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| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 3,301 |  |
By Ray Monk I took a gamble on this Mercedes Sprinter van being an Abellio service vehicle rather than a visiting contractor's vehicle, but confirmation or further sightings would be welcomed. Supporting the supposition, Abellio does often operate vehicles with minimal or no lettering, and the previous Fulwell engineer's van (LDV BK03ZFH) was withdrawn last year. YK08VVZ was photographed at Fulwell Garage on 27th April 2015, with the crew ferry parking area on the left. As you may have noticed, Abellio refer to this facility as Twickenham Depot, but it is part of the former London Transport Fulwell trolleybus depot, while the Twickenham name has also been used for other garages operated by LT and NCP/London United. Also, if I was to be totally accurate, I would have to spell Abellio with a lower-case A! Note the numbers above the doorways (one of which has been bricked up). These presumably date back to trolleybus days. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,302 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The London bus tour operations run from Wandsworth Garage were sold by Arriva to the RATP group in September 2014, thus now being in common ownership with London United, London Sovereign and Quality Line. The main branding of 'The Original Tour' has been retained, as seen on Ford Transit Connect van EO06OCN at Trafalgar Square on 16th April 2015. This 'Emergency Support Vehicle' now has RATP Group lettering (along with the rather clever River Seine / face logo), although traces of the Arriva name can still be made out below. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,303 |  |
By Ray Monk Five Ford Fiesta vans were present in the car park at Acton Works on 30th April 2015, all still in anonymous as-delivered white/blue livery. Seen here are LT15UKS and LN15CYA, with Citroen Berlingo van 7577 (unmarked apart from fleetnumbers and noise-abatement notices) beyond. Note that Fiesta vans have black wing mirrors, while the cars have white ones. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,304 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray photographed a Hyundai IX35 hydrogen fuel cell car at Acton Works in February 2015 (EK64ZNN) and was told that a second example was in use in LUL livery. However, on 30th April 2015 he caught EK64ZNH at the same location, and in the same TfL white/blue livery. The left-hand drive configuration is apparent, as are the 'green' markings which read 'Hydrogen Cleaner Air For London'. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,305 |  |
By Ray Monk A nice line-up of TfL Toyota Yaris cars at Chancel Street on 25th April 2015 features LL14VKP, LL14VKS, LL14VKR and two more un-identified examples behind. These cars are operated by TfL Streets and have replaced most of the white and orange Toyota Prius cars latterly based here. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,306 |  |
By Barry Le Jeune Another car that started out as unmarked but which now carries labels is Ford Mondeo estate LT63WXS. This was parked at Hearne House (Acton Town) on 26th April 2015. The Museum Depot was having an open weekend and a new feature this year was guided tours of the Hearne House complex. This base is home to a small but varied fleet of service vehicles, most of which have now been shown on LTSV. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,307 |  |
By Ray Monk Honda CR-V car LD63VWK was probably taken into stock when new in early 2014. However, it was not added to the LTSV database until 2015, when it was first noted with LUL labels applied. Several cars (usually either blue or white) have been seen with labels, although they are often only temporary. As such, it is hard to know how to treat them here, since we don't normally cover unmarked cars. LD63VWK was caught leaving Acton Works on 20th April 2015. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,308 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray has reported a number of vehicle sightings at 'Oldfield Grove ELLIMF', and I should perhaps add this as a location. As the sign on the Portakabins to the left shows, this is the East London Line Infrastructure Maintenance Facility, and it is located just to the north of Silwood Depot. A new vehicle seen there on 28th April 2015 was Volkswagen Transporter van 8043VW. The fact that the door runners do not reach the rear of the vehicle shows that this is a long-wheelbase variant. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,309 |  |
By Ray Monk Not all the service vehicles in the Acton Works car park on 30th April 2015 were brand new. Seen here are London Overground Volkswagen Transporter crew van 7776VW (which was also present earlier in the month), unmarked silver Peugeot Partner Tepee KX12WNV (which is included in the LTSV database since it carried labels for a time) and similar but LUL-liveried 8021P. Based on its registration series, the Volkswagen Caddy van on the right is unlikely to be a service vehicle. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,310 |  |
By Ray Monk More new vehicles in the car park at Acton Works on 30th April 2015. Nearest the camera is Peugeot Partner Tepee car 8022P, with Renault Kangoo van 8011R alongside. On the left, Renault Kangoo van LX15HWC has been moved forwards to allow the application of LUL markings. Unfortunately the fleetnumbers had not yet been done. I wish we could get that guy to become a reporter for LTSV! In the background is Ford Fiesta van LT15UMJ, one of five still awaiting lettering. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,311 |  |
By Ray Monk The first vehicles to be seen with fleetnumbers in the 8000 range were 8014R and 8015R, a pair of Renault Kangoos noted by Ray in the car park at Acton Works on 18th April 2015. Ray was back two days later and managed to capture both of the vans leaving, presumably on delivery to their new homes. Seen here is 8014R. The gap between new 'thousands' in the leased fleet used to be around 8 years. With the increased fleet size, it is now down to just over 4 years. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,312 |  |
By Ray Monk Last weekend (25th April 2015) the front car park at Acton Works contained three new Renault Kangoo vans for LUL, plus one of the Fiat Doblo Maxis from 2013. LX15HWO and LX15HWY had fleetnumbers 8010R and 8013R respectively. Similar LX15WMY had LUL markings but no fleetnumber on the nearside, and was also unusual for having a roof-rack. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,313 |  |
