Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

[Jordan Adam]

I beg too differ

Would be helpful if one could elaborate?

 

[VioletEclipse]

Despite rumors of 679 being for preservation thats been confirmed not to be the case as its now with Skills Coaches Nottingham with 9 others

The number of Tridents remaining for preservation is getting smaller, I hope that they preserve one soon (and of course SLF Dart 64 as well)

 

[ScotRail158725]

The number of Tridents remaining for preservation is getting smaller, I hope that they preserve one soon (and of course SLF Dart 64 as well)

I reckon one of the 5 remaining in service will be preserved

 

[VioletEclipse]

I reckon one of the 5 remaining in service will be preserved

I'm kind of hoping 700 due to it's blinds.

 

[alchemy]

I'm kind of hoping 700 due to it's blinds.

There have been a lot of tridents at Inverkeithing for months
Mostly harlequin but some repaints
Are they in store?

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

There have been a lot of tridents at Inverkeithing for months
Mostly harlequin but some repaints
Are they in store?

Festival Travel own 602-605 and 618 for school contracts, I believe they are/have been withdrawn

 

[ScotRail158725]

Anyone here know anymore withdrawn Trident locations (628-700). Im keeping a record of where theyre all sold to. Excluding the ones seen at Lothian in the past few weeks and the sold ones I need to find that havent been seen at Marine/Seafield recently are 631, 634, 641, 645, 647/648, 652-655, 659, 662-664, 669, 672 & 678. If anyone can tell me where they are that would be great. Im still waiting on finding what the other 8 sold to Skills Coaches, Nottingham are

 

[OmniCity999]

I reckon one of the 5 remaining in service will be preserved

64 belongs to Artemis but is kept on Lothian Property and maintained by Lothian.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

64 belongs to Artemis but is kept on Lothian Property and maintained by Lothian.

64 is owned by Blueworks Taxis near Lake Windermere. It's the one I'm after

 

[OmniCity999]

64 is owned by Blueworks Taxis near Lake Windermere. It's the one I'm after

i thought 64 was the one Artemis converted?

 

[OmniCity999]

i thought 64 was the one Artemis converted?

Never mind, i'm thinking of 61.

 

[90019]

(yes, it's "madder" rather than "maroon", but this is another one of those little distinctions that won't matter much to normal people)

Curiously enough it isn't, and hasn't been for some time - nothing since the harlequin livery has been madder.
When they were painting buses for the new livery in 2010 they tried it, but it was deemed too drab and redone with something a bit less so (weinrot, I believe).

 

[tbtc]

Yeah, I see what you’re saying, but I’m not so interested in the subtle design differences between models (although the more subtle, the better). I don’t agree with newer vehicles having different liveries though — the age or quality of the vehicle isn’t relevant when it comes to figuring out if this is the bus you need — is it the correct company, the correct number, the correct destination. I think it’s useful to look at this from the perspective of an outsider, a tourist, who doesn’t have a working knowledge of the network. A common design language is key.

What is important is easily grouping all Lothian City Buses, and easily understanding that Lothian City Buses and Edinburgh Trams are both Transport for Edinburgh (etc) and that integrated ticketing is available.

Lothian are very good at having the correct number displayed, the correct destination shown, drivers looking very professional etc. It's been a long time since the "tramboard" days, and I can't remember ever seeing any Lothian/LRT bus with a postcard in the front window advertising the number/destination (unlike most operators!). As a company, they are great at paying attention to these little details (whereas in most big UK cities you'll probably find a First/Stagecoach bus running round with a blank screen or a postcard in the front window most days).

A tourist unfamiliar with the network will be able to spot a maroon/white bus (with the right number, the right destination etc) - I doubt they'll worry that the diagonal maroon band swooshes in a different direction on some vehicles - they are clearly identifiable as Lothian vehicles.

I could understand people being upset about the difference between the "red" and the different "green" vehicles (e.g. can someone in Portobello board a green 124 with their Lothian ticket?) but all of this worry about the difference between an upward maroon diagonal and a downward maroon diagonal seems a bit OTT.

The issue with a different livery for newer vehicles is that it gives the perception that certain areas on the networks with older vehicles are lesser. People on routes with older stock then end up asking why they should pay the same fare for a less good service. The best way to go forward is to have one standard livery and a standard style of branding, that doesn't give the perception that one is better than the other.

Given that essentially every* operator in history has had some younger vehicles and some older vehicles, so some buses with more modern features, which routes have a "less good service"? Just because their vehicles have a diagonal stripe in the other direction?

I doubt most passengers notice the different diagonals, I doubt most passengers care TBQH.

(* - other than one-man-and-his-dog operators with just a couple of vehicles etc)

Curiously enough it isn't, and hasn't been for some time - nothing since the harlequin livery has been madder.
When they were painting buses for the new livery in 2010 they tried it, but it was deemed too drab and redone with something a bit less so (weinrot, I believe).

I did not know that - thanks for explaining!

 

[OmniCity999]

Lothian 664 in Airlink livery today.

 

[OmniCity999]

Theres also a white Enviro 200MMC outside marine garage and a harlequined Gemini in seafield

 

[Jordan Adam]

Lothian 664 in Airlink livery today.

Looks really good!

 

[OmniCity999]

Looks really good!

Theres a few imperfections but I'm reliably informed it's not finished yet.

