Venturing Fourth Electrically

[Chris]

Nu-Venture have continued their series of electric demonstrators with the recent arrival of Alexander-Dennis E100EV demonstrator AD24 ADL. 

Since I posted it with Go-Coach earlier this year (https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/ReqxRKCB2hw/m/2ENtUkkoAAAJ) it has gained promotional vinyls from the manufacturer, suggesting it was powerful enough for 14160 slices of toast. 

I captured it at Waterfront Bus Station on its first day in service, Thursday 11th, ready to take up service on the 151, coincidentally with what is arguably a predecessor model, Arriva's mini-E200 1637 pulling up behind. Those who know the area well will see that the former Pentagon Bus Station is now covered in scaffolding on the left of the background, which together with Mountbatten House to the right, is being converted to living accommodation. Some of the recent work to the bus station is also visible. 

At the weekend, it operated the lunchtime relief journeys on the Christmas Market Park & Ride. The destination display alternated between "to and from / Rochester Christmas Market" and "100% Electric Bus", as seen here. Shadow-free locations are hard to come by along Corporation Street, but it is filtering from the bus lane to cross Rochester Bridge, but the queuing traffic still provides some impediment. 

Chris

[Richard Ratcliffe]

Not a "bus news" comment but mention of Mountbatten House being converted to living accommodation reminds me that it was built originally, in the redevelopment of Military Road, with the intention of becoming a hotel.  Although a number of major hotel operators looked at it none took it up and eventually after standing empty for a time it became offices for Lloyds Bank - probably because Lloyds had been a major funder of the development!  Other tenants went in and out over the years as sub-lets.   The whole landscape surrounding the bus station - itself a fairly recent development - has become totally changed and unrecognisable from the streetscape background for so many of the photographs taken by those of us around with our Brownie 127's in the 50's and 60's!

Ratty 

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From: 'Chris' via Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: 16 December 2025 23:29
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Venturing Fourth Electrically

 

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[DerekJ]

Thanks Chris.

Following Richard's example by straying off-topic a little more, it would be interesting to speculate whether anyone ever needs to produce 14,160 slices of toast in a single sitting - as a support vehicle/refreshment stall for next year's South East Bus Festival perhaps?

Derek J