Stagecoach West Scotland

[jamieintercity]

Just the Volvos - ADL ones are still due

Any update as too when the new electric buses will arrive at Kilmarnock?
Also, when will 48900-5 will enter service at Kilmarnock?

 

[Robbie01]

The new electric e200 entering service the past few days at Kilmarnock and this is freeing up the e200mmc to move to Ayr. As of this morning, 37482/3/4/5 are now in service at Ayr

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'm sure it's been mentioned but can't off the top of my head remember, what will depart Ayr as a result and where will they go?


I did a run from Dumfries to Glasgow last Tuesday on the x74. The vehicle was x Megabus, didn't catch the fleet number but is this a permanent transfer or are Dumfries having further trouble with their into decks?

 

[Scotrail314209]

I'm sure it's been mentioned but can't off the top of my head remember, what will depart Ayr as a result and where will they go?


I did a run from Dumfries to Glasgow last Tuesday on the x74. The vehicle was x Megabus, didn't catch the fleet number but is this a permanent transfer or are Dumfries having further trouble with their into decks?

Permanent transfers. A Panther, Some Elites and Levantes have transferred from East Scotland to Dumfries.

 

[cnjb8]

Permanent transfers. A Panther, Some Elites and Levantes have transferred from East Scotland to Dumfries.

I thought the Levantes went to Stranraer

 

[Blindtraveler]

I thought so too but would make sense to split them as I think they mainly work 500 and and obviously the early run and last one of the night I think comes out of Dumfries.

 

[jamieintercity]

With the sad demise of coach operator, Keenan of Ayr, has stagecoach gained any school contracts that were run by Keenan of Ayr?
Also, how many Levantes were Dumfries/Stranraer getting from East Scotland?

 

[Robbie01]

On the note of the 500 service having travelled on it on a levante from Stranraer into Dumfries and it was lovely and comfortable, I have noticed though that both Dumfries and Stranraer basically send out whatever is available, anything from coaches, to e300 to Optare solo, seems weird in a way to have a Solo one and a coach on it another

 

[Blindtraveler]

That route on a solo must be torture and I know quite a few do ride end-to-end or almost end-to-end

 

[Scotrail88]

With the EVs now on the road at Kilmarnock, I know E200 Mmcs have moved to Ayr but what has that pushed out and where to?

Any sign on the solo EVs entering service?

 

[cnjb8]

With the EVs now on the road at Kilmarnock, I know E200 Mmcs have moved to Ayr but what has that pushed out and where to?

Any sign on the solo EVs entering service?

24183-88 have transferred to Stagecoach Yorkshire.

 

[Sprinter156]

With the EVs now on the road at Kilmarnock, I know E200 Mmcs have moved to Ayr but what has that pushed out and where to?

Ayr's 12 plate enviro 200's are being phased out now but not sure where they're going.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Ayr's 12 plate enviro 200's are being phased out now but not sure where they're going.

36727-36733 to Stagecoach South.
36734-36738 to Stagecoach West.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Been some interesting fleet movements as of late.

West Scotland’s 900 allocation has temporarily moved from Kilmarnock to Cumbernauld due to staffing issues.

Over the course of this week there have been X76 branded Panoramas on the 900 and 900 branded Panoramas on the X76.

Yesterday 50419 made it all the way to Troon on an X78. That must’ve turned some heads surely?

 

[Unstoppable]

Been some interesting fleet movements as of late.

West Scotland’s 900 allocation has temporarily moved from Kilmarnock to Cumbernauld due to staffing issues.

Over the course of this week there have been X76 branded Panoramas on the 900 and 900 branded Panoramas on the X76.

Yesterday 50419 made it all the way to Troon on an X78. That must’ve turned some heads surely?

The movement of vehicles to Kilmarnock isn't down to staffing. It is down to the atrocious standard of maintenance that Cumbernauld are providing. The breakdowns on a daily basis are costing an astronomical amount of money. Same vehicles, same problems, different day. The fleet is meant to be in Kilmarnock for 6 months until Cumbernauld get their act together. It isn't economical to run the services out of Kilmarnock. There are services in the morning running dead to Edinburgh which is a long distance to travel out of service. Vanhool Astromega are banned from going south. Under no circumstance must one go south. The southbound vehicles for the M11 and M20 are now 50406* - 50412. Aberdeen depot are also allocating their vehicles to M9/M92 runs. Cumbernauld are to retain their work from Parks in the next couple of weeks which includes Glasgow Bus Station spare, 2 x Inverness runs around midday and a early morning Aberdeen service.

