First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[richw]

So potentially another service for First Kernow in Snozzell. At this rate, they'll need a depot there...... Must get some CB shots next week when I'm down

Remind me what's appearing in Feb. I know the Jan ones - is Feb St. Agnes to Truro?

you have until Wednesday of this week to get some CB shots done.

I've lost track of what is happening now with First.
Colleagues who use WG reported the last couple of weeks everything has run perfectly to time since the take over which sounds promising.

 

[Busaholic]

The GWR-liveried Dart on the 18 this afternoon,unusually. There was a dd on the route last Sunday.

The news about Cornwall Busways was hardly unexpected. Operating on a wing and a prayer never lasts long, and when the wing gets taken away.... Talk of their superseding WG was always fanciful, if not wishful thinking. Do wonder what will now happen to their one-bus Penzance operation (route 409 to St Just via the back roads): why Cornwall Council ever allowed CB to take this over from St Just Community Transport beats me.

 

[DD12]

I visit Cornwall for coastal walks + hols, at least once a year (and have done so since 1984). FASCINATING threads (Kernow + WG) on this forum through 2014 - Thanks to everyone who has posted !
I've never had any problems with WG (but haven't been down since the spring).
I discovered the delights of Penzance and Helston this year, and the DD route between.
I am a First bus enthusiast who lives in Worcester, so Penzance bus station was very entertaining to me !
AND ... I could not believe the narrow lanes that some drivers have to drive full-size buses along ! (EG at least one journey Penzance to Lands End that I rode approaching sunset. - unfortunately this treat was spoilt by exhibitionist yobbos at the front - upstairs).

The various developments with the Cornish operators starting with the big arson attack, and reductions in remuneration from the county council, and other factors (plus rumours), could make for a fascinating book - but I think it would have to be written by someone with a degree in history in league with a police detective !

AND there is still stuff happening, (Cornwall Busways, First's new livery) and potential things as mentioned in the above posts.

I've enjoyed DD rides between Wadebridge and Launceston, and hope this will still be possible on future visits, and I hope there will be no less buses in the Padstow, Wadebridge, Port Isaac, Boscastle areas !

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone in Kernow, and save some St.Austell's HSD for me!

 

[Busaholic]

I visit Cornwall for coastal walks + hols, at least once a year (and have done so since 1984). FASCINATING threads (Kernow + WG) on this forum through 2014 - Thanks to everyone who has posted !
I've never had any problems with WG (but haven't been down since the spring).
I discovered the delights of Penzance and Helston this year, and the DD route between.
I am a First bus enthusiast who lives in Worcester, so Penzance bus station was very entertaining to me !
AND ... I could not believe the narrow lanes that some drivers have to drive full-size buses along ! (EG at least one journey Penzance to Lands End that I rode approaching sunset. - unfortunately this treat was spoilt by exhibitionist yobbos at the front - upstairs).

The various developments with the Cornish operators starting with the big arson attack, and reductions in remuneration from the county council, and other factors (plus rumours), could make for a fascinating book - but I think it would have to be written by someone with a degree in history in league with a police detective !

AND there is still stuff happening, (Cornwall Busways, First's new livery) and potential things as mentioned in the above posts.

I've enjoyed DD rides between Wadebridge and Launceston, and hope this will still be possible on future visits, and I hope there will be no less buses in the Padstow, Wadebridge, Port Isaac, Boscastle areas !

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone in Kernow, and save some St.Austell's HSD for me!

Glad you've enjoyed your trips to Cornwall - I chose to come and live here in 1988, with no previous connections. Making a living can be hard, as I know only too well, but walking my dog on the beach at Marazion about 5 o'clock, with a brilliant red sunset over Mousehole just across Mounts Bay, with St Michael's Mount seemingly within touching distance, as I did today makes it all worthwhile.

