Stagecoach North West Discussion

[jonesy3001]

They have hybrids transferred from Manchester for a sellafield contract, being used in Morecambe for now.
15699 is the scania in lakes colours.

 

[Aaron Ashton]

Couple of recent oddities
MX14 registered double decker in Manchester green on the Lancaster-Morecambe 6A on saturday. From memory the green painted lakes-based buses formerly used on the 555 were older?
And this morning a PX60 (or possibly PN60) plated double decker in what appeared to be a new variant of the blue/green lakes livery on the Preston-Morecambe 41

Those green Enviros are hybrids from Manchester, 12206-13 (MX13FLN/P/R/V/W/Z/FNJ/K) they are due to go for the Sellafield contract eventually, I'm guessing Morecambe are using them to maintain some capacity (Those former Lakes buses are 61 plates). The PX60 in the Lake livery is 15699 (PX60BFE) which is going to cover one of the SN16 Lakes Connection buses to go to Kendal. =)

 

[randyrippley]

It will be interesting to see how well the hybrids cope with Hala hill

 

[py_megapixel]

Couple of recent oddities
MX14 registered double decker in Manchester green on the Lancaster-Morecambe 6A on saturday. From memory the green painted lakes-based buses formerly used on the 555 were older?

I believe so. I think they might have been Alexander-Dennis ALX400s.
They've now been replaced with E400MMCs between Windermere and Keswick, and open-top Wrights between Bowness and Grasmere.

Someone will have to confirm or deny the above as it's all from memory.

 

[BradK2017]

37009

I believe so. I think they might have been Alexander-Dennis ALX400s.
They've now been replaced with E400MMCs between Windermere and Keswick, and open-top Wrights between Bowness and Grasmere.

Someone will have to confirm or deny the above as it's all from memory.

Think its the PX61 batch of Scania/Enviro 400s you might be thinking of in the green livery,when new carrying the Freedom of the Lakes branding before being updated with the Lakes Connection branding:
Freedom Of Lakes Branding: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cainebj/6268988627

Lakes Connection: https://www.flickr.com/photos/40466270@N07/14135637298

 

[randyrippley]

Think its the PX61 batch of Scania/Enviro 400s you might be thinking of in the green livery,when new carrying the Freedom of the Lakes branding before being updated with the Lakes Connection branding:
Freedom Of Lakes Branding: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cainebj/6268988627

Lakes Connection: https://www.flickr.com/photos/40466270@N07/14135637298

there were also a small number of older buses used as backup to that fleet, painted much the same as the green manchester ones. A few were still in use at Barrow and Kendal last year

 

[jonesy3001]

They've been painted back into the old swoops livery

 

[Blindtraveler]

About time surely for another fleet replacement on the 555?
in my head it should have been roughly this year but imagine it's been cancelled or delayed due to the virus

 

[py_megapixel]

About time surely for another fleet replacement on the 555?
in my head it should have been roughly this year but imagine it's been cancelled or delayed due to the virus

The 555 got brand new E400s not too long ago (assuming you mean the Keswick-Grasmere-Windermere bus). I don't think they're due for replacement yet.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 555 got brand new E400s not too long ago (assuming you mean the Keswick-Grasmere-Windermere bus). I don't think they're due for replacement yet.

Aren’t they 2016 e400mmc so would’ve been 2021-ish for replacement?

 

[py_megapixel]

Aren’t they 2016 e400mmc so would’ve been 2021-ish for replacement?

Sounds about right. So next year then, not this year

 

[randyrippley]

Another Stagecoach oddity in Preston today. Enviro200 on a Leyland service.
All-white body, cab had a blue front. Rear third of the body had yellow, green and blue swirls, one of each together making a circle. The blue appeared to be the same as that used on Preston buses new Wright double deckers (the paler of the two blues).
To put it bluntly, it looked cheap and tacky like something off a circus clown car. I hope its not the new corporate livery

 

[py_megapixel]

Another Stagecoach oddity in Preston today. Enviro200 on a Leyland service.
All-white body, cab had a blue front. Rear third of the body had yellow, green and blue swirls, one of each together making a circle. The blue appeared to be the same as that used on Preston buses new Wright double deckers (the paler of the two blues).
To put it bluntly, it looked cheap and tacky like something off a circus clown car. I hope its not the new corporate livery

It is in fact the new corporate livery.

