Stagecoach Repaint Updates

[Kent Dreamer]

No one will notice until the buses get cascaded to the other regions and they have the different fronts.

The front of the streetlite in the new livery looks terrible.

 

[py_megapixel]

No one will notice until the buses get cascaded to the other regions and they have the different fronts.

The front of the streetlite in the new livery looks terrible.

I've seen a photo of it on a streetlite and I actually think it suits a lot better than the Enviros

 

[randyrippley]

So, far from simplifying things with a standard livery, here in Lancaster & Morecambe we have buses on the same route in BeachBall, Manchester Green, Lakes Green & Blue, and the new Rocking Horse white. Its not long since we had one or two in the Cumbrian version of Green Beachball as well.
Meanwhile down the road in Preston any of these could work in on the 40/42 while they've got Gold, Beachball and Rocking Horse all on the Southport / Liverpool route.
Unified image? Yeah, right.

 

[py_megapixel]

So, far from simplifying things with a standard livery, here in Lancaster & Morecambe we have buses on the same route in BeachBall, Manchester Green, Lakes Green & Blue, and the new Rocking Horse white. Its not long since we had one or two in the Cumbrian version of Green Beachball as well.
Meanwhile down the road in Preston any of these could work in on the 40/42 while they've got Gold, Beachball and Rocking Horse all on the Southport / Liverpool route.
Unified image? Yeah, right.

Um... while I understand your point, I'm not sure you can judge the outcome of a project by picking a random point in the middle of it... once the repaints are all done it'll be more consistent.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Um... while I understand your point, I'm not sure you can judge the outcome of a project by picking a random point in the middle of it... once the repaints are all done it'll be more consistent.

Except it won't as each opco are painting them different, Highland can't even get the rear beachball in the right place...

 

[py_megapixel]

Except it won't as each opco are painting them different, Highland can't even get the rear beachball in the right place...

I don't believe that is the point.

As much as enthusiasts love to nitpick stuff, how many regular passengers are going to notice slight variations in the application of the livery? And of the minority who do, how many people are going to say "I know it has an enormous STAGECOACH logo on it, and the design is pretty much the same... but the front bumper is orange rather than white, so it might not be a Stagecoach bus."

It's possible to have a consistent image without every vehicle looking completely identical.

 

[randyrippley]

Um... while I understand your point, I'm not sure you can judge the outcome of a project by picking a random point in the middle of it... once the repaints are all done it'll be more consistent.

The point I'm making is that rather than simplifying things, they are actually adding confusion by increasing the number of liveries, a confusion thats going to be with us for some years. Years ago the former head of Morecambe depot told me a respray lasted three years, a hand paint job four - so at the time they only did hand repaints. If that is still true you have at least four years of confusion to come, by which time they'll decide white wasn't a clever idea

 

[GusB]

As the new liveries are now being rolled out rather than just being "on the cards", the thread title has been updated to reflect this.

 

[CBlue]

The point I'm making is that rather than simplifying things, they are actually adding confusion by increasing the number of liveries, a confusion thats going to be with us for some years. Years ago the former head of Morecambe depot told me a respray lasted three years, a hand paint job four - so at the time they only did hand repaints. If that is still true you have at least four years of confusion to come, by which time they'll decide white wasn't a clever idea

Surely the same logic applied every time another operator has been taken over and their fleet repainted? If rebranding caused as much confusion as you suggest, surely they'd still be painting everything in stripes....

 

[fgwrich]

I don't believe that is the point.

As much as enthusiasts love to nitpick stuff, how many regular passengers are going to notice slight variations in the application of the livery? And of the minority who do, how many people are going to say "I know it has an enormous STAGECOACH logo on it, and the design is pretty much the same... but the front bumper is orange rather than white, so it might not be a Stagecoach bus."

It's possible to have a consistent image without every vehicle looking completely identical.

I'm guessing from that, you haven't seen Stagecoach Highland. There's variation, and then there's variation. I think the painters must have been looking at at Boomerang...

21205 : SY07CFD : Stagecoach - Cairngorm 01st Nov 13

As if to prove a point about the Volvo B10M's not always guaranteed on the Cairngorm run (see previous photo) here is Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban 21205 : SY07CFD on a 31 ! This bus is also not just a 'run of the mill' vehicle as it has proper Highland heritage being one of a handful of...

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach Highland 21204 130613 Inverness

Explore maljoe's 173547 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

I've also seen Wrightbuses with totally white fronts, blue bumper, BIG LOGO, little logo.

