Friday 2, Saturday 3, Sunday 4 July 2004 Total content 72 photographs 

What? Where? Why? Well, Megabus.com started a Glasgow - London route on Monday past - with connections and through fares from Dundee and Perth. Yes, you can get on two buses for your pound - or if you travel from Perth Mill Street, three! So, I decided to add a bit more as I'd done quite a bit of London stuff back in April. So, the plan was.... M9 Dundee - Glasgow, M11 Glasgow - London, 211 London Victoria - Waterloo, 211 Waterloo - Victoria, M1 London - Birmingham, 140 Birmingham - Blackheath, 205 Blackheath - Dudley, 74 Dudley - West Bromwich - Birmingham, M1 Birmingham - London, M11 London - Glasgow, and M9 Glasgow - Dundee. 

And also... how many times can you see Travel Dundee, Travel London and Travel West Midlands pictures all taken on the same day? All taken within about seven hours too ;-D And National Express Airport too, so encompassing all the NatEx owned bus operations! Next time I shall need to get a Travel Coventry sky blue painted bus too!

And to confuse even more... former Dundee buses in Dudley and Blackheath, former London buses in Birmingham... makes a change from snapping former London and Birmingham buses in Dundee!

How was the trip? I've been on the bendi-coaches often enough on many of the Stagecoach Express services, and I can remember when they did cross-border tours for Stagecoach. The Volvo B10M chassis is very similar to the base formerly used by Trathens/Parks for the Volvo B12 deckers that they formerly used on the Aberdeen-London overnights. They are also the same as the rigid Volvo's used by Stagecoach/Cumberland for the London day service. So I'd experienced these coaches before. The promise of reclining seats isn't exactly true - at the moment - as the existing fixed coach seats remain. From experience recliners usually means most people push back, and those who don't want to have to because someone in front of them has pushed back! The heat from the heaters was fairly hot at times (I sat at the window on the way down, and in the aisle on the way back) and to be honest I think next time I'd sit at the aisle anyway. And at the price, a legal steal if ever there was one. After all, from Dundee City Centre it's 95p to the Technology Park (about 3miles), and £1 (plus booking fee) to London! However, some same day bookings are being charged at £12 - while a last-minute couple apparently paid £40 - £20 down and £20 up. Kind of makes the £1 I paid for the seat sound somewhat amusing....

By the time you've read this bit, hopefully the table has loaded!

	Until a service change in about one week, the Dundee - Perth M9 connects with a Glasgow - London M11... but for through passengers, a connection runs from Perth to Glasgow. On the way down, Dundee - Perth was ran by a Leyland Olympian, while Perth - Glasgow was ran by an ex-Oxford Tube Volvo coach. Left Ex-HK Citybus Leyland Olympian 13602 (WLT 416) of Bluebird Buses and Right similarly owned Volvo/Berkhof 52029 (LSK 545) are both seen at Perth, Broxden Park & Ride. Time: Friday 2 July, about 2045.
	Left Stagecoach (Bluebird Buses) LSK 545 again, at Glasgow North Hanover Street. Time: Friday 2 July, about 2210. Right The Glasgow - London Megabus.com services are being ran by two Jonckherre bodied Volvo articulated coaches, with a formerly fire damaged Plaxton acting as a back up. Former Fife 562 is now 51062 (VCS 391) and is seen at Northampton Services. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 0400.
	Left and Right Another two shots of the same vehicle, in the same location.
	Left Seen at London's Green Line coach station. On Saturdays, Polish and Megabus vehicles seem to outnumber the mainly commuter based operations during the week. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 0615. Right Terrorvision operate a non-stop service from the Greenline coach station to Stanstead Airport. And no tequilla (or songs about it) is involved. This YN 04 YJJ is a Iziar bodied Scania which is seen at the coach station.
	And now - two Scottish coaches, parked awaiting to get into Victoria Coach Station arrivals, and are seen in Eccleston Place. Left Rapson's have added two Jonkherre bodied Volvo's for National Express work. The latter is 670, FN 04 JZT. Right Travel Dundee are operating duplicates to National Express Service 592 between Dundee and London over the summer, using coaches in the new purple coach livery. Here, PYJ 136 is seen about to drop off its passengers.... once the road ahead was cleared... what was causing the blockage?
