LTSV > Service Vehicles > News > Latest Data > Latest Data Details

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This page shows the most recently added or edited database records.

Photos Added

Count	Photo	Details	Added
2,401		By Ray Monk The second LUL Incident Response Vehicle seen at Acton Works on 9th March 2019 was 8206VW, parked on the other side of Fiesta 8041F. With this and 8205VW at Acton (and 7429LR there a few days earlier) I wonder what is covering the response duties from Palestra. Could it be that the new Renault Kangoo vans delivered in late 2018 have gone there?	13/03/2019
2,402		By Ray Monk As far as we know there are four LUL emergency response vehicles based at Palestra in Southwark, all of which are very rarely seen. Land Rover 7429LR and Ford Kuga 7739F have mainly been reported when they visit Acton Works, and now the newer pair of vehicles have joined them. 8205VW and 8206VW are both Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew vans news in January 2017. Both vehicles can sometimes be seen parked on the ramp to the underground car park at Palestra, but the gates (and adjacent security hut) preclude photography. On 9th March 2019 both the vans were in the car park at Acton Works and fortunately Ray was on hand to capture them (even more fortunately they were parked such that they could be seen from Bollo Lane). First up is 8205VW, parked next to Ford Fiesta car 8041F.	13/03/2019
2,403		By Malcolm Conway Having just shown a vehicle at Edgware Road Station which perhaps is not based there, here is a photo of one which is based there and indeed is rarely seen elsewhere. 8158N is a unique Nissan e-NV200 electric van which carries LUL Incident Response Vehicle livery. On the night of 3rd March 2019 it was found parked opposite Victoria LUL station.	13/03/2019
2,404		By Derek Everson The newest Mitsubishi L200 pick-up in the central fleet is 8152, delivered in February 2016 and based for the next couple of years at Frank Pick House in Acton. In about spring 2018 it gained a hard-top cover for the rear, while later that year it started making appearances at Edgware Road Station. It was photographed parked there on 5th March 2019.	13/03/2019
2,405		By Malcolm Conway When we do night-time SV-hunting trips, we tend to focus on stations in central London, simply to increase the chances of seeing multiple vehicles. Obviously there are many other stations further out at which vehicles may be working but it does take much longer to get to (and between) them. As such, pictures from the outer stations are rarely seen. I was quite pleased to receive this image, taken at Gants Hill Station at 4am on 20th September 2018. Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7975R is not a rare vehicle as it works out of Griffith House. However, it had never been photographed before.	13/03/2019
2,406		By Ray Monk LUL service vehicles do seem to suffer from a lot of bumps and scrapes, perhaps because they are mostly driven at night. The latest victim is Ford Transit Custom crew van 7911F from the Lifts and Escalators section. On 26th February 2019 it was seen being brought into Acton Works on the back of a transporter.	13/03/2019
2,407		By slr A couple of months ago I dropped a hint that I was after a photo of 7883M, the only Incident Response Unit van to not yet appear on LTSV. The very next day I received this excellent shot of it, taken at its home base of Morden Station. These Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans are all now around 4 years old and it is understood that their replacement is being considered. Hmmm, perhaps for completeness I should add a photo of 7876M in livery! Don't worry though, I have several available.	13/03/2019
2,408		By Ray Monk One of the most elusive central fleet vehicles is unique Land Rover Freelander car 7429LR, believed to be based at Palestra but generally only seen when it pays (infrequent) visits to Acton Works. Such was the case on 5th March 2019, when it was found in the front car park. Given that it has served for nearly seven years, it could be due for replacement.	13/03/2019
2,409		By London Spotter Found at Royal Victoria in London Docklands on 17th December 2018 was Peugeot Boxer van GJ18ELV which is numbered 013 with DLR Keolis Amey. Compared to GF67KTK, another Boxer with DLR, this van is shorter in length and height, and it lacks the green bonnet and Emergency Response lettering.	01/01/2019
2,410		By Ray Monk The Vauxhall Corsa model has been the standard vehicle for Arriva London in recent years, a mixture of silver cars and white vans being taken. Many of the latter are based at the head office at Wood Green, though a few are at other garages. WM16CJY is at Croydon, where it was photographed on 6th October 2017. As with most of the Corsas, the vehicle carries no markings.	01/01/2019
2,411		By Derek Everson Bus company Abellio has a large number of service vehicles, including many cars used as crew ferries along with vans for engineering support. Almost all were acquired second-hand, notable exceptions being a pair of new Ford Transit vans that arrived in 2016. LO16GFV is allocated fleetnumber 6223 (not carried) and is based at Walworth Garage. It was seen stuck in the traffic at Brixton on 14th November 2017.	01/01/2019
2,412		By Ray Monk The 'central' fleet is mainly comprised of vehicles in the liveries of the various subsidiaries of TfL (LUL, LBSL, Tramlink etc) but there is still a fairly large number of unmarked vehicles in use. LTSV policy is to not list unmarked cars, since some were traditionally allocated to individual members of staff and were allowed to be used away from work. One or two do slip through and get added to the LTSV database, usually for a particular reason. These two unmarked silver Toyota Yaris cars were photographed in the car park at Acton Works on 18th December 2018. 8 other Toyota Yaris cars in the same LL14Vxx registration series carried TfL livery and are in the database. LL14VKW was also added because I got a report of it being seen at Chancel Street and the reporter didn't mention that it was unmarked!	01/01/2019
2,413		By London Spotter The batch of eight Peugeot Partner Tepee cars shared equally between Barking Station and Earls Court Gardens was replaced by new Volkswagens in autumn 2018. Barking gained three Caddy Maxi crew vans (including 8702VW seen there on 4th December 2018) and one larger Transporter crew van (8708VW, parked on the left). The allocation at Earls Court includes Caddy Maxi crew vans 8700VW and 8701VW but I suspect that the very tight confines of that location would preclude the use of Transporter vans. Reports are awaited...	01/01/2019
2,414		By Ray Monk Four new Renault Kangoo vans in Incident Response Vehicle livery were delivered in late 2018. Three were shown on LTSV last month but I thought I would include the fourth as well, in case it turns out to be elusive once it enters service. So, in the car park at Acton Works on 18th December 2018 is Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8679R.	01/01/2019
2,415		By Ray Monk I am very grateful for the 'extra mile' that some of LTSV's contributors go to to get photos. I had told Ray about my Plumstead Elizabeth Line sighting on 25th/26th December, and he made a visit himself the next day (27th December 2018). Not only that but he battled through the undergrowth and found a small gap in the fence through which he could get a picture. And it was worth it because, hidden from my view the day before, there were at least another six Elizabeth Line vehicles here. Identifiable are Transporter minibus 8651VW and Caddy Maxi crew van 8637VW on the left, with similar Caddy Maxis 8636VW and 8642VW on the right. Behind the Transporter was a Toyota Prius, almost certain to be 8653T. There is something else beyond that, and at least one more Caddy against the far fence. I suspect these vehicles are being stored here pending opening of the line, after which they might be kept in the new depot (on the other side of White Hart Avenue), or elsewhere.	01/01/2019
