Sunday 30 June 2019

New 11.8m ADL Enviro 200s

Enviro 561 leaving Church Street on the service 6 to Mereside


Blackpool Transport have recently added fifteen more ADL Enviro 200 single deck buses to their fleet, comprising eleven 11.8m examples (561-571) with 43 seats and an additional four 9.7m 34 seaters (217-220). The new buses entered service a week ago on 23rd June. The new Enviro 200s are painted in the now standard Palladium livery of grey and pale yellow, and are equipped with free WiFi, USB sockets and wireless phone charging built into the seat headrests. The 11.8m Enviros are planned to be assigned to services 6 and 7.

Enviro 563 on Talbot Road on service 7 to Cleveleys


Enviro 569 on the extended Service 7 to Clifton Hospital


Enviro 571 in Church Street on service 6 to Grange Park


A rear view of Enviro 570 in Corporation Street


The interior seating arrangement of 11.8m Enviro 562


Artwork on the rear bulkhead of Enviro 562


Short Enviro 220 turning from Cookson St into George St on service 4

Friday 28 June 2019

Bolton 66 on test

Newly overhauled Bolton 66 taking a break from its test run at North Pier


Bolton 66 was noted out and about on the Promenade today on a test run after its overhaul at Rigby Road depot. 66 is expected to rejoin the active Heritage Tour fleet very soon.

Boat 600 passing newly overhauled Bolton 66 on test at North Pier


Bolton 66 on the loop track at North Pier


66 on body stands at Rigby Road Depot in May while its bogies were being worked on

Saturday 22 June 2019

Totally Models Trams & Buses

Optare Delta 133 passing Balloons 715 & 700 on Hopton Road


The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of June saw the annual Totally Models event taking place at Rigby Road tram depot, to coincide with this event a Heritage Gold tram timetable was in operation on the Promenade. Heritage trams noted in use on the Saturday were Balloons 700, 713, 715 & 717, Brush 621, Standard 147 and Boats 227 & 600. Balloon 700 was in use on a Cabin to Hopton Road shuttle service, providing transport to the Totally Models event. A free shuttle bus service was also provided to and from Blundell Street, this used Optare Delta 133, Metrorider 859, open-top Olympian 857 and former South Yorkshire Dennis Dominator 2260.

Brush 621 leaving for Heritage Tour service along Hopton Road


Standard 147 passing Balloon 715 at North Pier


Balloon 713 at Manchester Square, following Balloon 717


Boat 600 approaching Central Pier



Boat 227 at Manchester Square



Balloon 700 on the Cabin to Hopton Road shuttle service



Optare Metrorider Handybus 589 on the free shuttle bus service



Olympian 857 at Blackpool North station on the free shuttle bus service

Blackpool's Open-Top Olympian

857 at Manchester Square on the Totally Models free shuttle bus service


Blackpool Transport's solitary open-top Leyland Olympian 857 (D257 FYM) was in use during the Totally Models weekend that took place at Rigby Road depot on the 22nd and 23rd of June. D257 FYM was delivered new to London in 1987 as L257 in their fleet, after withdrawal from service in London the bus was converted to open-top and began operating on City Sightseeing tours in Blackpool in 2007. After the rest of the City Sightseeing open-toppers had been withdrawn in 2012, 857 was retained and painted into green and cream in 2014. During the 2015 season 857 began to be used on private hire duties, and it has been retained in this capacity ever since.

857 on Rigby Road heading towards Blackpool North station


857 waiting to depart from Blackpool North with a good passenger load


857 at Blackpool North railway station on the free shuttle bus service


857 seen in Fleetwood during the last year of Blackpool City Sightseeing operations in 2012


Sunday 9 June 2019

2019 Cleveleys Car Show

A 1955 Ford Thunderbird on display with other cars on Cleveleys sea front 


The 2019 Cleveleys Car Show was held on Sunday 9th June. This annual event attracts a wide variety of cars of all types, the entrants are displayed along the Promenade and down Victoria Road West and some adjacent side streets. The show involves closing the main road through Cleveleys town centre preventing access to the bus station, bus services are diverted to terminate at existing stops around Victoria Square.

A 1994 Dodge Viper with a huge 8 Litre V10 engine

A 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood used locally as a wedding car


A 1992 Toyota Celica GT-Four


A classic Ford T Bucket hot rod


An American 2005 Ford Mustang


A locally built TVR Cerbera, made just down the coast in Blackpool


A 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray on Victoria Road West


A 1961 Ford Consul and 1964 Wolseley Hornet on the sea wall


A 2003 Ford Excursion stretched limo down one of the side streets


A recently restored 1949 Ford Pickup originally from California


A group of AC Cobra replicas parked around the old shelter at Cleveleys


A 1977 Mini with a cut down and shortened Mini




A 1994 Toyota Supra parked on Cleveleys sea wall