab and a dropside body with tail-lift. Most of the TLs were withdrawn before the end of the 1980s, suggesting that they were perhaps not as robust as the Ford and Dodge lorries also bought at the same time. The Shillibeer livery bus in the background is probably mobile cinema and exhibition bus RCL2221. |
30/03/2024 |
| 38 |  |
By London Transport Jumping ahead a bit, we received a handful of colour 'publicity' shots dating from the 1980s. First up is this view of Bedford TL lorry 2265B at Chiswick Works, presumably soon after it was delivered in September 1980. The TL model was a successor to the TK type and London Transport bought 17 in 1980/1981 to various configurations. 2265B was the largest, being a 16-ton dropside lorry based on the TL1630 variant. |
30/03/2024 |
| 39 |  |
By London Transport Another semi-posed shot at Parsons Green in about 1950 shows various building department lorries about to start the morning run-out. Unfortunately, due to angles or lowered tail-boards, none of the vehicles can be positively identified, although the lorry loaded with sacks near the gate is probably Austin K4 904AS. Note the cement mixer loaded onto a step-frame rigid trailer. |
30/03/2024 |
| 40 |  |
By London Transport A couple of the official photos recently received were said to show the early morning run out from Parsons Green Depot and were probably taken in about 1950. Five service vehicles are visible in this view, while it is possible that some of the cars on the right were also LT vehicles. The identity of the half-tilt dropside at the gate is not discernible, but it is being followed by Austin K4 dropside bolster lorry 908AS. Note that both lorries have staff in the load space, which must have been a hairy ride. In the loading bay are Bedford KZ van 839B, Albion KN127 lorry 369A and what is possibly Bedford OLBD lorry 820B. |
30/03/2024 |
| 41 |  |
By London Transport This photo was marked as showing '1951 Aluminium coach being transported from Acton Works to Aluminium Centenary Exhibition - Festival Hall - South Bank, May 14 1955'. Undertaking the move is Scammell tractor NCF120, which was fleetnumber M8427 in the famous Pickfords fleet. Note that the carriage appears to be loaded onto two four-wheel flat trailers, with a long draw-bar between them. |
30/03/2024 |
| 42 |  |
By London Transport London Transport bought 79 examples of the attractive Austin LD between 1955 and 1966, most being 1-ton vans like 1051AS seen when new. This van was used by the publicity department from various bus garages until it was withdrawn in 1966. Note that the department name is shown on a removable plate, making it easier to cater for transfers or loans. |
30/03/2024 |
| 43 |  |
By London Transport Yet to gain fleetnumbers, this is 1034F, a Ford Thames E83W Utilecon new in June 1955 and photographed about then at Chiswick Works. A Utilecon was a van with side windows which enabled it to also be used as a minibus, and Clive Greedus wrote an article about their use by LT back in 2011. 1034F was the last of LT's Utilecons, following on from a batch of 16 similar vehicles 6 years earlier. All were withdrawn in 1960/1961, meaning that 1034F was kept for less than 6 years. |
30/03/2024 |
| 44 |  |
By London Transport This photo, most likely taken at Lillie Bridge depot in about 1951, shows Leyland Hippo tipper 951L parked next to a rail-mounted steam crane. The fact that the tipper is backed-up to the cab of the crane makes me think that perhaps the staff visible were shovelling coal out of the tipper into the crane. 951L was the only Hippo in the London Transport fleet, and the only 3-axle tipper until the delivery of 2538M in 1993. It was new at the end of 1950 (around the same time as a fleet of 7 slightly smaller Leyland Beaver tippers), and surprisingly only lasted until 1955. |
30/03/2024 |
| 45 |  |
By London Transport 925B was one of three Bedford KZ vans delivered in 1949 for use as railway breakdown vans. As such they carried the attractive red and cream livery rather than the rather drab overall green worn by similar vehicles. As can be seen, the van was initially allocated to Neasden Depot, though it had moved to Hainault Depot by the time it was withdrawn in 1964. The projection above the windscreen is an illuminated 'LT URGENT' sign. |
30/03/2024 |
| 46 |  |
By London Transport Another official view of an ex-War Department AEC Matador breakdown tender, in this case 751P of Dalston Garage. Note that the crane jib on the rear could be rotated through 180 degrees for travel. Three of the Matadors survived into the 1970s but 751P was sold in 1969. |