Really, we haven't fared too badly with bus cuts down here (yet!) and, as you say, you can still see lots of full-size buses squeezing down country lanes- luckily, most of them are already so battered a few more scrapes make no difference. Most of the drivers are good sorts, too.

Regarding making a good story out of it, our best two local detective writers of recent years, W.J. Burley and Janie Bolitho, both of whom I knew well enough to describe as friends, are now unfortunately dead, otherwise I might have tried to get one of them interested enough in the subject to concoct a story based on some of it, but at least one person would have to die and, happily, that has not happened in real life.

 

[richw]

The GWR-liveried Dart on the 18 this afternoon,unusually. There was a dd on the route last Sunday.

The news about Cornwall Busways was hardly unexpected. Operating on a wing and a prayer never lasts long, and when the wing gets taken away.... Talk of their superseding WG was always fanciful, if not wishful thinking. Do wonder what will now happen to their one-bus Penzance operation (route 409 to St Just via the back roads): why Cornwall Council ever allowed CB to take this over from St Just Community Transport beats me.

Cornwall Busways aren't the operator of the 409. That's summercourt travel, t/a travel Cornwall. So your wondering what will happen is easy to answer having nothing to do with CB

 

[South Westerly]

Looking at the new 27 timetable, I notice there are journeys starting/finishing at Carclaze IE. I'm assuming that this is a new outstation (apologies if this is ancient history that passed me by)? Looking at the timetables, there's 9 vehicles (4 x 24, 4 x 27, 1 x 101) but don't know if there's any input on 21.

Can anyone confirm/expand the above AND also advise if the Eden project o/s is no more?

Carclaze is close to Eden off service.
Eden is still in use as the outstation. I've heard that the next tidy up of the licence is sorting the allocations at each site. To be fair, the listed details can often be inaccurate or not what had been amended with VOSA.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Assume this is part of the shipping out of DDA compliant fleet from Devon to Cornwall (and for increased PVR), being backfilled by the very finest B6s that Bristol can release?

Also non DDA ex FHD Darts are being released at Taunton and Bridgwater to increase the Kernow fleet in the short term too, as B10BLEs start to arrive with BoS.

 

[83G/84D]

Both the remaining First Vario's were active in Penzance today as their retirement rapidly approaches. Whilst the No 6 Mousehole service is the one mostly associated with them they also operated today on service 11 Penzance town service & service 16(A) Penzance to St Ives via Gulval (16) & Halsetown.

They have also previously operated on service 10 Penzance to St Just & service 17 Penzance to St Ives via St Erth.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Carclaze is close to Eden off service.
Eden is still in use as the outstation. I've heard that the next tidy up of the licence is sorting the allocations at each site. To be fair, the listed details can often be inaccurate or not what had been amended with VOSA.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Also non DDA ex FHD Darts are being released at Taunton and Bridgwater to increase the Kernow fleet in the short term too, as B10BLEs start to arrive with BoS.

They'll need to start arriving soon....take it the first ones are just about ready at Rotherham?

 

[swifty]

They'll need to start arriving soon....take it the first ones are just about ready at Rotherham?

The 3 from Rotherham should be in Bristol for paint and retrim by now, with 10 further heading to Rotherham from Aberdeen soon.

 

[83G/84D]

Dart 42562 seen at Camborne a few days ago, previously a Plymouth based bus.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 3 from Rotherham should be in Bristol for paint and retrim by now, with 10 further heading to Rotherham from Aberdeen soon.

I'd have assumed that Rotherham were doing the paint and retrim (as per 33377-82)! Taking their time to get these done.

 

[swifty]

I'd have assumed that Rotherham were doing the paint and retrim (as per 33377-82)! Taking their time to get these done.

Wasn't it Thorntons that did the work on those?

 

[South Westerly]

They'll need to start arriving soon....take it the first ones are just about ready at Rotherham?

They are going to Bristol for MOT and potentially other work first. The ones from Bath had begun arriving before Christmas. The sequence of cascades was/is...

