Optare Excel Bus Group
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Totally still River Thames, enabling this reflection shot to be taken. The ExCeL Centre is on the right.
Retrat d'un excel·lent fotògraf al meu hotel. (Pamplona - Navarra - Espanya).
Retrato de un excelnete fotógrafo en mi hotel. (Pamplona - Navarra - España).
Portrait an excellent photographer in my hotel. (Pamplona - Navarra - Spain).
♫ DLR Band - Weekend With The Babysitter ♫
When you wish upon a star
Well, wish no more 'cause here I are
So you think that I got no respect
She's a no limits kind of creature
So let's hope that mom and daddy
Are at a triple feature
Suddenly occurs to me
Maybe I need therapy, yeah
'Cause I'm also hot for teacher
Telephone
Her voice is steady she knows
Little Elvis is combat ready
All right
Weekend with the babysitter
Weekend with the babysitter
First Eastern Counties Dennis Enviro 400MMC bodied Scania YN69 XZM at Peterborough Railway Station on the B service.
Daytime long exposure shot at ExCeL Marina Royal Victoria Dock, London. In the background you see the O2 and the Emirates Cable Cars.
HSS Everyone!
After initially being withdrawn a couple of weeks ago the Excels have had a revival as the new service changes has lead to more buses being needed. 225 is seen at Starr Gate afer completing it's duty on the 1. sister 224 was on the 14 as well today making the grand total of 2 excels being in service today
First Eastern Counties 36917 (YN69XZX) departs Norwich bus station on an Excel service B to Peterborough via Dereham & Swaffham.
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.
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).
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.
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
Optare built over 600 examples of the Excel between 1995 and 2004 (inc), sandwiched between the Sigma on 'step entrance' Dennis Lance chassis and the Tempo.
Reading Buses was a major customer, taking 48 (numbered 901-45 & 961-3) between 1997 and 2000, split over several batches. The first 45 were 11.5m examples, whilst the final three were 11.8m. When the batch of seven delivered in Autumn 1998 (925-31) came up for withdrawal and sale in late 2009, five found their way to South Wales operators. New Adventure Travel purchased S925/9/31 LBL and South Wales Transport received S926/30 LBL.
Those with New Adventure Travel entered service in early 2010 at Pontypridd depot on Service 102 (Glyncoch-Pontypridd-Rhydyfelin), for which they received branding, though lasted for less than two years.
S929 LBL was one of several vehicles in the fleet to carry registration H2 KFJ over time, as illustrated in this November 2010 shot taken on Bridge Street in the town centre when heading for Rhydyfelin. It would seem that she ended her days with the company.
Optare built over 600 examples of the Excel between 1995 and 2004 (inc), sandwiched between the Sigma on 'step entrance' Dennis Lance chassis and the Tempo.
Reading Buses was a major customer, taking 48 (numbered 901-45 & 961-3) between 1997 and 2000, split over several batches. The first 45 were 11.5m examples, whilst the final three were 11.8m. When the batch of seven delivered in Autumn 1998 (925-31) came up for withdrawal and sale in late 2009, five found their way to South Wales operators in early 2010. New Adventure Travel received three and South Wales Transport received S926/30 LBL, plus older R916 SJH.
They initially entered service in Reading's cream, maroon and turquoise livery, and this gave way to all-over white before green was applied to their skirts and cove panels. This is illustrated by S930 LBL as she is captured on the West Way Metro Track in October 2010 during the 18 months that Swansea Bus Station was closed for re-development and Tesco funded a free service between its store and the temporary City Centre terminus points.
The trio passed to Ensignbus in early 2012, and S930 LBL was subsequently sold to P&O Ferries for foot passenger use at Dover Port. R916 SJH and S926 LBL were presumably sold by Ensignbus for scrap.
Optare built over 600 examples of the Excel between 1995 and 2004 (inc), sandwiched between the Sigma on 'step entrance' Dennis Lance chassis and the Tempo.
Richards Bros operated two - 10.7m P508 NWU and 11.8m YN53 ELH, both of which were former demonstrators - whilst a third, 10.7m N205 LCK, was acquired just for spares. YN53 ELH was trialled in late 2003 and returned to Optare, but was acquired in early 2004.
She was perhaps the more prominent being allocated to Service 412 (Cardigan-Newport-Fishguard-Haverfordwest), for which she carried branding. This is evident in this April 2014 shot of her entering Haverfordwest Bus Station when returning to Cardigan (Aberteifi), with Silcox UVG-bodied Dennis Javelin P780 WDE laying over. She was withdrawn four years later, used for spares and sold for scrap in c.2020.
So much has changed in the ensuing years - Service 412 is now part of TrawsCymru Service T5 and has been extended up the coast to Aberystwyth, Silcox ceased trading in June 2016 and Haverfordwest Bus Station and adjoining multi-storey car park have been demolished and a new facility is currently being built on the site.
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.
Amb passió, voluntat, amor ... i molta delicadesa ... el resultat no pot ser un altre que excel·lència !!
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.