2,416		By Thomas Young A puzzle developing in autumn 2018 was where the Elizabeth Line vehicles had gone. Some of the Ford vans are still at Acton Works, but the initial batch of mainly Volkswagens had pretty much disappeared following delivery in August. Romford was mentioned by staff, and there is a very large Network Rail facility there. The Elizabeth Line has its main depot at Old Oak Common (where you can currently see a very impressive line-up of class 345 trains awaiting entry to service), and a smaller depot is currently being developed at Plumstead, the site having been used as a base for construction trains for the past few years. While cycling to Plumstead along the Ridgeway on Christmas day, I spotted one white/blue/purple van in a recently opened (but temporary) yard otherwise occupied by contractor's vans mainly in unmarked white (with yellow safety stripes). I returned with my camera the following day (26th December 2018) and identified the van as 8641VW. I also noticed that at least one of the vans close to the fence nearest the camera was also an Elizabeth Line vehicle, but I could not get an ID on it.	01/01/2019
2,417		By Ray Monk I just mentioned the enclosed yard at Euston Cobourg Street. On Ray's visit on 28th December 2018 a passing member of staff opened the pedestrian doorway to allow him to take this photograph. Inside was Toyota Prius car 8564T, which appears to have been based here since new in September 2017. Also present was an unmarked silver Ford Transit Custom minibus, believed to be KF15OED. The latter has appeared on official fleetlists and we even have a 'paper' allocation for it (Highgate). I usually add unmarked vehicles other than cars, so I don't know why I haven't done this one!	01/01/2019
2,418		By Derek Everson The back end of Ford Transit Custom van 8508F makes its second appearance on LTSV. Derek did in fact photograph it from the front as well, but I chose this photo as it shows the narrow entrance to London Road Depot (Elephant and Castle). There is a small yard here which often contains up to about ten service vehicles. However, from the gate you will only see any that happen to be parked at the nearest end (Ford Transit dropside 7821F can just be glimpsed here). You can see everything from the other end of the depot, particularly from the upper deck of a bus passing the Imperial War Museum, but they are then much too far away to be identified. 4th December 2018.	01/01/2019
2,419		By Derek Everson 8497R is a fairly standard Renault Kangoo Maxi van new in January 2018 and based at Edgware Road Station, where it was photographed on 6th March 2018. The decorative murals in the background are on the power supply building located where the Griffith House vehicle yard used to be.	01/01/2019
2,420		By Ray Monk I have already published a photo of VW Golf 8399VW in the car park at Acton Works, but this photo taken there on 26th July 2018 shows its rare hatchback configuration more clearly. As far as we know, there are four hatchbacks in the current fleet, compared to 18 of the estate variant.	01/01/2019
2,421		By Ray Monk The allocation of Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8374R is a bit hard to pin down. It initially appeared to be part of the Griffith House night fleet but it has also made numerous appearances in the Acton Works car park, as here on 8th September 2018. The application of rear chevrons used to be a sure sign of a Griffith House allocation but it seems to have become less common recently.	01/01/2019
2,422		By Ray Monk The yard at Edgware Road Station absorbed the allocation of nearby Griffith House a few years back, and there is a regular set of vehicles to be seen there, often joined by one or two of the 'night' fleet, the latter vehicles seeming to change quite frequently. On 17th February 2018 Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8371R was seen in the yard, this being a much less regular visitor than Ford Transit dropside 8157F parked beyond.	01/01/2019
2,423		By Ray Monk A lucky find at Euston (Cobourg Street) on 28th December 2018 was Ford Fiesta van 8351F of the LUL Pumps and Drainage section. It is nominally based at Griffith House/Edgware Road Station but has not been reported there very often. Service vehicles used to be a common sight parked here, or round the corner on Euston Street, but since the control room functions moved to Northumberland Park and Highgate in about 2013, they have been less easy to see. This is because they are now kept in the small rear yard, hidden behind the doors visible on the left here.	01/01/2019
2,424		By Derek Everson Ford Focus estate car 8324F has made Harrow-on-the-Hill Station its home since delivery in spring 2017. It used to park in the outside car park alongside the platforms (beyond the trees in the background here) but is now more normally to be found in the small multi-storey car park round the corner, as on 18th September 2018.	01/01/2019
2,425		By Derek Everson The LTSV database currently shows four Ford Fiesta vans as part of the allocation to Museum Way in Acton, these being consecutively numbered 8316F to 8319F. The last of the four to be shown on LTSV is 8318F, parked at the front of the depot on 22nd July 2017. The green markings on the roadway behind show the official walking route to the Acton Museum Depot.	01/01/2019
2,426		By Derek Everson I have published loads of photos like this, showing vehicles leaving Acton Works onto Bollo Lane. 8313R is a Renault Kangoo Maxi van new in March 2017 and more usually to be found parked at Museum Way just up the road. 5th June 2018.	01/01/2019
2,427		By Ray Monk 8029F is one of quite a few Ford Transit crew vans based at Acton Works, which it was seen leaving on 18th November 2018.	01/01/2019
2,428		By Ray Monk Another largish batch of vehicles which are gradually being shown on LTSV are the Ford Transit Custom crew vans used by LUL's Lifts and Escalators section. Coverage is somewhat lower than for the LBSL vans though, as the LUL vans are mostly seen out at night. There is the odd exception, such as when Ray found 7919F parked at North Greenwich Station on 12th November 2018.	01/01/2019
2,429		By Ray Monk I have had no shortage of photos of 7881M, since it is easily seen at Turnpike Lane Bus Station most days. This photo was taken there back on 4th January 2016, when the van was less than a year old. By my reckoning the only current IRU not yet shown on LTSV is Morden's 7883M, and I do not have any usable photos of that one yet. Hint hint...	01/01/2019
2,430		By Derek Everson With replacement possibly starting in a few months, it is time to catch up with the last few LBSL Incident Response Units. 7847M is a West London vehicle, most commonly parked at either Uxbridge or Harrow bus stations. On 27th March 2017 Derek found it parked on Bollo Lane in Acton, blocking the entrance to Bollo House. Vehicles awaiting attention at Smallbills Garage are often parked here, which probably accounts for the presence of Hainault's Ford Transit van 7137F in front. The red van was on active duty though. Note the dimensional similarity between the two vans.	01/01/2019
2,431		By Derek Everson The trio of Mitsubishi L200 pick-ups new for LUL in 2014 were most commonly seen at Allsop Place (Baker Street) but 7839 appears to have transferred further into Metroland in late 2017. We have listed it as now being allocated to Rickmansworth but it can also sometimes be seen at Harrow-on-the-Hill Station, as here on 18th September 2018.	01/01/2019
