Lothian Region Transport/Lothian Buses

Saturday 2 August 1997 – Lothian Region Transport, the city transport operator in Edinburgh, Scotland, has captured most of the open top bus tour market in the city as I write this in 2017 but 20 years ago there were other competitors which Lothian has now acquired and in fact retained the names of. The Alexander AL bodied Leyland Atlantean was bought in large numbers during the 1970s and now some of the older ones have been converted to open top for the ‘Edinburgh Classic Tour’ like 39 (BFS 39L) new as a standard covered top bus in January 1973 to Edinburgh Corporation Transport, the predecessor to LRT formed in 1975. From the vantage point of Edinburgh Castle the roofless but windowed format of conversion can clearly be seen as the tour progressed along Johnston Terrace.

Saturday 2 August 1997 – Lothian Region Transport 659 (GSC 659X) paused at the traffic lights on High Street, Edinburgh that forms part of the ‘Royal Mile’. New in October 1981 it was the last (numerically) Alexander AL bodied Leyland Atlantean added to the LRT fleet, a combination purchased by LRT through the 1970s. From 1982 the Leyland Olympian came on stream and LRT purchased this chassis with Alexander RH and Eastern Coachworks bodywork. At the time of this visit the LRT fleet comprised about 496 covered top dual door double deckers comprising the last 68 Alexander AL bodied Leyland Atlanteans dating from 1979/1981 and the Olympians with three body styles (ECW (127), Alexander RH (234) and Alexander Royale (67)).

Saturday 2 August 1997 – Lothian Region Transport 659 (GSC 659X) on High Street, Edinburgh that forms part of the ‘Royal Mile’. New in October 1981 it was the last (numerically) Alexander AL bodied Leyland Atlantean added to the LRT fleet, a combination purchased by LRT through the 1970s. From 1982 the Leyland Olympian came on stream and LRT purchased this chassis with Alexander RH and Eastern Coachworks bodywork. At the time of this visit the LRT fleet comprised about 496 covered top dual door double deckers comprising the last 68 Alexander AL bodied Leyland Atlanteans dating from 1979/1981 and the Olympians with three body styles (ECW (127), Alexander RH (234) and Alexander Royale (67)). I jumped aboard for a ride on this bus which was working Circle service 6.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0836) – Lothian Buses operates just six Optare Solo buses in its fleet. 281 (SN08 BZA) carries a livery for Standard Life Insurance and was seen on Princes Street. It was operating service 61 which is financially supported by Standard Life linking two parts of the city where the insurance company has offices via Hanover Street in the city centre. The service, with just three stopping places, runs every 30 minutes from 0830 to 1755 Mondays to Fridays with the round trip taking 25 minutes therefore requiring just one bus. (The destination blind reads ‘West End’ but the bus way heading away from the West End). On the right is Lothian Buses 458 (SJ66 LPZ), a Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL new in December 2016.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0858) – Lothian Buses operates just six Optare Solo buses in its fleet. 281 (SN08 BZA) carries a livery for Standard Life Insurance and was seen on Princes Street under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. It was operating service 61 which is financially supported by Standard Life linking two parts of the city where the insurance company has offices via Hanover Street in the city centre. The service, with just three stopping places, runs every 30 minutes from 0830 to 1755 Mondays to Fridays with the round trip taking 25 minutes therefore requiring just one bus.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0842) – Lothian Buses driver training bus TB101 (SN04 NFZ) seen in Princes Street, Edinburgh close to the junction with Frederick Street during the rush hour. It is a Wrightbus Eclipse Urban bodied Volvo B7RLE new in July 2004 with fleet number 101.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0842) – Lothian Buses driver training bus TB101 (SN04 NFZ) seen in Princes Street, Edinburgh close to the junction with Frederick Street during the rush hour. It is a Wrightbus Eclipse Urban bodied Volvo B7RLE new in July 2004 with fleet number 101.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0843) – Side by side in Princes Street, Edinburgh at the junction with Frederick Street. Heart of Scotland Tours Limited operates tours for smaller groups marketed as The Wee Red Bus. Mercedes-Benz mini-coach SN15 CCD. Lothian Buses 446 (SJ66 LPC), a Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL new in January 2017, heads a convoy of westbound buses.

Sunday 7 May 2017 (0918) – East Coast Buses is owned by Transport for Edinburgh and thus is related to Lothian Buses. 20944 (SF17 VMH) is a Wrightbus Eclipse bodied Volvo B8RLE new in April 2017. It was seen near St. John’s Episcopal Church at the western end of Princes Street in Edinburgh.

Saturday 6 May 2017 (1622) – Lothian Buses 649 (SK52 OHJ), a Transbus built Plaxton President style bodied Dennis Trident new in November 2002, turning into Princes Street from North St. David Street in Edinburgh.

Saturday 6 May 2017 (1622) – Lothian Buses 310 (SN09 CUG) seen turning from Princes Street into North St. David Street in Edinburgh. It is a Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TL new in April 2009 that wears a branded livery for service 26 plus an advert for Edinburgh Zoo which is served by the route.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0838) – Lothian Buses 927 (SN09 CVM) turning into Princes Street, Edinburgh from Frederick Street. It is a Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TL new in April 2009 that wears a branded livery for service 29. The advert for Monarch Airlines offering fares from £29 was a coincidence and not part of the 29 branding.

Monday 8 May 2017 (0838) – Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini double deckers in Princes Street, Edinburgh. Left is Lothian Buses 798 (SN56 AEY), a Volvo B7TL new December 2006, and right is First Scotland 37272 (SN57 JBV), a Volvo B9TL new in February 2008.

Sunday 7 May 2017 (1237) – Waverley Bridge in Edinburgh is the main departure point for the tourist oriented services. In the far distance are two Edinburgh Bus Tours (related to Lothian Buses) partially open top sightseeing buses, the red one is CitySightseeing and the yellow is the ‘Edinburgh Tour’. The two blue vehicles operate the Lothian Buses ‘Airlink’ airport service. All four are Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvos. The bus operating the ‘3 Bridges Tour’ that runs out to the Forth rail and road bridges is Edinburgh Bus Tours 650 (XIL 1483), a Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident that had been new to the main Lothian fleet in November 2002 registered SK52 OHL. The Scott Monument is prominent and Princes Street runs across the photograph.

Saturday 6 May 2017 (1622) – Lothian Buses 649 (SK52 OHJ), a Transbus built Plaxton President style bodied Dennis Trident new in November 2002, turning into Princes Street from North St. David Street in Edinburgh.

Saturday 6 May 2017 (0930) – Lothian Buses 681 (SN04 ACY) seen in Princes Street, Edinburgh. It is a Transbus built Plaxton President style bodied Dennis Trident new in March 2004.

Sunday 7 May 2017 (0938) – East Coast Buses is owned by Transport for Edinburgh and thus is related to Lothian Buses. 10059 (SF17 VMH), a Wrightbus Eclipse 3 bodied Volvo B8RLE new in April 2017, seen in Princes Street, Edinburgh. Wrightbus incorporated the front end styling used on the Gemini 3 and Streetdeck double deck models for the 15 vehicles delivered on this order. The livery This livery style follows similar lines to the ECB Gemini double deckers which itself was based on that employed on the ‘glass staircase’ double deckers in the Lothian fleet. (The clock on the Fraser building was incorrect).

Sunday 7 May 2017 (0918) – Lothian Buses 140 (SK07 CGY), a Wrightbus Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLE new in May 2007, seen turning into Princes Street from Lothian Road.