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Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

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overthewater

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If the 45 is needed for the schools then lothian could still bring it back next week.

Yes 101 has never stoped running.
 
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CN04NRJ

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12, 36 and 42 all running with mainly singles today. Interesting to note all the traditional single deck routes that were deemed critical services - 1, 2, 24 etc (obvs minus 20 and 63 due to contract spec, and the 30 and 38 due to bridges) are running with Doubles, the others are not

571-578 are back out with LC and 451-465 are now at Central. 841-850 appear to have started heading to LC permanently with them having AVL’s fitted and some also repainted.

Yes, PVR of 36 allocated single decks from Longstone and 40 single decks total at Longstone. Obviously just my opinion but seems like an optimistic spare margin there. Hopefully they'll bring up some of the 13 plate B7RLEs but seems unlikely.
 

Lothian_Bus

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12, 36 and 42 all running with mainly singles today. Interesting to note all the traditional single deck routes that were deemed critical services - 1, 2, 24 etc (obvs minus 20 and 63 due to contract spec, and the 30 and 38 due to bridges) are running with Doubles, the others are not

571-578 are back out with LC and 451-465 are now at Central. 841-850 appear to have started heading to LC permanently with them having AVL’s fitted and some also repainted.
Can we assume that 451-465 will soon move back to Longstone - as well as 441-450 at some point. Longstone is operating with pretty much all the old stock at the moment - I would imagine for example that service 22 will get it's usual fleet back now they have returned from LC. I note 467-469 have also returned.
 

tramboy

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And the Welsh ones were specified and paid for by the Welsh Government. I've been told by a reliable source that if they were purchasing their own vehicles they would have been 6 cylinder full length MMCs.

Apologies - missed this on Sunday. The first choice in my understanding would have been Scania/E300s to maintain fleet standardisation - as those are no longer available, other heavyweight chassis were then considered. The interior specification is that of Welsh Gov't.

Looks like we'll have to wait and see what turns up at Lothian!
 

CN04NRJ

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Can we assume that 451-465 will soon move back to Longstone - as well as 441-450 at some point. Longstone is operating with pretty much all the old stock at the moment - I would imagine for example that service 22 will get it's usual fleet back now they have returned from LC. I note 467-469 have also returned.

451-465 are all running out of Central.
 

TheEastCoaster

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Prentice is due to extend the 118 to the Royal Infirmary giving a link via the Wisp for the first time since Eve ran up that way
 

CN04NRJ

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Yes I was just wondering when they would go back to Longstone to operate on service 22 again.

I'm wondering that too, I would have thought they'd have come back to Longstone too but instead we have all of the dual door Marine B9s now. Perhaps these allocations may be more permanent than originally thought?
 

ALADOU47

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I'm wondering that too, I would have thought they'd have come back to Longstone too but instead we have all of the dual door Marine B9s now. Perhaps these allocations may be more permanent than originally thought?
I hope not. These dual door B9s are rubbish and the cabs are far too small.
 
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CN04NRJ

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I hope not. These dual door B9s are rubbish and the cabs are far too small.

I prefer driving the dual doors to the LXZ batch, they've got a little more room I find. Have you driven 1024 yet? That's got even less space than the rest - I'm 6' and average build and can barely fit in it, I do feel sorry for some of the larger drivers. Apparently when they were new to First in London they had seatbelts fitted - hence why the seat base is further forward than it should be.

That saying, I do like the short wheelbase on them for some of the tighter parts of the 36/2.
 

FlybeDash8Q400

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I'm wondering that too, I would have thought they'd have come back to Longstone too but instead we have all of the dual door Marine B9s now. Perhaps these allocations may be more permanent than originally thought?
I just think they simply don’t have the time to be moving stuff around constantly atmo. Whilst it’d be nice to see vehicles at normal depots I expect the buses to remain out of place for quite some time yet.

The shorter ex London B9TL’s are arguably better at Longstone atmo anyway running the 2, 36 etc. However they’d be ideal for central for the 24, 42, 48. Basically the routes that are normally single decks that can run with doubles.
 

