Lothian285
Member
Yesterday was a Sunday service so the X5 wasn’t running.
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Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)
- Thread starter GusB
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muffy
Member
It was a Sunday timetable for ECB yesterday so no X5 at all running yesterday, what were the other days it never appeared?
Auld reekie
Member
- Joined
- 23 Jun 2018
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- 327
Unusual to see 1143 on the 44.
Knowing the love of commonality my suspicion is for some of the 26 or Skylink 17 plate Gemini 3s for ECB but I want to be wrong about that.
LCB I'm less sure. 15 plate B5LHs would be a good fit in time?
LothianBusesPh
Member
You want to be wrong about having classy vehicles for East Coast Buses operations, as well as achieving a unified double-deck fleet of purely Volvo B5TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 3s?
I meant it tongue in cheek. I don't want to wish that build quality into my life is all.
As a regular on the 26 I wouldn't say the 17 plates are too bad, some rattle worst than others, some barely rattle at all. I cannot comment on the Skylink vehicles.
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
I suppose now that we’re into 2024 it’s maybe worth starting to explore the delivery of the BZL’s. I was told to expect them to be delivered from April with an entry to service likely in May. It will be interesting to see how close that is.
To confirm it was supposed to be 25 buses that are 24 plates, followed by another 25 that are 74 plates towards the end of the year? I think we’d all love to see 997 back and join the fleet proper, but I do think that is unlikely to happen.
I know the routes previously which were all but confirmed and they were 1, 8, 9, 10, 23 and 24. However there are still enough buses to probably convert the 7 and 15 as well if you factor in the use of 291-294 in this mix. For reference I don’t believe any of the other Central routes will receive any of these first 50. The only one worth a look realistically would be the 27.
Given 997’s fairly extensive use on the 8 and 9, I’d be surprised if it didn’t receive them first. Perhaps alongside the 23 and 24; use of 291-294 again included.
We know it is likely 1141-1151 that are first to go, so I would expect to see a comparable number of buses transfer to Longstone to replace these, such as 426-437? Central will surely lose the likes of 466-468 and also 1000. I imagine the majority of the rest of the buses lost from the initial batch will be some mmc’s as the 8/9 use a large proportion of these. Central could also lose some single decks instead of the mmc’s if it doesn’t pick up any extra work resulting from the conversion of the 1 to double decks.
Transfers as a result of the second batch are probably dependent on where the fleet is after a service change too, so I think that’s too far away to judge.
Just curious to see everyone’s thoughts on this.
To confirm it was supposed to be 25 buses that are 24 plates, followed by another 25 that are 74 plates towards the end of the year? I think we’d all love to see 997 back and join the fleet proper, but I do think that is unlikely to happen.
I know the routes previously which were all but confirmed and they were 1, 8, 9, 10, 23 and 24. However there are still enough buses to probably convert the 7 and 15 as well if you factor in the use of 291-294 in this mix. For reference I don’t believe any of the other Central routes will receive any of these first 50. The only one worth a look realistically would be the 27.
Given 997’s fairly extensive use on the 8 and 9, I’d be surprised if it didn’t receive them first. Perhaps alongside the 23 and 24; use of 291-294 again included.
We know it is likely 1141-1151 that are first to go, so I would expect to see a comparable number of buses transfer to Longstone to replace these, such as 426-437? Central will surely lose the likes of 466-468 and also 1000. I imagine the majority of the rest of the buses lost from the initial batch will be some mmc’s as the 8/9 use a large proportion of these. Central could also lose some single decks instead of the mmc’s if it doesn’t pick up any extra work resulting from the conversion of the 1 to double decks.
Transfers as a result of the second batch are probably dependent on where the fleet is after a service change too, so I think that’s too far away to judge.
Just curious to see everyone’s thoughts on this.
Graeme Duncan
Member
- Joined
- 3 Mar 2018
- Messages
- 152
I take it that Central will be receiving the 1st 25 of the new vehicles so once they are in Central depot I reckon that half of the 11 plates will be reallocated.
351-375 remaining at Central, 376-389 moving to Longstone gaining 14 and 391-400 moving to Marine gaining 10.