By Ray Monk As has been mentioned before, the back row of the car park at Acton Works (nearest the railway lines) is often used for vehicles awaiting commissioning or disposal. On 30th April 2015 the 20 parking spaces contained an unprecedented 16 service vehicles, of which 13 were new. As luck would have it, Ray met one of his contacts, who kindly took him into the yard. The most interesting of the new vehicles was 8005H, a Honda CR-V car in LUL Incident Response Vehicle livery. The CR-V is described as a 'compact crossover' car, but 'estate' will suffice for LTSV! As well as a light-bar, the car has red/white Battenburg stripes, including a neat application on the front wheelarch. I would guess this vehicle will replace either Morden's LT59HWD or 7034VW at Bollo House. Parked alongside was 8023P, one of three new Peugeot Partner Tepee cars for LUL. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,314 |  |
By Ray Monk The five TfL-liveried Ford Fiesta vans seen at Acton Works in late March 2015 had gone by mid-April, but we don't yet know where to. The first to be seen 'in the wild' was 7986F, found at Eltham Bus Station on 24th April. The normally resident TfL Toyota Yaris car LL14VOH was notably absent that day, so perhaps the van was covering. The car was back the next day, and the van was gone. Fleetnumbers for the other four vans are still required. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,315 |  |
By Derek Everson The second Ford Transit Mk8 dropside truck seen at Acton Works on 28th April 2015 has also been allocated to Frank Pick House. 7910F differs from 7909F in having a tail-lift, and therefore may be a replacement for long-lived Mercedes Sprinter 6695M. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,316 |  |
By Derek Everson It seems as though the new Mark 8 Ford Transit is being introduced into the central fleet in a very cautious way. Three vans were added in January 2015, and then the first dropside trucks appeared in April. On the 28th of that month, Derek caught two such vehicles leaving Acton Works. Looking brand new (it had only been licensed the week before), 7909F is a basic vehicle, without crew-cab or tail-lift. It does have the now-mandatory safety rails though. This vehicle was later seen at Frank Pick House, where it appears to have replaced earlier 7218F. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,317 |  |
By Derek Everson The last of the initial batch of IRUs to be reported was 7875M. Presumably new in February 2015, it was not seen until Derek found it parked at Harrow Bus Station on 1st April. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,318 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Recent conversions of routes to New Routemaster operation have included the 15 in March 2015. One of the new buses is in the background in this view of Aldgate-based LBSL IRU 7873M passing St Paul's Cathedral on 4th April. This photo was taken in mid-morning, which suggests that earlier hybrid bus HV4 was actually working route 76 rather than N76! |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,319 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Two for the price of one at Brixton on 16th April 2015. London Buses Mercedes-Benz Incident Response Unit 7870M (from Morden) leads Abellio Ford Transit crew van YS56XAK (from Beddington) into the morning traffic. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,320 |  |
By Ray Monk At least three of the new IRUs are based at Turnpike Lane, including 7868M seen with resident Toyota Prius car LN61ZGR on 16th April 2015. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,321 |  |
By Ray Monk We had been advised that all of the London Buses Incident Response Unit vans were to be replaced between January and May this year. Thirty had arrived by late February but that, so far, is it. For reasons unknown, the initial batch were given numbers 7841M and 7842M plus 7859M to 7886M. One of the odd pair was 7842M, photographed at Finsbury Park (Wells Terrace) Bus Station on 16th April 2015. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,322 |  |
By Ray Monk It has been more than a year since I was last able to obtain an official list of the central service vehicle fleet. Such lists are essential in order to identify oddities such as this. Renault Kangoo van LV63XWP carries an anonymous grey livery but is allocated fleetnumber 7785R. It seems to have replaced similarly unmarked Kangoo van 7058R in early 2014, but its role, and the reason for its livery, is not known. Ray was on the ball when it popped out of Acton Works on 30th April 2015. By the way, the DVLA database lists as 'grey' a lot of vehicles that are actually silver, and I assumed that this was one of them. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,323 |  |
By Ray Monk Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7654R is a rare common vehicle, if you get my meaning. On 20th April 2015 it was seen arriving at Acton Works. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,324 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Ford Transit crew van 7512F lives at Westdown Road in Leyton and is usually only seen on the road at night. However, Colin caught it rounding Parliament Square on 17th February 2015. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,325 |  |
By Ray Monk Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7482R is nominally allocated to Griffith House but can often be found parked in Blackheath during the day. I suspect this vehicle may have received a replacement front offside wing at some point. The nearside has a fleetnumber and the red stripe goes all the way up to the front wheel. Photographed on 8th April 2015. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,326 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Ford Transit van 7345F was caught moving through the shadows at Victoria on 17th February 2015. Although seemingly ordinary, it has a quite rare configuration of mid-height and medium wheelbase. Featured on quite a few crew vans and minibuses in the central fleet, the only other plain vans known to be of this type are 7528F and 7529F at Frank Pick House. Apologies to Ray by the way. After I had prepared this photo I realised that he had sent me a better picture of 7345F a couple of years ago. |
01/05/2015 |
| 3,327 |  |
By Derek Everson Arriva London's Brixton garage is a lot nearer Streatham than Brixton. Photographed leaving on 4th March 2015 was Sovereign Recovery Iveco Daily van HY63OTT. Just visible inside the garage is Renault Trafic van OU14LJV belonging to Wright Customcare (like OU61FDZ). Brixton's route 137 was converted to Wright 'New Routemasters' in December 2014. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,328 |  |
By Ray Monk Three Ford Transit Connect vans were found parked outside Metroline's CELF works in Perivale on 30th March 2015, having been licensed and delivered the previous week. All carried small light-bars, suggesting they will be used as engineering support vehicles. Nearest the camera is AY15LHN with AY15LHM behind and AY15LHK just peeking in on the left. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,329 |  |
By Ray Monk At least four of these Mercedes-Benz Vito crew vans were delivered to Go-Ahead London's Rainham operation in late 2014, although one has since transferred to Croydon. RK64OVM was photographed at Rainham on 23rd March 2015. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,330 |  |
