Carousel Buses (Go-Ahead group)

[AlastairFraser]

To be fair if Reading Buses really want to push back on Carousel the best attack would probably be to extend the aqau to High Wycombe atleast during rush hour.

I'd say an extension to Wallingford via Henley College would be better for RB.
You'd get a fair few college passengers off Carousel and the railway, the A4130 is much less congested Nettlebed - Wallingford and a faster road compared to the A4155.

In addition, you can provide new links up Gravel Hill out of Henley to Greys Court and a regular bus service through Highmoor to Nettlebed then Wallingford.
Wallingford is right in the heart of classic Thames Travel territory, and Thames Travel has been Go Ahead for a while.

Anyway, for what it's worth, I think Go Ahead and Reading Buses should cooperate, they have plenty of mutual interests.

 

[RELL6L]

Strange today on the 850 as virtually all the double deckers have disappeared from the route, except a couple on Henley shorts. None on Readings today and from about 12.00 yesterday most deckers on Reading runs were swapped with singles at High Wycombe onto other routes. Today the 32 has several along with the 1 group while E200s, Citaros, Streetlites etc are on the 850. Neither of the smart Streetdecks painted in the Riversider livery (80671 and 80672) have been out today. I wonder if a problem has been identified, perhaps around Wargrave, where there are buildings encroaching on the narrow road?

 

[duncombec]

Strange today on the 850 as virtually all the double deckers have disappeared from the route, except a couple on Henley shorts. None on Readings today and from about 12.00 yesterday most deckers on Reading runs were swapped with singles at High Wycombe onto other routes. Today the 32 has several along with the 1 group while E200s, Citaros, Streetlites etc are on the 850. Neither of the smart Streetdecks painted in the Riversider livery (80671 and 80672) have been out today. I wonder if a problem has been identified, perhaps around Wargrave, where there are buildings encroaching on the narrow road?

I don't know this area to comment, but the one thing that does appear to have become a problem recently is trees - branches that were "high" have "drooped", and are now under windscreen level.

If there are any low-ish trees on the route, they may have become too low.

 

[Mollman]

I don't know this area to comment, but the one thing that does appear to have become a problem recently is trees - branches that were "high" have "drooped", and are now under windscreen level.

If there are any low-ish trees on the route, they may have become too low.

There are a few routes such around the country that have suffered the same issue, due to the weather trees are drooping causing damage to deckers.

 

[Jamiescott1]

The 850 is being rebranded as "850 riverside". The timetables at all the stops have been updated to reflect this and I've seen 1 double decker painted as 850 riverside.
Maybe the other double deckers are in the process of being rebranded too.

 

[Mgameing123]

The 850 is being rebranded as "850 riverside". The timetables at all the stops have been updated to reflect this and I've seen 1 double decker painted as 850 riverside.
Maybe the other double deckers are in the process of being rebranded too.

They should’ve called it Regatta 850 (if you know you know).

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

They should’ve called it Regatta 850 (if you know you know).

Perhaps objections from a budget outdoor apparel company?

 

[Mark L]

Perhaps objections from a budget outdoor apparel company?

It was branded as the X80 Regatta for a while from 2016.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It was branded as the X80 Regatta for a while from 2016.

Tongue was firmly in cheek

 

[RELL6L]

Strange today on the 850 as virtually all the double deckers have disappeared from the route, except a couple on Henley shorts. None on Readings today and from about 12.00 yesterday most deckers on Reading runs were swapped with singles at High Wycombe onto other routes. Today the 32 has several along with the 1 group while E200s, Citaros, Streetlites etc are on the 850. Neither of the smart Streetdecks painted in the Riversider livery (80671 and 80672) have been out today. I wonder if a problem has been identified, perhaps around Wargrave, where there are buildings encroaching on the narrow road?

This persisted for two or three weeks then the double deckers started working through to Reading again. By Wednesday this week every single board on the 850 (there are 11) was run by a double decker including all of the Streetdecks that were out. Then the last two Reading journeys were single deckers and yesterday, Thursday, all Reading journeys were single deckers again! Just three deckers out on three of the Henley short boards (the fourth one starts with a Reading run). Today - nearly all deckers again - very odd. Wycombe locals busy with deckers yesterday and school term services now starting to run including new 623 and 631. But just seen the 624 and 625 and not a soul on them, I assume Henley College term hasn't started yet!

The Scania deckers appear to be getting withdrawn whenever anything goes wrong with them, they are now down to 15 of the original 24, but Carousel have nine Streetdecks from the range 80671-80680 of which four are in Riversider colours. The Citaros from Go Ahead London are also trickling into service all smartly repainted and seem to be used mainly on the 103. One of the Volvo B7RLEs has been scrapped but 09-plate Citaro 80883 soldiers on.

 

[Mark J]

Whatever happened to Arriva's beyond knackered fleet of Mercedes Benz buses that used to be used on the old 800/850 route.

To keep on topic, Carousel are doing a far better job than Arriva ever did. It is just a shame they decided to get rid of the 'Any 5 Day' tickets.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Whatever happened to Arriva's beyond knackered fleet of Mercedes Benz buses that used to be used on the old 800/850 route.

A couple still going at Tunbridge Wells, some trainers, some scrapped

 

[Mark J]

A couple still going at Tunbridge Wells, some trainers, some scrapped

You're joking!

Those Buses were ready for the scrapheap by the time Arriva pulled out of operations.

Can remember being on one that leaked badly during wet weather, rendering many seats unusable.

Surprised some are still in use.

 

[Mgameing123]

You're joking!

Those Buses were ready for the scrapheap by the time Arriva pulled out of operations.

Can remember being on one that leaked badly during wet weather, rendering many seats unusable.

Surprised some are still in use.

It's Arriva. UK bus operators in general love to run their buses to the ground. The fact that Aylesbury is still using buses from 2001 is insane.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

You're joking!

Those Buses were ready for the scrapheap by the time Arriva pulled out of operations.

Can remember being on one that leaked badly during wet weather, rendering many seats unusable.

Surprised some are still in use.

There were a mix of 58, 59 and 12 plates. Remember that some were withdrawn when Wycombe closed and sold for scrap so it may be that only the best ones were retained and the worst ones (like you experienced) went to the scrappys.

 

[RELL6L]

There were a mix of 58, 59 and 12 plates. Remember that some were withdrawn when Wycombe closed and sold for scrap so it may be that only the best ones were retained and the worst ones (like you experienced) went to the scrappys.

Most of them were 12-plate including the two now at Tunbridge Wells which have joined two other 12-plate ones which have, I think, been there since new. Tunbridge Wells has done very well in recent years keeping superannuated vehicles on the road, the last 51-plate Volvo B7TL went not long ago and there are plenty of double deckers there older than these Citaros.

At Carousel the mainstay vehicles on the 850 post-Arriva have been 09- and 10-plate Scania double deckers and 61-plate Volvo B7RLEs, so older than the Arriva Citaros they replaced. Much better maintained and presented though. These are fading away and 66-plate Streetdecks appear to be in the majority most of the time. But yesterday afternoon all the Reading workings went back to single deckers and today is a mixture.