Snow Report - part 1

When it snows, the advice is always do not travel unless you have to. Naturally, whenever the snow stops, I jump on the train and travel to wherever buses are in operation... on Friday that was Portchester and Cosham, and this is the first in a three part report from the snow. First up is Portchester, second are some trains (hope you don't mind on a bus blog), and finally I have some Cosham shots.

First up, here is First Hants & Dorset Scania 65022 (YN54NZW) pictured in Portchester Precinct. Scanias are common in Portchester, operating routes 1A and 5, but they very rarely make it onto route 57. 65022 is pictured heading for Portsmouth - one of the first through journeys (Warsash - Portsmouth) since the snowfall.

Route 5 was operational between Fareham bus station and terminating at The Hard, rather than South Parade Pier. Here is Dennis Dart SLF 42117 (R617YCR) along Station Road in Portchester. The roads were very wet but not icy at this point in time, and as you can see there is plenty of snow around.

42407 (P407MLA) was new to London before moving to First Southern National, and it now is unique at Hoeford at being the only Pointer 1 bodied Dart SLF in service from that depot. She is seen here at Portchester precinct operating a route 63 to Havant on Thursday morning. Only the main roads were served, which actually increased the frequency to one about every 45 minutes!

A nice cold shot of Scania 65008 (YN54NZD), heading round Portchester roundabout for Fareham on route 5. The buses came out of Hoeford fully dressed with icicles and snow!

Another rare working on route 57, here former First Devon & Cornwall Optare Solo 53013 (W813PAF) is pictured at Portchester precinct. These buses are usually allocated to route 26, but at this point the 26 had not been reinstated.

Pictured to the right is Dennis Dart 46329 (N329ECR), heading out of Portsview Road down toward Portchester precinct. 46329 is pictured on route 63, with a very snowy and misty Portsdown Hill in the background.

Finally, here is Dart SLF 42117 (R617YCR) returning to Portsmouth on route 5. This was my last photo, taken from the passenger bridge over Portchester railway station. We are looking southbound toward Portchester town centre. Thank you for viewing, I hope you have enjoyed the photos.

Snow Update - 2/12/10

All of your bus diversions in one place.....

AS of 0745

FIRST Hants & Dorset
* No service in Southampton
* Fareham - route 57 from Fareham to Portchester only, route 81 from Fareham to Gosport (NOT Bus Stn) via main roads only
* Portsmouth - route 1 Hilsea to City Centre only

BLUESTAR
* 1 from usual route but via motorway instead of Otterbourne
* 2 usual route except main road via Portswood and Swaythling (Stoneham Way, Stoneham Lane)
* 3 Southampton - Hedge End
* 4 Southampton - Romsey via main roads
* 8 Southampton - Appledore, not via Marchwood, possibly to Hythe
* 9 Southampton - Hythe bypass via main roads (unsure Hythe Centre) - Fawley
* 10 Southampton - Cadnam via Netley Marsh & main roads
* 11 Cadnam - Netley Marsh - Totton
* 12 Southampton - Calmore via main roads
* 18 top of Thornhill - main roads - via McDonalds - Millbrook estate
* Unilink via main roads, nothing serving south side of Central Stn

STAGECOACH South - I can't access website but according to reports, driving conditions are poor in Portsmouth. However, they were the last buses standing in Portsmouth at the start of the year.

VELVET
* route A between Eastleigh and Hedge End is being trialled at the mo
* no C or S2

BRIJAN - nothing available on website yet, but as BlueStar aren't operating into Botley I would have thought all services cancelled

Hope that's of interest, I'll try and get some photos later.

Report Card

My blog has been going for three months now, so I thought I'd quickly let you know how it is getting on. Having never owned a blog, and with the site viewing stats for my First Hants & Dorset website mildly confusing/inactive, I'm not sure how comparable/successful these are to other blogs!

All time page views:
September: 2053 views, 15posts
October: 2053 views, 9posts
November: 2037 views, 8posts

Most popular posts:
1. Weymouth's Open Toppers (my first ever post)
2. Unilink's new PVLs (I assume extra views due to increased interest from London)
3. Ugo - The Hampshire Network
4. Ugo to Southampton
5. Truro cuts

Most frequent referring sources:
1. Plymothian Transit (thank you, Graham)
2. My fotopic site- Southern England Bus Photos
3. Google
4. The First Hants & Dorset Unofficial Website
5. The Provincial Society

Location of Viewers:
5, 943 from the UK, 82 from the USA, 37 from South Africa, 16 from Spain, Turkey and Japan, with smaller amounts from other countries.

