First Greater Glasgow

[158715]

I still see loads of them on the 57 and 57A.

Noticed the 267 has a fair few B9TLs on it. Is that where the B9TLs are spending there last days.

Yes, there are some at Blantyre (7 going by bustimes) and I have seen them quite a lot on the 267 recently. They're also common on the 21. The majority are at Caledonia.

 

[Busman84]

The 21 now appears to be all E400MMCs. The 18 still seeing the odd B9 but not so many left at all across fleet.

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Any big repairs and long waits for parts will see any B9 go off fleet and to scrap. 37272,73 are best of these at Blantyre.

 

[Joerf21]

The 21 now appears to be all E400MMCs. The 18 still seeing the odd B9 but not so many left at all across fleet.

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Any big repairs and long waits for parts will see any B9 go off fleet and to scrap. 37272,73 are best of these at Blantyre.

Sad times ahead

 

[Busman84]

Also the only buses left that don’t have active door interlocks. So it’s also the end of old style driving where you could open doors without handbrake on and get away from a stop without delay. The lowheight Enviro 400s were also this way but software activated door interlocks around 2013/14 and they have remained this way since then. So nearly at stage the full fleet has these interlocks.
One thing is there ain’t a bus about now that can beat a Gemini for its build quality and quality of materials.

 

[Whiteway215]

A bit of an obscure question but some good person on here might know.

When all those dual door Tridents came up from London most or all were converted to single door. Did any of them run in service in Glasgow still with the two door layout?

 

[Metal Mickey]

A bit of an obscure question but some good person on here might know.

When all those dual door Tridents came up from London most or all were converted to single door. Did any of them run in service in Glasgow still with the two door layout?

Unfortunately, yes. A number of the T registered Presidents and W registered ALX400s entered service with the centre exit but most were eventually removed and re-panelled.

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One thing is there ain’t a bus about now that can beat a Gemini for its build quality and quality of materials.

Always thought they were vastly superior to the Volvo B7TLs that they succeeded.

 

[route101]

Unfortunately, yes. A number of the T registered Presidents and W registered ALX400s entered service with the centre exit but most were eventually removed and re-panelled.

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Always thought they were vastly superior to the Volvo B7TLs that they succeeded.

Might just be me but it felt that the B7TLs were heavier and smoother.

 

[Busman84]

Earlier B7TLs from 99/2000 up until 2005 had nice suspension. The 2006/07 models had different setup. Some setup’s could make them feel a lot more harsh. The B9TLs I’m sure changes to suspension again (correct me if wrong). Most were fine.

 

[Ewan M]

Don’t suppose anyone know what the plans are for the ex-Kernow Optares?

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Don’t suppose anyone know what the plans are for the ex-Kernow Optares?

Scotstoun for Clydebank locals

 

[Ewan M]

Scotstoun for Clydebank locals

They’ll be quite the improvement over the current StreetLites

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Unfortunately, yes. A number of the T registered Presidents and W registered ALX400s entered service with the centre exit but most were eventually removed and re-panelled.

Oh memories of travelling on the T plates awful awful buses.

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38600 has returned to South Yorkshire. Quite disappointed by this one as it was a good bus. Rumour it could possibly be a short term thing and that it will possibly return.

It would be good to see an order of new ADL E400EVs for Glasgow but looks like we’re getting Wright repowers to replace the B9TLs instead.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Oh memories of travelling on the T plates awful awful buses.

Was that because of the seats with the minimal padding? Some of them headed down to Somerset and they were ok aside from that. There was one that had been reseated and was quite nice; naturally, that one hit a low bridge!!

The ALXs were also ok but the ones I remember in Bristol featured the shonky centre door conversion so the bulkheads were still in situ, IIRC

Repowers on the lesser routes probably make more financial sense

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Was that because of the seats with the minimal padding? Some of them headed down to Somerset and they were ok aside from that. There was one that had been reseated and was quite nice; naturally, that one hit a low bridge!!

The ALXs were also ok but the ones I remember in Bristol featured the shonky centre door conversion so the bulkheads were still in situ, IIRC

Repowers on the lesser routes probably make more financial sense

The T and V plates if I remember correctly had padded seats but they were unrefurbished and filthy. The dashboards were lit up like Christmas trees. They entered service not long before Glasgow’s heavy snow in 2010. They did not cope well with this at all.

I remember them decimating Parkhead routes which had previously been treated to modern singles. The X/Y/51/02 reg stock had the hard seats similar to that of the B10BLEs and B7Ls but I’m sure they entered service refurbished. Some X plates ran with dual door if I recall

 

[route101]

The T and V plates had very little seating downstairs but the W reg ones had comfier seats. When did the last Trident/President run in Glasgow? I know the 31 was one of the last routes.

 

[Metal Mickey]

The W-plate ALXs had very hard seats but their capacity was higher than the Presidents and some of them ended their lives at Larbert and Bristol/Badgerline.

The 53-plates which were some of the first vehicles to be presented in the two-tone purple livery after being used at The London Olympics in 2012 were vastly superior and, dare I say it, just as good if not better than the Volvo B7TLs.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The W-plate ALXs had very hard seats but their capacity was higher than the Presidents and some of them ended their lives at Larbert and Bristol/Badgerline.

