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The rain had just ceased when the Hunterston to Sellafield flasks came through Dumfries. DRS 88006/88005 in charge.I missed this combo last Thursday so a first for me. They have still not started work on the new footbridge .
This was really beautiful... I'm sad that the weather was not so good, but the golden leaves were still pretty...
"12 e 45, enuncio di nuovo le mie teorie.
Primo: la natura parla attraverso la matematica.
Secondo: tutto ciò che ci circonda si può rappresentare e comprendere attraverso i numeri. Terzo: tracciando il grafico di qualunque sistema numerico ne consegue uno schema.
Quindi ovunque, in natura, esistono degli schemi.
[...]
Come si può smettere di credere che esiste uno schema, un ordine preciso dietro ai numeri quando si sta per toccare la verità.
[...]
10 e 15, nota personale: la definizione giusta di questo momento è che sono sull'orlo di un precipizio, ed è lì che succede tutto."
A re-scan of an older posting.
West Midlands Travel, Metrobus 3124 was numerically the last and highest numbered Metrobus to be delivered to West Midlands Travel (WMT). That said, I do not know if it was the last Metrobus to be delivered to an operational WMT garage?
The manufacturers of the Metrobus, Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW), then part of the Laird Group, had gone into liquidation prior to 3124's delivery.
As a consequence, MCW were unable to honour the after-sales warranty on completed Metrobuses awaiting delivery. An ensuing legal row developed between WMT and MCW's liquidators over the warranty issue. In the meantime, with the MCW factory being prepared for disposal, the completed buses were moved into Sheepcote Street Garage, Birmingham for storage.
During this period, the DAF and Optare companies had jointly become interested in acquiring the rights to bus manufacturing from MCW. With agreement, DAF/Optare had taken Metrobus 3107 off for evaluation, part-dismantling the bus to gain a better understand of the design and construction of the Metrobus. This would eventually lead to the manufacture of DAF/Optare Spectra.
Once DAF/Optare's findings were completed, 3107 was rebuilt and offered back to WMT. However, WMT weren't impressed, and refused to take the bus into stock. The rejected bus was subsequently sold onto London based operator.
On settlement of the warranty issue, the stored Metrobuses were handed over to West Midlands Travel. As with all acquisitions, WMT inspected the new buses and then fed them to their allocated garages. This final batch of buses were not of the best build quality and rectification work had to be undertaken before entering service. Rather a sad end for the Birmingham built bus that had been developed with the assistance and input of WMT's forerunner WMPTE.
On delivery, 3124 became a Hartshill based bus. The recently delivered bus is pictured on a wintry afternoon in Quinton, working the 137 service into Birmingham,
From memory 3124 was accident damaged in its later years and sold straight to scrap.
Photo - 6th January 1990.
Following the delivery of four new Enviro 400 MMCs for the Canterbury Park & Ride, the old four Enviro 400s that had recently been on loan to Stagecoach Midlands were moved from Dover to Eastbourne for repaint on Saturday 27th February 2021.
Pictured here in convoy and in numerical order on Dymchurch Road near Dymchurch are 10063 SN63 NCC, 10064 SN63 NCD (out of shot), 10065 SN63 NCE and 10066 SN63 NCF well done to the boys from Head Office in Canterbury who were delivering the vehicles for slowing down and maintaining the convoy all the way along the coast to Eastbourne quite a task considering the bottle necks of Dover, Folkestone, Rye, Hastings and Bexhill to name but a few!
Alexander Dennis E40D - Alexander Dennis Enviro 400
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... c'est là où l'or est fabriqué...
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... this is where gold is made...
Lothian Buses Enviro400 MMC number 666 (SJ71 HKC) ‘Cramond Island’ is seen on diversion encircling Stenhouse Cross, operating a service 25 to Restalrig.
Taken on Saturday the 14th of March 2026.
If you would like to suggest a name for new Kite number 6e (SV26 OFG) then you can find more information in this group discussion: www.flickr.com/groups/3213962@N21/discuss/72157721925349607/
submissions are open until Monday the 20th of July.
The Fleet Number 666 Story
The fleet number 666 has quite the history in the company.
Part 1 - The Titan
PD3 Titan number 666 (ASC 666B) ‘Cramond Island Titan’ was new in July 1964. The Titan didn’t have any particularly notable events in its life, as far as I’m aware. Its succesors were not as lucky.
