GaryMcEwan
Established Member
I might be wrong I’m sure Stagecoach’s new E400MMCs are ‘Smart Hybrid’ which has tiny electric motor to give it a bit more oomph when it pulls away.
As for First’s I’m sure they’re just bog standard diesel.
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First Scotland East (Midland Bluebird and West Lothian operations)
- Thread starter GusB
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I might be wrong I’m sure Stagecoach’s new E400MMCs are ‘Smart Hybrid’ which has tiny electric motor to give it a bit more oomph when it pulls away.
As for First’s I’m sure they’re just bog standard diesel.
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Lothianbus703
Member
Are there enough MMCs to replace omnidekkas?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
If you look up the Glasgow thread, there's just 8 going across to dislodge a similar number of Omnidekkas from front line service
Lothianbus703
Member
I thought the presidents would be replaced instead.
cnjb8
Established Member
The OmniDekkas are extremely prone to corrosion, non-standard, and Scanias are notoriously difficult to get spare parts for.
stevenedin
Member
Are they getting scrapped or moved elsewhere?
I think that First got the extra features so that the buses would qualify for enhanced Bus Service Operators Grant, and they received funding from the Scottish Government towards these features. That was why they got 150 new buses one financial year before the grant was reduced after that date to only 5 years timeline.
CBlue
Member
At first perhaps, but drivers quickly get used to it. Stagecoach E400MMCs here also have stop start and interlocks, the latter of which is nothing new - some operators were specifying that on Atlanteans at the time those were produced.
overthewater
Established Member
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From Monday Falkirk Area operations are nearly back to normal expect for:
* Service No1 which will be every 30mins
* No3/4 which will be hourly each but off set with No2
* X38 still being every 30mins:
www.firstbus.co.uk
How close is any of the depots to fully restoring the routes?
* Service No1 which will be every 30mins
* No3/4 which will be hourly each but off set with No2
* X38 still being every 30mins:
Falkirk Service changes 7th February | South East and Central Scotland | First Bus
Selected Services will change from Monday 7th February. From 7th February 2022, services in the Falkirk area, operated by our Larbert Depot will return to their pre Christmas timetables with selected services operating amended timetables.
How close is any of the depots to fully restoring the routes?
stevenedin
Member
65746 is on the X24 to West Lothian is it a transfer or on loan?
AndrewTaylor95
Member
69115 is on loan from Midland as well.
There's definitely still major issues with driver shortages in Stirling, Falkirk and West Lothian going by the Twitter lately and I'd imagine they're not communicating every cancellation going by the responses. At what point do First ditch the areas to focus on Aberdeen and Greater Glasgow?
The can't find drivers for normal services that people need but they seem to be able to find them for a pointless open-top tour service... It just shows how much First actually cares.
To be fair if it makes them money it's the right move given the whole aim of the business. That's also why I've said what I did regarding pulling out etc.
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
The can't find drivers for normal services that people need but they seem to be able to find them for a pointless open-top tour service... It just shows how much First actually cares.
Its all a financial money game for them, only that.
Its all a financial money game for them, only that.
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Bluebirdscot66
Member
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- 19 Jun 2018
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- 224
Some days it’s not just driver shortage the problem can be with a shortage of fit buses .
I've definitely seen a lot of online mentions of that lately to be fair. I'm not a regular to anywhere First operate except Glasgow and Lanarkshire really but even maintenance is definitely an issue at times currently with a lot of buses hitting a bad age at once
Age isn't the issue. It's First's bare minimum maintenance standards and nothing else.
Stan Drews
Established Member
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- 5 Jun 2013
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- 1,577
That’s a fairly basic principal of all businesses, regardless of size or ownership!
stevenedin
Member
Now that First Scotland East have been getting some buses from Glasgow, does anyone know which Scania Omnidekkas have been withdrawn? Also are they being scrapped or transferred elsewhere?
ScotRail158725
Established Member
- Joined
- 27 Nov 2018
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- 2,175
None withdrawn yet, id be surprised if any end up anywhere other than scrap
stevenedin
Member
Thanks
Jordan Adam
Established Member
Likewise, i'd hate to see the condition of some of them underneath now given many of them (notably 36018 & 36022) were having major corrosion issues as early as 2010. The sister batch 36001-6 were all withdrawn in early 2020 for the same reason i believe.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
They were though 36001/4 did end up with Connexions of Tockwith for further service. The Scottish ones may be well worked but don't know if they had the hammer of the Dorset ones!
Jordan Adam
Established Member
Ex-Unilink 39303 has now been repainted in to the 38 livery.
ScotRail158725
Established Member
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- 27 Nov 2018
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39301-303 getting 38 branding. 39304/05 are the only ones to get X10 brandingEx-Unilink 39303 has now been repainted in to the 38 livery.
stevenedin
Member
Looks great
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
We’d be here all day discussing regime at this company.
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