Fife, Perth & Edinburgh trip
Well, even after this week, still had a feeling of some things I wanted to do and see. I spent almost an hour perfecting this journey plan, and it worked - almost briliantly.
From Dundee Bus Station at 0820 - that takes some doing to be there the morning after the team night out!, I took Fife 20322 on the 99 to Guardbridge Main Street - well, me & TP2040. Got off there, but didn't snap the bus at either end due to the sun at that time (keep reading for more!), but crossed the road to Cupar Road, for Service 23 - the unique Saturday early run from St Andrews to Letham, that comes back as a 64B (and in the end, does the same at the end of the shift too). Bus involved was Dennis Dart 32204, seen here at Letham. Like several other Fife Council stop names, this stop gets another new name. "Letham, bus shelter" - as the timetable shows - is also represented as "Monimail Road Letham" from a previous board sticking excercise, but the new bus stop shows "Letham Village centre"...
From Cupar, and just before we took 34086 in Go-Flexi colours on the F1/F2 (F1 up, F2 down, and the other bus generally does the opposite), it was interesting to see First's standards still as they were - another elderly Tiger on the 23 - this time with no destination, but a service number!. After a brief wait at Newburgh, ex-Devon Volvo Olympian 16403 on the 36 took us to Perth. When we got there, it was planned to take a look Pegasus Travel Service 49 from Perth to Glenalmond & Harrietfield, as next Saturday is the last day. This link was provided by Lawson's of Methven until the early 1990's, and the area had no bus service at all until Perth & Kinross Council reinstated a service a few years back. The regular bus R79 EDW was spotted by me a few weeks ago, but today, the service was being operated by ex-Arran Scania/Plaxton G262EHD! The board was in the window, but an Almex "A" ticket machine was in use, as opposed to the electronic A90 usually on this route. R79 would have done the last round trip, as the regular driver and bus were due back by that time! The operations manager (who was driving) talked of his days with Lawson's on this route (with cars usually!), and it would seem this is the only times bug buses have got in the area. The bus was snapped at the Perth end as well as opposite Glenalmond College As ever, the service has started to pick up, just in time for it's withdrawal....
As a result of the passenger loadings, we were a moment or two down on arriving Perth, and it was a tight time for our next bus - but we made it, and Volvo B10M/Alexander PS 20196 took us to Kelty, and similar 20330 took us on the 55 to Dunfermline (pics taken at Kelty Cross). This one has also recently been refurbished.
In Dunfermline, we could see 32104has been fitted with an electronic display. After this, Volvo B10M/Plaxton 52442 took us to Edinburgh, where sights included the Mercedes Citaro artic on the 19 once more (still not got it for a photo yet!), a one-time FifeFirst Scania on the 44, another new OmniDekka, a fairly new Dart/Pointer for Waverly Travel that I'd not seen before, one of the former Diamond Airlink Scania's, Motorvator Volvo/Plaxton R85 SEF with back end advert for Wrigley's Mints, as well as a reorganisation of street furniture in time for the start (tommorrow) of the new Central Edinburgh Traffic Management scheme.
After that, we got back to the bus station, and saw Rapsons ESK 985 and plain white Fife N618 USS together, before we got on 52160 on the X59 (pic taken in Glenrothes). From the coach window, we were able to snap ex-Tube 42 on Megabus M90. When we got to Glenrothes, coach 52385 was seen in the bus station, before Volvo Olympian 16101 arrived on the 46A. We took this bus to Caskieberran, back to Glenrothes, then onto Leven/Buckhaven. Must admit, this was another run which was expected to be a minibus... We got to Buckhaven, and rather than going back to Leven bus station, the bus drove back to Aberhill depot, with the two of us still on it... now, when we got there, there were a few more buses ahead waiting to get into the washbed. When we got off - one of the new Solo's for the 13 was looking straight ahead of us! The bus is due to go on the road on Monday (two branded for the 13, one spare in plain), but the 13 will not be able to accept them initally due to road preperation works in Dysart - so look out for them appearing anywhere in Levenmouth! The "coastrider 13" branding includes two water waves, and "starfish" - is this a comment on the 13's passengers? (The tech tales website refers to "starfish" as those people who call techical support, with little knowledge of what is going on...)
So, snapped it up, offside and nearside, that before walking back to the bus station to catch 16132 on the 95 (pic taken at St Andrews). While we were waiting on 20304 on the 96 back to Dundee, 20314 arrived back from a party which had been held by Brian Souter at his estate near Crieff to commemorate 25 years of Stagecoach, and a party had been held for staff and their families. Also spotted was 20305 and 20322 - we'd been on the latter earlier on the 99's, and 20305 looked like it had been on the 90's today - showing "St Andrews 90" which you can now only see on Saturdays!
