Stagecoach East Scotland

[robertclark125]

14 ex London Dennis Tridents are at ferrymill motors for single door conversion. After the work is done, they'll be allocated to various depots throughout Fife, to replace more Volvo Olympians, some of which will be cascaded to Rennies. As St. Andrews and Dunfermline's only step entrance vehicles now are Olympians (5 and 7 respectively), there's a possibility they could be moved there en bloc.

Unlikely to be until the new year before they enter service.

 

[mbonwick]

They are to replace Olympians that will be aging out for school contract services, so will probably be spread around the place. Expect to see more on transfer soon as well.

 

[overthewater]

They are to replace Olympians that will be aging out for school contract services, so will probably be spread around the place. Expect to see more on transfer soon as well.

It seems a few are 51 plate and thus have better gear boxes, so the talk has been those one could be used for more public service. This replacing some of the old tridents to become school work only buses.

does that make since?

 

[mbonwick]

Makes sense, but I'm not aware of any gearbox differences between the older examples and the 51 plates, beyond the fact that the 51s haven't been abused around London for quite as long!

 

[overthewater]

i'll read that Some are ZF gearboxs

 

[KendalKing]

i'll read that Some are ZF gearboxs

In my experince, buses fitted with ZF gearboxes tend to be more reliable then those fitted with Allison gearboxes.

 

[robertclark125]

Been confirmed this batch, if you can call it that as they've an assortment of fleetnumbers, have ZF gearboxes. Which leads me to think some older tridents of teh X reg series could be moved to Rennies.

 

[jamieintercity]

http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797876745&k=L3KBNvN

This was taken in April this year at arbroath depot, what does the future hold of the bus on the right? Is it still owned by stagecoach and if so will it return to traffic?

How many buses from the strathtay ominbus ltd are still owned and operated by stagecoach strathtay?

 

[Volvodart]

http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797876745&k=L3KBNvN

This was taken in April this year at arbroath depot, what does the future hold of the bus on the right? Is it still owned by stagecoach and if so will it return to traffic?

http://www.taybus.co.uk/olympian919.html

 

[MIB]

14 ex London Dennis Tridents are at ferrymill motors for single door conversion. After the work is done, they'll be allocated to various depots throughout Fife, to replace more Volvo Olympians, some of which will be cascaded to Rennies. As St. Andrews and Dunfermline's only step entrance vehicles now are Olympians (5 and 7 respectively), there's a possibility they could be moved there en bloc.

Unlikely to be until the new year before they enter service.

Would I be right in thinking that the work will take a few months to complete and they will all enter traffic enmasse rather than one at a time?

Do the current olympians work in public service, if so where, or are they just for schools?

 

[robertclark125]

The current Olympians only cover in service if they're replacing a low floor bus, otherwise, I think they're restricted to schools. Indeed, Glenrothes has a fully low floor double decker fleet.

 

[MIB]

The current Olympians only cover in service if they're replacing a low floor bus, otherwise, I think they're restricted to schools. Indeed, Glenrothes has a fully low floor double decker fleet.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I will have to venture to other parts of Scotland for ollys in service during January!

 

[mbonwick]

Arbroath, Blairgowrie and Perth have Olys booked onto regular services, though possibly only at school times.
St Andrews also has one on 94M but I'm not sure if that's a schools variation.

The Tridents will enter service as and when they are ready, which will probably be about 2/3 per month.

 

[MIB]

Arbroath, Blairgowrie and Perth have Olys booked onto regular services, though possibly only at school times.
St Andrews also has one on 94M but I'm not sure if that's a schools variation.

The Tridents will enter service as and when they are ready, which will probably be about 2/3 per month.

Thanks for this further info. I have noted that ollys are allocated at places like Fort William and Kilmarnock so take those to be for schools. Perth will probably be best to base myself for a few days.

 

[mbonwick]

Killie's Olys are schools only, but those at Fort William are for service 41 and a duty on 45.

 

[robertclark125]

Stagecoach east scotland have confirmed to me, via Twitter, that the number of Tridents coming is now 15. Their allocation has not yet been decided.

 

[MIB]

Thanks for your assistance chaps but I think I'm missing something so you may have to type an explanation very slowly so I understand!

I was not amused that we lost 16228-16232 to East Scotland and now I have to suffer nonsence like 34097 and 34102 wedged out going to work as we don't have enough double decks. The only consolation is that 14000 is now out more often on schools.

Why do East Scotland need our olympians if Tridents are shortly to enter service to replace olympians. I am a little confused by this.

I guess my best hope to get Fife ollys is for big events like golf, marathon's etc but I wouldn't know down where I am!

 

[tbtc]

Thanks for your assistance chaps but I think I'm missing something so you may have to type an explanation very slowly so I understand!

I was not amused that we lost 16228-16232 to East Scotland and now I have to suffer nonsence like 34097 and 34102 wedged out going to work as we don't have enough double decks. The only consolation is that 14000 is now out more often on schools.

Why do East Scotland need our olympians if Tridents are shortly to enter service to replace olympians. I am a little confused by this.

I guess my best hope to get Fife ollys is for big events like golf, marathon's etc but I wouldn't know down where I am!

Excuse my ignorance, but who is "we"?

