Pats Coaches, Southsea, Wrexham have taken over part of the business of a firm in the North West

 Pats Coaches have taken over part of the business of the firm Bradshaws Quality Travel which have premises in Clay Gap Lane, Out Rawcliffe, Preston.  Despite its postal address the location is nearer Blackpool than Preston.

One vehicle is being taken over - N400BRA  a Scania K410EB6 / Irizar I6   (C53Ft)   It was new in May 2015 to City Circle,Hayes [142] and has been with Bradshaws since April 2022.

 This vehicle and its existing crew is likely to remain working Shearing's contracts.  Currently this vehicle is in Spain on such a contract.

The Operators Licence in respect of the Wrexham premises has recently been increased and 26 vehicles are now authorised to be used at these premises.

SSV269 the Van Hool TX17A / Acron TX has just received the new Leger Silver livery. This work was undertaken by the two lads trading as KC Bodywork who's premises are within Pat's depot. Anotyher excellent piece of work.

                                                         (Photos courtesy Ben Lewis)

The loan / demonstrator from Ilesbus RJ73FXT    Iveco Daily 70C21H  /   Ilesbus I-City Max has now left Pats and PC71PAT is now back at work with the firm.

Go Goodwins - moving depot from Mostyn to Bagillt

 

 Go Goodwins are about to move their depot from Mostyn to the the Deebank Industrial Estate in Bagillt.  They have purchased property formerly used by GTR Aggregates.  It is a 2.5 acre site full of potential.

 

 A = area planned for offices and storage of heritage fleet

B = area planned for MoT testing station

C = Workshops 

D = Will be demolished

E = Main Parking area for local fleet

A   area planned for offices and storage of heritage fleet

B = area planned for MoT testing station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C = Workshops 

D = Being demolished

 

Straffords MInera and Pats Coaches Wrexham

 Straffords' Coaches have sold 403BGO    Scania K114IB4 /  Irizar    (C55F)     to Pats Coaches.

 It was new in June 2003 as YN03DDK to Mayne, Warrington [30],  It was purchased by Pats Coaches in July 2019 but not used.  It was sold on shortly afterwards to Straffords Minera who gave it the name 'Frank'.

It has reverted to a white livery.

                                                                     (Photo courtesy of Ben Lewis)

Teithio Seren, Colwyn Bay

VX51RBY  the  Dennis Dart SLF  /  Alexander ALX200 has been sold to a currently unidentified operator in England.  It may be used for Rail Replacement in the future.

Keane's Coaches (DPK Commercials) Eryrys

 Most of the fleet is being given a very smart new livery.

At least seven of the fleet will receive this livery which makes a very nice change from the previous all white colour.

Davies Coaches, Leeswood

 Arrived today (29 August) is DD08OXF a  Volvo B12B  / Plaxton Panther   (C70FL)

It was new in March 2008 to City of Oxford [94] and from August 2015 it was with Shaw, (Travellers Choice), Carnforth.  It is a sibling of JJ08OXF which arrived with Davies in May of this year.

Left the fleet is YX03FCN  the Transbus (Dennis) Javelin / Profile which having donated its seats has gone to Davies Motors presumably for scrap.

Unicorn Travel, Llay, Wrexham

 Joining the fleet is HN66UDW a Ford Transit (M16).  New in December 2016 to Dawson Rentals, it has been with PP Travel, Knottingley; Need, Alnwick and more recently with British Aerospace in Broughton.

It has been given the firm's new very smart livery:-

Pats Coaches, Southsea, Wrexham

 On loan here from Ilesbus is RJ73FXT an Iveco Daily 70C21H  /  Illesbus I-City Max  (B33F).

It is from Ilesbus and is here while PC71PAT receives attention.

 

 

Van Hool TX17A Acron TX  SSV269 is currently being repainted into the new Leger Silver livery and should be completed soon.

GM Buses (Teithio Seren), Colwyn Bay addition to the fleet

 Added to the fleet is SV08DHU Volvo B7R / Plaxton Profile  (C51FL).  It was New in May 2008 to Stagecoach (Bluebird Buses) Scotland and from March 2022 with Langcake (Big Coach Company) Garston, Liverpool from where it has come.

Voel Coaches, Dyserth, Rhyl

The Neoplan Tourliner which until recently carried the number OY67DXO and the livery to celebrate the 70th Anniversary has been re-registered to 6499VC and is now in orange.  It is shortly to receive the Voel new livery with an indication that the company is celebrating its 75th Anniversary.

