View allAll Photos Tagged ExCel
One of those short stop gap acquisitions was the four Optare Excels transferred down from First Glasgow, they looked smart and were something different on the Plymouth scene.
However you had this feeling it wouldn't last and they were withdrawn and put into store at Muller Road to allow the book value to drop low enough in order for them to be disposed of.
Three out of the four were regular performers (W52WDS being the frequent sick note) they appeared on just about any route but the 2 & 3 was common, 62936 heads along Union Street towards Royal Parade before switching to work the 2 out to Mount Batten.
Seen waiting to start the days work in First's Searle Crescent, Weston bus depot is one of the Excel branded E400s. This example is one of the former London examples used on the service. I rather think this branding is smart and eye catching.
First West of England's LK08 FLA (33508) is seen early on a Sunday morning in the Weston-Super-Mare depot. Excel is the branding used for services with an 'X' that run out of Bristol. It is also used for the X1 between Norwich and Peterborough. LK08FLA was new in May 2008 to First Capital, as their DN33508 to the typical TFL specification. DN 33508 then left London and went to Leicester for use on local services such as the 22 and 54 with some sister vehicles gaining branding for these services. After leaving Leicester, it moved to the West of England for use in Bristol, but was later transferred down to Weston. It is an Alexander Dennis Trident 2/Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro 400.
Back around 2003 our local bus enthusiast club went for a ride around South Staffs aboard an ex Ipswich AEC Regent V, visiting a few garages and stopping off for lunch ... the latter always being of paramount importance.
The largest of the firms visited that day was Choice Travel, a business founded in the early 1990s. The fleet contained quite a variety of vehicles at the time and included Dennis Falcons, Leyland Leopards and Tigers, various minubuses and these quite youthful Optare Excels.
I have had limited experience of the Excel and I suppose in that, I've been spared the traumas which various operators of the type appear to have experienced. If nothing else, they were visually a stylish bus and certainly would have created a favourable impression with intending passengers as they pulled up at a stop.
Without researching its history on the net, I'm going to guess that R741 BUJ, by its Shropshire reg. and livery, was formerly something to do with the Williamson's of Shrewsbury business? I believe the Choice business , after being re-named Midland Choice, was absorbed into the Arriva empire circa 2012 but I could be wrong.
Apologies for the poor photo but the light is rubbish tonight. With less than two weeks of Excel operation in Blackpool, we still can field eleven from our twelve remaining machines. 218/20/1 seen awaiting their wash and positioning for tomorrow's duties
Notts & Derby Optare Excel 264 - Y264 DRC lays over in Derby bus station before operating route 11 to Ilkeston Hospital.
33813 YX63LKA seen at Peterborough, Queensgate Bus Station about to start a trip on route XL towards Norwich.
Quite a nice Excel is this one, which is ironic seeing as it's, well, an Excel.
Safeguard - X307CBT - Brooklands Spring Gathering 2015.
YJ51JXH has been on my radar for sometime, built as a prototype dual door demonstrator by Optare, it saw limited use before being sold to Wallace driver training school based in Wembley, London. Usually outbased near Isleworth in West London it was finally tracked down in June and very kindly posed after a training session.
First Eastern Counties
Scania N250UD / Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC City
36909 - YN69XZO
Seen on Excel service B in Peterborough Bus Station.
A very generic shot, I know, of these stunning new E400Citys, though it was all I had time for in Peterborough yesterday! A day out to be had some day...
Inside First West of England Weston-super-Mare Depot we see 47552 SN14FGD photographed in the excel orange livery.
This bus was photographed with permission.
Taken March 2022.
Snapped in Weston-Super-Mare sporting the bright 'excel' livery last year, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400/Trident 2 33417 WA56FTP which was new to First Devon & Cornwall for the Plymouth Park & Ride services is seen here working the X1 Direct service to Bristol.
TrentBarton Excel 257 on Black Cat service passing The Newdigate at West Hallam on its way to Derby.
Mon 7th March 2016.
It's been a LONG time coming, but bus drawings are back. Well, back as in I got two finished, but I don't know how soon another one will be coming seeing as how busy with other stuff I've been.
With this new Optare Excel drawing, it means I've completed re-draws of the first four vehicle types I traced on Paint.net back in 2018 for the Route 36 picture; the other three being the Scania Omnidekka, Enviro 400 Scania and Enviro 400 City.
The hardest thing about this drawing was finding a picture of an Excel that I had which was good enough to make a decent drawing from. Since they're quite rare machines, I haven't got as many Excel pictures as I have of other vehicles, and most of those have the windows covered in reflections where I can't see the interior. In the end, I found one which was just about good enough and just tried my best with the interior, although given how little of it I could see it isn't as detailed as some of the others I've done.
The Excel is straight up one of my favourite buses, being an extremely nostalgic part of my early childhood, so in time I think I'll be doing a number of liveries on this. Right now, though, here's a plain white version for you to use. It has the additional lip on the front bumper like some Excel 2s had, and can be deleted off if you don't require it. I may (or may not) upload a second version of the plain Excel without the bumper lip and a front wheel trim, which is how NCT's tended to be. This one is more like a TrentBarton spec Excel, although it has NCT green interior bars... because, erm, it just does.
Feel free to download it, slap a livery on and mess about editing it etc to create your dream Optare Excel, if you so wish. Check the album description for the worms and ignitions - I mean terms and conditions.
(tags playing up so I'm putting them in the description here)
Optare Excel Colour Bus Drawing Blank TR673 Digital CG Artwork Paint.net Colouring Paintable Repaint
Former NCT Excel 560 has been sold to Goodwin at Eccles. Seen in their yard receiving attention.
Fri 11th July 2014
First Eastern Counties (33805 YX63LJK) seen on the Route X11 from Norwich to Belton, in it's Coastlink livery. This bus was
formerly First Excel for the X1, X11, Xbefore the new Enviro 400 City's replaced these on the route. This now see's itself on the Routes X1, X11, X22, X2, and X21.
In Europe the Hyundai Excel was the succesor of the Pony saloon back in 1989. The Excel was built until 1994. This model is owned by a Hyundai dealership.
A model of the short 10.7m Optare Excels that were delivered to Fylde with the Reg N20? LCK. These were plauged with issues and were replaced. These are a white metal kit (copnver
Optare Excel X606 XFX seen here in Llandudno whilst working the 09:10 Express Motors X1 Blaenau Ffestiniog service
Once a common sight in the city, the Optare Excels have now been out of service for over 3 years.
Here 685 is seen leaving the old bus station on Pendeford circular 507A.
In Europe the Hyundai Excel was the successor of the Pony saloon back in 1989. The Excel was built until 1994.
T124AUA working for xelabus on one of their stage carriage services just outside Eastleigh in April this year. This ranks as one of the smartest modern liveries for me.
Notts & Derby Excel in Derby College 'rainbow' colours leaving Heanor on the Sundays 11 to Derby. Sun 12th April 2015.
A scan of an old photo taken in 1990.
Car: Lotus Excel.
Date of first registration: 31st December 1987.
Region of registration: London Central.
Latest recorded mileage: 58,573 (MOT 25th January 2020).
Also in photo (clockwise from centre left):
Vauxhall Astra mark 2
Renault 5
Ford Transit
(?)
Mitsubishi Shogun
Ford Granada mark 2.
Date taken: 28th May 1990.
Location: Castle Combe Circuit.
Album: Photo Scans