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Stagecoach North West Discussion

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mbonwick

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Tom B

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We got a load cascaded onto us - they didn't bother taking off the branding, so they still had adverts for routes in Manchester on the side.
 

mbonwick

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Just thought I'd give an update on this:
Stagecoach Cumbria have recieved all their Tridents - 18354 (Beatrix Potter Vynls), 18355, 18356(Wordswork vynls), 18357, 18358, 18359 (Wainwright - Lakeland Pathfinder vynls), 18360, 18366, 18372, 18374.

The Olympians 16330 - 16340 are at Lillyhall for store at the minute with the exception of 16332/4 and 16335 (Liverpool Champions Leauge winners 2005 branding), which are in service at Preston


Tridents are now starting to arrive at Lancaster: 18324-6, 18361-3, 18375 and 18380.
As a result, all Titans (with the except of non-standard 10684 which soldiers on) have been withdrawn, as have Leyland Olympians 14206/8, 14210.

Optare Versas 25222-4 have entered service on the 6/6A with branding. B6's 30457-8 have been transferred to Chorley (YAY!). This still leaves several B6s, from which only 1 willbe retained.

Versa 25225 has entered service at Lillyhall.
 

Nym

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hey, hey, hey, they get you there don't they?

There is nothing wrong with the old S&D buses that run the seafront route and the're A reg, (old A reg!)
 

mbonwick

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It's just the B6s I really hate...legendary unreliability and a really small driving cab.
One thing I for got to add, T56 (56th Titan ever made) will go into the heritage fleet. It's the only bus in the NW in the old corporate livery (stripes not swirls)
 

driver9000

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I was told it was 6 of the S registered East London Tridents (17012-17024) that were being deroofed for the 599 in the Lakes. Aparantly they can only be partially deroofed otherwise the structure becomes a little wobbly. I remember the S regs were horribly unreliable when Lancaster first put them into service, I was driving one on the first day they were in service (a Sunday) and by the Tuesday they were all off the road with various defects - climbing Hala Hill in the summer with a full load would often see the coolant warning light illuminate by the top of the hill!! I agree with mbonwick about the B6 being awful, I could never get comfortable driving them - way too small a cab, a little like Volvo Olympians 243 - 245 (L reg) that had NC Palatine 1 bodywork, tiny cabs but they were very fast! The only J reg Olympians expected to remain are 14208 & 14204, No.2208 being recently refubished and 2204 being in Morecambe & Heysham corpy colours
 

mbonwick

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Yeah that's what I've heard as well. I think tho it's 17012-16
Could be wrong though... I'll have to check the e-mail I got from Gez.

It doesn't surprise me that they can only be de-roofed so far, if you look at the Titans currently in use, they are exactly the same.



I think I read somewhere that the B6 cab is only 6' 5.
 

mbonwick

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Well, all the Tridents have now arrived and the first, 17012 has gone to Lillyhall for deroofing.
It now seems doubtful that any ex-LakesLink Olympians will end up in Lancaster; apparently the number of buses in = the number out.

Lillyhall seems to be rather full at the moment. In addition to the storage of Olympians and B6s there is also a growing number of stored B10Ms from the introduction of new MAN/ALX300s and Versas to Lillyhall for the barrow services.
 

driver9000

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so 17012 should be back for the beginning of the summer season proper then?

Are they brand new MANs at Barrow or 'new' from elsewhere?
Do you know where the N reg Olympians from Kendal are going?
 

mbonwick

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I think the Lillyhall MANs are brand new, on delivery from Alexanders of Falkirk with ALX 300 bodies.

As for the N reg olys, no idea. Not heard much that way. I'd guess Carlisle or down south somewhere. More likely is long term reserve due to being slurpus - they would then be used if an event like the Carlisle floods happened again.


just another thought: They might end up back at Kendal, and see off their 14xxxs, eg. 14199 although maybe not as they have high backed seating?? Would make more sense to use N reg stock on school runs than 55 reg (the new tridents, which have had to be fitted with CCTV cos of the graffiti).

digressing slightly, one trident (18359 IIRC) had to be taked out of service after it's first school run!!
 

mbonwick

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Looking at a fleetlist (don't know how accurate), 16336 is shown as at Barrow and 16338 shown at Lillyhall.

Of the other 8 - 16332-5 are definitely in Liverpool and the others are in store pending....I don't know what

16333 appears to have moved elsewhere - it's not on the list.
 

The Snap

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Stagecoach have just bought out local operator Mayne & Sons, who's fleet of about 50 buses is dominated by ancient knackered buses.