Theoretically all Stagecoach vehicles will recieve either that livery, a version of that livery but in monochromatic green ("Specialist" vehicles for Park+Ride, events and such like), monochromatic blue with stars (MagicBus), or a yellow-orange version (long-distance buses and coach services)

Stagecoach Manchester 11505 (SK20 AVB)

Alexander Dennis Enviro 400MMC

www.flickr.com

(not my photo)

 

[randyrippley]

It is in fact the new corporate livery.

Theoretically all Stagecoach vehicles will recieve either that livery, a version of that livery but in monochromatic green ("Specialist" vehicles for Park+Ride, events and such like), monochromatic blue with stars (MagicBus), or a yellow-orange version (long-distance buses and coach services)

Stagecoach Manchester 11505 (SK20 AVB)

Alexander Dennis Enviro 400MMC

www.flickr.com

(not my photo)

Looks washed out, and thats before it gets dirty

 

[TheHovisKid]

Who thought that was a good idea? I thought the current livery has aged quite well- first thing I saw in it was 2199 as-was on it's way back with a new roof.

 

[randyrippley]

Who thought that was a good idea? I thought the current livery has aged quite well- first thing I saw in it was 2199 as-was on it's way back with a new roof.

that batch had quite a bad time with smashed tops........a second one lost its roof on the same bridge, and the yellow-livery Lancaster Millenium bus got reversed into the canopy at old Lancaster bus station on its first day out - and lost the rear third of the roof. Quite horrifying to watch as the driver went backwards, oblivious.

 

[TheHovisKid]

that batch had quite a bad time with smashed tops........a second one lost its roof on the same bridge, and the yellow-livery Lancaster Millenium bus got reversed into the canopy at old Lancaster bus station on its first day out - and lost the rear third of the roof. Quite horrifying to watch as the driver went backwards, oblivious.

Yes, 2199 came back, 2203 (the earlier deroofing, I think) went to Penrith after repairs, as 1035 had replaced it here, the J-reg batch were the top link back then!

 

[jonesy3001]

Yes, 2199 came back, 2203 (the earlier deroofing, I think) went to Penrith after repairs, as 1035 had replaced it here, the J-reg batch were the top link back then!

2203 went back to Morecambe with 10056 and 15731 as replacements for 16243 - 245 that went to Bedford, then lost its roof again when transferred back to Carlisle.

 

[randyrippley]

can anyone remember which was the yellow special livery one?

I thought it was 2199 but the comment above makes that unlikely

 

[randyrippley]

Yes, 2199 came back, 2203 (the earlier deroofing, I think) went to Penrith after repairs, as 1035 had replaced it here, the J-reg batch were the top link back then!

the J-reg ones were mainly used on university services, the G-reg ones on Prestons. Someone told me it was because the thinner profile seats on the J series gave more room for shopping bags. At the time they also had the three black/gold university (Uniserve branded or similar) dedicated H-reg ones (the livery was copied from a Lancaster City Transport bus)
And FWIW I was told East Lancs got the job of the roof repairs, so presumably they cobbled bits together rather than using parts from Alexander

 

[TheHovisKid]

J-Reg had a row less seats downstairs, presumably pro-rata upstairs, I think. G-reg had high-backed seats (although more to bus spacings) and the H-Reg ones had bus seats. There were three of them, but the job seemed to need four, so that was usually an ECW Olympian, or more commonly one of the ex-Scottish ones.

At one time, Lancaster's fleet was quite a mixture! It's a lot more uniform now

 

[randyrippley]

J-Reg had a row less seats downstairs, presumably pro-rata upstairs, I think. G-reg had high-backed seats (although more to bus spacings) and the H-Reg ones had bus seats. There were three of them, but the job seemed to need four, so that was usually an ECW Olympian, or more commonly one of the ex-Scottish ones.

