Stagecoach North West Discussion

[Dallamlad]

For the Dart

"This bus is ex-Stagecoach, thus has been well looked after."

[please insert any jokes here]!
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17021 repainted at Frenchwood and with 16184 are both classed as 'stored' at Frenchwood.
16624 is the latest chorley bus to be holidaying at Frenchwood. 16640 appears to have returned.
47493 is still in Walace and Gromit livery, even though it was meant to have been transferred to Fleetwood and repainted months ago. Looks to be long term VOR. Fleetwood have 25225 in use as one of the buses on the 86/89s this week, although sees use on the 84s too.
52629 has unfortunatly fallen victim to accident damage while parked in the depot. Done more miles being shunted around there in the last few months that any sort of service work. They don't seem in a rush to get it repaired either.

Guessing 17021 and 16184 are in storage awaiting the new services in September? Why they need a Trident I don't know...

 

[cainebj]

Guessing 17021 and 16184 are in storage awaiting the new services in September? Why they need a Trident I don't know...

a lot of the services having extended journeys to and from the college are low floor routes, so they're getting in low floor buses where available. obviously, there isn't enough spare low floors around at minute, so step entrances will have to go in until low floors are available.

 

[Dallamlad]

a lot of the services having extended journeys to and from the college are low floor routes, so they're getting in low floor buses where available. obviously, there isn't enough spare low floors around at minute, so step entrances will have to go in until low floors are available.

Yes of course lol thats obvious now I think about it!

Any hints on the October Preston service changes....?

 

[Dave The Bus]

16624 is the latest chorley bus to be holidaying at Frenchwood. 16640 appears to have returned.

?? 16624, and yes 16640 has returned.. was on 125's today covering for Scanias on routine maintainence things, better to get them all done in the holidays

And a couple of odd sightings, ex Stagecoach Fife Oly's 16347/8 (i hope i got that right, its been over 24 hours since i saw them) were going out of Preston via London Rd with trade plates at about 2.35pm yesterday

And was i seeing things or did i nearly crash into 21007 on the 40/41's in Preston tonight, he was driving in as i reversed out..

And any Stagecoach employee who has a chance to read the minutes of the last 'big meeting' would be wise to! Especially the bit underneath the paragraph regarding fleeces made out of recycled rubber tyres!!!

 

[K777DAO]

47006 on Short X5 run, running "Not in Service" through siddick at roughly 21:15... I'm told it shouldn't have been showing anything other than it's destination until it hits Workington Town Centre!! tut tut....

47060 on Night 30's ... Still making all the odd noises it was while on 56/57/57A Yesterday!!!

 

[Dallamlad]

?? 16624, and yes 16640 has returned.. was on 125's today covering for Scanias on routine maintainence things, better to get them all done in the holidays

And a couple of odd sightings, ex Stagecoach Fife Oly's 16347/8 (i hope i got that right, its been over 24 hours since i saw them) were going out of Preston via London Rd with trade plates at about 2.35pm yesterday

And was i seeing things or did i nearly crash into 21007 on the 40/41's in Preston tonight, he was driving in as i reversed out..

And any Stagecoach employee who has a chance to read the minutes of the last 'big meeting' would be wise to! Especially the bit underneath the paragraph regarding fleeces made out of recycled rubber tyres!!!

Yep 21007 was indeed on a Preston, spotted it myself when it got to Lancaster

Also do you mean 16847/48, the ex M reg Olys from Fife?

 

[andy 37]

the Millom services (m1 m2 and m3) will be Solo operated. there's 23 Solo's in Barrow now, and only 18 needed on Network Barrow town services.
i understand that a few 709D's will still be required in Barrow after the service changes. a cut down X7 service will still be in existance (often see's 40028 ). a few 709D routes are still going to be around, but with a cut-down timetable.

Staceys Coaches have taken over contracts for route 71 and 101 in Carlisle.
Reays Coaches have taken over the contract for route 95.
Caldew Coaches have taken over the contract for the wednesday only 620 shopper service.
i believe the Stagecoach operated journeys on the 680 will be operated by Wright Bros., who already operate the non-Stagecoach journeys.

I think Telfords of Newcasleton have won the 680 contract

 

[daikilo]

I hope SC drive them into the ground. Not good about the job losses

I do hope SC is researching current travellers to determine what are the values they consider would determine their choice of a future supplier e.g. latest possible departure time, free coffee, free coffee juice and toast with marmalade, pick-up at the door, seats with recline, a driver who knows them by name and where they live ..etc.