* Back from Volvo/Ferrymill after a year off due to accident damage but comes back with a non working destination screen, oil light on and an engine management light on. The mind boggles.

 

[Scotrail314209]

The movement of vehicles to Kilmarnock isn't down to staffing. It is down to the atrocious standard of maintenance that Cumbernauld are providing. The breakdowns on a daily basis are costing an astronomical amount of money. Same vehicles, same problems, different day. The fleet is meant to be in Kilmarnock for 6 months until Cumbernauld get their act together. It isn't economical to run the services out of Kilmarnock. There are services in the morning running dead to Edinburgh which is a long distance to travel out of service. Vanhool Astromega are banned from going south. Under no circumstance must one go south. The southbound vehicles for the M11 and M20 are now 50406* - 50412. Aberdeen depot are also allocating their vehicles to M9/M92 runs. Cumbernauld are to retain their work from Parks in the next couple of weeks which includes Glasgow Bus Station spare, 2 x Inverness runs around midday and a early morning Aberdeen service.

* Back from Volvo/Ferrymill after a year off due to accident damage but comes back with a non working destination screen, oil light on and an engine management light on. The mind boggles.

So the Megabus Vanhools can no longer run south due to maintenance? They were doing it pretty regular up until now, or was that to cover the loss of 50406?

 

[Unstoppable]

So the Megabus Vanhools can no longer run south due to maintenance? They were doing it pretty regular up until now, or was that to cover the loss of 50406?

Directors have put a ban to it since the change in fleet on Monday

 

[Scotrail314209]

Directors have put a ban to it since the change in fleet on Monday

Owch. So does this mean the Intercity services will be operated by Astromegas (mostly?)

 

[Unstoppable]

Owch. So does this mean the Intercity services will be operated by Astromegas (mostly?)

The current plan is for the Astromegas to go northbound while Panoramas only go south. There will be 2 spare Panos at all times in Cumbernauld which are only to be assigned to southbound work

 

[computerSaysNo]

Over the course of this week there have been X76 branded Panoramas on the 900 and 900 branded Panoramas on the X76.

Even though the 900 and the X76 are operated by completely different companies (from the public's perspective)?

Yesterday 50419 made it all the way to Troon on an X78. That must’ve turned some heads surely?

What is 50419?
(As an aside is there a logic to vehicle numbers for Citylink/Megabus/Stagecoach?)

The southbound vehicles for the M11 and M20 are now 50406* - 50412.

Again what are these? And what was allocated for the southbound (into England?) work before?
It doesn't help that Megabus and Citylink don't track on bustimes.org, if they did then I'd know what was normally on them!

 

[Scotrail314209]

Even though the 900 and the X76 are operated by completely different companies (from the public's perspective)?

What is 50419?
(As an aside is there a logic to vehicle numbers for Citylink/Megabus/Stagecoach?)

Again what are these? And what was allocated for the southbound (into England?) work before?
It doesn't help that Megabus and Citylink don't track on bustimes.org, if they did then I'd know what was normally on them!

50406 to 412 are the Megabus liveried Panoramas dedicated for Megabus services, usually the M20 and M11.

50413 to 419 are Citylink liveried and for the 900, complete with full branding.

The M11/M20 allocation used to be a mix of Astromegas and Panoramas.

 

[route101]

I saw a Citylink Panorama on the A4 heading into London last night.

 

[Unstoppable]

I saw a Citylink Panorama on the A4 heading into London last night.

Would have been 412. The only Citylink one in the Southbound batch

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

I’m led to believe that Stagecoach has stationed an Engineering Auditor at Cumbernauld because of there maintenance problems, can you confirm this @Unstoppable.

It’s something that’s plagued Stagecoach & First for years, I can only put this down to lack of investment in the area or lack of genuine OEM parts for example being purchased promptly which likely could be available quickly, preventative maintenance being done improperly & this of course not being kept to schedule.

The time I spent at cumbernauld maybe 1-2years ago now, the E400s are being thrashed on the M80 everyday, many of them have such oil leaks that it often can be seen dripping down the bumper at the back, Cummins + 4sp Voiths for this was useless.

The fact that very few have standardised fleets in each depot based on the service work they’d be doing speaks volumes, quite frankly, there useless in the area.

The previous ZF B9s that First used for years on the x4, x5 & x80 were brilliant for blasting up & down the M80, current great alternatives are either Scanias N250UD or Volvo B8L chassis with a longer leg 6th gear and maybe even a custom rear diff to keep the engines from stressing, the Cummins ISB engines are not great lumps.