	Left Aah - it LOOKS Like a mega-blockage, but in fact a Parks/Trathens Neoplan is straight ahead of the mega coach. While many Megabus vehicles proceed to (Stagecoach) East London's Leyton depot to refuel and get the toilet dropped, some turn around at the Victoria Coach Station arrivals point as seen here - much to the alleged disgust of NatEx, but at least Transport for London (owners of both Victoria Coach Station facilities, but not that of the Green Line stance) get something out the deal. Right National Express Airport - formerly Airlinks and Speedlink before that - 310 (N310 VAV) Volvo/Plaxton. Newer coaches are used on many journeys of the A6 (Victoria - Stanstead) but following the recent upgrade to a coach every 20 minutes, some older coaches are to be expected on occasions.
	Left Speaking of relaunches, Oxford Bus Company recently rehashed their London service as "london espress" with these green liveried Scania/Iziars. Many of the older coaches have since been repainted into the colours since. Here, OBC's 5 (EF 53 OXF) is seen here passing the back stances of Victoria coach station. The TfL red bus stop in the background shows 705 - the southern half of the former Stationlink circulars - and new service DB1 which shuttles to/from Victoria Station by DB Transport Ltd. The latter uses a plain white Optare, and another still in Southlands Travel livery. Both look fairly tatty - I did snap them both, but sadly neither turned out. Maybe next time. Right LK 53 KWD is one of the aforementioned A6 Plaxton coaches - anyone know the fleetnumber?
	Left Stagecoach South 53006 (GU 52 WTD) is a Volvo/Plaxton Paragon seen here on NatEx at Victoria Coach Station. Right Similar but owned by the Cheltenham/Gloucester operations (apologies as outwith Scotland and London I'm lost on such things!) - 53015 (VU 03 VVZ) is seen here also at VCS.
	Left I can remember vividly when these MAN double deck coaches entered service on the Oxford Tube in 1999. Stagecoach held a lavish launch for it - which you can still see online on the Oxford Bus Page archive - and 34 coaches arrived to disperse older Volvo's. One of those replaced by the MAN deckers is now LSK 545 - seen at the top of the page. In an ironic twist, 9 of the MAN's are being sold while the remainder will be split between Stagecoach West Scotland and megabus.com work. New Neoplan Skyliners are presently arriving to replace them in Oxford. Anyway, 54 (T54 BBW) is seen here on Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.  Time: Saturday 3 July, about 0650. Right After breakfast (can't believe I was happily queued up waiting for a fast food outlet to open for food at 0655 on any morning... but I've done it before..), we'd walked around to Victoria bus & rail stations including the bus stands. First bus pic that turned out was London Central Mercedes Citaro artic MAL56 (BL 52 ODP) seen arriving here in Wilton Road, Victoria.
	Left Totally silly I know but I snapped up this smart looking plain white Toyota/Caetano and forgot to note the legal lettering. Aah well never mind - but if you know who owns it, let me know! Seen in Wilton Road, Victoria. Right Alexander/Transbus ALX400 bodied Volvo B7's can be seen operating for First, TWM and Travel Dundee elsewhere, but Arriva London have a quantity running out of Norwood garage. Here, VLA49 (LJ 53 BAV) is seen in Wilton Road heading for Baker Street Station. Interestingly the 2 used to end at Marlelybone until the artics on the 453 took over the stand at that station, and Service 2 got moved a few blocks down the street.
	Left On the night before, Westbourne Park garage (and First in London) lost its last Routemasters as Service 7 went over to OPO operation. This was to use Dennis Tridents displaced from the 25 lost to Stagecoach the previous week, However, I had to snap an RM or two while I was here. This is a more unusual one - an open top one with a front entrance! RMF 588 (FPT 588C) is seen here at Hudsons Place, Victoria, and is waiting to take tourists around the capital on Big Bus tours. Right Metroline (and Metroline London Northern) have amassed a huge collection of Volvo and Dennis Trident double deckers. The very first batches of TP's (Plaxton's) were ordered by (what was at the time) MTL for the 43, with the first TA's (Metroline) ordered for the 16. The 16 has now progressed to long-wheelbase TAL's. These Plaxton President bodied Dennis Tridents (also from Cricklewood) are intended for use on the 139/189, but TP402 is seen at Vauxhall Bridge Road, Victoria.
	Left Stagecoach London's last Routemaster route was Service 8 from Bow Garage. This Dennis Trident/Alexander (delivered after Transbus went out of administration into Dennis/Alexander hands) was one of those that saw off the RML's. 18218 (LX 04 FXF) is seen here in Vauxhall Bridge Road, Victoria. Right Arriva London's Tottenham-based AEC Routemaster RML2611 (NML 611E) is seen leaving Victoria Station on Service 73 - due for conversion to Citaro artics later this year.