30/03/2024 |
| 47 |  |
By London Transport The eight AEC Matador breakdown tenders London Transport bought from the War Department in 1947 were used to deal with various incidents involving buses, including turn-overs. This official photo shows 748P demonstrating the method of righting a bus, in this case an LT-class six-wheeler. 748P was bought in December 1947, but did not enter service until January 1949, following some modifications. It was initially allocated to Cricklewood Garage, and the railway line visible in the background makes me think this is where the photo was taken. |
30/03/2024 |
| 48 |  |
By London Transport With partially enclosed rear wheels and what appears to be an opening roof, this is 419M, a Morris S2 van with a 12hp engine that was new to London Transport in August 1939. It was photographed at Chiswick Works when new, lettered for the Parsons Green Building department. |
30/03/2024 |
| 49 |  |
By London Transport The first of several official 'publicity' shots recently obtained shows AEC Regal stores lorry 396W at Chiswick Works and was most likely taken in June 1939, just after it had been converted from Green Line coach T279. The lorry is unregistered and has a shiny coat of green paint, complete with a cream cab roof. The latter was presumably an effort to avoid heat build-up but it appears to have been dropped quite soon afterwards. Note the rather odd-looking drop-side doors half-way along the open bodywork. T279 served for 8 years, while 396W managed to last for 25 years, during which time it was modified with a rear loader and converted from petrol to oil engine. It was finally withdrawn in 1964. |
30/03/2024 |
| 50 |  |
By Ray Monk Back to Bexleyheath again, for another Arriva London hire! KS23WXZ is a Citroen C4 car in unmarked red and was photographed on 19th January 2024. |
28/03/2024 |
| 51 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip Several bus companies have started using their crew ferry vehicles to advertise for bus driver recruitment. Notably, Go-Ahead London has a number of Mercedes Vito minibuses now adorned with large blue adverts, while Metroline has a few with smaller adverts on the door. Seemingly a one-off is the treatment given to Metroline AY23KVM, one of eight Ford Puma cars acquired in 2023. All were delivered in an unmarked dark red livery, but this example has since been given this pale-blue all-over advert (the rear is in bright red). It is presumed that the advert is applied using self-adhesive vinyls, as are the adverts carried by many London buses. The car is based at Brentford and was photographed at Richmond Bus Station on 17th January 2024. |
28/03/2024 |
| 52 |  |
By Derek Everson A well-timed catch at High Wycombe Bus Station on 16th January 2024 shows Arriva the Shires Ford Transit van BG72JNK passing Carousel Buses Mercedes Sprinter KT68XOZ. Both are used as engineering support vehicles from garages in the town. |
28/03/2024 |
| 53 |  |
By Derek Everson RATP-Dev took a batch of 30 Dacia Sandero cars in 2019/2020 for use as crew ferries. These are the only Dacia vehicles to have been used as service vehicles and they were obviously successful as a further 11 followed in 2022. The cars in the second batch were in the same white, but lacked the company lettering and fleetnumbers carried by the first batch. NU72GBO is one of 9 that are based at Hounslow Heath Garage, where it was photographed on 12th January 2024. Thanks to some 'inside' information, we know that this car is allocated fleetnumber D75137. |
28/03/2024 |
| 54 |  |
By Ray Monk Arriva London added almost 40 Seat Ibiza cars to its fleet in 2022/2023, all in plain white and used as crew ferry vehicles from various garages. Dartford (which also had two slightly older Seat Ibizas in a curious gold livery) received two of the new cars, including BG23LBU seen at Bexleyheath bus stand on 10th January 2024. The car behind is also a Dartford crew ferry, being another in the seemingly endless stream of short-term hires. Blue YC21HJN is a BMW X2 hybrid. |
28/03/2024 |
| 55 |  |
By Ray Monk Unmarked BG23KYA is a Seat Arona car used by Arriva London as a crew ferry vehicle from its Dartford Garage. As such, it often turns up at Bexleyheath, as here on 3rd January 2024. |
28/03/2024 |
| 56 |  |
By Ray Monk Arriva London acquired at least seven white Seat Arona cars in 2023, and has also hired a number of similar cars in other colours over the past few years. BJ23RXG is one of two based at Dartford and was photographed at the bus stand in Bexleyheath on 3rd January 2024. Sister BG23KYA was parked nearby - see the next photo. |
