As a slight change to the normal this week we have a guest blogger, forum member H101GEV, who has kindly written and taken photographs for this weeks blog about Speke’s new Geminis! A bit thank you to H101GEV for offering to do this, my usual blog post will return next week! – buses7675

Eight of Arriva Speke’s new VDL DB300/Wright Gemini 2s went into revenue-earning service for the first time on Monday 10/10/11 working the 82 route. A total of 44 of these double deckers have been ordered for the 79 and 82 routes serving the south side of Liverpool.

Those in use on the day were 4435 MX61 AUT, 4436 MX61 AUU, 4440 MX61 AYS, 4441 MX61 AYT, 4442 MX61 AYU, 4444 MX61 AYC, 4445 MX61 AYD and 4446 MX61 AYE.

4442 MX61 AYU stands in the layover area at Speke Morrisons, the terminus for Arriva’s route 82.

4444 MX61 AYC is joined by DAF DB250/Alexander ALX400 4026 in Speke. The remaining 11 route 82 workings were covered by a mixture of these, Volvo B7TLs and the oldest double deckers left in the Speke fleet, the Volvo Olympians.

An interior view of 4442’s upper deck. The seating capacity is 70 in total, with 41 seats upstairs and 29 downstairs. The seats themselves lack headrests, thus matching Bootle’s Enviros and most of the Pulsars introduced to Liverpool’s roads over the last three years. The choice of decor is identical to the new Pulsars at Green Lane Stoneycroft and Southport with grey vinyl floors and cream handrails. Seats are trimmed with current moquette with chequered blue pattern.

Old and new: ageing Volvo Olympian 3332 R322 WVR rests next to a brand new Gemini which will eventually see the former’s withdrawal from Speke. This is a scene which will quickly become obsolete as the Olympians leave for pastures new in the coming weeks.

Finally, here’s a night view showing 4440 MX61 AYS and ACE Travel’s Optare Solo MX06 BSU parked up at Speke Morrisons. The Solo will work an 81 service to Bootle Strand, with ACE Travel now responsible for evening services on this route. Note the marker lights extending across the bodyside of the Gemini.

The “new” smell is very evident on the Gemini’s, stronger even than the recent Pulsar deliveries. They are pleasant buses to ride with bright interiors and are an obvious improvement upon the previously single-decked 79 and the widely varied collection of double deckers which have operated along the 82 corridor in recent years.

They seem be settling in well, with all eight having made appearances each day this week and no observed failures. A new era for many bus passengers in south Liverpool has begun. – H101GEV.

To see my own photos from this week along with many other recent ones I have uploaded please view my Flickr page! A blog with these photos and hopefully more over the weekend will be posted next week! A big thank you again to H101GEV for providing this update!