Part 2 - The Olympian
The next bus to carry the fleet number 666 was numerically the first ever Olympian in the fleet, RH Olympian number 666 (GSC 666X) ‘Guadalupe’.
This flickr post of mine from last year: www.flickr.com/photos/160090695@N08/54804378564/in/datepo... goes into more detail, but basically 666 ‘Guadalupe’ was new with its twin bus, number 667 ‘Guava’, but RH number 666 ‘Guadalupe’ was destoryed in an arson attack on the 24th of September 1987.
667 ‘Guava’ was damaged in a crash, and needed a repaired front end. The front end of 666 ‘Guadalupe’ had survived the fire, and was used to repair damaged 667 ‘Guava’, which is still around, preserved at the SVBM.
Part 3 - The Trident
No bus carried the fleet number between the fire, and the 4th of March 2004, when the new batch of Tridents 662-706 included a bus with that number, Trident 666 (SN04 AAU) ‘Uilleam’.
Trident 666 ‘Uilleam’ was new on Airlink service 100, it was given new headlights for a few years, and after it finished on Arlink it carried the short lived service 35 Link branding for service 35 which, at the time, went to the airport.
The bus was known to be unreliable, and there are said to have been many complaints about the bell ringing by itself. Given the associasions of the number 666 itself, as well as the fate of its predecessor, Trident 666 developed a bit of a reputation over the years.
Unlike Olympian 666 ‘Guadalupe’ which was killed by fire at 5 and a half years old, Trident 666 ‘Uilleam’ made it to its 6th bitrhday in March 2010 while still carrying the fleet number 666.
Part 4 - The Guideway Sandwich
Now we have to focus on a few other buses to piece this story together. In 2001, the SN51 plate short wheelbase Tridents numbered 601-630 entered service and many were assigned to service 2 which used the short lived guided busway. In 2004, the first ever Wrightbus batch entered service, B7RLE Eclipse numbers 101-130, fitted with guidewheels for the frequent service 22 along the busway.
I have struggled to find some of the original sources which were available closer to the time, but I know the story of the guideway sandwich (or busway sandwhich) fairly well I would think, but welcome corrections if I get anything wrong. I am thankful to Stuart Montgomery for this flickr post: www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_montgomery/4416726693 - in which he talks about the event.
On Monday the 30th of June 2008 (Day T39628) – three year old Eclipse number 125 (SN04 NHV) ‘Vincent Van Gogh’ was stopped a bus stop on the guided bus stop, when six year old dual door Trident number 619 (SN51 AYC) ‘Caramel Trident’ failed to stop and collided with the rear of Eclipse 125. Sadly, this wasn’t where it ended, Eclipse number 104 (SN04 NGG) ‘Grace’, one day short of four years old at the time, also failed to stop before hitting 619 ‘Caramel Trident’. I am not aware if anyone was injured, but I hope anyone who was had a quick recovery, it must have been a pretty terrifying experience.
Eclipse 125 (SN04 NHV) ‘Vincent Van Gogh’ was repaired, and returned to service, staying in service with Lothian until 2020. It was then sold and used as form worker transport in England. It never had obvious signs of having been involved in the sandwich.
Eclipse 104 (SN04 NGG) ‘Grace’ was also repaired and returned to service, however it looked different to the rest of the batch ever after. Initially after it was repaired, it had black doors rather than white which was the most obvious difference, however it was also given newer headlights. The newer-style headlights were with the bus for the rest of its life, and the main sign that the bus had been involved in the sandwich. In 2016 it joined the training fleet as TB104, and when replaced by Eclipse 2 trainers, was scrapped in 2021.
Trident 619 (SN51 AYC) ‘Caramel Trident’, the filling in the guideway sandwich, wasn’t so lucky. It was heavily damaged, but work started to convert the bus to single door. However, it was never repaired and was instead scrapped. Few photos exist of it in service.
Trident 628 (SN51 AYM) ‘Marco Trident’ was renumbered 619, filling in the now vacant fleet number in the batch, which in turn left the fleet number 628 vacant.
Part 5 - The Trident (continued)
In late 2012, 666 (SN04 AAU) ‘Uilleam’ was renumbered to 628, making it to 7 and a half years old before losing the fleet number 666.
I try to not use the registration plates of buses not featured in the photo, but due to the amount of renumberings, I decided I would make an exception for this post.