28/03/2024 |
| 57 |  |
By Paul Nicholls Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew van 8999VW is one of many vehicles that congregate at Griffith House at night before going to work. On 22nd December 2023 it was photographed parked in East Tilbury, perhaps its daytime home. |
28/03/2024 |
| 58 |  |
By Ray Monk One interesting find at Acton Works on 16th December 2023 was this box trailer, still displaying pre-2003 Engineering services lettering. Numbered CBT57, this is the last survivor of eight Cobul box trailers bought in the 1990s (in this case 1993). Based for a long time at Lillie Bridge for use by the ventilation team, it is believed to have been withdrawn by 2015 (along with the Mercedes Sprinter mobile generators that used to tow it). By 2021 it was dumped in the lorry yard at Acton Works. It would appear that it has recently been cleaned up, perhaps ahead of a sale. Parked behind is Indespension fuel tanker trailer T70, which has also been out of use for some time. |
28/03/2024 |
| 59 |  |
By Ray Monk Of the four Mitsubishi Outlander cars delivered in 2019/2020, this is the easiest to see. 9054MIT is usually to be found at Harrow-on-the-Hill Station (or in the adjoining car park). On 16th December 2023 Ray photographed it in the DSM Van Yard at Acton Works alongside various LUL Ford Transit vans. |
28/03/2024 |
| 60 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray visited Acton Works on 16th December 2023 and found no new service vehicles present. The hiatus in fleet renewal has now being ongoing for about 3 years, with hardly any new deliveries. How long this continues remains to be seen, although there is speculation that there will be increased use of contractors and/or hired vehicles in the future. One of the vehicles Ray did find was 8378F, a Ford Transit Connect Mk2 van new in spring 2017 and allocated to nearby Hearne House. The Transit Connect is now a rarity in the central fleet, with no more than 4 in use. |
28/03/2024 |
| 61 |  |
By Simon Dixon Found in Milton Keynes on 2nd December 2023, this Mercedes Citan van is not a service vehicle as such, although it does have the red Buses roundel as well as TfL lettering. BTC Technical Solutions provides engineering support to the Bus, Truck and Coach industry (hence the name) and are based in South Ockendon, Essex. |
28/03/2024 |
| 62 |  |
By Peter Terry Also seen at Lakeside Bus Station on 2nd December 2023 was FE23ZZC, one of at least 14 Vauxhall Combo vans added to the Arriva London fleet in 2023. This one is based at Grays. Just visible in the background is preserved former Southend Leyland Fleetline bus 233 (MRJ233W). |
28/03/2024 |
| 63 |  |
By Paul Nicholls Many enthusiasts were at Lakeside Bus Station on 2nd December 2023 to see the various special buses being used on the Ensignbus running day, one of which (RTL453) is in the background here. The subject however is LC66FKH, one of a pair of Renault Kangoo vans acquired by Ensignbus in about 2018. Similar LC66FKJ appears to have been disposed of in 2022. Ensignbus was bought by First in February 2023, although this has not (yet) led to any visible changes. |
28/03/2024 |
| 64 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson These two Ford vans were found at the Inverness Depot of Stagecoach Highlands on 24th November 2023, with Transit Mk8 SP71ZSN to the fore and Transit Connect SR19LWP beyond. The revised font used by Stagecoach for its fleetnames is notable. |
28/03/2024 |
| 65 |  |
By Simon Dixon 8993F is a high-roof Ford Transit van often to be found parked at Griffith House. It is believed to be the Pumps and Drainage Rapid Response Vehicle, which makes me wonder if it gets called out more after there has been heavy rain. It was certainly damp when Simon caught it passing Charing Cross Station on 1st November 2023. |
28/03/2024 |
| 66 |  |
By Derek Everson Whilst visiting Perivale CELF on 21st November 2023, Derek found Renault Grand Scenic car MF70NFE, seemingly out of use. First licensed in September 2020, the first report of this car only came in August 2023, when it was seen working from Brentford. By early October 2023 it had moved on to Perivale. The Grand Scenic was once Metroline's standard crew ferry type, but perhaps the latest variants have proved to be unsuitable... |
30/11/2023 |
| 67 |  |
By Derek Everson Another view of Thorntons low-loader NK66NYH loaded with Metroline LT645 at Perivale CELF on 21st November 2023. Note that the trailer now seems to actually be on the ground. This is presumably part of the unloading process, as the only way I can see this being done would be by lowering the trailer to the ground, then detaching either the front or rear end to allow the bus to be driven off. |
