Stagecoach North West Discussion

[driver9000]

The Trident on the 755 kind of makes sense (just!) with the Lakes Link 555 also being a Trident operation but its annoying to see when there is a step entrance on a supposed low floor route.

The 2/2A was only ever advertised as a fully low floor service when the original batch appeared but it was quickly dropped when it was realised there wasnt enough spare low floors to run the 2/2A as a full low floor service. Ive not seen any recent advertising or timetables that advertise a low floor service, and now they are spreading their wings onto other routes Track seems to take a low priority in the pecking order for low floor buses especially as it runs every 10mins the probable logic is that anyone needing to use the step free facility doesnt have long to wait for another bus!

 

[pickles]

~~~~~

 

[Dallamlad]

On the SC Northwest website the 2/2a is a fully low riding service. However it is stated that a non low riding vehicle may be used if they have no other option.

I suppose as long as they balance the Tridents properly using them on the 755 and the 2/2a its OK but they wont. They'll use a Trident on the 755 an Oly some ware on the 2/2a and a few Tridents on the 40/41/42.

I'm guess the MANS are going through a painting program seeing as a few have been repainted and B10M/B's are running on the 3/4.

 

[mbonwick]

pickles, the reason SCNE are withdrawing a lot of B10Ms is because last year's order (which has just been completed) for them includeda lot of MAN A66/E200 which have effectively replaced the B10Ms and a lot of the step-entrance Darts, as well as the Enviros which have displaced the N--- LTN Volvo Olympians.

I wonder if we are next in line for some low floors. Manchester are getting their 'Old' reg 18.220s upgraded, so maybe NW might get them? However, they may move to the NE or stay in Manchester, to see off Darts in both cases.

 

[KendalKing]

The following as appeared on the VOSA website

PC0000043/271 - RIBBLE MOTOR SERVICES LTD T/A STAGECOACH IN LANCASHIRE, STAGECOACH NORTH WEST, T/A RIBBLE MOTOR SERVICES, BROADACRE HOUSE, 16-20 LOWTHER ST, CARLISLE, CA3 8DA
Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between Rose Bridge High School and Platt Bridge given service number 985 effective from 20-Apr-2009.

PC0000043/282 - RIBBLE MOTOR SERVICES LTD T/A STAGECOACH IN LANCASHIRE, STAGECOACH NORTH WEST, T/A RIBBLE MOTOR SERVICES, BROADACRE HOUSE, 16-20 LOWTHER ST, CARLISLE, CA3 8DA
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: North Scale
Finish Point: St John Fisher Catholic High School
Service Number: 967
Service Type: School or Works
Effective Date: 20-APR-2009
Other Details: School days only.

PC0001777/7 - PRESTON BUS LTD T/A PRESTON BUS, 221 DEEPDALE RD, PRESTON, PR1 6NY
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Bus Station and Gamull Lane given service number 10/11/111 effective from 06-Apr-2009. To amend Timetable.

PC0002407/91 - STAGECOACH (NORTHWEST) LTD T/A CUMBERLAND MOTOR SERVICES, SECOND FLOOR, BROADACRE HOUSE, 16-20 LOWTHER STREET, CARLISLE, CA3 8DA
Variation Accepted: Operating between Lancaster Bus Station and Halton, Lunesdale View given service number 49/50 effective from 26-Jul-2009. To amend Timetable.

PC0002407/92 - STAGECOACH (NORTHWEST) LTD T/A CUMBERLAND MOTOR SERVICES, SECOND FLOOR, BROADACRE HOUSE, 16-20 LOWTHER STREET, CARLISLE, CA3 8DA
Variation Accepted: Operating between Lancaster Bus Station and Silverdale Railway Station given service number 55/55A/55B effective from 26-Jul-2009. To amend Route and Timetable.

Nothing as yet have appeared on the SCNW website, regarding the above.

 

[Dallamlad]

20131 on the 4 this morning and a UID B10B on the 4 as well. Also MAN on the 6a.

I found out the other day that SC in Lancaster once did an open top tour of the area but it was scrapped because it was unpopular

 

[cainebj]

20765 (BNG Contract), 20768, 40001 (destination boards in windscreen for "Maryport 58") and 40445 all currently sitting on annexe.
47023 on Moorclose Circular 51.
33168 on Harrington & Seaton routes.

 

[KendalKing]

16331, 16332, & 18279 on X35's.

16662 on the 755.

 

[driver9000]

17020 looking super shiny on a 40 this evening, Im guessing it gained the LED tail lights when it was repaired after the accident last year?