In spring 2016, Trident 628 (SN04 AAU) ‘Uilleam’ – the former 666 – became the final bus to ever carry the Harlequin livery in regular service (vintage running days don’t count), and was the last Trident to be repainted into Madder and White swoops. The Trident stayed in service until its withdrawal in early 2018, and was sold on. The bus is now with Poynters Coaches in England, and has been registered (RIG 6493). It seems to still survive at 22 years old, or at least passed an MOT last August.
Part 6 - The MMC
In 2021, Lothian took delivery of a large number of new Enviro400 MMC bodied Volvo B5TLs, and these were numbered 601-698. Number 666 (SJ71 HKC) ‘Cramond Island’ here was registered on the 1st of October 2021, and now at four years old still carries the number without any issues which I am aware of.
The Trident was a few months short of eight years old when it was renumbered, while the Olympian didn’t even survive six years (not counting the front section). If this MMC is stll in service, with the same number it was new with, in October 2029, then it will turn eight years old and be the bus to carry the number 666 for the longest time since the PD3 Titan.
Name
The unofficial name ‘Cramond Island’ comes from the island of that name across Drum Sands from Cramond and Silverknowes. I named 661-670 after isles.
Route
Service number 25 ran from King’s Road to Drum Brae South via Leith Walk, City Centre, and Corstorphone in tram days. In 1949 it was converted to bus operation, and later extended to Eastfield in the east.
The current service starts in Restalrig and goes along Duke Street, Leith Walk, and Princes Street, before leaving the old tram route at Haymarket and travelling through Dalry, Gorgie, and then along the A71 through Sighthill before turning into Hermiston Park and Ride, then terminating at the main bus stop in Heriot-Watt University campus, located in Riccarton, Currie.
This bus is one of the Longstone MMCs which has been frequntly found on service 25 since it was new.
Vehicle Information
Operator: Lothian Buses
Service: 25 Currie Riccarton Heriot-Watt University Reception – Craigentinny and Meadowbank Restalrig Avenue (Trip FebSat24683782)
Vehicle type: Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC bodied Volvo B5TL
Vehicle engine: Euro 6 Diesel
Vehicle fleet number: 666
Vehicle registration: SJ71 HKC
Vehicle name: Cramond Island
Vehicle depot: Longstone (LS)
Vehicle livery: Lothian Buses Madder and White Fleet of the Future (FOTF) MMC Double Deck 2021 version
Vehicle destination screen: white Hanover LED screen
Vehicle destination display: [Route Diverted] Restalrig 25
Vehicle Chassis: Vo B5TL YV3T9U226MA205154
Vehicle Body: AD K454/66
Vehicle Seating: H49/35F
Operating area: City of Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian
Registration prefix area: Glasgow
Year of manufacture: 2021
Date of first registration: 01.10.2021 (Day U2101)
Original operator: Lothian Buses
Original fleet number: 666
Original registration: SJ71 HKC
Age of vehicle: 4 years, 5 months and 13 days (total 1625 days)
Photo location: Stenhouse Cross, Stenhouse, Stenhouse, Saughton Mains and Whitson, City of Edinburgh
Taken on: Saturday the 14th of March 2026 (14.03.2026)
Taken on Day U3726
References
Bus Lists on the Web (2026) SJ71HKC. Available at: www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/ (Accessed 08.07.2026, Day U3842)
Bustimes.org (2026) Lothian Buses - Vehicles - 666 (SJ71 HKC). Available at: bustimes.org/vehicles/loth-666?date=2026-03-14 (Accessed 08.07.2026, Day U3842)
GOV.UK (2026) Check MOT History – SJ71 HKC. Available at: www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=SJ71HKC... (Accessed 08.07.2026, Day U3842)
Scottish Community Councils (2026) Find a Community Council. Available at: www.communitycouncils.scot/community-council-finder (Accessed 08.07.2026, Day U3842)
The City of Edinburgh Council (2026) Zone Lookup: Community Councils. Available at: cityofedinburgh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index... (Accessed: 08.07.2026, Day U3842)
Eastbound Union Pacific coal train rolling through Hanover Park on a really cold day. I had hoped the snow would get tossed up a bit but the train wasn't going very fast. Those number plates are worth a double take :-)
Thanks to Mark Llanuza for the heads up on this one.
Enjoy your weekend everyone!!