2,432		By Derek Everson Another vehicle seen at BCA Blackbushe, this time on 13th September 2018, was Ford Transit minibus 7706F. New in November 2013, this vehicle could often be seen parked in the rear yard of the Museum Way depot at Acton Town. It was replaced by VW Transporter minibus 8713VW, after the latter had spent over six months sitting at the dealerships.	01/01/2019
2,433		By Derek Everson I commented last month that few of the VW Caddy vans in the central fleet were fitted with roof racks, and most of those that were had simple 'bar' types as seen in the linked photo. One exception was Caddy Maxi crew van 7575VW, which carried a very large, traditional roof-rack. This appears to have been fitted a few months after delivery but, unfortunately, the van was only seen out at night and almost escaped being photographed. Luckily, Derek caught it at British Car Auctions at Blackbushe on 14th June 2018.	01/01/2019
2,434		By Derek Everson The Renault Zoe electric cars used by Sullivan Buses have featured on LTSV before, but only from behind! The same applies to LUL's sole example but I digress. So, for everyone who asked to see Zoe's face, here it is! Yup, you plug-in in her nose! Fleetnumber EC3 is carried by car FL65UOP which was, unsurprisingly, the third Electric Car acquired to support the companies growing TfL bus operation. However, one of the first pair had an accident and was replaced by a fourth, although the damaged car was later repaired and returned to service. All four cars were in fact present at South Mimms Garage on this occasion (9th September 2018), although what became EC4 is out of shot on the left and was still in unmarked white at the time. Also visible is the world-famous Hair Bus.	22/12/2018
2,435		By John Hillman Crumbs, we're back in Luton again! A year after the previous photo, here is another silver Arriva crew ferry vehicle with full lettering at Luton Station. But in this case it has a bit too much lettering! Arriva introduced a revised corporate image a year or so ago, with the old 'wheels in wheels' logo and uppercase fleetname replaced with a stylised A logo and lowercase fleetname. What is odd about this vehicle is that it is displaying both the old and the new. There is also an enigmatic 'Working in partnership with....'. I reckon this vehicle was acquired from one of the patient transfer services which Arriva now runs. I have seen minibuses (larger than this one) at Homerton Hospital in London branded as 'Arriva Transport Solutions, working in partnership with the NHS', and there are similar operations in other parts of the UK. The vehicle itself is a Peugeot Expert Tepee minibus and it has the fleetnumber 9747 in the windscreen. Arriva the Shires used to give its service vehicles numbers in the 1xxx range. Then it switched to using alphabetically-prefixed numbers (like CF131 linked above) based on the practices of Arriva Southern Counties. The remaining parts of Arriva the Shires are now managed by Arriva Midlands and I suspect this 97xx series is inherited from them. I doubt they will renumber any of the existing vehicles though. Picture was taken on 13th December 2018 by the way.	22/12/2018
2,436		By Ray Monk I'm back to talking about Twickenham now, although as the plane tails in the background suggest, this photo was taken at Hatton Cross Bus Station (on 24th November 2018). Abellio has a large fleet of service vehicles, including many Ford Fiesta cars used as crew ferry vehicles. All of its vehicles are allocated four-digit numerical fleetnumbers, most of the service vehicles being in the 67xx and 68xx series. These numbers are however not carried by many of the vehicles. Some garages used local fleetnumbers, often on papers in the windows. More recently, several vehicles from Twickenham Garage have been seen with large TW x fleetnumbers on their bonnets. Ford Fiesta NL62VJG is officially 6790 but carries TW3, as seen here. As with similar examples at Hayes, the company code for the garage is used rather than the official TfL one, which for Twickenham is TF. Coming up next, the Frost Report....	22/12/2018
2,437		By John Hillman Staying in the Home Counties, this view was taken in St Peter's Street in St Albans on 23rd November 2018 and shows a Peugeot Partner van belonging to Red Eagle Buses attending to one of their Dennis Darts. Bus operations outside of London are a bit of a mystery to me and I had to look Red Eagle up. According to LOTS they are one of the three 'Aylesbury Reds', having connections with Redline Buses and Red Rose Travel. It has about 20 buses and operates in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Note that the light bar on this van appears to be green rather than the more normal yellow/orange!	22/12/2018
2,438		By Simon Dixon Given the quantity of bus company service vehicles operated with little or nothing in the way of markings, it is nice to show a properly-dressed example for a change. Arriva the Shires CF131 was a Vauxhall Zafira estate acquired in 2016 and, when seen at Luton Station on 13th November 2017, it had a full suite of operator logo, name, function and fleetnumber on both side and rear. Mind you, the positioning of the fleetnumbers is a bit odd....	22/12/2018
2,439		By Malcolm Millichip Things were a lot simpler in the 1950s and 1960s, when everything was London Transport. But even then there was some ambiguity about what constituted a service vehicle. Garage sweepers were given fleetnumbers but, with a few exceptions, were not road licensed, and the scarcity of photographs suggests they were of little interest to enthusiasts of the time. Fortunately there were exceptions, and Malcolm Millichip took this photo of RL82 at Twickenham Garage in either 1959 or 1960. He added some useful information: 'The livery is red, RL82 was painted in white on the other side. It was always kept in a corner of the garage by a set of doors which were not used operationally and only opened on hot sunny days to let the air flow through.' LT's Twickenham Garage (code AB) was actually in East Twickenham, closer to Richmond in reality. It closed to buses in 1970 but was used by London Underground as a store, then by a coachpainters in 1991 and finally as a base for preserved buses from about 1992. Inevitably it was demolished to make way for flats later that decade. Two other bus garages have used the Twickenham name in more recent years, neither of which is much closer to the actual location of that name. Part of the old Fulwell trolleybus depot was used by Tellings-Golden Miller from 2000 onwards. TGM was taken over by Travel London in 2005, and they named this base Twickenham Depot, despite it being over a mile and a half from Twickenham. Travel London was later renamed Abellio and the garage remains in use. About a mile to the North of Twickenham, NCP opened a base on an industrial estate near to the rugby stadium in 2005. This operation was later rebranded as NSL, then taken over by Transdev, which renamed itself back to London United and the base is currently in use by their United Motorcoaches subsidiary although this is due to be wound up soon. I am not making this up! I suppose I should also mention that the AB garage code has also now been re-used, for a small base in Southall opened by Abellio in 2017.	22/12/2018
