First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[richw]

It'll not be DDA compliant so gotta go by the year end!

What will it need to become DDA? Its been retro fitted with a side destination display.

 

[Busaholic]

The Marshall Dart was on the 1 (Penzance to Land's End) this afternoon.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

What will it need to become DDA? Its been retro fitted with a side destination display.

Probably more a question of the space between the front arches. I'd suspect it will probably have to go.

 

[Robertj21a]

What will it need to become DDA? Its been retro fitted with a side destination display.

Can't recall any Darts that have been made DDA compliant, just Volvo B7TL with ALX400 bodies and some B10BLEs.

 

[iantherev]

Can't recall any Darts that have been made DDA compliant, just Volvo B7TL with ALX400 bodies and some B10BLEs.

Possible with Plaxton Pointer 2s (some of Plymouths have been done) but not so with other bodywork. IiRC the Marshall Dart in question didn't have a dedicated wheelchair bay with ironing board while it was at Taunton - not sure if it's been modified subsequently.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That'll be Plymouth Citybus rather than First - not certain how much of their (First Devon) fleet is DDA ready.

 

[windnoise69]

Truroian coach reg
LT05 TRU was on Highbridge -Taunton replacement bus services... What fleet number does this carry?

Also the Greenline Coach was in use today.

 

[richw]

Truroian coach reg
LT05 TRU was on Highbridge -Taunton replacement bus services... What fleet number does this carry?

Also the Greenline Coach was in use today.

I don't think you have the reg right. I suspect it was TT05TRU. I'm on the night riviera so don't have fleet numbers to hand, but should be easier to find fleet number with correct registration

 

[windnoise69]

I don't think you have the reg right. I suspect it was TT05TRU. I'm on the night riviera so don't have fleet numbers to hand, but should be easier to find fleet number with correct registration

Thankyou; I did see the TT05 reg and thought I could of been mistaken. Thanks

 

[83G/84D]

I saw Enviro 400 33664 heading east through Holmbush (St Austell) yesterday afternoon just after 2pm with a fitter driving it.

 

[richw]

I saw Enviro 400 33664 heading east through Holmbush (St Austell) yesterday afternoon just after 2pm with a fitter driving it.

This one?
RSCN2980.JPG by camperboy24, on Flickr

 

[83G/84D]

Yes that was it! Well found, I was driving and could not stop in time and safely to take a picture. Any idea where it was going?

 

[richw]

Yes that was it! Well found, I was driving and could not stop in time and safely to take a picture. Any idea where it was going?

No idea, I saw it this morning in the "Buses in St Austell" Flickr group.

 

[Penwithian]

The Marshall Dart was on the 1 (Penzance to Land's End) this afternoon.

The Marshall Dart 41132 (P132NLW) was in Penzance on Tuessday (17th February) on route 6 to Mousehole. I think it has been asked before, but can this bus manage to squeeze through to the harbour bus stop?
Laying over in the bus station was one of the oldest Olympians 34116 (L816CFJ) which I think was going to be used on the 12:45 1 to Lands End. Optare Solo 53709 (MX59AVP) looked good with its silver livery in the winter sunshine!

 

[Busaholic]

The Marshall Dart 41132 (P132NLW) was in Penzance on Tuessday (17th February) on route 6 to Mousehole. I think it has been asked before, but can this bus manage to squeeze through to the harbour bus stop?
Laying over in the bus station was one of the oldest Olympians 34116 (L816CFJ) which I think was going to be used on the 12:45 1 to Lands End. Optare Solo 53709 (MX59AVP) looked good with its silver livery in the winter sunshine!

IMO the Marshall Dart could manage it, with a good driver. Better not to meet something coming the other way which won't back down, like happened in Marazion earlier this week! I found the the silver Solo driving up behind me in Pz yesterday: when it pulled into the Greenmarket lay-by and I was stuck at the lights I had a few seconds to observe it in my mirror and thought 'what a handsome beast' (the bus, not me).