	Left Travel London Solo 236 (S236 EWU) became Connex Bus S236 and was one of a few repainted by Connex into plain red. Now back to Travel London again, and the bus shows the plain red livery with TD fleetnames... and advertising for a particular brand of hair products on the rear end! The bus is seen leaving Terminus Place Victoria, having dropped off its passengers it then proceeded to the bus stands. Right Service 36's split in two was changed last year so one half became 436 with artics (depicted above) from Paddington - Victoria - New Cross - Lewisham. Routemasters are retained on The 36 which runs Queens Park - Padidngton - Victoria - New Cross. The RM's are based at the latter location.  RML2339 is seen in Terminus Place, Victoria, heading for there.
	Now, onto Waterloo. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 0830. Travel London are once again showing lettering proclaiming them to be a part of the National Express group - not carried in Dundee, but carried by TWM. Left The rear of TA106 (KV 02 URO) shows this at Waterloo Station. Right TA101 (KV 02 USU) seen also at Waterloo, seemed to be acting as a spare bus as it didn't move during our time in this part of town.
	Left The front of TA106 and the offside, at Waterloo Station. That's the second Travel London QB-based bus that is advertising haircare! Anyway... Right After Waterloo we progressed back to Victoria. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 1000. Another Oxford Bus Co. "espress" coach is 17 (W17 OXF) seen here leaving Eccleston Street, turning into Buckingham Palace Road.
	Left 13622 (H725 KDY) is arriving here at Eccleston Bridge, approaching the London GreenLine terminus. Just cut off the top corner but never mind! Right We then progressed north to Birmingham on 13625 (H511 FRP) which is allocated to the former Midland Red operation. The bus is seen at Snow Hill Queensway, Birmingham. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 1315.
	Seen here in Colmore Row, Birmingham, are two pictures of Birmingham Coach Company Dennis Lance/Northern Counties K312 YJA. These were new to Metroline for a variety of work, including the 113, but were withdrawn from service very quickly. They sat around at the former Atlas Bus yard in Harlesden and only one/two were sold. However BCC later came in and bought a heap of them for use as Leyland National replacements. Service 192 to Kidderminster is a commercial daytime replacement for a service recently withdrawn by First.
	Left Travel West Midlands took one batch of Volvo B7/Plaxton President double deckers, including 4100 (V410 MOA) which is seen on Colmore Row. Right A newer Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 4571 (BU 04 BJV), (one of a few 04 plated vehicles with Transbus badges!) in Corporation Street.
	Left I didn't get a chance to snap a 900 branded bus back in April, despite riding on one (4427 on that day!) Here, two numbers down, 4425 is seen here picking its way through the street furniture in Moor Street. Since my last visit, the "limited stop" 900 has became all stops from Coventry to Birmingham International Station all day, not just in the evenings. Anyway, 4425 is a Trident/ALX400. Right Another bus not route branded is 4366 (BV 52 DAC) seen rounding the corner on Moor Street. Chopped the top corner off.... never mind!
	Left  4530 (BU 53 RNL) is a Volvo B7/Wright Eclipse Gemini. National Express group recently placed a group order for 90 of these - 52 for TWM,  18 for Travel Dundee, and 20 for Travel London (to take over the 381/N381 from Peckham based Volvo Olympians at London Central). The first (for TWM) are presently in build. So, the vehicles expected will probably look a little like this, seen on Moor Street passing the Bullring. Didn't there used to be a bus station on this site? Right From Birmingham we progressed to Blackheath - and stopped outside The Ashley (pub). Here, Mercedes 0405N 1584 (S584 VUK) is seen here at The Ashley.
	Time: Saturday 3 July, about 1545.  Left Travel West Midlands initially ordered 250 Volvo B10B/Wright's a few years ago, and many were subsequently changed to B10L's - some of which ended up at Dundee. Here, 1371 (N371 WOH) is seen leaving Blackheath. Right Travel Ludlows had this Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer on Service 230 passing "The Ashley" - W446 DOP. Is it just me or does it have a Prestige front end?
	Left 540 (P540 EJW) is a Volvo B6LE/Wright, from the batch of which three were sent to Dundee. Seen here at "The Ashley". Right Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton KU 52 RYK of Pete's Travel (Probus Management Ltd.) seen passing "The Ashley" - with the pub/brewery sign in the background.
	Now, you may be wondering just why I went this way around the Black Country. Well, some of you will recall several months ago when some Travel Dundee Volvo B6/Plaxton Pointers headed south to TWM - for use on Service 205 (which is half of former Service 88). Left Former Dundee 118 (M118 XSR) is now TWM 118, and is seen here at Blackheath "The Ashley" and Right at the arrivals point of Dudley Bus Station. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 1625.
