Monday 10 June 2002
Today saw the first day of the new Broxden Park & Ride, a plan put together by Perth & Kinross Council along with several other local organisations and companies. Park & Ride vehicles, Service 301, are operated up to every 10 minutes during the day, and are being ran by Smith & Sons of Coupar Angus. New bus shelters have been placed at various locations along the route - such as Mill Street (north side) where the route has its own shelter. A new shelter has been placed in Leonard Street, between the bus & rail stations - in exactly the same spot where Mackays Coaches (technically Strathtay in drag) and Smith & Sons would pick up on Service 57 to Blairgowrie.... but that is by the by! The fleet of new DAF SB120 Wright Cadet midibuses look immaculate in council green/blue house scheme, and the buses stand out amongst the similar liveries (all with orange white and blue!) of Stagecoach and Strathtay! RBX and RBZ are the two I have seen so far - there will be more (watch this space!) Here are two photos of RBX taken at Mill Street, just before lunchtime.

The new bus shelter in Mill Street can be seen in the background to the first picture. The second picture shows off the rear lettering. The fare is just £1.00 Adult Return, but after 9am one Adult and one Child can travel together for £1 ! These are not the first Cadet's in Scotland, Oban & District got those... but still looking and playing the part with a quality service.

Then I managed a trip to Glasgow.... then East Kilbride and Hamilton. Changeable weather for the rest of the day, but I managed a few shots whilst in Glasgow.

	As soon as I got into Glasgow... here's an unusual working! There were two of the ex-London MA's on the 61, and this one here seen on the 38. The 38 service was a mix of Scanias and Darts. In the background, a Dart SLF can be seen on the 12 - it seemed to be the only one yesterday (on that route), Further to my last trip to Glasgow, the extension of the 38 to Crookfur and Newton Mearns, applies on late night buses only.
	Following on from the picture I took last time of the Arriva-liveried Dart SLF working the Citylink 905 Glasgow Airport service, here is one of the real thing. 798, 799, 800 were all repainted into a white/green/blue "airport link" livery, but this has been replaced by the more familiar Citylink "new" version. Recently, an Alexander ALX200-bodied Dart SLF has been repainted into new Citylink livery, while Fairline no longer has their own service - they are now Citylink sub-contractors also - but they have three new Mercedes Vario/Plaxton Beaver, in the white/blue existing livery.
	Following the relaunch of the First in Glasgow Overground, buses are being given colour-coded bands on selected corridors. The first one to be done is the 62 Faifley - Baillieston, perhaps as a result of the competition from Stagecoach (MagicBus) at the Baillieston end? Anyway, the 75 is no longer a cross-town route - technically - as the 75 now links Castlemilk, the City, then terminates at Holland Street (near Charing Cross), while the 75A links Milton, the City, then crosses the Clyde for just two stops - terminating at Bridge Street underground station.

Thursday 6 June 2002
Trip around Angus - a few times - today!

In Forfar, an unusual visitor from much further north, was this Leasks Mercedes Benz 709D/Plaxton P20 JLS. Leaks are based in Lerwick, on the Shetland "mainland".
Meffan's two recent Mercedes 709D/Alexander minibuses are at work across rural Angus. L321 AUT appears to be working Route 124/125 Eassie - Glamis - Forfar group of routes. Note the blind box board promoting Glamis Castle....
The first time I went through Arbroath, Olympian 901 was parked up in the layover area. It would appear, by mid-afternoon, that it had gone onto Arbroath local services, replacing a Dart presumably.
Blairgowrie-based 543, the last new Leopard/Y-type supplied to an SBG company, was noted running from Montrose this afternoon. On the journey from Montrose Academy to Ferryden, it was sen showing 47 Blank! However, on the 32 Arbroath (Angus College) - Montrose - Hillside (Midgrip Cottages) it showed at least part of the way's destination! Blairgowrie and Dundee depots both have their own destination blinds, but the Arbroath/Forfar/Montrose depots have one "angus" screen - to minimise chances of the buses appearing with incomplete blinds etc.

Saturday 1 June 2002
Stagecoach in Perth held their 2002 "Golden Jubilee" (for Liz Windsor - not for the company!) running day today. Whilst Her Maj was elsewhere, and the event was on a slightly smaller scale than last year, there were a few surprises in store, and it was most worthwhile travelling to the "fair city".