2,440		By slr Seen in the Morden Station car park on 11th December 2018, this Peugeot Partner van is in a bit of a grey-area in terms of whether it is a 'proper' LTSV or not. It had recently been delivered to replace a London Highways Alliance van, but the only lettering it carries is for TfL. The London Highways Alliance, which I believe is a consortium of contractors, has a fleet of vehicles in the livery seen on the car in the background. As their main function was to do with road maintenance rather than public transport, I had no intention of including these vehicles in the LTSV website. However, the change of LBSL Infrastructure Development to TfL Asset Management seems to be seeing more of a merging of operations. Highways Alliance vehicles have been seen at Morden for the past year or so, while some of the former LBSL red/orange vans are now believed to be based at Highways yards (notably at Harlesden and Picketts Lock). I am open to persuasion but my initial view is not to include this vehicle in the LTSV database. It may appear to be a TfL vehicle but I suspect it is actually operated by a contractor, and that it will have certainly not have been procured by the nice people at Acton Works! Having said that, when a similar situation arose in 2012, I did add the vehicle. Umm. Just to confuse the issue even further, I have just noticed that the car in the background has a small London Buses logo in the passenger window! Both vehicles are parked in bays marked for 'Asset Operations South'.	22/12/2018
2,441		By Ray Monk Having been elusive for the past five years, some of LUL's unmarked silver Mitsubishi L200 pick-ups have been a bit less camera-shy recently. AE13SRZ was photographed by Ray at Stratford Station on 10th December 2018 but then on the 18th he found it in the car park at Acton Works, and the latter photo has been chosen. Note that, unlike similar AE13SRY seen here earlier in the year, no hard-top is fitted.	22/12/2018
2,442		By Ray Monk Hidden behind Tramlink 8722R in the photo taken 10 days earlier, Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8735R was still in the Acton Works car park on 18th December 2018. With no further deliveries expected, this looks set to be the highest fleetnumber allocated during 2018.	22/12/2018
2,443		By Ray Monk Two new Nissan Navara pick-up trucks were processed through Acton Works in mid-November 2018. Just two examples of this model have appeared in the leased fleet before, both 6891N and 7476N being allocated to Hainault Depot. The first of the new pair to be tracked down was 8730N, which Ray photographed through the fences at Arnos Grove Depot on 10th December 2018. Note the additional 'Point Care' lettering, also carried by several Ford Transits based here. It looks like the Nissans have replaced the pair of unmarked Land Rover Defenders, one of which is also seen in the photo linked above. By the way, the other white vehicle just visible on the far left was also a 4wd pick-up but was an unmarked Volkswagen type.	22/12/2018
2,444		By Ray Monk Tramlink seems to be getting quite a few new vehicles recently, mainly Renault Kangoos but also at least one Toyota Yaris car. The Kangoos are a mixture of the regular van (like new 8728R seen in the Acton Works car park on 18th December 2018) and the longer Maxi model, but all have roof racks and light bars.	22/12/2018
2,445		By Ray Monk Tramlink and Elizabeth Line vehicles will not normally be seen together but this is what Ray found in the Acton Works car park on 8th December 2018. Nearest the camera was newly-delivered Renault Kangoo van 8722R in white/blue/green livery, with Ford Transit crew van 8649F in white/blue/purple parked behind it. Adding to the variety were the pair of unmarked white Land Rover Defenders on the left, these having recently been replaced at Arnos Grove by two new Nissan Navaras.	22/12/2018
2,446		By Ray Monk Four new Volkswagen crew vans were allocated to Bollo House (Acton) towards the end of 2018, comprising two each of the Transporter and Caddy Maxi model. Seen at the base on 18th December 2018 were Caddy Maxi 8698VW and Transporter 8695VW. Also just visible are the two resident Mercedes-Benz Sprinter crew vans.	22/12/2018
2,447		By Derek Everson Another photo taken early on the morning of 16th October 2018 at Allsop Place (Baker Street), shows a second Volkswagen Caddy Maxi van parked outside the LUL offices. As with similar 8477VW, newer 8685VW is also thought to be an internal mail van.	22/12/2018
2,448		By Ray Monk The fourth new Incident Response Vehicle seen in the car park at Acton Works on 18th December 2018 was 8681R. As can be seen, this is a crew van, with additional side windows, unlike the other trio which are plain vans. 8681R also differs by being an electric Kangoo ZE, as evidenced by the different front grille design, and the green graphic applied to the front doors. One more difference is the neater wheeltrims fitted, though this may not be a reliable recognition factor. Speculating as to where these vehicles are destined for, I suspect they will be to replace the four Citroen Berlingo estate cars based along the Central Line (at West Ruislip, White City, Leytonstone and Loughton). If so, I would expect 8681R to be for Loughton, which is known to have a charging point for electric vehicles.	22/12/2018
2,449		By Ray Monk Resident in the front car park at Acton Works for at least a week in December 2018 were four newly delivered Renault Kangoo vans in LUL Incident Response Vehicle livery. One was parked against the back fence, the other three nearer the middle, as seen here on the 18th. These are the first Renaults to carry this livery, which differs from the standard LUL white/blue/red in having a waist stripe made up of red/white squares. Three of the vans are diesel Kangoo Maxis, including 8678R nearest the camera and 8680R in the middle. 8681R at the back is rather different as will be seen...	22/12/2018
2,450		By Ray Monk Ray photographed no fewer than five Elizabeth Line Ford Transit crew vans at Acton Works on 18th December 2018, four in the van yard (including 8648F seen here) and one in the front car park. As mentioned last month, it could be that these vehicles are not yet required due to the postponement of the opening of the new line. All of the fleetnumbers in the block 8634 to 8653 have now been allocated to Elizabeth Line vehicles (8644 not yet visually confirmed), and they also have 8656F and 8688F for a total of 22 vehicles. Having said that, the operator/s of Renault vans 8632/3R and Ford Transit dropside 8654F are not yet known and these could be further additions to the group.	22/12/2018
2,451		By Ray Monk The first '2018 facelift' Ford Transit Custom reported for the central fleet was low-roof van 8626F, seen here at Acton Works on 18th December 2018. Comparison to photos of earlier Customs (such as 8568F) will show the slight changes to the headlight shape, as well as the more obviously different one-piece front grille.	22/12/2018
2,452		By Derek Everson The six electric Renault Kangoo vans leased in late 2017 continue to be seen tootling about near Acton Works, but rarely further afield. They have since been joined by a few further examples, which seem to be more a part of the normal 'night-time' fleet. 8611R from the first batch was caught leaving Acton Works on 16th October 2018.	22/12/2018
2,453		By Ray Monk 8591F is one of a quartet of Ford Transit dropside trucks new in mid-2018, although it actually arrived almost two months after similar 8590/2/3F. 8592F may be based at Upminster, the others at Acton, but all four are very rarely seen out and about. 8591F was photographed at Acton Works on 18th December 2018.	22/12/2018
2,454		By Derek Everson Fleetnumbers 8553 to 8563 were allocated in November 2017 to a batch of eleven Renault Kangoo Maxi vans for LUL. Although their function is not known, they have been dispersed to a variety of locations, several of which have already been shown on LTSV. Adding to the list is this view of 8559R in its regular parking slot at Morden Station on 6th November 2018.	22/12/2018
