I noticed that, yes it is. Nine VR's will be impressive if they all make it, but only one Bristol LH & one RE.
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First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)
- Thread starter RPI
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I noticed that, yes it is. Nine VR's will be impressive if they all make it, but only one Bristol LH & one RE.
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Birdbrain
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I was hoping for MUO328F or an LH to mousehole. Will be a good day none the less.
Goldfish62
Veteran Member
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Same here.
Penwithian
Member
Saw for the first time ex Leicester Volvo B7TL 32097 (KP51WCY) this morning in Pendeen on the 10 to Penzance where it will then changes to 17 to St Ives. I only saw the rear of the bus but it looked very clean and tidy!
Volvo B7L 61594 that arrived at Camborne from Glasgow on a back of a lorry was finally moved for repairs ahead of a return to service, a couple of days ago. Olympian 34196 was towed in on Thursday and is VOR as is Dart 42430 which hasn't moved for about a week.
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Accelerator59
Member
I saw this bus on the 18 leaving Redruth on Friday
South Westerly
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It wasn't on a lorry because it had broken down - that's just the way it was delivered from Glasgow.
Thanks, it still needs work to get it into service though!
I had a ride on the First Hampshire service 9 earlier today from Fareham to Gosport. It was a nearly new Optare Solo. First impressions were good with no rattles (despite some poor condition roads) and a smooth ride with no jerky gear changes that the Streetlites suffer from.
The seats were comfortable and the interior was light and pleasing. So much better imo than a Streetlite but probably more expensive to buy?
The 9 runs round the housing estates of Gosport and the Solo's are ideal for this with enough room for everyone on my trip and manoeuvrable enough to get past awkwardly parked cars.
Also had a ride on the 10 which runs between the two same points albeit via a different route and it was operated by an almost empty Volvo B7TL (based at Southampton?).
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Hoeford depot, who run both those services, acquired 3 B7TLs to run a contract service for portsmouth uni. The service is now finished but I'm not sure if they'll go back to southampton. Glad you enjoyed the Solo's, some of them would he ideal for Portsmouth routes. Slightly off topic but the 9 used to be a mix of dart SLFs and B10Bles, so quite a change in size.
I enjoyed the ride on the Solo more than I enjoyed events at Fratton Park on Monday!
The best team deservedly won.
And yet the online comments for the local rag were still calling for the managers head! I hope you're enjoying your stay in the sunny solent area! If you get a chance, the Eclipse and star routes are worthy of a ride if you're into riding buses for the sake of it.
I travelled back to the Westcountry yesterday afternoon / evening. First have really put a lot of new buses into the area, Southampton, Gosport and Fareham all have new vehicles operating. I did see a few Dart's but only in Portsmouth with most routes operating Volvo B7RLE's, Streetlites & new Solo's.
Such a change in the last 12 months.
Such a change in the last 12 months.
Ah, I'm glad you didn't take the sun with you then! Indeed a massive investment in the area, but there are still a fair few darts and B10Bles around. The FHD site below is excellent for fleetlists and explanations.
http://www.freewebs.com/firstprovincial/
Anyway, enough of this Hampshire dribble, back to Kernow!
http://www.freewebs.com/firstprovincial/
Anyway, enough of this Hampshire dribble, back to Kernow!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
True but the FHD experience is one of what happens in the new Giles-era First. Freedom to innovate and investment where practicable. In the old regime, places like Weymouth saw few new vehicles (some new B6s in 1999 with part funded deckers and a lone Solar in 2004/8 for the X53) - fast forward to now and two batches of Streetlites plus a batch of Solos.
I've always said it's a little soon to think of new vehicles for Kernow - despite 63097 appearing, IMO it'll be next year before anything that shape appears for Kernow. It was always a case of stabilisation, then modest growth (though the protracted collapse of WG changed the landscape) before real investment can begin.
In the meantime, it'll be some modest fleet updating to achieve DDA compliance with the single decks plus some weeding out of the worst Olympians as a) some will be suffering some chassis issues and b) begin an orderly transition to full DDA compliance.
South Westerly
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As I've already written, the First new vehicle deliveries for April 15 to March 16 are all pretty solid, and none are due to First South West and therefore Kernow.
There will be a big cull of Olympians though, with plenty of low floor deckers joining the fleet sooner rather than later, although the continuing increases in workload mean more deckers are required still, and the next DDA deadline may actually mean that deckers are used to replace non DDA low floor single deckers, until a 'grand plan' for upgrading the Kernow fleet takes effect from 2016.
What is clear is that the hired Ensignbus single deckers are not all long term additions to the fleet. 4 were heading to Essex today, 2 MPDs and 2 Solos. All but possibly a small few are expected to go shortly buses start to arrive from BoS from the weekend coming. In addition the new Citaros for the Truro ark and Ride are due in May and will allow four buses to be released into the main fleet.
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TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Yep, I was saying some time (before last year's orders were announced) that I didn't see anything new arriving til past 2015. Appreciate that you've confirmed that recently though.
Interesting that the current P&R fleet (incl. Citaros) will remain. Also, haven't some of the ex WG fleet is going (and haven't some not even seen service?).
