LTSV Site News

54 site news items added in 2009.

Select a year

30/12/09	I have just marked up 33 leased vehicles as being withdrawn, these being deduced from looking at the licensing data on the DVLA (cheers Ray). It is certain that many others have also left the fleet but there is no way to be certain until/unless we get a new official list.
29/12/09	I recently received a full fleet list for Abellio (nee Travel London) dated December 2009 and I made a start on updating the database accordingly. However, mid way through it became clear that the SV portion of the list had not been updated since early 2008! I made executive decisions about a few vehicles... All those thought to be still current are now shown as Abellio. It is likely that a couple that were withdrawn before the renaming have also been done. Apologies for this. Oh, and have a happy New Year.
21/12/09	A database update tonight, with 11 recent deliveries added along with 3 previously unknown bus company vehicles from the other end of the decade. Regarding the new Underground livery, I will for the time being show these as operator 'Underground' and livery 'White/Red/Blue' (where the latter is included in reports).
20/12/09	I have just published 25 new photographs, including coverage of the new LUL livery and a couple from the 1950s. Update: I have also just reclassified several hundred photographs to make it easier to find particular types. New classes have been introduced for 'Artic Tractor', 'Breakdown Tender', 'Dustcart' etc, all of which were previously shown as 'Heavy Lorry'. Use the 'Type' drop down on the main Pictures selection page to see the full list.
11/12/09	I have just pushed up a slightly tweaked picture selection page, with improved options for thumbnail display. Please let me know of any problems. I hope to get some more photos published over the weekend.
01/12/09	Just one photo has been added tonight. I have received quite a few over the past few weeks (including a few oldies) but I haven't had time to catalogue and sort them all yet. One from today seemed worth putting straight up though, as it is the first to show what may become a common livery.
19/11/09	Don't forget the LOTS Autumn Transport Spectacular event at Harrow Leisure Centre this Saturday. More details can be found on the LOTS website at http://www.lots.org.uk/. See you there!
10/11/09	Right, the database is now up to date again, with 21 additions and a few edits.
09/11/09	Taking a break from topical pictures, I have just added a dozen from James Mair's collection, all taken in the 1980s or early 1990s. I hope to bring the database up to date with new deliveries shortly.
10/10/09	A day earlier than planned, I have added a further 24 pictures, comprising a very mixed bunch of recent photos and one from 1990. LTSVplus has just slipped past its 4th birthday, while LTSV itself is now 6 years old. Judging from the (admittedly small number of) responses to my request for feedback, I seem to be doing things right!
25/09/09	I have added some recent deliveries to the database and will continue with withdrawals and other updates next time. Note that the number of sightings is getting close to the 30,000 mark. I should clarify that the connection problems mentioned yesterday are in terms of my own internet service. As far as I know, the website is performing fine.
24/09/09	Apologies for the lack of database updates this week. I do have several new vehicles to report but I have been experiencing connection difficulties.
15/09/09	With newer pictures arriving all the time I thought I had better get on with the batch from August. So, tonight I have added the remaining 25, mainly covering the leased fleet but with a couple of oddities.
13/09/09	The second set of 20 photos (mainly) from August is a rather mixed bunch, with 10 red vehicles and 10 silver ones. I have also uploaded a further 38 vehicle icons, covering some Ford Cargo lorries, French cars (Berlingo, Partner and Kangoo) and some more Transit variants. There are now 358 different icons in use.
05/09/09	August was another good month for photographs, with a few days out as well as a visit to the Upminster open day. However, free time is now scarce again so I can't do a single big push of pictures. Instead, I have split the submissions into several sets, based on the subject matter. Today's update features 20 photographs and covers the Upminster event, and some movements in the Acton area.
27/08/09	Another round of database updates today, including about 70 vehicles being marked as withdrawn. The information for these was drawn mainly from the licensing dates (cheers Ray). I have also added two new locations. WRS is for West Ruislip Station and IHO is for the recently discovered LBSL office at Isleworth.
14/08/09	I have added allocations to a lot of leased vehicles today, derived from sightings and some suppositions based on the official fleetlist. As always, these should be taken as indicative only. Many vehicles are 'kept' elsewhere. For example, 71 vehicles are shown as being allocated to Griffith House, which is much more than the location can hold. Most will typically only visit during the night before going off on jobs. They are presumably parked at their drivers homes during the day.
11/08/09	To be really topical for a change, I have just added two photos taken today, including one of a pair of vehicles that had only just been delivered.
