• Further odd Dart workings noted this week are of Supertravel W365 ABD, still being on the 173/4 (Belle Vale - Penny Lane), on both Wednesday and yesterday, as well as Tuesday - Perhaps one of the Smart MPD's is out of service for some reason!

• Other than that no other odd Dart workings have been reported, but one of the rare Modern Bus workings from the last update has been repeated, as another DAF DB250RS, this time 3601 N601 DWY, operated on the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley), with full 86 branding on Wednesday!

• The oddest working seen this week though has to be Optare Excel 2, YJ51 JXG, operating the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley) on Wednesday also!  This vehicle was in full Optare Excel 2 blue livery, with Optare legal lettering.  at the rear is branding noting that it is fitted with a Mercedes Benz engine.  It has since been discovered that this Excel was still at Optare's on Sunday (30th), and so this is probably its first operation.  It is, I think operated by CMT, as although there was no legal lettering for the operator, I think it is much more likely that they would have an Excel demonstrator, as compared with Arriva!!!  I didn't see it anywhere yesterday, but I would expect that they would have it for a few days still, so there is probably still chance to get a photograph of it!!!

• Also noted yesterday was Arriva Marshall Dart, 7669 V669 DVU, which appeared to have had a second repaint into Arriva livery already, as the paint was very glossy, and the wheels were still silver.  Considering that the oldest ex MTL - Arriva repaints are just over 19 months old, I think it is a bit early for a 3rd coat of paint, as if it had been left to MTL, and we may see with GTL, they probably wouldn't have got repainted at all until they were at least 3 - 4 years old!!!  7675s repaint probably won't be far away then as this was the first ex MTL bus into Arriva colours!!!

• Odd Dart workings seen recently are Citybus MPD Y489 PTU, operating the 101 (Vauxhall Circular) yesterday, in place of one of the Marshall Darts, and also yesterday another odd Dart MPD working noted was Supertravel W365 ABD, on the 173/4 (Belle Vale - Penny Lane), in place of a Smart Eco liveried MPD.

• Odd Modern Bus workings noted recently include Arriva NW Volvo B6BLE 2805 X805 AJA, operating the 89 (Speke - St Helens), on Monday the 1st.  B6BLE's are very rare on this route, which is generally operated by a mix of standard B6's, Volvo B10B's and Dart SLF's.  Noted yesterday VERY usually was DAF DB250 3610 N610 DWY operating on the 79 (Liverpool - Nethereley), with full route 86 branding.  Another odd movement of a DAF DB250 noted was on Monday when I saw the crash damaged 3605 N605 DWY, running empty up Queens Drive (Probably towards Bootle from Speke for repairs), with its nearside screen smashed and the lower nearside dash mainly missing, following the incident at Paradise Street Bus Station, where this, a B10B and a Leyland Olympian all crashed.  Both the DAF and the B10B are were reported at being badly damaged, but it is good to see that the DAF could at least run under its own power safely to go for repairs, but if it was the driver of the B10B who had to be cut free, then there could be much more damage to this.

• I hope you all liked the new Smart Bus Photographs section that was added yesterday, which should eventually include photographs of ALL Smart buses in all livery variations.  Currently there are the Smart Bus Photographs that were already on the site, plus some scans from the Original Merseytravel Smart Route 224 timetable, which has many pics of the original 6401 K930 EWG.  I do have a photograph of this vehicle myself which I will scan and add shortly, but if you have one, or ANY other Smart Bus Photographs, PLEASE email them to me at buses7675@dennisdart.every1.net, or any of the other addresses as there is a bit of a shortage!!!  You may also notice that the address for the Smart Bus Page is http://smartbus.20m.com/, this is not because I registered that address especially for just one page, but because about a year ago when thinking about setting up a website, I thought of making a Smart Bus site, and so registered the name, but then thought that there would be too little news involved, so I did this site instead - As I already had the address therefore I though it would be appropriate to use it for that!!!

• Further Darts now transferred to Green Lane from Speke for the operation of the 14B (Liverpool - Broadway) are 7563 - 7565, R563 ABA - R565 ABA, leaving just 7567 & 7568 at Speke!

