Optare Excel Bus Group
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Not the best of shot, was a bit rushed for time, need to go back here with a stand and the proper gear, including gloves, it was freezing!
Legendary Devon crabber Excel DH17 in Dartmouth Harbour, Devon on 6th June 2023. Built by J Hinks & Son of Appledore in North Devon, construction of the Excel was one of the fastest on record for a vessel of its size. The wooden fishing boat was launched in 1971 to take part in a lobster boom.
Shortly before withdrawal from the fleet, Express Motors Optare Excel EXI 790 exits Caernarfon on route 88 to Llanberis via Llanrug & Cwm-y-Glo. As X964 BPA this bus was new to Reading Buses where it was numbered 964.
Having climbed out of the Minnesota River valley, our eastbound train on the Minnesota Prairie Line continues to trundle along east of Franklin. The large equipment on the left is evidence of some recent maintenance work on the Excel Energy transmission lines overhead.
It's our 19th anniversary today and Terry bought me some flowers and this lovely rose was among them :)
Express Motors Optare Excels EXI 790 and Y248 DRC are pictured in Penygroes depot. The former was new as 964 to Reading Transport where it was registered X964 BPA while the latter was new to Trent Barton as their 248.
This is a photograph of the ExCel center by the Royal Victoria Docks in Newham, London. It is, apparently, the only international convention center in London.
I waited for quite a while before getting this shot without anyone in it. Taken during my favourite blue hour.
See Wikipedia for further details: ExCel London
Technique:
Original file Jpeg, Tripod, 24-70mm lens, F14, 30s, ISO 100, 35mm, MuP (mirror lock up), cable release, NDX8 (3 stop filter).
Car: Lotus Excel SE.
Date of first registration: 9th January 1988.
Registration region: Guildford.
Latest recorded mileage: 9,111 (MOT 9th August 2019).
Date taken: 20th November 2019.
Album: Street Spots
Shot on Olympus E-PL3 and TTArtisan 25mm f2. Created with darktable 3.8.1 and GIMP, Ilford HP5 film simulation filter
Seen at AMRTM, Aldridge is preserved former West Midlands Optare Excel S693YOL.
This vehicle spent its entire service life based at Wolverhmapton's Park Lane garage.
Place I Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Everyone has naturally the power of excelling in some one thing ~ Proverb
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.
Notts & Derby Optare Excel 264 - Y264 DRC lays over in Derby bus station before operating route 11 to Ilkeston Hospital.
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.
Amb passió, voluntat, amor ... i molta delicadesa ... el resultat no pot ser un altre que excel·lència !!
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.
I took great delight in seeing this. It's ages since I'd seen one, and never knowingly out on the street. I was leaving town for home when it caught my eye, absolutely had to get some shots.
A new keeper in 2022, after being with its previous one for 20 years. Hopefully it's now relatively local to me and I'll see it again. From what I can gather, most Excels are registered as Eclats, or Eclat Excels; I can't be 100% which version this is right now.