 

 

 

Go Goowins - vehicles left the fleet

 Two vehicles have recently left the fleet:-

YJ24AYF    Temsa Safari HD12 which was new to the firm in March 2024 has been sold to Walls of Wigan Limited (Grayway Coaches)

RX58HVJ    AD Trident / Optare Olympus    (H51/31F) which was recently purchased from Chester Coaches, Walkden last month has been sold on to Yelloway Chadderton.

Fflecsi services in Flintshire

 The fflecsi bus service is a demand-responsive bus service administered by Transport for Wales (TfW) and local authorities, operated by local bus operators across Wales.

 Normally the fflecsi service has replaced former timetabled services in rural areas.  The idea being that passengers can have a more flexible means to make essential travel journeys at times more appropriate to their needs.

Passengers book and pay for journeys via an app (or telephone call), which then matches passengers travelling between similar points, calculating an ad hoc route to the destinations required within the route's service area. Payment is required and normally each area has a fixed fee although concessionary travel passes are accepted

Currently the service is provided in the following areas:-

In South Wales there a\re service based in Blaenau Gwent and Pembrokeshire

In Gwynedd - there is a service covering the Llŷn Peninsula and Lloyds Coaches have a fleet of four smartly fflecsi liveried Mercedes-Benz Sprinters that operate a service around Dolgellau and a separate service based at Machynlleth covering the Dyfi Valley

In the Conwy Valley - three smartly fflecsi liveried Sprinters operated by Alpine cover Llanrwst and the villages of Llangernyw, Dolwyddelan, Cwm Penmachno, Yspyty Ifan, Pentrefoelas and Cerrigydrudion. 

In Denbighshire Llew Jones operates a fflecsi liveried Sprinter covering the immediate housing around the town.  M and H Coaches operates a fflecsi liveried Sprinter which covers the area around Denbigh and Henllan.  The Council themselves operate an all electric fflecsi liveried Sprinter that covers Ruthin and some of the nearby villages.  They also operate a wheelchair-accessible Nissan Dynamo E-NV200 EV micro electric vehicle which operates around Denbigh and covers such villages as Tremeichion, Llanefydd, Prion, Nantglyn and Peniel.  This latter vehicle also supplements the Henllan area when required.

In Flintshire the first fflecsi service is based on Holywell and operates around a number of the outlying villages to the town. It replaced a number of timetables services running from Holywell .  Until recently it was operated by P and O Lloyd using one of the Flintshire Council liveried 16 seater buses.   The most recent fflecsi service in this county covers the Buckley, Penyffordd, Kinnerton and Broughton area and replaced various  timetabled services including the Buckley Town service and those passing through Kinnerton and Penyffordd.  This service was until recently was operated by Wrexham Taxis and used two Flintshire Council liveried 16 seater buses.

The four vehicles purchased by Flintshire Council which carried a recognisable Flintshire Council livery and were used on the fflecsi services have now been sold through the Queensferry Auction. They have not been replaced. These were  :-

FP18FEV  and FP18FFN    Mercedes Benz 516CDI
MX18AVR and MX18AWJ    Peugeot Boxer 440

From 1st July the Flintshire fflecsi area services have passed to R Williams Services Limited of Flint.  There is now only one vehicle working the Buckley service.  Both of the vehicles now working in Flintshire, one based in Holywell and the other Buckley,  are 8 seater minibuses and currently have no special livery or any indications on the exterior of the vehicles to indicate the nature of the service they are working.

                                      Buckley fflecsi - operated by R Williams - 5 August 2024

                                     Holywell fflecsi operated by R Williams - 1 August 2024 

The question has to be posed - will the lack of any livery / indication on the vehicles failing to show that they are part of the fflecsi lead to further reductions in the service.  This essential passenger facility for the rural areas is essential but for some reason there is very little effective marketing of the service undertaken.  Is this a deliberate policy to further reduce the demand for the service leading to its withdrawal.

Some of the examples of other vehicles used in other areas.

                                                               Conwy Valley (Alpine)

                                            Ruthin (Denbighshire County Council) - full electric

                                        Denbigh (Denbighshire County Council ) fully electric

                                              Denbigh and Henllan (M and H Coaches)

 

Go Goodwin, Mostyn

 Two additions to  the fleet are :-

W551DWY    Volvo B10M-62 /  Plaxton Panther  (C70F)   New in June 2000 to Brown, Helperby, North Yorkshire; (10/2008) Chester, Walkden

and

RX58HVJ    AD Trident  /  Optare Olympus    (H51/31F)   New in Nov 2008 to Courtney, Bracknel, Bedfordshire; (5/19) Chester, Walkden

Keanes Coaches (D P K Commercials)

 This firm is making steady progress and has recently increased its authorised number of vehicles to 10.  

