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My next stop from 30th June was a trip to the end of the line and the sunny resort of Weymouth. The weather was glorious and the buses were shining in the sunshine.
Pictured here are the two Trident Slowcoasters, now wearing a livery for a service not introduced in 2018. Both tend to now operate the 502 Holiday Park service, but back in June that only required one bus, so 33156 (nearest) is pictured on the 4, with 33146 (on stand) on the 502.
I've tagged Jamie (DennisDartSLF) in the people section - it appears from Flickr he was also there that sunny afternoon, so please visit his photostream for more shots from the day.
You don't have to go too far away from Fareham, Portsmouth or Southampton to capture Cornwall-esque shots in the middle of the countryside. 53608 passes along Honey Lane in Funtley on tendered-route 20 from Wickham. It has just passed under a former railway bridge which carried the Fareham tunnel-avoiding line above it until 1974 (apparently). Solos are the main order of the day on the 20, although usually it is older 53151 doing the honours.
One of the former Norwich Tridents that has entered service, here is 33057 which has just come off of an X54 from Poole. These are not too popular yet with the Weymouth fitters!
With the news that the Portsmouth Park & Ride opens back up on July 19th, I decided I ought to get some of the specially-branded buses on other services as this will be extremely rare in a few weeks, all being well. 33897 wears an allover livery for Portsmouth University, thus could actually be any old advertisment-livered bus. It is seen heading out of Locks Heath centre on the X4 for its home city.
Only two of the former Bristol Volvo B9TLs remain in service at Hoeford, but one has gained Solent colours so should be here for some time yet, in the form of 37344. This is also the only one with a while LED. I appear to have acquired a 'fan' on the top deck...
Locks Heath centre
14th May 2023
First Hants & Dorset Scania Omnicity 65024 passes through the parks at Southsea on route 1, a circular route which connects Gunwharf to Old Portsmouth, Southsea, Eastney, Milton and the city centre. 65024 was new in late 2004 for route 40 (Southsea to Wecock).
There are a few Volvo B7RLEs which carry the inverse green livery - a light green front with dark green branding. These are for route 2, and modelled by 69555.
After more than a year of the Portsmouth P&R site being closed, the three Enviro400s allocated to the service have finally been deployed on to service work. Their use on service work previously was highly irregular, but they are, for the time being, regulars on the 9/9A between Fareham and Gosport, or at least have been for the past week. This may only be an Easter holiday requirement.
Heading down West St in Fareham, here is 33895 arriving in the town with the display already set for the return working.
The Esplanade, Gosport
For all of my photos from Gosport, please visit: southernenglandbus.smugmug.com/LATEST/270721-Gosport
The 5 original-style Volvo B7RLEs are destined to move to Swansea imminently, being replaced by the entry to service of Volvo B7RLEs from Hoeford and ex-Norwich Tridents. 66732 still wears barbie livery, and is pictured on route 2 on the seafront.
There are three 22-year old Volvo B7TLs in service in Weymouth all branded for the Portland Coasters. However, due to the unreliability of younger B7TLs brought in for the X52, they have regularly been out stretching their legs across the network this summer. Here is 32033 pictured leaving Bridport en-route for Weymouth and Bovington with an X52, new to First Southampton in 2000 as their 803.
Photos from Lyme Regis and Bridport can be found at southernenglandbus.smugmug.com/LATEST/250722-Lyme-Regis-a...
The vision of the future? A new Solent logo has been released with colours similar to The Star services as the base... who knows if this is a prelude to a two-tone blue livery for First Solent. We can call it Solent Blue Line! (Maybe not...)
Anyway, here is Enviro200MMC 67276 arriving at The Hard's bus station, part of the latest batch of buses to join the fleet.
Bus Times is not tracking for the Wessex or Solent regions at the moment, but you can still see which buses are double decked by using the First bus app. Then it is a game of Streetdeck roulette and hoping you get one you need!
Alas, no winner today, with 35115, the first one to enter service, pictured here in Stubbington heading for Gosport on the X5. Beautiful lighting though.
The seventh of the eight Solent Streetdecks entered service yesterday in the form of 35204, which was previously the Starling Bank-wearing CityRed bus. It is pictured turning in to the bus stand at Locks Heath centre earlier this morning.
One from the weekend now, with First's 47589 passing down West St in Fareham. The station is at the ned of the roundabout behind the bus. The majority of First buses locally now wear NHS stickers on blue hearts.
YouTube [FHD @60fps] Video: youtu.be/6Cvre8wjfYE
From some of my best looking locomotive of Indian Railways... 2017 make of Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), equipped with solid cowcatcher, Vadodara (BRC) WAP-5 # 30114 rolling down at its best towing LHB load of fastest Sampark Kranti of Indian Railways, NZM/Hazrat Nizamuddin - BDTS/Bandra Terminus, 12908 Maharashtra Sampark Kranti Express. This rain drenched train ripped through Gholvad under cloudy condition. This fastest Sampark Kranti will complete 13 years of service on 04-November this year. There are very few locomotive with solid cowcatcher in Electric locomotive series. This kind of cowcatcher can be seen with some other WAP-5, few WAP-7 and few WAG-9 only. As far as I know BRC shed having three of them i.e. 30114, 30115 and 30116.