2,455		By Ray Monk 8553R is a Renault Kangoo Maxi van new in late 2017 and based at Bollo House in Acton. It was photographed there on 18th December 2018.	22/12/2018
2,456		By Ray Monk There are around one hundred Volkswagen Caddy vans of various descriptions in the current central fleet, but very few of them have roof racks fitted. Among those few are the trio of 8533/4/5VW, all Maxi crew vans based at Acton Works. On 18th December 2018, Ray photographed 8535VW at the works, with 8533VW alongside. 8534VW was also parked nearby, while consecutively numbered Toyota Prius 8536T (which also has a rack and is often seen with a ladder on top) is just visible on the left.	22/12/2018
2,457		By Derek Everson I have hardly published any night shots this year, and this is technically not one of them! It was in fact taken at 7am on 16th October 2018, on Allsop Place (Baker Street). Parked opposite the LUL offices was Volkswagen Caddy Maxi van 8477VW, one of several believed to be involved in the movement of internal mail. The reflective nature of the red stripe is evident.	22/12/2018
2,458		By Ray Monk Parked in the 'van yard' at Acton Works on 18th December 2018 was Peugeot Partner Tepee estate car 7940P alongside another un-identified example (possibly sister 7939P). I have always classed these vehicles as estate cars but, being van-derived, they are often referred to as MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles). Along with the similar Renault Kangoo and Citroen Berlingo, the key difference is that the second doors are mounted on sliding runners rather than being hinged.	22/12/2018
2,459		By Ray Monk 7907VW is one of a pair of Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew vans which serve as Incident Response Vehicles for the Metropolitan Line, and it is normally based at Neasden Depot. Initially it was parked at the north end of the depot and was hard to see, but from autumn 2018 it was more regularly to be seen in the main depot area and hence visible from passing trains. On 18th December 2018 it was in the van yard at Acton Works, its role at Neasden seemingly being covered by similar 7908VW from Rickmansworth. It remains to be seen if its trip to Acton is one way, given that it is now four years old. Parked alongside was another visitor, Ford Transit Connect van 7931F from Hearne House.	22/12/2018
2,460		By Derek Everson The LTSV database currently shows Morden Station as having an allocation of eight of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans used as Incident Response Units by London Buses. However, vehicles from here cover a large area, including some locations where vans can be outstationed (Kingston and Croydon spring to mind), so it would be very unusual to find them all 'at home' together. I have published a photo of five vans together, but now Derek goes one better (again) with this view of six vans lined up on 6th November 2018. I have provided a database link for the nearest van (7858M), but for the record the others are 7885M, 7864M, 7874M, 7853M and 7845M. Oh hang on, I have actually published a photo of 8 IRUs at this location. Doh!	22/12/2018
2,461		By Derek Everson There are 45 of these Incident Response Unit vans in the current London Buses fleet, most of which were new in the first half of 2015. A handful of them have yet to be illustrated on LTSV but I can now cross off 7844M. Normally to be found parked at Stratford City Bus Station (as here on 23rd October 2018), I have had surprisingly few photos of this one. A decision has yet to be made as to whether these Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans will be replaced in early 2019 (possibly with Volkswagen Crafter vans) or have their leases extended.	22/12/2018
2,462		By Derek Everson Although it made a sneak appearance last month, this is the first proper showing of 2604 on LTSV. One of the ten Volvo FL8.16 tenders that form the main Emergency Response Unit fleet, this one is based at Battersea and was on a call out to nearby Vauxhall Station when seen on 17th July 2018.	22/12/2018
2,463		By Malcolm Millichip Included in today's batch of photos are a couple of gems from Malcolm Millichip, taken in either 1959 or 1960. The first shows Austin K4 dropside lorry 913AS at a location which is readily identifiable as the forecourt of Hounslow Bus Garage. This lorry was new in 1949 and spent most of its life at Parsons Green until sold in 1961. Notably it had a couple of spells out of use, including a six-month period from late 1950. Perhaps it was accident damaged. As can be seen, the lorry had a half-tilt fitted and wore the standard Chiswick green livery.	22/12/2018
2,464		By Derek Everson About a year ago, Sovereign Recovery vehicles started carrying fleetnumbers. Numbers in the SV3xx range were allocated to the various vans used to attend minor breakdowns. The highest reported so far is SV330, but another van new last year was seen carrying SV313, suggesting that old numbers are 'recycled'. Backing this up is this view of a more recent delivery, VW Transporter van GC18LJV, with fleetnumber SV308. It was seen at Edgware Bus Station on a murky 19th November 2018. Several Transporter vans were used by Sovereign between about 2010 and 2014, with later deliveries varying between Mercedes Sprinters and Vitos, Iveco Dailys and Ford Transits and Transit Customs.	25/11/2018
2,465		By Michael Mair The Ford Transit van used by the Hounslow Garage engineers was withdrawn in spring 2018, presumably following accident or mechanical damage. It was replaced by a series of unmarked silver vans, presumably hired. First up was MK18YPT, replaced by similar CX18PNO in July, which was in turn replaced by MV68XBD in September. The latest incumbent was photographed inside the garage on 26th September 2018, showing that it has been given rear chevrons. Whether this means it will stay any longer than the other two remains to be seen! Note also the black VW Transporter van parked in the bus wash. This is not thought to be a service vehicle but it does have an interesting registration of R33DY E.	25/11/2018
2,466		By Ray Monk Stagecoach London received at least four more Hyundai I800 minibuses in October 2018, joining two which arrived a year earlier. All six are allocated to Rainham Garage, replacing the Ford Transit Custom minibuses latterly used from there as crew ferry vehicles. The newly-delivered examples wear the same grey/silver livery with discrete red lettering as on the earlier pair, although the frontal styling is noticeably different. Their duties take them to Romford (where they normally park on Regarth Avenue) and the Tescos in Rainham, where DV68TTU was photographed on 23rd October. There may be a further example around, as the Stagecoach national fleetnumbers on those seen are 93647/93648/93650 and 93651. There may also be more of the same for use from West Ham Garage, which also has/had several Ford minibuses. Unmarked white Hyundai minibus EO17GGA was noted in use there in July.	25/11/2018
2,467		By Ray Monk Another photo from last year, taken at Luton Garage on a damp 11th November 2017. Ford Transit van SB55CJO is allocated number V201 in the Arriva the Shires fleet.	25/11/2018
