• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

West Country Independents

Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

diffywood

diffywood

Member
Joined
20 Mar 2015
Messages
319
Location
withywood bristol
I think you will find the 336 and later the 636 served the part that is still called stockwood lane and did not serve the part now call scotland land iirc
 
TheGrandWazoo

TheGrandWazoo

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Feb 2013
Messages
22,995
Location
Somerset with international travel (e.g. across th
freetoview33 said:
I've been on a coach going up there many times
Click to expand...

I thought that was Stockwood Lane? Either way, they're a ballache to drive in a car let alone a bus/coach though Scotland Lane is moderately less of a faff. That and it being closed each winter for weeks at a time!

On a previous subject, Wessex's deckers are out today. One of the ex London Dafs and a 57 plate (ex UOB) working the 51.
 
Last edited:
G

Ginga

Member
Joined
10 Feb 2012
Messages
148
Vosa are seeing registrations for September, are we going to see a Cityfox bus service this year?
 
THarris123

THarris123

Established Member
Joined
20 Apr 2014
Messages
2,857
Location
Wells, Somerset
Ginga said:
Vosa are seeing registrations for September, are we going to see a Cityfox bus service this year?
Click to expand...

Vosa has seen had all the registrations in by now for September.

It would be very unlikely we would see anything for Cityfox anyway. I suspect he'll do his usual Christmas Day/Boxing Day service(s), but apart from that I doubt we'll see any bus services for a while. I wonder what vehicle Rhys has planned to buy this year for the service.
 
TheGrandWazoo

TheGrandWazoo

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Feb 2013
Messages
22,995
Location
Somerset with international travel (e.g. across th
THarris123 said:
Vosa has seen had all the registrations in by now for September.

It would be very unlikely we would see anything for Cityfox anyway. I suspect he'll do his usual Christmas Day/Boxing Day service(s), but apart from that I doubt we'll see any bus services for a while. I wonder what vehicle Rhys has planned to buy this year for the service.
Click to expand...

Was the Omnicity actually sold? It was on Nigel Mccree's site for a while.
 
Citistar

Citistar

Member
Joined
4 Apr 2017
Messages
577
Location
The Magical Mendips
TheGrandWazoo said:
I thought that was Stockwood Lane? Either way, they're a ballache to drive in a car let alone a bus/coach though Scotland Lane is moderately less of a faff. That and it being closed each winter for weeks at a time!
Click to expand...

The first service of the deregulated era (to my knowledge) to use Stockwood Vale between Stockwood and Keynsham was 685 which ran between Keynsham and the then Gateway Offices at Hengrove Park. During the late 80s, there were also Badgerline services 336 and 337 which ran beyond Keynsham to Whitchurch then Stockwood (336) or Hartcliffe (337), usually with Nationals.

During the later era of half hourly minibuses running on 336 (alongside a half hourly 337 curtailed to Keynsham), it always ran via Stockwood Vale, then on to Hartcliffe and Withywood. Driver shortages made the service hellishly unreliable at times.

When Badgerline decided the 336 was not commercially viable, it was reduced to a few journeys each day in either direction and a tender for supplemental journeys between Keynsham and Withywood was won by Silverwing, operating as 636. Badgerline eventually gave up on 636 altogether and a revised tender for Withywood - Keynsham was won by CityLine, later Eagle and Eurotaxis (neither of whom offered a service likely to encourage patronage).

Now for the relevant bit: During the time that Eagle were operating the service, there was a lengthy spell when Stockwood Vale was closed altogether and during this period, 636 operated an emergency timetable and route via Scotland Lane and Hicks Gate.

Bristol City Council decided the project was no longer worth funding around 2004, when some bright spark regularly driving the Friday 640 for Somerbus suggested that he could do a trip from Whitchurch in to Keynsham between trips on that. Aside from some juggling of days of operation since then, it has barely changed since.
 