The ex WG vehicles are the hire ins from ensignbus in the post you quoted. WG sold them to ensign to raise funds about a week before they went bust, ensign then leased them back to WG. On WG demise first hired them as short term cover from ensign as they were the easiest buses to hire, already being in cornwall with no operations, just for the short period whilst they bring in their own vehicles.
First own the Scania's and the bendy on the P&R, cornwall council own the citaros. The four scanias will move across to normal service- most likely the 14/18 with their two former Reading fleet mates.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Understood the position on the ex WG fleet and their ownership by Ensign - it was more about the fact that AFAIK some then didn't see service with First.
However, thanks for clarity on P&R fleet. I'd forgotten they had so many Solars hence my question about the Citaros.
Penwithian
Member
Most of the First Hampshire & Dorset (Solent) fleet is less than 3 years old. All of the blue Star route Streetlites carry names of Royal Navy ships. My father lives in the area and photographs buses as well. If anyone is interested I have photos of most (if not all) of the Portsmouth Hilsea/Hoeford based buses which I can get professionally printed for sale, including a leased Solo from Weymouth which was on loan last summer.
Whilst there are a plethora of streetlites to say "most" of the fleet is less than 3 years old is a stretch. There are still plenty of old beaten up buses running round Fareham and Pompey. Even the Park and Ride only seemd to have 2 branded deckers on it on Saturday with the rest being older deckers and a single decker(!). Very poor and as usual not exacly running to the timetable.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
To be fair, whilst the poster did say "most" and I'm going to check to see if 50.1% are that age, it's probably right to say that the transformation at FHD has been pronounced. Yes, there's a few superannuated Darts and a number of B10BLEs (though in not bad nick considering their age) but nonetheless, quite a move from where they were in 2012.
Back to Kernow, I guess my earlier statement perhaps needed a bit more clarification. The restoration of First Kernow back to health has necessitated a lot of management time and effort, I would guess, and was always going to be a slog from the sins of the past. I've said in the past that eventually, FK might get some new fleet for routes like the 14/18 but not until the financial position is improved and stabilised (which is common sense). Of course, some would naturally espouse getting in new fleet as a "vote of confidence" or "what would Stagecoach do" - I've not subscribed to that view. Whilst some may now point at WG's demise and therefore think new buses should be drafted in, as SW points out, business cases will have been established months ago and vehicles allocated.
However, First have allocated new fleet to previously neglected backwaters (e.g. Weymouth, Great Yarmouth) and I don't doubt it will happen. I just don't expect anything to change (e.g. some diversion of new or nearly new machines) and that's just my view. SW's information (which is clearly credible and detailed) provides more definite word on that and other areas.
Back to Kernow, I guess my earlier statement perhaps needed a bit more clarification. The restoration of First Kernow back to health has necessitated a lot of management time and effort, I would guess, and was always going to be a slog from the sins of the past. I've said in the past that eventually, FK might get some new fleet for routes like the 14/18 but not until the financial position is improved and stabilised (which is common sense). Of course, some would naturally espouse getting in new fleet as a "vote of confidence" or "what would Stagecoach do" - I've not subscribed to that view. Whilst some may now point at WG's demise and therefore think new buses should be drafted in, as SW points out, business cases will have been established months ago and vehicles allocated.
However, First have allocated new fleet to previously neglected backwaters (e.g. Weymouth, Great Yarmouth) and I don't doubt it will happen. I just don't expect anything to change (e.g. some diversion of new or nearly new machines) and that's just my view. SW's information (which is clearly credible and detailed) provides more definite word on that and other areas.
South Westerly
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...the 4 Scanias are owned by First (they bought all 6 from Reading after having the 4 P&R ones on hire for a while), the 2 Citaros by Cornwall Council. The PVR for the P&R goes up for the new site being built, so I think there are 5 new Citaros coming, plus the 2 existing ones that will be refurbished. The bendi will return to Eden operations, the Scanias will all move into the main bus fleet.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Thanks for that clarification; we can rely on you to provide accurate info, and those developments are certainly interesting.
As I said earlier, I'd forgotten that they'd got that many Solars from Reading in the first place. Makes sense for those to join the other two that then joined later - will the 14/18 be their home alongside B7RLEs?
FK is fast becoming the most colourful and most varied of fleets
A driver told me at least one of them turned up untaxed and no mot despite seeing service to the end. Unsure of the accuracy of that information though.
WG's demise may potentially damage the finances. I don't imagine those routes will suddenly start turning a profit.
I'd get bored if all the fleet suddenly becomes brand new. I'm quite happy with the aged variety.
At the current frequency I am not sure 7 vehicles will be enough. The current site and frequency requires 4 vehicles with those buses needing 100% use.
The new site will need 3 vehicles.
Having 7 vehicles will leave none spare for maintenance & repairs.
I would expect them to be mainly on the 14/18. I'm told they are very popular amongst drivers on the 14/18.
Indeed. They're good vehicles, always a pleasure to get some of the Reading Examples and actually a shame that they left us. But they're getting a good stretch out on the 14/18s though!