• Apologies for the lack up updates recently, this has been due to to me working many more hours at work than I had done previously, although it is still just in a shop, so the only time I really have to update the site now is on Sundays!

• Halton Transport's latest three Darts have now all entered service, they are registered 48 DK54 JPJ, 49 DK54 JPU & 50 DK54 JPO. Despite the change of name at the manufacturer, these Darts still have TransBus builders plates, wheel disks and other TransBus branding.  Darts 83 & 84 are both now withdrawn and are expected to be sold next week to North Birmingham Busways - 83 is noteworthy as it had a full new interior fitted in 2001 (same style as Marshall Darts 15 - 33), following some sort of fire on the vehicle.

• As reported in the guestbook, for a few weeks during July/August Arriva Merseyside had a Mercedes Citaro Artic on hire. MA39 BX04 NEJ [photo] seen in Green Lane by Neil Hilton was used for publicity purposes to promote Le bus routes, especially around Kirkby were Arriva are now allowed to compete with GTL on its original routes. In addition it was taken out of service along some existing routes, such as the 79 (Liverpool - Netherley), to assess how well artics are suited to the routes.

• Further Arriva news from July is its acquisition of Merseyline Travel. Within days of the sale on 02/08/2004, Merseyline services on the 92 were being operated by Arriva Bootle using Volvo Citybuses and by the second week all Merseyline services were operated by Arriva buses and garages. The Merseyline fleet was all withdrawn at that point with the Titans being stripped for spares and most of the Lynxes being converted to driver trainers with the possibility that the newer one will be repainted/refurbished and renter service around Crewe or even Arriva Yorkshire!!! Route 20 (Liverpool - Kirkby) is probably the most significant of the routes bought from Merseyline as it is a second route for Arriva into Kirkby and thus was converted to full low floor operation using ex MTL Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital from Skelmersdale.  The initial fleetnumbers for the Merseyline buses are as follows, but the Titans have already all been withdrawn, whilst any Lynxes that become trainers will be renumbered - None ever carried these numbers whilst in service from the Merseyline depot:-

Leyland Lynx - 1758 H542 FWM
Leyland Lynx II - 1759 H543 FWM
Leyland Lynx - 1760 G803 EKA
Leyland Lynx II - 1761 J249 KWM
Leyland Lynx II - 1762 J251 KWM
Leyland Lynx - 1763 G137 EOG
Leyland Lynx - 1764 G175 EOG
Leyland Lynx - 1765 G269 EOG
Leyland Lynx - 1766 G282 EOG
Leyland Lynx - 1767 G286 EOG

Leyland Titan - 3951 CUL 72V
Leyland Titan - 3952 KYV 357X
Leyland Titan - 3953 KYV 478X
Leyland Titan - 3954 A862 SUL
Leyland Titan - 3955 A865 SUL
Leyland Titan - 3956 A903 SYE
Leyland Titan - 3957 A904 SYE
Leyland Titan - 3958 A910 SYE
Leyland Titan - 3959 A934 SYE

• The influx of buses into Arriva NW&W from Arriva Southern Counties have begun to enter service, with the DAF SB220/Plaxton Prestige 2475 T917 KKM, 2476 T920 KKM & 2477 T922 KKM being the first type noted - These initially entered service from Bootle (one even being noted on the 'Merseyline' 92!), but quickly moved on to Aberystwyth. Huyton depot now has Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties 3340 M921 PKN which was apparently had a new Cummins engine fitted, although exactly what it had at first I don't know!

** - The Arriva NW&W Fleetlist hasn't been working properley for the past few weeks due to a change at the sites server - This has now been resolved and it is working once again - It will be updated in the next week - **

• The five DAF DB250RS/Northern Counties Palatine II 3614 - 3618 (two from London, two from Southern Counties) have all now been converted to single door with 3615 V715 LWT now in service from at Speke - The four R reg ones are expected to join 3615 and the original N reg 3601 - 3613 at Speke shortly. The capacity of the single door conversions has yet to be confirmed although looking at them the conversion seems very neat externally so they are probably similar to the N reg examples.

• GTL Glenvale Transport are continuing to repaint and name its fleet into its overall red livery with many examples being done of late including the final Greenbus Dennis Dart MPD/Plaxton Pointer 2083 T36 CCK 'CALLUM' [photo], DAF SB220/Optare Delta 6015 L700 ABC 'ANASTASIA' [photo], Optare Excel 6033 R643 MBV 'WILLIAM' [photo], Volvo B6/Plaxton Pointer 7246 L246 TKA 'CHAMPERS' and Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital 7601 T601 JBA 'LIAM' - There is also a plan now to retain and repaint around 40 Leyland Titans, all Metrobuses are expected to go with potentially further deliveries of ex Stagecoach Alexander Dash Darts and B6s possible!  All GTL news and photos courtesy of Karl Sutton!