By Ray Monk Arriva PSM remains a mystery. It most likely refers to Property Services Maintenance or similar but I have been unable to verify this. The name has been seen on a handful of vans, the latest of which is Vauxhall Vivaro FP64WZB, photographed leaving Barking (Dagenham) garage on 23rd March 2015. The Vauxhall Vivaro model (and related Renault Trafic) was updated in 2014. Compared to the previous version (such as Arriva PSM's HV63MDK), the use of black mouldings below the grille has been increased, while the headlamps have been swept backwards almost to the windscreen. The hump in the cab roof has been shrunk, and the side pressings are noticeably different. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,331 |  |
By Ray Monk Another 2014 addition to the crew ferry fleet at Rainham was Ford Fiesta van EX64YCS, seen at home on 23rd March 2015. In front (and rather dirtier) is similar EX64YDR). A third example (EX64YDA) has been seen in South East London. The buses on the left are in the Stagecoach London garage. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,332 |  |
By Ray Monk When Mercedes-Benz Vito crew van RK64OVL was transferred from Rainham to Croydon, it was given a fleetnumber in the erstwhile Metrobus series (8071). I wondered whether the other vehicles added to the Metrobus garages recently would be treated likewise. The answer (for now at least) appears to be no, Ford Transit Connect van EU64SZR still being in unmarked red when photographed at Eltham Bus Station on 25th March 2015. The bus behind the wall is a WVL still with London Central lettering. When route 453 was converted to New Routemaster operation during November 2014, the displaced Enviro 400s went to Camberwell where they replaced WVLs. Most of the WVLs went to the former Metrobus garage in Orpington to replace Scanias. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,333 |  |
By Ray Monk Go-Ahead London's Blue Triangle operation is based at a rather remote garage in Rainham and thus requires several crew ferry vehicles. Having earlier standardised on Vauxhall Corsa and Combo vans, a varied fleet is now fielded. Ford Transit Connect crew van EK64CDZ (photographed on 23rd March 2015) was new in late 2014 and carries the standard unmarked red livery. It is very similar to EK64CFY based just across the river at Belvedere. Also visible is Renault Kangoo crew van LX62CNA while the buses include 2 of the Optare-bodied Scanias recently transferred in from Metrobus. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,334 |  |
By Derek Everson You're going to have to take my word for it, this is a service vehicle! This anonymous black Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus was acquired by Tower Transit last year and operated from the former First London garage at Lea Interchange. Tower Transit has taken on 3 additional bus routes in recent weeks, bringing their vehicles to locations such as Turnpike Lane and Chingford (where this photo was taken on 19th March 2015). |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,335 |  |
By Lee Thatcher Photographed at London United's Twickenham garage (NC) on 14th February 2015 was Peugeot 206 van LS02TTE. This van spent many years at Edgware Garage, perhaps from new in 2002 but certainly by 2005. The van never carried Sovereign/London Sovereign lettering, but did gain Transdev fleetnames by 2007 (since removed). The small roundels have been carried throughout. It was last reported at Edgware in late 2013, and was certainly out of use by June 2014 (unlicensed). Twickenham garage was opened by NCP Challenger in 2005, that operator being renamed NSL in 2009. Later in 2009 the operation was sold to Transdev and merged with London United. Twickenham last ran buses in TfL service in spring 2013, since when it has been used for private hire and training buses and also for vehicle storage. The private hire fleet moved to Hounslow Heath during 2014, leaving behind Mercedes minibus RY03DXS (visible in the background). |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,336 |  |
By Ray Monk Delivered in the last week of March 2015 were a batch of Ford Fiesta vans for TfL. They have small light-bars and the same white/blue livery and solid roundels as carried by the recent Toyota Yaris cars, but they also have fleetnumbers. Five spent the weekend in the car park at Acton Works, where three were photographed on the 27th. Ray suggests they will perhaps replace the five existing vans in the TfL Streets fleet (Peugeot Bippers 6980P/6981P and un-numbered Vauxhall Combo vans LN11PDY/PJO/PZK). |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,337 |  |
By Ray Monk Ray got the first 'good' photograph of a Ford Transit Courier van when he found 7970F parked at Frank Pick House (Acton) on 21st March 2015. This van had only been delivered a day or two earlier. The lifts and escalators section has taken at least 9 of these vans so far, with reported numbers in the range 7965F to 7973F. The 'Basking Shark' grille is shared with the current Ford Fiesta model (as can be seen from the photos before and after this one), while a larger version features on the Mk.8 Transit. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,338 |  |
By Ray Monk Part of the front car park at Acton Works is reserved for recently delivered vehicles, pending allocation. At weekends, when the car park is less full, vehicles here can sometimes be seen and photographed from the road. Present on 7th March 2015 were two Ford Fiesta hatchback cars in LUL livery (7953F on the left, and 7962F). At least two other Fiesta hatchbacks have been seen on delivery, and none of the other fleetnumbers in this range have yet been claimed. It could be that a batch is coming to replace the LUL Renault Modus cars. On the right is Toyota Yaris hybrid hatchback LK15VBV in TfL livery. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,339 |  |
By Ray Monk The new Renault Master minibus seen at Acton in February was soon tracked down to Westdown Road in Leyton, where it was found to be one of a pair. This view was taken on 6th March 2015 from the adjoining playing field (which is now accessible once more, having been requisitioned for Olympics use). 7946R is nearest the camera, with similar 7945R parked between Ford Transits 7040F and 7512F. The Renaults have replaced silver Transit minibuses 6818F and 6819F. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,340 |  |
By Ray Monk March 2015 saw the delivery of a lot of Ford vehicles, most from the Hartwell dealership in Dunstable. Ford Transit Custom crew van 7915F was licensed and delivered on 10th March, being caught as it entered Acton Works. As can be seen, it was in unmarked white/blue livery. Within a week it had been given full LUL livery and entered service, most likely with the lifts and escalators section. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,341 |  |
By Derek Everson LBSL IRU 7880M was caught leaving Acton Works on 11th March 2015. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,342 |  |
