Trivia: Outstations with allocations of over 10 buses

[Simon75]

Historically and currently, are there many Outstations that has/have allocations of 10 or more buses?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Historically and currently, are the re many Outstations that has/have allocations of 10 or more buses

Depends what you mean by outstation. Fixed allocation? No maintenance on site?

Ones that I could think of are (and appreciate they may have changed with post Covid reductions)

• First South West (Falmouth, Bodmin, Minehead - don't know about Helston nowadays)
• Go South West (Scorrier?).
• First Wessex in Bridport used to be but not certain now.
• Until Covid, First West of England had their Westbury outbase but it's now closed and, in any case, the services it used to have are now so pared back it wouldn't have many
• Stagecoach West at Milkwall in the Forest of Dean.
• Arriva Cymru at Llandudno used to be reasonably sized.
• Transdev has an outstation in Keighley for the vehicles they can't all fit into the main depot.
• Stagecoach Cymru still have the depot at Brynmawr (I think) now downgraded to outstation status
• Stagecoach East Midland has Long Sutton - classed as an outstation but with its own permanent allocation

First Cymru used to have Maesteg and Pontardawe until recent years, both former depots and now gone.

 

[Taunton]

Historically and currently, are there many Outstations that has/have allocations of 10 or more buses?

The old Bristol company used to have just a limited number of official depot locations, and in turn some of their "outstations" were quite substantial. Of course, the arrangements probably changed over time.

Weston used to cover much of Somerset, and Wells was an outstation of it.

Avonmouth, on the City network, was actually an outstation of Winterstoke Road.

 

[Dai Corner]

Stagecoach South Wales' Brynmawr site was downgraded to an outstation a few years ago (when the operator was having a disagreement with the Welsh Government, I think). I'm not sure whether it was any more than a paperwork exercise or whether it's been promoted to being a depot again.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Stagecoach South Wales' Brynmawr site was downgraded to an outstation a few years ago (when the operator was having a disagreement with the Welsh Government, I think). I'm not sure whether it was any more than a paperwork exercise or whether it's been promoted to being a depot again.

As I said above

Stagecoach Cymru still have the depot at Brynmawr (I think) now downgraded to outstation status

Last time I was there, it looked like it always was but couldn't see any maintenance being undertaken. Don't know if that's done at Blackwood?

Weston used to cover much of Somerset, and Wells was an outstation of it.

It was, though as Wells had its own depot, maintenance, and allocation (with WS depot code), it really wasn't an outstation. It still functions in the same way but with Bath depot as the parent, providing additional vehicles when spares are used up plus heavier engineering.

I think Highbridge and Wotton were similarly substantial outstations that were really small depots - proper buildings not a yard and a portacabin.



Another one that has just sprung to mind is the First one at Todmorden. Was a full depot but they removed the roof to create a walled compound instead.

 

[32625]

Depends what you mean by outstation. Fixed allocation? No maintenance on site?

Ones that I could think of are (and appreciate they may have changed with post Covid reductions)

• First South West (Falmouth, Bodmin, Minehead - don't know about Helston nowadays)
• Go South West (Scorrier?).
• First Wessex in Bridport used to be but not certain now.
• Until Covid, First West of England had their Westbury outbase but it's now closed and, in any case, the services it used to have are now so pared back it wouldn't have many
• Stagecoach West at Milkwall in the Forest of Dean.
• Arriva Cymru at Llandudno used to be reasonably sized.
• Transdev has an outstation in Keighley for the vehicles they can't all fit into the main depot.
• Stagecoach Cymru still have the depot at Brynmawr (I think) now downgraded to outstation status
• Stagecoach East Midland has Long Sutton - classed as an outstation but with its own permanent allocation

First Cymru used to have Maesteg and Pontardawe until recent years, both former depots and now gone.

Heston is about 10-12 in school term, Scorrier is 10-15

 

[Dai Corner]

As I said above

Oops! Serves me right for not reading previous posts properly

Last time I was there, it looked like it always was but couldn't see any maintenance being undertaken. Don't know if that's done at Blackwood?

I think it was, theoretically at least, under Cwmbran depot.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Oops! Serves me right for not reading previous posts properly

I think it was, theoretically at least, under Cwmbran depot.

No worries - I did wonder if it might be under Cwmbran but Blackwood feels closer. Another Welsh one is Tycroes near Ammanford - think that is fairly substantial.

Stagecoach NW - Penrith is fairly chunky too

 

[43055]

Historically and currently, are there many Outstations that has/have allocations of 10 or more buses?

