Lothian Country's 1031, LXZ 5417, on service X27

Lothian Country's 1031 LXZ 5417, a ZF/ Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, operating the service X27 from Edinburgh to Whitburn via Princes Street, Dalry, Gorgie, Sighthill, Dalmahoy, Wilkieston, Calderwood, East Calder, Mid Calder, Dedridge East, Dedridge West, Livingston the Centre, Howden, St John's Hospital, Ladywell West, Eliburn, Blackburn and East Whitburn.

 

1031 was new to First Centrewest London in late to mid 2010 as their "VN37926" which had the registration of "BF60 VHZ" and predominantly operated the service 18 from Sudbury and Euston.

 

VHZ was later sold to Metroline Centrewest London in *2013 after First Capital's demise then was acquainted the fleet number of "VW1878".

 

In 2017, 50 Gemini 2's, in a similar situation to VHZ, were all sold to Lothian Buses but not before they were all sent to WrightBus in Ballymena (for the exeptions of 1001 and 1002 which were refurbished at Thorntons in Ashington England) Northern Ireland to be extensively refurbished to high quality Lothian specifications all receiving the registrations "LXZ 53××" and "LXZ 54××". 25 were sent to Lothian Buses Central and all started working in Edinburgh between June and August 2018 with the other 25 being sent to Lothian Country which started working West Lothian local routes from the Longstone depot until the purchase of the Livingston depot in March 2019.

 

Lothian Buses had gained many Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2's from London mostly from Metroline Centrewest (which were previously owned by First Centrewest London) and 2 from this batch were previously owned by Go-Ahead London (them being 1001 and 1002) to upgrade their fleet and for Lothian Country's new (at the time) West Lothian bus services (being X27/ X28 and 275).

 

The first batch of them were 1001 - 1050 and they started entering service July 2018 and all entering service by late September 2018.

 

These buses are unique to Lothian Buses as they are shorter (instead of the usual 11.5 meters they are 10.8) and they have a ZF transmission instead of a voith which most Volvo Chassis Lothian Buses have.

 

Out of the 50 buses:

25 of them went to Lothian Buses in their Central depot (these being 1001 - 1002, 1005 - 1012, 1014 - 1027 and 1050) and the remaining 25 went to Lothian Country (these being 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 have an exit middle door, minus 1000. These have so far remained their entire Lothian Buses life the the Marine depot in Seafield apart from 1000 which was sent to Central in 2019 then transferred to Longstone in 2020 then subsequently back to Central in 2021.

 

 

This is a list of all ex London B9TL's with their current and previous registrations including their current housing depot with Lothian Buses or Lothian Country (all Livingston based buses are Lothian Country):

Fleet no. - Current reg - Depot - Previous reg

1000 - LX11 CVM - Central - NA

1001 - LXZ 5383 - Central - BG61 SXJ

1002 - LXZ 5384 - Central - BG61 SXR

1003 - LXZ 5385 - Livingston - BF60 UUL

1004 - LXZ 5386 - Livingston - BF60 UUM

1005 - LXZ 5387 - Central - BF60 UUN

1006 - LXZ 5388 - Central - BF60 UUO

1007 - LXZ 5389 - Central - BF60 UUP

1008 - LXZ 5390 - Central - BF60 UUR

1009 - LXZ 5392 - Central - BF60 UUS

1010 - LXZ 5393 - Central - BF60 UUT

1011 - LXZ 5394 - Central - BF60 UUV

1012 - LXZ 5395 - Central - BF60 UUW

1013 - LXZ 5396 - Livingston - BF60 UUX

1014 - LXZ 5397 - Central - BF60 UUW

1015 - LXZ 5398 - Central - BF60 UUZ

1016 - LXZ 5399 - Central - BF60 UUX

1017 - LXZ 5401 - Central - BF60 UVB

1018 - LXZ 5402 - Central - BF60 UVC

1019 - LXZ 5404 - Marine - BF60 UVD

1020 - LXZ 5405 - Marine - BF60 UVE

1021 - LXZ 5406 - Marine - BF60 UVG

1022 - LXZ 5407 - Marine - BF60 UVH

1023 - LXZ 5408 - Marine - BF60 VHP

1024 - LXZ 5409 - Marine - BF60 VHR

1025 - LXZ 5410 - Marine - BF60 VHT

1026 - LXZ 5411 - Marine - BF60 VHU

1027 - LXZ 5412 - Marine - BF60 VHV

1028 - LXZ 5413 - Livingston - BF60 VHW

1029 - LXZ 5414 - Withdrawn - BF60 VHX

1030 - LXZ 5415 - Livingston - BF60 VHY

1031 - LXZ 5417 - Livingston - BF60 VHZ

1032 - LXZ 5418 - Livingston - BF60 VJA

1033 - LXZ 5419 - Livingston - BF60 VJC

1034 - LXZ 5420 - Livingston - BF60 VJD

1035 - LXZ 5421 - Livingston - BF60 VJE

1036 - LXZ 5422 - Livingston - BF60 VJG

1037 - LXZ 5423 - Livingston - BF60 VJJ

1038 - LXZ 5424 - Livingston - BF60 VJK

1039 - LXZ 5425 - Livingston - BF60 VJL

1040 - LXZ 5427 - Livingston - BF60 VJM

1041 - LXZ 5428 - Livingston - BF60 VJN

1042 - LXZ 5429 - Livingston - BF60 VJO

1043 - LXZ 5430 - Livingston - BF60 VJP

1044 - LXZ 5431 - Livingston - BF60 VJU

1045 - LXZ 5433 - Livingston - BF60 VJV

1046 - LXZ 5434 - Livingston - BF60 UUD

1047 - LXZ 5435 - Livingston - BF60 UUB

1048 - LXZ 5436 - Livingston - BF60 UUA

1049 - LXZ 5437 - Livingston - BF60 UTZ

1050 - LXZ 5438 - Longstone - BF60 UUK

1141 - LX11 CVW - Central - NA

1142 - LX11 CVY - Central - NA

1143 - LX60 DWY - Marine - NA

1144 - LX60 DXG - Marine - NA

1145 - LX60 DXK - Marine - NA

1146 - LX11 CVL - Marine - NA

1147 - LX11 CVR - Marine - NA

1148 - LX11 CVS - Marine - NA

1149 - LX11 CWA - Marine - NA

1150 - LX11 CWO - Marine - NA

1151 - LX11 CWP - Marine - NA

1152 - LX11 CWR - Marine - NA

1153 - LX11 CWT - Marine - NA.

 

Notes:

1029 was withdrawn in July of 2019 following a collision with a low hanging bridge in Fauldhouse and was subsequently scrapped, 1029 was housed in Livingston prior to this.

 

1141 and 1142 are suspected to loans from Marine to cover for the repaints of the 350 - 400 series of Gemini 2's in Central.

 

1050 is suspected, however is very speculative, to be loaned to Longstone from Central for the repaints of the 551 - 570 Gemini 3 series housed in the Longstone depot.

 

Disclaimer - the information I have provided about the previous registrations and depots are correct from Monday 30th May 2022 (the date of upload), I won't be editing this description if there are any changes. I will only update this list (if there are any changes) if I post another photo of a ex London B9TL which I will post the most up to date information on there!

 

 

This photo was taken at Regent Road, Edinburgh on Saturday the 9th of April 2022.

 

V Disclaimer V

Do not use any of my photos for any purposes, e.g. editing or just reposting, without my full consent, thank you! 👍

 

Everyone, take care and stay safe out there! 😊

Done