By Derek Everson The delivery of new Incident Response Unit vans for LBSL seems to have paused, with no more additions reported in March. 7859M arrived in late January and is one of several based at Acton Works, near to which it was photographed on 11th March 2015. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,343 |  |
By Ray Monk Of the four Volkswagen Transporter vans delivered for LBSL in early 2015, 7836VW seems to alternate between working from Uxbridge and Acton. On 27th March 2015 it was found parked on Bollo Lane. Note the folded mirrors and lights in the front grille. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,344 |  |
By Derek Everson Volkswagen Transporter high-roof van 7835VW replaced similar 6823VW at Kingston Cromwell Road Bus Station in early 2015. It was photographed on 4th March. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,345 |  |
By Ray Monk Peugeot Partner Tepee car 7831P was new in summer 2014 and can often be found in the front car park at Acton Works, as here on 27th March 2015. Note that this actually carries fleetnumber 7831R. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,346 |  |
By Ray Monk Looking a little down-at-heel was Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7346R, found parked outside Smallbills Garage on Bollo Lane on 5th March 2015. We have allocated this vehicle to nearby Bollo House as it was seen there a few times in its first year. It has most likely moved elsewhere since, and it has not been reported for over a year. |
01/04/2015 |
| 3,347 |  |
By Ray Monk A last minute addition to today's batch is this interesting car caught leaving Acton Works on 27th February 2015. EK64ZNN is a Hyundai ix35 fuel cell car, carrying the same TfL white/blue livery as the Toyota Yaris cars delivered last year. As well as being the first Hyundai for the central fleet, it is the first left-hand drive service vehicle since the two Bedford Lacre sweepers (BL1 and BL2) bought in the 1950s, and the first licensed left-hand drive vehicle since the Ford V8 lorries of 1941. It carries 'green leaf' cleaner air markings on the doors and has chevrons on the rear, together with the slogan 'Zero Emission with Hydrogen'. It is not known where it will be based but I think I spied a Buses roundel on the passenger's uniform. Ray later discovered that there are in fact two such vehicles, the second being in LUL livery. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,348 |  |
By Ray Monk This vehicle is less than 5 months old but is already with its second operator. Mercedes-Benz Vito crew van RK64OVL was one of two seen working from Go-Ahead London's Rainham garage in October 2014. By the following February it had moved to the former Metrobus garage at Croydon. As with Vauxhall Combo van HN13YNB visible in the background, it has now gained Go-Ahead lettering and a Metrobus fleetnumber. Photographed at Addington Village Interchange on 9th February 2015. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,349 |  |
By Ray Monk As mentioned recently, the London operations of Metrobus were 'merged' with those of Go-Ahead London during 2014. However, it appears that they are retaining a little bit of individuality. HN13YNB was one of a batch of six Vauxhall Combo crew vans new to Go-Ahead London at Northumberland Park garage in mid-2013. About a year later five were moved to the former Metrobus garage at Croydon, in exchange for some Mercedes-Benz minibuses. Delivered in unmarked red, they are now gaining small Go-Ahead lettering and fleetnumbers in the former Metrobus series. It is notable that the Metrobus name is not featured however. It will be interesting to see if the two new Ford vans delivered in autumn 2014 (EU64SRY/SZR) now have fleetnumbers too. Photographed at Addington Village Interchange on 9th February 2015. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,350 |  |
By Ray Monk In January 2015, Abellio gained the tender to operate trunk bus route 109 from Beddington Cross Garage. Presumably in connection with this, a number of Ford Galaxy cars were acquired for use as crew ferry vehicles. Four have been seen so far, all in un-marked livery. Black YP61KCC was photographed at the garage on 9th February 2015. Alongside is the recently re-liveried Ford Fiesta van NC07EZF. By the way, I am always hesitant to add photos and information about unmarked cars to the website, since there is a possibility they are privately owned by members of staff. However, in this case Ray made enquiries and determined that these were company vehicles. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,351 |  |
By Derek Everson Abellio uses youngish second-hand cars as crew ferries, typified by Ford Fiesta CP61BVW seen at Beddington Cross Garage on 04/02/2015. Most are given company fleetnames while many also carry four-digit fleetnumbers. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,352 |  |
By Derek Everson Ford Fiesta van NC07EZF was acquired by Abellio in 2011 and was initially used in plain white livery. Originally at Battersea, it later moved to Beddington Cross and gained fleetnumber 6716. By early 2015 it had been treated to this new livery of white with a green rear half. The lettering is to advertise the VOSA Authorised Testing Facility offered by the company. Photographed on 4th February 2015. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,353 |  |
By Derek Everson The London Buses yard at Morden Station is home to a couple of other vehicles besides the Incident Response Unit vans. Seen there on 4th February 2015 were TfL-branded Toyota Yaris hybrid car LL14VKO and LBSL Ford Fiesta LM61JFG. The former was new in July 2014 and was based initially at Chancel Street in Southwark. The latter transferred across from Sycamore House in 2013 but is often to be found at Kingston or Eltham. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,354 |  |
By Thomas Young Ray did a good job capturing the first Mk8 Ford Transit photograph. By comparison, my efforts with the smallest of the new Transits leaves something to be desired. It will do for now though. The new Ford Transit Courier is based on the Ford Fiesta platform and is thus slightly smaller than the Transit Connect (based on the Focus). Production started (in Turkey) in 2014, with the first service vehicles being a batch delivered to Frank Pick House in Acton from January 2015 onwards. These will presumably replace the existing small vans (Peugeot Bippers and Vauxhall Astras) in the Lifts and Escalators section. On 18th February 2015 two new vans were parked in front of Frank Pick House. 7972F is nearest the camera with 7965F beyond. Ironically the Courier name has been used by Ford before, also for a Fiesta-based van, built between 1991 and 2002. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,355 |  |
