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I imagine the Kirkintilloch routes will see the new deckers as the ex-airport E400 City’s are on this route just now.
I reckon the 7/7A will probably see the new E200EVs. The demonstrator was following the 10 route today so I imagine that’ll be possible contender. I don’t see the 4 getting new buses as it’s not a route that is as busy as it used to be. I’m hoping if the E400EVs make it on to routes like the 75 and 38 that it’ll push more deckers on to routes like the 2 which are screaming out for deckers.
I imagine the Kirkintilloch routes will see the new deckers as the ex-airport E400 City’s are on this route just now.
I reckon the 7/7A will probably see the new E200EVs. The demonstrator was following the 10 route today so I imagine that’ll be possible contender. I don’t see the 4 getting new buses as it’s not a route that is as busy as it used to be. I’m hoping if the E400EVs make it on to routes like the 75 and 38 that it’ll push more deckers on to routes like the 2 which are screaming out for deckers.
The 2 seems to be getting a real mixture just now in terms of deckers. The usual E300s are perfectly fine on the route but the odd E400MMC would be nice alongside them.
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I saw that the E400EV demonstrator appeared on the 77 route today. I thought the plan was for all electric buses to be from Caledonia?
The 2 seems to be getting a real mixture just now in terms of deckers. The usual E300s are perfectly fine on the route but the odd E400MMC would be nice alongside them.
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I saw that the E400EV demonstrator appeared on the 77 route today. I thought the plan was for all electric buses to be from Caledonia?
The 2 seems to be getting a real mixture just now in terms of deckers. The usual E300s are perfectly fine on the route but the odd E400MMC would be nice alongside them.
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I saw that the E400EV demonstrator appeared on the 77 route today. I thought the plan was for all electric buses to be from Caledonia?
The 77 would be an ideal route for these buses however the current E400MMCs were fitted with luggage racks for the airport which the E400EVs probably won’t have.
The 77 would be an ideal route for these buses however the current E400MMCs were fitted with luggage racks for the airport which the E400EVs probably won’t have.
The 77 would be an ideal route for these buses however the current E400MMCs were fitted with luggage racks for the airport which the E400EVs probably won’t have.
The lower deck interior layout on the E400EV is poor enough as it is, with luggage racks it would be even worse. I'm not certain it's possible either as the emergency exit is on the offside behind the staircase where racks would normally be fitted. I think we can probably safely rule the 77 and 500 out on that basis, among other reasons.
Thanks. I thought that too but looks like they’ve not been used for ages (according to Bustimes and the Glasgowbuses app). They were part of the 6 route as low height so would think they’d just go back out with the other diesel low height E400s unless maybe there are other plans for them??
Can anyone confirm exactly how many low height Enviro 400's there are in the First Glasgow fleet, and how many vehicles are required for the 6?.
I know these buses where specifically purchased for the then 66, but now that the Mountblow section has been axed does the 6 still require the same amount of buses or is there a surplus which could be deployed elsewhere?
Over the past few months I have travelled on these vehicles on the 34A a few times between Queens Park and Govan and I must say that I have found them to be a welcome addition. I am not saying it would be wise to convert the 34/A to full decker operation but if there is a surplus then branding 3 or 4 of them for the 34/A would be a nice touch and help with capacity issues at peak times.
The "one" is another route which could benefit from a few deckers on it. I was once told by a driver that the Clydebank bridge was the reason why that route was restricted to single deckers. I don't even know though if a low height decker is low enough for the bridge?. Obviously there isn't enough low height Enviro 400's in the Glasgow fleet to cover the "one" but if there where similar examples on the 2nd market or ones which could be cascaded from elsewhere, having a few on the peak time "one's" would definitely be welcome.
Can anyone confirm exactly how many low height Enviro 400's there are in the First Glasgow fleet, and how many vehicles are required for the 6?.
I know these buses where specifically purchased for the then 66, but now that the Mountblow section has been axed does the 6 still require the same amount of buses or is there a surplus which could be deployed elsewhere?
