Bargain Bus 4 enters the fray

Richard Lomas writes (29 November 2010):

Bargain Bus 4 started operation this morning, running every 20 minutes from Broadmarsh bus station to Briar Gate taking the same route as Premiere's Red4 except that outward journeys do not serve Friar Lane.

There are now three service 4s passing the QMC hospital. All inbound journeys go to Broadmarsh but outbound jouneys are different:
TrentBarton Rainbow 4 to Sandiacre or Derby (displays '4').;
Premiere Red 4 to Long Eaton or Briar Gate (displays 'Red4' or '4');
Bargain Bus 4 to Briar Gate (displays '4').

The first group of photos (1 to 14) were taken at QMC and the later ones (15 to 20) at Broadmarsh.

1. An inbound Premiere - I think on Red4. [Peter Chatfield comments (10 December 2010): '2207 is usually on route 17 which has been extended to Nottingham from Stapleford. Red 4 normally if not liveried carry a board in the front.' Thus this may well be a 17.]

2. An outbound route branded TrentBarton 4 to Sandiacre.

3. The traditional route to Briar Gate via Long Eaton also runs every 20 minutes.

4. QMC is a very busy stop with lots of frequent NCT services such as this one.

5. An outbound Red4. Most of the buses on Red4 are painted white.

6. It is not unusual to see three or even four buses at the QMC stops. An inbound TrentBarton followed by two NCTs.

7. My first glimpse of Bargain Bus 4.

8. The fixed destination display reminded me of the former Soviet Union although the service number used to be in the middle of the display.

9 ABOVE & 10 BELOW. Two more views of the former TrentBarton 918 now Bargain Bus 2005. There is nothing on the destination display to indicate which way it is going. In fact it is outbound to Briar Gate.

11. Interior of Bargain Bus 2004 (ex 911).

12. Exterior of Bargain Bus 2004 outbound to Briar Gate.

13. The next outbound bus was a rather dirty Premiere showing '4' rather than 'Red4' and no destination.

14. Interior of Bargain Bus 915 - note TrentBarton Almex ticket machines are used which show the route number as B4.

15. A Bargain Bus about to leave Broadmarsh with a competing Red4 behind it.

16. A reminder that KinchBus will soon be operating a competing service to Loughborough.

17. A red TrentBarton bus on Rainbow 4 to Derby - not Red4 or Bargain Bus 4 - obvious isn't it!

18. A Bargain Bus pulling off the stand past an Indigo with a competing white Red 4 behind it.

19. A white Premiere Solo on Red4 but not displaying a route number.

20. A Premiere Red2 for Cotgrave overtaking a TrentBarton Keyworth bus. The Bargain Bus Facebook page says that they will be running to Keyworth in January but I haven't found a reference to a Premiere Keyworth service yet.

Richard Lomas. Added to website 30 November 2010

Chesterfield visitor from Doncaster

Colin Sellers writes (26 November 2010):

This Doncaster Community Transport, wheelchair lift fitted Cheetah was parked up in Chesterfield Coach Station on Thursday 25 November 2010.

Response from Neville Whitmore (29 November 2010):

I think that the picture of the Leger bus Mercedes is NOT a Cheetah but a Beaver with a Cheetah front. Few Beavers have been built in the last few years (most for welfare use) but those which have have got the Cheetah front. I know that Clowne Community Transport have one such vehicle. Does anyone know if the Beaver name is still used or are they perhaps now all called Cheetahs?

Colin Sellers. Added to website 27/30 November 2010

Alfreton including award winners!

Richard Lomas writes (18 November 2010):

Here are 5 pictures of the award winning nines that I took in Alfreton this morning including some of the customers. I think it is a very good bus service running every 15 minutes from Ripley to Derby compared with every 20 minutes back in 1970. Sure the buses are smaller but the service is better.

Details of the award on the Trentbarton website HERE

All these pictures were taken within a quarter of an hour in Alfreton. At long last a TM Travel bus with a stable destination display.

Richard Lomas. Added to website 19 November 2010

Red(or white)4

Richard Lomas writes (15 November 2010):

Premiere's Red4 service from Nottingham to Long Eaton via Sandiacre and Briar Gate started on Sunday 14th November. During the day on weekdays it runs every 20 minutes from Broadmarsh. In the evenings it runs every 30 minutes from Friar Lane to Briar Gate. Briar Gate is a residential area between Long Eaton and Sandiacre and was always served by Barton buses running to Nottingham via Long Eaton. These have become part of Trentbarton's Indigo group of routes with a 20 minute service to Briar Gate. Red4's running time to Briar Gate via Sandiacre is 42 minutes compared with Indigo's 54 minutes via Long Eaton.

In a couple of weeks Bargain Bus are due to start a 20 minute weekday service from Broadmarsh to Briar Gate via Sandiacre. They may well be redder than Red4! (Bargain Bus is run by Midland General, part of the Wellglade Group, as is Trentbarton. It is likely that on Bargain Bus single fares will be 50p. Thus the main part of the route will have buses from Trentbarton (Wellglade), Premiere and Bargain Bus (Midland General [Wellglade]).)

Response from Daniel Sellers (16 November 2010):

The Premiere Travel Enviro 300s described by Richard Lomas as having a colourful interior were originally used at the Eden Project (the design of its biodomes is incorporated into the seat moquette). They originally had Select registrations including the letters EDN, which were transferred to their current Mercedes Citaro bendy buses.

I took this photo in Chesterfield in April 2009 when this bus was on hire to TM Travel operating route 66. This is one of the ex- Eden Project Enviro 300s mentioned by Richard Lomas as being with Premiere Travel.

The photographs below were taken on Monday 15 November 2010.

The first Red4 that I saw outward bound at QMC. The poster at the front has a welcome message from Steve Greaves, founder and managing director.

The second and all subsequent ones I saw were all white. This Dennis Enviro is at Long Eaton ASDA terminus and has a colourful interior.

The same bus in Broadmarsh bus station - not much contrast - a white bus against a white background.

A timetable for Red4 at Friar Lane.

I saw two of these shoplink buses on Premiere's service Red1 to Bingham.

Another white Enviro on Red4 turning out of Friar Lane.

Congestion in Friar Lane.

Another Red4 with route branding.

Richard Lomas. Added to website 16 November 2010
Dan Sellers response & photograph added 17 November 2010