2 Reading Solars to FK
1 Eden Bendi replacing and ex Reading Solar on the Truro P&R at FK

3 B7RLE FK to BoS

4 B7L BoS to FSA
4 B10BLE FSA to BoS

2 Oly loan FHD to BoS

In addition to that making 5 extra at BoS, BoS had 2 to lose, and was expecting a coach from FK to release the original B10BLE on the 623 contract.

That would have given BoS 8 more, but 1 Oly and 2 EL Darts were withdrawn for scrap, so they still end up 5 over.

As far as I know that has so far released 3 of the ex FHD darts to FK
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'd have assumed that Rotherham were doing the paint and retrim (as per 33377-82)! Taking their time to get these done.

Was never any great hurry! They were taken from Aberdeen knowing that they were out of MOT
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Wasn't it Thorntons that did the work on those?

They were a mixture - 4 by one and 2 by the other but can't remember which way round it was. Possibly the first 4 at Thorntons and the last 2 at Rotherham
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The 3 from Rotherham should be in Bristol for paint and retrim by now, with 10 further heading to Rotherham from Aberdeen soon.

No more coming from Aberdeen, just the 4 or 5 in total from Bath. BoS has its post DDA fleet all lined up now without any more.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Wasn't it Thorntons that did the work on those?

Now you mention it, I think they did. Whoops!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

They are going to Bristol for MOT and potentially other work first. The ones from Bath had begun arriving before Christmas. The sequence of cascades was/is...

2 Reading Solars to FK
1 Eden Bendi replacing and ex Reading Solar on the Truro P&R at FK

3 B7RLE FK to BoS

4 B7L BoS to FSA
4 B10BLE FSA to BoS

2 Oly loan FHD to BoS

In addition to that making 5 extra at BoS, BoS had 2 to lose, and was expecting a coach from FK to release the original B10BLE on the 623 contract.

That would have given BoS 8 more, but 1 Oly and 2 EL Darts were withdrawn for scrap, so they still end up 5 over.

As far as I know that has so far released 3 of the ex FHD darts to FK
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Was never any great hurry! They were taken from Aberdeen knowing that they were out of MOT
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


They were a mixture - 4 by one and 2 by the other but can't remember which way round it was. Possibly the first 4 at Thorntons and the last 2 at Rotherham
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


No more coming from Aberdeen, just the 4 or 5 in total from Bath. BoS has its post DDA fleet all lined up now without any more.

Think Bath has 5 B10BLEs but guess it'll all be sorted. Thanks for the info.

On a complete tangent, the first round of moves saw the B6s leave Bath but 40589 caught light in Kingswood. Instead, 53805 was sent South from Bath to Bridgwater but since moved to FK and I've just bumped into it at Penzance on the 1.....a long way from Upper Weston!

 

[Busaholic]

Cornwall Busways aren't the operator of the 409. That's summercourt travel, t/a travel Cornwall. So your wondering what will happen is easy to answer having nothing to do with CB

My apologies, I thought CB were interwoven with those two.


On the Varios, saw one departing Pz bus station about an hour ago on a 16 to St Ives - if the same one as yesterday it will have been the one ending 54 in fleet no.

 

[South Westerly]

Now you mention it, I think they did. Whoops!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Think Bath has 5 B10BLEs but guess it'll all be sorted. Thanks for the info.

On a complete tangent, the first round of moves saw the B6s leave Bath but 40589 caught light in Kingswood. Instead, 53805 was sent South from Bath to Bridgwater but since moved to FK and I've just bumped into it at Penzance on the 1.....a long way from Upper Weston!

yes, Bath has 5 but BoS only has 4 B7Ls to exchange at present.

When 40589 was offered in place of the B6 it was always intended that it would end up at FK.

 

[83G/84D]

My apologies, I thought CB were interwoven with those two.


On the Varios, saw one departing Pz bus station about an hour ago on a 16 to St Ives - if the same one as yesterday it will have been the one ending 54 in fleet no.

