Lothian Country's 1045 (LXZ 5433), a ZF Ecolife D9B Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, operating the service 72 to Kirkliston.
The service 72, operated by Lothian Country, operates between Fauldhouse (Co-operative) and Kirkliston (Kirklands Park). The service 72 commenced operations in West Lothian on 15/10/2023. At which time the service only operated between Livingston the Centre and Kirkliston Kirklands Park and didn't serve Houstoun Industrial Estate, Pumpherston or Uphall Station. From December 3rd, the 72 was extended as part of Lothian Country's service enhancements throughout the county.
The 72 operates the following route:
Between Fauldhouse (Co-operative) and Kirkliston (Kirklands Park) via Longridge, Whitburn, East Whitburn, Blackburn, Seafield, Shinetsu, Eliburn, Alderstone Road, Livingston the Centre, Howden, St John's Hospital, Houstoun Industrial Estate, Pumpherston, Uphall Station, Uphall, Broxburn and Winchburgh.
1045 was new to First Centrewest October of 2010 as their "VN37931" with the registration "BF60 VJV".
VJV was later sold to Metroline in 2013, due to the demise of First Capital. VN37931 then was acquainted the new fleet number of "VW1883".
During 1045's operating life in London, 1045 was used primarily to operate the service 18 which operated, and continues to operate, between Sudbury and Euston.
Over a two year period, Lothian Buses purchased 64 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s. These vehicles were purchased from two london operators, Metroline Centrewest and Go Ahead-London.
The initial batch to enter service with Lothian Buses was 1001 - 1050, with 1001, 1002, 1005 - 1012, 1014 - 1027 and 1050 with Lothian Buses and 1003, 1004, 1013, 1028 - 1049 with Lothian Country. All minus 1001 and 1002 were bought from Metroline with these two being from Go Ahead-London.
The second batch to enter service with Lothian Buses was 1000 and 1141 - 1153. These were all bought from Go Ahead-London. I'll further discuss the two batches of vehicles below.
In 2017, 50 Gemini 2's were sold to Lothian Buses. However, this wasn't before 48 of them were sent to WrightBus in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, to receive an extensive refurbishment to high quality Lothian specifications.
The other two, 1001 and 1002, were refurbished at Thorntons in Ashington, England.
All 50 received private registration plates which appear as "LXZ 53××" or "LXZ 54××".
25 were sent to Lothian Buses Central depot and all started working in Edinburgh between June and September 2018. The other 25 were sent to Lothian Country which started working West Lothian local routes, in August 2018, from the Longstone depot. This was until the purchase of the Livingston depot in March 2019. I'll discuss more later on.
The Gemini 2s from London were mostly bought of Metroline, which were previously owned by First Centrewest. Two of them from the first batch, 1001 & 1002, were previously owned by Go-Ahead London. These were purchased to upgrade their fleet as well as to provide Lothian Country with buses to operate their new, at the time, West Lothian services; X27, X28 and 275, which commenced operations on Sunday, 19th August 2018.
The initial batch, 1001 - 1050, began entering service in July 2018. The following two months saw the rest of the ex Londoners entered service. Lothian Country's ones were the last ones that required to enter service, they started entering service in August 2018 and were all in service by late September 2018.
These buses are rather unique to Lothian Buses for a couple of reasons. They have a shorter body than the usual double deck vehicles found in Lothian's native fleet. In Lothian's double deck fleet, their vehichles usually range from the lengths 11.3 - 11.5 meters, whereas the ex London B9TL's are only 10.8 meters long. Additionally, they have a ZF transmission instead of a Voith which all Lothian's Volvo B9TL Chassis had, up 'till this point.
Out of the 50 buses:
25 of them went to Lothian Buses in their Central depot, these were; 1001 - 1002, 1005 - 1012, 1014 - 1027 and 1050. The remaining 25 found themselves at Lothian Country, these were; 1003, 1004, 1013 and 1028 - 1049.
The next batch of ex London B9TL's entered service in May 2019 (1000 and 1141 - 1153), these are different than the previous batch as these all have an exit middle door, minus 1000. These remained most of their Lothian operating life at their Marine depot in Seafield. 1000 wasn't at Marine for long where it found itself cascade to their Central depot late 2019, then to Longstone in 2020 then subsequently back to Central in 2021.
One thing to note, in 2021 1031 was off the road for many months to have its gearbox replaced.
Throughout the late part of 2022 and early part of 2023, we saw the vast majority of Lothian Country's ex Londoners receive the new joint livery with East Coast Buses. They've all been repainted. 1033 - 1049 remained with Lothian Country, but 1003, 1004, 1013, 1028, 1030, 1031 and 1032 were painted into Lothian's maroon and white livery and transferred to Lothian Buses.
1003, 1004, 1013, 1028 and 1030 - 1032 all operate out of Lothian Buses Marine depot, with 1003, 1004 and 1013 having a brief spell at Central.
As of December 2024, 1003 operates out of Lothian's Central depot, alongside 1001 and 1002 and 1013, 1028, 1030 - 1031 operate out of their Marine depot, alongside 1004 - 1027. 1000 and 1141 - 1153 operate out of their Longstone depot.
June 2024 saw the transfer of 1050 from Lothian Buses to Lothian Country. This was to meet the PVR for the two new West Edinburgh services, which commenced on Sunday, 30th June 2024. These services were the 70 and 71.
The new 70 service operates between The Gyle Centre and Hermiston Park and Ride via Gogar, Ratho Station, Ratho and Dalmahoy.
The new service 71 operates between Queensferry (Scotstoun) and The Gyle Centre via South Queensferry, Queensferry Tesco, Kirkliston (Kirklands Park), Kirkliston (Stirling Road), Newbridge, Ratho Station and The Gyle Centre.
Notes:
1029 was withdrawn in July of 2019 following a collision with a low hanging bridge in Fauldhouse. 1029 was subsequently scrapped. 1029 was housed in Livingston prior to this.
Photo taken on Friday 12th April 2024 in Pumpherston on Uphall Station Road, having just served the village.
Registration: LXZ 5433
Fleet No. (Current): 1045
Fleet No. (Previous): VN37931, VW1883
Company (Current): Lothian Country
Companies (Previous): First Capital, Metroline Centrewest
Chassis: Volvo B9TL
Engine: D9B
Body: Eclipse Gemini 2
Manufacturer: Wright Bus
New: November 2010
Route Operating: 72
Direction: Kirkliston, Kirklands Park.
Location: Pumpherston, Uphall Station Road.
Date: 12/04/2024
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