• Again a slightly later update than planned, but as we are now in the schools summer holiday, the updates will for a few weeks be very sporadic, so I will leave a message in the Dennis Dart Yahoo Group, each time I do update (A full multiple weekly update service will start again from the week beginning the 17th September!).  I do manage to send in quite a bit of info into this Yahoo Group, so you can still keep up to date with Dart news, as well as lots of pics sent in by people such as Geoff Cross.  Just a mention too that I will try to get Mikes A1A Travel photographs onto this site as soon as I can!

• Further Darts now in service in Merseyside include Halton 26 Y204 PFM, another Marshall Capital II bodied example.  Also now with Supertravel are further Wright bodied Darts R529 YRP and R530 YRP, along with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodied S726 KNV.  This Plaxton bodied Dart is of particular note as it is the former Arriva NW Smart Dart 1709! Thanks to Al for leaving the Supertravel info in the Guestbook.  In his comments Al also asks if a T8 STM was ever operated, as it was reported by Buses magazine, well it never was as it was an error by Buses mag.  He also ask if anyone knows if Supertravel also operate R531 YRP, well I can also confirm that they do not as when in Sheffield at the weekend, I have the very strange luck of seeing the vehicle in question being operated by a small Sheffield independent, in the same overall white as the Supertravel ones!

• Main Modern bus news is just the arrival of more DAF Myllenniums at Arriva Speke garage, and the renumbering of Volvo Olympians 0309 - 0337 R309 WVR - R337 WVR, to 3309 - 3337,so as they now match with the previous fleetnumbers of 3338 M218 YKC, 3339 M219 YKC and 3341 L211 SBG.  These ex Liver bus Olympians are also regaining these fleetnumbers to remove the duplication of fleetnumbers 1211, 1218 & 1219.  As Speke garage has gained so many vehicles recently, some of its Volvo B10B's are now being reallocated to Birkenhead, with the first noted as moving being Alexander Strider bodied 6303 L303 TEM. As this is a brief news update, see the Fleetlists section for more details of fleetnews!

• The next update may be this week, or next but I WILL leave a message in the Dennis Dart Yahoo Group when I next update!

• Yet another Dart now with Supertravel is T443 EBD, another Wright Crusader bodied example, though I am not sure if this is a 10.7M SLF or a 11.3M SPD - I shall try to confirm as soon as possible.  The reason I am not sure is as it is B39F, for the 10.7M chassis, the seats seem very well spaced out, but i'm not sure that it looks 11.3M long!

• Arriva Merseyside did as expected sell its Gillmoss garage to Glenvale Transport as of Sunday morning.  All vehicles that have appeared on and since Sunday have had there Arriva logo covered with GTL Glenvale Transport logos.  This now means that some of there buses now have three sets of logos covered up with each other, as they could have MTL North, covered with Arriva Merseyside, covered with GTL Glenvale Transport! Its Volvo Olympian allocation was all withdrawn by Arriva on Saturday night, and is now to be repainted in to Arriva livery and split between Green Lane and Speke.

• Some odd Dart workings seen recently by me have been Halton 18 W986 XFM on the 203 (Halebank - Alder Hey/Broadgreen Hospital) last Thursday (12th) which is normally operated by short Dart 20 X966 ULG.  The oddest working I have seen for a while occurred yesterday when an unidentified Arriva Smart Dart (Part of the series between 1314 - 1324) was operating the 68 (Bootle - Aigburth).  This is the first time I have seen a bus from the main Smart routes operate any other route ever with either Arriva or MTL! (The only other similar working I have ever seen was one of the Liverline Merseytravel Route 224 DAF's once operate on the 38 in 1991!)  I am not sure why this occurred, but if Bootle was short on buses, why didn't they give us a real treat, by letting one of the ex Gillmoss Olympians that are currently there for repaint operate the route!

• Modern bus news is of Arriva now route branding some of Spekes DAF Myllenniums for the 81.  The branding is quite odd though as it is similar to this:

81/81A Airport Link • Bootle -- West Derby -- Fiveways -- Hunts Cross -- Speke

• The oddest thing about this branding is that not only does the 81 not go to Liverpool Airport, but I don't think the 81A exist, so it  must be futurist route branding with the intention of running a new 81A to the airport.  Still, I suppose calling it the Airport Link (Even if route 500 has a similar name in Airport Link Express) is still better than MTL's  route name 'Queens Drive Cruiser'', which although true, is a bit plain!!!

