Wales: Album 1

Wednesday 25 July 2007 – Silcox Motor Coach Company 226 (E194 ODE) in Milford Street, Saudersfoot working as it worked service 353 to Pembroke Dock. Plaxton Derwent bodied Leyland Tiger new to the Ministry of Defence in September 1987 and acquired by Silcox in 1997. The May 2000 issue of the British Bus Publishing ‘Welsh Bus Handbook’ tells that a number of former MoD buses acquired by Silcox came in left hand drive layout and were converted by the company. This old established company ceased trading in 2016, the Western Telegraph newspaper said it had traded for 134 years.

Wednesday 25 July 2007 – Silcox Motor Coach Company 2 (H227 GDE) was a Dormobile Routemaker bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario new in January 1991. We had just alighted from the bus in Milford Street, Saudersfoot as it worked service 352 from Tenby to Kilgetty. An Optare Solo is parked behind. This old established company ceased trading in 2016, the Western Telegraph newspaper said it had traded for 134 years.

Wednesday 25 July 2007 – Silcox Motor Coach Company Optare Solo 20 (MX07 BCE) was new in March 2007. It was seen here in Upper Park Road, Tenby working service 381 to Haverfordwest. This old established company ceased trading in 2016, the Western Telegraph newspaper said it had traded for 134 years.

Wednesday 25 July 2007 – During the busy summer months traffic in the old walled town of Tenby is restricted and Pembrokeshire County Council sponsors two free ‘Park and Ride’ bus services using vehicles. In the summer of 2007 these were operated by the erstwhile Silcox Motor Coach Company which went out of business in 2016. Caetano bodied Dennis Dart 21 (Y201 JDE), new in March 2001, was a seen in South Parade working ‘Yellow route 1’.

Wednesday 25 July 2007 – During the busy summer months traffic in the old walled town of Tenby is restricted and Pembrokeshire County Council sponsors two free ‘Park and Ride’ bus services using vehicles. In the summer of 2007 these were operated by the erstwhile Silcox Motor Coach Company which went out of business in 2016. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter S862 BHR was working on ‘Blue route 2’ when seen near Tenby Harbour.

Wednesday 25 July 2007 – During the busy summer months traffic in the old walled town of Tenby is restricted and Pembrokeshire County Council sponsors two free ‘Park and Ride’ bus services using small vehicles. In the summer of 2007 these were operated by the erstwhile Silcox Motor Coach Company which went out of business in 2016. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 817 FKH was working on ‘Blue route 2’ when seen near Tenby Harbour.

Friday 27 July 2007 (approx. 1435) - Mid Wales Motorways (1963) Ltd, Plaxton Prisma KX07 KNW (2007) working Park and Ride service 503 and Langleys Coaches Optare Solo MX56 NLO (2006) working service 500 to Clarach and Glan-y-Mor. Seen in Alexandra Road, Aberystwyrh outside the Railway Station.

Thursday 26 July 2007 – Evans Coaches of Tregaron 6053 NE, a Plaxton Premiere Premiere bodied Volvo B9M, seen travelling through Aberaeron.

Thursday 26 July 2007 – Evans Coaches of Tregaron 6053 NE, a Plaxton Premiere Premiere bodied Volvo B9M, seen travelling through Aberaeron.

Saturday 28 July 2007 (1205) - Tanat Valley 251 (YJ56 ATV), an Optare Tempo new in October 2006, seen in High Street/Broad Street, Welshpool. It was working the 1110 hrs service X75 from Shrewsbury (England) to Llanidloes (Wales). The service is sponsored by Powys County Council. Branding for service 775 is carried which was the predecessor to X75.

Tuesday 24 July 2007 - W H Collins CU04 EHT, an LDV mini-bus, working the ‘Celtic Coaster’ service 403 from St. Davids to Portclais Harbour, St. Justinian and Whitesands Bay. St. Davids, billed as ‘Britain’s smallest city’, is home of two religious sites - the Cathedral and the ruined Bishop’s Palace.

Saturday 28 July 2007 (0740) – Cled Williams of Blackwood, Gwent G767 VTA seen in Aberystwyth. I went down to the bus station intending to see the Red Kite Coaches X7 service due to leave at 0740 for Manchester – that’s what the bus station timetable stated. However, I was to discover that the service had been replaced on 7 July 2007 by service 707 operated by a company with the grandiose name of ‘Coach Travel Wales’. I was more than a little surprised to see this vehicle operating on the service, a rather elderly (January 1990) Caetano bodied DAF new to Seward's Coaches, Dalwood, Devon. The journey to Manchester was scheduled to take about four hours.

Friday 27 July 2007 (approx. 1435) - Veolia Cymru CN07 KZK Optare Solo had just unloaded after arriving in Aberystwyth on service 525 from Llanidloes, a journey of 63 minutes.

Saturday 28 July 2007 (approx. 0735) - Arriva Cymru 2508 (CX54 EPO), a Wright Commander bodied VDL new in 2005, seen in Aberystwyth prior to working the 0745 ‘Traws Cambria’ service X32 to Bangor (although the timetable showed it as an Aberystwyth-Dolgellau trip connecting to a Dolgellau-Bangor service. It looked like it was running right through). Aberystwyth railway station building in background.

Saturday 28 July 2007 (approx. 0735) - Arriva Cymru 2508 (CX54 EPO), a Wright Commander bodied VDL new in 2005, seen in Aberystwyth prior to working the 0745 ‘Traws Cambria’ service X32 to Bangor (although the timetable showed it as an Aberystwyth-Dolgellau trip connecting to a Dolgellau-Bangor service. It looked like it was running right through).

Friday 27 July 2007 (approx. 0805) - Arriva Cymru 2504 (CX54 EPJ), a Wright Commander bodied VDL SB200 one of five added to the Arriva fleet in late 2004/early 2005 for ‘Traws Cambria’ services. I think it was a late running 0735 short trip on service X32 to Dolgellau. It came and went so quickly that I only managed the rear end shot.

Thursday 26 July 2007 (1523) - Arriva Cymru 1116 (L150 WAG) seen departing Lampeter (Llanbedr Pont Steffan) when working the 1525 service 585 to Aberystwyth (arriving 1658) via the rural route serving villages like Llanddewi Brefi, Tregaron, Llanilar and Llanfarian. A Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart new in August 1993 as London Buses DRL150.

Friday 27 July 2007 - Arriva Cymru 1326 (P826 RWU), a Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart new to Arriva London (LDR26) in August 1996. Seen on Marine Terrace working Aberystwyth town service 501.