Stagecoach Highlands 53229 170222 Fort William

Explore maljoe's 173547 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43012 SK17HHG at Hill Street, Dingwall

11 May 2019

www.flickr.com

 

[GusB]

I'm guessing from that, you haven't seen Stagecoach Highland. There's variation, and then there's variation. I think the painters must have been looking at at Boomerang...

21205 : SY07CFD : Stagecoach - Cairngorm 01st Nov 13

As if to prove a point about the Volvo B10M's not always guaranteed on the Cairngorm run (see previous photo) here is Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban 21205 : SY07CFD on a 31 ! This bus is also not just a 'run of the mill' vehicle as it has proper Highland heritage being one of a handful of...

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach Highland 21204 130613 Inverness

Explore maljoe's 173547 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

I've also seen Wrightbuses with totally white fronts, blue bumper, BIG LOGO, little logo.

Stagecoach Highlands 53229 170222 Fort William

Explore maljoe's 173547 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43012 SK17HHG at Hill Street, Dingwall

11 May 2019

www.flickr.com

I've seen the former D&E Streetlites quite a few times and I hadn't even noticed the dodgy livery, to be honest. Having said that I've certainly noticed some of the other horrors that ply the streets of Inverness.

 

[fgwrich]

I've seen the former D&E Streetlites quite a few times and I hadn't even noticed the dodgy livery, to be honest. Having said that I've certainly noticed some of the other horrors that ply the streets of Inverness.

I don't know how they managed to do it to be honest, but some of the results certainly are amusing. For example, I'm not sure how they've managed to get away with such a disjointed livery on the Wrights, where the orange line doesn't connect!

 

[py_megapixel]

I'm guessing from that, you haven't seen Stagecoach Highland. There's variation, and then there's variation. I think the painters must have been looking at at Boomerang...

21205 : SY07CFD : Stagecoach - Cairngorm 01st Nov 13

As if to prove a point about the Volvo B10M's not always guaranteed on the Cairngorm run (see previous photo) here is Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban 21205 : SY07CFD on a 31 ! This bus is also not just a 'run of the mill' vehicle as it has proper Highland heritage being one of a handful of...

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach Highland 21204 130613 Inverness

Explore maljoe's 173547 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

I've also seen Wrightbuses with totally white fronts, blue bumper, BIG LOGO, little logo.

Stagecoach Highlands 53229 170222 Fort William

Explore maljoe's 173547 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43012 SK17HHG at Hill Street, Dingwall

11 May 2019

www.flickr.com

But none of those photos are carrying the new livery. I suspect this is exactly the kind of inconsistency the rebrand aims to address.

 

[fgwrich]

But none of those photos are carrying the new livery. I suspect this is exactly the kind of inconsistency the rebrand aims to address.

But, if Highland are this clever at their liveries so far, how do you bet they will totally stick to the standard stagecoach template for the bland new scheme? Indeed they haven't already - with at least one older style E400 repainted with the light blue front in the older more curvaceous beach ball style - and it actually makes the new scheme a little more bearable and smarter.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I've seen the former D&E Streetlites quite a few times and I hadn't even noticed the dodgy livery, to be honest. Having said that I've certainly noticed some of the other horrors that ply the streets of Inverness.

Regarding the Ex-D&E single deckers... They've once again proven that Inverness have this fantastic ability to take two identical vehicles and paint them entirely different!

Stagecoach 37075 YX63ZVJ at Inverness bus station

7 August 2019

www.flickr.com

SH 37076 @ Inverness bus station

Stagecoach Highlands Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 YX63ZVN 37076 at Inverness bus station

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43011 SY62CVL at Inverness Queensgate

10 August 2019

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43012 SK17HHG at Hill Street, Dingwall

11 May 2019

www.flickr.com

stagecoach 21208 FD57VYA

Explore cameronrobertson8's 16577 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

stagecoach 21209 FD57VYC

Explore cameronrobertson8's 16577 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 47748 YJ10MGE at Inverness bus station

2 May 2019

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 47749 YJ10MGO at Seafield Road bus depot, Inverness

10 May 2019

www.flickr.com

 

[fgwrich]

Regarding the Ex-D&E single deckers... They've once again proven that Inverness have this fantastic ability to take two identical vehicles and paint them entirely different.