• Odd Modern Bus workings seen recently are Neoplan N4009 7303 M303 YBG operating on the 53 (Liverpool - Thornton) last week.  Seen this morning which was quite off was DAF DB250 Northern Counties Palatine II, 3602 N602 DWY, on the 86 (Liverpool - Garston).  Although it was route branded for the 86, and so should be normal for this route, this is the first time I have seen one in service.

• There are now more Darts operating in Merseyside as Supertravel have now added a Wright Crusader bodied example R532 YRP to its fleet - See Fleetlists for further details.

• I've not seen much in the way of odd Dart workings in the last two days, but one thing I have noticed recently is that the Arriva NW Warrington garage H5 (Liverpool - Warrington) is now almost entirely operated by ex MTL Darts 7872 - 7879, S872 SNB - S879 SNB.  These Darts have also now been fitted with 'H' blinds so they can at least operate them with a correct route number displayed.

• Further interesting news with the Gillmoss sale to Glenvale on Sunday is that according to the Merseymart, there are no service changes this weekend, and so if the services are sold to Glenvale, they will have to legally be operated by Arriva for a while.  This is backed up by that fact that loads of there buses still have Arriva legal lettering, but I am surprised Arriva hasn't made more of an effort to remove the Arriva branding!

• Modern Bus fleetnews is of another Arriva ELC Myllennium with Speke garage, 2470 Y733 KNF. I have also noticed Volvo B10BLE 2725's registration recently as being Y475 KNF, but I originally noted it as Y425 KNF - Does anyone know if this is an alteration in the way 2710 was reregistered, or were my notes incorrect?  This does also mean that if and when Myllennium DAF 2475 is delivered, it cannot have its expected registration, an Y475 KNF would be it!

•Next update should be next Wednesday, 18th July!

• Finally I have updated the site! - Apologies for the lack of updates recently, this was due to me having to work extra hours and although I was able to e-mail the Dennis Dart and Merseyside Buses Yahoo groups through my WAP phone, I didn't have time to compile any web pages! - Anyway, hopefully for a few weeks until I go on holiday myself, I should be able to keep at least a weekly update up! - Also I have received my results from the first year of my Uni course and I passed all of my exams and coursework assignments, and so will be able to spend many hours again next year on the site upgrading it in University!

• Quite a lot of new/second hand Darts have entered service in Merseyside since last time, along with a few withdrawals.  Main news is the Express Travel have withdrawn all of its tendered services, and as a result its ELC Spryte Darts, with all the services, but not the buses transferring to Supertravel.  To cope with extra diagrams, Supertravel have received two new B29F Dennis Dart MPD 8.5M's with Alexander ALX200 bodywork, Y184 KNB & Y185 KNB.  Second hand acquisitions are 10.7M Plaxton Pointer 2 Dart SLF's T438 EBD (Formerly operated by Bus Eireann), and V331 CVV.  Though T438 EBD is usually found on the ex Express Travel route 176,  V331 CVV was received for a new contact in the St Helens area, route 111 (Or Route One-Eleven as its branding states!)

• Newly added to the Norbus fleet is ex Merseypride Motor Services ELC Spryte Dart R90 MMS, which is still in the overall white livery is wore when on hire to Supertravel some 24/18 months ago.  Some interesting Norbus news is that on on of its school contracts last week 659 (Rudston Road School), on both Wednesday and Thursday, Dart MPD X171 BNH replaced the usual Metrorider!

• New Darts with Halton Transport are Halton Capital II bodied Dennis Dart SPD 11.3M's 23, 24 & 25, Y203 PFM, Y207 PFM & Y202 PFM.  These Capital bodies have a revised front lower dash layout, which in my view makes the original design look great!  This new design basically makes the front completely flat with just a few small rings for the lamps, and they have even got rid of one of the interesting features of this bodywork, the Marshall Crest on the front!  The capacity of theses is lower than previous SPD's, as they are only B39F.  Marshall's build quality does not seem to have improved either, as having managed to make short journeys on each of the three yesterday, which were all on the 14 (Liverpool - Runcorn), all were rattling away the whole time, which looks very bad, when you compare them to 6 year old Wright Endurance B10B's which are almost rattle free!  Someone at Marshall even made a mistake when making the capacity poster for the front, as you can see covered up with masking tape, there is an entry of 43 seated, when the buses really do only have 39 seats!

• A final piece of Dart news is that Arriva NW 7619 T619 PNC, and 7623 T623 PNC have been reallocated from St Helens, to Southport, so as to allow route 300 (Liverpool - Southport) to be converted to single deck operation, with an increased frequency.