2,468		By Derek Everson Epsom Buses in transition. This photo captures two recent(ish) changes to the Epsom Buses fleet, namely the adoption of RATP-DEV group 5-digit fleetnumbers and the arrival of ADL Enviro 200 buses to replace some of the variety of Optare buses previously operated. Seen parked at the Epsom garage on 21st October 2018 were two of the Vauxhall Meriva cars used as crew ferries. KE15PVT on the left now carries its new fleetnumber of VM75035, while LB62KWZ on the right should be VM75032 but still displays its previous number of 10. The buses are a bit more complicated. Just visible on the right is a newly delivered Enviro 200 MMC bus, one of seven 11.5m examples ordered for the takeover of route 293 from Go-Ahead London on 1st September. Delivery of these was delayed and, as an interim measure, several Optare Tempos were loaned from the main London United fleet, two of which can be seen parked in the background. Curiously these were given Quality Line fleetnames, even though they were not expected to be needed for more than a couple of months.	25/11/2018
2,469		By Ray Monk Two new MAN demountable lorries were delivered in November 2017. WU67AJY was seen turning in to Acton Works on 25th October 2018, fitted with a curtain-sided box body still carrying Tube Lines lettering. This body is almost certainly DB15, new in 1993 and normally to be found standing on its own legs in the lorry yard at Acton. In fact the only report I have of it being used was from 2014.	25/11/2018
2,470		By Ray Monk LUL took delivery of a batch of five unmarked silver Mitsubishi L200 pick-ups in March 2013, with a couple more following over the next year or so. Although unmarked cars are not normally added to the LTSV database, the first set were included as they formed an identifiable batch and because this type of vehicle could be classed as trucks rather than cars. There was also the possibility that they were actually allocated fleetnumbers, though lists received since then have discounted this. Due to their lack of markings, and the usual reason that they were mainly active at night, reports were scarce. Two of the five were withdrawn in spring 2018 (including AE13SRY seen here in the car park of Acton Works on 27th January, with Ford Transit crew van 8036F in the background) and the rest seem likely to follow soon.	25/11/2018
2,471		By Ray Monk VW Transporter crew van 8708VW was delivered around the beginning of October 2018 and after a week or so at Acton Works, was delivered to Barking Station (Wakering Road), where it was seen on 23rd October 2018. This location latterly had an allocation of four Peugeot Partner Tepee estate cars, two of which can be seen in the background. It was expected that the VW Caddy Maxi crew vans being delivered at about the same time would be more likely replacements for this location (and for Earls Court Gardens) and indeed two were noted here a few weeks later. It remains to be seen if 8708VW is permanently based here.	25/11/2018
2,472		By Ray Monk This is not the first 87xx-numbered service vehicle that I received a photo of. That was 8708VW, which just happens to be parked behind! The main subject is VW Caddy Maxi crew van 8704VW, parked at Barking Station (Wakering Road) on 13th November 2018. This location previously had an allocation of four Peugeot Partner Tepee estate cars, and these were being disposed of later in the month. Another Caddy Maxi (8702VW) was parked nearby, while larger Transporter crew van 8708VW has been here since late October. There will presumably be one more vehicle yet to be identified.	25/11/2018
2,473		By Ray Monk The fleet of service vehicles in Elizabeth Line livery continues to grow. An initial dozen were supplied in August 2018, which we now know were given fleetnumbers in the 8634 to 8653 block. Subsequent additions (mainly Fords) have used up more of this block, while at least two isolated numbers are also in use. 8688F is a Ford Transit Connect van, while 8656F is a Ford Transit crew van. The latter was seen leaving Acton Works on 19th November 2018. It seems likely that this fleet was ordered to arrive in time for the planned December 2018 opening of the Elizabeth Line. The opening has now been pushed back to sometime in 2019 and it may be that the vehicles have little to do until then. It is believed that the vehicles are being kept at the Railway Operating Centre in Romford, although there have been no positive reports. The ROC is next to the railway line but much of it is out of sight. Another unknown is why so many vehicles are required. The Elizabeth Line is rather like the Overground network, in that it includes a portion of what would have been LUL infrastructure, but the majority is under the control of Network Rail.	25/11/2018
2,474		By Paul Nicholls Ford Transit Custom crew van 8494F can sometimes be found parked in the yard at Edgware Road Station or at nearby Griffith House, but on 22nd October 2018 it was catching some sunshine in Stanford-le-Hope.	25/11/2018
2,475		By Ray Monk LUL currently makes use of about 20 liveried Volkswagen Golf cars, most of which are estates but all of which are quite rare. 8196VW is from a batch of 5 estates new in June 2016 and had only been seen out at night until Ray found it parked at Acton Town on 29th October 2018. Vehicles from Stratford Market Depot have been seen visiting here before. Parked behind is one of the more normal residents, Ford Fiesta van 8317F.	25/11/2018
2,476		By Derek Everson Some of today's photos are ones that have been sitting in my 'to publish' folder for a while, and I felt it was time to have a clear out. This one was taken on 7th February 2017 but almost everything else I was going to say about it has already been said when I published a similar photo also taken last year.	25/11/2018
2,477		By Derek Everson Volvo Emergency Response Unit tender 2609 was in Police mode when seen parked outside the Battersea base on 8th May 2018. Just visible inside is ERU-liveried 2604.	25/11/2018
2,478		By Derek Everson 2591, the unique Mercedes-Benz Actros 3-axle tractor unit with crane, was given LUL livery around the beginning of 2018. It surprised me to realise that this vehicle is very nearly twelve years old. It doesn't feel long since it was shown off to us at Acton. I wonder how often the impressive crane sees use. Anyway, on 19th November 2018 the lorry was found parked at the dealerships in Bedfont. Both Mercedes and MAN/VW have facilities here but 2591 was curiously parked in the yard of the latter.	25/11/2018
2,479		By Ray Monk I was just rambling about some of the lengthy crew ferry runs around London and then this picture comes up next. It shows a brand-new, anonymous red Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus parked at Eltham Bus Station on 1st October 2018. It is no doubt operated by Go-Ahead London, most likely from their Orpington Garage. Orpington-based crew ferries have been a common sight here for many years, and I have published dozens of photos of them, both under Metrobus and Go-Ahead London. However, it has never occurred to me that it is quite a distance between the two locations. 8.1 miles in fact. The situation is not as perverse as the 340 though, since Eltham is not exactly handy for any bus garage. Several are nearer than Orpington (including Stagecoach's Plumstead and Catford and Go-Ahead's Morden Wharf and Bexleyheath, all of which also have routes passing here) but not by a huge margin. However, both the bus routes operated by Orpington from Eltham pass points closer to the garage, the 162 at Chislehurst and the 233 at Sidcup. In fact, both routes end at points that are closer to Orpington (the 162 at Beckenham Junction and the 233 at Swanley). Can someone explain the logic here please?	26/10/2018
