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Replacement Bus Hire, Cardiff (2026)

31/05/2026

Three Volvo B7TLs - PVL284, VLA94 and VW1562. Plenty in common - all 10 metres long, full height, new to London operators, retaining dual doors and have ZF transmissions. All three of them have also had their D7C engines liberated to deliver 250bhp instead of their original specced 215bhp. The PVL and VW had this done when they were still in London service, whereas we had this done on VLA94.

The obvious difference is the bodywork - Plaxton President, Alexander ALX400 and Wright Eclipse Gemini were the three most common bodies on this chassis. Which do you prefer? We like all three!

The odd one out here is VW1562 - the later batches of the Volvo B7 family from 55 plate onwards, or “Multiplex V2” in technical parlance, have a rather different electrical system to the V1s. Over time, we have come to appreciate their distinctions. We’ve actually had more of these than V1s - VLA155/170/176, VW1562 and B7RLEs SPV3 and 4 were all V2s. All of these had 6 speed ZF transmissions. The 6th gear help with keeping them cool on the motorways. With the nature of our work, often travelling fair distances to jobs, it was an intentional decision to aim for buses with this gearbox, hence lots of V2s and Citaros.

Our purchasing policy was to buy Volvo B7TLs, get them mechanically sound then run them. This is how we started off in 2021 with VLA170 and 176, and they never once let us down, always making it back to base under their own steam. Every last one we have purchased has each had well into 5 figures spent to rectify existing defects to make them sufficiently reliable for the work we do through our B7TL Refresh Programme.

We are disposing of most of the Volvo B7TLs. The three depicted are planned to leave the fleet in the next few months. VLA94 remains in the maintenance cycle while we work to complete the B9TL refresh programme for DPV3. VLA94 is a useful vehicle, being welcome in London and having a lower plate height of 14’3” and will probably remain with us until next stop announcements are mandated for vehicles of this age.

We’re now happy with where DPV3 is mechanically, just a touch of gearbox service maintenance required before she’s out in anger again. We have decided to disable the kickdown and set the transmission to eco mode - with the performance restrictions and TopoDyn removed, MPG is averaging around 5.2, which beats the B7TLs which are doing around 4.1, but every little helps. The performance restrictions can quite easily be relaxed for special occasions. So far, we really like the Volvo B9TL and once we’ve evaluated DPV3’s performance over its first 3,000 miles in service and a good few motorway runs, we may look to buy another for the double deck fleet.

Our single deck policy is also under review, stay posted for updates on this. Suffice to say, we are delighted with the reliability, performance and comfort of our Mercedes Citaros and are glad we have standardised on them. We are looking at ways to reduce the average age of the single deck fleet.

26/05/2026

Mercedes Citaros SPV11, MCL1 and MEC9 at the crack of dawn on Sunday, ready for a weekend of local rail replacement work.

SPV11, the final surviving member of the SPV fleet, is back following some TLC to the Diesel Particulate Filter and Diesel Oxidation Catalyst. Going forward, part of this vehicle’s maintenance cycle will involve a 30 minute motorway jaunt every 2,000 miles or so to allow a complete DPF regeneration to take place. The nature of the work we do means this is usually done at least once a week anyway. We hope this will prevent soot buildup and any complications that arise from this.

We are also introducing a “Driver of the Month” scheme - a £50 grocery retail voucher will be the prize up for grabs on the first of each month, this is increased to £200 in the month of December. We very much appreciate those working hard to consistently deliver for us, our clients and our passengers 😎

21/05/2026

We never actually did a post on our resident President, so here goes!

We purchased PJ02 RCU in November 2024. We saw her advertised for on the website of an erstwhile bus dealer and decided to enquire about buying. Our offer was accepted and we chose to number her PVL284. We remember these buses when they were new to London Central and deployed on route 40, working alongside the legendary R-LGH NVs which regrettably seem to have died a death. The 02 reg batch of PVLs had a few distinctive quirks at the time - the clear rear LED light lenses, the green bus stopping signs and the warning announcements to stand well clear of the doors.

We were delighted to collect PVL284 and transferred her across Kent to a maintenance facility for an inspection. We inspect all vehicles we purchase to get an idea of how much work is needed to get them fighting fit. We intended to proceed with getting an annual test on this one with a view to extending her life by a fair few years. She was released earlier this month, with 121 hours of extensive life extension work carried out over the last 18 months, but needing further work to pass a test. It’s certainly achievable and she drives very nicely, but we have other vehicles to prioritise at the moment, with lots of heavy duty work carried out on other members of the Preserved pool, as well as the active fleet in recent months.