Sorry, the Sellafield part of this thread appealled to me for its context, been there, done that experience, for BR (British Rail for the youngsters).

I am a total supporter of staff members working with management to find ways to win. Did that with my first employer at union (TSSA) request and have been doing that for the last 30yrs with my current employer. We are now well established as world number one. It requires humility, listening, and never ending attention to detail. The customer decides in our favour.

 

[Dallamlad]

Right folks, off to the Isle of Arran again for a week, be in the land of SC Western which should be good! Back in a week!!!

 

[robertclark125]

Out of interest, these firms that have won the contracts, what would the county council say if Stagecoach was to, say 18 months later, buy one of them out? Happened ehre in Fife, in 1998 Allisons of Dunfermline won contracts from Stagecoach, only 18 months later, in February 2000, for Stagecoach Fife to buy out Allisons.

 

[daikilo]

I hope SC drive them into the ground. Not good about the job losses

I do hope SC is researching current travellers to determine what are the values they consider would determine their choice of a future supplier e.g. latest possible departure time, free coffee, free coffee juice and toast with marmalade, pick-up at the door, seats with recline, a driver who knows them by name and where they live ..etc.

Sorry, the Sellafield part of this thread appealled to me for its context, been there, done that experience, for BR (British Rail for the youngsters).

I am a total supporter of staff members working with management to find ways to win.

 

[Gez.SCNW]

Yep 21007 was indeed on a Preston, spotted it myself when it got to Lancaster

Driven by "The Beer Monster" ETM had failed on the inbound B10M from Morecambe and I didn't have a spare available, couldn;yt get the ETM off 21007 so I had to swap buses, BM made it back to the Gillow for 1945 where we have just exited
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Right folks, off to the Isle of Arran again for a week, be in the land of SC Western which should be good! Back in a week!!!

Say hello to Mr Roberts, who should already be up there, and if you pop down the depot say hello to Steve Brodie, if he is still there , not heard from him for a while

 

[Dave The Bus]

Yep 21007 was indeed on a Preston, spotted it myself when it got to Lancaster

Also do you mean 16847/48, the ex M reg Olys from Fife?

Yup, thought it was..

and i did say 16847/8 .. honest.. someone must have come along and rubbed out side of the 8 to make it look like a 3 ...

i know it's a cliché, but i had actually slept since i saw them..

 

[andy 37]

Carlisle depot today

Paint shop - 17018 (finnished with Lancashire on the side) - 20474 (Cumbria) - 34473T

Body Shop - 34679 - 34688

Deckers parked up

14202 - 14232 - 14235 - 14247 - 14254 - 14265 - 14268 - 16330 - 16343 - 16351 - 16353 16355 - 16734 - 16870

other buses - 42091 - 42093 - 42094 - 42577 - 42584 - 52027 - 52057 - 52291 - 52408 - 52409 and a few B10s and Citi darts

 

[Chris26584]

?? 16624, and yes 16640 has returned.. was on 125's today covering for Scanias on routine maintainence things, better to get them all done in the holidays

And a couple of odd sightings, ex Stagecoach Fife Oly's 16347/8 (i hope i got that right, its been over 24 hours since i saw them) were going out of Preston via London Rd with trade plates at about 2.35pm yesterday

And was i seeing things or did i nearly crash into 21007 on the 40/41's in Preston tonight, he was driving in as i reversed out..

And any Stagecoach employee who has a chance to read the minutes of the last 'big meeting' would be wise to! Especially the bit underneath the paragraph regarding fleeces made out of recycled rubber tyres!!!

Yes Dave, hit the 2 instead of the 3...oops! 16634 was on 68's today, 16669 on 9's, so we could do with 17021 in service as soon as. 16184 was also on 9's today and later a 68 (with a terrible lean to the o/s). 16624 is of course down south.
33164 (I think, was still too dark) has made it as far as Preston and was parked in 33144's old spot at the depot this morning... you never know it might make it onto ebay too!
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a lot of the services having extended journeys to and from the college are low floor routes, so they're getting in low floor buses where available. obviously, there isn't enough spare low floors around at minute, so step entrances will have to go in until low floors are available.

