First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[83G/84D]

One ex Somerset Enviro 200 in service today on service 27.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I’ve noticed 4 Enviro single deckers have come down from Somerset which are 44534/920/3/4.

IIRC 44920 was previously with First Kernow. Bit of trivia - I think 44924 was the last new vehicle delivered to First's Somerset operations (not FWoE) aside from some Streetlites that were loaned on delivery for Taunton P&R.

 

[Accelerator59]

One ex Somerset Enviro 200 in service today on service 27.

Yeah, I seen that. That’s 44534. Bit of a surprise, that one. Is that because of the new Electric buses delivered at Somerset?

 

[LAIRA]

Bit of an odd spot or two from yesterday. FK 33307 parked on the side of the road between Liskeard and Looe - guess it was working out of the Plymouth outstation?

Even more bizarre was on the A30 near Ottery St Mary heading towards Exeter was an unregistered decker (Wright Electroliner?) in overall red (no logos) with First Group showing on the destination display. Any ideas?

Plymouth Citybus are in the course of having brand new Electroliners delivered at the moment. They come via Oxford so probably one of these. No idea why it should have Firstbus on the front.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Plymouth Citybus are in the course of having brand new Electroliners delivered at the moment. They come via Oxford so probably one of these. No idea why it should have Firstbus on the front.

I didn’t know they were getting deckers or what type but did wonder if it was Plymouth. That said, without any vinyls, it was just a red bus.

I thought First Kernow was only due singles for Truro P&R so thought it odd. Why the desti display…who knows?

 

[Blackpudding]

I thought First Kernow was only due singles for Truro P&R so thought it odd. Why the desti display…who knows?

It is probably the demonstrator that First had on trial in Sheffield a few weeks ago and the display is yet to be updated.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Bit of an odd spot or two from yesterday. FK 33307 parked on the side of the road between Liskeard and Looe - guess it was working out of the Plymouth outstation?

Even more bizarre was on the A30 near Ottery St Mary heading towards Exeter was an unregistered decker (Wright Electroliner?) in overall red (no logos) with First Group showing on the destination display. Any ideas?

Despite the destination display, I'd suspect Plymouth? The first examples have now been registered so their large batch can't be far off.

 

[Goldfish62]

Despite the destination display, I'd suspect Plymouth? The first examples have now been registered so their large batch can't be far off.

Richard Stevens (MD) has posted a video on LinkedIn standing in front of the first one delivered to Plymouth.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It is probably the demonstrator that First had on trial in Sheffield a few weeks ago and the display is yet to be updated.

The one I saw wasn't registered.

Richard Stevens (MD) has posted a video on LinkedIn standing in front of the first one delivered to Plymouth.

I am fairly certain that was the one I saw.

As for the First Group display... Someone being mischievous or, more likely, it was a test input that hadn't been cleared down.

 

[fgwrich]

A small touch of irony at the weekends Penzance bus running day was Plymouth Citybus’s open topper No.468 doing services around the town… while a short distance away saw the sad remainder of the Lands End Coaster fleet parked up in Long Rock!

And quite unsurprisingly, 468s upper deck was busy throughout the day. Given that Mr Stephen’s owns the rather rateable FDV787V, I wonder if he and any of the GCB team were keeping an eye out for its loadings…

 

[OptareOlympus]

A small touch of irony at the weekends Penzance bus running day was Plymouth Citybus’s open topper No.468 doing services around the town… while a short distance away saw the sad remainder of the Lands End Coaster fleet parked up in Long Rock!

And quite unsurprisingly, 468s upper deck was busy throughout the day. Given that Mr Stephen’s owns the rather rateable FDV787V, I wonder if he and any of the GCB team were keeping an eye out for its loadings…

Have the remaining open tops been stripped for B9 spares or are they still runners?

Seems odd to have them still sat around. If not needed by group opcos, I would have thought they would have been either scrapped by now or sent to Purfleet for sale.

 

[fgwrich]

Have the remaining open tops been stripped for B9 spares or are they still runners?

Seems odd to have them still sat around. If not needed by group opcos, I would have thought they would have been either scrapped by now or sent to Purfleet for sale.

No idea, I didn’t get close enough to see them close up this time around (we didn’t bring a vehicle this year), though I too am a little surprised. Perhaps they’re retaining them in a small hope that something open top will come about? Or just awaiting a protracted listing by First / Ensign.

What was a little annoying was seeing the endless number of scruffy closed top Volvo’s on the 1 nee Lands End coaster over the weekend. A weekend perfect for an open topper…

 

[Andyh82]

Have the remaining open tops been stripped for B9 spares or are they still runners?

Seems odd to have them still sat around. If not needed by group opcos, I would have thought they would have been either scrapped by now or sent to Purfleet for sale.

It doesn’t seem to odd to me, buses regularly kept in a withdrawn state for ages. It’s probably only noticeable because the open toppers are a hot topic. If it was a random closed top round the back of Camborne nobody would bat an eyelid.

There is no shortage of B9s in FirstGroup, they don’t need to strip down these specific ones

 

[83G/84D]

Have the remaining open tops been stripped for B9 spares or are they still runners?

Seems odd to have them still sat around. If not needed by group opcos, I would have thought they would have been either scrapped by now or sent to Purfleet for sale.

There’s a photo on Cornwall by Kernow Facebook page of one being worked on in Camborne.

It’s a private group so you need to have joined to see it.

 

[Snozzel]

There’s a photo on Cornwall by Kernow Facebook page of one being worked on in Camborne.

It’s a private group so you need to have joined to see it.

Theres one in summercourt with bits missing. No idea of fleet number.

 

[Bazer]

Theres one in summercourt with bits missing. No idea of fleet number.

37789 is in Summercourt

 

[stuu]

One of the electric buses is running on the number 4 in Taunton this morning

 

[aswilliamsuk]

One of the electric buses is running on the number 4 in Taunton this morning

According to bustimes it is 48501 - took over the interworked 4 & 6 cycle at 1115.

 

[nick291]

Something that doesn't make sense to me since Taunton/Yeovil/Bridgwater came into the West of England Zone is why the WOE tickets don't work on the 21 or 54? Maybe the machines aren't programmed to take them?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Something that doesn't make sense to me since Taunton/Yeovil/Bridgwater came into the West of England Zone is why the WOE tickets don't work on the 21 or 54? Maybe the machines aren't programmed to take them?

Depends what you're talking about. The West of England day ticket (£7) is valid on FWoE services only. Instead, you would have to buy a West of England Plus Zone ticket as that specifically states it is

For unlimited travel on the day on all services operated by First West of England and our sister company Buses of Somerset.

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/sites/default/files/public/node_images/J13409%20Jan%2025%20Ticket%20Guide%20V4.pdf

Are you saying that the £13 tickets don't work on the 21/54 and other BoS services?

Of course, it is theoretically easy to tell the difference between a BoS and a First FWoE or a First Dorset bus at the moment but when they are having a single ultraviolet colour, that might prove difficult. That said, I guess that Wells will be WECA green...?