McGill’s Midland Bluebird

[sannox]

There used to be competition on the Denny-Stirling corridor until covid so probably justified.

 

[Bus9120UK]

An image on Flickr of (unbranded) 8930 in Big bus livery, for those who are interested: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59225456@N05/54507559838/in/dateposted/

 

[Flange Squeal]

An image on Flickr of (unbranded) 8930 in Big bus livery, for those who are interested: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59225456@N05/54507559838/in/dateposted/

Thanks for sharing this. I'd been keeping an eye out for pictures of the other vehicle mentioned earlier in this thread, but so far to no avail. It's interesting to see Big Bus expanding its brand in the UK, which contrasts with the City Sightseeing name having been lost in quite a few locations over the years, but even in just the last few withdrawn from Cardiff and RATP dropping the association in favour of Tootbus in Bath (although Norwich's loss was admittedly due to the franchise holder passing away and First's go at it last year using an in-house City Clipper name). Will be interesting to see the brown/cream/gold vehicles of Big Bus Tours roaming the streets alongside the competitor's not too dissimilarly coloured madder/white/gold service buses!

 

[ScotsRail]

New Yutong E12s 5087, 5088, 5089 and 5091 are out on their first day of service today, on service 1.

Was on one on Monday, very nice apart from the interior destination sign telling us we were on the N555 (or somesuch) to Walton on Thames!!

 

[CSB0241]

X36’s can go into Denny half full and leave standing, so yes. it is needed

Oh wow, very well then.

An image on Flickr of (unbranded) 8930 in Big bus livery, for those who are interested: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59225456@N05/54507559838/in/dateposted/

Interesting stuff, curious as to what the future of both tours holds.

Was on one on Monday, very nice apart from the interior destination sign telling us we were on the N555 (or somesuch) to Walton on Thames!!

Crikey, & I thought my 1 to Maddiston on Friday saying it was a 391 to Dollar Academy was bad.

 

[smsm1]

Whilst at Gourock dining pool and Highland games I noticed what appears to be two McGills open top tour buses. One without branding the other with the Edinburgh tour branding.

 

[Stan Drews]

The one with Bright Bus Tours branding is 2905, which is on loan to cover the Local Highlights Tour, which runs on days when cruise ships are in at Greenock. The red one is likely to be Trident 9325 (T508SSG) which was working in connection with the Highland Games.

 

[smsm1]

I'm on a new electric 1 and the on board announcements are correct.

Several delays due to driver training even on a Sunday.

 

[overthewater]

Is the The Trossachs Explorer coming back this year? I think it, needs to stay as it would help combat the traffic levels in the area.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Is the The Trossachs Explorer coming back this year? I think if need to stay at it to help combat the traffic levels.

No mention of it anywhere.

 

[Stan Drews]

The Trossachs Explorer wasn’t a commercial service, so it will be up to the National Park Board to decide what happens to it.

Was a complete waste of time last year and cost almost £20 per passenger in subsidy, …so will almost certainly come back this year!

 

[318266]

Was a complete waste of time last year and cost almost £20 per passenger in subsidy, …so will almost certainly come back this year!

It should be a surprise to nobody that a small bus which you have to wait on in either Callander or Aberfoyle from your connecting service from Stirling or Glasgow isn't attractive to somebody wanting to go to the Trossachs, who is either a rambler (who wouldn't mind the walk) or someone with the car to drive anyway (who would get there much quicker).

 

[smsm1]

I thought about using the Trossachs explorer however for Camelon it would be a change in either Stirling or Glasgow to get to it, so quite a trek. Sundays really not viable due to the infrequent buses, especially with kids.

 

[Stan Drews]

It should be a surprise to nobody that a small bus which you have to wait on in either Callander or Aberfoyle from your connecting service from Stirling or Glasgow isn't attractive to somebody wanting to go to the Trossachs, who is either a rambler (who wouldn't mind the walk) or someone with the car to drive anyway (who would get there much quicker).

It sounds like you’re looking for personal taxis for everyone, so that nobody has to wait anywhere for a bus. Why don’t you get in touch with the National Park Board and see if they’d support something like that?
I gather it will return this summer but with a different operator, so perhaps no through tickets with the X10/X10A/59 this year anyway.

 

[318266]

It sounds like you’re looking for personal taxis for everyone, so that nobody has to wait anywhere for a bus. Why don’t you get in touch with the National Park Board and see if they’d support something like that?

If they can afford a £20/pax subsidy (and somehow consider that a success), they could probably afford even the most flamboyant of my sarcastic ideals!

 

[Stan Drews]

If they can afford a £20/pax subsidy (and somehow consider that a success), they could probably afford even the most flamboyant of my sarcastic ideals!