	Now, onto the main area of Dudley Bus Station, where I waited for a bit - snapping Metrobuses, Volvo's, Mercedes, and more. Left Service 87 is mostly in the hands of the Volvo/Presidents, but Metrobuses (was it B722.. something?) get a look-in as seen here. Right Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 4310 (BP 51 HDJ) seen in Dudley bus station.
	Left 609 (R609 YON) is another Volvo B6LE/Wright, this time seen on Service 222 to the Merry Hill Centre. The vehicle carries lettering for Citylink - not to be confused with the Scottish version - but in fact for a promotional fare from sister NatEx group company Central Trains. Right 4577 (BU 04 BKE) is another Trident/ALX400, forming part of the investment in new vehicles for Wolverhampton. Bearing in mind that last year, buses were prepared showing "Investing in Wolverhampton" and "Investing in Coventry", are we likely to see "Investing in Dundee?" when the Gemini's arrive? Both seen at Dudley Bus Station.
	Unusual vehicles - and comparatively rare - are the ALX100 bodied Mercedes Vario's. These were new in 1997 (IIRC) and were bodied at Falkirk. Left 274 (R274 XDA) and Right 267 (R267 XDA) are both seen at Dudley Bus Station. Of course, the earlier AM and Sprint models of the minibus conversions are much more common.
	More Dennis/ Trident/Alexander ALX400's (or Transbus, depending on your preference and the date the vehicle was lettered). Left 4583 (BU 04 BKN) is another recent arrival, and was seen at Dudley Bus Station. Right 4542 (BL 53 EDV) is another slightly older example.
	I'd tried to avoid taking pictures with the pole or the shrubbery in the way... Left but this was the only BCC Lance I managed to snap at Dudley. An Excel of theirs past (and on the bus back to Brum I spotted their ex-demonstrators P452/3 BPH also...) anyway... K318 YJA seen arriving at Dudley Bus Station. Right Whilst I'd had a few of the B6LE's, I'd not got one on the 313 (all B10B's) except 547 (P547 EJW), seen arriving at Dudley Bus Station.
	Left 260 (P560 RJX?) was a Mercedes Vario new at the same time as the ALX100's - but with Plaxton Beaver 2 bodywork. Seen here at Dudley Bus Station. Right Optare Excel's did exist in the TWM fleet before the ex-London examples arrived, with most of them appearing in the Wolverhampton area. 709 (S709 VOL) is in Dudley at the other end of such a route. Apparently the two-piece destination/via points are so thick they rub together when fully wound, as such winding one can unwind the other...
	Left 543 (P543 EJW) and 550 (P550 EJW) are another two Volvo B6LE's from the same batch. They've both got the same cubic rear end advert on the offsides too. Except 550's is now incomplete, presumably from window smashing. Both seen at Dudley Bus Station.
	Almost finally, two MCW Metrobuses from the old order. Left 3116 (G116 FJW) is seen passing through Dudley Bus Station on the 125, while Right 2725 (A725 UOE) is working an 87 part-route (titled 87E) almost the whole length of the route.
	Two vehicles are required for Service 205, and the second was also an ex-Dundee Volvo B6. 119 (M119 XSR) has recently been refitted with hand-wound blinds, having only carried these in Dundee for about 18/19 months.  117 was off the road with a defective engine, while 116 was on Service 276. Anyway, 119 seen twice at Dudley Bus Station. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 1715.
	Anyway, back to London. Time: Saturday 3 July, about 2200. Left Firstly, 16307, J703 HMY is seen at Greenline coach station. Right 51061 is the other Volvo artic (remember we came down on the other about 23 hours ago?) - YSV 730, and it is seen too at the Greenline coach terminal.
	Whilst "non-Mega" vehicles on Megabus.com work appear frequently (more so down south than up north these days), the Brighton - London run was ran by a brand new Dennis Dart SLF and a Volvo Olympian! The Dart was on duplication, but we heard that unfortunately the Olympian got a window smashed upstairs around 0100 on its way back to Brighton. Anyway, Left 34514 (GX 04 EXH) and Right Volvo Olympian 16314 (S314 CCD) both seen late night at the Greenline coach terminal.
	These two photographs have a larger than usual "large" image. Left 51061 at Glasgow North Hanover Street. Time: Sunday 4 July, about 0700. Right The last bit of the route was from Glasgow to Dundee, 13602 (WLT 416) is seen at Dundee Yeaman Shore. Time: Sunday 4 July, about 0930.
	Finally, for the Sunday morning diversion on Dock Street busway... Left Volvo B10BLE 178 (V178 ESL) and Right Volvo B10L 124 (P124 KSL) both seen in Yeaman Shore. Both buses on the move, but reasonable pics nonetheless!