Thank you all very much for your support and time in viewing my blog. I think it has gone quite well: with falling post numbers but steady visitor numbers, I feel the blog is growing in terms of audience. The most popular posts (naturally to blogs) refer to items of news which are developing at that moment in time, so I will try to keep topic on what is occuring. I've succeeded in my aim of covering the majority of the south, rather than simply Hampshire, and have a sizeable audience from the south west. I'll try and keep the locations varied - as the days get lighter in the new year this should be easier.

Thanks for viewing. I leave you with my most recent photo - BlueStar 2001 (YN06CGO) which I quickly grabbed in Portswood high street yesterday. Not especially a great photo, but I'm struggling to find the time to get new photographic content at the mo so it'll have to do for now.

An Enthusiast's Travels

At the start of the year, especially when the days get a bit longer by February, I always formulate a list of where I want to go taking photos or visiting for bus purposes. As the year is drawing to a close, and knowing my itinerary for next month I'm unlikely to get out again, I thought I'd see how I've done.

Local(ish) - i.e. morning or afternoon:
* Romsey, Lymington, Ringwood, Christchurch, Salisbury, Andover, Basingstoke, Winchester, Havant, Chichester

Day Trip:
* Poole, Bournemouth, Swanage, Weymouth, Brighton, Guildford, Bath, Bristol, Isle of Wight

At a Push:
* Taunton, Oxford, Exeter, Plymouth, Truro

Firstly, if I look at my local targets, I've done pretty well. I had a very successful day out in the New Forest photographing in Lymington and Ringwood, managing to photograph all but one of Wilts' Scania Omncitys on the X3 and completing my photos of the Volvo B7TLs on the X1/X2. One of my major targets was to finally photograph a Bournemouth Yellow Buses vehicle, and two trips to Christchurch have seen me finally do this! I've covered Stagecoach quite well - Basingstoke, Havant and Chichester - although haven't made it to Winchester or Andover. Still, plenty of time next year!

I love day trips. Jump on a train at Southampton Central or Parkway and go wherever it takes you. My favourite lines have to be up to Bath/Bristol alongside the Avon, or down to Weymouth through the New Forest, Poole Estuary and the Dorset countryside. This year I've visited Weymouth twice, finally made it to Poole, and photographed all but one of Wilts & Dorset's Scanias at Swanage. Going East, I've finally made it to Brighton and Eastbourne, but unfortunately didn't find time to get to Guildford. Guildford is high up on my list of targets next year, and also has the benefit of being able to be done on a dark, wet wintery day due to the layout of the bus station with relation to the sun. Going north(ish), Bristol was possibly my camera's finest hour - photographing buses travelling in two lanes of traffic at approximately 20-30mph and getting most spot on. Bath for next year, maybe.

Finally, my more exotic destinations. My most pleasing trip was to Taunton, deep into old Southern National country which I'd been trying to reach for years. My first ride on a HST was the mode of transport - down from Reading (they are great fun!). I managed to get to Oxford on the X Country Voyager, which proved to be a satisfying day in the land of Enviro400s. While I was down in Cornwall I also had a very pleasing afternoon in Truro, but unfortunately didn't make it to Exeter or Plymouth. Exeter is in the pipeline when the days get longer - a 158 up to Salisbury, and a 159 down to Exeter probably.

So initial targets for next year- Bath, Guildford and Winchester initially, including getting up to date on the Southampton photos after various recent arrivals, but after that, wherever the trains go really!

Eastleigh's new MPDs

Due to other commitments, I haven't managed to get out and about with the camera recently (also weather conditions/sun levels have made photography very difficult). Therefore, once again, I'm going back in time... This time the date is 30th July 2003, and Solent Blue Line's Transbus Dart MPDs have just been introduced over the Eastleigh network...

The first buses I managed to photograph on the visit were two of the brand new MPDs - here 571 (SN03EBP) passes 580 (SN03LDK) as it departs Eastleigh bus station heading for Wickham on route 48D. 571 is one of 6 still with BlueStar, whereas 580 is now at Wilts & Dorset having just moved on from Southern Vectis. It's also now numbered 320, where 571 is still 571. 580 is again shown underneath in the second photo. 