05/08/09	I have just added a batch of 66 new photographs. A lot of them cover rather mundane subjects but there are also a couple of rarities shown.
03/08/09	A catch up with fleetdata tonight, bringing the database total up to 8635 vehicles. I am currently processing a large batch of photographs for addition very soon. Oh, and a reminder that the TfL exhibition units (safety and citizenship) are due to be in Covent Garden Piazza all this week. I plan to visit tomorrow for a look see! By the way, my e-mail service has been a bit flaky for the past week or so. Apologies if I have not yet been able to reply to your messages.
31/07/09	Safety vehicles at Covent Garden. With thanks to Colin Lloyd, the LT Museum website states that the two TfL safety vehicles will be on display at Covent Garden piazza from the 3rd to the 7th of August. There is thought to be a new tube one (blue vehicle to replace 5494F) while the other will probably be the Citroen/Citaro thingy.
12/07/09	A small batch of 8 photos has been added today, mainly covering the bus companies.
28/06/09	I have just added 23 new vehicles to the database, this covering reported additions to the leased fleet. Note that these update SUP24D.
26/06/09	Continuing through the mass of photos received recently, tonights update adds 25 images covering developments in the leased fleet (including a couple of un-numbered vehicles). Several new types are included. I hope to bring the database up to date over the weekend, after which I will move on to photos of bus company vehicles (although I may save this for the first July update).
21/06/09	I have made a start on catching up with fleet data changes, dealing first with those that have been incorporated in the new SUP24D booklet.
19/06/09	Moving on to some more interesting stuff, tonight's 10 photos all features cranes of one sort or another, although two are from the archives.
17/06/09	I have some very interesting photos to show this month but I am starting with a bunch of VW vans. One in particular is a bit unusual. Oh, and there is a sucker!
14/06/09	My 'unsorted photos' file now contains over 200 images, not that I am complaining! Thanks to everyone who has sent stuff in.
07/06/09	Good news is that LOTS is publishing a new edition of the SUP24 current service vehicle fleetlist booklet in the next month or so. Compared to the last edition (SUP24C in May 2007), SUP24D will have 48 pages and 8 colour photos. As a result of this, the cover price has been increased to £3.50. Please support both LOTS and LTSV by buying a copy when it does come out! It will be available at LOTS stands at events (such as the Potters Bar Garage open day on 4th July) or direct by post. A lot of work was spent getting the new book finalised and this has meant fewer website updates of late. I will try to make sure that the database is brought up to speed over the next week or so. There are also another 100-odd new photos to sort out....
17/05/09	Right, I have just updated the database with 28 new and recently reported vehicles. You may notice that amongst these are several from smaller bus companies in the home counties. The exact coverage area of LTSV has never been defined and I would be interested to hear visitor's opinions. I get very infrequent reports on operators outside of London anyway.
15/05/09	Hmm, its been nearly a month since I added any new vehicles to the database. Rest assured, they are still being delivered, and I am still getting reports, but I have been rather too busy to do an update session. And it's too late to start one tonight. Ho hum. A quick request. Has anyone seen (or even photographed) the 'new' Arriva ERF tanker? There is something lurking in the depths of Tottenham Garage but I've never seen it clearly.
12/05/09	With a bumper crop of pictures being received over the past few weeks, I had difficulty selecting those for publication. 50 have just been put up but several more have had to be held over until next time. Thanks to all the contributors. By the way, I appreciate that it might be nice to have a steady trickle of photos being added to the site rather than a big dump once a month. However, this way fits in with my limited free time at present.
10/05/09	Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been busy putting together a new edition of the SUP24 booklet for LOTS, expected to be published in June or July. I hope to make a start on prepping some new photos shortly (I have only received 196 since the last update!!) and bringing the database up to date.
27/04/09	An event that may be of interest is 'May Day at Brooklands' on bank holiday Monday 4th of May. A gathering of preserved and current emergency services vehicles, the gallery on the website shows that a pair of the ERU Ategos attended last year. Milly (aka ex 1456MR) will also be there.
18/04/09	I have become aware that some e-mails being sent to me are not arriving. I do get a lot of messages, and I try to respond to most of them, particularly those from 'first time callers'. So, if you have sent me an e-mail or feedback and have not had a response, it may be safest to assume that I did not receive the message. I am investigating alternative e-mail services to see if I can get around this problem.