 

[mbonwick]

"We" appears to be Stagecoach East, Bedford depot.

East Scotland need those Olys in addition to the Tridents because they have a lot of older olys aging out for their contracts over summer.

 

[robertclark125]

And remember that Perth depot gained several school contracts from Smith and sons in August, requiring extra work.

 

[mbonwick]

Perth's contract wins have been catered for, and given the vehicles they're using, appear to have slightly more generous age requirements.

 

[MIB]

"We" appears to be Stagecoach East, Bedford depot.

East Scotland need those Olys in addition to the Tridents because they have a lot of older olys aging out for their contracts over summer.

Indeed I am referring to Bedford. Thanks for clarifying the position. I am surprised that Bedford has just lost 7 Olympians and nothing has replaced them.

 

[mbonwick]

Bedford has lost some school contracts it appears - either that or they've streamlined the duty boards.
They are a little tight for spares - 19 DDs covering a PVR of 17, but there's no reason why 16591/2 can't be used.

 

[MIB]

Bedford has lost some school contracts it appears - either that or they've streamlined the duty boards.
They are a little tight for spares - 19 DDs covering a PVR of 17, but there's no reason why 16591/2 can't be used.

Yes very tight I have seen 21164 and 34431 on school runs. My Stagecoach contact says he has not seen 16591 or 16592 on the garage but there is an olly in the yard that has not movcd for 2 months. If 591 and 592 are not in Bedford this would explain the increased use of Nessie (14000).

I guess in east Scotland the Tridents will work on golf turns in future.

 

[overthewater]

Also FIFE has strict rules on the age limits, so nothing can be 15 years and older, I think that all R regs must be gone by the summer, with only S reg in service and younger from that point. If you want to see all the School work for the Fife area you can view them here:

*Rennies: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_29882_Rennies School services.pdf

* Stagecoach Fife: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_29878_Fife School Services.pdf

* Perth: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_29880_Perth School Services.pdf

* Strathtay: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_29879_Strathtay School services.pdf

Either way there need to replace all siad buses, and I can say this there is alot of R reg stock still in use, which also see Front line service for commercial routes.

It seems Bedford is also in the same trouble as Peterborough, in not having enough double deckers, Why cant Fife send Bedford the "R" Reg, also why doest Bedford get some ex london stock?

 

[MIB]

Thanks overthewater. I thought Kent had a lot with 70 pages to their school timetables but 141?

It is interesting to read that Fife has a 15 year age limit as I have been scratching my head as to why some places get rid of olympians when I thought the deadline date was 1 January 2017 not 2013. I have not been able to understand the rush to get rid of what I consider to be very reliable buses. There were 16 ollys out in service in Hull on 12/13 October and all were taken out of service 14 October.

I just don't get why Bedford has allowed S reg olympians to depart with nothing replacing them. The last time we had snow on 11 February at least 10 olympians were pressed into service when the low floor vehicles couldn't cope with the cold. Looks to me that a repeat of that weather will see our services just get caped. I doubt whether Bedford would want R reg vehicles if they allow S reg to leave. Fenstanton sent 16056 and 16070 to Bedford in July and they lasted 2 weeks before they were withdrawn so what was that all about?

Just out of interest do Stagecoach use their fleet to provide rail replacements in Fife when there are engineering works?

 

[overthewater]

Nope. But there are used cor golf, T in the .park.

Have you asked Bedford direct why nothing has been sent to replace them?

 

[jamieintercity]

A few questions regrading the buses with the following links based at arbroath:

http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797958238&k=vPGMsP3

How many of these are allocated to arbroath and when was the last bus to operate the 73 'tayway' route


http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797963962&k=JpWj5Fd

What happened to these buses? have they moved to fife if so when?


http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797958707&k=vPzGJdG

Same question as to the first one.


http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797876745&k=L3KBNvN

I posted this a few days ago but i understand one of these have been refrubished and works in the arbroath area but which one? Is this bus still laying in amongst the rest of the 'old' buses at arbroath depot?


http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/carnoustie#!i=2172079815&k=frtjJsj

And one of the 'old' buses in my home town almost 10 years ago!!! Very surprised on how things changed espically the buses.

 

[overthewater]

http://victoryguy.smugmug.com/keyword/arbroath#!i=1797958707&k=vPzGJdG Some have gone to fife/Rennies


Just to point out you can also try: http://dundeeareabusforum.com/

 

[MIB]

Nope. But there are used cor golf, T in the .park.

Have you asked Bedford direct why nothing has been sent to replace them?

Thanks. My interest in visiting Fife now is determined by the Tridents due to enter service and the cheap ticket offers on East Coast Trains for travel in January and February to Edinburgh. The downside of that is standing around in Leven, Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline etc for several hours hoping an olympian or a B10 will work in service possibly at the coldest period of the year in Scotland. The time for hanging around patiently for the right type of bus to arrive is really a summer pastime when warmer and longer hours of daylight for photography!

I very much doubt Stagecoach East would tell me as an individual I would probably need to be in a Focus Group for that info to be divulged. The two people I know who work at Stagecoach have eluded me for the past month. Until I get to see one of them I can't ask the relevant questions.

There was a rumour in the summer that Fenstanton MAN's could be transferred over but that has not materialised as yet if there was any truth in it.