So we’d like to hand over the baton, ideally to someone with an interest in building on the work done and keeping her going, and welcome offers for her 😀

21/05/2026

Fleet update 🛠️⚙️🚍

MCL5 / BD11 LWS has been reinstated with a clean MOT pass yesterday. It has been brought back after being in warm store for 18 months to cover some work requiring Euro 6 compliance next week, after which it will be immediately available for sale, with working air con as an option if required. MEC9 will soon be available with the same option, but for now will remain in service as cover while SPV11 has engine, exhaust work and other necessary work carried out.

We keep a wealth of original Mercedes Citaro spares in stores, even things we aren’t certain will ever be needed. One advantage of running a fleet with interchangeable parts is it simplifies this part of the operation. This is why outgoing Citaros still have a value to us and tend to go once useful parts have been stripped.

While in storage, MCL5’s centre doors stopped operating, which turned out to be due to a reverse polarity / short to ground fault in the door motor. We had some spare door gear from a Euro 3 Citaro-G in stores. This had the necessary door motor and toothed belt to repair MCL5’s doors with. To buy these two parts new would have been around £800 + VAT plus any lead time.

A brake pressure signal fault was addressed with some new OEM parts installed in the air drier / multi circuit protection valve area.

20/05/2026

We are selling PJ02 RCU / PVL284. This is a 2002 Volvo B7TL, 10.0 metres long, 14’6” high.

This survivor starts and drives, has had a fair amount of life extension work carried out and would make a nice restoration project, or could be returned to service with some work. For this reason, this is being advertised as spares or repairs.

£5k + VAT ONO - send us a message for further information

19/05/2026

This is it, for certain this time. SPV6’s final day with us. We are taking off the mirrors and saloon heaters then she needs to be taken away tomorrow.

If anybody wants the whole bus, (she still runs and drives at the minute), do let us know asap otherwise she’s on a one way trip to the dismantlers first thing in the morning. SPV7 has already been stripped and is awaiting collection.

16/05/2026

Fleet updates 🛠️⚙️🚍

MEC9 is stopped at the moment for repair and maintenance work. Regrettably this means it will not be attending the Fastrack running day today.

MCL1 - We’ve made some changes to the levelling settings to raise the ride height and lower the height when kneeling to make it almost level with the kerb. We’re renewing parts of steering and suspension systems, including wishbones, bearings and the drag link. The radiator and intercooler have been cleaned - very important task given the distances we travel for the work we do. Meanwhile, one of the alternators is being replaced to address a D+ circuit fault and overnight battery draining.

MCL5 is being temporarily reinstated. We’re replacing a number of parts to return it to service, including a sensor on the multi-circuit protection valve, alternators, a valve on the retarder ram and a sliding door motor. We expect this vehicle will be disposed of in June 2026.

SPV6 - for an end of life vehicle, it hasn’t half taken up some admin time due to the can of worms opened up by the plate cloning incident. We thank those who came forward with information and assistance. We’ve concluded our investigation to get a positive ID on the vehicle carrying the cloned plates. All that remains now is to take the mirrors off SPV6 and arrange for it to be taken to a dismantler.

VLA94 is back. The engine rebuild was a success. But further work has been needed to return it to service. An overheat fault led us to the cooling fans, where a blown fuse and disconnected alternator feed were found. This has been rectified and a 62mph road test confirmed all is good with the coolant circuit. However, we now have a policy of limiting electric fan / reduced size radiator fitted B7TLs to 50mph. This doesn’t apply to those with OEM radiators and hydraulic fans. All that remains is to flush out the coolant system and fit a new clamp to the intercooler pipe to rectify a boost leak, road test then hopefully be ready to be signed off for service. This would mark completion of our B7TL Refresh Programme for this vehicle.

DPV3 - work continues to return the B9TL to service. We’ve had a thorough look in the engine bay. We fixed some coolant leaks and ordered some new clamps, brackets and hoses which will be fitted next week. The fuel supply was restricted at the top end of each gear, requiring throttle release to change to the next gear. The consistency pointed to this being an electronically controlled effect rather than a mechanical issue. We traced this to an engine speed limiter set at 2200rpm. This is more than adequate when the kickdown is disabled, but can cause some issues if it’s not. The engine speed limit has been increased to 2400rpm.

That’s all for now!