By Ray Monk The Mk8 Ford Transit (also known as the fifth generation) was launched at the beginning of 2013, and is built in Turkey in rear-wheel drive format only (smaller, front wheel-drive vans are now badged as Transit Customs). The last Mk7 Transit was built at Southampton in mid-2013, ending the production of Ford vehicles in the UK. Although the Mk8 soon became a common sight on UK roads, it was not until early 2015 that the first examples were reported as service vehicles. Among these was 7947F, caught heading down Bollo Lane in Acton on 16th February 2015. The new Transit is available with two wheelbases, three body lengths, and two heights. 7947F is a long wheelbase, high-roof example, and also had a light-bar and rear chevrons. Note how the large side moulding covers most of the area of the blue skirt. It also appears to be more slab-sided than the Mk7, resulting in the top of the van being almost as wide as the bottom. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,356 |  |
By Ray Monk An unexpected find at Acton Works on 12th February 2015 was 7946R, a new Renault Master minibus in LUL livery. Very similar in size and design to the pair of Vauxhall Movanos delivered to LBSL in 2014, the allocation of this new vehicle is not yet known. Consecutive registration LY64FPF is also on a service vehicle, Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7977R at Griffith House. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,357 |  |
By Kevin Bullions The revised Transit Connect van is also now featuring in deliveries, with two being sent to Hearne House in Acton. One of the pair (7931F) was photographed rather far from home, at an engineering firm in Burton-on-Trent on 10th February 2015. Although not readily apparent in this view, this is a long-wheelbase example. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,358 |  |
By Ray Monk There was a significant hiatus in deliveries of Ford vehicles for the central fleet for most of 2014, most likely due to the introduction of the new Transit range. The new models appear to have gained acceptance and deliveries restarted in early 2015. 7926F is the first example seen of a Ford Transit Custom configured as a crew van. Two were delivered to Frank Pick House at Acton in February 2015, with three more expected. Photographed at home on 14th February 2015, it was parked alongside unique Mercedes-Benz Sprinter dropside truck 6695M, now over 6 years old. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,359 |  |
By Ray Monk Towards the end of 2014 at least 18 Volkswagen vans with RE64xxx registrations were delivered, mainly for London Buses. One other was Caddy Maxi crew van 7908VW for LUL. It was allocated to Rickmansworth, where it replaced Vauxhall Combo van 6732V. The new van was photographed parked outside the station on 25th February 2015. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,360 |  |
By Ivor Norman Sitting in a damp Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 19th February 2015 is recently delivered Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van 7877M. Several more new vans are expected here to replace the remaining 2011/2012 IRUs. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,361 |  |
By Dave Hooker In June 2013 Morden Station replaced Sycamore House (Thornton Heath) as the base for London Buses Operations vehicles covering South and South-West London. Up to eight of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Incident Response Unit vans are based there, and the location was among the first to receive replacement vehicles in early 2015. By 10th February (when this excellent photo was taken), four new vans had been delivered. From the front these are 7874M, 7864M, 7870M and 7867M. Completing the line-up is an un-identified example from the 2012 batch. The subtle design changes around the headlights and grille can be seen. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,362 |  |
By Ray Monk Delivery of new Incident Response Units for London Buses is continuing fairly rapidly, with at least 26 reported by the end of February 2015. 7862M was photographed at Hanger Lane on the 14th of that month, being one of several based at Acton Works. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,363 |  |
By Thomas Young A large proportion of the service vehicles based at Lillie Bridge were new in 2011/2012, with relatively few additions since. So to find two newer vehicles parked together on 18th February 2015 was a bonus. Ford Transits 7608F and 7671F are both long-wheelbase crew vans new in March 2013. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,364 |  |
By Thomas Young Lillie Bridge Depot is home to a large number of service vehicles, some of which can be seen from the Cromwell Road bridge. On 18th February 2015, Ford Transit minibus 7603F was found. Although 2 years old, this vehicle has only been reported a handful of times, always at night. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,365 |  |
By Derek Everson Caught on Coomber Way in Beddington on 4th February 2015, Ford Transit dropside truck 7590F was one of several new in plain white livery in late 2012. Allocated to the Tramlink depot in Therapia Lane, it was given their white/blue/green livery in autumn 2014. Note that unlike similar 7627F (which was delivered in this livery), the bodywork on 7590F remains white. Some other changes made to 7590F are the fitting of spot-lights to the bolster, a small non-standard light-bar on the cab roof, and high-visibility markings on the mirror casings. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,366 |  |
By Ray Monk Two unusual visitors to Bollo House in Acton on 14th February 2015 were Tube Lines liveried Renault Kangoo Maxi van 7427R and London Buses Incident Response Unit 7003M. As recently mentioned, the former is normally kept at Cockfosters depot, while the red van had just been replaced by a newer example at Stratford City Bus Station. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,367 |  |
By Thomas Young Peugeot Partner Tepee cars 7221-7230P were new in late 2011 and are based at Lillie Bridge Depot. On 18th February 2015, 7221P was visible in the gap between the buildings, surrounded by Ford Transits, including one of the Plant Services Mobile Maintenance Units (6858/6859F). |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,368 |  |
By Thomas Young Some changes have been made at Lillie Bridge Depot recently. The entrance by West Kensington Station has a new security point, and now seems to be used a lot more for vehicle movements (despite the narrowness of Beaumont Avenue). At the east end of the depot, the area between two of the buildings has been given over to vehicle parking. Previously there were two tracks here for stabling engineers trains (as seen in 2009). This area can be clearly viewed from the Cromwell Road bridge but only a few of the vehicles will be identifiable. On 18th February 2015 at least 14 service vehicles were visible, most of them Ford Transit dropsides. Leading on the right was Volkswagen Caddy crew van 7118VW, based here since September 2011 but infrequently reported. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,369 |  |