Belper is the 'home' of the Sixes run by trentbarton which uses 11 buses with the maintenance done at Derby. I think one or two of these stay at Matlock as well overnight.

 

[Bristol LH]

No worries - I did wonder if it might be under Cwmbran but Blackwood feels closer. Another Welsh one is Tycroes near Ammanford - think that is fairly substantial.

Stagecoach NW - Penrith is fairly chunky too

The allocation at Stagecoach's Brynmawr 'depot' is sourced from Cwmbran.

First Cymru's Ammanford depot has an allocation in the region of 23 vehicles and a maintenance facility was installed a couple of years ago. The allocation increased when Llanelli 'depot' closed in November 2020. Ammanford has an outstation of one vehicle (previously two) at Mid Wales Travel's Aberystwyth depot for Service T1 (Aberystwyth-Carmarthen).

 

[SteveM70]

Another one that has just sprung to mind is the First one at Todmorden. Was a full depot but they removed the roof to create a walled compound instead.

Beat me to it. From what I’ve observed passing by there are no facilities there at all

 

[RELL6L]

Stagecoach West Scotland have an outstation on the wilds east of Cumnock which must be about 10 vehicles. Also is Stranraer an outstation?

Arriva at Alnwick is a few buses but probably not 10.

Stagecoach East at Ely?

Is First at Kings Lynn a depot or an outstation?

First Oldham at Bolton?

Arriva Winsford at Macclesfield?

Not sure what is big enough and what counts.

Stagecoach Oxford, rather lost track now. Bicester? Chipping Norton?

Reading Buses - are Slough and Bracknell outstations?

East Coast (Lothian) at North Berwick?

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Metroline run the 222 front an outstation near Uxbridge, the main depot.

 

[Taunton]

Definition of "outstation" is a bit variable. For example Scottish Bus Group used to have up to 20 vehicles in the London Transport Victoria garage each day, but they all changed over on each night's services. I believe they had their own fuel, fitters and stores (and spare vehicle).

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The allocation at Stagecoach's Brynmawr 'depot' is sourced from Cwmbran.

First Cymru's Ammanford depot has an allocation in the region of 23 vehicles and a maintenance facility was installed a couple of years ago. The allocation increased when Llanelli 'depot' closed in November 2020. Ammanford has an outstation of one vehicle (previously two) at Mid Wales Travel's Aberystwyth depot for Service T1 (Aberystwyth-Carmarthen).

Thanks for that Barrie.

I used to be in Ammanford regularly but not for a while. Didn't know they'd put a maintenance bay there.

 

[150249]

Would you count Newton Abbot as an outstation? Stagecoach south west run about 12 buses from there I think

 

[richw]

First South West (Falmouth, Bodmin, Minehead - don't know about Helston nowadays)

Callington has exactly 10.

 

[robertclark125]

Stagecoach West Scotland have an outstation on the wilds east of Cumnock which must be about 10 vehicles. Also is Stranraer an outstation?

Arriva at Alnwick is a few buses but probably not 10.

Stagecoach East at Ely?

Is First at Kings Lynn a depot or an outstation?

First Oldham at Bolton?

Arriva Winsford at Macclesfield?

Not sure what is big enough and what counts.

Stagecoach Oxford, rather lost track now. Bicester? Chipping Norton?

Reading Buses - are Slough and Bracknell outstations?

East Coast (Lothian) at North Berwick?

North berwick was upgraded in First days to a full depot, and continues as such today.

 

[Simon75]

Stagecoach West Scotland have an outstation on the wilds east of Cumnock which must be about 10 vehicles. Also is Stranraer an outstation?

Arriva at Alnwick is a few buses but probably not 10.

Stagecoach East at Ely?

Is First at Kings Lynn a depot or an outstation?

First Oldham at Bolton?

Arriva Winsford at Macclesfield?

Not sure what is big enough and what counts.

Stagecoach Oxford, rather lost track now. Bicester? Chipping Norton?

Reading Buses - are Slough and Bracknell outstations?

East Coast (Lothian) at North Berwick?

Arriva Macclesfield (outstation of Winsford) is about 6 now

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Stagecoach West Scotland have an outstation on the wilds east of Cumnock which must be about 10 vehicles. Also is Stranraer an outstation?

Arriva at Alnwick is a few buses but probably not 10.

Stagecoach East at Ely?

Is First at Kings Lynn a depot or an outstation?

