First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[Accelerator59]

Shame. I was hoping FK might start to make their way east in the county towards Plymouth

They used to before Stagecoach took over in 2013 (I think)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

They used to before Stagecoach took over in 2013 (I think)

First sold their Plymouth and Tavistock ops to Stagecoach in 2015. The operations in the Liskeard area had been long since ceded to Western Greyhound and passed to Go Ahead in Dec 2014.

 

[MarkC]

Yes it was a shame as imo First Plymouth area services were very good. That's not to say Stagecoach services in and around the city aren't good too but they just don't have the coverage First did leaving large chunks of Ply.outh held to ransom so to speak paying rather high fares to Go Ahead whom are expensive compared to Stagecoach and their predecessor First Devon

 

[Accelerator59]

First sold their Plymouth and Tavistock ops to Stagecoach in 2015. The operations in the Liskeard area had been long since ceded to Western Greyhound and passed to Go Ahead in Dec 2014.

Knew it was somewhere in the mid 2010s.

 

[Accelerator59]

Also, would love to have seen Western Greyhounds former Solos WK58/59 in the FK fleet. Think they would of fit right in with the current fleet (and they were green) such a shame they went up North.

 

[MB162435]

Tinner 33469 on U1/U2 duties today, currently on the 13:22 U2 service from Falmouth to Redruth

 

[83G/84D]

Atlantic Coaster liveried Trident 33234 seen at Pool this morning on service T1, I wonder if there were any moans about lack of Wi-fi and phone charging points!

 

[83G/84D]

Another Eden artic has visited Camborne, 11085 seen today.

Trident 33170 seen in St Austell recently looking rather worse for wear.

 

[83G/84D]

Several open top Atlantic Coasters parked up at Camborne, 32202, 32209, 32102 and 32027. Closed top 32097 also seen on a road test.

 

[Busaholic]

Several open top Atlantic Coasters parked up at Camborne, 32202, 32209, 32102 and 32027. Closed top 32097 also seen on a road test.

On the most beautiful day of the year so far, it must have disappointed a few to find a closed top Trident on the A2 today: a disappointment of a different kind would have awaited people at Mousehole Harbour looking for an M6 that wouldn't have arrived because it was operated by another Trident.

 

[83G/84D]

On the most beautiful day of the year so far, it must have disappointed a few to find a closed top Trident on the A2 today: a disappointment of a different kind would have awaited people at Mousehole Harbour looking for an M6 that wouldn't have arrived because it was operated by another Trident.

Annoying, yes if you specifically wanted to ride an open top bus. I suppose a bus is better than no bus. Hopefully by the school holidays in a few weeks availability will be better aided by the new conversion.

 

[MB162435]

Fatal RTC outside Truro College, pedestrian struck by a car, resulting in bus services bring severely disrupted.
T1/T2 services terminating at Threemilestone.
T3 services operating a shuttle service between Threemilestone and the bus station via a diversion.
PR1/47/87 services operating diverted services

 

[MB162435]

Tinner 33469 on Falmouth P&R duties today

 

[Goldfish62]

On the most beautiful day of the year so far, it must have disappointed a few to find a closed top Trident on the A2 today: a disappointment of a different kind would have awaited people at Mousehole Harbour looking for an M6 that wouldn't have arrived because it was operated by another Trident.

If I were First Kernow I'd be concerned by the reliability of the open top B7s.

 

[andyc20050]

If I were First Kernow I'd be concerned by the reliability of the open top B7s.

Everyday last week 2 or 3 closed toppers were on the A1-A3 circuit.

 

[Busaholic]

Fatal RTC outside Truro College, pedestrian struck by a car, resulting in bus services bring severely disrupted.
T1/T2 services terminating at Threemilestone.
T3 services operating a shuttle service between Threemilestone and the bus station via a diversion.
PR1/47/87 services operating diverted services

Everything in the area disrupted all day, from soon after 10 a.m. to approx 6 p.m.
As it happens, my wife had an op booked at Treliske for 12.30, but the hospital rang at 9 a.m. to ask if she could go in at 10.30. Cue mad panic, with warning it'd probably be a little later, but at 10.30 I was at Chiverton Cross with the few minutes drive to Treliske ahead. I saw a line of traffic ahead just after the Truro College roundabout, particularly on the inner lane, and I did notice blue flashing lights further down on the opposite, westbound carriageway. There was just enough room to take the left turning through the industrial estate which leads you to virtually opposite the hospital, and its main car parks. Wrong move! The traffic there was the worst I've ever seen it, in all the decades I've been going there, stationary. I quickly u-turned to return to Tresawls Road, as I believe it's called. The inside lane inched forward, and there was 4x4 BMW stuck on top of the central reservation, just by the pelican crossing. There was plenty of time to see the activity on the westbound, which involved plenty of ordinary police, one of whom was placing a blue tape right across the carriageway beyond where the accident had obviously happened, I saw no ambulances or blood or anything like that and no obviously damaged cars. There were three non police cars which had been abandoned, but at different points on the road, which didn't look like they'd had contact with each other. My wife eventually had to get out of the car and walk, as it became evident that all westbound traffic was being sent round the Trelisle roundabout and back down into Truro, causing tailbacks from County Hall roundabout.