Stagecoach 37075 YX63ZVJ at Inverness bus station

7 August 2019

www.flickr.com

SH 37076 @ Inverness bus station

Stagecoach Highlands Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 YX63ZVN 37076 at Inverness bus station

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43011 SY62CVL at Inverness Queensgate

10 August 2019

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 43012 SK17HHG at Hill Street, Dingwall

11 May 2019

www.flickr.com

stagecoach 21208 FD57VYA

Explore cameronrobertson8's 16577 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

stagecoach 21209 FD57VYC

Explore cameronrobertson8's 16577 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 47748 YJ10MGE at Inverness bus station

2 May 2019

www.flickr.com

Stagecoach 47749 YJ10MGO at Seafield Road bus depot, Inverness

10 May 2019

www.flickr.com

Excellent, Thank you! There's some excellent ones in there, and I have to admit I prefer the Inverness style beach ball E200.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Excellent, Thank you! There's some excellent ones in there, and I have to admit I prefer the Inverness style beach ball E200.

What one? This one?

36069 Stagecoach Highland SY57 AYG

2015 03 16 Inverness Depot

www.flickr.com

 

[mbonwick]

Regarding the Ex-D&E single deckers... They've once again proven that Inverness have this fantastic ability to take two identical vehicles and paint them entirely different!

In fairness, it wasn't Inverness who painted them - they were sent out to two different contractors (Kilmarnock depot may have been one of them, I can't remember), as evidenced by the correct rear swoops rather than the usual Inverness angle. Incidentally, 37076/43012/47749 are the correct application.
It is amusing how they've managed to split just about every batch of vehicles they got from D&E between the two paintshops though!

 

[Jordan Adam]

In fairness, it wasn't Inverness who painted them - they were sent out to two different contractors (Kilmarnock depot may have been one of them, I can't remember), as evidenced by the correct rear swoops rather than the usual Inverness angle. Incidentally, 37076/43012/47749 are the correct application.
It is amusing how they've managed to split just about every batch of vehicles they got from D&E between the two paintshops though!

The ones with all the orange/red above the blue were done at Seafield, Inverness haven't used external contractors for repaints since around 2011 when the depot was up for redevelopment. 21208 and 47749 look like Perth jobs to me (or whoever do their repaints). In the "NScot" region Aberdeen, Inverness and more recently Elgin all have paint facilities, although this is perhaps more a topic for the NScot thread!

 

[randyrippley]

Surely the same logic applied every time another operator has been taken over and their fleet repainted? If rebranding caused as much confusion as you suggest, surely they'd still be painting everything in stripes....

a takeover just means the repaint or replacement of the vehicles at a limited number of depots, and the elimination of just one paint style, wheras with Stagecoach you're looking at the facelifting of the whole national fleet

 

[CBlue]

a takeover just means the repaint or replacement of the vehicles at a limited number of depots, and the elimination of just one paint style, wheras with Stagecoach you're looking at the facelifting of the whole national fleet

Yes, I understand that. So your view is that a large-scale atonal rebranding is confusing for passengers but repainting a local fleet isn't? Have I read that right?



Anyway, as amusing as the inconsistencies are in how different depots and contractors paint the livery on, it's inevitable regardless of what the livery is - and the average passenger isn't going to notice or care.

 

[py_megapixel]

I can't understand what all the fuss is about.

Stagecoach have two options

1. The current inconsistent mix of beachball variants and various other brands, indefinitely - i.e. not going ahead with the rebrand
2. A slightly more inconsistent mix of the old brands plus the new beachball variant, for a few years, then much greater consistency - i.e. doing the rebrand

I think it's pretty clear why they went with 2

I too am in doubt about it given that Stagecoach are already making some of the same mistakes that they did with the old one (everything from the "people powered" mosaic livery to the specific green one for electrics, which is effectively the same thing as the green for hybrids that I thought they wanted rid of but I digress), but I think the intent is pretty clear, and complaining about inconsistency in the old brand when even now a new one is being rolled out seems a little futile to me.

 

[py_megapixel]

The X5 (which won't I believe be getting the horrid school bus yellow)

Sorry to drag this over to another thread, but it's a way off topic for the original - but really? Assuming we're talking about the same X5 (Penrith-Keswick-Cockermouth-Workington) that seems to be exactly the type of service it's designed for, and it doesn't even usually share fleet with vastly different routes...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Sorry to drag this over to another thread, but it's a way off topic for the original - but really? Assuming we're talking about the same X5 (Penrith-Keswick-Cockermouth-Workington) that seems to be exactly the type of service it's designed for, and it doesn't even usually share fleet with vastly different routes...

I would assume that @Bletchleyite is discussing the X5 Cambridge to Oxford that already has it's own bespoke livery

 

[fgwrich]

I would assume that @Bletchleyite is discussing the X5 Cambridge to Oxford that already has it's own bespoke livery

Indeed, like the loss of "The Kings City", this unified livery scheme looks terrible and makes them feel even less connected to the local areas they service - a total opposite of what First are currently achieving. The yellow does have the appearance of a school bus, no matter how stagecoach try to dress it up.