The Operating Centre at Burley Hill Garage, Eryrys is now solely used by the firm.  It is not only being used as the base for his expanding fleet but the owner Dan Keane is providing a repair service to a number of local bus firms and various visiting buses and coaches are regularly seen here.

The Scania K340EB4 / Caetano Levante    (S70F) recently purchased from Davies of Leeswood has been re-registered from FJ07DWO to Y8KNE

 

 

SN57DWM   the  AD E200 Dart (B32D) which was owned by Keane and operated on a contract in Bootle for a while by Starcruiser Bussing Limited has been sold to OR Jones, Llanfaethlu.

SP07HHZ  a  Volvo B7R / Plaxton Profile which was once owned by Dale Travel before it returned to Keanes has also been sold.  It went to a firm in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and it was quickly sold on to the Birmingham Coach Company and it appears they have also sold now sold it.

 

 

 Acton Coaches which is operated by David Evans is back to being a one vehicle firm - with the former Straford's Mercedes Vario / Cheetah YN04WSV as the one bus.

The Mercedes Beaver which had been used for some 17 years, BXI33 /  P398MDT has been sold and is being converted to a camper vehicle.

 

Bloggers state of Health -

 

  Following my blog on 7 July about the coach crash in South Africa I am pleased to report that my wife and I are making good progress to a full recovery - but as I constantly keep being reminded - age is a factor and therefore it is taking time.

We are both able to do most of what we did before - but are still suffering from some backache and a slight loss in our previous mobility.

Thank you to all who have kindly offered best wishes.

The full story of the crash can be found by scrolling down my blog to July 7th

Teithio Seren / GM Buses Limited

 David McAulay trading as Teithio Seren first obtained an Operating licence in June 2023.  The operating centre was mainly at Bryn Rodyn, Colwyn Bay.  His fleet at one stage comprised of :-

VX51RBY   (fleet no. SDC51)  Dennis Dart SLF    Alexander ALX200    B38F
NX56HBK   (fleet no. MDF56) Iveco 40C12 Daily    Advanced Vehicle Builders    M16
FJ09KMX    (fleet no. MDF09) Iveco 45C15 Daily    Excel    M16
PN03OVM   (fleet no. CPC03)  Dennis R405    Plaxton Paragon    C53F

In addition to private hire a school contract from Brynhyfryd, Ruthin was operated for a period.

JF09KMX and PN03OVM have subsequently been sold.  The latter, Plaxton Paragon, is now with Big Wheelers Driver Training, Valley and is now BW51HGV.

The Traffic Commissioner for Wales called a Public Inquiry which was held at Caernarfon on 18th June and the Operating Licence was revoked with immediate effect.

However at the same hearing the Traffic Commissioner granted a new Operating Licence to the company GM Buses Limited.  This company is jointly owned by David McAulay and David Banks both of whom are Directors.    David Banks is also a Director of Llandudno Land Trains Limited that operates the Great Orme Express Tour from Llandudno Pier during the summer season.

The new company have newly acquired two vehicles as follows:-

SUI3825   [YN04AWH]  MAN 18.310 / Noge N-4873 (C49Ft)    

LIW1335  [YN54DDE]  Mercedes Benz Vario O814D  /  Plaxton Cheetah    (C33F)

They were both new to Hodson Coaches, Gisburn (SUI in 6/20024 and LIW in 9/2004)

 

                                                               (Photo courtesy David McAulay)

The new company will also trade as Teithio Seren

The main office for GM Buses is now Unit 1A, The Factory, Builder Street West, Conwy, LL30 1HH although the current registered Operating Centre is Bryn Rodyn, Dolwen Road, Old Colwyn.

Dart VX51RBY will transfer over to GM Buses from Teithio Seren and possibly also Iveco FJ09KMX which is currently out of use in Llay.

E Jones and Sons, Rhosllanerchrugog, Wrexham

 Arrived this week is YX68TZO a  Volvo B8R  /  Plaxton  C72FL.  It was new in September 2018    to Imperial Coaches, Slough and is now fully PSVR compliant with a lift.    

<<Temp photo Link>>

        

Price Coaches, New Broughton, Wrexham

 The Volvo B12M    Jonckheere JHV    C53Ft which arrived in May has now been re-registered from CT10OUK to SIG2959

P and O Lloyd, Bagillt, Holywell

 It can be confirmed that the five Solos SR's Optare M8570SR-SL (B28F) YJ68FSA/C/D/E/F which have been on loan from Flintshire County Council since they were new in November 2011 have left the fleet and returned to Flintshire County Council.  They were soon entered into auction at Queensferry and it is understood that YJ68FSA and FSD are now with Nefyn Coaches and that YJ68FSC, FSE and FSF are currently being offered for sale by Stafford Bus Centre.

