[Dallamlad]

Originally Posted by mbonwick

Was mainly 18374 last year due to it having a tacho, which the route requires.

Indeed, 3 of the 2004s have tachs as well as 3 of the 2005s.

[TimSYoung40145]

Thanks for the info lads.


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[jonesy3001]

Ex carlisle training bus 52027 has one to wigleys, 20547 is back at ME parked on the back fence and 17023 is in carlisle for repaint(hallelujah!!!).

[KendalKing]

I do wish that Stagecoach, would give there new drivers proper route training. As I have lost count how times, I have seen new drivers of route today.

[Dallamlad]

Originally Posted by KendalKing

I do wish that Stagecoach, would give there new drivers proper route training. As I have lost count how times, I have seen new drivers of route today.

New drivers are bound to make mistakes and with a large catalogue of routes to learn I'm sure it's easy to get lost now and then.

[Shrimper]

I managed to make a mistake in Manchester with my mentor - and then more recently had to take an E400 on a magical mystery tour when a road closure occurred with no warning signage from the main road - so by the time I discovered it I had no options!

In my case (and quite possibly in the new Lancaster drivers case) it wasn't helped by having absolutely no local knowledge of the area - I barely knew Manchester when I started, let alone some of the weird and wonderful routes we take - point being, it is much harder when you have no prior knowledge of the routes, and it's harder to pick reference points and roads as you have a lot to take in!

[Class20]

My first post since the Workington open day. Overall not a great event. For me a lack of information seemed to be an issue. No information regarding the shuttle services, knowing what times the buses were running would have been helpful.

Was the photo shoot at the former Leyland plant planned? Would have been nice to have known about it. And when did the four vehicles which were parked half in half out the depot be brought fully out? I was a little disappointed that they weren't all parked outside to start with.

I did over hear a couple of people saying that Workington isn't the best depot for the open day. Carlisle and Morecambe are better, though Barrow is the worst.

In other news, (how do you insert the old post new post icon?)
Solos 47482 & 47489 are currently working off Preston. 47489 has lost its Route 84 branding and is in plain Stagecoach livery.

[cainebj]

Originally Posted by Class20

My first post since the Workington open day. Overall not a great event. For me a lack of information seemed to be an issue. No information regarding the shuttle services, knowing what times the buses were running would have been helpful.

Was the photo shoot at the former Leyland plant planned? Would have been nice to have known about it. And when did the four vehicles which were parked half in half out the depot be brought fully out? I was a little disappointed that they weren't all parked outside to start with.

I did over hear a couple of people saying that Workington isn't the best depot for the open day. Carlisle and Morecambe are better, though Barrow is the worst.

A few posters around about the shuttles would have been nice, but never mind. People didn't seem to know who to ask about shuttles either, through the lack of green sweatshirts (they'd been left behind in Carlisle by mistake). Shuttles weren't helped by the first one from Workington not being until 11, Stagecoach usually do the first few themselves with an open top, but there wasn't one there to run them, I'd assume there wasn't a spare one available, with the poor reliability of the newly converted ex-London ones at the moment, and Kendal needing 6 on a Saturday now instead of 5.

I believe the photoshoot at the old Leyland plant was a spur of the moment idea, after realising the only movement there in the afternoon was 3 foreign lorries. Mattdw92 and myself only stumbled across it on our walk home, after missing the last shuttle into Workington.

I think one of the main problems with the open day as well was the lack of attending vehicles, with Workington, and of course Barrow, not being as easilly accessible as Morecambe and Carlisle are. Preserved Bristol MW AAO 34B (owned by the Cumbria Omnibus Group) usually attends local events, not sure why it didn't make it. WTHT still haven't managed to get preserved Lynx 251 ready either, would have been great to see that one there in the Lynx variation of CMS Cumberland livery, it would have been its first event since entering preservation in Stagecoach Training Livery too, back in 2008.

[andy 37]

Originally Posted by cainebj

A few posters around about the shuttles would have been nice, but never mind. People didn't seem to know who to ask about shuttles either, through the lack of green sweatshirts (they'd been left behind in Carlisle by mistake). Shuttles weren't helped by the first one from Workington not being until 11, Stagecoach usually do the first few themselves with an open top, but there wasn't one there to run them, I'd assume there wasn't a spare one available, with the poor reliability of the newly converted ex-London ones at the moment, and Kendal needing 6 on a Saturday now instead of 5.

I believe the photoshoot at the old Leyland plant was a spur of the moment idea, after realising the only movement there in the afternoon was 3 foreign lorries. Mattdw92 and myself only stumbled across it on our walk home, after missing the last shuttle into Workington.

I think one of the main problems with the open day as well was the lack of attending vehicles, with Workington, and of course Barrow, not being as easilly accessible as Morecambe and Carlisle are. Preserved Bristol MW AAO 34B (owned by the Cumbria Omnibus Group) usually attends local events, not sure why it didn't make it. WTHT still haven't managed to get preserved Lynx 251 ready either, would have been great to see that one there in the Lynx variation of CMS Cumberland livery, it would have been its first event since entering preservation in Stagecoach Training Livery too, back in 2008.

The green Sweatshirts were not left at Carlisle, I fetched them through

[CumbrianJosh]

how comes the 599 uses 6 buses on a saturday instead of 5? the timetable is the same?

[mbonwick]

Extra bus is put on to cope with the extra traffic I believe - ie. there is a 'hot spare' out and about.

[TimSYoung40145]

Why does the 505 to Coniston extend through to Windermere Station, but the 516 to Dungeon Ghyll starts at Ambleside


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[cainebj]

Quick query, if anyone even knows why.
Recenly I've noticed the Sunday 30's in Workington showing Thornhill 30, when in the past they always had Whitehaven 30, with the Sunday workings being Maryport - Whitehaven every 2 hours, and Thornhill - Whitehaven every hour, with the split of course still being shown on the timetable (p10 of 18), which hasn't changed since September, when they were still showing Whitehaven. They used to be advertised as no through ticketing available, but I notice that isn't on the timetable any more.
Is through ticketing now available? Or are drivers just putting Thornhill on when it should be Whitehaven?

[CumbrianJosh]

Originally Posted by TimSYoung40145

Why does the 505 to Coniston extend through to Windermere Station, but the 516 to Dungeon Ghyll starts at Ambleside


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possibly because the buses used on the 505 are from Kendal depot using Kendal drivers that spend part the day on the 599 and usually have a driver switch over early afternoon, whereas I think the 516 is run by Ambleside depot.. I dont know that for sure but thats what I've picked up from spending a lot of time in the area

[TimSYoung40145]

I was up there yesterday, having arrived on the X8 from Preston. There is a Car Park near to Ambleside Rugby Club where Buses that stay in Ambleside are parked up, one of them was an Optaire Solo, which doesn't look like it moved all day. What would that work?


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