30/11/2023 |
| 68 |  |
By Derek Everson I have mentioned the mid-life refurbishment of LT-class buses recently, with a photo showing an Arriva LT about to be towed from Eastleigh back to London. While Go-Ahead London and Arriva have been using Hants and Dorset Trim, Metroline has been sending their LTs even further, to Thorntons Bus Refurbishment of Ashington in Northumberland! When Derek visited the CELF in Perivale on 21st November 2023, he found freshly-overhauled LT645 on the back of a Thorntons low-loader headed by Volvo FH NK66NYH. It is not known if all such movements are done by lorry, but the driver did mention that he was taking another bus back north that day. He also added that getting under the railway bridge at Perivale was very tight! The ground clearance on the trailer also looks tight, and I would imagine there must be a facility to raise the suspension to clear bumps and humps! |
30/11/2023 |
| 69 |  |
By Derek Everson One more visit to Hatton Cross Bus Station, this photo being taken on 21st November 2023. As usual, a gaggle of Abellio cars was parked along the far side. Five are already in the LTSV database, while the other two (grey Vauxhall Astra MT68FNA and red Kia Ceed RE67CUH) will be added if second sightings prove that they are Abellio vehicles. Of the other vehicles, the three Ford Fiestas are notable for their bonnet lettering. Blue FH61EDU shows TW5, TW being the company's internal code for Twickenham (TfL code TF). Black ML13FNK shows 482 HA, with HA being the company code for Hayes (TfL code WS). However, Hayes closed in 2021 and route 482 (and this car) now work from Dawley Road. Finally black GJ13SRX shows 482 WS, which is odd that in that Abellio seemed to refer to Hayes as either HA or WS. Plus of course it is also out of date! |
30/11/2023 |
| 70 |  |
By Derek Everson About 15 years ago, Arriva London standardised on silver 3-door Vauxhall Corsa cars (very like the one shown here) for crew ferry use. Most were only kept for a few years before being replaced by newer examples, while over the past couple of years Arriva has switched to using Seat cars instead. The car shown here though has nothing to do with Arriva. Photographed at Staines Bus Station on 21st November 2023, NG08HTJ is used by White Bus Service. It has company labels in the front and back windows, and appears to have a fleetnumber in the offside top of the front windscreen, although the angle makes this impossible to read. |
30/11/2023 |
| 71 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip Go-Ahead London has been using some white Ford Transit Custom vans with EA69M-- registrations lately, which I suspect are transfers in from other Go-Ahead companies. The first was EA69MXE at Orpington from late-2022, this one being given company lettering. EA69MWJ was then noted at Camberwell in August 2023, although it appears to have since been delicensed. Two more were reported in November 2023, first being EA69MXB, most likely at Morden Wharf. Finally (for now) EA69MWK was seen attending to a Go-Ahead London SE-class bus that had broken down in a very awkward position in central Richmond on 17th November 2023. The van is presumed to be based at Putney, but more reports (and of course photos) of any of these vehicles would be useful. |
30/11/2023 |
| 72 |  |
By Steve Warman Although I no longer cover Metrobus vehicles in the database, I will still show the occasional photo. On 16th November 2023 Steve caught the Ford Transit Connect crew van twins (8101 and 8102) at Redhill Station. The presence of the City Circle coach behind suggests that a railway replacement service was in operation. |
30/11/2023 |
| 73 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Another Hatton Cross line-up, this time from the back, on 14th November 2023 and taken in a brief lull of a rainstorm. Four Abellio cars were present, with previously unreported Kia Ceed hatchback RJ66YXC nearest. Actually, this a Kia Cee'd, the apostrophe being dropped from the name in 2018, and it is (according to the DVLA) silver! The DVLA reports the second car as being green, which is almost as debatable. This is Vauxhall Astra WG67EPU, which was unwittingly photographed at Fulwell Garage back in June. For the record, the other two cars are brown Fiesta GN13MUO and Astra HK67ERJ, the last being the only one to officially be black! |
30/11/2023 |
| 74 |  |