The only route that would probably need a low floor is the 68C, as it should be run by low floors, although anything goes at the moment. Preston in theory have lost 4 low floor Darts in the past few weeks (33143,4 and the 2 which are covering the 86/89 at Fleetwood) and with maintenance, this is having the effect we can see above, so expect to see 17021 more in normal service than college runs.
The 59C and 61C can make do with regular double deckers. It will be interesting to see if members of the public bother with these, depending on how they are timetabled. As previously mentioned I very much doubt they'll serve the city centre/bus station as at that time of day it would course too greater delay to the service. Going off the 68 dupe that runs between St Annes and Blackpool, that was almost entirely used by students and timed just infront of the regular bus.

 

[jonesy3001]

Carlisle depot today

Paint shop - 17018 (finnished with Lancashire on the side) - 20474 (Cumbria) - 34473T

Body Shop - 34679 - 34688

Deckers parked up

14202 - 14232 - 14235 - 14247 - 14254 - 14265 - 14268 - 16330 - 16343 - 16351 - 16353 16355 - 16734 - 16870

other buses - 42091 - 42093 - 42094 - 42577 - 42584 - 52027 - 52057 - 52291 - 52408 - 52409 and a few B10s and Citi darts

What does they T at the end of 34473?

 

[Chris26584]

What does they T at the end of 34473?

I think its to do with the Carlisle floods as salvaged vehicles, probably a admin thing and was applied when they re-entered service at Gilmoss.
34579 used to carry the same sort of thing, but this disapeared with a repaint.
http://markamis.fotopic.net/p26311521.html

 

[cainebj]

I've been out in Keswick areas today.
16329 and 16393 both out on Seatoller. both had quite a bit of dark grey smoke pouring out of them! it seems the drivers are really missing their Leyland Titans! a 3 speed Volvo Oly with high ratio's isn't really the best bus at all for that route! they seemed to be doing large amounts of the route in 1st! 16393 worked the 1840 X5 to Penrith from Keswick.
both Solo Slimline's on Buttermere's.
Osprey bus out and about, doing almost 70 on a dual carriageway (i thought buses without seatbelts had to be limnited to 55mph, with seatbelted buses at 62mph?). it picked up the speed really well like!
42090 on Caldbeck Ramblers.
all 4 Profile's on X4 and X5.
18158 on X8.
only seen 3 Tridents on standard 555's.
20195 on X58, sounding great!
20904 running 40 mins late on 554.

in Workington:
20903 on Moorclose 51 this morning.
an UID B10M with flip dot in old style formatting, on Seaton.
20473 on 30 and 31. 22610 was on with a non-opt rear LED.
47006 on 48's.
20934 on 53. paper stuck to windscreen with "53" on, with a board with just "Workington". i think 20934 was one of the many flip dot ones that didn't recieve the updated formatting, putting side and rear displays to use, which had 53 programmed in with it.

 

[Mattdw92]

47006 did Workington evening services

 

[rosswatson]

Last night:

16652 on 301 at around 10-ish.
53338 did the short X5 to Keswick which runs dead back to the depot. Should be an 08reg Solo.

This Morning:

FMP on Maryport 30.
FMU on Town Services.
16651 on 301 to Carlisle.

 

[Cumberland Lad]

...........................

 

[rosswatson]

No, a B7 is allocated to the 2215 X5 service on Saturdays only.

My mistake. Never seen it on a Saturday!

 

[Dallamlad]

Afternoon folks!

It turns out I have access to the internet so looks like I wont be out of the loop after all!!!

For those who are interested here are some snaps of local SC vehicles on the Isle of Arran. Some are similar to those you may have seen last time I was here but I have a few of 16864, the open top shuttle bus in rather nice purple livery

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38241862@N04/

 

[Cumberland Lad]

.............................

 

[cainebj]

20436 was the 2nd bus on 301.
47616 was sat in bus station at 1835-ish, normally does an SL Ltd run i think.
47007 was sat at back of the bus station around 1500ish.

 

[TheHovisKid]

15679 on the 2a, passing the Battery towards Lancaster at 7ish

 

[jonesy3001]

15679 on the 2a, passing the Battery towards Lancaster at 7ish

I wonder who dropped a bollock putting a scania on track??

 

[TheHovisKid]

Had a bit of a clunking sound about it from somewhere near the front too- poorly one maybe?

 

[Dallamlad]

15679 on the 2a, passing the Battery towards Lancaster at 7ish

Hope this doesn't become a regular occurrence lol although you can see why they weren't branded!!!

 

[Mattdw92]

Work will start this week on replacing the roof over Workington Bus Station. Look out for further details on temporary stand changes. (if any)

Would be nice for them to replace the old clock that used to hang from the roof supports, while they are up there