CN04NRJ

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I just think they simply don’t have the time to be moving stuff around constantly atmo. Whilst it’d be nice to see vehicles at normal depots I expect the buses to remain out of place for quite some time yet.

The shorter ex London B9TL’s are arguably better at Longstone atmo anyway running the 2, 36 etc. However they’d be ideal for central for the 24, 42, 48. Basically the routes that are normally single decks that can run with doubles.

Agreed. The 36 is allocated singles at the moment, understandably as it's very quiet at the moment. Although the last two days has seen at least 2 doubles allocated from the start with more going on there to swap buses off onto the 30/38 as needed.

I can see it (hopefully) going back to doubles when the schools/universities return.
 

Lothian_Bus

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I'm wondering that too, I would have thought they'd have come back to Longstone too but instead we have all of the dual door Marine B9s now. Perhaps these allocations may be more permanent than originally thought?
Even some of 551-570 are still at Central as well as 401-430.
 

OmniCity999

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5 X Vanhool bodied Volvo's also departed Lothian today for Tyrers, not the "heritage" one. With talk of some Gemini Bodied B7's joining.

Images and videos available on Social Media of them leaving Marine.

That's the vast amount of wheelchair accessible vehicles from Lothian Motorcoaches gone.

5 X (used) Panther 3's in ADL storage down south destined for Lothian apparently. All short wheelbase.
 

CN04NRJ

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5 X Vanhool bodied Volvo's also departed Lothian today for Tyrers, not the "heritage" one. With talk of some Gemini Bodied B7's joining.

Images and videos available on Social Media of them leaving Marine.

That's the vast amount of wheelchair accessible vehicles from Lothian Motorcoaches gone.

5 X (used) Panther 3's in ADL storage down south destined for Lothian apparently. All short wheelbase.

Obvious question - are these destined for Motorcoaches or some other type of work?

Also noted a number of debranded B7TLs in the background of the video, will any of them return to service?
 

CN04NRJ

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Would be inclined to say Motorcoaches due to the lack of wheelchair provision...

Good stuff if true, it'll shut all the doomsdayers on Facebook saying Motorcoaches is shutting down (along with the millions of other nonsense rumors about the company group).
 

OmniCity999

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Good stuff if true, it'll shut all the doomsdayers on Facebook saying Motorcoaches is shutting down (along with the millions of other nonsense rumors about the company group).

i cant see it being a prosperous future for Motorcoaches if im honest.

That being said, if independents are going out of business, it could make the operation more relevant, through other companies demise.
 

scosutsut

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Covid probably presents new opportunity for Motorcoaches, although not immediately.

Lothian should be in a position to weather the storm and be ready to pick back up again on the other side of all this, by which point smaller coach-only focused competitors may not have survived.

The repaints of 841-3 would also suggest LCB isn't going anywhere either.
 

CN04NRJ

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i cant see it being a prosperous future for Motorcoaches if im honest.

That being said, if independents are going out of business, it could make the operation more relevant, through other companies demise.

If they are bringing in those Panthers then I suppose they must see some kind of future for the company.

I can't see any kind of demand returning for day trips and tours until this time next year at least - I think 2020 and probably the first quarter at least of 2021 is a write off all around. Apart from the university shuttles, what other work did they do that's likely to return in the near term - rail replacement and so on?
 

OmniCity999

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If they are bringing in those Panthers then I suppose they must see some kind of future for the company.

I can't see any kind of demand returning for day trips and tours until this time next year at least - I think 2020 and probably the first quarter at least of 2021 is a write off all around. Apart from the university shuttles, what other work did they do that's likely to return in the near term - rail replacement and so on?

Uni contract will be run by Central for the time being.
 

Blindtraveler

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Nowhere near enough to a Pacer :(
sorry to hear about the departure of the Volvo coaches, OK they are being replaced but I had several of them on rail replacement last year and they were really good for what were in at least two cases significant distance journeys, Carlisle to Scotland and Newcastle to Scotland if memory serves. The latter being the all stops service because it was all that was around, the cross-country fast coach having departed before I was able to get on
 
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