Covering the first outsider vehicles into the Go-Ahead empire none other than by TfL themselves with Wright Eclipse Gemini and Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs, the former of 10.6m length and latter of 10m length, not bought new to East Thames Buses as you'll read below.
Why not check out: Connex TA1-129. Arriva VLAs/VLWs. London United/Sovereign B7TLs.
If for some reason you want your photo on this page, don't hesitate to ask.
Note: Usage of any photos on this blog isn't permitted where no name is present (meaning it's mine, ©Unorm), or an All Rights Reserved symbol © is present. If you desire to use a photo, you must contact the original author. In my case, you should contact my Flickr.
Whereby a name is stated and no © is present, the photo is Some Rights Reserved and may be used in accordance to the license.
Sources: Flickr. The Bus Forum (TBF). Ensignbus. London Vehicle Finder (LVF).
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Easylink VP149-173
East Thames Buses/Go-Ahead London VP1-20
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| Ian Kirby VP16 X168FBB, Lewisham |
New to "Durham Travel Services, New Cross" in February 2001, though truly is Easylink, had won their first two routes 42 and 185 from what is now the redundant Mandela Way (MW, MA was a different site), the former with Scania N94UBs bodied by East Lancs' Mylennium and the latter route with the proven-reliable and popular Volvo B7TL chassis, bodied by Plaxton's President. Now all would be swimmingly well if the company didn't liquefy into bankruptcy, supposedly by shady usage of money by the top man, apparently arrested afterwards but don't quote me.
Either way these VPs were succeeded in part by TfL's own VWLs on route 185 (free from 128/150), cascading the VPs for other uses such as a mascot "Mayor of London", or a trainer, or even school routes 661/669 which were a result Harris Bus' failure, after gaining them from Stagecoach.
Later upon Go-Ahead's acquisition in 2009 they were refurbished with Go-Ahead's skirt and their interior. VP1-14 transferring neatly into Camberwell (Q) on line of route (with the VP15-7 remaining in service at Belvedere [BV] maintained by Bexleyheath [BX]). Lasting 5 years until route 11 displaced it's large amount of 53reg WVLs which transferred from Stockwell (SW) to Camberwell (Q), duly replacing the VPs.
These were 10m long, H41/23D spec. Fainsa Cosmic seating. 10m long body. Manual blinds. Euro 2 emission D7C engine (215hp?) coupled to a ZF 4HP502C, 4-speed.
VP149 (VP1) X149FBB: Acquired by CT Plus Yorkshire, converted to single door.
VP151 (VP2) X151FBB: Stored at Southdown PSV's Copthorne. Acquired by CT Plus Yorkshire, converted to single door.
VP154 (VP5) X154FBB: Acquired by Redline Buses, Alyesbury as late as 01/2015, refurbished late 2015.
VP157 (VP6) X157FBB: Refurbished to single door by Rowan Telmac, showed at Euro Bus Expo 2014. Acquired by Ridleys, Kenilworth.
VP161 (VP9) X161FBB: Acquired by Price Coaches, New Broughton, reregistered FSU807, converted to single door. Acquired by Carrs, Loch Lomond.
VP163 (VP11) X163FBB: Acquired by CT Plus Yorkshire, converted to single door.
VP164 (VP12) X164FBB: Acquired by Holmeswood circa 03/2015, converted to single door. Acquired by Berrys Coaches.
VP166 (VP14) X166FBB: Acquired by Holmeswood circa 03/2015, converted to single door. Acquired by Berrys Coaches.
VP167 (VP15) X167FBB: On loan to Plymouth Citybus as 446?. Acquired by DET London, converted to single door, rear door covered by grills.
VP169 (VP17) X169FBB: Acquired by Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd (Dartmouth Steam Railway, Rail River Link) circa 2015, named Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley
VP173 (VP20) X173HBB: Owned by TfL, converted to partial open-top in the middle section as late as 2009, fully red with "Mayor of London" and "Transport for London" besides the buses roundel.
Updated 30/08/21
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East Thames Buses VP21-26
Just some fun fact tid bit, I won't add transfers/acquires for these native-Go-Ahead PVLs. They were loaned in 2006 indirectly for 201 (Herne Hill-Morden), which used 132 (Bexleyheath-Eltham)'s 10.8m Wright Cadets until the 393 transferred to Arriva leaving plenty of 9.4m versions to fully allocate both 132 and 201 with Cadets, the latter mainly with 9.4m versions.
