Seen here at Aldgate(Minories) Bus Station, on 28/07/1998, is this trio of Olympian buses. The odd one out is of course First Capital Citybus, Walthamstow, 247 N247CMP, a Northern Counties Countybus Palatine I bodied Volvo Olympian YN2RV18Z4. It was new to Capital Citybus, in 07/1996, and is on layover prior to making a trip to Wood Green. Capital Citybus was established on 29/12/1990, with the purchase of the London tendered bus services of Ensignbus by the Hong Kong businessman Tsui Tsin-tong's CNT Group, which also owned bus operator Hong Kong Citybus.
Citybus purchased the London tendered routes, Dagenham garage and 87 buses and rebranded the operation as Capital Citybus. In 1991, it gained a large number of routes after the collapse of London Regional Transport subsidiary London Forest and further tendering resulted in the opening of Northumberland Park garage. It also operated six commercial routes, mainly in the Romford area, and Hertfordshire County Council-contracted service 321 (Rickmansworth - Luton) on Sundays.
On 21/12/1995, CNT Group sold Capital Citybus in a management buyout backed by Lloyds Development Capital then on 08/07/1998, just three weeks before this photo was taken, Capital Citybus was sold to FirstGroup. After a period of initially operating separately, the company was integrated into the other First London operations.
The other two Olympians in this view are Arriva Leaside, L333, J433BSH, an Alexander RH bodied Cummins powered Leyland Olympian ON2R50C13Z4. This was new to London Buses, in 06/1992, and was later converted to open-top configuration, in 08/2003, for use on the Arriva Original London Sightseeing Tour, while alongside is sister L354, VLT32. It received this reg. in 01/1994. This was the last numerically in the batch, being new in 08/1992 and was originally registered J354BSH. It was also the last of the Leyland Olympians supplied to London Buses. When the London Buses subsidiaries were privatised both Olympians passed into the control of T. Cowie Group owned Leaside Buses, thus becoming Arriva Leaside Buses when the Cowie Group was re-named in 1998. Both buses were based at Clapton when seen here.
The camera being a Praktica MTL3 with the film being the Boots Colourslide II.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 1998.
Tags: J433BSH J354BSH VLT32 N247CMP
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Sixteen of these dual-doored Alexander(Belfast) bodied Volvo Olympians, 223-38, P223MPU etc., arrived at Capital Citybus, in early 1997, this one being new with the bulk of them in the March. It is seen here on A4 Strand, nearing it's journey's end, at Trafalgar Square, from Crouch End Broadway, on 01/08/1997. I think it ended it's working days with First Chester and Wirral, at Rock Ferry, in around 2012. It carried fleetnumber 34236 in First's national numbering scheme.
The camera being a Praktica MTL3 with the film being the Boots Colourslide II.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 1997.
Tags: P236MPU
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Capital Citybus had in what turned out to be a long running contract to supply a bus service for the East London Line extension. As well as several other members of their fleet being painted in this dedicated livery, five out of nine of these unusual and rare Dennis Arrows also received this livery. New in 09/1996, registered P905HMH, with this one seen here on layover in Aldgate(Minories) Bus Station, alongside a more mundane member of the fleet, on 01/08/1997. The whole batch were surprisingly re-registered with the P40xMLE plates in 05/1997, from the P-HMH plates they were new with. This one worked out of Northumberland Park when new, however just a month later was transferred to Hackney to work this service. In 03/1998, it was transferred to Dagenham then just five months later, it was back to Hackney, via Northumberland Park. In 03/2002, it moved to Dagenham, and in 01/2003 to Rainham. Withdrawn in 02/2004, it passed to First West Yorkshire, where it received fleetnumber 31905, then in 05/2006, to First Manchester. It was sold to PVS(Carlton), for scrap, in 04/2012. For more details, see countrybus.org/Dominator/DACCa.htm#fleet. As mentioned above, the more mundane member of the fleet alongside is, 201, CHF351X, an Alexander RH bodied Dennis Dominator DDA157. New to Merseyside PTE(0051), in a batch of eight delivered in 07/1982, it then spent time with Kelvin Central(1751) prior to arriving at Capital Citybus.
The camera being a Praktica MTL3 with the film being the Boots Colourslide II.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 1997.
Tags: CHF351X P405PLE
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Capital Citybus had in what turned out to be a long running contract to supply a bus service for the East London Line extension. As well as several other members of their fleet being painted in this dedicated livery, five out of nine of these unusual and rare Dennis Arrows also received this livery. New in 09/1996, registered P905HMH, this one is seen here on A1211 Aldgate High Street, passing the exit of Aldgate(Minories) Bus Station, leading a line of a variety of buses, on 01/08/1997. It would turn left here, then left again into the bus station. The whole batch were surprisingly re-registered with the P40xMLE plates in 05/1997, from the P-HMH plates they were new with. This one worked out of Northumberland Park when new, however just a month later was transferred to Hackney to work this service. In 03/1998, it was transferred to Dagenham then just five months later, it was back to Hackney, via Northumberland Park. In 03/2002, it moved to Dagenham, and in 01/2003 to Rainham. Withdrawn in 02/2004, it passed to First West Yorkshire, where it received fleetnumber 31905, then in 05/2006, to First Manchester. It was sold to PVS(Carlton), for scrap, in 04/2012. For more details, see countrybus.org/Dominator/DACCa.htm#fleet.
The camera being a Praktica MTL3 with the film being the Boots Colourslide II.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 1997.
Tags: P905HMH P405MLE
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If one photo of these wasn't enough for you, well here's another one in all it's glory! Not the most aesthetically pleasing of designs of coachwork from East Lancs but they did gain a reputation for it! This Dominator was new to Southampton Citybus(296), in 01/1989, and was delivered in a batch of eight, 291-8, F291-8PTP. Being acquired by Capital Citybus, it is seen here at Stratford, in the east of London, on 01/11/1995. After use with Capital Citybus, it moved north to First Crosville.
Capital Citybus was formerly known as Ensignbus and was the trading name of Frontrunner South East and Walthamstow Citybus Ltd. Ensignbus had been involved in tendered operations since 06/1986 with Fruntrunner South East being acquired from Stagecoach three years later with the LRT and commercial services becoming known as Ensign Citybus in 07/1990. Frontrunner was then sold to Hong Kong based CNT Group in 12/1990. The separate Walthamstow Citybus operation began in Autumn 1991 when some of the areas routes were taken over under LRT tendering from London Forrest. London Forrest being wound up by London Transport in 11/1991.
The camera being a Praktica MTL3 with the film being a Boots Colourslide.
I would request, as with all my photos, that they are not copied or downloaded in any way, shape or form. © Peter Steel 1995.
Tags: F296PTP
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