Numerically the last of the three new E400s with the Isle of Wight operator reverses from the stand at Ryde Bus Station on the fast and frequent service into Newport.
after decades of watching the benford probabilities for sixes and nines slowly and almost imperceptively skew towards zero, agent affords had finally found the culprit.
a flower so dense that not a single six or nine could escape, which naturally and inevitably results in a numerical singularity of sorts. [ view large ]
Noël 2017 sur la place du Molard à Genève, Switzerland. Q. Kozuchowski, 2021. Sigma DP1 Quattro, the Analog Numeric Camera!
Running in reverse numerical order, EWS liveried 66143 leads 66140, 66139 and 66093 through a sunny Langley Mill working a STP 0M22, the 13.09 departure from Belmont Down Yard to Toton TMD.
Numerically marshalled 8180 and 8179 pass through Bargo during a downpour with 2293N empty stone train from Maldon to Peppertree Quarry.
2020-02-07 Pacific National 8180-8179 Bargo 2293N 135mm
Fourways Volvo B7TL / East Lancs PG04 WHP numer 6. Following behind Volvo B7TL/East Lancs PGO4 WHM number 7.
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Roseate Tern is numerically Britain's rarest breeding seabird. It has a wide distribution in the world but nowhere is it common and easy to photograph. The BTO gives the UK population as 100 pairs, but I think it might be a little higher than that. And incidentally the BTO does not have a photograph of Roseate Tern on its "Find a Species" page, suggesting they have found it difficult to source a photograph. Most of the British population breeds on Coquet Island in Northumberland which has no public access, though you can see Roseates from boat trips around the island. But while watching Arctic Terns on the beach near Beadnell I noticed that a single Roseate Tern was sitting amongst them, though it did not pose for long. This one is in full breeding plumage with a wholly black bill and a bit of a pink flush on its breast. As summer progresses the bill becomes red from the base outwards making them look more like Common Terns, like this: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/30079735467/in/photolist
Finally here are the current UK population estimates for the other sea terns; Arctic Tern 54,000 pairs, Sandwich Tern 14,000 pairs, Common Tern 11,000 pairs, and Little Tern 1450. Which makes Roseate the rarest by a long way. Even "Common" Tern is not that common, but it is perhaps the most familiar as it is the one most likely to be seen on inland waterbodies.
Arctic Tern is numerically Britain's commonest tern with 54,000 pairs but that will probably surprise lots of people who see Common Terns far more frequently. Yet Common Terns only have 11,000 breeding pairs, only about a fifth of the population of Arctic Terns. But Common Terns are thinly distributed on inland waterbodies and coasts throughout Britain whereas Arctic Terns only breed at coastal sites and these are predominantly in the north. The greatest concentrations are in the northern and western isles of Scotland.
Arctic Tern was overlooked several times before it was finally described new to science in 1819. Common Tern was described more than 60 years earlier in 1758. Even the rare Roseate Tern was described 6 years before Arctic Tern. All of this surprises me as it has several features that differ from Common Tern; vermilion bill without a black tip, shorter legs, longer tail, greyer underparts. Here's a Common Tern for comparison with these features: www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/48090741051/in/photolist Having said that Arctic Tern wasn't described until 1819, you may notice it has a description date of 1763. That is because Erich Pontopiddan wrote a vague description in a book on Norwegian Natural History, but it wasn't generally recognised as being different from Common Tern until 1819.
I photographed this Arctic Tern calling and displaying on a beach near a breeding tern colony at Beadnell in Northumberland. You can see the legs look ridiculously short and its vermilion bill has no black tip. Its underparts are noticeably grey with a contrasting white moustache on the cheeks. Common Terns always look clean and white below.
Français
... cette photo est une dédicace pour ma mère ... Quand elle était enfant (et peut être encore maintenant) elle adorait regarder les gouttes de pluie tomber... Elle imaginait que les cercles formés se battaient entre eux ...
English
... this picture is for my mother ... When she was a child (and still now), she loved to watch falling rain drops ... She imagined that the circles are fighting eachother ...
Numerically the first of the 10 E400MMC Citys for Glasgow. This batch of buses is a significant upgrade for the Airport service, with an increase in capacty and also the inclusion of wireless charging poits at all seats.
Français
... Les trésors de la nature ... depuis la fenêtre de la cuisine de ma mère...
English
... nature's treasure ... from the kitchen's window of my mother...
numerically sequential 86632 and 86633 stead north at Millmeece in glorious autumn light with the 4M87 12.49 Ipswich Yard to Trafford Park. 14/10/2004
Arbre solitaire dans le canton de Genève près de Sézenove. Sigma DP1 Quattro, the Analog Numeric camera! Q. Kozuchowski, 2021.