Furthermore, neither of the routes these buses are operating exist with BlueStar anymore; the 48D is now a mixture of BlueStar's route F from Eastleigh to Swanmore, Brijan's route 8 from Eastleigh to Bishop's Waltham, and First's 94 from Wickham to Fareham. Route 29 has largely been withdrawn but Velvet still operate the Eastleigh - Hedge End stretch as route A, although as the A has been halved in frequency and nothing has replaced the Hedge End - Southampton stretch, you could say it has been completely cut.

The Leyland Olympian was the most common double deck bus for many a year at Solent Blue Line, and I managed to photograph former Hampshire Bus 705 (A205MEL) on 30th July. She is seen in Eastleigh bus station waiting before service 41 commences. The 41 to Stoke Common is now BlueStar route F.

Solent Blue Line, at this point, operated 6 Volvo Olympians - none of which remain in service with the company today. 739 (R739XRV), pictured here, now operated on the Isle of Wight with Southern Vectis as an Island Breezer. I think the straight lines of this yellow and blue livery suited the Northern Counties bodywork.

Whereas you will now find a low floor bus anywhere on the BlueStar network, low floor double deckers were at a premium back in 2003. 15 Volvo B7TLs and Dennis Tridents were scattered across route X9 and 38 from Southampton to Hythe, 26/7 Southampton - Hedge End & Fareham, 47 Southampton - Winchester and 48 Southampton - Eastleigh & Fair Oak. Here is 743 (T743JPO), pictured in Eastleigh bus station having just arrived on a 48 from Fair Oak - now route BlueStar 2 of course.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip down memory lane - comments as to whether these historical posts are valued would be much appreciated as I don't wish to bore you! Unfortunately I can't go further back in time as I only really started photographing buses in 2003. Thanks for viewing.

Remembering the Snow

With some of the northern areas of the British Isles being affected by snow at the moment, this blog posting remembers back to earlier on this year, in January, when the whole of the south ground to a halt with the heaviest snowfall in many a year. The conditions gave me a chance to go and grab some fantastic and rare photos, and some of my favourites are posted below.

Although I was snowed in for the evening of the Tuesday and then the Wednesday, on Thursday I jumped onto the train and got off at Cosham, as news had come through that both Stagecoach and First were operating some services. My first photo in the snow was Stagecoach South Dennis Dart SLF 33032 (P302AYJ), pictured on a truncated route 23 which was operating between Farlington and Portsmouth city centre.

The majority of First buses out and about were Mercedes-Benz minibuses. Here is Hoeford based 51720 (N720GRV), seen on the first route 57 of the day, which was again shortened. The 57 operated between Fareham (West St) and Portsmouth City Centre via the main roads - she is seen here with a snowy Portsdown Hill in the background in Cosham.

First weren't using the bus interchange in Cosham, but a few brave Stagecoach bus drivers made their way down. Here is Bridge branded 34416 (GX53MWG), usually allocated to the Hayling Island to Havant routes. None of the Enviro300s were introduced to service, so I guess it was a means of needs must with regard to the buses allocated to service. The snow was a good 5-8 inches thick in most parts here.

A shot from the bridge in Cosham over Northern Road, here is First Hants & Dorset 52513 (S513RWP) on a shortened route 1C. The 1C operated between Cosham and Southsea, again using Hilsea based minibuses. This is a lovely view of Cosham, with a snow covered Portsdown Hill in the background. Thankfully the railways were operational during the snow, allowing me to grab these shots.

On the Friday, I managed to get out to Fareham as some services were operating out of Hoeford. The daytime 81 and 82 were introduced between Fareham (Quay St) and Gosport town centre, the 80 was operating along the A27 to Southampton, and the 5 and 57 were operated to Portsmouth. Here Dart SLF 42138 (S638XCR) is pictured along Quay St in Fareham, with the destination set to route 81. The 81 usually only operates on early weekday mornings, so the snow allowed me to get a rare shot. The snow jumpstarted my photography at the start of 2010, which continued at a high frequency until September. Maybe it will again this winter... here's hoping for less disruption than last year, but I'll be happy with plenty more snowy shots.