By Ray Monk As has been noted before, the short bus-only road at Cheviot Road in Norwood has saw-tooth parking bays for buses and/or crew ferry vehicles, though it seems these are used by neither. Seen there on 11th November 2023 was Abellio London Seat Leon car KW65ZVP. This model was popular with Arriva London for a while before they switched to the Seat Ibiza and Arona models. KW65ZVP joined Abellio by mid-2022 but has yet to get any names or logos. |
30/11/2023 |
| 75 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Ford Transit van LN15CYC was number 7990F in the LUL fleet from June 2015 until February 2020, being one of the last disposals before the COVID lockdowns took effect. With LUL it had mainly been a night-time vehicle, working out of Lillie Bridge. it is slightly ironic then that this photo of it in its new 'civilian' guise should also be taken at night. The van was found parked in Hounslow on 10th November 2023, when it retained its blue skirt and fuel filler lettering. |
30/11/2023 |
| 76 |  |
By Ray Monk Metroline disposed of the two 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom minibuses used as crew ferries from Holloway Garage (HT) in October 2023. Two Renault Grand Scenic cars had also been seen at HT in the summer but these appear to have moved elsewhere. Curious about what was currently in use, Ray paid a visit to the garage on 3rd November 2023 and found Ford Puma car AY23KWN. This had been delivered in August 2023, about four months after seven other Pumas with AY23K-- registrations. KWN had then spent a couple of months seemingly parked up at the CELF in Perivale before being moved to Holloway. There may be more crew ferry vehicles at HT so any reports would be appreciated. |
30/11/2023 |
| 77 |  |
By Peter Terry Peter was in Croydon on 27th October 2023, but the weather was still grim. On Hogarth Crescent (a little north of West Croydon) he found several buses working rail replacements and these were accompanied by Abellio LRR Nissan Primastar van LL72YBB in its unmistakable livery. |
30/11/2023 |
| 78 |  |
By Peter Terry On a murky 26th October 2023 Peter caught Dynes Recovery KY19JRV bringing an Arriva London Wright StreetLite bus into Thornton Heath Garage. The bus is SLS13, one of several made redundant at Norwood when route 450 was retendered to Go-Ahead London. Most of the buses have now transferred to Thornton Heath for use on route 410. |
30/11/2023 |
| 79 |  |
By Andrew Lidinson Hatton Cross is usually good for a few service vehicles, and there are three line-ups of Abellio cars there in today's batch of photos. These also serve to show how the Abellio fleet is gradually moving away from being dominated by Ford Fiestas. This first view was taken on 24th October 2023 and features a couple of Fiestas on the left (both with 'local' lettering/numbers on their bonnets). In the middle is a recent addition in the shape of Kia Ceed estate AJ17MJK, still in unmarked black. On the right are Vauxhall Astra SG67VFV and Ford Galaxy ET11KWV. Following the management buy-out of Abellio's UK bus and rail operations in early 2023, I had expected the name to be changed. The Abellio name belongs to NS (Dutch Railways), the previous owners, and is still used for operations in Germany. The new owner was called Transport UK Group and this name has recently been seen applied to a new bus on delivery to what was Abellio London. Having said that, several other buses in the same batch still had Abellio London names applied, so we shall have to wait and see. |
30/11/2023 |
| 80 |  |
By Derek Everson This chunky lorry was photographed at the Transportfest event at Brooklands on 22nd October 2023 and is a Scammell Constructor dating from 1958. Nothing to do with LTSV really though, nor is the Land Rover parked on the right, despite the MLK354L registration being in series with several LT Ford Transit vans and many LT DMS and FS class buses. |
30/11/2023 |
| 81 |  |
By Derek Everson Several other preserved service vehicles attended the event at Brooklands on 22nd October 2023 and here we have the curious combination of AEC Regent tree-lopper 971J and Leyland Titan breakdown tender 1279LD. These two vehicles would not have met during their LT careers, since 971J was withdrawn and sold in 1963 while 1279LD was delivered in early 1964. Although I recently commented that 1279LD looked to be in fine condition, this view highlights a couple of areas that still need attention, such as the front nearside pillar around the mirror and indicator and also the base of the panels on the side of the cab. I have never commented on the non-matching front windscreens that featured on the LT Titans, whereby the offside screen had a metal surround and a top-mounted wiper, while the nearside had rubber surround and a bottom wiper. It seems obvious now that the offside screen is in fact top-hinged, to allow it to be opened for ventilation. Finally, you may have noticed that 1279LD has a tax disc that shows expiry in May 2006! The requirement to display the current tax disc was dropped quite a few years ago, and 1279LD is in fact currently licensed, with a new V5C having been issued at the start of October 2023. 971J is also taxed, which is not bad for an 87 year old. |