• Modern bus fleetnews will be added in the next update, along with an update to the Modern Bus Fleetlists, but a simple round up is the Arriva NW Speke garage have continued to receive DAF SB220 ELC Myllenniums, 2464, 2465, 2466, 2468 & 2472 - Y464 KNF, Y465 KNF , Y466 KNF, Y468 KNF & Y472 KNF.  Also Gillmoss Millennium Olympians 0309 - 0337 R309 WVR - R337 WVR & ex Liverbus 1211 L211 SBG, 1218 M218 YKC & 1219 M219 YKC, are all now going to be kept by Arriva upon sale of the Gillmoss to Glenvale Transport, with 12 Millenniums going to Green Lane, 10 Millenniums going to Speke, and the ex Liverbus Olympians (Which will now have to be renumbered again, probably back to 3341, 3338 and 3339 respectively) are also going to Speke.  This now means the Speke may operate Millenniums and Myllenniums on the same routes!

• Next update SHOULD be later this week, or early next week!!!

• This is possibly the biggest single update, as I have added four photographs, updated the news and altered over eight fleetlists!  Also this news actually is written on the 20th, as I normally write it the day before and put it online on the published date!

• The photographs added are two Darts SPD's taken in Dublin by Andy Jackson, along with pictures of B6 and a B6BLE by me!  See the Photographs II Page for the Darts pics, and the Other Photographs Page for the B6 pics!

• Main Dart news is that the rest of the ex Speke Dennis Dart SLF Alexander ALX200's have been transferred to Bootle, who has in turn allocated a further two East Lancs bodied Darts to Birkenhead!  CMT have also reduced the number of Northern Counties Darts used on the 100/200 (Dingle Circulars), as at least one Optare Solo 6027 S33 ABC, from ABC Travel has been transferred to CMT's Aintree garage.  This is probably because Merseytravel complained that no vehicles on the service were low-floor, where as all of the Arriva / MTL vehicles for the last three or so years have been!  The 202/204 (Alder Hey - Dingle), which is part of the same contract is not so affected, as Supertravel who run half of the services on this section use Dart MPD's.  The Solo 6027, is still in ABC livery, but has CMT branding.

• A very odd working noted yesterday was On-Line Travels Dart W365 WGE, operating the 86 (Liverpool - Garston), which is the first time I have know of this Dart operating the 86 for quite some time!

• Other Darts news is the renumbering of several Darts in the First Manchester series, as all of the ex First PMT 7xxx Darts have been given numbers in the main Darts series.  See the Fleetlists for further details!

• Modern Bus Fleetnews includes the arrival of another ex Arriva Green Lane DAF SB220 at Speke, this one being Plaxton Prestige bodied 1402 R152 GNW, completing the nine Alexander Dart replacement DAF's.  New Arriva DAF SB220 ELC Myllenniums are 2460 - 2463, Y460 ??? & Y461 KNF - Y463 KNF.  The registration details of 2460 are not fully know at this point.  2460 & 2461 are allocated to Birkenhead, but 2462 & 2463 are at Speke.  The newest Birkenhead allocated ones are thought to be route branded for the 410, but although the two Speke ones have to my knowledge only operated on the 81 (Bootle - Aigburth) so far, neither are route branded.

• Once again there have been loads of fleetlist updates since last time, including full details of all of the Arriva Dennis Dart ALX200's transferred from Speke to Bootle, and the East Lancs EL2000 Darts that have been transferred from Bootle to Birkenhead.  Also altered have been the two R-reg A1A Darts, which have been put into the former Darts fleetlist as these are no longer operated by A1A, South Lancs Transports new MPD's have been added, and there are many revisions to the Arriva Modern Bus Fleetlist.  See the Fleetlists for further details!

• As a result of the two R-reg A1A Travel Darts being withdrawn, the routes that they used to operate, the 107/207 (Paradise Street Bus Station - Penny Lane/Mossley Hill Hospital) have been operated by the W-reg MPD's, but on one occasion recently, I have even seen on Optare Metrorider on the service.  Further to this is that R970 MGB is now with Pete's Travel, West Bromwich, and to see a picture of this vehicle in its current livery, check out the Dennis Dart Yahoo Group.

• Another unusual MPD seen operating in Liverpool last Monday, 4th June, (I forgot to put it in the last update!) was all white Citybus MPD Y489 PTU, which was seen by me operating the 101 (Vauxhall Circular), in place of one of Citybus's Marshall bodied Darts.

• First PMT Dart 960 M960 XVT has now been transferred to Chester garage, as it was seen by me yesterday on the X8 (Liverpool - Chester) service in Barbie 2 livery.  Although many people do not like this livery, when it is applied properly, as it is on 960 with the fade out vinyls, it looks quite good.  I also saw a similarly liveried DAF SB220, Optare Delta last week, unfortunately I can't remember which one, but this also looked very good in this livery!