351-375 remaining at Central, 376-389 moving to Longstone gaining 14 and 391-400 moving to Marine gaining 10.
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TheEastCoaster
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 1,224
Reckon we'll expect to see a service change in the next coming month?
For what purpose?
LothianBusesPh
Member
The Service Changes tend to be the end of May/June for summer time, the earliest I recall it being in recent times is the last week in March and a mini service change in February, although I think the next service change will be the service change where BZLs are factored into allocations, so it will be at least the end of April.
ScotRail158725
Established Member
- Joined
- 27 Nov 2018
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I reckon Lothian could take this opportunity to give a more uniform fleet. 668-698 going to Longstone to withdraw the B9s there and allow 551-570 to transfer to Lothian Country a possibility?
computerSaysNo
Member
- Joined
- 14 Dec 2018
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- 1,172
Ideally, yes, but I can't see Lothian sending vehicles with low-back seats to either subsidiary, and I also can't see them reseating vehicles other than the Airlink B8s.
They seem to like sending non-standard stuff to Country so maybe the ex Skylink B5 15-plates there and the 16-plate B5s to East Coast?
Blindtraveler
Established Member
My money is on the ADL electrics either being sold as non-standard or possibly dedicated to private higher work at motor coaches for shorter distance type stuff
computerSaysNo
Member
- Joined
- 14 Dec 2018
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- 1,172
I highly doubt they'd go to Motorcoaches.
Sold: yes possibly.
There's four of them so I'm trying to think of what has a Peak Vehicle Requirement of around three. The NHS Shuttle I think only uses 1?
The East Coast X5 only needs 3, that would be a bold move!
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Whereas I suspect someone with an all ADL electric fleet or significant number of them at least, Stagecoach Dunfermline, I'm looking at you here just as an example, might well be interested in them and put some much needed cash into the kitty which could instantly be transferred out in the other direction to help pay for the BZLs or some other improvements. Realistically, you'd probably only get about two runs on the X5 out of them I would have thought.
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I don't see the benefit of sending late mid life buses to either LCB or ECB, they'll be 8 and 9 years old respectively this year. They're not the best buses anymore and I don't think another 6-8 years at either subsidiary would work out well.
Not sure why low back seats would need reseating to transfer?
BobbyBKinross
Member
When do people think the ADL Enviro400XLB's will be removed or displaced from the Airlink 100 Service? I'm aware that they are not that old in bus years but Lothian do like to refresh the allocation every so often, additionally the Gemini 3's were around the same age as what the current buses are when they were displaced.
Don't think they will replace them as they are the perfect bus for the route.
LothianBusesPh
Member
Now that would be a bold move sending some open-top Gemini 3s to East Coast Buses!! I assume you mean the 17 plates?
ian1944
Member
Can't remember, but not Sunday.
computerSaysNo
Member
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- 14 Dec 2018
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- 1,172
No, sorry, I meant the 2016 B5s but they are actually 66 plates, sorry I forgot.
The batch that they've just fully repainted in the last 6 months?
SoloSR334022
Member
Any idea if the Streetairs will ever be used again or if there going to sell them on?
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The answer, in both cases, is no. If they are sold then it will likely be for scrap, once they've been depreciated to a point where they can then officially be written off fleet strength.
stantheman
On Moderation
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 339
Who decides allocation of buses on a particular day ? Reason I ask is that we have had a lot of Longstone ex London vehicles on the 44 today and yesterday
LothianBusesPh
Member
Some are apparently being renovated at Seafield according to a few sources from both Central and Seafield, I don't think they'll come back though. 285 is at the back of Marine, if any more are at Marine or all of the others are at Seafield remains a mystery.
stevenedin
Member
They will probably reuse the seats to fit into the XLBs when they can take out the bigger seats.
ian1944
Member
Further to my comment upthread, the 0845 X5 ex-North Berwick ran as scheduled today. As that service starts from NB garage, there is no tracking on bustimes showing its progress, unlike the current display for the Tesco terminus as attached. I presume that the "X5" and "8:45" in blue live links earlier today (though with no vehicle identified) indicated that the service would operate.