Stagecoach North West Discussion

[Dallamlad]

Yeah 17016 is an open topper. Lookjed great!!!

20786 was on a Dallam School Special today. Is this a Barrow Vehicle?

 

[mbonwick]

20786 is/was Barrow, yes. I seem to remember a while back someone mentioned that they'd seen a Barrow vehicle on a Kendal service, can't remember if it was 20786 though. Probably came via a straight foreward swap.

 

[pickles]

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[mbonwick]

I think that was what we summised last time! It can't be easy for Barrow trying to keep all those old vehicles running.

 

[pickles]

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[mbonwick]

I would actually say that is in their favour, it's better for engines to be on load for long periods of time rather than constand stop-starting.

If the reliabilty they achieved at Kendal is maintained, they will be more than fine.

Just for an idea as to how far buses cover, the 55 reg Tridents Kendal has already have 550,000 miles on the clock! You have to bear in mind though, that 100,000 miles is to a PSV as 10,000mi is to a car.
So in car terms they have 55,000mi on the clock

 

[pickles]

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[driver9000]

17016 is OT, yes.
If it has no road tax, it is illegal, therefore both of you are right in your own way. I also suspect that it might have something to do with the PSV operators licence.

Yes, Ive just re-read what I wrote I blame 6 weeks of lates for my lack of sense

It could have been going to Milnthorpe for recertification and MoT testing before taxing for the summer season. the Operators licence being missing doesnt mean it needs trade plates just stops it being used on public services.

Saw a 17xxx Trident with LT blinds on the 55 yesterday - unusually with the top blind showing the service number and intermediate points! today 17019 was heading past Branksome estate 'dead' to take up a 41 - top blind already set for the number.

 

[Dallamlad]

Oh yeah right of course testing. I said trade plates but I meant those red and while plates thye put on the back. Not sure what to call them lol.

Nothing special happening in Lancaster recently so all pretty steady. My GF spotted a group of 6 newish SC double deckers heading North on the M6 this morning. She was about 40 mins out of Birmingham so no idea where they were going or where they came from.

 

[K768 DAO]

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[mbonwick]

They are trade plates, and they mean that a vehicle can be driven by a company employee without vaild road tax or registration plates (eg. driving 09 plate vehicles before 1st March)

6 Newish deckers...umm...couldn't have been moving from Manchester as that's above Brummie...no idea tbh.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It's taken them long enough to get around to 16340...it's been in store for over a year!

 

[Dallamlad]

Yes I thought that were trades but wasn't sure lol. I'm not sure about those deckers at all but I doubt their anything to do with us anyway lol.

 

[K768 DAO]

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[driver9000]

There was a low loader lorry heading north on the M6 at the back of the university carrying unbodied bus chassis possibly Volvos or Dennis frames heading to Falkirk from Guildford? They looked like they were double decker frames judging by the equipment already in place on them.

 

[mbonwick]

It has. It's been out in the yard at Lillyhall since Kendal finished with it. It went up with the rest of the ex-LakesLink Olympians, which were refurbished for further use. However 16340 was slurpus so was put into store.

I think they moved up around November time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
driver9000: Yes, probably chassis heading to ADL, that's how they move them now.

 

[cainebj]

20779 was out on either 30 or 31, not sure which. it was coming out of bus station with "Maryport" visible on the display.
20734 is out on 31.
52626 was on Annexe most of afternoon.
one of Plaxton Beaver bodied vario's heading out of Workington, through Salterbeck, with "Workington 48" on display. it sounded very "ill".

 

[K768 DAO]

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[pickles]

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[KendalKing]

14188, 14267, & 18278 on X35's this morning, by the afternoon 18278 had been replaced by 14266.

I guess that Barrow must be having problems with the Tridents!!!!

 

[darrenw29]

The newish deckers on the M6 heading north will be the ones Manchester sent for the Cheltenham Festival last week which finished on Friday

 

[mbonwick]

Ahh, of course. Well remembered!

SC South collected some of Manchesters many withdrawn 709Ds and Varios this morning, about 6 or 8 I think it was.
Also, SC Western Scottish should be coming down soon to collect some of the tri-axle Olympians.

I was looking back over the fleetlists to Period 5, I'm amazed that 13296/7 were only sat at Lillyhall OOU for 3/4 months! Would anyone be interested in some "archive" fleetlists? I've got from 2008 P5 up to the current P11, plus a list from 2006.

 

[cainebj]

nothing unusual at Lillyhall today from what i seen. the usual 709d's flying around on Sunday Services. there was a 709d went into bus station with a perfectly black screen and destination boards in windscreen but didnt see which one it was.
40025 on annexe, still with loads of random blocks on display and no destination lol.

 

[Dallamlad]

Do you think they will bring back 2/2a branding in Lancaster or have they given it up as a bad job lol.

 

[mbonwick]

I don't think they'll bring it back, it's all too common to see 183xx Tridents running to Preston and elsewhere (not surprising really, given the 4 speed gearbox vs 3 speed for 170xx)
They'd be better IMHO keeping the branding on the 170xx and keeping them to the 2/2A and leaving the 183xx to cover any duty.

 

[Dallamlad]

If I'm honest I think they should have kept the old Tridents on the 2/2a and the new ones on the Preston routes. Their gearboxes as you say are better. I makes little difference to the passenger which vehicle is used so new doesn't always mean better lol.

 

[driver9000]

The Baylink branding was supposed to be a replacement for the 2/2A brand to encompass all University routes, I think the MANs were sdupposed to get it too but this never happened. The branding worked initially when the Tridents entered service to advertise the route and made the low floor buses stand out - it certainly worked as loadings increased significantly on the traditionally lighter loaded section between Euston Rd & Heysham. I have never liked route branding as I think it restricts your fleet and doesnt look right when a bus branded up for say the 2 turns up in Blackpool, its fine if you actually have enough buses to be able to restrict them like Blackpool & Lothian you need a pool of inerchangable buses unfortunately that doesnt work at Stagecoach where they allocate a tight margin of buses for a depots requirment - Lancaster didnt even get enough Tridents to fully convert the 2/2A in 2003.

I agree that the original 12 should have been kept in town for the 2/2A and the newer ones for long distance work, it cant be doing them much good screaming along in 3rd at 50mph

 

[mbonwick]

Typical half arsed Stagecoach, advertise a route as low floor that certainly won't be 100% of the time as there aren't enough buses!

Talking of the ex-London Tridents, I notice they are also starting to get CCTV fitted.

 

[driver9000]

Typical half arsed Stagecoach, advertise a route as low floor that certainly won't be 100% of the time as there aren't enough buses!

PVR on the 2/2A was 14 at the time, doesnt take a genius to work out the shortfall - even with all 12 available it couldnt be done generally 2 were VOR every day for maintenance purposes, although to give them thier dues they never strayed from 'Track' in the early days. The shortfall was usually made up of a spare MAN and an Olympian.

 

[mbonwick]

One of the OT Titans was seen heading down the M6 this evening on tow, presumably on its way to Mike Nash, by a contact.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

it was 11000 wasnt it?