• Further to the feature earlier on this site about the 'Original' Smart Neoplan 6401 K930 EWG, further details about its history have now been found, mainly thanks to Dave Root and Barry McGuire on the Merseyside Buses Yahoo Group.  It appears that this vehicle is actually a Neoplan N4014F, and is now reregistered IAZ 2009, operating for Ulsterbus as its 2009.  It is also now reported as being B43F, which means that quite a lot of work must have been done on this since it operated for MTL, as now only was it dual door, and therefore B??D, but it also have a VERY low capacity as it had three wheelchair positions so its capacity was probably somewhere in the region of B30D.  This vehicle is entirely unique though as it will be the only one of this type to be right hand drive, left hand doors.  Other ones do exist to a left hand drive format as Merseytravel did show one off when deciding which manufacture of vehicles to use, and this looked almost identical to 6401 apart from the doors and livery.  I sadly have no photographs of that one as it was only ever show to the public for a day just as a sample, and also in 1992 when it was shown, I was only 10!  I do have a photograph of 6401 which I took a year later, which I will scan and add to the site for tomorrow, along with some scans of the original Merseytravel Smart Route 224 timetable which has many shots of 6401, interior and exterior!  Even though this is a Dennis Dart Website, I must agree though that vehicles like that even though they are modern are a bit more interesting than the Plaxton Darts 2314 - 2324, T314 PNB - T324 PNB that are used on the same route now!!!

• Other Dart news is that some of the Arriva Plaxton Darts at Bootle have had there route 53 branding removed, for some reason not yet know.  When removed, all that is left is the Orange stripe when the destinations used to lie upon.  More details will be added A.S.A.P.

• News today is of reallocations within Arriva NW of Dart SLF, Plaxton Pointer 7566 R566 ABA from Speke to Green Lane, and this was seen by me yesterday on the 14B (Liverpool - Broadway).  This Dart had a slightly altered destination display with masking at the top and bottom of the destination window, making the viewable area slightly narrower.  I expect more from Speke will move soon, probably until all of Speke's Plaxton Pointer 2 Darts are done, as so far they have been split between Warrington (7561), Birkenhead (7562), Green Lane (7566) and Huyton (7569)!  These are also the first Darts to be allocated to GreeN Lane for some time, I think about 12 months, since 7872 - 7879 S872 SNB - S879 SNB,  left for Bootle after a short second stay after routes 100/200/202/204 were passed around the Arriva depots!!!

• Finally the DAF SB220's at Speke are now starting to use there actual fleetnumbers, as the garage has made a start altering the fleetnumbers of the series 1401 - 1415 to 2401 - 2415.  Some, such as 1406 have had all of the number altered to 2406, where as 1403 has had the front number altered to 2403, but on the back just the one is removed therefore displaying 403!  Yesterday most of the other DAF's appeared to show just there 4xx number with the 1 removed, probably with the 2 added Wednesday night (I am writing this on Wednesday evening so can only guess!!!)  Strangely I have also noticed that quite a few Speke buses currently display incorrect legal lettering as 1401 or is it now 2401!?, has Arriva Manchester legal lettering, and an increasing number of Marshall Darts show full MTL North legal lettering, including 7645 V645 DVU, as this legal letting was applied to theses on repaint, and was then covered with a larger blue vinyl, which is now coming or has come off, with the Arriva legal lettering when the Operating Disc PC 1141 was changed from MTL North to Arriva Merseyside T/A MTL North.  I'm not sure why they kept the name MTL North, but I think that one is over to Arriva for an answer!!!

• Other odd Dart workings noted yesterday were Supertravel Smart-Eco liveried MPD V262 BNV on non Smart routes 202/204 (Alder Hey - Dingle), whilst at the same time on Smart route 173/174 (Penny Lane - Belle Vale), overall while Dart MPD W365 ABD was running!!!