I think the open-top thing was a carry over from LCT/Ribble days and it ran Heysham Village-Happy Mount Park later replaced by a Summer Sundays 3A also now gone.

 

[mbonwick]

Yep, 17020 did indeed gain LED lights after its mishap.

A B10M fitted with CCTV was on the 552 earlier, not sure which vehicle this was though. Had grey DP seats. Ideas anyone?

 

[Dallamlad]

20456 has had CCTV fitted recently or maybe 20661 as that also has CCTV.

 

[KendalKing]

A B10M fitted with CCTV was on the 552 earlier, not sure which vehicle this was though. Had grey DP seats. Ideas anyone?

The only B10M's that I saw today, were from M-VCW batch.

Tridents at Kendal, are currently being fitted with exterior cameras.

 

[Dallamlad]

Apparently Lancaster's 2 remaining B6's will be replaced by 47016/17. The two solos are been worked on for the next few weeks and are set to enter service in early May. Also 22821, 22822, 22824 and 22826 have been fitted with CCTV and the rest of the MANS are set to follow along with the Tridents.

 

[cainebj]

i wish they'd hurry up and get some solo's here!!! get sick of seeing 709D's struggling on routes! or even struggling to set off! i've had to laugh at 40001 quite a few times! seemed to jump around a bit when pulling off from a stop haha.
would be nice if they hurried up with 33169 as well! that is supposed to see off 40001!
and replacements for 16651/2/3/4 on 300!!!

when LL eventually gets these 2 solo's for service 1, it will apparently see off 40013 and 40025, but we'll see what happens :-P

 

[Dallamlad]

Well I thought 47016/17 were going up to LL but their staying here now. I assume you'll just get another two from Preston as I think Lancaster are storing quite a few or will be.

 

[driver9000]

Apparently Lancaster's 2 remaining B6's will be replaced by 47016/17.

That news will please most passengers and drivers then It makes sense to bring Solos in to replace the B6 as opposed to Darts (for now anyway) the work the B6s do doesnt really need the seating capacity of them and usually carry less than total capacity of a Solo anyway. Incidentally 47016 was the first Solo I ever drove when it was allocted to Preston...well I drove it once I worked out how to start one - all flashing buttons none of them marked 'start'

Will the B6s go for disposal/scrap or will they go into store and then on to pastures new?

 

[Dallamlad]

To be honest I don't know about the B6's but I imagine they'll be scrapped or as you say sent on maybe to replace to very old 709ds some ware but their all as bad as each other lol. Seeing as most B6's are been scrapped these days 30277/81 may go the same way.

 

[mbonwick]

Almost certainly scrap for the B6s. I don't think one has left the NW intact, they are so unreliable that as soon as one is withdrawn, it's cannibalised.

 

[Dallamlad]

Yes I think your right its very unlikely they'll survive.

Well now their gone its got to be either the Olys or the B10M's that go next. But that wont be for years lol.

 

[driver9000]

Thats always the dream! They are horrendous things and only existed because Volvo got jealous of Dennis' success with sales of the Dart and raided its bits box. I like the attempt Lancaster had at stopping them boiling over by cutting a huge National 1 style grille into the bonnet. Cant believe one has actually been preserved! I remember having a B6 replacing a B10M Expressliner on an X58 Preston-Knott End via Blackpool & M55 service - technically banned from such work but I dont argue, we got as far as the outskirts of Blackpool before the coolant had run dry and the warning pings rang! they brought Olympian 2223 to replace it I think.....

As an edit and following on from Dallamlads mention of Lancasters open top services, I found a photo of a topless Bristol VRT branded as a tour bus!

http://recollections.fotopic.net/p27161217.html

actually the whole collection is a fascinating look at the North West bus scene of the past, with much of the former companies shown now part of Stagecoach NW, there is a nice selection of LCT and Ribble both as independant and under Mr.Souters ownership

http://recollections.fotopic.net/c222714.html

 

[mbonwick]

Yes I think your right its very unlikely they'll survive.