The firm now have two brand new Alexander Dennis A20D / Enviro 200 for work on the newly desiganted F1 and F2 Deeside Shuttle services.  YX24OZM was reported in an earlier Blog when it arrived on 10th June.  SK24CWJ arrived a little later.  They are both currently retaining their original white livery but have received vinyls with the firm's name

The other Optare Solos thta have joined the fleet recently are all now in service and carry the fleet's smart service vehicle liveries :-KX64AFA,, YJ62FMO,  YJ65EVK and YJ65EVL

The Solo MX07NTO which came from Go Goodwins in May 2023 and received initially a Flintshire council livery has now been the firm's standard service livery.

Townlynx, Greenfield, Holywell

 As reported earlier the firm's new Volvo B8RLE  /  MCV eVoRa    B38F    BL24FEG    Chassis no. YV3T7U521RA216054 has entered service.

Prior to the recent General Election it did carry some political messages and apparenlty it was driven around certain parts of the County purely to display these messages.  They have now been removed.

It is not used each day - mainly as there is only one main driver for this vehicle, (Dave).

 

 The Alexander Dennis E20D / E200 MMC    (B41F) YX17NZB    which was new with sibling NZA to Townlynx in March 2013 was involved in a serious RTC last August.Despite significant damage it has repaired by Alexander Dennis and was sold in June to Falcon Coaches, Surrey without returning back to North Wales.  It has joined its sibling NZA which went last year.

Dale Travel, Sandycroft

Dale McCarthy has been unsuccessful in obtaining another Operating Licence.

The full story of this firm can be found in the main RonsBusesandCoacheswebsite <<HERE>>

 

My adventures in South Africa - not quite as planned

 I was privileged to be able to have a holiday in South Africa at the end of June visiting such places as Cape Town,Durban, Krugger National Park, Johannesburg, Soweto, Swaziland and Lake Victoria

The below vehicle was one of those that we travelled on the grand tour. It is a Chinese Yutong ZK6938HQ and seated 35 passengers.  It is seen here with our Tour Director

Unfortunately on Monday 24th June on the 10th day of our holiday this coach was involved in a Crash.  Whilst we were overtaking two lorries one of them, a Fire Service Water Tanker, came in to our path and a collision occurred.  Probably due to the skills of the driver our coach never rolled and remained upright.  However most of the damage to the coach and the injuries to the passengers occurred post collision when the vehicle was forced off the road where it first jumped a fence, hedge and an area of rough surface including boulders before rejoining and crossing the highway and then jumping another fence and travelling many yards before eventually coming to a stop.  As can be seen most windows were smashed and there was considerable damage to the underneath of the coach which can be found on the trail left post collision.

Of the 20 persons on board 12, including my wife and myself were conveyed by ambulance to a local regional hospital.  Two people were detained with fairly serious injuries but the rest of us were discharged after a few hours having had x-rays, etc to ensure no significant injuries.  The hospital was brilliant and we have nothing but praise for the treatment that we received,

My wife was struck by the door frame and had to receive a number of stitches in her head,  I, like most of the passengers suffered mainly back injuries with various cuts and bruises - but these injuries have proved to be not too serious and are currently being dealt with by pain killers and should heal in time.

We were given the option by our tour company to arrange immediate passage home but we all chose to continue with the holiday - with certain changes made in view of our physical state.  We have now returned home and obtained medical advice and assistance and recovery is in progress.

One annoying outcome of the accident is that my camera that I have used for many years was damaged but fortunately after it was found in the coach I was able to recover the photographs taken from the SD Card.

Townlynx new eVoRa

 Townlynx new eVoRa entered service today.

Not able to see it myself - many thousand miles away.

 

Thanks to Mark Kearneyfor photo

Voel Coaches, Dyserth, Rhyl

This year sees the 75th Diamond anniversary of this firm.  A logo is being applied to some of the coaches as follows.

8868VC [YJ13HVA, GSU340] which came to Voel from A Lyles and Sons of Batley in December last yeat has now received a new version of the firm's orange livery.

 In addition YJ04HHT which came to Voel in September 2009 from  Bibby of Ingleton and was once with George Edwards of Bwlchgwyn has received the firm's normal livery with the addition of the 75 Anniversary logo.

It is believed that Tourliner OY67DXO which for the last 5 years has carried a white based 70th Anniversary livery is to be given a special 75th livery possibly silver based.