First Oldham at Bolton?

Arriva Winsford at Macclesfield?

Not sure what is big enough and what counts.

Stagecoach Oxford, rather lost track now. Bicester? Chipping Norton?

Reading Buses - are Slough and Bracknell outstations?

East Coast (Lothian) at North Berwick?

Hi @RELL6L

Suspect you're right about First in Bolton.

As for Stagecoach Oxford, I don't think Chipping Norton was that large whilst Bicester must've been on the cusp.

First in Kings Lynn is an interesting one. They have a single route and vehicles that are normally allocated there. There is some limited maintenance undertaken (I think) though the big stuff is done at Norwich through which the vehicles are cycled. It has a proper depot building and facilities.

Go South Coast must have a few that are in that sort of position of being nearly a depot (Swanage?, Dorchester) or nearly an 10+ outstation

 

[M@verick]

Stagecoach United Counties downgraded it's Biggleswade garage it had a PVR of 13. At one point as an outstation of Bedford depot it had a PVR of 22 vehicles circa 2002

 

[Andyh82]

First West Yorkshire at Todmorden I would expect has over 10

 

[Sandy Drew]

Stagecoach have (had?!) about 25 double deckers out-stationed on an industrial estate in Chorley, for the trunk 125 Preston-Chorley-Bolton route?

 

[LUYMun]

When Stagecoach South purchased and operated the 'low cost' Fleet Buzz business between 2011 and 2015, the Crondall outstation had a good dozen or so vehicles during the brief period.

 

[90sWereBetter]

I may be totally wrong, but I'm sure at some point in the 2000s Arriva London North used Palmers Green garage as basically an outstation for Wood Green garage, as the two are only about a mile away from each other. Given that Palmers Green is a big garage in its own right and would've been sharing trunk Wood Green routes like the 29, 141 and W3, I can imagine it had quite a substantial allocation. This has now ceased and Palmers Green has its own allocation and set of TFL routes separate to Wood Green's operations.

Another one that might not count, Arriva London South have two garages on Brixton Hill, the main one near Streatham Hill station, and the old LCC tram depot on the other side of the South Circular which from memory is used as an outstation for the 319's allocation and for any overflow from late boards. The 319 has a PVR of 19.

 

[Mwanesh]

No worries - I did wonder if it might be under Cwmbran but Blackwood feels closer. Another Welsh one is Tycroes near Ammanford - think that is fairly substantial.

Stagecoach NW - Penrith is fairly chunky too

Caerphilly is the Blackwood outstation.

 

[westcoaster]

Stagecoach had a small outstation with a few Gold deckers and a single solo until recently at a small industrial area next to Higham Ferrers (A45/A6 Chown mills roundabout). So iirc this outstation had vehicles from two seperate depots.
The Gold deckers are for the X46/47 and the solo went on to work town services in Wellingborough, after an early morning run.

Think this is now closed as an outstation.

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Stagecoach SE at Old Romney surely qualifies

 

[MaidaVale]

Stagecoach downgraded Corby Depot into an outstation when the X4 service was cut back from Milton Keynes in 2018. As the outstation still runs certain X4 journeys and some town services I believe it has around 10 or possibly more.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

As I said above


Last time I was there, it looked like it always was but couldn't see any maintenance being undertaken. Don't know if that's done at Blackwood?


It was, though as Wells had its own depot, maintenance, and allocation (with WS depot code), it really wasn't an outstation. It still functions in the same way but with Bath depot as the parent, providing additional vehicles when spares are used up plus heavier engineering.

I think Highbridge and Wotton were similarly substantial outstations that were really small depots - proper buildings not a yard and a portacabin.

Another one that has just sprung to mind is the First one at Todmorden. Was a full depot but they removed the roof to create a walled compound instead.

Regarding the outstation at Eastwood, maintenance is done at Halifax and the fleet is rotated as you use to see Calder Connect branded vehicles make there way onto the 548 or 571. Wasn't there a First / Yorkshire Rider outstation at Kilnsey in Wakefield?

Speaking of Todmorden, TLC also have an outstation there for the Hebden Bridge and Todmorden local services which will have more than 10 vehicles allocated there. Another one was the CT Plus outstation in Brighouse which had 14 buses stored there and one static caravan acting as site office, maintenance was done in Leeds.

An interesting set up is Stagecoach in Lincolnshire whose main depot is in Lincoln but could the depots at Scunthorpe, Gainsborough, Grimsby and the former one at Louth be regarded as outstations?