Well now their gone its got to be either the Olys or the B10M's that go next. But that wont be for years lol.

Maybe not long for the B10Ms. Manchester, as I said before, are clearing out their remaining B10Ms to Magicbus and older 18.220s. It will be interesting to see where these end up - the NW is certainly a possibility.

 

[Dallamlad]

Well I hate to say it but I had one of the B6's on the 49 a few weeks back and it has a better ride quality then the solo I used early in the day! But that's only because it was bouncy and I agree they are god awful and should be destroyed lol in fact we should all pitch in and buy one and the drop a wrecking ball on it lol.

Also yes mbonwick your right we may see some changes up here but surely thats to good to be true lol if a majority of our B10M's got replaced that would only leave our old deckers and we'd nearly be a fully low riding depot! Never gona happen lol not for years haha

 

[driver9000]

The trouble with 18.220 as much as I like them, is that they are very big and wide (40ft long 8ft 4in wide) so they have to be careful with what routes they can go on for instance they cant get round the Ridge in Lancaster and Im pretty sure you wont get one round the Vale either. Id be interested to see where Manchesters do end up especially the Carlisle flood ones that went there after repair, I cant see Kendal gaining any judging by passenger levels and the vehicles size which would probably suit a Dart SLF but Lancaster could be a possibility with the 55/55A currently having MANs on it at certain times that way it would give Lancaster-Carnforth a fully low floor service and maybe a couple extra as 'float' buses to prevent step entrance buses appearing on low floor routes.

 

[Dallamlad]

That's a dam good idea actually. I remember reading in the paper last year that a young lady in a wheelchair had made a complaint that she couldn't get into work in Lancaster because her bus service (55/55a) was not low riding. Of course she could have just used the 555 but that's not the point lol.

Lancaster has around 11 B10M's and 4 B10Bs so we're looking at replacing 15 single decker vehicles. Surely that's quite a lot and there must be depots elsewhere that need low riding singles more then we do.

 

[driver9000]

That's a dam good idea actually.

I was due one

I remember the piece about her, I think she was from the Kellets and the recently introduced extension of the 55A was using the ragtag collection it always had I dont think her argument stood up that well as at the time nothing on the 55/55A was low floor except for the first one from Yealand in the morning which was a MAN that then went onto the 3, so it wasnt like she was suddenly losing out on a previously low floored service. Even now the 50 isnt is a low floor service and I think it will only become one when the 5 is converted as they are linked services.

 

[Dallamlad]

Well the 5/50 will only become low riding when the Olys are replaced to be fair seeing as their commonly used on this service. I would be really nice to see some more low riders in Lancaster but I dont see why they would put so much into use and not depots like Barrow or LL

 

[mbonwick]

Well the 18.240 (the 18.220 has been discontinued - it's the same chassis with an uprated engine) is more of a B10M replacement.
The 14.240 (shorter chassis) is somewhere between a Dart and a B10M.

Obviously this gives problems in that the capacity of B10Ms is needed at times, so a smaller bus wouldn't wok and conversly a bigger bus won't fit.

 

[Dallamlad]

Yeah it does prove a problem but a MAN has been on the 7 to the Vale before so maybe it can manage smaller routes. However seeing as its so wide it can't do everything.

 

[cainebj]

aye, i thought 47003 and 47004 were replacing the B6's, with 47016 and 47017 coming to Lillyhall.

we'll just have to see what happens, because theres a rumour that 47156, 47157, 47159 and 47160 are being replaced with 04 reg's from Preston. whether or not that happens, we will soon find out...hopefully.

i think it is 40651 running Workington Town Services today. i'd go up to town to check, but too much coursework to rush haha

 

[Dallamlad]

yes in which case Lancasters old solos may end up in Cumbria.