 

[Goldfish62]

The Marshall Dart 41132 (P132NLW) was in Penzance on Tuessday (17th February) on route 6 to Mousehole. I think it has been asked before, but can this bus manage to squeeze through to the harbour bus stop?
Laying over in the bus station was one of the oldest Olympians 34116 (L816CFJ) which I think was going to be used on the 12:45 1 to Lands End. Optare Solo 53709 (MX59AVP) looked good with its silver livery in the winter sunshine!

Absolutely not! The largest buses that can get into Mousehole are the 2.3 * 7.8m Solos. The Marshall Dart is 2.4*10.1m. An 8.5m slimline Solo was tried, but got stuck. The LHS s that used to ply the route had unique slightly reduced rear overhangs to enable squeezing around the corners and they were miniature compared with the Marshall Dart.

 

[Penwithian]

IMO the Marshall Dart could manage it, with a good driver. Better not to meet something coming the other way which won't back down, like happened in Marazion earlier this week! I found the the silver Solo driving up behind me in Pz yesterday: when it pulled into the Greenmarket lay-by and I was stuck at the lights I had a few seconds to observe it in my mirror and thought 'what a handsome beast' (the bus, not me).

Lol this silver based livery I prefer to the new green scheme.
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Absolutely not! The largest buses that can get into Mousehole are the 2.3 * 7.8m Solos. The Marshall Dart is 2.4*10.1m. An 8.5m slimline Solo was tried, but got stuck. The LHS s that used to ply the route had unique slightly reduced rear overhangs to enable squeezing around the corners and they were miniature compared with the Marshall Dart.

I presume the Dart would terminate by the Coastguards Hotel. But what about potential passengers waiting at the harbour stop!

 

[Busaholic]

Lol this silver based livery I prefer to the new green scheme.
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I presume the Dart would terminate by the Coastguards Hotel. But what about potential passengers waiting at the harbour stop!

Agree with you about the silver livery, although the green is quite good too.

The Mousehole harbour passengers, probably a fair few on a lovely half-term holiday day, which it was on Tuesday, would presumably have waited in vain. With just the one Marshall Dart it should have been a no-brainer not to put it on the Mousehole route. Seem to recollect a Traffic Commissioner's Enquiry into an Arriva company following one passenger complaint of a similar nature! Arriva were found guilty, incidentally, and warned not to repeat.

 

[richw]

This shows how tight Mousehole is

First Devon & Cornwall Optare Solo YK04KWR in Mousehole 18 September 2009 by IslandYorkie, on Flickr

Not my picture.

 

[83G/84D]

Two of the regular Penzance Solo's 53504 & 53709 were parked at Camborne this morning so looks like a shortage of buses for the Mousehole route.

Strangely 53709 had a piece of paper in the windscreen for route 46!

 

[richw]

The other short Solos that used to work the Mousehole services have been operating Mevagissey to Fowey via St Austell routes recently.
I had YK04KWR a few weeks back St Austell to Fowey

 

[Goldfish62]

This shows how tight Mousehole is

First Devon & Cornwall Optare Solo YK04KWR in Mousehole 18 September 2009 by IslandYorkie, on Flickr

Not my picture.

Quite. At that point the wall of the house is literally a couple of inches off the nearside of the bus.

Despite the fact they have five buses that are able to fit into the village (for a PVR of 2), it looks like we're going back to the bad old days of a few years ago where oversized buses to Mousehole were a regular occurence, leaving people at the harbour high and dry. FK need to get their act together PDG!

 

[richw]

Quite. At that point the wall of the house is literally a couple of inches off the nearside of the bus.

Despite the fact they have five buses that are able to fit into the village (for a PVR of 2), it looks like we're going back to the bad old days of a few years ago where oversized buses to Mousehole were a regular occurence, leaving people at the harbour high and dry. FK need to get their act together PDG!