Anyway, very good day out - and more than 14 hours long. I will probably beat it before the end of the summer...
From Dundee Bus Station at 0820 - that takes some doing to be there the morning after the team night out!, I took Fife 20322 on the 99 to Guardbridge Main Street - well, me & TP2040. Got off there, but didn't snap the bus at either end due to the sun at that time (keep reading for more!), but crossed the road to Cupar Road, for Service 23 - the unique Saturday early run from St Andrews to Letham, that comes back as a 64B (and in the end, does the same at the end of the shift too). Bus involved was Dennis Dart 32204, seen here at Letham. Like several other Fife Council stop names, this stop gets another new name. "Letham, bus shelter" - as the timetable shows - is also represented as "Monimail Road Letham" from a previous board sticking excercise, but the new bus stop shows "Letham Village centre"...
From Cupar, and just before we took 34086 in Go-Flexi colours on the F1/F2 (F1 up, F2 down, and the other bus generally does the opposite), it was interesting to see First's standards still as they were - another elderly Tiger on the 23 - this time with no destination, but a service number!. After a brief wait at Newburgh, ex-Devon Volvo Olympian 16403 on the 36 took us to Perth. When we got there, it was planned to take a look Pegasus Travel Service 49 from Perth to Glenalmond & Harrietfield, as next Saturday is the last day. This link was provided by Lawson's of Methven until the early 1990's, and the area had no bus service at all until Perth & Kinross Council reinstated a service a few years back. The regular bus R79 EDW was spotted by me a few weeks ago, but today, the service was being operated by ex-Arran Scania/Plaxton G262EHD! The board was in the window, but an Almex "A" ticket machine was in use, as opposed to the electronic A90 usually on this route. R79 would have done the last round trip, as the regular driver and bus were due back by that time! The operations manager (who was driving) talked of his days with Lawson's on this route (with cars usually!), and it would seem this is the only times bug buses have got in the area. The bus was snapped at the Perth end as well as opposite Glenalmond College As ever, the service has started to pick up, just in time for it's withdrawal....
As a result of the passenger loadings, we were a moment or two down on arriving Perth, and it was a tight time for our next bus - but we made it, and Volvo B10M/Alexander PS 20196 took us to Kelty, and similar 20330 took us on the 55 to Dunfermline (pics taken at Kelty Cross). This one has also recently been refurbished.
In Dunfermline, we could see 32104has been fitted with an electronic display. After this, Volvo B10M/Plaxton 52442 took us to Edinburgh, where sights included the Mercedes Citaro artic on the 19 once more (still not got it for a photo yet!), a one-time FifeFirst Scania on the 44, another new OmniDekka, a fairly new Dart/Pointer for Waverly Travel that I'd not seen before, one of the former Diamond Airlink Scania's, Motorvator Volvo/Plaxton R85 SEF with back end advert for Wrigley's Mints, as well as a reorganisation of street furniture in time for the start (tommorrow) of the new Central Edinburgh Traffic Management scheme.
After that, we got back to the bus station, and saw Rapsons ESK 985 and plain white Fife N618 USS together, before we got on 52160 on the X59 (pic taken in Glenrothes). From the coach window, we were able to snap ex-Tube 42 on Megabus M90. When we got to Glenrothes, coach 52385 was seen in the bus station, before Volvo Olympian 16101 arrived on the 46A. We took this bus to Caskieberran, back to Glenrothes, then onto Leven/Buckhaven. Must admit, this was another run which was expected to be a minibus... We got to Buckhaven, and rather than going back to Leven bus station, the bus drove back to Aberhill depot, with the two of us still on it... now, when we got there, there were a few more buses ahead waiting to get into the washbed. When we got off - one of the new Solo's for the 13 was looking straight ahead of us! The bus is due to go on the road on Monday (two branded for the 13, one spare in plain), but the 13 will not be able to accept them initally due to road preperation works in Dysart - so look out for them appearing anywhere in Levenmouth! The "coastrider 13" branding includes two water waves, and "starfish" - is this a comment on the 13's passengers? (The tech tales website refers to "starfish" as those people who call techical support, with little knowledge of what is going on...)
So, snapped it up, offside and nearside, that before walking back to the bus station to catch 16132 on the 95 (pic taken at St Andrews). While we were waiting on 20304 on the 96 back to Dundee, 20314 arrived back from a party which had been held by Brian Souter at his estate near Crieff to commemorate 25 years of Stagecoach, and a party had been held for staff and their families. Also spotted was 20305 and 20322 - we'd been on the latter earlier on the 99's, and 20305 looked like it had been on the 90's today - showing "St Andrews 90" which you can now only see on Saturdays!
Anyway, very good day out - and more than 14 hours long. I will probably beat it before the end of the summer...
posted by Suzy Scott @ 23:59
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