• Another odd working yesterday for a Smart Dart, seen by Dave Root was Arriva 1314 T314 PNC, (Which is or will be 2314), running out of service through Southport.  Maybe a trial of a Gas Dart at Bootle (If the garage has had gas filling equipment installed) is being considered, and the other Dart was sent up to see how suitable it would be in place of a Gas Dart?

• After a very brief update yesterday, this one is even shorter!  Yesterday I only even saw one working and that was simply of Arriva ELC Myllennium 2466 Y466 KNF operating on the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley), compete with 81/81A Airlink branding!  Seems that there has been no Dart news for ages, even only one of yesterdays odd workings concerned a Dart!!!

• I have added a new fleetlist today, again in the Modern Bus section, for Hardings Sightseers, to give details of its Scania N113 double decker!

• Not a lot to update today, as little has happened in the bus world in the last week, but there are a few odd workings of note.

• Seen by Tim Moss yesterday was Dart 7613 T613 PNC on the 320 (Wigan - St Helens), covering for a Scania, although theses buses were bought my MTL to run a similar Wigan to St Helens route about 2 years ago!

• Modern Bus workings recently are simply the Volvo Olympians at Speke now running further afield as they start to run the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley) as well as the 82 (Liverpool - Speke/Gars ton).  Seen yesterday on the 79 by me was ex Liverbus 3341 L211 SBG still wearing its Andy name!

• Also on weekend cross river rail replacement services, Arriva took the unusual step of using buses from Huyton garage on some services, which resulted in the very us usual working of the ex Liver bus Northern Counties bodied B10B's of the series 6901 - 6913, running in the Wirral!

• Hopefully there will be some more news next week, but I shall hopefully also update tomorrow, even if just to add some more photographs to the site!!!

• Today most of the pages on the whole site have been altered in some was, often just altering the text size and adding horizontal lines to make all of the pages look similar, but I have also added some new links to the Links Page, and altered the photo pages, so as they all link together properly too. Some more photographs have been added today as well to new New Photographs Page, and the layout of the other photograph pages have been altered too.

• An odd Dart working noted yesterday was Supertravel MPD W365 ABD, which is still in allover white albeit with its Supertravel branding covered up with an advert for BT!, operating the 202/204 (Alder Hey - Dingle), which is normally operated by Supertravel using T6 STM & T7 STM.  Also seem today on the 202/204, but on the CMT operated diagrams was an Optare Solo, which is quite odd, as CMT's Solo's normally stay on the 100/200 (Dingle Circulars), whilst CMT normally operate the 202/204 with Northern Counties bodied Darts.

• A big piece Modern Bus of news to add is that I now have more details of LMS's new Dennis Trident.  Its full registration is PO51 UGF, and yesterday morning it was operating the 81 (Bootle - Speke), giving Arriva's Y-reg Myllennium DAF's a run for their money!!!  As LMS only operate one journey on the 81 each day in each direction I should imagine it spent the rest of the day on another LMS route such as the 14B or 20.  If it was on the 14, it would be interesting to see how Glenvale react with Arriva's Volvo Olympians and LMS's Trident competing with there 20 year old Titans and Metrobuses, of which some of the Titans are unrefurbised, dual door models still in London red!  This was though the first time I have seen a low floor double decker in stage service in Liverpool, as Aintree Cochlines Trident W5 ACL is only used for contract work, so the LMS Trident is effectively Liverpool's first service low floor double decker.  I can also confirm that the LMS Trident DOES have Plaxton President bodywork and not ELC Lolyne, as suggested elsewhere.

• It does seem odd though that it has taken Liverpool so long to get a low floor double decker into service as the first low floor bus to be operated is service in the UK was Smart Neoplan 6401 K930 EWG, was operated by MTL on route 224 (Aigburth - Broadgreen Hospital), a route which is now Smart 1.  This officially entered service in July 1993, and it just seems so odd that it has taken eight years for any operator in Liverpool to use low floor deckers, when they have been available for over four years now!

• The Dennis Dart Photos site has been launched!!!  This news section to the site includes all of the old photographs plus some new ones.  More new photographs that have already been sent to me, plus some of my own will be added next week!!!  Some of the pages are currently the same as the old one, as they are the old ones, and are still on this server, not the photos one, but all will be transferred across soon, and all the pages will be tidied up, and have there links corrected!!!