Over the past few months I have travelled on these vehicles on the 34A a few times between Queens Park and Govan and I must say that I have found them to be a welcome addition. I am not saying it would be wise to convert the 34/A to full decker operation but if there is a surplus then branding 3 or 4 of them for the 34/A would be a nice touch and help with capacity issues at peak times.
The "one" is another route which could benefit from a few deckers on it. I was once told by a driver that the Clydebank bridge was the reason why that route was restricted to single deckers. I don't even know though if a low height decker is low enough for the bridge?. Obviously there isn't enough low height Enviro 400's in the Glasgow fleet to cover the "one" but if there where similar examples on the 2nd market or ones which could be cascaded from elsewhere, having a few on the peak time "one's" would definitely be welcome.
Prior to Covid the 6 was mainly made up on B7RLEs and E300s. The E400s were being used on other routes out of Caledonia and Scotstoun. They have become more regular on the 6 again due to social distancing. I don’t know how long they’ll stay on that route once things start to return to “normal” whatever that may be.
As for the 1, there was talk on here a while back about them altering the route to accommodate E400MMCs but then Covid struck and I presume they scrapped that idea what with them branding the E300s. It’s a route which I always felt had to be looked at. It used to get crazy busy for the majority of the day but in particular peak times. The E300s and even B9TLs were standing room only by the time they got to Charing Cross. Deckers would have been a good shout but of course post pandemic who knows what passenger numbers will return to and I understand them not wanting to take such a big risk like that.
I feel like the next 2 weeks will be pretty telling with passenger numbers.
We get more freedom regarding travelling for leisure purposes on Friday and then non-essential retail reopens on the 26th. That should definitely lead to buses being busier.
I imagine the 1s will be absolutely fine going forward regarding passenger numbers. It would take one of the most drastic passenger drops I've ever come across for them to be quiet across most of the route.
The 6 however is a route I'm not as sure about. I understand why more single deckers have become a thing over the last year or two. Even pre pandemic it could be pretty quiet. It's nowhere near as busy as it used to be some 5/6 years back.
Can anyone confirm exactly how many low height Enviro 400's there are in the First Glasgow fleet, and how many vehicles are required for the 6?.
I know these buses where specifically purchased for the then 66, but now that the Mountblow section has been axed does the 6 still require the same amount of buses or is there a surplus which could be deployed elsewhere?
Over the past few months I have travelled on these vehicles on the 34A a few times between Queens Park and Govan and I must say that I have found them to be a welcome addition. I am not saying it would be wise to convert the 34/A to full decker operation but if there is a surplus then branding 3 or 4 of them for the 34/A would be a nice touch and help with capacity issues at peak times.
The "one" is another route which could benefit from a few deckers on it. I was once told by a driver that the Clydebank bridge was the reason why that route was restricted to single deckers. I don't even know though if a low height decker is low enough for the bridge?. Obviously there isn't enough low height Enviro 400's in the Glasgow fleet to cover the "one" but if there where similar examples on the 2nd market or ones which could be cascaded from elsewhere, having a few on the peak time "one's" would definitely be welcome.
There's 23 E400 Diesels and 10 E400 Hybrids. The Enviro400MMCs from 68 plate onwards are also low height variants, however low height E400MMCs (13ft 10) are 1 inch taller than low height "classic" E400s (13ft 9) as such are not suitable for the 6 as the maximum height under the bridge is 13ft 9.
I think the only real option at the moment if they want to put new deckers on the 6 would be to swap the routes of the 4 and 6 round so the 6 operates via Cartside Street.
The low bridge at Clydebank has a clearance of 13ft 6 so low height E400s wouldn't fit under anyway, i don't think there's any deckers on the UK market that low. There were plans pre-covid to reroute the 1/1A/1B/1E to follow the route of the 1D west of Clydebank to avoid the low bridge, this would also coincide with new E400MMCs for the route. However given they're currently repainting both E300 and Geminis allocated to the corridor it's safe to assume that won't be happening anymore.
