Archway Travel's new tri-axle School Bus

Archway Volvo B8L AC73WAY leaving Fleetwood for the afternoon route 607 school run from Poulton

Archway Travel of Fleetwood have recently taken delivery of a brand new tri-axle Volvo B8L with 12.8m MCV eVoSeti single door bodywork. The monster school bus is fitted with 98 leather seats, and is equipped with a Euro 6 compliant Volvo D8K engine running at 350hp through a ZF Ecolife gearbox. This new acquisition is the largest capacity bus in the Archway fleet by some margin, and is similar to twin-door Volvo B8Ls with the same body style that are currently operating in Hong Kong with Kowloon Motor Bus.

Volvo B8L AC73WAY turning out of Archway's depot on Copse Road heading for Poulton on a school service

AC73WAY leaving Archway Travel's yard in Fleetwood for an afternoon school run on route 607 to Elswick

Kowloon Motor Bus V6X128 (YE893) Volvo B8L 12.8m MCV eVoSeti (Wikimedia Commons)

The Terror Tram heads east to Lowestoft

Reid's low loader leaving the bus yard at Rigby Road with Brush 634

The Terror Tram left Blackpool this afternoon at the start of a long journey to the opposite side of the country. Brush 634 is the latest Blackpool tram to make the long cross country trip to the east coast, where it is to be homed at the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, alongside several other expat Blackpool trams. A low loader of Reid Freight Services arrived at Rigby Road depot shortly after midday. The weather couldn't have been worse for the move, as Blackpool was being battered by wind and rain from Storm Debi, which passed right over the resort, bringing gusts of up to 73 mph, driving rain and sea spray in from the Irish Sea. After an efficient loading process, the transporter headed off along Rigby Road at 3pm with Brush 634 onboard.

Brush 634 being towed out of the body shop by Unimog 939

Brush 634 being towed across the bus yard with Reid's low loader on the right

Brush 634 being winched up the rail ramp onto the low loader

Reid's low loader about to depart the depot with 634 securely chained down

Brush 634 heading inland down Rigby Road at the start of its very long journey

Former Blackpool Plaxton Centro spotted in Bury

A former Blackpool Transport Volvo B7RLE at Bury Interchange (photo courtesy of Philip Higgs)

Former Blackpool Transport 530 was spotted at Bury Interchange at the weekend. BF60 UVO is a Plaxton Centro bodied Volvo B7RLE, and is now owned by Transdev Blazefield subsidiary Rosso for use on their Irwell Line services.

Volvo B7RLE 530 and Enviro 400 City 409 at Cleveleys Bus Station in Aug 2016

The Rough and the Smooth on the Irish Sea

The IOMSPC ferry Manxman seen from Cleveleys beach on its way to Heysham on 14th Oct

Two photos of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company ferry Manxman taken two days apart, from the same location, showing vastly different sea states. The top photo shows the Manxman about to pass Fleetwood on its way to Heysham on the 0845 sailing from Douglas in the Isle of Man on Saturday 14th October, with rough seas and at high tide. The photo below shows the Manxman on the 1415 sailing from Heysham taken two days earlier on Thursday 12th, with the sea like a mill pond and hardly any wind (unusual for the Fylde Coast). Both photos were taken from the sea front at Cleveleys over five miles distant from the ship. The third photo was also taken on Saturday 14th, showing the ferry still over the horizon making its way through the distant wind farms.

The ferry Manxman on the 1415 sailing from Heysham on 12th Oct with very calm seas

The Manxman (still over the horizon) threading its way through the wind farms on 14th October

Former Blackpool Routemaster makes a comeback

Former Blackpool Routemaster 525 purchased for London heritage service (photo courtesy of Philip Higgs)

A former Blackpool Transport Routemaster will be making a comeback on heritage services in London soon. RM1650 (650 DYE) was one of the original Silver Jubilee buses that were repainted in an all over silver livery by London Transport for the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. The bus was subsequently part of a batch that were sold on to Blackpool Transport in 1986, and ran for several years in the resort as fleet number 525. 650 DYE has been purchased for use on the Londoner Buses heritage route and LondonBus4Hire, and was collected from Cornwall on 5th October.

Routemaster 525 heading down Talbot Road on Service 12 to St Annes in 1987

Rigby Road Tram Depot Closed

One of the closure notices attached to the fence in front of the tram depot

It was noticed over the weekend that the heritage trams at Rigby Road tram depot have become barricaded in the running shed behind a line of steel fencing. Attached to the fence are notices saying "Pending survey results, the Tram Shed will be closed until further notice. Access may only be obtained with written permission from Jess Brown, Head of Safety & Facilities. Unauthorised access will be classified as a breach of Health and Safety rules and will therefore be treated as gross misconduct". Perhaps an inkling of the impending closure was the appearance of several heritage and illuminated trams down at Starr Gate depot over the last few days. Tramtown tours have also been cancelled at short notice, which is a further clue as to what is happening. The fitting shop, and presumably paint shop, are similarly out of bounds with prohibition notices posted on the doors. In the absence of any official announcement (as of Monday 2nd October) read into this what you will at the moment.

The heritage trams barricaded in the running shed at Rigby Road

There will be nobody queuing up for Tramtown tours for the foreseeable future

Even the red heritage plaque is obscured by the steel fencing

The closure notice on the Fitting Shop door

Presumably the depot cat will be able to wander around the depot unchallenged

September Heritage Trams

Bolton 66 was the last heritage tram of the day to Fleetwood, seen here passing the Pharos Lighthouse

The September heritage tram weekend took place on the 23rd and 24th of the month. The scheduled output for Saturday was Railcoach 680, Balloon 718, Boat 600, Bolton 66 and Boat 227. The day started out dull with occasional spells of sunshine in the afternoon. The weather on Sunday was lousy for photography, being mostly miserable and wet, so all the photos shown here were taken on the Saturday.

Railcoach 680 at Bispham, with a BTS ADL Enviro400 City passing by

Boat 277 at Bispham, heading north to turn around at Little Bispham

Boat 600 approaching Bispham tram station

Balloon 718 pausing at Bispham on its way north to Fleetwood

Railcoach 680, Balloon 718 & Boat 600 meet at Bispham tram station