Prices on Mayne were much cheaper than Stagecoach and the buses were much cleaner and nicer, Stagecoach just overpowered them!
 

mbonwick

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Ah yes, Maynes. Heard a lot about what Stagecoach plan to do with the fleet.
I think most is up for disposal, although deliveries of the new Enviros are running behind schedule.
 

mbonwick

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Just heard about 11100.

Was towed down from kendal to morecambe on friday, apparently
[FONT=&quot]Queensbridge came today to put the rear axle of 11003 on!

Alos, I'm told that the allocation list has bourne no resemplance to reality for some time, presumably to with all the movements. This is the offical Stagecoach one, not the one I quoted eariler, which was from a fansite.

[/FONT]
 

driver9000

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I see 14204, 14205, 14208, 14210 are still out and about. 205 was working a 55A at about 18:00 yesterday, it passed me heading towards Lancaster Bus Stn at about 19:30

14210 was running around on the 42 a couple of days before too.

What does the future hold for 11100? is servicable or is its next appointment with the cutters torch?
 

mbonwick

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Got an email, as of today 14205 and 14210 have been withdrawn.

This leaves just 14204 and 208 in service, as planned. 204 is in Morecambe and Heysham Corporation livery and 208 was the most recently refurbished.


11100 - Queensbridge apparently fixed it, serviceable again now, though it won't see another season I wouldn't have thought. Gez was quoting a month per Trident for open topping.
 

driver9000

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Got an email, as of today 14205 and 14210 have been withdrawn.

They must have been on their last jobs when I saw them then :(

Ive recently been back up to Edinburgh to see the folks and noticed Lothian have converted their Trident/ALX400s to full open top leaving only the windscreens and former rear emergency exit in place. They are the same age as Stagecoach Lancasters so Im now wondering why there would be structural issues with the S-BWC batch that prevents them being fully opened up. The Lothian Buses Tridents (501-505) are identical to their East London sisters of the same age.
 

Tom B

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The ALX400s have, IIRC, all been converted - they're non-standard. However, Lothian actually maintain their vehicles - unlike most operators who will leave things broken until the bus won't move.
 

mbonwick

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I think you may be right To, the fleetlist has 170xx as "Alexander ALX400 10.5m H51/26F" and the 18xxx as "Alexander ALX400 H47/28F"


I wonder if leaving some of the roof is to do with the likelihood of collecting trees?
 

mbonwick

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20775 has probably been written off, after having had a disagreement with a wide load:

529443

529463

529462

From www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/

Fortunately, the driver got off with only relately minor injuries.
30342 has recently arrived at Kendal, presumably as cover for the los of 20775.

From www.bus-enthusiast.com , when 30342 was with SC Merseyside.
sc30342fs.JPG

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Yep, I've just had an e-mail confirming that 20775 is going for scrap, along with Titan 11100 and several B6s.
 

driver9000

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Noted 14195 & 14196 working out of Morecambe garage alongside 14204 & 14208 the other day.
 

mbonwick

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Yes, they're the only Leyland Olympians left at Morecambe, along with 14235.

IMHO it seems pointless keeping 14195/6 and removing 14201-03,205-7, 209-10 because 1419x are H reg and 142xx are J reg, and so are newer!

All the ex-LakesLink Olympians (16330-340) have come out of the paintshops after refurb and are waiting to enter service. I don't know where as yet though.

FWIW, 30342 is a B6 with Wright Endurance bodywork. It's actually numbered wrongly as it's low floor and therefore should be 31xxx. It's believed it was/is a prototype of some sort.
I've heard that at some point in it's life it had some major welding done on it's chassis to cure sever rusting/corrosion.
 

mbonwick

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Lancaster's Trident 18362 was unveiled in Morecambe & Wise livery today. Pictures to follow when I find 'em.
 

RJ

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I was on 17001 the other day (we still have a few "heritage" Tridents down here), it seemed like a strong performer - although it's technically not Stagecoach any more.
 
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mbonwick

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Yeh, although about IIRC 1.1tonnes heavier than a Volvo Olympian, Tridents do seem to get off the mark quicker. Possibly due to larger engines, but I don't really know.
 

RJ

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I wouldn't have thought the S-reg batch were that quick off the mark - their 3-Speed Voith gearboxes ensure that the pullaway is smoother but slower. ZF boxed buses are a bit quicker off the mark - the Volvo Olympians such as this one put the acceleration on low floor lower-rated buses in London to shame.
 

mbonwick

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Northern Counties body ;) We used to have some of them round here - standard engine, but really really light. Went like **** off a shovel.

I don't think the 170xx we have here are 3 speed - they do some fairly long runs with a lot done at high speed.
 
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