There's 23 E400 Diesels and 10 E400 Hybrids. The Enviro400MMCs from 68 plate onwards are also low height variants, however low height E400MMCs (13ft 10) are 1 inch taller than low height "classic" E400s (13ft 9) as such are not suitable for the 6 as the maximum height under the bridge is 13ft 9.
I think the only real option at the moment if they want to put new deckers on the 6 would be to swap the routes of the 4 and 6 round so the 6 operates via Cartside Street.
The low bridge at Clydebank has a clearance of 13ft 6 so low height E400s wouldn't fit under anyway, i don't think there's any deckers on the UK market that low. There were plans pre-covid to reroute the 1/1A/1B/1E to follow the route of the 1D west of Clydebank to avoid the low bridge, this would also coincide with new E400MMCs for the route. However given they're currently repainting both E300 and Geminis allocated to the corridor it's safe to assume that won't be happening anymore.
Many years ago, before the 1s. Dumbarton had some Low height deckers, which managed to fit below the Clydebank bridge. The low bridge problem with the 1s are in Alexandria on the route to Vale of Leven hospital. So with a bit of rearranging diagrams deckers could be used on the 1s. They currently tend to rotate to iA, 11B and 1E.
Seat-belted Volvo Olympians appeared on the 206 from time to time when Dumbarton had a allocation of them, primarily for school work (linked image from the MSE062 Flickr collection). B9s appearing on it, while odd in the route's day-to-day operations, is hardly a new thing.
While the rest of the Olympian's get a Saturday off, VO49 is captured out and about at Dalreoch train station whilst working the 206.
www.flickr.com
And the other major operators in the area over the years (McColl's, McGill's etc) have all used deckers on routes that passed through the town: McGill's with the 204X and McColl's with their local services in competition with First.
Many years ago, before the 1s. Dumbarton had some Low height deckers, which managed to fit below the Clydebank bridge. The low bridge problem with the 1s are in Alexandria on the route to Vale of Leven hospital. So with a bit of rearranging diagrams deckers could be used on the 1s. They currently tend to rotate to iA, 11B and 1E.
The only low height doubles I recall going under Kilbowie Road Bridge were those used on the 6, which weren't at Dumbarton. The walkway at the Vale of Leven Hospital is long gone, Kilbowie is the only remaining obstacle for 'the one' but using Second Avenue does add a fair bit of journey time, particularly during the peak periods.
Isn’t there also a low bridge not far from the depot that one of the new 75 branded buses lost its top on? Not great on my Dumbarton routes but think that would affect the 1A?
Edit: the more I think about it, that bus might have been off route at the time.
Isn’t there also a low bridge not far from the depot that one of the new 75 branded buses lost its top on? Not great on my Dumbarton routes but think that would affect the 1A?
Edit: the more I think about it, that bus might have been off route at the time.
The bus was out of service and it was a 41 branded bus. First Glasgow also now have a Low bridge alert via the ticket machines which should prevent future bridge strikes.
The bus was out of service and it was a 41 branded bus. First Glasgow also now have a Low bridge alert via the ticket machines which should prevent future bridge strikes.
It was Townend Street at Dumbarton Central station. If you come off the roundabout the parallel road which is the next exit beyond has a higher bridge height.
Larkfield buses often had a warning about using Cook Street on the running boards- it was a nasty one - you made it under the first bridge at 15ft and hit the second. There was a couple that did it in the last 10 or so years including a Gemini which wasn't that old until the council put in road narrowing.
Same style as the West Street bridge which saw a very sad incident in Clydeside days.
There's 23 E400 Diesels and 10 E400 Hybrids. The Enviro400MMCs from 68 plate onwards are also low height variants, however low height E400MMCs (13ft 10) are 1 inch taller than low height "classic" E400s (13ft 9) as such are not suitable for the 6 as the maximum height under the bridge is 13ft 9.
I think the only real option at the moment if they want to put new deckers on the 6 would be to swap the routes of the 4 and 6 round so the 6 operates via Cartside Street.