Needs its shiney wheel trims and large white fleet numbers.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Theres a few imperfections but I'm reliably informed it's not finished yet.

Needs its shiney wheel trims and large white fleet numbers.

I did notice the wheels and fleet numbers. However i just assumed it wasn't finished yet so ignored them.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Theres a few imperfections but I'm reliably informed it's not finished yet.

Needs its shiney wheel trims and large white fleet numbers.

Was 664 one of the ones to have those awful front headlights? It will look so much better once the right trims and the blue fleet numbers are added

 

[OmniCity999]

Was 664 one of the ones to have those awful front headlights? It will look so much better once the right trims and the blue fleet numbers are added

believe it was just the 53 plates that held the hella head lights units.

 

[scotrail158713]

The 113 is unreliable enough as it is without adding in a silly section at the WGH. If you put it in there it would probs put people off using it as it would be slower than the 19 and 47 up to town

Sorry for replying to this so late - I’m new to the forums so I’ve just seen this. I live near Ormiston though, and can assure you that routing it back through the WGH again would be very well received, not just in Ormiston but right along the route through East Lothian. Lots of people used the 113 specifically for the WGH and the short walk up the road from the current stop is really challenging, and would appreciate being dropped off almost at the door.

 

[VioletEclipse]

Theres also a white Enviro 200MMC outside marine garage and a harlequined Gemini in seafield

Gemini would be 701, any idea about the Enviro 200MMC? A demonstrator or something else?

 

[VioletEclipse]

Lothian 664 in Airlink livery today.

They've done a wonderful job of it! I'm excited to see what else they'll have in store for the Bus Cavalcade in July

 

[scotrail158713]

Lothian 664 in Airlink livery today.

Looks really good!

 

[VioletEclipse]

Sorry for replying to this so late - I’m new to the forums so I’ve just seen this. I live in Ormiston though, and can assure you that routing it back through the WGH again would be very well received, not just in Ormiston but right along the route through East Lothian. Lots of people used the 113 specifically for the WGH and the short walk up the road from the current stop is really challenging, and would appreciate being dropped off almost at the door.

I've also wondered why the 38 goes into the WGH on weekdays while the 113 doesn't, surely it would add only a minute to the timetable. Also I like your username, Personally my favourite train is Scotrail 158715, and there's someone else on this forum with the username Scotrail158725

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Sorry for replying to this so late - I’m new to the forums so I’ve just seen this. I live in Ormiston though, and can assure you that routing it back through the WGH again would be very well received, not just in Ormiston but right along the route through East Lothian. Lots of people used the 113 specifically for the WGH and the short walk up the road from the current stop is really challenging, and would appreciate being dropped off almost at the door.

I agree with you but the market to/from the college as well as the peak times is far bigger. From my point of view putting it into the WGH and also going to West Granton would likely put a number of people off using it. You were lucky if 5 people used the bus into the WGH. That was generally the average load. Some were empty at times, really depended on the time of day. Some 113's that come to West Granton have a good 15-20 beyond the Western, Likewise in the other direction. By putting it back in people would have the knowledge of it being slower and with the 47 being every 15 mins they'd just wait on that instead. Again commuters use the 113 rather than the already busy 19 or X47 so eventually they would pick up on it being slower and they would just going back to using the other two knowing that it'd get them home quicker.

The timetable atmo is just way too tight for it to happen as well, currently 113's normally leave West Granton 5-10 mins late just by doing the normal route down the road. Adding in the WGH and you're looking at another 2-5 mins depending on the direction of travel of course. I very much doubt that ECB would invest in adding another bus to the route

At the time I wanted it to remain going in but now I have to say putting it back into. It takes 3-4 mins tops to walk from the stops at the Westwood/Royal Victoria for those who need to use it. The 38 is there as well if you really need it also.

I actually don't think it will be too long before the 113 goes down to West Granton on a Sunday. Of course that can't happen unless there's a frequency increase. If it happens then it probably won't serve the WGH at all

 

[scotrail158713]

I actually don't think it will be too long before the 113 goes down to West Granton on a Sunday. Of course that can't happen unless there's a frequency increase. If it happens then it probably won't serve the WGH at all

I think a frequency increase on a Sunday would be a good thing. People in Ormiston and Pencaitland see the 113 as a bit of a neglected route - it goes the slow way into Edinburgh, it doesn’t seem to get the new buses, there’s no peak time express runs, £5 return to Tranent and until recently there was no night bus. (The daily frequency of the n113 has made this slightly better)

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I think a frequency increase on a Sunday would be a good thing. The people of Ormiston and Pencaitland see the 113 as a bit of a neglected route - it goes the slow way into Edinburgh, it doesn’t seem to get the new buses, there’s no peak time express runs, £5 return to Tranent and until recently there was no night bus. (The daily frequency of the n113 has made this slightly better)

Yea even if were every 30 with Singles. But I'd rather every 40 with doubles running the full route to West Granton

 

[OmniCity999]

The enviro 200mmc is said to be a demonstrator as the company are looking at midi buses for small routes, I.E the 69 and 61.

 

[scotrail158713]

Does anyone know if LB have any special arrangements for Murrayfield during the Six Nations? (i.e. the 12,26,31 etc increased frequency) I’m going to the Italy game on Saturday and am trying to work out the best way to get there. (I know that Scotrail will likely be sardines on any route to Edinburgh)