First Bus - Potteries

[Ashley 60171]

There have been quite a few of the older L94 Scanias which have been taken out of service and stored inside at Adderley Green only to be returned to use a few weeks/months later. I imagine that it happens when an in-service bus develop a defect or requires substantial work for MoT and that one of the then-stored examples is cheaper to fix and put back on the road.

The same happened with the seven or eight L94s which were moved from Northampton after First vacated the depot there. They had been out of use for many, many months (and well over a year in one case) but a small number were slowly resuscitated and put into service in Stoke to replace 'native' Scanias which were too expensive to fix/MoT. Presumably some of the better ones will be modified before January to satisfy DDA requirements.

There is just one ALX200 Dart remaining in service, at Adderley Green, and it is one of the ex-York T-NUA examples. The surviving Olympian is in use most days on either the Cherry routes or the 98/99 services, remarkable given its age although it is in very good condition and will perhaps make a good buy for a Yorkshire preservationist in time...

StreetLite 63250 is the same one that was displayed at the NEC last November and has been renumbered because it's a Euro 6 example, thus putting it into the same series at those which will be delivered as part of this year's order.

@barry619 cheers for that. Do you know how many Streetlites Potteries are having? I would guess a number similar to the remaining fleet of Darts/Scanias

[barry619]

@barry619 cheers for that. Do you know how many Streetlites Potteries are having? I would guess a number similar to the remaining fleet of Darts/Scanias

There are various rumours about how many there might be for Potteries but all I know for sure is that there will be 'some'. As for replacing all those which will be unuseable by way of DDA come January with new buses, I doubt that will happen as the finances are unlikely to stack up. More likely a combination of StreetLites, DDA conversion work and cascades from elsewhere.

[Ashley 60171]

There are various rumours about how many there might be for Potteries but all I know for sure is that there will be 'some'. As for replacing all those which will be unuseable by way of DDA come January with new buses, I doubt that will happen as the finances are unlikely to stack up. More likely a combination of StreetLites, DDA conversion work and cascades from elsewhere.

DDA modifications to the Scanias will probably happen, wouldn't mind a few cascades but we'll see I suppose

[Ashley 60171]

60074, 60201 - Newcastle to Adderley Green
32055 back at Newcastle

[the trainbasher]

Solo was on the 3 earlier

[the trainbasher]

Four words, squeeze up me duck :D I wasn't the photographer, mine died so I was just cold and Solo spotting

They went from one extreme with solos to the other extreme with the Olympian on there today!

I didn't bother with the solo but had a nice quick bash on the Olympian though :-)

[Ashley 60171]

They went from one extreme with solos to the other extreme with the Olympian on there today!

I didn't bother with the solo but had a nice quick bash on the Olympian though :-)

I saw the Olympian twice. But a bit of Scania bashing makes going up there worth going :)

[Ashley 60171]

Heard on the grapevine that First Potteries are planning to put their 2015 Streetlite intake onto the Stafford to Hanley service and the OmniCities to be withdrawn. No I haven't got my dates mixed up

[Alex]

Have they changed the number for the 101 (Stafford-Hanley), as all First Potteries OmniCities i've seen, have been displaying "10 Hanley"?

[Ashley 60171]

Have they changed the number for the 101 (Stafford-Hanley), as all First Potteries OmniCities i've seen, have been displaying "10 Hanley"?

Yes they have, no idea why

[Bob]

Heard on the grapevine that First Potteries are planning to put their 2015 Streetlite intake onto the Stafford to Hanley service and the OmniCities to be withdrawn. No I haven't got my dates mixed up

Really? What a downgrade. Those Scanias are great buses,  plenty of space inside,  comfy, smooth and quiet. Everything a streetlite aint lol

[Ashley 60171]

Really? What a downgrade. Those Scanias are great buses,  plenty of space inside,  comfy, smooth and quiet. Everything a streetlite aint lol

I believe it has something to do with poor fuel efficiency (3 mpg so I'm told), poor reliability and running costs. They want to keep the Flolines for as long as they can I believe because they are reliable and the drivers like them. The OmniCities are good yes, however there is a saying "It's hard to find a good OmniCity" and I personally think the legrooms crap apart from the obvious places.

[barry619]

I believe it has something to do with poor fuel efficiency (3 mpg so I'm told), poor reliability and running costs. They want to keep the Flolines for as long as they can I believe because they are reliable and the drivers like them. The OmniCities are good yes, however there is a saying "It's hard to find a good OmniCity" and I personally think the legrooms crap apart from the obvious places.

Someone is pulling your pisser if you've been told 3mpg... :o You'd be looking more at 7-8mpg on work like that. However the OmniCitys are almost nine years old and must have done colossal mileage given that they have been on the Staffords from new. There is no way they are going to be withdrawn as they have another six years' depreciation left on them and that's not going to be written off over nine or ten buses, or however many of them there are.

That said, the rumour of StreetLites has been going round (from drivers, mind) for some time and may even have the slightest grain of truth to it. However they are asking for trouble with StreetLites on Staffords if it comes to pass as they aren't going to stand up to that kind of work for more than a few years. The Micro Hybrid thing in them is not suited to interurban duties either, if its maximum benefit is to be derived.

As for whether drivers like buses or not... I'm not so sure that that's one of the things First consider when deciding what to get rid of and keep. The knackered old Darts wouldn't still be around if it was.

[Bob]

Can you imagine how noisy a streetlite would be on the fast stretches of the A34. Totally npt suited to that sort of work

[Ashley 60171]

Potteries 16th May

43877 - 3 (all night if not swapped by now)
18 branded OmniCity - daytime 10
32630/37156 - late 10's/32
65706 - 22
41493 - late 2's
AG Solo 53119 - Newcastle 17