By Ray Monk Ford Transit dropside truck 6870F was new in March 2010 and has been seen at various locations, usually at night. Since it is now coming up for five years old, it probably won't be around for much longer. On 20th February 2015 Ray found it parked in Acton on Bollo Lane, just between Bollo House and Smallbills Garage. As with many LUL Transit dropsides, 6870F is long-wheelbase and features a crew-cab and tail-lift. However, it does not have the extended chassis frame (ECF) option. On vehicles with the 'one-stop' style of bodywork, these can be recognised by having three dropside door hinges, compared to four on the ECF models such as 7701F. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,370 |  |
By Thomas Young Another view of Acton Works lorry yard on 18th February 2015, this time showing lorries RV12OEZ and 2589, the latter being fitted with crew-cabbed box body DB14. Note how the extended exhaust pipes on the MAN demountable lorries are not quite tall enough to prevent staining of full-height bodies. On the left is former British Transport Police Iveco Daily rescue tender KE05JLV, now sporting fleetnumber/callsign B91. On the back row are 7161-7163F, three of the four Smiths electric powered Ford Transit vans latterly used by LBSL infrastructure. This trio has been out of use at Acton since December 2014, while the fourth (7160F) seems to have disappeared. Visible on the right are free-standing demountable bodies DB01 and DB15. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,371 |  |
By Thomas Young A view of the lorry yard at Acton Works on 18th February 2015 shows some of the regular resident lorries to the fore. From the left, Iveco Stralis demountable LK08LDY was fitted with curtainside body DB23. Note that this lorry now sports a grey replacement front bumper just like sister LK08LDV. Next is larger Stralis 3-axle lorry LK08BHX, loaded with bags and operating without its dropside doors. Near the centre is MAN TGM lorry RV12OEY while on the right is Iveco EuroCargo lorry 2602, still with the grey corner panel it has had since at least 2012. Partially visible behind are (on the left) Emergency Control Unit body DB25 - perhaps its chassis 2488M was away for maintenance - and (on the right) two new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans awaiting delivery to LBSL. Also new is the huge mural on the tower block in the background. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,372 |  |
By Thomas Young Emergency Response Unit tender 2595 was photographed on the Bollo Lane level crossings on 18th February 2015. Of note is that it now has some sort of fitting on the roof, presumably to carry and off-load ladders. It also now has Transport for London fleetnames in place of the Tube Lines logo. |
01/03/2015 |
| 3,373 |  |
By Derek Everson Caught coming out of Acton Works on 28th January 2015, VX56KFV is only the second example of the American make Kenworth to be illustrated on this site. Both were operated by Dunstable-based recovery firm Stathams, although the size and livery of the two trucks differs considerably. This larger truck, with its impressive fiery paint job, was towing Mercedes-Benz Axor dropside lorry WX08KUV. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,374 |  |
By Derek Everson An interesting photograph taken at Acton Town Station on 21st January 2015 shows Allelys DAF XF tractor unit T200AHH moving D-stock car 7065 across the junction. Although it may appear as though it had come up Bollo Lane, as the tyre tracks show, this was not the case. It had in fact reversed down Museum Way, the train having presumably been loaded in the rear yard of the museum depot. The select registration T200AHH disguises the fact that this DAF was new in 2009. Now that all the A and C stock trains have been withdrawn, deliveries of new S stock are replacing the relatively young D stock on the District Line. An interesting plan being considered is to fit diesel engines to the redundant trains and use them to replace Pacer units on regional railway services. It amazes me that moving railway stock by road is now considered the norm, not just for LUL stock but also for former BR locos and coaches. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,375 |  |
By Ray Monk Although step-entrance buses have been extinct in London service for a number of years, one or two can still be seen around. Metroline retained Dennis Dart DP275 for use as a crew rest room at the DuCane Road terminus at East Acton. Since it was last shown in 2013, the bus has been given a smart (and much-needed) repaint into overall red. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,376 |  |
By Ray Monk The crew ferry cars used from Metroline's Potters Bar garage are now all the group standard Renault Grand Scenic, of which there appear to be four. Newest is LY64EKV, caught leaving the garage on 2nd February 2015. Note that the car is unmarked. Most Metroline crew ferry cars at least have small roundels. As for the livery, the DVLA calls it red, but I think maroon or burgundy would be more accurate. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,377 |  |
By Ray Monk Just an ordinary car on an ordinary street. Only a real SV-head would give this a second glance. I did when it passed me in Harlesden a couple of years ago, and Ray did when he found it parked in East Acton on the last day of January 2015. Vauxhall Astra hatchback T376MGY was part of the Streets fleet taken over by TfL. Unlike sister T375MGY, there is no evidence that this car ever carried Streets livery. As to whether Ray waited until a girl was also in the frame, well I'll leave it to him to answer. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,378 |  |
By Ray Monk The latest Incident Response Units for LBSL are fairly easy to distinguish from earlier batches. From the front, the restyled grille will be apparent, while from the side the lettering and roundels have been repositioned. From the back the big giveaway is the lack of rear windows on the new vans. 7863M was photographed at Eltham Bus Station on 25th January 2015 and can be compared with older 7288M visible in front. The prominent yellow bumpers are another sign. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,379 |  |
By Dave Cousins The first of the new LBSL Volkswagen Transporter vans to be seen in use was RE64JNZ, photographed at Stratford Bus Station on 4th February 2015. I had suspected that these would be given fleetnumbers somewhere in the vicinity of the VW Caddy vans recently delivered for LBSL (7891VW to 7902VW). However, it was carrying 7834VW. Four of the previous high-roof Transporters remained in use (6821-6823/6825VW), so perhaps we will now get four (7834-7837VW) to replace them. Adjacent numbers 7833 and 7838 were assigned to vehicles delivered last autumn. Apart from some slight frontal restyling, and the change to TfL lettering, the new van looks very much like the old ones. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,380 |  |
