First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[vla50]

Any updates on the fabled Mousehole Sprinters?

And the Glasgow B9s meant to transfer down

 

[Goldfish62]

Any updates on the fabled Mousehole Sprinters?

They got lost on their way through Europe and were last seen in Outer Mongolia.

 

[stuu]

An update is that both Saturday & Sunday the 0830, 0930, 1030 , 1340, 1600 & 1640 Exmoor Coaster failed to run due to driver sickness (some route 28 services were also cancelled which must have caused issues with Butlins changeover loadings) but at least the 1515 off Ilfracombe was sensibly held at Lynmouth (thus 1640 was cancelled) for 52 minutes to cover the 1710 service which is the final Blue Anchor service.

There was also a bad collision between Minehead and Dunster which closed the road for some time and led to long delays for hours. Anyone foolish enough to not check before driving to Minehead (me) would have been caught in it. My first inkling something was wrong was two 28s going past a couple of minutes apart, and then a third a little while later. About the worst place it could happen, with no sensible diversion

 

[henryb]

The Dartmoor Explorer has been removed from the adventures by bus website…
Also seen a report on a private Facebook group I can’t share that the trees are too low for double decker to run. Is this the end?

 

[Goldfish62]

The Dartmoor Explorer has been removed from the adventures by bus website…
Also seen a report on a private Facebook group I can’t share that the trees are too low for double decker to run. Is this the end?

It's supposed to be starting on Sunday!

 

[richw]

It's supposed to be starting on Sunday!

Having spoke to former colleagues this week, it will be operated single decker. 53256 is currently in Plymouth.
Timetable has been put up on stand A8 on Royal Parade Plymouth

 

[fgwrich]

Having spoke to former colleagues this week, it will be operated single decker. 53256 is currently in Plymouth.
Timetable has been put up on stand A8 on Royal Parade Plymouth

That’s a shame if it is being allowed to sink down to a Solo, though based on the previous rather naff timetable and loadings I’m not surprised. But one of the selling points of the deckers was the increased views they offered.

 

[Peter Philips]

That’s a shame if it is being allowed to sink down to a Solo, though based on the previous rather naff timetable and loadings I’m not surprised. But one of the selling points of the deckers was the increased views they offered.

Indeed the identical former Transmoor supported route 82 degenerating to just smaller single-decks due to the inability of Devon County Council to get the trees trimmed led to a significant fall in loadings before the route was totally withdrawn.

 

[Goldfish62]

Having spoke to former colleagues this week, it will be operated single decker. 53256 is currently in Plymouth.
Timetable has been put up on stand A8 on Royal Parade Plymouth

Thanks.

There are one or two unbranded Solos around. At least get some sort of route branding on them.

 

[Andyh82]

Thanks.

There are one or two unbranded Solos around. At least get some sort of route branding on them.

This is First South West - they’ll use a Lizard one!

 

[Goldfish62]

This is First South West - they’ll use a Lizard one!

Or the one remaining Mousehole Solo - that'll expire in the middle of nowhere.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2023 ==

I went on the route in October and a tree issue was evident then at the eastern end of the route.

I guess that because it's National Park territory FSW can't just use their tree lopper?

 

[Snozzel]

Or the one remaining Mousehole Solo - that'll expire in the middle of nowhere.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2023 ==

I went on the route in October and a tree issue was evident then at the eastern end of the route.

I guess that because it's National Park territory FSW can't just use their tree lopper?

Fsw have retired the tree operation due to the red tape and expense involved according to a management source.

 

[Goldfish62]

Fsw have retired the tree operation due to the red tape and expense involved according to a management source.

A great shame, but understandable. A double whammy with cash-strapped local authorities not prioritising tree lopping.

 

[Busaholic]

Or the one remaining Mousehole Solo - that'll expire in the middle of nowhere.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2023 ==

I went on the route in October and a tree issue was evident then at the eastern end of the route.

I guess that because it's National Park territory FSW can't just use their tree lopper?