30/11/2023 |
| 82 |  |
By Derek Everson Another view of preserved AEC Regent breakdown tender 830J in the sunshine at Brooklands on 22nd October 2023. This vehicle has not been seen outside of the LT Museum sites for many years, and it was brought to Brooklands on a low-loader. This photo usefully shows the hinged door to access the crew compartment, the large sliding door in the side of the van portion, and also the fold-back hinged doors in the rear. The offside has just one door, for the driver. |
30/11/2023 |
| 83 |  |
By Derek Everson London Transport introduced six breakdown tenders in 1949/1950 that were rebuilt from STL-class double-deck buses. Two were withdrawn in the 1960s but the remainder lasted into the 1970s and all four ended up being preserved. Plans were hatched in mid-2023 to try and get all four vehicles together for the Transportfest event at Brooklands in October. This was intended to mark the 90th anniversary of these vehicles first entering service (as buses) and there was also to be a road-run through central London the day before. Sadly, things did not quite work as planned. 739J was not able to be made ready in time, while the LT Museum's 830J was not roadworthy. Adding to the problems, a large demonstration in London on the day of the roadrun forced the planned route to be curtailed. Things went a little better on the Sunday, with three Regents lined-up and the weather being kind. This photo taken on 22nd October 2023 shows (left to right) 738J, 830J (which came on a low-loader) and 832J. Resident AEC Militant breakdown tender 1456MR can also just be glimpsed parked behind. Note that 738J and 830J were both displaying period trade plates instead of registrations. 738J had carried 866GF from 1962 until 1964, while 830J had 305LA from 1977 until withdrawal in 1980. 832J had its original registration (JJ4379) as this was carried for most of its time as a service vehicle. Note also that the headlights on 830J are different to those on the other two. Other photos suggest that the headlights were changed sometime between 1963 and 1973. As for getting all four Regents together, there is always next year! |
30/11/2023 |
| 84 |  |
By Derek Everson A line-up of four White Bus service vehicles at the Horsell base on 22nd October 2023 features three that have already been shown on LTSV. The newcomer is the blue car registered LC08ETF, and this introduces another new make to our photos, being a Chevrolet Matiz. The last Chevrolets on LTSV were a trio of American-built vans operated by LGOC/LPTB in the late 1920s and early 1930s. This new example is a very small car and the design, perhaps unsurprisingly, had origins elsewhere, having been introduced by Daewoo of South Korea. Daewoo went bankrupt in 1999 and the automotive division was sold to General Motors in 2002, with products being re-badged variously as GM Korea, Chevrolet or Holden. |
30/11/2023 |
| 85 |  |
By Derek Everson In a livery that I would describe as antiseptic blue, this is CK62XNJ, a Citroen C1 car used by White Bus Service and seen at their Horsell Garage (near Woking) on 22nd October 2023. Although the body is unmarked, the windscreen has a White Bus label and also the fleetnumber 92. |
30/11/2023 |
| 86 |  |
By Ray Monk The Seat Arona is a subcompact crossover SUV, although mechanically it is almost identical to the Seat Ibiza hatchback. Arriva London took delivery of quite a lot of Ibizas for use as crew ferries during 2023, along with a smaller quantity of Aronas. This photo of Arona BG23KYJ and Ibiza BJ72SVY at Norwood Garage on 14th October 2023 shows many of the differences between the two models. |
30/11/2023 |
| 87 |  |
