Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

[Jordan Adam]

According to the Lothian Vehicle Finder, bus 1094 has been working the Tram route today (https://lvf.io/#LRT|History 1094) (I've attached a screenshot from earlier on as well, in case the website changes; see the fourth row from the bottom). I assume this is just a case of one of the trackers malfunctioning? Or has 1094 actually been working the tram route* today?
*Obviously the roads adjacent to the route, stopping at the nearest bus stop to each tram stop - although the idea of an XLB being driven along the tram tracks is entertaining!

I think i saw a photo somewhere of one of the XLBs with train wheels passing Edinburgh Park.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Speaking of XLB’s I’ve noticed 1116 has apparently not been out since February, anyone know if it’s a broken AVL or long term maintenance?

A handful of buses seem to have been repositioned for the changes, 453-455 look to have ended up at Musselburgh. 34, 35 and 50 appear to be working from Central now as well.

Guessing any other additional workings will be made up by using the existing buses that don’t always get out (B5TL’s etc).

 

[ScotRail158725]

Speaking of XLB’s I’ve noticed 1116 has apparently not been out since February, anyone know if it’s a broken AVL or long term maintenance?

A handful of buses seem to have been repositioned for the changes, 453-455 look to have ended up at Musselburgh. 34, 35 and 50 appear to be working from Central now as well.

Guessing any other additional workings will be made up by using the existing buses that don’t always get out (B5TL’s etc).

1116 was rear ended on york place by a coach hence why its off the road

 

[OmniCity999]

Speaking of XLB’s I’ve noticed 1116 has apparently not been out since February, anyone know if it’s a broken AVL or long term maintenance?

A handful of buses seem to have been repositioned for the changes, 453-455 look to have ended up at Musselburgh. 34, 35 and 50 appear to be working from Central now as well.

Guessing any other additional workings will be made up by using the existing buses that don’t always get out (B5TL’s etc).

Throughout the lockdown theres been a few B8Ls off the road. Everythings just being rotated. Although 1116 was rear ended.

 

[CN04NRJ]

Speaking of XLB’s I’ve noticed 1116 has apparently not been out since February, anyone know if it’s a broken AVL or long term maintenance?

A handful of buses seem to have been repositioned for the changes, 453-455 look to have ended up at Musselburgh. 34, 35 and 50 appear to be working from Central now as well.

Guessing any other additional workings will be made up by using the existing buses that don’t always get out (B5TL’s etc).

Some of the 47-s are also out as of yesterday. Not sure if there's anything else, some of the 40-/41 B5TLs are appearing on Edinburgh Transport Visualiser as back at Longstone but I'm not sure how accurate that website is. It shows 825 at Central for example but it's definitely parked at Longstone.

Would be nice to see some of the B9TLs back out again though!

 

[OmniCity999]

Some of the 47-s are also out as of yesterday. Not sure if there's anything else, some of the 40-/41 B5TLs are appearing on Edinburgh Transport Visualiser as back at Longstone but I'm not sure how accurate that website is. It shows 825 at Central for example but it's definitely parked at Longstone.

The tracking system we use is very antiquated in comparison to others. Sometimes if a vehicle is switched off at one depot then driven to another, the tracker remains at the previous location. Central is also where the tracker workshop is so 826 may have had its tracker removed for some reason.

The website and tracking services are extremely accurate, they are considered as the best as they come, however if you're using out of date hardware on the vehicles themselves and around the city, the tracking system itself is only as good as the hardware used.

Update the hardware, the software will show the correct information.

 

[CN04NRJ]

The tracking system we use is very antiquated in comparison to others. Sometimes if a vehicle is switched off at one depot then driven to another, the tracker remains at the previous location. Central is also where the tracker workshop is so 826 may have had its tracker removed for some reason.

The website and tracking services are extremely accurate, they are considered as the best as they come, however if you're using out of date hardware on the vehicles themselves and around the city, the tracking system itself is only as good as the hardware used.

Update the hardware, the software will show the correct information.

Thanks for the detailed explanation, I was wondering why there was sometimes discrepancies between tracking websites and reality.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Since the 4 has been extended and the old Oxgangs Terminus is being brought back. Does anyone know if the XLB’s can manage the turn at Oxgangs Bank properly?