The 53-plates which were some of the first vehicles to be presented in the two-tone purple livery after being used at The London Olympics in 2012 were vastly superior and, dare I say it, just as good if not better than the Volvo B7TLs.

One of the V reg machines (albeit one that went direct from London to the South West) was sold into preservation but think it was one of those ones that someone had the money to buy it but not the long term funds.

The W reg ALXs that I remember were a bit grim; this photo from Scott White shows the bulkheads still in situ and those awful First spec seats of the period. Seem to remember that these were generally very scruffy inside and out.


The Presidents were a bit better (photo from Dracom) IMO and I didn't find them too bad. Of course, that moquette was really prone to fading.



I remember a trip on 32843 across Somerset which again was quite a nice machine though it still had Scottish ads (IIRC) internally. Think that was written off not long afterwards in an RTA.

One thing, already mentioned, was the low capacity of the Presidents. I might be wrong but the top deck was 39, and the lower deck was 24, or 22 if they hadn't removed the bulkheads?

 

[JumpinTrainz]

I hope with the acquisition of RATP Dev Transit London - we don’t end up in a similar position one day with London’s unrefurbished cast offs!

I was never a fan of any of the tridents. Parkhead Depot ended up flooded with them. It’s nice to see things have improved in recent years with new EVs.

 

[158715]

Repower 71033 was being hooked up to an M8 Recovery vehicle yesterday lunchtime on West George Street at West Nile Street. It looks as if it's back in service today though.

 

[Whiteway215]

I hope with the acquisition of RATP Dev Transit London - we don’t end up in a similar position one day with London’s unrefurbished cast offs!

I was never a fan of any of the tridents. Parkhead Depot ended up flooded with them. It’s nice to see things have improved in recent years with new EVs.

I thought the same about cascades from London. But when you look at the London fleet list it shows a lot of their deckers are Alexander Dennis E40H and shedloads of Volvo B5LH. I can’t see cascades of hybrids being very practical.

 

[Metal Mickey]

I thought the same about cascades from London. But when you look at the London fleet list it shows a lot of their deckers are Alexander Dennis E40H and shedloads of Volvo B5LH. I can’t see cascades of hybrids being very practical.

I don’t know what they would replace. There’s only 40 Geminis remaining and most of them are being replaced by repowers, the low height E400s are needed for the 6 so the next oldest deckers are 65 and 66 plate E400MMCs and I can’t see them being replaced by similarly aged or older vehicles.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I thought the same about cascades from London. But when you look at the London fleet list it shows a lot of their deckers are Alexander Dennis E40H and shedloads of Volvo B5LH. I can’t see cascades of hybrids being very practical.

The other consideration is how much of the fleet is leased rather than owned. Once upon a time, we would see many ex London deckers being farmed out to the provinces, not just by First but also Arriva and Stagecoach (and Go Ahead to a lesser extent). That is a lot less prevalent now, and it is Go Ahead who are most likely to cascade.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

The other consideration is how much of the fleet is leased rather than owned. Once upon a time, we would see many ex London deckers being farmed out to the provinces, not just by First but also Arriva and Stagecoach (and Go Ahead to a lesser extent). That is a lot less prevalent now, and it is Go Ahead who are most likely to cascade.

Interestingly, do we know how much of the First Glasgow fleet is leased? I know Lanarkshire lost some E200MMCs a few years back. I wonder if any of the E400EVs or E200EVs are leased.

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I don’t know what they would replace. There’s only 40 Geminis remaining and most of them are being replaced by repowers, the low height E400s are needed for the 6 so the next oldest deckers are 65 and 66 plate E400MMCs and I can’t see them being replaced by similarly aged or older vehicles.

Modern buses are often cascaded to other areas from Glasgow and replaced with new buses. I’m not saying it’s going to happen but there’s every chance the rest of the 65 E400MMCs could join their sisters down South and would be replaced with new electrics.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Interestingly, do we know how much of the First Glasgow fleet is leased? I know Lanarkshire lost some E200MMCs a few years back. I wonder if any of the E400EVs or E200EVs are leased.

Given the nature of the funding and the challenges of resale, I suspect that the EVs aren't leased but the batteries might be!

 

[camro]

The withdrawn of First Kernow operations could mean that Scotstoun get the rest of their Solos. Five is not enough to replace all the Streetlites Scotstoun have right now, and similarly the old Enviro200s in Overtown need to go.

 

[route101]

Are the repowers a stop gap? I gather they are around a decade old.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Are the repowers a stop gap? I gather they are around a decade old.

No they've basically been given a new life

 

[route101]

No they've basically been given a new life

Certainly introduced with no fan fare.

 

[Whiteway215]

Are the repowers a stop gap? I gather they are around a decade old.

How many repowers are expected?

 

[Volvodart]

How many repowers are expected?

According to the latest accounts, 29 in total.

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Certainly introduced with no fan fare.

They have spent nearly £6 million on them if the price stated at the repowers introduction is still current, so you would expect at some time notification will be made.