A visit to Medway
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JFO
Jun 14, 2020, 5:29:40 AM6/14/20
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Hi everyone hope your still well, and on Saturday I made a quick visit
to Meday which was just as deserted as Maidstone was last week, with very few people around
compared with a pre Covid19 Saturday, once again the only thing missing was a
tumbleweed..., and Arriva seems to be slowly restoring services on most routes, some of which are operating with vehicles that perhaps
woudn't normally be used such as Route 116 which had a "Saphire700" MMC Bus on it, though I didn't snap it however there was a lot in their depot at Gillingham inlcuding several ALX400 Buses some of whch appeared to be back in use, and for me it seemed to be all about double dekers on this visit, with ASD Coaches running about 5 or 6 on their Amazon Contract Shuttle Bus, while Nu Venture Buses were also out their routes too with a Dart
Bus 530 KX53SDU seen on Route 185 and perhaps to aid with Social Distancing, ALX400 Trident Bus TAL261 LX04FZF was out on Route 173, both of which seem to be running normally like most of their routes.
While in Medway I also did pass by a few Depots as well, and as I walked passed ASD Coaches, their Plaxton President Bus Y12ASD was turning out into Neptune Close, and in adtion to that new MMC Bus SL69XWT that Neal Gow just mentoined, there was also a Red Gemini Bus in their yard too, but the most unexpected Depot sighting for me was at Kings Ferry Coaches over in Rainham whose very full yard contained the expexted sea of mostly yellow green coaches with a few "National Express" Levante's thown in, plus the less expected sight of a Citaro Bus BK10EJU from British Airways Buses, and while I know that Kings Ferry have their fingers in a lot of pies these days I didn't realise they did Airport Buses now.
P.S. My appologies to Dereck if this post comes through more than once, my internet keeps cutting out tonight, hence why I'm still up and coudn't get these on Flickr yet.
While in Medway I also did pass by a few Depots as well, and as I walked passed ASD Coaches, their Plaxton President Bus Y12ASD was turning out into Neptune Close, and in adtion to that new MMC Bus SL69XWT that Neal Gow just mentoined, there was also a Red Gemini Bus in their yard too, but the most unexpected Depot sighting for me was at Kings Ferry Coaches over in Rainham whose very full yard contained the expexted sea of mostly yellow green coaches with a few "National Express" Levante's thown in, plus the less expected sight of a Citaro Bus BK10EJU from British Airways Buses, and while I know that Kings Ferry have their fingers in a lot of pies these days I didn't realise they did Airport Buses now.
P.S. My appologies to Dereck if this post comes through more than once, my internet keeps cutting out tonight, hence why I'm still up and coudn't get these on Flickr yet.
Chris
Jun 14, 2020, 4:14:09 PM6/14/20
to Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup
I'm reliably informed that BA vehicles should only be at Gillingham for major maintenance, as their day-to-day stabling is in the Heathrow area.
The work was transferred to the Kings Ferry license from National Express during 2019 (I think), and consists of a few BA Staff Shuttles around Heathrow. They are not "airport buses" as such, more a private contract that happens to be at an airport. Three Enviro 200s are also based at Hounslow for a service for the University of West London.
Chris
Michael Wadman 2
Jun 17, 2020, 1:39:08 PM6/17/20
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Does the Heathrow allocation include YX19OTU/V? Earlier this year I noticed that they were often on SWR rail replacements, in allover white, anonymous apart from the Kings Ferry legals.
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Ken Lansdowne
Jun 17, 2020, 5:32:51 PM6/17/20
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Yes, part of the Hounslow fleet. Most of these are used on airport
contracts but they also have other contract work based there.
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JFO
Jul 20, 2020, 4:43:39 AM7/20/20
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Hi everyone hope your well, and on Saturday I made a return visit
to Medway which was much busier than last month, and Arriva seems to be back to pre Covid timetables on allmost
all routes, with their depot at Gillingham almost empty this time.
Once again it still seemed to be about double dekers on this visit, with ASD Coaches running at least 4 on their Amazon Contract Shuttle Bus including their Y20ASD/SN03EAP, while Nu Venture Buses were also out their routes too with ALX400 Trident Bus TAL261 LX04FZF still on Route 173, while E200 Bus 895 YX60BZN and Dart Buses 524 SN03EBZ, 285 LX06FAU, and 542 SF04RHU were all observed on Routes 142, 151 and 185, and were seen in the company of an ASD Coaches Solo Bus J9ASD which doesn't yet have ASD Fleetnames and so maybe recently aquired.
While in Medway I also did pass by a few Depots again, and I walked by ASD Coaches where their recently aquired Red Gemini Bus BF10LTE was in the yard: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69558134@N05/50127383891/, along with some other stuff round the back: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69558134@N05/50127383636/, while over at Kings Ferry Coaches in Rainham that Citaro Bus BK10EJU from British Airways Buses was still there: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69558134@N05/50127621697/, and finally while passing Rochester Airport on the way in, from the Arriva 101 bus I spotted one of their probably unreported bus fleet, a Silver E200? Bus that appears to be unregistered and used for Site Transport.
Once again it still seemed to be about double dekers on this visit, with ASD Coaches running at least 4 on their Amazon Contract Shuttle Bus including their Y20ASD/SN03EAP, while Nu Venture Buses were also out their routes too with ALX400 Trident Bus TAL261 LX04FZF still on Route 173, while E200 Bus 895 YX60BZN and Dart Buses 524 SN03EBZ, 285 LX06FAU, and 542 SF04RHU were all observed on Routes 142, 151 and 185, and were seen in the company of an ASD Coaches Solo Bus J9ASD which doesn't yet have ASD Fleetnames and so maybe recently aquired.
While in Medway I also did pass by a few Depots again, and I walked by ASD Coaches where their recently aquired Red Gemini Bus BF10LTE was in the yard: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69558134@N05/50127383891/, along with some other stuff round the back: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69558134@N05/50127383636/, while over at Kings Ferry Coaches in Rainham that Citaro Bus BK10EJU from British Airways Buses was still there: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69558134@N05/50127621697/, and finally while passing Rochester Airport on the way in, from the Arriva 101 bus I spotted one of their probably unreported bus fleet, a Silver E200? Bus that appears to be unregistered and used for Site Transport.
Chris
Jul 23, 2020, 8:26:17 AM7/23/20
to Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup
Gilingham depot returned to normal timetables on 21st June.
I don't think the bus is used for site transport. BAE Systems, which is actually the owner of the site you saw (not Rochester Airport as such) has had various vehicles there in the past (I have seen the top deck of an Enviro 400 at times), and they are primarily development vehicles.
A quick google produces this article from March: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/firm-to-help-power-up-to-600-electric-buses-223156/, which suggests it might not be surprising for development or prototype vehicles to be on site so the engineers have more than just drawings to go from. There are references to BAE working with Alexander-Dennis as far back as 2011.
Chris
Neil Bays
Jul 24, 2020, 8:34:13 AM7/24/20
to Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup
Funny that a week or so ago I drove past the site and a quick glimpse across I saw the same vehicle and made a mental note to investigate further, as Chris says there has been an E400 in there alongside the E200, I've not seen any of their vehicles running around Medway so I presume any testing is done 'in house' around their own site.
Neil
On Sunday, 14 June 2020 10:29:40 UTC+1, JFO wrote:
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