At one time, Lancaster's fleet was quite a mixture! It's a lot more uniform now

If you consider that around then there was the prototype Cumbrian bodied Olympian, the three ex-Barrow Nationals which were National / National 2 hybrid lashups, the prototype Lynx with a Dominant Bus body which was part National running gear, the three Dennis single deckers with 3+2 bench seating (Duple?) which Stagecoach had purchased for trials down south (Bournemouth or Brighton?) and a bunch of ex-Scottish Titans which were in worse nick than the ECW Olympians they replaced it was all quite interesting. At one stage there were at least eight oddball prototypes and trials vehicles knocking around

 

[KendalKing]

the three ex-Barrow Nationals which were National / National 2 hybrid lashups,

I have never heard of, an National Hybrid bus.

the prototype Lynx with a Dominant Bus body which was part National running gear,

Only seven Leyland Lynx's were bodied by Alexander, all others had Leyland bodies. Also no Leyland Lynx's have ever been allocated to Morecambe. You could be thinking of 900 (B900 WRN), which was a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Tiger.

the three Dennis single deckers with 3+2 bench seating (Duple?) which Stagecoach had purchased for trials down south (Bournemouth or Brighton?)

I remember seeing these three Dennis Javelin's with Duple 300 bodywork, in Blackpool before being delivered to Hampshire Bus at Winchester.

and a bunch of ex-Scottish Titans which were in worse nick than the ECW Olympians they replaced it was all quite interesting.

The ex Highland Scottish A & B reg'd buses were Leyland Olympians.

 

[86247]

The 3+2 buses were Alexander TE bodied B63 644 to 646- WAO 644 to 646Y think they were based at morecambe.

 

[randyrippley]

I have never heard of, an National Hybrid bus.



Only seven Leyland Lynx's were bodied by Alexander, all others had Leyland bodies. Also no Leyland Lynx's have ever been allocated to Morecambe. You could be thinking of 900 (B900 WRN), which was a Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Tiger.



I remember seeing these three Dennis Javelin's with Duple 300 bodywork, in Blackpool before being delivered to Hampshire Bus at Winchester.



The ex Highland Scottish A & B reg'd buses were Leyland Olympians.

my memory is getting faulty, yes I was thinking of 900

so where did those Titans come from? A handful arrived from the takeover of the shortlived Merseytravel depot at Heysham, but several more appeared not long after.

 

[jonesy3001]

my memory is getting faulty, yes I was thinking of 900

so where did those Titans come from? A handful arrived from the takeover of the shortlived Merseytravel depot at Heysham, but several more appeared not long after.

They came from Scotland after the stagecoach takeover and joined by more titans from Gilmoss depot after stagecoach had taken over glenvale, most used for parts.

 

[GusB]

the J-reg ones were mainly used on university services, the G-reg ones on Prestons. Someone told me it was because the thinner profile seats on the J series gave more room for shopping bags. At the time they also had the three black/gold university (Uniserve branded or similar) dedicated H-reg ones (the livery was copied from a Lancaster City Transport bus)
And FWIW I was told East Lancs got the job of the roof repairs, so presumably they cobbled bits together rather than using parts from Alexander

East Lancs did at one point build some bodies to Alexander designs (presumably under licence), so it's possible they did have some R-type parts kicking around, but it's pure speculation on my part.

 

[randyrippley]

They came from Scotland after the stagecoach takeover and joined by more titans from Gilmoss depot after stagecoach had taken over glenvale, most used for parts.

so I was right, thank you

 

[TheHovisKid]

The 3+2 buses were Alexander TE bodied B63 644 to 646- WAO 644 to 646Y think they were based at morecambe.

F135-7 SPX. Went like the proverbial off a shovel.

Although 900 was badged as a Tiger, it's generally quoted as being a try-out-Lynx. 654 was lying around later than the others- was't it a coach?

 

[randyrippley]

F135-7 SPX. Went like the proverbial off a shovel.

Although 900 was badged as a Tiger, it's generally quoted as being a try-out-Lynx. 654 was lying around later than the others- was't it a coach?

The story I got was that 900 used a mix of Lynx and National parts in the chassis / running gear as a test bed, Leyland got Duple (just down the road in Blackpool) to put a cheap body on it and got Ribble / Stagecoach to trial it, and somehow it never got transferred away.