 

[OmniCity999]

Since the 4 has been extended and the old Oxgangs Terminus is being brought back. Does anyone know if the XLB’s can manage the turn at Oxgangs Bank properly?

Yes.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Since the 4 has been extended and the old Oxgangs Terminus is being brought back. Does anyone know if the XLB’s can manage the turn at Oxgangs Bank properly?

if XLBs are running it then quite obviously they can

 

[computerSaysNo]

Is anyone able to supply a list of all the batches of vehicles which have previously been used on the Airlink 100 (along with which ones had tables installed)?

 

[OmniCity999]

Is anyone able to supply a list of all the batches of vehicles which have previously been used on the Airlink 100 (along with which ones had tables installed)?

426-437, now split between being Skylink branded and main fleet branded, were the last batch to have tables, which were removed during their refresh.

Attached is my friends fleet list which details ex Airlink vehicles.

www.shorturl.at/cflJ9

Quick Breakdown:

426, 428 - 430 - were repainted and internally refreshed into regular fleet colours. Gaining bandit screens too.They also gained the info screens in the upper deck front window.
427 - remained with Airlink for longer. it eventually got repainted and kept its luggage racks and tables, but had new seat fabrics. Gaining bandit screens too. Never received the info screens in the upper deck front window. I believe it has since lost its tables.
431 - 437 - internally refreshed and joining Skylink in their colours, gaining bandit screens. Never received the info screens in the upper deck front window.
496 - 510 - were rebranded as Skylink and kept their Airlink interiors.
571 - 578 - (Skylink) were repainted into Lothian Country colours but kept their small racks.
579 - 590 - (Skylink) were repainted into fleet colours and kept their small racks.
937 - 950 - were repainted and internally refreshed including new floors and seat coverings, keeping their tables and gaining bandit screens - transferred to the earlier incarnation of Lothian Country Buses, then becoming East Coast Buses, then renumbered 20937-20950, 20942, currently off road due to serious altercation with bridge. They soon lost their bandit screens, but keeping their cloud ceilings.
985 - 999 - repainted into Lothian Buses colours, losing their tables, but retaining their real leather seats and luggage racks. Gaining bandit screens too. Since all sold. 989 caught alight after refrub and was taken out of service in 2012, but returned in 2016, having lost its coach seats and luggage racks, being sold a short while later.

I'm sure someone else can help with the Tridents and previous

 

[ScotRail158725]

Is anyone able to supply a list of all the batches of vehicles which have previously been used on the Airlink 100 (along with which ones had tables installed)?

some of the F regs, 541-545 (V Reg), 601-605 (51 Reg), 662-666 (04 Reg), 985-999 (57/06 reg), 937-940 (10 Reg), 426-427 (15 reg), 496-510 (17 reg), 1126-1140 (19 reg)
believe the 51/04 reg tridents, 10 plate B9s and 15 plate B5s were the only ones with tables. the 10 reg B9s and 427 still retain their tables

 

[ScotRail158725]

426-437, now split between being Skylink branded and main fleet branded, were the last batch to have tables, which were removed during their refresh.

Attached is my friends fleet list which details ex Airlink vehicles.



Quick Breakdown:

426, 428 - 430 - were repainted and internally refreshed into regular fleet colours. Gaining bandit screens too.They also gained the info screens in the upper deck front window.
427 - remained with Airlink for longer. it eventually got repainted and kept its luggage racks and tables, but had new seat fabrics. Gaining bandit screens too. Never received the info screens in the upper deck front window. I believe it has since lost its tables.
431 - 437 - internally refreshed and joining Skylink in their colours, gaining bandit screens. Never received the info screens in the upper deck front window.
496 - 510 - were rebranded as Skylink and kept their Airlink interiors.
571 - 578 - (Skylink) were repainted into Lothian Country colours but kept their small racks.
579 - 590 - (Skylink) were repainted into fleet colours and kept their small racks.
937 - 950 - were repainted and internally refreshed including new floors and seat coverings, keeping their tables and gaining bandit screens - transferred to the earlier incarnation of Lothian Country Buses, then becoming East Coast Buses, then renumbered 20937-20950, 20942, currently off road due to serious altercation with bridge. They soon lost their tables and bandit screens, but keeping their cloud ceilings.
985 - 999 - repainted into Lothian Buses colours, losing their tables, but retaining their real leather seats and luggage racks. Gaining bandit screens too. Since all sold. 989 caught alight after refrub and was taken out of service in 2012, but returned in 2016, having lost its coach seats and luggage racks, being sold a short while later.