• I originally planned to also update the fleetlist today, but have been unable too, as I have no updates to add, as not only did I update them yesterday anyway, as far as I know, all of the main fleetlists are correct!!!  I am sure though that there are a few things that I have missed, so if you know of one, please email it to be at buses7675@dennisdart.every1.net, or any of my other addresses on the main page.

• Well now I am back in Uni full time (Well until Christmas anyway!), updates will now once again be very regular, more thorough and accurate.  Anyway this news section is quite short today as there was a very long one yesterday, but news to report is that some of the Arriva NW Darts between 1153 - 1156 L153 UKB - L156 UKB, have reportedly been to Arriva Cymru's Rhyl garage for assessment for further use, pending there withdrawal this month by Arriva NW.  They were thought considered to be unsuitable and returned to Skelmersdale garage soon after.  An other interesting piece to note is that although due for withdrawal later this month, Arriva NW's oldest Dart 1138 G128 RGT, is still in service, and was on the early morning 5 (Liverpool - Warrington), last Thursday morning.

• The delay in this update, which was originally scheduled for last Thursday was due to further problems with my home computer, though this has again been sorted, and so this is now the first ever Sunday or weekend update!!!

• Further to previous news on Dart renumbering at Arriva NW, it now appears as though, but needs to be confirmed, that the ex MTL Marshall Darts at Wythenshawe, T621 PNC, T622 PNC & possibly T623 PNC, have been renumbered 2622 etc.

• If this is true, then it is probably the plan of Arriva NW to renumber all of the low floor Darts into the 2xxx series.  This would result in the below renumbering:

Plaxton Darts 7531 - 7571 would become 2531 - 2571
Marshall Darts 7612 - 7676 would become 2612 - 2676
Short Plaxton Darts 7873 - 7879 would become 2873 - 2879
Gas Plaxton Darts 6248 - 6251 couldn't become 2248 - 2251, so would have to be something like 2348 - 2351 are therefore be in the same series as other Smart Darts

• In the fleetlists I have not altered an of the numbers, as not only does it need to be confirmed as to the renumbering, but also the third Dart at Wythenshawe also needs to be confirmed, as it has been suggested that instead of 7623, which is reported to still be at Southport, the third may be 7633 V633 DVU, though this is an odd choice too as this is a mobility bus!!!

• Other updates today are of the Arriva Cymru and Arriva Midlands North fleetlists which have had a few corrections made, along with some new MPD's for Arriva Midlands North (Though they were delivered in August so are still Y reg!), for which the information was all supplied by 'Trixmax'!

• One very interesting piece of Modern Bus News is that LMS now have a Dennis Trident with a Plaxton President body, registered PO51 ???.  This is Liverpool's first 'NEW' registration bus, and as the PO suggests it was registered in the Preston area, of which Plaxton's Wigan factory may just fall into. Full registration details will be added as soon as possible.

• There have been quite a few odd vehicle workings recently, one I saw on Tuesday night was Halton 75 M74 AKA, which was operating a late evening 14 (Liverpool - Runcorn) in place of a low floor Dart, though on the previous Thursday the same journey was operated by Lynx 38 J251 KWM.  I think that the recent frequency increase on Halton routes 14 and 61 (Liverpool -Runcorn) has caused a few of these odd workings, as with the schools now back in, more vehicles are required and so the older vehicles are being used.  One oddity that has been brought about by this too is that Marshall bodied MPD 20 X966 ULG now does not operate both of the journeys on the 203 (Halebank - Broadgreen/Alder Hey) as it used to do as the revised diagrams make this impossible, but also mean that this low capacity Dart finds itself on the 14 and 61 quite regularly!!!

• Noted last Wednesday (12th) morning were Arriva NW Dart 7554 R554 ABA, on the 433 Cross River service, which stood out as it is fitted with an electronic number display, and even odder was Citybus MPD Y489 PTU, which was on the 82 (Liverpool - Speke), competing with Arriva's Volvo Olympians!