 

[fgwrich]

What one? This one?

36069 Stagecoach Highland SY57 AYG

2015 03 16 Inverness Depot

www.flickr.com

That's certainly different, but it's this one I quite like with the additional white bit on it. Much as the old style front on the new livery actually looks better - and is another Scotland special.

Stagecoach 37075 YX63ZVJ at Inverness bus station

7 August 2019

www.flickr.com

Edit, I see the North East has a similar front with more white, less blue on it and a smart black band along the window line. So another variation, and possibly the smartest yet - although its still not that great a livery.

Stagecoach 19646 / SP60 DSY

- Fleet: 19646 - Reg: SP60 DSY - Operator: Stagecoach North East - Route: 12 - Depot: Walkergate - Livery: Stagecoach - Type: Dennis Trident 2 - Bodywork: Alexander Enviro 400 - Livery New In: Stagecoach - New to/ Year: Stagecoach Strathtay / 2010 - Location: Blackett Street, Newcastle

www.flickr.com

 

[fgwrich]

In fact, looking at the North East repaints, they all seem to retain the black band. So further inconsistencies - but a smarter touch.

Stagecoach 24108 / NK09 FLX

- Fleet: 24108 - Reg: NK09 FLX - Operator: Stagecoach North East - Route: 10 - Depot: Slatyford - Livery: Stagecoach - Type: MAN 18.20LF - Bodywork: ADL Enviro 300 - Livery New In: Stagecoach - New to/ Year: Stagecoach NE / 2009 - Location: Pilgrim Street, Newcastle

www.flickr.com

Whereas the Devon ones seem to be continuing without them.

WA59FWZ 24144 Matford 140620

24144 with the new livery, ready for a day on the Greens. 14th June 2020

www.flickr.com

But...God it looks awful on the Darts!

New on old

One of the oldest Darts with Stagecoach at Plymouth is currently the only one to carry the new livery, I don't mind it tbh maybe it seems a bit bare on the sides, if the swoops came forward a little more? With Stagecoach back up to full service its good to see their Darts back plugging away. I...

www.flickr.com

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

In fact, looking at the North East repaints, they all seem to retain the black band. So further inconsistencies - but a smarter touch.

Stagecoach 24108 / NK09 FLX

- Fleet: 24108 - Reg: NK09 FLX - Operator: Stagecoach North East - Route: 10 - Depot: Slatyford - Livery: Stagecoach - Type: MAN 18.20LF - Bodywork: ADL Enviro 300 - Livery New In: Stagecoach - New to/ Year: Stagecoach NE / 2009 - Location: Pilgrim Street, Newcastle

www.flickr.com

Whereas the Devon ones seem to be continuing without them.

WA59FWZ 24144 Matford 140620

24144 with the new livery, ready for a day on the Greens. 14th June 2020

www.flickr.com

I'd rather they just kept the headlights and centre panels white, like this:

First Local Decker Repaint (19541)

Buchan depot have had their first double deck repaint, Enviro400 19541 and also the first double decker with Stagecoach Bluebird into the new local livery. Currently a regular on the 69 group of services connecting Peterhead and Fraserburgh, 19541 is seen here leaving Peterhead bus station for...

www.flickr.com

 

[fgwrich]

I'd rather they just kept the headlights and centre panels white, like this:

First Local Decker Repaint (19541)

Buchan depot have had their first double deck repaint, Enviro400 19541 and also the first double decker with Stagecoach Bluebird into the new local livery. Currently a regular on the 69 group of services connecting Peterhead and Fraserburgh, 19541 is seen here leaving Peterhead bus station for...

www.flickr.com

Exactly! There's an ever increasing growing list of inconsistencies emerging, as I see the North Devon Wave E400s are now returning with black headlights / small white panel / no window band. All in all, It's getting worse than First's attempt at the 2012 "Olympia" scheme at this rate! Thankfully they have now seen sense and modified with just the flying bars.

And thanks - that's the Scottish E400 I've been thinking / mentioning but couldn't find. New livery, old style front. A lot smarter than the silliness we've seen so far!

 

[GoneSouth]

Exactly! There's an ever increasing growing list of inconsistencies emerging, as I see the North Devon Wave E400s are now returning with black headlights / small white panel / no window band. All in all, It's getting worse than First's attempt at the 2012 "Olympia" scheme at this rate! Thankfully they have now seen sense and modified with just the flying bars.

And thanks - that's the Scottish E400 I've been thinking / mentioning but couldn't find. New livery, old style front. A lot smarter than the silliness we've seen so far!

1 black door and 1 white door too, maybe we’ll have the blue, orange and green variants soon !