05/04/09	Just published is a large batch of 30 photographs, mostly from the last few weeks. We are privileged to include a number of shots from inside Acton Works, and these cover some rarities as well as some interesting new developments. There are Transits with toilets, Transits with batteries, Transits that think they are fire engines and Transits that think they are police vans! And if you don't like Transits, there is a Partner, a Master, an Expert and a tamper!! I have taken time over the captions, with lots of links to other relevant photos and pages. Please note that the fleetdata is lagging behind somewhat, so some of the newest vehicles will not yet have database links. There are plenty more photos to come, I just need to find some more free time! Work on the fleet additions has got as far as 6646, bypassing the new IRUs until the numbers are sorted out. The remainder will be done soon. Note: Entry edited by Tom Young, 05/04/09, 23:31. Just finished the additions, having done over 90 in the past couple of days.
03/04/09	I have just completed marking up 238 vehicles that are known to have left the central fleet in recent months. The next task will be to look at the updates and additions.
01/04/09	I currently have a mass of fleet data and pictures to sort and publish, and not much free time to do it in. As such, I may not respond very quickly to any e-mails. Please be patient.
31/03/09	It has been pointed out that Maxwell House is in fact part of the Metronet complex behind the Museum Depot at Acton. I am awaiting more information before choosing a new code for the Tube Lines location at the front. The recent problems with the website appear to have been a one off. Apologies for any inconvenience caused, and please get in touch if you encounter anything unexpected. Finally, we have just received a current list of the central fleet, meaning that there will be lots of updates and additions over the next few days.
16/03/09	A handful of pages on this site became infected with some rogue code this morning. I have been unable to determine how this happened or whether it would have any impact on visitors. The pages have now been repaired but I would recommend as a precaution that anyone who visited the site between 10:30 and 20:30 today should check their computer for viruses. Sorry for any inconvenience. I have added a new location code for Acton Town, Hearne House (ACH). This is the Metronet bit behind the LT Museum Depot. A look at aerial views suggests there is no road link round the back into Ealing Common depot. The locations down Museum Way are therefore Maxwell House (ACM - Tube Lines), Hearne House (ACH - Metronet) and the Museum itself (AMD). I have also changed the code for Purfleet (Ensign) from PRF to PT!
15/03/09	I have just added 28 photos (mainly) covering the last few weeks, including the delivery of new IRUs for LBSL, as well as a few fleet oddities. Please note that from picture 2252 onwards I have increased the normal photo size from 800x534 to a more logical 900x600. If anyone wants to put a case for going larger (or even perhaps smaller), please get in touch.
26/02/09	First up, I forgot to mention earlier that there will be a small LTSV social next Tuesday night (3rd March) at the usual venue. E-mail me for details. The various changes made last week appear to have been problem-free, which with my programming ability is surprising. Some more minor enhancements are in the pipeline but I am always open to suggestions. Is there anything about the site that doesn't work the way you think it should? Or that you think could be done better? Please let me know.
22/02/09	I have had my programming head on again (it is now badly scratched!) and have come up with some more small enhancements to the website. Table added for vehicle notes This works in a similar way to the photo and location comments, in that any registered member can add notes against a particular vehicle. This could be used, for example, to give details of a published photo of a vehicle, or for any additional information. The main text field is not limited in size and can contain HTML tags such as text formatting or hyperlinks. But please don't put hyperlinks within the first 50 characters as this will mess up the lastest updates page! The table has been initially populated with the contents of the original notes field. All updates to the main vehicles table will now be tracked Until now, the database showed what the most recent change made to each record was. Henceforth, all changes will be tracked, and because other members are being given certain rights, the name of the editor will also be shown. Sightings can now be edited from the vehicle data page Does what it says on the tin. Some back-end changes to make my life easier Visitors may recall that I had some difficulties with svid numbers not being assigned 'for life'. For example, if we discovered that an un-numbered vehicle was actually numbered, I would edit the vehicle record, but then would also have to manually find and edit each associated record in the tables for sightings, history and photos. Adding the notes and edit-tracking tables would have compounded this but I have created a rather nifty admin function to update most cross-references in one go. One result of all these changes is that the main fleet data page is beginning to look a little crowded. If anyone has any suggestions for how the various sections and fields should be laid out, I would be interested to hear from them!