• Other workings noted have been Supertravel Marshall Minibus R101 VLX operating the 202/204 (Alder Hey - Dingle) in place of a Supertravel MPD.  This same vehicle also operated the 899 (Penny Lane - Kirkby Admin) on Wednesday (12th) in place of a Mercedes Minibus.

• Finally, the launch of Dennis Dart Photos in still scheduled for tomorrow, (Though some of the photos may remain on the main site for a while, all of the photo pages will be on the new one from tomorrow) along with another update of fleetlists and news!!!

• Loads of Arriva NW reallocations and renumberings have occurred since the last update, and to make the site more interesting and easier to use I have redesigned most of the main pages!

• Further renumberings within Arriva NW are of Darts 1301 - 1324 & 1332 - 1335 which are now 2301 - 2324 & 2332 - 2335.  Bearing in mid all of the recent renumberings, as far as I know, apart from the Volvo Olympians coming out of repaint for Speke and Green Lane, only Birkenhead garage has actually renumbered any of its vehicles, as it has done all of its Palatine II's, and the few DAF SB220's that it has got.  As far as I know none of the Bootle Darts 2314 - 2324 have actually been renumbered, neither have any of the DAF's at either Green Lane or Speke.

• Arriva NW now seems to be withdrawing its oldest Darts, with its Carlyle Darts being withdrawn, alongside some of the older South Lancs Dart, the two Wright Handybus Darts, and the ex Easylink Darts (Theses Darts 1153 - 1156 are being withdrawn as they have a non standard entrance lift for wheelchairs, which was fitted for there original use on EasyLink services!). For more details of the reallocations and renumberings see the fleetlists section.

• Volvo Olympians 3327 - 3337, R327 WVR - R337 WVR, along with 3338 M218 YKC, 3339 M219 YKC & 3341 L211 SBG have now started to enter service from Speke garage, initially on the route 82 (Liverpool - Speke).

• Some of the 6/7 branded Darts allocated to Huyton, 2201 - 2211, X201 ANC - X211 ANC, have has there route branding altered to accommodate the fact one in three daytime 6's now go to Warrington.  The before and after is show below:

• All it seems that they have done it try to confuse the average passenger into thinking that all route 6's and 7's go to Warrington as there is no note that only some 6's go to there!
As all they have done is move Huyton back a position, into were Bowring Park or Dovecot was and place Warrington in place of the original Huyton, you can also quite clearly read the original route branding too!!!

• Anyway, I hope you like the new look site, and the new pics on the main page.  The full size versions of those two pics, along with others will be available from next Monday when Dennis Dart Photos is launched but just to give a taster I added these two to the front today!

• As we are now well into September regular update shave now resumed, and so the next update will be towards then end of this week, even possibly tomorrow!

• Sorry for this delayed update, which was delayed by a few days due to my computer ‘dying’ and as a result I am writing this in Word 2000 in Uni!

• I have just received a large amount of information an Arriva reallocations and will add this to all of the fleetlists as soon as my computer is back home and healthy!  The main Dart news is that Arriva NW Darts M20 GGY & M30 GGY have been renumbered 1287 & 1288 respectively as predicted last week!  Also quite a few of the 11xx Darts from Huyton are due to go to Warrington.

• Modern Bus News is that the ex Gillmoss Millennium Olympians that are to be allocated to Speke are 3327, 3329 - 3339 & 3341.

• Anyway, a much more detailed update will occur as soon as my comp is back on the road!  As a result the next update should be next week, probably next Tuesday!

• Only two days late this time! - This update was scheduled for Sunday, but due to the bank holiday was delayed until today, but another update should occur in two days on Thursday!!!

• I must thank everyone who has sent me lots of info over the last few weeks as both John Cooper, and 'Trixmax' to mention a few have sent me loads of info that must have taken them a long time to compile - I am sifting though it all now and the rest of John and 'Trixs' info should go online on Thursday!

