(05/08/2012 19:55)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]I saw 21101 in Newcastle on Monday, clearly routebound to route X63. I rode an ALX300 and a Prestige on South Shields routes on Friday 27th July. I forget which ones but I looked up my notes to divilge their identities in a post yesterday.
21101 is indeed exclusively allocated to the X63, its Brightech Dot Matrix screen has been removed for training reason apparently after it did one day in service with it still fitted on the 40.
I was pleased to ride the Volvo B10BLEs on South Shields routes as these are rare within Stagecoach. I noticed no Enviro 300s in South Shields during my 1/2 hour there on the Friday afternoon. I gather they have gone to the Olympics, meaning the Volvo B10BLEs were brought out of reserve.
(05/08/2012 20:14)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]I was pleased to ride the Volvo B10BLEs on South Shields routes as these are rare within Stagecoach. I noticed no Enviro 300s in South Shields during my 1/2 hour there on the Friday afternoon. I gather they have gone to the Olympics, meaning the Volvo B10BLEs were brought out of reserve.
There are MAN Enviro300s in South Shields at the moment from West Scotland and Sheffield, but yes, all the active standard Enviro300s are down in London for the Olympics (only one isn't, 27736 the one involved in the accident in Seaburn back in January).
Thanks for the clarification Kuyoyo. I did at least ride an earlier Enviro300 on route 100, and am pleased to have unintentionally lived out some Olympics history in the making in South Shields. I rode a modern Enviro300 in St Helens in January, and think I prefer the seating on these to the earlier ones. I think the original design was by TransBus, subsequently revised by Alexander Dennis. I did also see some MAN-Enviro300s from Yorkshire in Newcastle.
(05/08/2012 20:25)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for the clarification Kuyoyo. I did at least ride an earlier Enviro300 on route 100, and am pleased to have unintentionally lived out some Olympics history in the making in South Shields. I rode a modern Enviro300 in St Helens in January, and think I prefer the seating on these to the earlier ones. I think the original design was by TransBus, subsequently revised by Alexander Dennis. I did also see some MAN-Enviro300s from Yorkshire in Newcastle.
Yes, the 5 Enviro300s used on the 100 were to the original style but built by Alexander Dennis. Hard to believe but they will be 7 years old towards the end of this month. Ironically, they replaced the shortest lived vehicles used and branded for the 100, MAN ALX300 22067-71 which of course now based at South Shields.
(05/08/2012 20:33)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, the 5 Enviro300s used on the 100 were to the original style but built by Alexander Dennis. Hard to believe but they will be 7 years old towards the end of this month. Ironically, they replaced the shortest lived vehicles used and branded for the 100, MAN ALX300 22067-71 which of course now based at South Shields.
A related irony I noticed was that, whereas on my last visit to the area in November 2004, route 100 used the newest single-deckers in the area, now most vehicles on the route are 7 years old. Even route 18 had a newer MAN-ALX300! And of course there are newer Enviro300-bodies buses round and about.
(05/08/2012 20:38)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ] (05/08/2012 20:33)kuyoyo Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, the 5 Enviro300s used on the 100 were to the original style but built by Alexander Dennis. Hard to believe but they will be 7 years old towards the end of this month. Ironically, they replaced the shortest lived vehicles used and branded for the 100, MAN ALX300 22067-71 which of course now based at South Shields.
A related irony I noticed was that, whereas on my last visit to the area in November 2004, route 100 used the newest single-deckers in the area, now most vehicles on the route are 7 years old. Even route 18 had a newer MAN-ALX300! And of course there are newer Enviro300-bodies buses round and about.
The reason for that is, neither Newcastle depot has received any new full size Single Deckers for the last 6 years, and Double Deckers are not allow on the route due to one of the route opitions in Dunston having a low bridge along it. No doubt the 100 will gain newer buses in the next few years, probably to enable the Enviro300s to move onto other routes to replace the older MAN ALX300.
Considering the amount of MAN ALX300s that are coming up for replacment in the next few years or so, there's the S-reg ones (22451/2/4-6 at Stockton and 22453 at Sunderland) then the countless T-reg examples (22172/4/93/95-9/201/2/4/6/8/10/1/4/5, 22462-95, 22656-61/3-5, 22726-36) and the 10 V-reg ones (22666-75). It's a long list indeed.
Oh yes, I remember double-deckers suddenly falling out of fashion in Newcastle, and the Tridents coming to Manchester. Now that routes 39 and 40 have Enviro 400s, I wonder did the Tridents used to operate these routes? Admittedly others like routes 12 and 62 are currently Enviro 400, as is route 22 alongside single-deckers (potentially due to the Olympics).
(05/08/2012 20:49)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]Oh yes, I remember double-deckers suddenly falling out of fashion in Newcastle, and the Tridents coming to Manchester. Now that routes 39 and 40 have Enviro 400s, I wonder did the Tridents used to operate these routes? Admittedly others like routes 12 and 62 are currently Enviro 400, as is route 22 alongside single-deckers (potentially due to the Olympics).
The Tridents left for Manchester because they were being targetted by vadals on evening and Sunday runs. Today of course there's CCTV so that problem doesn't matter. The Tridents were shared between the 12 and 39/40 when they were in Newcastle, sharing with the B10BLEs.
Enviro400s are used on the following routes normally:
Walkergate
1
12
22
38
39/40
62/63
Slatyford
10/11 (shared with MAN ALX300s)
62/63
X87/X88 (X77/X78/X79 and X82 at peaks times as well)