First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[vla50]

I think I must have looked at the Buses of Somerset twitter rather than Mark Huws' tweet Didn't see those posts

Sounds like good news all round. The restoration of a Saturday service is a positive. I don't want to bore asking if they're brand new buses (rather than new to Taunton). However, it's been a while since BoS received new fleet; on obtaining the P&R from Webberbus, they did borrow some Scottish ones on delivery until some rentals were sourced but aside from that loan, it's 2009 since they last had a new vehicle.

It's also heartening to see Somerset CC investing in bus services. Appreciate that budgets are still tight but it would be good if some of the government money could be secured to improve bus services further (and arguably help BoS with bus priority as it is desperately needed in Taunton).

Whilst the Kernow tridents are being displaced, will something replace the 51/02/52/53 reg tridents at BOS?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Whilst the Kernow tridents are being displaced, will something replace the 51/02/52/53 reg tridents at BOS?

@On the Buses said that they would be replaced but didn't given details on what they would be nor when (see #14748)

 

[richw]

@On the Buses said that they would be replaced but didn't given details on what they would be nor when (see #14748)

Post #15463 May also refer to Somerset too? Considering Kernow might only have MMCs, Gemini’s and ELCs by that point anyway?

 

[Trainfan061193]

Post #15463 May also refer to Somerset too? Considering Kernow might only have MMCs, Gemini’s and ELCs by that point anyway?

Kernow will still have the Solos too along with the 4 x remaining E200MMCs.

 

[richw]

Kernow will still have the Solos too along with the 4 x remaining E200MMCs.

They aren’t deckers last time I checked....

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Post #15463 May also refer to Somerset too? Considering Kernow might only have MMCs, Gemini’s and ELCs by that point anyway?

I dunno if anything can be inferred on what cascades may come, from where, and when, just that the Somerset Tridents are on borrowed time. Last time I was down there travelling, had both an ALX and a former Kernow President and they weren't bad old things despite their years

 

[83G/84D]

Mousehole Solo 53709 has been removed from the ‘naughty corner’ at Camborne that it likes to occupy and put in an engineering bay.

A Solo SR was on the T1 earlier today.

 

[fgwrich]

Mousehole Solo 53709 has been removed from the ‘naughty corner’ at Camborne that it likes to occupy and put in an engineering bay.

A Solo SR was on the T1 earlier today.

Poor old things, their replacements cant come soon enough though!

 

[Trainfan061193]

Poor old things, their replacements cant come soon enough though!

Well Mousehole is due to become an adventure so it makes me wonder if they will get newer vehicles for it too in due course. The SRs I don’t believe fit round the tight corners going into the village though.

Most likely though I’d have thought the vehicles on it now will get an updated livery and the green and barbie solos will get it too as it was mentioned a while ago 53801 would be painted as well eventually which is the barbie solo.

 

[Busgeek]

37002 is now in Lizard base colours!

 

[Trainfan061193]

37002 now in Lizard base colours!

Yep! That’s to be joined by another Gemini, 2 ELC Tridents and the 3 08 E400s.

 

[richw]

37002 now in Lizard base colours!

It came out the paintshop last Wednesday. I got a pic last Thursday at 6am for my collection, but I don’t share depot posts.
I would imagine another will be nearly done by now.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Well Mousehole is due to become an adventure so it makes me wonder if they will get newer vehicles for it too in due course. The SRs I don’t believe fit round the tight corners going into the village though.

Most likely though I’d have thought the vehicles on it now will get an updated livery and the green and barbie solos will get it too as it was mentioned a while ago 53801 would be painted as well eventually which is the barbie solo.

Much as we'd like to see some newer vehicles on there, I tend to agree with you that it's likely to be a refresh as the Mousehole livery hasn't worn that well. As has been mentioned before, 53709 has tended to be "mercurial" in its appearances and that's the newest of the fleet.

Any news on the conversion of the two ex Somerset e200s to....well, I don't know what you call them.... Covered charabanc, spec?

As an aside, there was a retweet on the Best Impressions Twitter feed showing a very well loaded Exmoor Coaster open-topper so that route certainly seems to be gaining popularity.

 

[Trainfan061193]

Post #15463 May also refer to Somerset too? Considering Kernow might only have MMCs, Gemini’s and ELCs by that point anyway?

I think you’ve also forgotten the 3 08 E400s! They’re due to go onto the Lizard network in due course so I think they will look very smart once in Lizard colours!

I also wonder if the 4 existing Lizard ELCs will stay on the Lizard network too alongside the additional 7 vehicles and perhaps get a livery similar to those?

 

[jammy36]

Any news on the conversion of the two ex Somerset e200s to....well, I don't know what you call them.... Covered charabanc, spec?