By Ray Monk The Ford Transit Custom was launched in 2012 and replaced the smaller (front wheel drive) versions of the Mk7 Ford Transit. However, it has yet to see much use as a service vehicle in London. Stagecoach have taken several minibuses for use as crew ferries, while just three vans have been added to the central fleet, all in mid-2014. 7815F was one of these, and has low-roof bodywork. Based at Pelham Street in South Kensington, it was photographed near East Acton Station on 31st January 2015. No more Customs have been added since, and the larger of the new Transit models (the Mk8) has yet to be used at all, which seems to have contributed to a dearth of deliveries for the leased fleet. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,381 |  |
By Derek Everson Volkswagen Caddy van 7814 was new in May 2014 and carries LUL livery with Transport for London lettering. It is most likely based at Stratford Market Depot but was photographed approaching Acton Works on a gloomy 28th January 2015. Note that the fleetnumber lacks the manufacturer suffix. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,382 |  |
By Derek Everson The Emergency Response Unit has two vans in use at present, comprising jumbo Ford Transit 7726F and Renault Kangoo Maxi 7727R. The former was found parked on Bollo Lane on 17th December 2014. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,383 |  |
By Derek Everson The Baker Street offices are now home to a trio of Mitsubishi L200 4x4s plus Ford Mondeo response car 7742F. One or two mail vans are normally present as well, as in this view taken on 28th January 2015. On the left is Fiat Doblo Maxi 7664FI, one of six added in May 2013. No further examples of this make have been taken since. In the middle is Renault Kangoo Maxi 7658R, now one of the most common models in the central fleet. Mondeo 7742F completes the line-up. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,384 |  |
By Derek Everson Vehicles 7576 to 7591 were delivered over the winter of 2012/2013 in plain white livery. Of these, Ford Transit van 7584F was the last to arrive, and the only one to have a '13 registration. Several of the batch have been given full livery in recent months, perhaps surprising given that leased vehicles are usually only kept for 3 or 4 years. 7584F gained full LUL livery (with the latest TfL lettering) sometime in 2014, and it was photographed passing Acton Works on 28th January 2015. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,385 |  |
By Derek Everson At last I can properly illustrate unique Land Rover Freelander 7429LR. This car was new in April 2012 but then spent over a month in the front car park at Acton Works. As such, lots of people saw it but nobody could get a photo of it. Where it went next is a mystery. It was found on Google Street View parked near to Templar House (Holborn). Then a document was seen that listed it as being at the Palestra building in Southwark. If correct, it is most likely kept hidden in the underground car park there. Finally, on 28th January 2015, Derek caught 7429LR approaching Acton Works. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,386 |  |
By Derek Everson Now this may look like a slightly iffy photo of a very ordinary van but it is in fact... just that. What sets Renault Kangoo Maxi 7427R apart from the 100-odd similar vehicles in the fleet is that it is usually hidden away at Cockfosters Depot. Apart from a questionable sighting of it at Edgware Road Station, it has only been seen by two people. Out of interest I checked the database to see how many current central fleet vehicles (excluding very recent deliveries) had not been seen by either Ray or Steve, our two biggest 'reporters'. The answer was just six, including 7427R. On 17th December 2014 the van was caught heading in to Acton Works. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,387 |  |
By Derek Everson A slightly blurry but interesting shot, taken outside Acton Works on 21st January 2015. Nearest the camera is Mitsubishi L200 7340. New in spring 2012, this was the first such vehicle to be fitted with a glazed hard top (since joined by the trio at Baker Street). Ahead of this is lifts and escalators Transit dropside 7218F, while on the right is MAN lorry RK14ETT. The latter appears to have been reversing back into the works for some reason. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,388 |  |
By Derek Everson The Mitsubishi L200 has been the 4x4 of choice for the central fleet since 2011. The first to arrive was 7318 in a unique all-white livery. As with 7136 delivered a few days later, it lacks a hard-top, the loadspace featuring a flat cover. Based at Acton Works, it was photographed on Bollo Lane on 21st January 2015. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,389 |  |
By Derek Everson A reminder of warmer days now. With the 2011 and 2012 batches of Incident Response Unit vans due to be replaced over the next few months, I thought I would check to see whether all of them had been covered on LTSV. They had, apart from 7290M. Based initially at Kingston, then at Morden, rather surprisingly I only ever received one photograph of it. Taken on 10th July 2013, the van was at the traffic lights outside Cromwell Road Bus Station in Kingston. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,390 |  |
By Derek Everson Ford Transit Connect crew van 7275F is based at Hearne House at Acton Town but seems to make fairly frequent visits to Acton Works, as seen here on 17th December 2014. This is only the third Connect crew van for the central fleet (after low-roof 5687F and electric EU61CRZ). The Connect model itself has become rare in recent years and 7275F is one of no more than six remaining. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,391 |  |
By London Spotter Volkswagen Caddy Maxi crew vans 7256VW to 7261VW are what I would call rare vehicles. Initially based at Westferry Circus (hidden away in the underground car park) and seen out only at night, a couple have been moved to more accessible locations in recent months. In early 2015 7258VW was (temporarily?) based at High Barnet Station, where it was photographed on 19th January. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,392 |  |
By Ivor Norman Autumn 2011 saw two sizeable batches of Volkswagen Caddy crew vans delivered and allocated (in the main) to Lillie Bridge Depot. 7154VW came in October but was not caught on camera until 22nd January 2015 when Ivor found it parked in Church Langley (Harlow). |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,393 |  |
By Ray Monk A new variation of LBSL Incident Response Unit livery was launched in 2015, featuring a white bonnet, roof and ... er... windscreen. Hang on, I'll start again. London has not seen much serious weather this winter (so far at least). On 3rd February there was some snow but it had mostly gone by mid-morning. Ray braved the cold to capture this nice view of 6995M at Eltham Bus Station. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,394 |  |