Funded by Portsmouth city council for the first time, the Solent region have operated services on Christmas Day. Portsmouth services 1, 2, 3 7 and 8 are in use, along with Stagecoach's 21 and 23.
The 3 brings buses to Fareham for the first time on Christmas Day, and, with the routes operated by Hilsea, brings the unfamiliar site of Star buses in the town. Rather fittingly for Christmas, Star Enviro 67283 arrives in to Fareham earlier this morning.
Pictured yesterday in the glorious February sunshine, here is Streetdeck 35164 heading off to Portsmouth with the X4. These really do look good in the sun, and 35164 is a lot cleaner than sister '115 so does look the part. It is expected that the eight Streetdecks currently in the fleet will move over to the Solent Ranger services, with them all operating the PVR of 8 at weekends, and supplemented by single decks in the week.
As an aside, 35139 has made its debut in to service today on the 11 from Alverstoke to Fareham via Gosport.
The Volvo B7RLEs currently in Weymouth are due to move on, with nine having already gone to Ipswich, and the other remaining examples rumoured to be heading to Sheffield. Still in Weymouth are the ones with green fronts for route 2, as illustrated here by 69554.
Weymouth, King's Statue - 9th July 2022
For all of my photos from Weymouth, please visit: southernenglandbus.smugmug.com/LATEST/090722-Weymouth
YouTube [FHD@60fps] Video: youtu.be/MMA7qiS0Nhw
One of the rare sights which is hardly seen once in blue moon... Fourth Fastest Rajdhani of India, 12954 August Kranti Rajdhani Express making a stunning approach at Dadar behind Medha hotel load equipped Ghaziabad (GZB) WAP-7 # 30527 and thereby overtaking Gujarat Superfast Express which started departing from platform # 5 hauled by BRC WAP-5 # 30115. It was just stunning view of seeing aggressive train making some aggressive move. August Kranti Rajdhani was running late by 6 hours and 15 minutes as it started late from Nizamuddin at 22:45 previous night. It overtook 12284 Ernakulam Duronto, 12248 Yuva Express and was closely followed by 22210 New Delhi - Mumbai AC Duronto Express.
Date & Time: 25-June-17, 15:59
The first of Hoeford's Streetdecks has settled down in to service and is usually operational daily, whether it be the school services, Portsmouth Park and Ride or the Solent Ranger services, as illustrated here. 35115 emergest from the mist in Fareham earlier this morning with the first hits of sunshine: the mist now having burned away and it being a quite lovely day out there.
West St, Fareham
14th February 2023
My first foray out of 2023 and I required a nice easy spot where buses stopped and the camera wouldn't have to focus on too many moving vehicles, so my first trip to Waterlooville in eight or so years beckoned.
The Star have received new ADL Enviro200s since then - these now themselves being three years old and only around for another two (in theory) - here's 67266 with a fellow member of the batch behind.
Waterlooville precinct
7th January 2023
The 3 operates on a Sunday frequency, plus extras in the peak, and is usually operated by Streetlites. Former Sheffield 63370 does the honours here, as it passes along West St en-route for Portsmouth and Southsea. The 3 is the slower route, serving the houses of Portchester, Paulsgrove and Cosham.
The Solent Electrics continue to drip in to service - most are now in operational use but there are still a couple to arrive in Hampshire. One of the more recent arrivals is 63681, one of the second '24'-plate batch, pictured last Sunday heading in to the Locks Heath Shopping Village.
Centre Way, Locks Heath
7th July 2024
Alongside the Enviros, the former Devon & Cornwall Tridents continue to give sterling service. Seven currently operate from Hoeford - '59 new to Torpoint, '63 new to Falmouth and '64-'68 new to Barnstaple.
Here is numerically the last of the batch - 32768 - pictured heading off on a Solent Ranger to Gosport. The LEDs are particularly tricky to get in the sunshine.
We've been blessed with some sunny conditions recently after what was quite a long and dull spring. Here is 35206, a Streetdeck new to First Leeds in 2016, heading off to Gosport on the X5.
Lower Church Road, Titchfield Common
14th May 2023
Star Streetlites are quite frequently deployed on the 2 at the moment, mainly due to a reduction in number required on the 7 and 8 due to Covid restrictions. 67262 stands at Cosham Health Centre on such a service.
EG52 FHD is a Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus new to Connex as J101732 in October 2002 as their 232. It then worked for First Eastern Counties and First Kernow before transferring to First Glasgow in 2018. It is seen here in Bellshill working a short working of service 240 to Motherwell in an attempt to combat competition from JMB Travel.