21/02/09	Some changes to the account registration and log-in pages have been made. The only difference apparent to existing users will be that the log-in page now has a drop-down for member names. The changes have been made as an interim measure to combat some issues with the membership accounts. The whole process will be subject to a more thorough review in the future. For information, the full list of changes is as follows: The update subscription service has been withdrawn. The nature of updates to the site meant that this service was very rarely used. The 'View latest data' page is the best way to see recent changes. Log-in now involves picking from a list of member names, rather than manually entering This is to avoid the issue of people forgetting their membership names and creating duplicate accounts. I apreciate the fact that this makes all member names more readily visible but the risks entailed are low (the worst case scenario being that someone could log-in as you, especially if your password reminder question is easy to guess, then make mis-credited postings). A further benefit of the change is that I will be able to spot and deal with spam accounts more quickly. Accounts deemed to be spam have been deleted As of a few days ago, there were 1354 accounts in the database. A large proportion of these were spam, apparently created by people with nothing better to do with their time. Although there were no serious implications to this, some of the accounts had large entries in the comments fields, often including inappropriate content or links. This also impacted on the back-up procedures by increasing the file size. Identifying the spam accounts was a fairly simple process, and deleting them reduced the membership down to 130. It is notable that of these, only 65 have ever actually contributed anything (sightings, comments, etc). The registration process now involves a check image To try and deter the spammers, the registration page has been renamed, and now includes a question about service vehicles. I will be monitoring the effectiveness of this over the next few weeks. The access permissions have been modified As the first step towards allowing trusted members more editing rights, a new interim permission level has been added. The first rights expected to be granted will be in connection with the licensing dates of vehicles. More details will be posted once these changes have been made. The number of active membership accounts should reduce further over the next few months as I identify unwanted or duplicated accounts. I will still be putting on my CV the fact that I created a website that attracted over 1300 registered members! Although I have attempted to test all the changes, as with any modifications to the site, I would appreciate any reports of errors or problems.
19/02/09	Some minor changes to the site have just been made. Photos which have had comments made against them will now appear with a green speech bubble in the top right corner on certain pages. These include the main photo selection page and the locations details page. The other change is the addition of fields for licensing information in the main vehicles table. At present these are empty but over time, much of the information posted in photo and forum comments will be transferred here.
08/02/09	I have just added 22 pictures with a heavy bias towards heavy recovery vehicles. Included are the new LBSL tow truck and a couple of snow views.
05/02/09	My webhost has just upgraded to a newer version of PHP. As far as I know, this shouldn't affect the website but, if you spot anything wrong or broken, please let me know. Thanks.
30/01/09	Tonight's fleet update includes leased vehicles in the 64xx and 65xx ranges, plus the entire SV fleet of Ensignbus. To cater for the latter, a new location entry has been made for Purfleet, using code PRF. I assume Purfleet does not have a TfL shadow code.....
25/01/09	10 new pictures and a fleet data update today.
24/01/09	The first of several small enhancements to LTSVplus has been made today and follows a request regarding the latest updates pages. A link has been added at the bottom of each 'More' page allowing you to see more than just the 100 most recent changes in any category.
18/01/09	Right, I have finally managed to put up the first pictures for 2009. A mixed bunch of 18 recent photos, fans of Renault Kangoos and Sovereign tow trucks should be happy! Those of you who log sightings should remember that we are now in 2009! As we rely on sightings for a lot of fleetdata (eg dates in), it can be confusing if you put in 2008 for a vehicle that was not in stock then. I have nearly done it myself a couple of times. Just to remind you, you can edit your sightings by clicking on the Find button marked View My Sightings on the Fleet Data page (I will amend any obvious ones that I see). Cheers.
12/01/09	Rather than get the January pictures sorted out, I have tonight started some weeding of the bus company vehicle records. Vehicles that have been delicensed for some time are being marked as withdrawn. As many vehicles are stored on site prior to sale or scrapping, the departure date is being shown as up to 1 year later. As I get to the newer vehicles (which are more likely to be sold as runners), sightings (or the lack of) will also be taken into consideration.
07/01/09	Five new locations have been added today, with updates to the relevant vehicles and photographs. These are Southwark, Chancel Street (TfL Streets, our code CHS) and Borough, Union Street (JNP, BUS) plus three new records to provide more detail on the locations around Acton. ACB is for Bollo House, ACF for Frank Pick House and ACM for Maxwell House (for fuller, richer service services!).
06/01/09	No new photos yet but I have done a bit more database weeding, removing vehicles that are almost certainly 'no-more'. Nominations of candidates for similar treatment would be welcomed.

2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003

View latest data	LTSVplus.com - London Transport Service Vehicles on the web							You are not logged in. Log-in Register
	Site News	Fleet News	Fleet Data	Locations	Pictures	Articles	Forum