First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[EnviroExplorer]

Does anyone know why there has been little use of open tops on the Atlantic Coaster thus far? A few of them were used on the first days of operation but since it’s been closed top E400MMCs according to bustimes. Was hoping to sample the route with the open tops in a few weeks time although it’s not looking promising currently.

 

[richw]

Does anyone know why there has been little use of open tops on the Atlantic Coaster thus far? A few of them were used on the first days of operation but since it’s been closed top E400MMCs according to bustimes. Was hoping to sample the route with the open tops in a few weeks time although it’s not looking promising currently.

I guess they’ve decided it’s not open top weather? We’ve basically had endless wet weather. Not really open top weather

 

[randyrippley]

I guess they’ve decided it’s not open top weather? We’ve basically had endless wet weather. Not really open top weather

That's no excuse! With Stagecoach Kendal sending open toppers out deliberately in the snow......

 

[farwest]

The yellow sunseeker open top on the 1530 Lands end coaster looked very sad and empty when it left Penzance in the gale yesterday.

 

[KendalKing]

That's no excuse! With Stagecoach Kendal sending open toppers out deliberately in the snow......

Only because, they don't have enough buses, not to send open-tops out all year round.

 

[richw]

That's no excuse! With Stagecoach Kendal sending open toppers out deliberately in the snow......

Stagecoach Plymouth have sent theirs out on the 1A and 2 in recent weeks to cover breakdowns. Wasn’t the right weather on any of the occasions.

 

[Snozzel]

Does anyone know why there has been little use of open tops on the Atlantic Coaster thus far? A few of them were used on the first days of operation but since it’s been closed top E400MMCs according to bustimes. Was hoping to sample the route with the open tops in a few weeks time although it’s not looking promising currently.

As far as i know most of the open toppers are not fit for service having been stood out uncovered in the elements all winter.

 

[Goldfish62]

As far as i know most of the open toppers are not fit for service having been stood out uncovered in the elements all winter.

That could never be forseen of course...

 

[Busaholic]

The yellow sunseeker open top on the 1530 Lands end coaster looked very sad and empty when it left Penzance in the gale yesterday.

I saw an open topper on the Marazion By-Pass at midday on Easter Monday, the morning having been both bright and quite warm. There were no takers on the open part, and that was almost the last time the weather has been both dry and not too windy in Penzance.

 

[Andyh82]

As far as i know most of the open toppers are not fit for service having been stood out uncovered in the elements all winter.

Are you sure it’s not because of the bad weather?

I remember catching one last summer in a downpour with everyone fleeing downstairs and flood water gushing back and forth upstairs, it was pretty miserable

This was in the school term so closed top buses would have been less readily available to swap out

 

[Snozzel]

Are you sure it’s not because of the bad weather?

I remember catching one last summer in a downpour with everyone fleeing downstairs and flood water gushing back and forth upstairs, it was pretty miserable

This was in the school term so closed top buses would have been less readily available to swap out

It could be just the weather and current availability of buses normally on college. But most drivers ( on the padstow ) who i have talked to seem to think its dodgy buses. There was one on there today not sure how long for.

 

[Goldfish62]

Are you sure it’s not because of the bad weather?

I remember catching one last summer in a downpour with everyone fleeing downstairs and flood water gushing back and forth upstairs, it was pretty miserable

This was in the school term so closed top buses would have been less readily available to swap out

Land's End Coaster has been using open toppers continously since the timetable change.

The point of being part-open rather than full open toppers is that they're all-weather buses.

 

[Busaholic]

Land's End Coaster has been using open toppers continously since the timetable change.

The point of being part-open rather than full open toppers is that they're all-weather buses.

I've hardly been out at all for a few days, so have seen very few buses, but I definitely saw a closed top Land's End Coaster among them.

I'm not sure I'd agree they're all-weather buses in the public mind. Given they now provide all of the bus service between Penzance and Land's End throughout the year, I've heard quite a few complaints from locals, especially outside the summer months. Admittedly, many of these were about the route dodging the town centre shops, complaints which I have much sympathy for.

 

[Goldfish62]

I've hardly been out at all for a few days, so have seen very few buses, but I definitely saw a closed top Land's End Coaster among them.

I'm not sure I'd agree they're all-weather buses in the public mind. Given they now provide all of the bus service between Penzance and Land's End throughout the year, I've heard quite a few complaints from locals, especially outside the summer months. Admittedly, many of these were about the route dodging the town centre shops, complaints which I have much sympathy for.

The school journeys are closed top. Everything else is open top.

I've been on it in the autumn in previous years in the rain and it's been fine in the closed front section. However, they no longer provide the entire service throughout the year. They finished in September 2023 and didn't start again until Easter. The route has been in the hands of ancient closed top Geminis over the past six months.

One constant complaint in the summer is that there are are not enough seats in open section. If FSW decide to go down the road of operating closed toppers every time there's a shower forecast they may as well slice the rest of the roof off and make them full open toppers.

 

[Andyh82]

To be honest they probably can’t do right for doing wrong, whether they allocate the advertised open top bus in a downpour or the unadvertised closed top bus if it later brightens up

The weather has obviously ruined this thread’s planned moan of the week, which was clearly being set up to be observations that First’s reduced open top timetable would be leaving people behind. I can only presume this hasn’t been the case.

 

[Goldfish62]

To be honest they probably can’t do right for doing wrong, whether they allocate the advertised open top bus in a downpour or the unadvertised closed top bus if it later brightens up

The weather has obviously ruined this thread’s planned moan of the week, which was clearly being set up to be observations that First’s reduced open top timetable would be leaving people behind. I can only presume this hasn’t been the case.

They've never let the weather affect open top operation in the past, so why now? As I said before because the buses are part-open toppers they're all- weather buses. And, also as I've previously pointed out, Land's End Coaster is open top irrespective of the weather.

On your assertion that anyone suggesting that the reduced timetable could leave people behind is just moaning, last year in late April I went on a mid morning departure from Penzance towards Land's End on a Monday and it was full and standing at Newlyn.

It's not as if FSW have got a flawless track record matching resource to capacity. For example, they ordered Solos for the 17 when it was obvious to everyone else that they would provide insufficient capacity. And so it came to pass. Two of the five were reallocated before delivery and the remaining three only operated on the route during the winter.

 

[richw]

36166/170/175 have been collected from Norwich and on route to kernow this morning

 

[Goldfish62]

36166/170/175 have been collected from Norwich and on route to kernow this morning

Thanks for the update.

 

[Whiteway215]

36166/170/175 have been collected from Norwich and on route to kernow this morning

Have currently made it to Reading Services

 

[Busaholic]

The Tin Coaster lives! Saw one this afternoon at West Cornwall Hospital, destination St Ives, with a paper '17' sign taped to the outside of the windscreen, the bottom part blowing in the wind where it had come away.

 

[Goldfish62]

Have currently made it to Reading Services

If Bustimes is to be believed 36170 is already out in service on the T1 today.

 

[richw]

If Bustimes is to be believed 36170 is already out in service on the T1 today.

It is indeed out in service