2,480		By Ray Monk Having used several (hired?) Ford Transit high-roof vans as crew ferry vehicles recently, London Sovereign then obtained a couple of Ford Kugas. This seems to be a case of one extreme to another in terms of suitability for crew ferry use, although I'm sure the drivers aren't complaining! Two cars have been noted at Edgware, both in unmarked grey livery. The pair were seen passing through the bus station together on 9th October 2018. Note the Wright Streetdeck bus on route 340 parked behind. This route runs from Harrow to Edgware, not a huge distance and with bus garages near each terminus. However, it is tendered to Arriva so they ran it from Garston, requiring lengthy crew ferry runs. With the run-down and closure of Garston, the 340 was transferred to the next nearest Arriva London garage, which was Palmers Green! I reckon this makes the crew ferry runs (and dead bus runs) at least twice the distance of the route itself. Edit: Just checked it. According to londonbusroutes.net, the 340 is 6 miles long, while the AA reckons Palmers Green to Edgware is between 9 and 10 miles, depending on the route taken.	26/10/2018
2,481		By Ray Monk If you visited the Holloway Garage open day on 15th September 2018 you probably walked past this vehicle. First registered only three days previously, AV68AYZ is a 2018 facelift Ford Tourneo Custom minibus. The main external differences in the facelifted model (which apply to both the Tourneo Custom and the Transit Custom) are the change from a split front grille to a single, larger, trapezoidal one (similar to the design on various other Ford models) and slightly reshaped headlights. The main Transit model is also being updated, branded the 2019 facelift, though the visual changes are more minimal. Metroline has had some hired vehicles recently but the colour and registration series of this example makes me think it is a normal fleet addition, the lack of lettering not being unusual.	26/10/2018
2,482		By Derek Everson So many bus company service vehicles are now used in anonymous condition that it is almost the default livery for such vehicles. This makes it hard for us to give accurate information about the current fleets, especially as no (reliable) information is ever made available by the companies. No problems with this example though, RX18LLK being part of a large batch of similarly-registered red Mercedes-Benz Vito minibuses all used as crew ferry vehicles. It was parked at Canning Town Bus Station on 2nd October 2018. I was going to say we can't be sure of the allocation though, as vehicles from both Silvertown and River Road garages can be seen here. However, I then noticed that RX18LLK has already been reported at the latter location. Based on a recent visit to Pontoon Dock, Silvertown uses only white Vito minibuses, still carrying Metrobus lettering.	26/10/2018
2,483		By Derek Everson The Mercedes-Benz Vito has been the standard crew ferry vehicle in the Go-Ahead London fleet for the last decade or so, being taken in both crew van and minibus formats. A large batch was delivered in spring 2018, comprising at least ten minibuses registered in the RX18LLx series, most of which were allocated to the new garage at River Road (Barking). RX18LLA was seen at Canning Town Bus Station on 2nd October 2018.	26/10/2018
2,484		By Ray Monk RATP-Dev (owners of London United, London Sovereign and Epsom Buses) have had some success in bus tendering recently, gaining additional routes in North West and South West London. This has resulted in the delivery of numerous new buses, and also an increased requirement for crew ferry vehicles. A curious choice of vehicle for this role is the Ford Transit van, a long-wheelbase high-roof van not being the most efficient vehicle for moving just people around. Several such vehicles have been noted at Edgware recently, though their anonymous liveries suggest they may just be short-term hires. Caught leaving the bus station on 18th September 2018 was silver MK18YOJ.	26/10/2018
2,485		By Derek Everson The Metrobus operation in Crawley is now managed by Brighton & Hove and their service vehicle fleets were integrated in 2015. This put all vehicles in the 80xx series, requiring re-numbering of some. Three new vehicles were delivered in spring 2017, starting a new 81xx series. Two of the three were listed as Ford Transit Connect vans but, as Derek's photo taken (with permission) at the garage on 15th August 2018 shows, they are actually crew vans with additional side windows. As can also be seen, they are used as crew ferry vehicles.	26/10/2018
2,486		By Derek Everson Arriva Southern Counties took delivery of a batch of Ford Transit Connect vans in spring 2017, five of which were allocated to garages in the area covered by LTSV. I haven't seen photos of all of them yet but it looks like they might all carry this white-based livery with recruitment advertising images. These present a slight problem for LTSV in deciding how to catalogue the livery. I initially put them as White (or the useful but slightly vague 'White+') but I think White/Blue would be more accurate. GM66WWG is allocated fleetnumber V074 (not carried) and is allocated to Harlow Garage, where it was photographed on 9th September 2018. By the way, in case you are confused, the LTSV 'area' is the same as that used by LOTS, ie the traditional (1933-1970) LT area. Of course the 'green' parts, which were LGCS, became LCBS, then LCNE et al before coming under various names. Most are now re-united as part of the large Arriva SC empire. Hope that helps!	26/10/2018
2,487		By Derek Everson Stagecoach London has nine of these Ford Transit Customs in use as Engineering Support vans, one at each of the company's garages (the tenth 'garage', Kangley Bridge, is an outstation of Catford). Most were delivered in summer 2016 and they were given a variety of gap-filling fleetnumbers in the Stagecoach national series. The sixth van to be shown on LTSV is Romford (North Street) based 90796, seen at its home base on 2nd October 2018. Photos are still required of the vans at Barking, Bow and Leyton.	26/10/2018
2,488		By Ray Monk Metroline's three Ford Transit Mk8 vans are based at the CELF 'works' in Perivale but get out and about to the company's numerous garages. Two of the three visited Edgware on the morning of 25th August 2018, first up being AV16YGG. The green diamond in the nearside of the windscreen states 'Shut Up and Deal With It' in the style of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters. And I think that is Basil Brush to the left....	26/10/2018
2,489		By Thomas Young Photographed during the Holloway Garage open day of 15th September 2018, this car was part of a display advertising bus driver recruitment. Metroline has used a few Nissan Note cars over the past ten years, and similarly registered LP65TUW is a crew ferry vehicle based at Brentford. LP65MJO has not been reported before but is probably based at the company's head office in Cricklewood. Just visible on the right is a small trailer with large recruitment posters, this having been towed here by the car (note the tow-bar). I didn't examine the trailer closely but I assume it did not have a fleetnumber!	26/10/2018
2,490		By Ray Monk This van has already appeared twice on LTSV but I have included this rather unusual view since it shows a slight change. New in spring 2015 in unmarked red, it was officially numbered FT10 in the London United series but was eventually allocated to the Edgware garage of co-owned London Sovereign. In the fleet renumbering of 2016 it became FT70010, and this number is now carried on the front. London Sovereign lettering and the RATP Group logo have also been applied, but only on the offside, the nearside still being anonymous. In case you hadn't guessed, this photograph was taken from the supermarket car park at Edgware, looking down into the garage yard, on 25th August 2018.	26/10/2018