By Google For comparison with the July 1957 view, I generated this contemporary image using the Globe View tool in Google Maps, the angle being as similar as possible. Notably the large buildings in the background (pub centre left and flats centre right) are visible in both views. The canopies of the platforms at West Kensington station are much more apparent in the modern view, while the drastic changes to Lillie Bridge depot are apparent. Aside from the construction of the Ashfield House office tower block, all railway tracks at this end of the depot are long gone. Just left of centre is the low-level parking area, built on the alignment of the tracks to the goods depot, and now accessed by a ramp somewhere off the bottom of the view. More service vehicles are parked in the area previously occupied by sidings, while the small garage buildings are again long gone. This does mean that the old access road bridge crossing the District Line is fully visible. |
30/11/2023 |
| 88 |  |
By Clive Greedus Collection Just for a change, here is an older photo, and a rather interesting one to boot. Taken in July 1957, seemingly from a quite tall crane or gantry, it is a view over the western end of the Lillie Bridge Depot complex, looking towards West Kensington Station. This area is much changed today, so I have added a contemporary view for comparison. The sidings, containing a variety of wagons plus a rail-crane with a grab-bucket, represent the far end of this large depot, while the tracks curving across the left are those which joined the District Line (just west of West Kensington Station) to West Kensington Goods and Coal Depot. These tracks were at a lower level, which partly explains the curious low-level parking area in this area today. On the right are several garage-like buildings, outside of which several service vehicles were parked. Of note are the four lorries, three of which each has a different length of canvas tilt cover. Somewhere near the small van in front of the tree, there was a bridge that crossed the District Line and joined West Cromwell Road. It is not known if this was the main road entrance to the depot, as there was also access from Lillie Road at the south end. The bridge is still in situ today, but no longer used for vehicles. There is still an LT-era sign at the West Cromwell Road gate reading 'No Entry, One Way Only', so perhaps this was just an exit. In any case, once the goods depot closed in 1965 it was possible to build a new roadway (running across the mid-left of this view) joining to Beaumont Avenue and hence coming out alongside West Kensington Station. In recent years, this has become the only road access, following the closure of the Lillie Road entrance. |
30/11/2023 |
| 89 |  |
By Dave Wolstencroft Metroline crew ferry vehicles seem to be moving around a bit lately. MD69OCR was one of two Renault Grand Scenic cars noted at Holloway Garage in June 2023, and which may have been previously based as Kings Cross Garage. However, both have since been seen several times parked up at the CELF works in Perivale. Dave photographed MD69OCR at the latter location on 7th October 2023. |
30/11/2023 |
| 90 |  |
By Ray Monk Another grey Abellio Audi A1 car was found in the far corner of Southall Garage on 7th October 2023, GJ23PXL being parked near the bus-wash. Also in this corner was Ford Transit crew van YT56XNF, which has been with Abellio since at least 2011. It has not been reported on the road since 2019 though it is still licensed. |
30/11/2023 |
| 91 |  |
By Ray Monk The second engineering van at Southall Garage (GW) on 7th October 2023 was MX17AEJ, a short Peugeot Expert - note the lack of rear overhang. This van started a new series for engineering vehicles, being numbered 6900. |
30/11/2023 |
| 92 |  |
By Ray Monk As well as the new Audi cars, Ray and Dave's visit to Abellio's Southall Garage on 7th October 2023 offered the opportunity to obtain better photos of the two engineering vans based here. Both are silver with an orange stripe and yellow 'masks' on the front. Both were lettered for Engineering Support, which spoils my observational theory that the orange-striped livery is for 'Technical Engineering Support' vehicles. Both the Southall vans are also to the same basic design, although they are two different lengths and branded under two different makes. LB17YAD seen here is long Citroen Dispatch (note the rear overhang) and is numbered 6908. This photo also shows the large open yard in which most of the buses are parked. |
30/11/2023 |
| 93 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray and Dave were granted permission to take photos inside Southall (Great Western) Garage on 7th October 2023. Several new and newish cars were noted, which may or may not be service vehicles (such as white Nissan Leaf electric car LS71PHN in the background here). However, there was a small batch of Audi A1 cars all in grey with GJ23xx registrations that did appear to be in use as crew ferries. GJ23TSZ was trying to hide between two of the short (single-door) Enviro 200 buses that are based here. |
