Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[lenno121]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(16/10/2017 12:49)chester285 Wrote:  They went through refurb before entry in to service, they have eastgate clock graphics inside along the back panel

That explains why they feel like new buses then.

[lenno121]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Do the stagecoach Dennis Darts suffer from corrosion as much as the Arriva ones? If so, why are they still in service?

[MPTE1955]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Think the stagecoach ones are in far better condition now than the arriva ones were ever. The stagecoach ones have probably not had to work quite as hard either, those arriva ones had a hard life.

[lenno121]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(17/10/2017 20:21)MPTE1955 Wrote:  Think the stagecoach ones are in far better condition now than the arriva ones were ever. The stagecoach ones have probably not had to work quite as hard either, those arriva ones had a hard life.

You're telling me they had a hard life? they went past my house every 20 mins, every day for 16 years! Poor old things, engines, diffs, gearboxes and body work were all shot when they were withdrawn. Only Y549UJC left now. The Stagecoach ones are 5 or so years newer which helps but I don't know if they are any more corrosion resistant than the arriva ones or whether they just have an easier life.

[33109]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Also the stagecoach fleet are the transbus variants aren't they?

Also slightly different interior too, different style seats plus they've got led rear lights etc.

[lenno121]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(17/10/2017 21:19)33109 Wrote:  Also the stagecoach fleet are the transbus variants aren't they?

Also slightly different interior too, different style seats plus they've got led rear lights etc.

And bigger/better engines, gearboxes and diffs.

[buses7675 (Website Founder)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
The Stagecoach ones are late build Alexander Dennis Pointer Darts.

Some of those at Arriva are ex London so I guess will have had a harder life than the Stagecoach ones which have always been local but I think the age has more to do with it than anything.

[lenno121]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(18/10/2017 11:58)buses7675 Wrote:  The Stagecoach ones are late build Alexander Dennis Pointer Darts.

Some of those at Arriva are ex London so I guess will have had a harder life than the Stagecoach ones which have always been local but I think the age has more to do with it than anything.

That makes sense, I didn't know that some of the Arriva ones had been used in London. I assume that the reason Y549UJC is still in use is because it was in use in wrexham and probably did the same sort of routes as the Stagecoach ones do through towns and villages. The Stagecoach ones are 3900cc aren't they? whereas the Arriva ones were 2900cc I think.

[Quackdave]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(18/10/2017 14:44)lenno121 Wrote:  The Stagecoach ones are 3900cc aren't they? whereas the Arriva ones were 2900cc I think.

I didn't think any Darts had an engine as small as 2900cc. Weren't the older ones (including Arriva's MPDs, both indigenous and ex-London) fitted with the 5.9-litre engine?

[lenno121]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(18/10/2017 18:17)Quackdave Wrote:  I didn't think any Darts had an engine as small as 2900cc. Weren't the older ones (including Arriva's MPDs, both indigenous and ex-London) fitted with the 5.9-litre engine?

Ah yes, they use the 5.9 6 cylinder whereas the stagecoach ones use the 3.9 4 cylinder version, my bad. Still a bit wimpy compared to the 7.6 used by the volvo B10 but it still packs a punch in the lighter and smaller bus. Weren't the BlueBirds a 5.9 Leyland engine? And any reports on whether there is still one left at Gillmoss?