Leyland Lion P721 (VD 3433) is a real "vintage" bus. It was new in 1934, and was rebodied with its current bodywork in 1945. It ran from Perth, in the red "City Transport" livery between 1946 & 1953, before going onto Lawson of Kirkintilloch. The bus is now preserved, and is part of the Hillfoots Vintage Bus Hire fleet. The vehicle is seen at Mill Street heading for Cherrybank, Hillend and Fittis Park - the "old" blinds do not have Hillend on them, so the bus displayed Cherrybank for this direction of the trip!
BXA 464B is a restored ex-Fife Bristol Lodekka, FRD193. The bus had it's first public showing at the SVBM open weekend at Lathalmond last year, and on the day, hit the barrier at the traffic lights at the corner of Pilmuir Street and Carnegie Drive. As can be seen, it has now been fully restored, and is about to depart for a run round Tulloch and Letham. Unlike last year, these were operating as "service" vehicles i.e. not duplicates - as such, they included the Tesco car park in Crieff Road, and the South Street/George Street loop in the City (for most of the day, anyway).
RCS 382 represented Stagecoach West Scotland. This vehicle is their LEYLAND TITAN PD3 [LOWBRIDGE] (CORRECTED 8/6/02 - THANKS JIM!) Albion Lowlander and has recently had new lower panelling added to it, and repainted red without Western fleetnames. The red being former Perth City Transport colours - might the bus have Western lettering applied in time for the Kilmarnock open day later this month (see further down the page for full details!) The bus is seen on Mill Street after having worked a 1 around Letham and Tulloch.
Around lunchtime, everything was swapped about. RCS 382 did a trip from the City to Scone, and back to the City only. Here, the bus is seen at the first bus stop in Stormont Road, having came in from Spoutwells Road and Oakdene Road hail-&-ride areas.
Right behind it was Bristol Lodekka HGM 335E. The bus is seen here turning from Oakdene Road into Stormont Road, in Scone. The bus then worked Service 7 for the rest of the day. This bus was new to Central SMT, and is apparently one of those that Mr Souttar conducted on, during his time at the former East Kilbride garage. The bus poster proclaims the low step, saying that low-floor double deckers are nothing new - although this bus is definatly not DDA compliant!
HDV 639E was working Service 34 between Perth and Spittalfield, via Stanley. After having worked a few runs to Spittalfield and back, the bus worked the 1525 ex Perth to Stanley (Percy Street) Service 34. The bus is seen at the latter location. This was the first bus purchased by Stagecoach many years ago now!
Not quite part of the old bus day, but a worthwhile pix none the less. Leyland Titan 082 broke down at Mill Street, and just minutes later Mercedes 278 came in with a mechanic from Inveralmond, who got the bus started again, and the vehicle then proceeded to finish off the day's tours.
An interesting shot this, for many reasons! Leonard Street, opposite the Railway Station, is the start point for the Service 15 to Crieff, Comrie, and on some journeys, St Fillans. Through tickets are availbile from train services via the "rail bus" scheme. The newly-built pedestrian crossing is not in the shot. Following Stagecoach's assumption of this route in the early 1990's, Stagecoach ran the buses from Scott Street via Kinnoull Street - but then revised them to come into Perth via Methven Street and Leonard Street. A bus stop was fixed adjacent to the parcels office door at Perth Bus Station, but this was quickly removed! Now, buses start/end their journeys at this point in Leonard Street. Incidentlly, when Smith & Sons vs. Strathtay (Mackays Coaches) was happening a few years ago, the buses stopped opposite this location - and a traffic order imposed to avoid the clutter! This resulted in the services continuing into Perth Bus Station, before Smith & Sons withdrew. However, as of Monday 10 June, Smith & Sons will be back in Perth - working the new Broxden Park & Ride service. Watch this space!

Friday 31 May 2002

Strathtay and Travel Dundee, amongst many other Scottish bus operators, are now advertising another new bus-orientated Scottish Executive campaign. (Well, Climate change... but the bus does take part in their dochange.net website!) You have to wonder what they think up at the big building in Leith - after all, the former Transport minister was re-shuffled after promising free travel across Scotland for concession card holders, and her replacement quit after having several "items" added to a large portfolio! Anyway, here's a pix of the bus in the meantime! Strathtay MCW Metrobus 810, seen here at Commercial Street (lower end), Dundee.

Meanwhile, on a more local level, today is the lastday of the roadworks that close the south side access road at Ninewells Hospital, recently dubbed James Arrott Drive. Anyway, this means Fife 42, 96 and Travel Dundee 9X all go along this road, with a pedestrian footbridge over it, means only single deck buses can NORMALLY be used. With the roadworks on, I was partly hoping they could maybe send a double-decker up sometime, just for novelty value... and when 104 was run off the Outer Circle earlier in the morning, and B10L 148 got a window smashed in Barnhill, 104 was sent out as a replacement. Seen here at Ninewells on the 9X, about to become a 10X back to Barnhill and town via the Perth Road.

Thursday 30 May 2002
As a warm-up to the Stagecoach Perth running day at the weekend, and to get a look at the new Stagecoach in Perth timetable/routes setup, had a day around Tayside today. Firstly, tried some of Travel Dundee and Strathtay's services in the Dundee area, before travelling via Blairgowrie to Perth, and back to Dundee for the evening. As ever, the digicam came with me - at least for the second half....