30/11/2023 |
| 94 |  |
By Ray Monk Following reports of some new crew ferry cars at Abellio's Southall garage this autumn, Ray and Dave visited on 7th October 2023. Several Audi cars were noted, a make that has only appeared once before on LTSV. A1 hatchback GJ23ODN in unmarked grey livery was caught leaving the garage. |
30/11/2023 |
| 95 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit Custom crew van 8400F is one of the most visible LUL service vehicles. It is often parked in front of Frank Pick House at Acton (being visible from passing trains), whilst it is also seems to be very active in the Bollo Lane area during the day. In fact it has accrued an impressive 162 sightings on LTSV, only a handful of which were not in Acton. I have included this photo of the van taken at Frank Pick House on 7th October 2023 because of a minor livery embellishment. It had gained a red star either side of the LUL logo on the front, these showing the number 2 on the left and 5 on the right. The significance of this is not known. Could it be 25 years since Lifts and Escalators moved into Frank Pick House perhaps? This photo also provides another comparison between the original Ford Transit Custom design (as on 8400F) and the revised design introduced in 2017 (as on 8757F on the right). |
30/11/2023 |
| 96 |  |
By Ray Monk MAN LE demountable lorry 2587 was new in 2006 and for the next eight years was a fairly regular sight in the lorry yard at Acton Works. However, in about 2014 it was nominated as the vehicle to be paired with body DB25 as the LUL Emergency Control Unit. As such it was given emergency style markings and kept in a dedicated shed elsewhere in the works, only coming out during incidents or major events. By 2023 the lorry was 17 years old and ripe for replacement, so newer MAN demountable WU67AJY was assigned to the role. 2587 was moved to the lorry yard pending disposal, as seen on 7th October 2023. It was loaded with curtain-sided body DB15, itself over 30 years old and also due for the chop, most likely having been replaced by new lorry KM72XPV. It is worth mentioning that 2587 is/was the last normal lorry to be numbered in the original number series that was started in 1939. Lorries delivered since 2008 have been un-numbered, although an exception was made for the ten ERU tenders delivered in 2017 and numbered 2603 to 2612. Also, the note in the windscreen of 2587 appears to read 'DO NOT USE BEFORE DISCO', although the wipers obscure the last line so I may have mis-read it! |
30/11/2023 |
| 97 |  |
By Ray Monk A rear view of recently-delivered Volvo FE lorry KY73JXF at Acton Works on 7th October 2023 shows that it has a fairly normal dropside body along with a rear tail-lift. |
30/11/2023 |
| 98 |  |
By Ray Monk The newest lorry in the central fleet at present is Volvo FE KY73JXF, delivered in September 2023. It differs from the other Volvo lorries new earlier in the year in that it has a low-profile cab, which is actually just a normal cab but mounted further forward and lower down. It was seen in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 7th October 2023. |
30/11/2023 |
| 99 |  |
By Ray Monk 8706VW is from a batch of ten Volkswagen vans delivered in autumn 2018 and seemingly attached to the District Line, with most being based at either Barking (Wakering Road) or Earls Court Gardens. The Barking vans can be easily seen during the day, but the Earls Court ones tend to be hidden away in the small shed, only coming out at night. In fact, it was assumed that the Earls Court shed was so small that only Caddy vans could fit within, although one sighting of 8706VW seems to suggest that it was seen inside. Anyway, on 7th October 2023 8706VW was caught paying a visit to Acton Works, being photographed in the DSM van yard. |
30/11/2023 |
| 100 |  |
By Ray Monk With virtually no new vehicles entering the central fleet over the past three years, the use of some hired vehicles has become inevitable, both for new roles and to replace existing vehicles that were withdrawn or away for repairs. Most of these hires are believed to operate anonymously, meaning that they are virtually impossible to keep track of. Even when vehicles are labelled, there doesn't seem to be much point in adding them to the database, as they may only be used for a short period. On 7th October 2023, this Ford Transit Custom crew van (LC23ENR) was found parked outside the Emergency Response Unit building at Acton Works, with appropriate labels applied. |
30/11/2023 |
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