08/05/2026

Double deck fleet update

AVW96 has been on non-revenue runs in recent weeks and is undergoing prep for a new MOT. A few bits and pieces are needed and we are hoping she will be back on the road in the near future.

We do spend lots of time on every purchase to get them to where we need them to be to perform consistently. This involves thoroughly investigating faults to get a diagnosis and resolving the issue. Recent focus has been on the Volvo B9TL, which is still in evaluation phase as its our first one.

- Misfiring, which was down to fuel feed impediments. We removed and cleaned the fuel tank, cleaned out all the fuel lines and circulated biocide, which has cured this issue.

- ‘Misfiring’ of a different kind which was impacting on the consistency of the power delivery and causing cutouts. Sometimes you can tell if a fault is mechanical or electrical through subtle observations. This time it didn’t feel mechanical. It was noted the tachograph was showing unexpected readings and the cruise control was not delivering smooth speed control. We configured the dash display to show a digital speedometer, the numbers of which were jumping around spasmodically. This led us to check the speed sensor comms and a chafed wire within a conduit was found to be the culprit. With corrective work, she is now powering smoothly.

- Boost leak. Although no lack of power as such, there are certain sounds when the engine is under load which can indicate an issue with the boost circuit. This was found to be a loose turbo pipe which was duly rectified. Boost pressure is now at optimum health.

We purchased three brand new OEM pedals. These come in two variants - with or without kickdown. These pedals are for the B9TL, PVL284 and VW1562. The B9TL’s has been road tested and it works with remarkable potency. However the kickdown function will be electronically disabled unless there is a special reason to have it working.

VLA94 will be back on the road imminently. We have had the engine repaired. Existing faults included an expired head gasket, a warped cylinder head, valves deep inside seats. The cylinder head was reconditioned, new head sets fitted. This has cured its pre-existing problems and gives it a new lease of life. Outstanding tasks include a second flush out of the coolant and running a special cleaning fluid round the system. The cooling fans also need reactivating then she will be good for service. She will be up for sale as a fit vehicle once the final work is complete.

PVL284 is also up for sale as a runner - much as we are keen on her, she is surplus to requirements and deserves a home that can dedicate time to get her back on the road. Nominal price is £5k due to the life extension work carried out, we are happy to take enquiries by private message.

Volvo Olympian 854 is being prepped for MOT, which mostly involves metalwork repair. We would like to see it on the road by the 7th August, where it’s hoped to carry out some test runs. The service fleet is top priority for engineering resource so this will be worked on as an when time permits.

A lesser mentioned member of our fleet which has a Cummins engine has also had an engine rebuild, with brand new liners, pistons, big ends, main bearings, head gasket and sump gaskets fitted. It’s also had a brand new turbo and a thermostat fitted as it curiously didn’t have one before. More will be posted in due course when it she is livened up for service.

That’s all for now.

18/04/2026

Some positive news, Volvo B9TL DPV3 operated its first trip with us this morning, covering the 0108 East Croydon to Gatwick Airport rail replacement service.

PVL284 is out of the workshop after almost 18 months - she’s had some electrical repairs and substantial corrosion repairs underneath to give it the best chance of living on. She drives well and is up for sale as is at £5k + VAT.

We’re shortly going to have some stored vehicles returning in a serviceable condition. This will mean another round of disposals as we will once again have more vehicles than we need! Mercedes Citaros MCL5 and MEC9 and Volvo B7TLs PVL284 and VLA94 are all in the list, to be sold as runners. Sensible offers are invited - we only consider scrap value offers for vehicles that are non runners with parts removed.

17/04/2026

The clearout of Cardiff continues. SPV7 was a good bus for us - we liked the refurbishment it had and it coped as well as any of the others in a demanding environment. Although allocated to the Wales division, it sometimes transferred to London to cover while MCL5 was having maintenance work carried out.

Not being ULEZ compliant, SPV7 is surplus to requirements. There was no interest in the sales market, so the decision was taken to recover components today and the remainder is to be sold to a dismantler.

We’ve retained the OEM mirrors, the Hanover displays (160x19, 96,8, 128x17) which are for sale, the saloon heaters and boost pump, the speed limit device (set to 59mph) and various other bits that we know will be needed off the shelf one day.

This leaves just VLA176 in Cardiff. She’s currently a non-runner having donated various parts to VW1562. However, she will be brought up for a final evaluation. If she can be made to run again, we are in a position to repair the engine, which is tired internally and carry out the necessary work for a return to service.

Replacement Bus Hire

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