By Derek Everson The Ford Tourneo Connect was never common as a service vehicle, just 14 having featured in the central fleet since 2005. The last (for now) were 6848F at Ruislip and 6965F across London at Hainault. Both were withdrawn and passed to British Car Auctions in early 2015, and on 22nd January they were seen waiting their turn to be auctioned at Blackbushe. Note the slight differences in the livery applications. 6848F (in front) was the first vehicle to be shown on this website in the new LUL livery. It has lost its wheeltrims somewhere along the line. By the way, the vehicle just peeping in from the left is Vauxhall Combo van 6732V. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,395 |  |
By Derek Everson Another Ford Transit from the batch numbered 6907F to 6940F, this is 6924F about to turn into Acton Works on 12th November 2014. As with many of this batch, it is most commonly seen at night. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,396 |  |
By Ray Monk Fleetnumbers 6907F to 6940F appeared in mid-2010 on a large batch of long-wheelbase Ford Transit crew vans allocated mainly to Acton Works. Disposals of the batch started in mid-2013 but around half survived into 2015. The first nine of the batch featured roof-racks, as shown by 6909F at East Acton on 31st January 2015. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,397 |  |
By Derek Everson Don't tell me, this is a very rare vehicle, right? Well, yes, but it also presents something of a mystery. Ford Tourneo minibus 6211F was new back in May 2007 and allocated to Stratford Market Depot. It replaced similar 5552F, which was very rarely seen and never photographed (apart from a very ropey shot through the fence at Acton in 2007). Unsurprisingly, 6211F was also very rarely reported and never photographed. Then in spring 2014 it appeared to have been replaced by new Volkswagen Transporter minibus 7791VW. As it was by then almost 7 years old, we expected 6211F to be disposed of, and indeed there were no more sightings reported. However, in September 2014 it was relicensed for another 6 months (to April 2015), only to be delicensed the following month. I was therefore very surprised to see this photograph of it coming down Bollo Lane on 28th January 2015. At the time it was still unlicensed so it must have been running on trade plates. Also of note is that the Tube Lines lettering it latterly carried had been replaced with the current style of LUL/TfL markings. Speculating a bit, perhaps it was returned to Acton in 2014 and kept as a spare. The October delicensing could have been the result of accident damage, and perhaps this photo shows it returning to Acton after repairs. Any further reports of this vehicle, now one of the oldest in the leased fleet, would be welcomed. I will also keep an eye on the DVLA database to see if it gets relicensed. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,398 |  |
By Derek Everson Compared with the previous picture, this MAN demountable lorry still has the high-level exhaust pipe, and the number of the body can (just) be made out. DB13 is of some interest itself. It spent several years out of use in the yard at Acton, with its sides and ends removed. By 2011 it was refitted with the rearmost pair of dropside doors (plus rear doors) and re-entered service. This is the first time it has been photographed in use, still without some of the doors. Approaching Acton Works on 28th January 2015. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,399 |  |
By Derek Everson Derek has made several visits to Bollo Lane over the winter, and he very kindly sent me a CD with a load of photographs on. Despite contending with the poor light (and a camera fault), most of the images are excellent, and some of the subjects were very interesting. First up is this view of MAN demountable lorry 2588 arriving at the Works on 21st January 2015. Although it is slightly blurred, I have included this shot for two reasons. Firstly, the lorry seems to have lost the high-level exhaust pipe it had last time it was shown. I believe these were fitted to stop the exhaust from staining box bodies when these were carried. Perhaps the delivery of re-bodied lorry WX08KUY means the demountable box bodies are no longer used. The second point of interest is the body being carried here. It is unfortunate that its number is not visible, since I cannot positively identify it. It has deeper dropsides than any I have seen before and also lacks the wheelarch cut-outs that several bodies were modified with to enable their use with the Volvo chassis. Of the three short bodies with plain dropsides, only DB10 did not gain these cut-outs. My best guess would therefore be that this is DB10 with new doors. Further reports or photographs would be appreciated. |
09/02/2015 |
| 3,400 |  |
By Alan B Cross I'll end today with a dip into the archives for a photo that enables me to discuss two recent topics. Alan's excellent photo of Bedford OSBT tipper 917B parked outside Bowles Road Permanent Way depot on 10th February 1952 was included in the SUP15B publication. Note the bar across the lower part of the side window. This also features on preserved Bedford mobile canteen 702B and I was recently asked if I knew it's purpose. It seemed to me it was probably an arm-rest for use by the driver (or passenger for the one on the nearside), especially since turn indicating had to be done manually on these vehicles. However, it was suggested that the use of a half-round section - with the 'sharp' edges facing upwards and downwards - made this unlikely. Clive did some digging and found that the bars appeared on many (but not all) LT Bedfords from September 1949 onwards. He put forward the notion that it was to protect the top edge of the window glass, since Bedfords did not have the metal protective strip found on Leylands and other types. The use of half-round section may have just been to simplify the mounting of the bar at each end. Does anyone have any further ideas? While on the subject of window bars, I noticed that our picture of 895B has them, but also an additional bar further up. Another mystery! The second topic is vehicle histories. A few years ago I discovered London Transport's 'Variations in Rolling Stock' documents. These were day-to-day records of all changes (transfers, deliveries, disposals etc) affecting the road vehicle fleet. It seemed that I would be able to build up a complete allocation history for each vehicle operated during the period that these documents covered (broadly 1939 to about 1985). However, after doing an awful lot of data entry it has become clear that the variation sheets are not 100% comprehensive. Taking 917B as an example, its delivery and entry to service at Lillie Bridge in 1949 is shown. But the next entry shows it transferred from Chiswick to Rye Lane in 1950. Then the next says it was withdrawn at Bowles Road in 1952. It soon returned to use at Bowles Road but the next entry after that says it was transferred from Charlton to Chiswick and delicensed in 1956. The remaining entries between then and 917B's disposal in 1958 appear to be complete, and they do include a spell at Charlton. However, it is clear that some of the information is either missing or incorrect. As such I have put the addition of more history records on hold whilst I ponder a solution. |
26/01/2015 |
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