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Stagecoach North West Discussion

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KendalKing

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4 Mar 2009
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1,642
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North Lancs
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

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Joined
13 Dec 2008
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3,079
Location
Manchester
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

Member
Joined
14 Apr 2012
Messages
347
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

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Joined
2 Aug 2010
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232
Location
Bamber Bridge
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

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Joined
1 Nov 2008
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2,622
Location
UK
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

Member
Joined
19 Oct 2009
Messages
185
Location
Carlisle
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
 

mbonwick

Established Member
Joined
26 Oct 2006
Messages
6,257
Location
Kendal
Extra bus is put on to cope with the extra traffic I believe - ie. there is a 'hot spare' out and about.
 

cainebj

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Joined
1 Nov 2008
Messages
2,622
Location
UK
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

Member
Joined
10 Mar 2012
Messages
227
Location
Cumbria(very close to the lakes)
Why does the 505 to Coniston extend through to Windermere Station, but the 516 to Dungeon Ghyll starts at Ambleside


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?mhsmed

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
 

Whistler40145

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Joined
30 Apr 2010
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5,911
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Lancashire
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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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?utca3u
 

mbonwick

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26 Oct 2006
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6,257
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Kendal
Ambleside is an outstation of Kendal, its just somewhere to park the buses overnight so early morning services can run without the vehicle having to come dead from Kendal at silly o'clock.

It's unusual to see a Solo at Ambleside, its normally just B10Ms and Scanias. I would imagine that it will run 516 on Monday while a B10M does the school runs round there.
 

Paul Mcgill

Member
Joined
28 Apr 2009
Messages
314
Location
Morecambe
Ambleside is an outstation of Kendal, its just somewhere to park the buses overnight so early morning services can run without the vehicle having to come dead from Kendal at silly o'clock.

It's unusual to see a Solo at Ambleside, its normally just B10Ms and Scanias. I would imagine that it will run 516 on Monday while a B10M does the school runs round there.

Optare allocated to Ambleside in Morning does 516s and the school 505 to Far Sawery then dead to Kendal swap buses then the last 41 then dead to Ambleside for the evening i think!!!

Ambleside Allocation is
1xScania
3xVolvo B10M
1xMinibus
 

mbonwick

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26 Oct 2006
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6,257
Location
Kendal
Thanks Paul!

Tim - Not really, it will go up Friday night and stay the weekend ready for Monday.
BTW, it's spelt Optare....no "I"
 

mbonwick

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26 Oct 2006
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Kendal
Well if the route tenders go to the preferred bidders in September, there won't be that much work left at Kendal....
 

KendalKing

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4 Mar 2009
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1,642
Location
North Lancs
Well if the route tenders go to the preferred bidders in September, there won't be that much work left at Kendal....

There are currently a number or rumours going around regarding service changes come September, affecting both commercial and subsidized services in North Lancashire & South Lakes area.

Some are true, and others are load of bull ****.

All I going to say is that, I am looking forward to September, in more always then one.
 

Dallamlad

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Joined
13 Dec 2008
Messages
3,079
Location
Manchester
There are currently a number or rumours going around regarding service changes come September, affecting both commercial and subsidized services in North Lancashire & South Lakes area.

Some are true, and others are load of bull ****.

All I going to say is that, I am looking forward to September, in more always then one.

I have heard about subsidised service changes for both Lancs and Cumbria. I've not heard anything regarding Lancaster but do know Travellers and some others have gained some work in Cumbria I believe.
 
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