Since Meffan's Service 128 (Kirriemuir - Alyth - Blairgowrie) was chopped in 1999 back to Alyth, the company is not often to be seen in Blairgowrie. With the exception, of course, of the Monday & Thursday Only Service 64 (Alyth - Blairgowrie - Ninewells Hospital - Dundee), which is seen at Blairgowrie Wellmeadow. The bus is a Mercedes 609D/PMT, new to Shearings but passing via Yorkshire Traction to Strathtay, as 128 E104 UNE, then WLT 217. The bus went to Meffans as WLT 217 but since then became KIB 6527, taking the "Irish" number off a Strathtay "myllenium" rebodied Leyland Tiger, in exchnage for the plaet WLT 217 going back to Strathtay.
Although not generally in all-day service any more (Except on occasions!) Strathtay's collection of Leyland Leopards, Leyland Fleetlines etc. come out to play at school times. Leyland Leopard 546 is one of those recently reseated to 60 seats - with 3+2 seating towards the rear. This runs from Blairgowrie via Butterstone, Dunkeld, to Aberfeldy - and picks up school kids from Bredalbane Academy, taking them back as far as Butterstone, (and connecting with several other school runs!) then continuing in service to Blairgowrie. The run, which operates on schooldays with a Leopard (during school holidays and Saturdays, it is a minibus terminating at Dunkeld) it is a highly recommnded route!
Out of the six ex-Yorkshire Traction long-wheelbase MCW MetroRiders, Blairgowrie have half of the share i.e. 212, 213, 215. 212 is seen also at Wellmeadow bus stance, working the circticious town service 63. Despite the "town service" name, it also covers the adjoining communities of Carsie and Rattary, as well as serving the town of Blairgowrie. Strathtay have a one-hour ticket, availbile for changes of bus in Blairgowrie town (only), for a reasonable 55p (a single on the town bus is 50p - presently!)
Since MCW Metrobus 804 was more-or-less written off in a smash in April (on a day when it was not working its usual route!) Blairgowrie have been sent Leyland Olympian 922 as a partial replacement. The bus is seen working here at Blairgowrie - being a double-decker you can probably guess a school run is involved - and you would be right! When arriving at Perth, the bus drops off the driver of the Perth Grammar School - Spittalfield contract (usually Fleetline 715), before proceeding to Perth High School/Perth Academy.
Showing off the versatility of the dot-matrix indicators, Volvo B10M/Alexander PS type 571 of Stagecoach in Perth, is about to leave Mill Street to proceed to the XST006 school contract!
Stagecoach have started to repaint their MAN/Alexander ALX300 saloons at Perth, into the new corporate livery. The majority of the other single deckers have been done. 713 is a "one-off" - not part of the late-2000 batch, this was transferred from Aberdeeen depot to work alongside 714-719 and 721 (now replaced by 722) at Perth, on Service 1/2 in the main (amongst other work). Conversly, three similar buses have been transferred from Manchester to Aberdeen on "long-term" loan.

Monday 27 May 2002
You lot know I don't normally repeat straight off press releases.... but this one is worthwhile, so listen up! Stagecoach West Scotland is opening its doors to all the family in a fun filled Charity Open Day on Saturday 22 June 2002 at their depot in MacKinlay Place, Kilmarnock. The event is on from 11.00am until 4.00pm and will have a transport theme, with a number of both vintage buses and modern buses on show. There will also be an opportunity for any budding bus drivers to "give it a go" and drive a bus, not to mention a chance to take an open top tour of Kilmarnock. With exhibition stands from a number of organisations including the Police, Fire Brigade, Hansel Village, VOLVO and a number of bus memorabilia stalls, there will certainly be something to interest everyone, especially the kids, with a free bouncy castle and goodies galore. A free park and ride will be provided to the venue from the East Ayrshire Council Offices Car Park at London Road, Kilmarnock and a free shuttle bus will be in operation from Kilmarnock Bus Station to MacKinlay Place. A charity raffle will also be held on the day with all proceeds donated to the Hansel Village Foundation. Emma Howat, Marketing Manager of Stagecoach West Scotland said; "This is a fantastic occasion for our customers to take a look behind the scenes and learn more about our organisation. It is also an opportunity for Stagecoach West Scotland to say a big thank you to our customers and we are pleased that we can support a worthwhile charity such as the Hansel Foundation at the same time."

Saturday 25 May 2002
A trip north today, for a change.... headed north to Aberdeen, Ellon, Fraserburgh, banff/Macduff, then back to Aberdeen via "route 305". Again, well worth the hurl. some of the stuff that got snapped will be posted here later on.

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