The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Traction Co. LTD, was born in the year 2000, as a consequence, the former name for Wellglade’s low budget operation, Blue Apple was wiped away from the streets of the Midlands.
Notts and Derby operate a variety of vehicles, which includes Mercedes Vario’s, Optare Excel’s, Volvo Citybuses, Leyland Olympian’s, Dennis Darts, Optare bodied Dennis Lances, And in vast amount, Volvo NC Paladin’s.

Notts and Derby have dramatically gone up in the world since Blue Apple days, with low floor buses beginning to make their entrances.
Derby College Excel 153 (P153 CTV)
Notts and Derby liveried Excel 152, (P152 CTV)
Have both entered service in the past year.
And, Meteor Centre Park and Ride Excel V202 ENU.
Notts and Derby have also won numerous contracts: schools work,
The 35 which has to be low floor, usually 152
The 73. to Westorn on Trent.
The D1 Park and Ride, which has a Branded Excel (V202 ENU)
Shopper free buses
Schools work off Arriva, hence the reason for the Arriva liveried Citybuses with Notts and Derby names.
The firm has also made a success of routes such as the 17, 17a and EX.

Next, the conventional livery that Notts and Derby use is the blue base, white middle and green along the top coming down to meet the white.
However N+D tend to operate with a variety of liveries;
Arriva
Former X38 liveried Merc
And even Blue Apple.
Certain vehicles are liveried for Unibus services, of which N+D are proud to hold:
Paladin’s 102 – 107 (L102/3/4/5/6/7 LRA)
Lances 363 – 370 (N363/4/5/6/7/8/9/70 VRC)
Olympian 723 C723 NNN
They operate a very tight network during term time, and a part time service during holidays. When it isn’t school term, then these vehicles tend to stray on to TB services, including TP, RA and even SLF routes, as a consequence, lots of Trent Barton’s services have to be free, following TB’s SLF or free promise, which started in January 2006.

Notts and Derby have done well with the EX route, which is doing well in competition with the Tram! People have said that they prefer the EX to Nottingham from the Hucknall estates, at the peak times, as opposed to standing up on a packed tram! I can’t blame them; the EX gets a good variety.

Notts and Derby caused a bit of controversy when they took over the Borrowash Flyer, previously operated by Trent, in late 2005. They named it the X17 (they like the number 17!) and used a step entrance bus, mainly Mercedes Vario 299, T299 LCH. So as a consequence, the route has been relegated from an SLF Dart, to high floor step entrance Merc, as someone quoted: “definitely a step backwards for N+D” However, in N+D’s favour, they have made the route a success, and its still going strong today.
Two other LF buses go through Borrowash, the 4, and 5. The vehicle used, 299, however, has no destination blind, and was painted incorrectly.

Supermarket free services:
Like most operators that operate Supermarket free services, Notts and Derby brand up the vehicles:
Tesco Extra Paladin, 110 L110 LRA
Olympian 717 C717 LTO is branded for Asda.
L117 LRA, 117, is branded for Asda.

Derby College services:
Recently, Notts and Derby won some Derby College Contracts, from Dunn Line holdings, and is operated by 2 nicely branded vehicles:

Paladin: 121 L121 LRA
And… 153 Excel, mentioned above.

Duplication Services:
Notts and Derby duplicate the V3, evening and run it as the 3. to Willington.
The TP used to be run as well, from Matlock to Derby, with a Notts and Derby bus.
Recent Rainbow 3 Shuttle services.

I hope you found this information interesting, and useful
© Perry James Jest, 20th August 2006