• Modern Bus Fleetnews is generally the continuing move of DAF SB220GS's from Green Lane to Speke, with the latest arrival at Speke being 1404 V407 ENC.  Just a quick not is that 1411 is not at Speke as I had previously noted!!!

• Other major Modern Bus News is that Arriva have now started to put its Dennis Lance SLF's in service, though they don't seem to be around to often as I have only seen one of then once, again see the fleetlists for further details, and also details if the DAF DB250's which are due to enter service at Speke soon!

• Other news too is First PMT appear to have temporarily for some reason withdrawn the electric Technobuses in Birkenhead, due to problems with back wheels, but to follow this and other Merseyside Bus News, check out the Merseyside Buses Yahoo Group.

• Welcome to the first weekly summer holiday update!  Quite a few alterations have been made to the fleetlists since last time, as Arriva NW have reallocated some of the Green Lane DAF SB220's to Speke, and in turn some of Spekes Dennis Dart SLF Alexander ALX200's to Bootle - See Fleetlists for further details!

• Odd Dart workings seen recently include the sighting of ex Speke Alexander ALX200 Dart 2265 X265 OBN, in the 68 (Bootle - Aigburth), early yesterday morning.  I am quite sure that another ALX200 was also on the Bootle operated 61 (Bootle - Aigburth) too, but I am not sure which one.  At the moment, some of them still are at Speke, as 2269 X269 OBN, was on the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley) yesterday too.

• On the 31st May, last Thursday, Supertravel V262 BNV, was operating the 202/204 (Dingle - Alder Hey), instead on one of the Supertravel liveried MPD's, though for the time Supertravel have operated the route, I think this is the first time that there has been a Smart MPD on the route.  Arriva NW Warrington garage 7873 S873 SNB, was operating the H5 (Liverpool -Warrington), last Wednesday (30th), instead of one of the usual step-entrance SDL Darts.

• Yesterday, whilst traveling on Halton 2 R713 MEW, on the 14 (Liverpool - Runcorn), I noticed that it had a very odd fault.  Its STOP bell, was constantly ringing, and no-one was pushing the bell.  It seems that dodgy Marshall bus wiring had cause one of the buttons to think it was being pressed every few seconds.  I don't expect that the driver would have put up with that all day, so it was probably taken out of service when it got to Runcorn.

• So that is it for this week, but for news and especially odd workings of Darts, join the Dennis Dart Yahoo Group, to keep up to date with goings on!

• Well that's it, the end of MEGA UPDATE week, and I did manage to update the news and fleetlist every weekday this week.  I also hope you like all of the extra photographs that have been added for the summer.  I've added four of the Dart photographs to the main page, and five to this in a scrolling marquee (Note: They only scroll in Internet Explorer!).

• There isn't too much Dart news to add today, apart from CMT Northern Counties Dart 2009 N656 CHF, which was operating the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley) yesterday.

• A short piece of Modern Bus news is the delivery of Arriva NW B10BLE 2727 Y727 KNF to Green Lane garage, as seem by Barry, who again kindly sent me a Yahoo Messenger message to let me know. This now seems to complete the current order for Arriva NW B10BLE's as 2701 - 2730.  It is likely that any further orders, if not placed very soon, will be of the B7L, as production of the B10BLE is to cease quite soon, as it doesn't have a Euro 3 engine, and is not going to be modified with one.

• News that literally is as hot off the press as it can be is from Tim Moss who e-mail my phone last night at 20:43 to inform me that the First PMT Dart 963 that was recently transferred to First Manchester as a swop for a B10BLE is M963 XVT, First Manchester fleetnumber 1179, and is allocated to Oldham! - Thanks Tim for using the phone e-mail service!

• As the quizlet for best operator has now finished (A new Quizlet will start in the Autumn), there is an interesting winner, Fareway has won, just ahead of MTL/Merseybus!!!  Here are the full results!

• So as well as todays fleetlist updates, that is it until the week after next, and fro m then onwards there will only be one or two updates a week until September, as I will be updating from home!  For the past seven months I have really enjoyed working on this site, and as we go into summer I would just lie to thank eveybody who has helped me on it.  Although I have put a full list if thanks on the scrolling text in the bottom border of your window when viewing the main page, I must once again thank the person who inspired me to run this page, Simon Ackers.  Without Simon running his site, I would have never started mine off, and I also would have never had the audience to advertise too so freely in Simons guestbook.  Cheers Simon!

• Special Thanks also go to John Cooper and Tim Moss who provide nearly all of the information for the Wirral and Greater Manchester respectively.  Anyway, the rest of the thanks are in that scroller text, but in general