Based at Mandela Way (MA)/Belvedere (BV).
VP21 PVL199 X699EGK
VP22 PVL204 X504EGK
VP?? PVL196 (Metrobus 866) X596EGK
VP24
VP25
VP26 PVL203 X503EGK
Updated 18/10/20
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East Thames Buses VWL1-44:
Usually I wouldn't add a non-GAL batch (until I decided, hey separating them from native GAL B7TLs is a good idea) in but Go-Ahead bought them, even then, TfL ordered the batch under their hidden guise 'East Thames Buses' whenever an operator fails and TfL need to step in, or no competent operator bids for a route. The previous example immediately applicable with Harris Bus' failure...
VWL1-31
Registered between August and December 2002, H43/23D spec. Rowan Telmac seating. 10.7m long body. Smart blinds. Euro 3 emissions, Volvo D7C (250hp?) engine coupled to a ZF Ecomat 5HP504C 5-speed gearbox.
For 150 (Chigwell Row-Ilford) but in practice for 180 (Lewisham-Belvedere Industrial Area, extended from Thamesmead East), as well as routes 128 (Ilford-Romford), 129 (Claybury Broadway-Becontree Heath).
Oh and as an aside 132 (Bexleyheath-Eltham), which quickly relegated to BX04-reg DWLs.
Fun fact, these were the first Long-Wheelbase Geminis.
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| Nico Hogg VWL12 LB02YWX, New Kent Road, Elephant & Castle |
Ordered 2 years after a hard reset from acquiring Harris Bus, Sending off-lease the East Lancs Pyoneer bodied Volvo Olympians and keeping the younger Olympians to reallocate from 180 to 150. Still, for a what-would-be the retain of 128 (Ilford-Romford) and 129 (Claybury Broadway-Becontree Heath) with a combined PVR of 13, fittingly nice with 2 spares. Whilst 180 had amassed a PVR of 14.
In 2004, to facilitate bendyfying 25, the 128 and 150 had to evacuate the Ilford stand, what better way than to fuse 128/129 and have 150 extended to Becontree Heath, receiving an uplift in service from total 8bph to 10bph. The 128/150/180/etc could've seen a tender in 2007 in an interesting turn of events.
Once again for bendyfying something the 128 had to leave... Ash Grove (AG) along with ETB's influence to Arriva in order to facilitate the 38, Arriva won 128 from Barking (DX) anyway, though simultaneously no one wanted the one (Canada Water - Tottenham Court Road), or 'invalid bids' considered by TfL, I wouldn't know for sure but one thing is for sure, the B7TLs were reallocated to 1/N1 from 2005 onwards. In the same 2005 tenders saw 150 leave to First's Rainham (R).
Thus these moved from Ash Grove (AG) to Mandela Way (MA), eventually refurbished...
VWL1-10 moving to Camberwell (Q) with the 185, VWL11-26 remained at Belvedere (BV) for 180, VWL27-31 to join VWL32-44 at Mandela Way (MW) for 1/N1.
VWL32-44
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| VWL32 BX04AZW, London Road, Elephant & Castle |
Registered April/May 2004, H43/23D spec. Rowan Telmac seating. 10.7m long body. Manual blinds. Euro 3 emissions, Volvo D7C (250hp?) engine coupled to a ZF Ecomat 5HP504C 5-speed gearbox. Included a screen on the rear door.
These mopped up the remaining Volvo Olympians, coincidentally timed with the 2004 Ilford changes seeing 150 extended as you read above, coincidentally 13 buses for a PVR of 11. With just a year left for retender, the next route was set... transferring across the river from Ash Grove (AG) to south London's Mandela Way (MA) for the only route that passes closest to it under East Thames Buses.
2009, prior to GAL acquisition:
VWL1-4/6-23 were eventually based at Mandela Way (MA), for 1/N1.
VWL24-44 based at Belvedere (BV), for 108D, 180/N1, 185.
2010 after GAL acquisition:
VWL1-4/6-10 at Camberwell (Q), 185
VWL11-26 at Belvedere (BV), 180 (661 669 allocated VPs)
VWL27-44 at Mandela Way (MW, not MA), 1/N1
The routes they've ended up in total: 1 42 68 89 108D 128 129(version 1) 132 150 185 229 345 401 422 453 468 486 X68 625 658 661 669
VWL1 LB02YWX: Acquired by Konectbus as 510, converted to single door. Anglian Bus. Hedingham Omnibus.