I decided to crawl with the rest into Truro, with a view to taking the Shortlanesend way back to the A30 and passed numerous buses, mostly T1s, T2s and T3s. At Truro station, two 87s pulled out in front of me, with one continuing into the city centre, but the other turning left at the bottom and duly preceding me non-stop through Shortlanesend. I stopped off to walk my dog up the road and was passed by a St Ives bound T2, a 47 and another Newquay bound 87. Just before I got to the A30 a convoy of T1, T2 and 47 came the other way to Truro.

I got back home after midday, with St Erth traffic lights tailbacks almost to Hayle and tuned to BBC Cornwall website where my fears were confirmed that an elderly woman had lost her life: evidently the proximity to the hospital meant the best medical personnel had been immediately available but, alas, to no avail.

In the afternoon, as i didn't know when I could collect my wife I decided to leave home at 4 p.m. in case there were still residual problems. I was behind a P&R bus going down empty from Chiverton Cross to Langarth Park, which made sense later when I heard the P&R had been suspended for hours. I was a little surprised to see the accident site still taped off with plenty of white capped traffic police in evidence (in fact, I would think the full complement for the county) and what was evidently the Merc involved in the accident still in position. Then came a shock: no traffic being allowed to turn left up towards the hospital. What was evidently happening was the well-known-to-locals back road to Treliske, which in practice is a country lane and easily overwhelmed by such events, had been swamped, partly because the A30 had also been closed between Chiverton Cross and Perranporth turn-off around 5 p.m. I managed to persuade the traffic officer that I was only desperate to get into a Treliske car park and he signalled to someone further up the line to allow me in, but the main car parks were inaccessible due to the queueing traffic meaning their occupants couldn't remove their cars. Eventually, I found somewhere to leave my car down near the Tower Block, though not strictly legally and, in the course of the next hour or so, heard various tales of the difficulties experienced by patients, their loved ones and staff throughout the day, including urgent medical supplies for operations taking place that day stuck tantalisingly a few hundred yards from where they were needed. I did though hear a heartwarming tale from an 85 year old lady whose husband was having a cancer operation in my wife's ward about the P&R driver who'd really gone out of his way to get them to as near to the hospital as possible, probably against the rules but, in life, the rules sometimes come second.

The hospital had originally been informed that the road should be reopened between 3 and 4 p.m. but that later became 7 p.m. In the event, we managed to use it at 6.15 p.m.Sorry for the length of the post, and not all about buses or bus routes, but I just want to emphasise how ludicrous it is that there is no alternative route in the area with so much housing and commercial development, including a sports stadium, planned between Truro, Threemilestone and Chiverton Cross.

 

[83G/84D]

Trident 32760 repainted and awaiting Lizard branding at Camborne in company with Eden Artic 11038. E200MMC 44970 on rail replacement service.

E400 33421 and E400MMC 33473 on Tinner services earlier today.

 

[83G/84D]

Eden artic 11041 in Camborne this morning along with Bristol VR LFJ 873W. E400 33421 on Tinner services and Mousehole Solo 53826 on a road test.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Dart 42874 is still being used, allocated to Minehead depot for their Bridgwater service in place of the usual decker.

 

[Bradley]

What route is that for at Minehead and also will it get to go to Bridgwater depot on their routes including the 21.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

What route is that for at Minehead and also will it get to go to Bridgwater depot on their routes including the 21.

As I said, it is allocated to Minehead depot for their Bridgwater service (ser 15) and whatever that vehicle does during the day - some service 14's (?) as well as being fuelled/cleaned.

 

[CD]

As I said, it is allocated to Minehead depot for their Bridgwater service (ser 15) and whatever that vehicle does during the day - some service 14's (?) as well as being fuelled/cleaned.

The 15 only runs during Bridgwater College term times. It is closed now until 2nd September. The outstationed vehicle returns to Bridgwater during the holiday and can be used on other services.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 15 only runs during Bridgwater College term times. It is closed now until 2nd September. The outstationed vehicle returns to Bridgwater during the holiday and can be used on other services.