The low bridge at Clydebank has a clearance of 13ft 6 so low height E400s wouldn't fit under anyway, i don't think there's any deckers on the UK market that low. There were plans pre-covid to reroute the 1/1A/1B/1E to follow the route of the 1D west of Clydebank to avoid the low bridge, this would also coincide with new E400MMCs for the route. However given they're currently repainting both E300 and Geminis allocated to the corridor it's safe to assume that won't be happening anymore.
Its the bridge at Busby which determines the low height deckers on the route. The 6 route down Holmlea Road and onto Battlefield features no bridges. The 1 route had E400MMCs, were they rerouted last year?
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Can anyone confirm exactly how many low height Enviro 400's there are in the First Glasgow fleet, and how many vehicles are required for the 6?.
I know these buses where specifically purchased for the then 66, but now that the Mountblow section has been axed does the 6 still require the same amount of buses or is there a surplus which could be deployed elsewhere?
Over the past few months I have travelled on these vehicles on the 34A a few times between Queens Park and Govan and I must say that I have found them to be a welcome addition. I am not saying it would be wise to convert the 34/A to full decker operation but if there is a surplus then branding 3 or 4 of them for the 34/A would be a nice touch and help with capacity issues at peak times.
The "one" is another route which could benefit from a few deckers on it. I was once told by a driver that the Clydebank bridge was the reason why that route was restricted to single deckers. I don't even know though if a low height decker is low enough for the bridge?. Obviously there isn't enough low height Enviro 400's in the Glasgow fleet to cover the "one" but if there where similar examples on the 2nd market or ones which could be cascaded from elsewhere, having a few on the peak time "one's" would definitely be welcome.
Not sure the 34A is still seeing the low height E400S at the moment. I did see a few on the 2 last Saturday. The Southside section of the 6 is busier. Its been quiet, though when I've got a 6 from Town afternoon/evening it has been getting busier.
The low heights on the 6 should stay on the 6, will be needed when passengers come back. Not sure if the hybrid E400s are coming back.
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Prior to Covid the 6 was mainly made up on B7RLEs and E300s. The E400s were being used on other routes out of Caledonia and Scotstoun. They have become more regular on the 6 again due to social distancing. I don’t know how long they’ll stay on that route once things start to return to “normal” whatever that may be.
As for the 1, there was talk on here a while back about them altering the route to accommodate E400MMCs but then Covid struck and I presume they scrapped that idea what with them branding the E300s. It’s a route which I always felt had to be looked at. It used to get crazy busy for the majority of the day but in particular peak times. The E300s and even B9TLs were standing room only by the time they got to Charing Cross. Deckers would have been a good shout but of course post pandemic who knows what passenger numbers will return to and I understand them not wanting to take such a big risk like that.
6 is a right mix of single deckers. Manky B7RLES, Gutless E300 and E200MMCs. There always has been the low height E400s on the 6, just less of them now.
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I feel like the next 2 weeks will be pretty telling with passenger numbers.
We get more freedom regarding travelling for leisure purposes on Friday and then non-essential retail reopens on the 26th. That should definitely lead to buses being busier.
I imagine the 1s will be absolutely fine going forward regarding passenger numbers. It would take one of the most drastic passenger drops I've ever come across for them to be quiet across most of the route.
The 6 however is a route I'm not as sure about. I understand why more single deckers have become a thing over the last year or two. Even pre pandemic it could be pretty quiet. It's nowhere near as busy as it used to be some 5/6 years back.
Yes, the 6 has been quiet, it should pick up from now on ( It already has). I have no problem using buses and trains, the challenge is getting the message to passengers that think the bus/train is unsafe.
The only low height doubles I recall going under Kilbowie Road Bridge were those used on the 6, which weren't at Dumbarton. The walkway at the Vale of Leven Hospital is long gone, Kilbowie is the only remaining obstacle for 'the one' but using Second Avenue does add a fair bit of journey time, particularly during the peak periods.