VWL2 LB02YWY: Acquired by Konectbus as 511, converted to single door. Anglian Bus. Hedingham Omnibus.
VWL3 LB02YWZ: Acquired by Thandi Executive Coaches, converted to single door, reregistered XIL8977
VWL4 LB02YXA: Acquired by Konectbus as 512, converted to single door. Anglian Bus. Hedingham Omnibus.
VWL5 LB02YXC: Arsoned. Front salvaged and donated to London Transport Collection, eventually became a cab-only attraction at London Transport Museum. Front end sent for scrap?
VWL6 LB02YXD: Converted to single door. Temporarily in Ensign as 920. Acquired by Thandi Executive Coaches, reregistered XIL8931.
VWL7 LB02YXE: Acquired by Konectbus as 513, converted to single door. Anglian Bus. Hedingham Omnibus.
VWL8 LB02YXF: Acquired by Konectbus as 514, converted to single door. Anglian Bus. Hedingham Omnibus.
VWL9 LB02YXG: Acquired by Flagfinders, Braintree, converted to single door.
VWL10 LB02YXH: Acquired by JD Travel, Oxford.
VWL11 LB02YXJ: Acquired by JD Travel, Oxford.
VWL12 LB02YXK: Acquired by Flagfinders, Braintree, converted to single door.
VWL13 LB02YXL: Acquired by Seaford & District, converted to single door, coded 454, reregistered SFZ454. Acquired by AVML, Devon.
VWL14 LB02YXM: Acquired by Littles, Ilkestone, converted to single door, coded D1.
VWL15 LB02YXN: Acquired by Littles, Ilkestone, converted to single door, coded D2, reregistered AGZ9367.
VWL16 LF52TGN: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL17 LF52TGO: Acquired by Seaford & District, converted to single door, coded 525, reregistered SFZ525. Acquired by New Horizon Coaches.
VWL18 LF52TGU: Acquired by Silverdale of Nottingham.
VWL19 LF52TGV: Acquired by Yorkshire Tiger, converted to single door, coded 835.
VWL20 LF52TGX: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL21 LF52TGY: Acquired by Silverdale of Nottingham, converted to single door.
VWL22 LF52TGZ: Stored in JD Travel's Culham, Oxford.
VWL24 LF52THK: Acquired by Silverdale of Nottingham, converted to single door.
VWL25 LF52THN: Acquired by Shiel Buses, Acharacle, converted to single door.
VWL26 LF52THU: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL27 LF52THV: Acquired by Shiel Buses, Acharacle, converted to single door.
VWL28 LF52THX: Acquired by Shiel Buses, Acharacle, converted to single door.
VWL29 LF52THZ: Acquired by Crosskeys Coaches, converted to single door.
VWL30 LF52TJO: Acquired by Seaford & District, converted to single door, coded 818, reregistered SFZ818. Acquired by New Horizon Coaches.
VWL31 LF52TJU: Acquired by Silverdale of Nottingham, converted to single door.
VWL32 BX04AZW: Acquired by New Horizon Travel, converted to single door.
VWL33 BX04AZV: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL34 BX04AZU: Acquired by New Horizon Travel, converted to single door.
VWL35 BX04AZZ: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL36 BX04BAA: Acquired by Sleafordian, converted to single door.
VWL37 BX04BAU: Acquired by Sleafordian, converted to single door.
VWL38 BX04BAV: Acquired by Sleafordian, converted to single door.
VWL39 BX04BBE: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL40 BX04BBF: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL41 BX04BBJ: Acquired by New Horizon Travel, converted to single door.
VWL42 BX04BKL: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL43 BX04BKK: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
VWL44 BX04BKJ: Acquired by York Pullman, converted to single door.
Updated 06/07/23
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Why not check out: Connex TA1-129. Arriva VLAs/VLWs. London United/Sovereign B7TLs.
Everything typed is as of 17/10/20.
Note: Usage of any photos on this blog isn't permitted where no name is present (meaning it's mine, ©Unorm), or an All Rights Reserved symbol © is present. If you desire to use a photo, you must contact the original author. In my case, you should contact my Flickr.
Whereby a name is stated and no © is present, the photo is Some Rights Reserved and may be used in accordance to the license.
Sources: Flickr. The Bus Forum (TBF). Ensignbus. London Vehicle Finder (LVF). Sullivan Buses website.
UPDATED: 06/07/2023 01:38
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