I was chatting to the senior guy at Minehead yesterday (he was fuelling the buses ready for Monday when I popped round) and said it was theirs for the time being. Mind you, from that I assumed it was til mid July.

Apparently, the drivers absolutely love it (in comparison to the decker).

Bit off topic but Taunton were using 44078 (I think) on 28s whilst the e300s were being used on the 22!

 

[83G/84D]

Open top 32102, 32103, 32104 and 32207 in Camborne depot this morning.

 

[83G/84D]

I have been using a day ticket to travel on some of the First Kernow network today. I will spare you all the details however this is a summary of my travels followed by vehicles seen:-


Camborne – Truro College / Treliske – Truro – St Austell – Newquay – Truro – Falmouth – Redruth – Camborne.

Buses seen (service numbers in brackets):-

Camborne

42558, 53252, 32103, 23208, 33452, 33468, 30878, 33462 (T1), 32102, 33460 & 32755.

On the way to Treliske

33467 (T1), 53256 (L1), 33463 (T2), 33453 (T1), 33318 (87), 33469 (T2), 64052 (PR1) & 33467 (T2).

Truro College / Treliske

64050 (PR1), 44967 (233), 64053 (PR1), 33316 (216), 33451 (240), 68301 (227), 68513 (217A), 33155 (214), 33321 (217), 33153, 33148 (235), 65055 (PR1), 33143 (215), 33230 (231), 64057 (PR1), 32756 (230), 33164 (231), 33320 (225), 42558 (243), 33067 (241), 33454 (T1), 33233 (T1), 33420 (238), 33459 (239), 33465 (239), 33236 (223), 33319 (224), 20801 (211), 33174 (213), 33127 (234), 64051 (PR1), 37176, 44966 (47), 33181 (219), 33125 (212), 33068 (228), 64054 (PR1), 33450 (T2).

On the way to Truro

33462 (T1), 64052 (PR1), 33318 (87) & 33456.

Truro

331?? (222) (Vamooz c/s), 64050 (PR1), 33310 (27), 33459 (T1), 33454 (T2), 33320 (86), 33476 (U1), 33317 (93), 42558 (47).

On the way to St Austell

64057 (PR1), 44962 (95), 53862 (22), 53865 (51), 33308 (27).

St Austell

44958 (25), 44918 (21), 33236, 37176, 44954 (24), 33316, 53864 (22), 44959 (101), 44964 (102), 44963 (30), 33174, 44921 (24), 33311 (27), 33303 (21), 53861 (25), 33308 (27).

On the way to Newquay

44957 (25) & 33310 (91) .

Summercourt depot

33143, 33304, 33147, 33141, 33176, 37175, 44961 & 33175.

Newquay

37177 (91), 33173 (A5), 37178 (85), 33312 (87), 33303 (21), 33313 (85), 33321, 68568, 53861 (58), 33002 (87/91), 33181, 33306 (21), 33309 (87), 33306 (21), 33317 (86) & 33318 (91).



On the way to Truro

44918 (21), 33002 (91) & 33168 (93).

Truro

64051 (PR1), 64056 (PR1), 20556, 53862 (50), 33450, 33470 (U1), 33319 (87), 42563, 33463 (T2), 33318 (91), 33467, 53865 (50), 65053 (PR1), 33111.

On the way to Falmouth

23313, 33477 (U1), 44967, 33474 (U1), 33476 (U1) & 33472 (U2).

Falmouth

33471 (U1), 33475 (Park & Ride / float), 33477 (U2), 44968 (69A), 33473 (U1), 44919 (35A), 44920 (35) & 33474 (U2).

On the way to Camborne via Redruth

33472 (U2), 33230 (231), 33164, 33153 (231), 33477 (U2), 53801 (46), 33233 (T1), 33461 (T2), 33455 (T1), 532?? (46) & 33001.

Camborne

53704, 44969, 30879, 33464, 33460, 33452, 30878, 53803, 33127, 34258, 42559, 42562, 33476, 68503, 33467 (T1) & 44966.

 

[The_BigO]

Does anybody know whats going on with 33031?
Noone seems to have seen it, hasnt been used at all since 19th of last month according to bustimes

 

[83G/84D]

Eden artic 11087 in Camborne first thing today and E400 33422 being readied for a stint on Tinner services.

 

[MB162435]

Uni MMC 33478 on the 19:05 T1 service from Truro to Camborne, currently running 13 minutes late

 

[Bazer]

37177 working on PR1 in Truro this afternoon

 

[cnjb8]

37177 working on PR1 in Truro this afternoon

I thought it was undergoing a refurb or is this a very recent transfer?