• I also have to thank everyone who has sent photos to me recently which I have yet to put on line.  This delay is as I am setting up a separate website for the photos, Dennis Dart Photos, there isn't much to see on this site at the moment, but I have created it so as to allow for more photos to be added as if many more photo were added to this site I would use up my 20 megabytes!  The all new photos section should take off in mid September - An exact date will be announced later!

• Dart news since the last update is that Arriva NW 7520 M20 GGY, and 7530 M30 GGY have been reallocated to Warrington, from St Helens.  These Darts have been renumbered now that they are at Warrington, but when I saw M30 GGY on the H5 (Liverpool - Warrington) last week, it did not appear to have any fleetnumber on it at all.  I assume that they have been renumbered as any of 1287, 1288 or 1289 as they are the only 12xx numbers available for them to be numbered into, as similar Darts from Speke were renumbered when reallocated earlier in the year.

• An odd working I saw last Wednesday too was the Supertravel 202 (Alder Hey - Dingle) which is almost always operated by MPD's, as it had Marshall Minibus R114 VLX, the first time I have seen a non MPD operate this route for Supertravel.

• Other Arriva NW Dart news is that Marshall bodied Dennis Dart SLF 7651 V651 DVU has been reallocated from Speke to Southport.

• Modern buses new is simply of renumberings within Arriva NW of Olympians 0271 - 0308 to 3271 - 3308, and DAF SB220's 1401 - 1415 to 2401 - 2415.  Also the three DAF SB220 Alexander ALX300's at Birkenhead, 2405 V405 ENC, 2408 V408 ENC & 2412 V412 ENC have all been branded for the 401 (New Brighton - Chester).

• Finally I have been able to update!!!  I must apologise for the great lack of updates recently, but this was as I was making so many trips out enjoying my hobbies, that I was unable to sit down and compile any web pages!!!  Although there is still just under a month to go until regular updates begin, the service should improve to at least once a week, if not twice a week again until mid September when multiple weekly updates will recommence!  P.S. Anyone who has sent me any photographs, they really WILL be added on the next time!

• Fleetlist updates are of further Arriva Dart transfers, with Plaxton Pointer 2 Dart 7561 R561 ABA, transferring from Speke to Warrington.  Also now transferred to Warrington are East Lancs EL2000 Darts 1224 - 1227, which are from Runcorn, following Runcorn withdrawing route 72 (Liverpool - Runcorn), and so these vehicles became surplus there. Transferring into Runcorn are 7874 - 7876, S874 SNB - S876 SNB, which are mainly used on service 3A/3C, but as this only requires two Darts, so the other one can often be found on the 30 (Runcorn Murdishaw - Hough Green), but also routes 28 (Runcorn - Moss Bank), and the early morning subsidised 61 (Whiston - Widnes).

• Arriva Modern updates are that Alexander Strider bodied Volvo B10B 6303 L303 TEM has returned to Speke, from Birkenhead, following the news that it had only ever been used for around half a day over there!  To replace it Alexander ALX300 DAF 1412 V412 ENC,  has moved to Birkenhead.  The former Millennium Olympians are now entering service, although the entire of the batch 3309 - 3337, R309 WVR - R337 WVR, seem to be at Green Lane, with no sign yet of the ex Liver bus3338 M218 YKC, 3339 M219 YKC & 3341 L211 SBG.  Finally a new DAF Myllennium at Speke is unbranded 2474 Y474 KNF. (Will this be the last prefix, and therefore matching,  registered bus delivered to Arriva NW?!)

• Although I post most Dart news to the Dennis Dart Yahoo Group, one thing I have not yet posted is the sighting of Halton Marshall bodied MPD 20 X966 ULG, operating the 14 (Liverpool - Runcorn) yesterday morning.  By the afternoon this has returned to its usual home of the 203, and so I can only assume that with the increased timetable of both main Halton routes, 14 and 61, that the extra MPD can come in handy!

• For further Dart news check the Fleetlists section and the Dennis Dart Yahoo Group.  When update become more regular again they will hopefully become more thorugh too!!!  Anyway, the next update will hopefully be next Sunday!