The one remaining Mousehole Solo did something today it may never have done before and came down Chapel Street in Penzance in service! It decided to do this as a Gay Pride march/rally was coming up Market Jew Street just as the bus wanted to go down, so to avoid blocking the road outside Lloyd's Bank for a few minutes the driver did a sensible thing, but not sure passengers wanting to get off in MJS would agree. So, a hybrid variation of the Mousehole utilising both Alverton Street and Ross Bridge!

 

[richw]

This is First South West - they’ll use a Lizard one!

53256 which is in Plymouth is the sole remaining Lizard branded one that hasn’t lost its vinyls

 

[Fin447]

What's the plan for Lizard liveried vehicles now? They could probably just put standard Kernow vinyls on as the colours are relatively similar.

 

[Goldfish62]

What's the plan for Lizard liveried vehicles now? They could probably just put standard Kernow vinyls on as the colours are relatively similar.

There are rumours circulating that First is going back to a standard national livery, something different to Olympia / Urban, so maybe not worth doing anything at the moment.

 

[richw]

something different to Olympia / Urban,

The rumour I heard was the green version of urban seen in several opcos ‘upcountry’

 

[Andyh82]

There are rumours circulating that First is going back to a standard national livery, something different to Olympia / Urban, so maybe not worth doing anything at the moment.

I doubt they are planning on repainting any Lizard buses in any case, most have only recently been done

 

[Peter Philips]

Having spoke to former colleagues this week, it will be operated single decker. 53256 is currently in Plymouth.
Timetable has been put up on stand A8 on Royal Parade Plymouth

According to tracking at 09:40 the Plymouth working is indeed only a Solo (Lizard 53256) but the Exeter one is still a double decker (Dartmoor Gemini 37019)

UPDATE tracking shows 37019 returned to its Exeter base having only ventured as far as Exeter Services, before tracking back to Exeter Services for a second time & then Exeter bus station for a 28 minute late start (not great). I wonder if there was a vehicle and or ticket machine swap with something running dead from Taunton or is Exeter running a double decker and Plymouth only a Solo (which wouldn't make sense), any observations on the ground?

 

[richw]

According to tracking at 09:40 the Plymouth working is indeed only a Solo (Lizard 53256) but the Exeter one is still a double decker (Dartmoor Gemini 37019), why?

As has been discussed here many times before, when using a Taunton vehicle on Dartmoor it has to be programmed as a Kernow vehicle on Ticketer, using a Cornish ticket machine. I'm led to believe it’s 47543

 

[Goldfish62]

The rumour I heard was the green version of urban seen in several opcos ‘upcountry’

I've also heard that it's a version of what's used on the Leicester electrics, but not necessarily green.

 

[Peter Philips]

As has been discussed here many times before, when using a Taunton vehicle on Dartmoor it has to be programmed as a Kernow vehicle on Ticketer, using a Cornish ticket machine. I'm led to believe it’s 47543

So Somerset Taunton Town Bus & Cornwall Lizard liveries gracing Devon's Dartmoor then!

 

[richw]

Yep, screenshot attached from Facebook closed group, confirming solo and streetlite alongside each other at mortonhampstead

 

[M803UYA]

Yep, screenshot attached from Facebook closed group, confirming solo and streetlite alongside each other at mortonhampstead

That's impressive. A whole raft of Devonian's learning about Taunton's Town buses

 

[richw]

That's impressive. A whole raft of Devonian's learning about Taunton's Town buses

And the Lizard

 

[henryb]

Did the Streetlite run more than 1 journey today? It only tracked for one

 

[richw]

Did the Streetlite run more than 1 journey today? It only tracked for one

It did Exeter - Plymouth - Exeter - Plymouth. Driver reported issues with the ticket machine programming not having the latter journeys programmed

 

[henryb]

It did Exeter - Plymouth - Exeter - Plymouth. Driver reported issues with the ticket machine programming not having the latter journeys programmed

Oh cool. Thanks. So do the vehicles switch outstations each day then?

 

[M803UYA]

And the Lizard

Up there with the Scania/Wright Solar's which ran the 21 for over a year in 2018/9 advertising spectacular views of the Cornish coast, from Bridgwater and Taunton.....

If you can see the Cornish coast that far away, it is indeed spectacular