However, the x25 & x28 are now particularly poorly used given covid, working from home and the train being available obviously from Cumbernauld, previously the coaches they used on the routes were old, but ultimately gave the service some more comfortable.

Stagecoach and a few others lack any aspiration or imagination about what they should be offering the public.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I’m led to believe that Stagecoach has stationed an Engineering Auditor at Cumbernauld because of there maintenance problems, can you confirm this @Unstoppable.

It’s something that’s plagued Stagecoach & First for years, I can only put this down to lack of investment in the area or lack of genuine OEM parts for example being purchased promptly which likely could be available quickly, preventative maintenance being done improperly & this of course not being kept to schedule.

The time I spent at cumbernauld maybe 1-2years ago now, the E400s are being thrashed on the M80 everyday, many of them have such oil leaks that it often can be seen dripping down the bumper at the back, Cummins + 4sp Voiths for this was useless.

The fact that very few have standardised fleets in each depot based on the service work they’d be doing speaks volumes, quite frankly, there useless in the area.

The previous ZF B9s that First used for years on the x4, x5 & x80 were brilliant for blasting up & down the M80, current great alternatives are either Scanias N250UD or Volvo B8L chassis with a longer leg 6th gear and maybe even a custom rear diff to keep the engines from stressing, the Cummins ISB engines are not great lumps.

However, the x25 & x28 are now particularly poorly used given covid, working from home and the train being available obviously from Cumbernauld, previously the coaches they used on the routes were old, but ultimately gave the service some more comfortable.

Stagecoach and a few others lack any aspiration or imagination about what they should be offering the public.

Perhaps moving the Panoramas to Kilmarnock may have been a good move for now then? Since Kilmarnock have had them for longer and the X76 bunch seem to be in a good state.

Granted it’s uneconomical having a long dead run into Glasgow or Edinburgh, but if it makes the services more reliable then it’s a good move.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

Perhaps moving the Panoramas to Kilmarnock may have been a good move for now then? Since Kilmarnock have had them for longer and the X76 bunch seem to be in a good state.

Granted it’s uneconomical having a long dead run into Glasgow or Edinburgh, but if it makes the services more reliable then it’s a good move.

Either way, if Stagecoach were suffering with the 900s being at Cumbernauld & that was leading to problems with missing 900s, Citylink would fill these gaps.

Stagecoach done this to save there own necks and protect money.

 

[Jordan Adam]

The time I spent at cumbernauld maybe 1-2years ago now, the E400s are being thrashed on the M80 everyday, many of them have such oil leaks that it often can be seen dripping down the bumper at the back, Cummins + 4sp Voiths for this was useless.

That sounds more like a maintenance issue rather than the vehicles themselves... Bluebird have 10526-33 from the same build batch and they manage rural/fast work no bother.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

That sounds more like a maintenance issue rather than the vehicles themselves... Bluebird have 10526-33 from the same build batch and they manage rural/fast work no bother.

Let’s assume that the Jet727’s for the past 6 years have been doing around 18miles per journey, roaring at 2000rpm, maybe more given that a few of the 16 plates at Cumbernauld can do 62mph, for around 11 of those 18 miles on the motorway, how many journeys per day? Let’s say 15 journeys on a bus board.

15 journeys x 11 miles = 165miles per day, 5 days per week excluding weekends = 825 miles per week

825miles x four 5 day weeks of the month = 3300 per month.

Over the course of the last 5-6 years on that fixed sum, 200000-250000miles blasting along the motorway for a bus clearly not created for such a task will kill it prematurely, there have already been a few of those 16 plate deckers at Cumbernauld which have had their cylinder heads removed and rebuilt.

Simply & without doubt, they are city buses.

It speaks volumes the way Scanias & Volvos seem indestructible against even comparing engines.

Even more so is the specific reason that automated manual transmissions (AMT) with their long cruise gearing assist not just fuel economy but engine longevity as well. You drive a Park's coach on the 900s vs a Stagecoach one though and there are noticeable differences in performance and cleanliness.

Personally, I now work between driving trucks and buses with a couple of agencies. There aren’t half as many problems with Tractors/rigids as they're built for motorways. Trucks are often looked after to a higher standard also in general.

Apologies for the off topic-ness

 

[Blindtraveler]

I would agree that the the e400 at Cumbernauld are simply not suited to a lot of the work they're doing

My passenger point of view, a run along the motorway on one of those it's a bit like being caught in the high speed spin cycle of a washing machine in terms of sound and Ian occasional cases suspension

 

[sannox]

The Stagecoach X34 sees some long high speed blasts with E400s too. Does it have similar struggles?