Definitely. Go for it!

 

[ScotRail158725]

With the recent influx of new Yutong single deckers and some xplore B7RLEs are there any buses leaving the fleet ?

 

[Bluebirdscot66]

With the recent influx of new Yutong single deckers and some xplore B7RLEs are there any buses leaving the fleet ?

Seems like 2230 , 2236 ,2238 and 2303 are parked up in larbert. Can't say for certain if they are off the fleet though .

 

[computerSaysNo]

Has 0466 (SN65 OJT, Streetlite) had its engine replaced? It sounds nothing like a normal Streetlite.

 

[Stan Drews]

Seems like 2230 , 2236 ,2238 and 2303 are parked up in larbert. Can't say for certain if they are off the fleet though .

They are in the reserve fleet now along with 0408 & 0429, although don’t think the Streetlites have much chance of seeing further use!

Another nine former First buses have recently gone to Clyde Metals for scrap. They are Volvo B7RLEs 2240, 2241, 2250, 2254, 2267 and 2270-3.
A further 2 similar buses have also gone to Ensign, which are 2289 and 2300.

Finally, E200s 8024/5 have moved from Larbert to Bannockburn, and Mercedes Sprinter 0111 has moved west to Johnstone depot.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

They are in the reserve fleet now along with 0408 & 0429, although don’t think the Streetlites have much chance of seeing further use!

Another nine former First buses have recently gone to Clyde Metals for scrap. They are Volvo B7RLEs 2240, 2241, 2250, 2254, 2267 and 2270-3.
A further 2 similar buses have also gone to Ensign, which are 2289 and 2300.

Finally, E200s 8024/5 have moved from Larbert to Bannockburn, and Mercedes Sprinter 0111 has moved west to Johnstone depot.

I was surprised at the move of 0111 when I first noticed it. I thought this might have stayed for the F1.

Can’t be much mothballed First stuff left now?

 

[ScotRail158725]

Another nine former First buses have recently gone to Clyde Metals for scrap. They are Volvo B7RLEs 2240, 2241, 2250, 2254, 2267 and 2270-3.
A further 2 similar buses have also gone to Ensign, which are 2289 and 2300.

Rattling through the mass stock at Livi finally i see. What RLE is 2250?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2025 ==

Can’t be much mothballed First stuff left now?

Think theres still quite a few RLEs and solars at Livingston

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Rattling through the mass stock at Livi finally i see. What RLE is 2250?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2025 ==


Think theres still quite a few RLEs and solars at Livingston

Thanks. That one was SF06HAU.

 

[Stan Drews]

I was surprised at the move of 0111 when I first noticed it. I thought this might have stayed for the F1.

Can’t be much mothballed First stuff left now?

0111 was required at Johnstone for a new emergency SPT contract to replace a withdrawn Shuttle Buses route, which required something small. Whilst the F1 doesn’t require much in the way of capacity, the route can be worked by Streetlite/E200 size buses.

 

[Observer]

0111 was required at Johnstone for a new emergency SPT contract to replace a withdrawn Shuttle Buses route, which required something small. Whilst the F1 doesn’t require much in the way of capacity, the route can be worked by Streetlite/E200 size buses.

What about moving 0480 over from Bannockburn for the F1? Seeing how 0481 is usually the regular allocation for the F25.

Also of note, timetable for the 66 is here. https://passenger-line-assets.s3.eu...llsse/MBLB/66-timetable-20250526-a1539d17.pdf

Something different from previous services that operated in the past is that it is doing a one-way loop in Denny heading to Stirling.

 

[smsm1]

I'm surprised the 66 isn't going via the high school and new link road to provide a service for the new housing that's gone in. The are bus stop bays for a bus service bus nothing using them.

 

[overthewater]

There not much around that road is there? There is two bus stops on the Glasgow road where people from the new housing estate can get the 66. If there was a demand you could divert the 66 along the short stretch to the first roundabout, thats about it.

 

[Observer]

I'm surprised the 66 isn't going via the high school and new link road to provide a service for the new housing that's gone in. The are bus stop bays for a bus service bus nothing using them.

Those bus stops were put in place for future proofing (complete with non standard bus stop signs) as eventually that road will be full of new housing. Only then might you get buses as most of it is currently just land!

Can't see the 66 ever going through there for timing reasons though, it would likely be the 1 or 8 that does it some day. Provided that those services will still exist by then!

 

[smsm1]

If we are to get people out of cars, we need public transport to be provided early when new housing is built rather than leaving it to some point in the future.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

If we are to get people out of cars, we need public transport to be provided early when new housing is built rather than leaving it to some point in the future.

Would likely require a subsidy from the housing builder to make it worth the operators while. No business would ever just willingly take on losses.