The Clydebank bridge is plated at 4.11M. However these tend to be under plated and an actual height check could be more. The low height E400 is 4.2M, however the E500 is 4. 0M.
The Clydebank bridge is plated at 4.11M. However these tend to be under plated and an actual height check could be more. The low height E400 is 4.2M, however the E500 is 4. 0M.
The height is now specified in a circle, not a triangle. Consequently taking a vehicle above the stated height under the bridge is a road traffic offense, even if it does actually fit.
Its the bridge at Busby which determines the low height deckers on the route. The 6 route down Holmlea Road and onto Battlefield features no bridges. The 1 route had E400MMCs, were they rerouted last year?
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Many years ago, before the 1s. Dumbarton had some Low height deckers, which managed to fit below the Clydebank bridge. The low bridge problem with the 1s are in Alexandria on the route to Vale of Leven hospital. So with a bit of rearranging diagrams deckers could be used on the 1s. They currently tend to rotate to iA, 11B and 1E.
I suspect that would've been what they had done. As i say it had just been said pre-covid that they were planning to revise "The One" to allow decker operation to help with capacity issues. So they either would've revised the diagrams and just put deckers on the 1, or went with something more radical.
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The Clydebank bridge is plated at 4.11M. However these tend to be under plated and an actual height check could be more. The low height E400 is 4.2M, however the E500 is 4. 0M.
The Enviro500s are not 4.0M, they're full height at 4.4 Metres (14ft 6). The 65/66 plate E400MMCs and Airport E400Citys are full height 4.3M (14ft 2) examples while the 68/19 plates E400MMCs are low height at 4.2M (13ft 10).
Iirc the lowest low floor deckers Glasgow have had would've been the B7L Nordics at 4.1 Metres (13ft 5).
Yes you're right... Probably helps when you don't post in the middle of the night! Yes the 1 was rerouted last year.
I suspect that would've been what they had done. As i say it had just been said pre-covid that they were planning to revise "The One" to allow decker operation to help with capacity issues. So they either would've revised the diagrams and just put deckers on the 1, or went with something more radical.
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The Enviro500s are not 4.0M, they're full height at 4.4 Metres (14ft 6). The 65/66 plate E400MMCs and Airport E400Citys are full height 4.3M (14ft 2) examples while the 68/19 plates E400MMCs are low height at 4.2M (13ft 10).
Iirc the lowest low floor deckers Glasgow have had would've been the B7L Nordics at 4.1 Metres (13ft 5).
According to the Alexander website the E500 Europe is 4.0M high. However there is a super low American design at 3.9M high.
The E400EV comes in either 4.2 or 4.3M.high. Of course if they elected on the higher E400 the route could be altered to not serve the Chalmers Street stop, in Clydebank, but continue on to Dumbarton Road, by the higher bridge from Coldstream Road and serve the developing araa there instead. Avoiding the low bridge. Continuing their normal route.
Why haven't there even just cut the route in Half? IE make the 6 only operate City - East Kilbride, or better still convert it to single decker and combine it with No4, which would also operate every 10mins and thus you would have a bus every 5mins down to Clarkston ?
According to the Alexander website the E500 Europe is 4.0M high. However there is a super low American design at 3.9M high.
The E400EV comes in either 4.2 or 4.3M.high. Of course if they elected on the higher E400 the route could be altered to not serve the Chalmers Street stop, in Clydebank, but continue on to Dumbarton Road, by the higher bridge from Coldstream Road and serve the developing araa there instead. Avoiding the low bridge. Continuing their normal route.
When you mentioned E500 i thought you were referring to the 09 plates Glasgow previously operated that are now in Aberdeen. The Europe variant is completely different. If the E500MMC were to be sold in the Uk it would be based on the Hong Kong versions.
The whole E400 range comes in standard heights of 4.2M (13ft 10) or 4.3M (14ft 2) regardless of chassis. FirstGroup specify the low height 4.2M version as standard now, so it's safe to assume the new E400EVs will be 4.2M.
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