My understanding is that they have both now passed through Qualiti Converaions for the conversion works (covered charabanc (or part covered charabanc!) seems a good description) and have now both been recertified. They are repainted into a yellow base-livery (...for "Sunseeker" branding?) and are both now back with First South West, so hopefully we'll be seeing more of them soon (although perhaps the push for these services really comes once college/schools break up).

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

My understanding is that they have both now passed through Qualiti Converaions for the conversion works (covered charabanc (or part covered charabanc!) seems a good description) and have now both been recertified. They are repainted into a yellow base-livery (...for "Sunseeker" branding?) and are both now back with First South West, so hopefully we'll be seeing more of them soon (although perhaps the push for these services really comes once college/schools break up).

I think we're of a similar mind; I'd assumed that it was a soft launch (which given the issues FK have had with driver absence was no bad thing) for a short while and then these would come in for the main season. Thanks for the info - these are certainly an interesting development.

If only some of the other First businesses (and others in the industry) could be as innovative and entrepreneurial.

 

[richw]

Any news on the conversion of the two ex Somerset e200s to....well, I don't know what you call them.... Covered charabanc, spec?

The second one arrived In Cornwall yesterday

 

[teggers419]

I see the fleet clear out has started as predicted by "On the Buses" commencing the 7th July. First ALX 400s to be withdrawn are old stalwart 30877, ex Bath 32014 and 32284 . All three worked within the last few days and have been deleted from Bus Times app.

Another casualty is ex Bath Uni liveried 32083!

 

[cnjb8]

I see the fleet clear out has started as predicted by "On the Buses" commencing the 7th July. First ALX 400s to be withdrawn are old stalwart 30877, ex Bath 32014 and 32284 . All three worked within the last few days and have been deleted from Bus Times app.

If they’ve been deleted, does that mean they’ve had their ticket machine removed, or that they’ve just been deleted by a user?

 

[Whiteway215]

If they’ve been deleted, does that mean they’ve had their ticket machine removed, or that they’ve just been deleted by a user?

I would imagine they have been decommissioned and are on their way (driven, towed or transported?) to Ensign.

 

[carlberry]

If they’ve been deleted, does that mean they’ve had their ticket machine removed, or that they’ve just been deleted by a user?

It means somebody has deleted them from bustimes. They could still be in use or in use with a different ticket machine.

 

[cnjb8]

It means somebody has deleted them from bustimes. They could still be in use or in use with a different ticket machine.

Thank you. Sites like bustimes and Quack77 are susceptible to the ‘Wikipedia Effect’. Can anyone back it up?

 

[83G/84D]

Ex Arriva Enviro 200 registration GN08 CGU is in Camborne.

 

[iantherev]

Thank you. Sites like bustimes and Quack77 are susceptible to the ‘Wikipedia Effect’. Can anyone back it up?

Indeed. Just noticed that Cardiff Bus's Scania Omnicity saloons have gained an upper deck on bustimes. The most reliable confirmation will be Ensign's list of ins and outs but I realise that as this comes out at the end of the month some people will think that's far too long to wait....

 

[richw]

Ex Arriva Enviro 200 registration GN08 CGU is in Camborne.

Two double door Enviro 200 have arrived for the Eden Project car park park and ride.

 

[carlberry]

Indeed. Just noticed that Cardiff Bus's Scania Omnicity saloons have gained an upper deck on bustimes. The most reliable confirmation will be Ensign's list of ins and outs but I realise that as this comes out at the end of the month some people will think that's far too long to wait....

A whole three weeks!!! That's enough time for at least a dozen speculative new owners, liveries etc!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A whole three weeks!!! That's enough time for at least a dozen speculative new owners, liveries etc!

I think they're called "alternative facts", or merely "blind speculation" known as BS for short.

 

[83G/84D]

Two double door enviro 200 have arrived for Eden Project car park park and ride

Thanks for the information.

 

[teggers419]

It means somebody has deleted them from bustimes. They could still be in use or in use with a different ticket machine.

Or it just could be what "on the buses" quoted as was to happen from the 7th July onwards! 4 different vehicles of the type due to be withdrawn from that date aren't likely all at the same time mysteriously to be using different ticket machines and still be in use! Keep up guys he is the main man and TELLS us what is actually happening!

 

[carlberry]

Or it just could be what "on the buses" quoted as was to happen from the 7th July onwards!!! 4 different vehicles of the type due to be withdrawn from that date aren't likely all at the same time mysteriously to be using different ticket machines and still be in use!! Keep up guys he is the main man and TELLS us what is actually happening!!!!!

I was answering the question about what a vehicle disappearing from bustimes actually means; that somebody has deleted a vehicle number from a user editable data table on a website. It's unlikely that it's somebody from First's management team that is doing it and it's often been wrong in the past so, whilst it's quite possibly true, getting confirmation from the real world would be more reliable.