THarris123

THarris123

Established Member
Joined
20 Apr 2014
Messages
2,857
Location
Wells, Somerset
Citistar said:
The first service of the deregulated era (to my knowledge) to use Stockwood Vale between Stockwood and Keynsham was 685 which ran between Keynsham and the then Gateway Offices at Hengrove Park. During the late 80s, there were also Badgerline services 336 and 337 which ran beyond Keynsham to Whitchurch then Stockwood (336) or Hartcliffe (337), usually with Nationals.

During the later era of half hourly minibuses running on 336 (alongside a half hourly 337 curtailed to Keynsham), it always ran via Stockwood Vale, then on to Hartcliffe and Withywood. Driver shortages made the service hellishly unreliable at times.

When Badgerline decided the 336 was not commercially viable, it was reduced to a few journeys each day in either direction and a tender for supplemental journeys between Keynsham and Withywood was won by Silverwing, operating as 636. Badgerline eventually gave up on 636 altogether and a revised tender for Withywood - Keynsham was won by CityLine, later Eagle and Eurotaxis (neither of whom offered a service likely to encourage patronage).

Now for the relevant bit: During the time that Eagle were operating the service, there was a lengthy spell when Stockwood Vale was closed altogether and during this period, 636 operated an emergency timetable and route via Scotland Lane and Hicks Gate.

Bristol City Council decided the project was no longer worth funding around 2004, when some bright spark regularly driving the Friday 640 for Somerbus suggested that he could do a trip from Whitchurch in to Keynsham between trips on that. Aside from some juggling of days of operation since then, it has barely changed since.
Click to expand...

Some bright spark driving 640 for Somerbus in 2004? Hmmm.
 
heart-of-wessex

heart-of-wessex

Established Member
Joined
11 Jun 2005
Messages
3,087
Location
Trowbridge
Saw that OmniCity last month in a layby just off the M4 on the A46 Bath road, no idea what it was doing there
 
Last edited:
M

matt_splat

Member
Joined
19 May 2012
Messages
899
surely a bus would not be using those kinds of car parks that's just peoples minds going into overdrive....

there is a vosa testing station next door.....

but as Rhys has said the bus was just parked up would any one question it if it had been a first / wessex or stagecoach bus parked up in the same area?
 
TheGrandWazoo

TheGrandWazoo

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Feb 2013
Messages
22,995
Location
Somerset with international travel (e.g. across th
matt_splat said:
surely a bus would not be using those kinds of car parks that's just peoples minds going into overdrive....

there is a vosa testing station next door.....

but as Rhys has said the bus was just parked up would any one question it if it had been a first / wessex or stagecoach bus parked up in the same area?
Click to expand...

I don't anyone is seriously suggesting any untoward. A bit of levity please :roll:
 
THarris123

THarris123

Established Member
Joined
20 Apr 2014
Messages
2,857
Location
Wells, Somerset
RhysHand said:
NOTHING in life is free!
Click to expand...

So you paid for the space then? If you didn't pay anything then technically there is something free in life.

Generally speaking most laybys are free to park in, so anyone could have the chance to have something free in life. However, I'm sure most people who know the traditions of that layby would tend to avoid it as they might get a reputation.
 
C

carlberry

Established Member
Joined
19 Dec 2014
Messages
3,169
THarris123 said:
However, I'm sure most people who know the traditions of that layby would tend to avoid it as they might get a reputation.
Click to expand...

I suspect (having no personal knowledge of such, dispite the extensive knowledge of others!) that the traditions of the layby also change by the time of day as it's used by many coach companies.

There's also the possibility that, given the loss of most of the traditional day tour coach market, some progressive companies may be branching out into 'alternative' scenic tours. (I'm not suggesting that this is what's actually happening here however!).
 
M

matt_splat

Member
Joined
19 May 2012
Messages
899
Going back to subject

Due to a coach breakdown tonight Edwards coaches covered the 300 from Bristol to sailsbury where a luckets coach was going to carry on the service
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top