I'm sure someone else can help with the Tridents and previous

the ECB B9s still have their tables

 

[OmniCity999]

the ECB B9s still have their tables

Apologies, believe i removed a set out of one of them leading me to believe they were all on the way out.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Apologies, believe i removed a set out of one of them leading me to believe they were all on the way out.

aye, looking at them all 20947 doesnt have any tables now.
id also guess that 20942 will return without. its tables?

 

[Edirim]

427 still has its tables. At least it did when I was last on it in early March

 

[scotrail158713]

Not sure what ones but ECB definitely have a couple of that don’t have tables

 

[computerSaysNo]

Not sure what ones but ECB definitely have a couple of that don’t have tables

This was going to be my next question, why were the tables removed from all the vehicles going to City, and some going to East Coast, but not all?

 

[DunsBus]

some of the F regs, 541-545 (V Reg), 601-605 (51 Reg), 662-666 (04 Reg), 985-999 (57/06 reg), 937-940 (10 Reg), 426-427 (15 reg), 496-510 (17 reg), 1126-1140 (19 reg)
believe the 51/04 reg tridents, 10 plate B9s and 15 plate B5s were the only ones with tables. the 10 reg B9s and 427 still retain their tables

The F-reg Olympian coaches didn't get the tables until later in their lives - around 2000.

 

[OmniCity999]

This was going to be my next question, why were the tables removed from all the vehicles going to City, and some going to East Coast, but not all?

Because their non standard in the fleet basically.

If one is broken, we dont stock any in spares to replace so the bus would have to be off the road for a longer period of time. Hence why some in East Coast have been removed. One was damaged so they were both just removed. Their non-essential.

The key is to have standardised fleet. The view is either very bus has them or none of them does. The ones that have them will only have them until their damaged and removed.

 

[alexf380]

I think even the standard fleet W/X reg Tridents had tables when new back in 2000. Most likely they were removed as they were converted to single door?

 

[ScotRail158725]

I think even the standard fleet W/X reg Tridents had tables when new back in 2000. Most likely they were removed as they were converted to single door?

aye i think so

 

[alchemy]

572 (heritage trident) has tables.

 

[Graeme Duncan]

Tridents 629-633 53 Reg previously 657-661 were also used on the airlink as were 539-540 V Reg plus 546-549 W Reg.

 

[pgfb1306]

Don't forget 432 (P432 PSX) was part of the pool of vehicles when 539-545 were delivered.

Lothian Region Transport - Airlink 432 (P432 KSX), 1996 Vo… | Flickr

www.flickr.com

And 431 (P431 PSX) was the spare!!

 

[CN04NRJ]

421 is now at Central, only seen that one there in person and according to the tracker there's some other Longstone buses there too (13 and 32). Guessing there might be another rotation soon?

 

[OmniCity999]

421 is now at Central, only seen that one there in person and according to the tracker there's some other Longstone buses there too (13 and 32). Guessing there might be another rotation soon?

Believe it's just "rolling" rotations now, buses being swapped out as and when.

 

[CN04NRJ]

Believe it's just "rolling" rotations now, buses being swapped out as and when.

Do you know if there's any plans to put the B9TLs into the rotation, either soon or at the next service change?

 

[OmniCity999]

Do you know if there's any plans to put the B9TLs into the rotation, either soon or at the next service change?

Not that im aware of. Believe the idea is to have the newest vehicles out, down to emissions. If the Euro 6 fleet is out it looks good on the company.

It's also a case of breakdowns, im not necessarily saying its correct, but from the view point of line managers having the newest out means theres less chance of a breakdown. Less chance of a breakdown means less chance of calling recovery or having extra staff in for maintenance or heavy engineering.

It's a sound idea, but any vehicle can breakdown, even brand new ones.