I can also see why First are using larger buses.
I travelled on it twice in the last few months- A Wednesday in mid January, and a Tuesday in early November. Both times the driver had to refuse passengers as he was at maximum standing capacity. Both were slimline Solos which I believe have a seating capacity of about 22-25 and standing capacity of approx. the same.
Due to the positioning of the front wheels on Solos I've been told they need a wider turn than a bus with front wheels a bit further back (but obviously can get tighter at the front)

 

[Goldfish62]

I can also see why First are using larger buses.
I travelled on it twice in the last few months- A Wednesday in mid January, and a Tuesday in early November. Both times the driver had to refuse passengers as he was at maximum standing capacity. Both were slimline Solos which I believe have a seating capacity of about 22-25 and standing capacity of approx. the same.
Due to the positioning of the front wheels on Solos I've been told they need a wider turn than a bus with front wheels a bit further back (but obviously can get tighter at the front)

Ideally larger buses would be used on the 6, but the fact remains that they cannot travel the whole route and are therefore not providing the registered and published service. I doubt every much that they are using larger buses due to capacity issues- more like engineering issues.

The two green Solos are smaller than the other three slimlines and I predicted capacity problems when they first put them on the route.

 

[Busaholic]

I can also see why First are using larger buses.
I travelled on it twice in the last few months- A Wednesday in mid January, and a Tuesday in early November. Both times the driver had to refuse passengers as he was at maximum standing capacity. Both were slimline Solos which I believe have a seating capacity of about 22-25 and standing capacity of approx. the same.
Due to the positioning of the front wheels on Solos I've been told they need a wider turn than a bus with front wheels a bit further back (but obviously can get tighter at the front)

If this is so, surely a return to three or even four buses an hour is called for, as used to operate when Harveys were competing with Western National.

 

[richw]

If this is so, surely a return to three or even four buses an hour is called for, as used to operate when Harveys were competing with Western National.

They haven't enough slim solos to do that. Pretty certain the other slims are required at Fowey and/or Mevagissey. Western Greyhound removed the very end bit on one of those routes after selling their slim Solos to Plymouth Citybus and having to cease use of Varios

 

[Goldfish62]

They haven't enough slim solos to do that. Pretty certain the other slims are required at Fowey and/or Mevagissey. Western Greyhound removed the very end bit on one of those routes after selling their slim Solos to Plymouth Citybus and having to cease use of Varios

I've seen the two green ones on the 6, while the silver one has been on the 11. The 11 doesn't require the smallest buses so you could increase to 3bph on the 6. Also, I believe the one 8.5m slimline can work to Fowey (but not to Mousehole).

 

[kernowbususer]

First had something on Facebook earlier this week about roadworks in Mousehole and buses turning at the Coastguard. Don't know how long that was going to be for though.

The current terminus at both Fowey and Mevagissey should be accessible with a range of Solo sized vehicles.

 

[richw]

First had something on Facebook earlier this week about roadworks in Mousehole and buses turning at the Coastguard. Don't know how long that was going to be for though.

The current terminus at both Fowey and Mevagissey should be accessible with a range of Solo sized vehicles.

Has the current terminus recently moved at one of those two? Western Greyhound had on their website they would be terminating short due to having no suitable sized vehicles for one end of the 524/525 route. Where WG are terminating outside this pub I caught down to there on a MPD Dart which just managed to turn.
WG have shut their website for a revamp so cant get the posts at the moment.

T20TVL by Rich.W., on Flickr

 

[83G/84D]

I've seen the two green ones on the 6, while the silver one has been on the 11. The 11 doesn't require the smallest buses so you could increase to 3bph on the 6. Also, I believe the one 8.5m slimline can work to Fowey (but not to Mousehole).

I disagree about the 11 not requiring smallest buses. I travelled on the 11 in December and even a Vario struggled to get around some of the housing estates in part due to parked cars.
The roads are very narrow with some tight turns in places, not ideal for a Dart of any sort imo.
I think putting anything other than a Solo on the 11 is asking for trouble. A Marshall Dart would be okay on the 16 or 17 but I was told by a driver that a bus that is on the 16 is also booked on the 6 or 11 on the same day so diagrams might have to be re-jigged.
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If this is so, surely a return to three or even four buses an hour is called for, as used to operate when Harveys were competing with Western National.

I'd love to see a Bristol LH and a Albion Nimbus again on the 6!

Both buses are still around so anyone with a bit of money could get them back for a future Penzance running Day.