52526 was on the 16 earlier today. I never saw 52554 in over an hour at Penzance earlier today.Solo's were exclusively on the Mousehole run and also service 11.

 

[83G/84D]

Yesterday's action from Penzance:-

 

[83G/84D]

Mousehole and elsewhere yesterday:-

 

[83G/84D]

This was a surprise in Camborne this afternoon!

Solo 53503 (YJ06 YSK) in what looked like Buses of Somerset colours with First Kernow branding:-

 

[Goldfish62]

My apologies, I thought CB were interwoven with those two.


On the Varios, saw one departing Pz bus station about an hour ago on a 16 to St Ives - if the same one as yesterday it will have been the one ending 54 in fleet no.

Yes, that's been on the 16 all day. Yesterday its sister was on the 6, quite possibly for the last time ever as today there were two Solos on the route, including the silver one.

Here's a photo from yesterday.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes, that's been on the 16 all day. Yesterday its sister was on the 6, quite possibly for the last time ever as today there were two Solos on the route, including the silver one.

Here's a photo from yesterday.

Darn, missed them today and even had a spin down to Mousehole on 53826 and yes, 53709 was the other 6!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This was a surprise in Camborne this afternoon!

Solo 53503 (YJ06 YSK) in what looked like Buses of Somerset colours with First Kernow branding:-

Is that the new livery for FK (pending a new brand and logo with a common livery with BoS) or is that the full rebrand (surely not)?

 

[richw]

This was a surprise in Camborne this afternoon!

Solo 53503 (YJ06 YSK) in what looked like Buses of Somerset colours with First Kernow branding:-

Fal River Buses' Dart in the background as well.

 

[ryson357]

Fal River Buses' Dart in the background as well.

Has First bought the dart? What registration plate did it have?

 

[richw]

Has First bought the dart? What registration plate did it have?

I don't know- its a S reg non DDA. The Fal River Tridents were there last week but now back behind Truro station

edit - S723KNV

 

[ryson357]

I don't know- its a S reg non DDA. The Fal River Tridents were there last week but now back behind Truro station

Oh right thanks anyway, wonder how many Solos have been bought?

 

[fgwrich]

I don't know- its a S reg non DDA. The Fal River Tridents were there last week but now back behind Truro station

Are there many other places in Cornwall that can do MOT work? Wondering if that could be the reason.

 

[richw]

Are there many other places in Cornwall that can do MOT work? Wondering if that could be the reason.

I've just done a search for nearest PSV test stations to my Redruth postcode.

Scania at Treleigh industrial, and Driveline at Par, and a couple at Launceston are the only results, so may be an explanation that First are doing the MOT.

 

[83G/84D]

Darn, missed them today and even had a spin down to Mousehole on 53826 and yes, 53709 was the other 6!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Is that the new livery for FK (pending a new brand and logo with a common livery with BoS) or is that the full rebrand (surely not)?

Both Vario's were in use on Monday on a mix of services (6,11 & 16) whilst today the 6 was covered by 2 Solo's for all or part of the day. 52526 was the only Vario I saw today and it was on the 16. A Solo was on the 11 today.

Not sure what the livery situation is, I thought future repaints would be the same as carried by Solo's 53402 - 53404 or as per 53709.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Fal River Buses' Dart in the background as well.

The Fal River Dart has been present since before Christmas.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

yes, Bath has 5 but BoS only has 4 B7Ls to exchange at present.

When 40589 was offered in place of the B6 it was always intended that it would end up at FK.

Indeed, I was suggesting that moving the B7Ls was the main issue and it's not like FSA don't have other B10BLEs!!

Once 53805 left FSA, it made sense for Kernow to be its destination; surprised it hung around but I guess it was an unexpected thing to deal with. Quite odd to see it. Also interesting to see 34050 - one of my former steeds when I lived in East Bristol and looking better than its 18 years might suggest