2,491		By Thomas Young Another open day was held at Holloway Bus Garage on 15th September 2018, Metroline being the only company to now do these events on a regular basis. The garage was still working normal services and was divided in two for safety reasons. Parked just on the operational side was resident engineers van AX15DLV, a Ford Transit Connect Mk2 new in 2015. As can be seen, this van features a small light-bar (and coffee cup!) and strangely it was only reported once prior to the open day. Parked in front is one of the Volvo double-deck buses with which Grey Green started running central London route 24 in 1988. These buses had underfloor engines and therefore had several steps at both the entrance and exit doors, in marked contrast to today's universally low-floor bus fleet.	26/10/2018
2,492		By Derek Everson Derek did a great job of this view at Canning Town flyover on 4th September 2018, especially as he had to run from the other side of the roundabout to catch it! The subject is LUL MAN TGS artic unit WU67AKG, new exactly one year earlier. The trailer is a bit more of a problem to identify. Two Dennison trailers were delivered in 2017, both 3-axle flatbeds. One is extendable and has a taller headboard, while the other appears to be of fixed length and with a low headboard. One trailer has been seen carrying the fleetnumber T78, and it is believed to be the rigid one, which would make it the one shown here. Unless of course there are more than two....	26/10/2018
2,493		By Derek Everson Most of the Volkswagens for the central fleet are supplied by Cordwallis from their premises in Bedfont, and a visit there will often find one or two vehicles in unmarked white/blue livery awaiting delivery. On 2nd October 2018 there were two Transporter crew vans present, including RX68ZFC seen here. We will have to be careful with these vehicles since similar registration RX68ZCF is on an identical van (already in service as 8695VW with LUL).	26/10/2018
2,494		By Ray Monk Just four Ford Transit vans were added to the central fleet in the first half of 2018, although there were slightly more deliveries of Transit dropsides and a few of the smaller Transit models (Courier and Custom). October saw the arrival of at least six new Transits, two of which were liveried for the Elizabeth Line. The others were of similar configuration (long-wheelbase, high-roof crew vans) but were seen in unmarked white/blue and could be for any of the operating divisions. LR68HYG was caught arriving at Acton Works on 16th October 2018, the day after it was first registered.	26/10/2018
2,495		By Ray Monk Ford's domination of the central fleet has been reducing in recent years, and it looks like they are going to be vying with Renault and Volkswagen for the top supplier slot in 2018. I reckon Volkswagen are slightly in the lead at present, with 29 additions to date, compared to 25 Fords and 23 Renaults. The Volkswagens have all been Caddy Maxis or Transporters, an example of the latter being crew van 8694VW, seen in the car park at Acton Works on 8th September 2018. Two more of the same type can be seen in the background.	26/10/2018
2,496		By Derek Everson Seen in the car park at Acton Works on 16th October 2018 was Toyota Prius car 8692T, in LUL white/blue/livery. Over 30 Priuses have been delivered since spring 2017, though this is example is a Prius+ 'estate' version. As with 8567T (the only other Prius+ to date), this variant can be identified by the higher rear-end and also by the black 'tusks' below the headlights.	26/10/2018
2,497		By Ray Monk Anyone who has peered into the Acton Works car park from Bollo Lane will appreciate how difficult it is to see the vehicles clearly let alone photograph them. There are two fences in between, and a lot of vegetation. Ray has produced some excellent images over the past few years, allowing us to show topical views such as this one, taken on 15th September 2018. Present on that day were two Toyota Yaris cars in the white/blue/lilac livery of TfL Taxi - Private Hire. These are no doubt to replace the similar cars leased in 2014, although there were three of them (one each at Eltham, Kingston and Wembley). The new cars differ in having Compliance Enforcement lettering on the second doors, the earlier cars had this lettering on the rear only. More interestingly (to me at least!), the new cars have fleetnumbers (8691T here and 8690T on the left), which the earlier cars did not. I was once told that the reason that some service vehicles are not numbered is because of the type of role they are used for. However, there do seem to have been numerous cases where un-numbered vehicles have been directly replaced by numbered ones (and sometimes vice versa). Are they just making it up as they go along, or does anyone out there know the real reason....? By the way, later in the month 8691T was seen at Wembley and 8690T made it to Eltham. So Kingston will be the place to watch for a possible third new car.	26/10/2018
2,498		By Ray Monk Although only a few months old, this van has managed to chalk up three appearances on LTSV, this being the first to show it 'in service'. Renault Kangoo Maxi van 8659R was delivered in June 2018 and, after commissioning at Acton Works, was delivered to the Tramlink operation. As far as we know, all the Tramlink service vehicles are kept at Therapia Lane Depot. 8659R was seen in East Croydon on 25th September 2018, showing its green stripe livery, roof-rack and light-bar.	26/10/2018
2,499		By Ray Monk The Elizabeth Line has been in the news recently with the not completely unexpected announcement that the introduction of the service, originally planned for December 2018, was to be postponed for up to a year. On LTSV we had reported the delivery of a fleet of twelve service vehicles for the operation in August 2018, followed by at least one further van shortly afterwards. Rather surprisingly, more vehicles have now followed. Unlike the first batch, which (apart from one Toyota car) were all Volkswagens, the latest additions are Fords. Seen in the car park at Acton Works on 13th October 2018 was 8647F, a long-wheelbase, high-roof Transit Mk8 crew van. Similar 8646F was also present, while four more of the type (including LR68HYG) were delivered in plain white/blue later in the month, although it remains to be seen if these are also destined for the Elizabeth Line.	26/10/2018
2,500		By Derek Everson There are now six variations to the basic white/blue livery (or seven if you differentiate LBSL white/blue/red from LUL white/blue/red), and all but one are covered in the next five photographs. By chance, the set starts with the most basic livery, the 'no-stripe' white/blue as used by TfL Streets. Except that, as can be seen here, there is a stripe between the two base colours. As far as is known, the stripe is actually a safety feature, being highly reflective to aid visibility. So, on this livery, the stripe is white. I'm not going to start calling it white/blue/white though! Anyway, onto the photograph... A somewhat unusual visitor to Go-Ahead London's Waterloo Garage on 21st August 2018 was TfL Streets Toyota Yaris car 8597T. This garage runs the erstwhile Red Arrow bus routes, now operated with battery electric buses, several of which can be seen plugged in and charging in the background. It is also home to one electric car, built by the same company as the chassis of the buses (BYD of China). FJ64OWO is just visible on the left. Given that the TfL Streets base is less than half a mile from here, the reason for 8597T's presence is not known. Perhaps its driver was making use of the canteen at this location, which is now open to the public as well as to bus drivers.	26/10/2018

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