Peak District 23/1/2010 - Hulleys and TM Travel

From Bakewell we caught the 13:19 service 170 to Baslow operated by Hulleys with a Plaxton Centro bodied MAN. Picures taken in both Bakewell and Baslow.
We then caught a TM decker from Baslow to Matlock at 13:42 on service 214 and then a TM Solo to Alfreton at 14:50 on service 150. The pictures show both these buses on arrival.

Peak District 23/1/2010 - TM Travel and D&G

Today we went for a ride round the Peak District. Our first journey was the 10:35 service 66 from Chesterfield to Buxton operated by a TM Travel double decker with very poor heating upstairs. The pictures show this bus en route at Baslow and on arrival in Buxton.
We then caught the 12:00 service 218 from Buxton to Bakewell operated by a new Optare Solo with very hard seats. The picures show the connecting service from Hanley to Buxton and the Solo on arrival in Bakewell.

Matlock 21/1/2010 - TrentBarton and TM Travel

The 14:37 northbound TransPeak (on time) and the 14:15 150 from Alfreton arriving in Matlock prior to a speedy journey back.

Alfreton 21/1/10 - TM Travel, Stagecoach, TrentBarton

The 12:15 service 150 to Matlock and the 15:40 service 99 to Sutton and the 15:40 to Chesterfield. Finally a 'wrong bus' on the Red Arrow.

Derby bus stations

These pictures were taken in Oct 2005 just after the old bus station closed and Jan 2010. The new bus station is expected to open in March.

Derby 16/1/10 - TrentBarton wrong buses

1. An Optare Solo on service 71 to Belper which is usually worked by Dennis Darts.
2. A Notts & Derby Excel in Gower Street on the HQ Harlequin service. This is usually worked by route branded TrentBarton Solos equiped for Mango smart cards.
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3 & 4. The other bus on HQ was a Dart but at least it has the correct destination and an INIT ticket machine and smart card reader.

Derby & Alfreton 14/1/10 - Kinch, Littles, Doyles & TrentBarton

1. How will the new bus station cope when two buses arrive together? The second one is the late running 14:35 and the front one is the punctual 15:05. 
2. Littles, a coach and schoolbus operator, have this one hourly tendered service to Borrowash.
3. Doyles continue to operate this step entrance Merc on the 331 to Nottingham. However the proposed Nottingham Statutory Quality Partnership will not allow step entrance buses to use city centre stops.
4. Perhaps TrentBarton will borrow one of TM Travel's doubledeckers for this busy journey?

Matlock 14/1/10 - TM Travel, TrentBarton, Holmes, Stagecoach

1. Fellow Wellglade group members - both on time for 10:55 departures.
2. One of C & J Holmes' Optare Solos that operate the four Matlock local services M1-M4.
3. Stagecoach have continued to operate deckers on the 17 Matlock Chesterfield service during the snow.
4. I caught this TM Travel Merc on the 11:10 411 to Ashbourne. It is a credit to the drivers that this service has continued to operate despite the road conditions.

Alfreton & Waingroves 13/1/10 - Doyles, TrentBarton & YourBus

1. Doyles Solo arriving from Codnor on service 148 and the 14:50 9.1 for Derby.
2. The 14:02 140 from Matlock route branded for Nottingham to Bulwell. The banner above the driver advertises cheap tickets which are not available on service 140.
3. One journey per hour on the Derby to Heanor H1 service is extended to Alfreton.
4. Today we have a Dennis dart on the 1A.

Despite the weather all these buses were running on time.

Crich 12/1/10 - Doyles and Yourbus

1. The 10:32 from Ripley to Crich via Ambergate and Whatstandwell.

2. As if the snow wasn't enough the 12:10 from Ripley to Matlock had to squeeze past parked vehicles.
3. The same bus near to the Market Place stop.
4. Two buses follow each other down the hill; the first is for Alfreton and the second for Nether Heage.

Heanor 10/1/10 - TM Travel

TM Travel operate the Black Cat service between Heanor and Derby via Ilkeston on Sundays. It is 29 miles from Heanor to TM's depot at Halfway and less than a mile to their new owner's Langley Mill headquarters.