Stagecoach North East

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach North East
Olympian 16834 is on the 12/14/34. Sister 16836 did a trip on the 36, while 16840 did the 1245 Summerville 59 trip.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach North East
Review of 2012

2012 was mainly a quiet year for Stagecoach - the only new buses to arrive during the year was the last few ADL Enviro200s for South Shields. But while they were the only new buses, the year was marked by the Olympic loans and the first major departures of Low Floor buses from the division.

Apart from Enviro300 27736's accident in Seaburn at the start of the year, resulting in 21145 becoming the first (and only) B10BLE to be officially reinstated to front line service to replace it - the major changes didn't start until July when the Enviro300s and Enviro400s began moving south towards London for front-line Olympic shuttle duties and additional Enviro400s to Manchester to cover for their Enviro400s going to London. As such, the reserve B10BLE were reinstated into service at South Shields along with 4 MAN Enviro300s from Sheffield and 1 from West Scotland. A further 6 examples from West Scotland, plus 4 from Yorkshire's Barnsley depot were loaned to Slatyford to enable some of their Enviro400s to move to Walkergate. In addition, the Trident made its return to Walkergate depot with 4 Transbus ALX400 examples (3 at any one time, with two swapped over half way threw their stay) and two Alexander Dennis ALX400 examples loaned from West Scotland. A new type also made its first appearance in the North East fleet with the loan of Scania N230UD/Alexander Dennis Enviro400s - 6 from West Scotland, 2 from East Midlands' Chesterfield depot and 3 from Sheffield. Apart from the Shiffield MAN Enviro300s, the entire Newcastle loans departed in August with the Sheffield MANs moving to South Shields until the end of the Paralympics in September.

The Paralympics saw a number of South Shields' Enviro200s move south, with 36471/5 ending up at Hastings to allow two of their new Enviro200s to be used in London instead of 36471/5. With further MAN Enviro300s at South Shields during the Paralympics, their place on Towns were covered by MAN ALX300s, the B10BLEs and reinstated Dart SLFs 33491/2.

The major change in early 2012 was the end of the high floor Darts in Newcastle, replaced on the 15/15A and 32/32A/33/35 by the ALX200-bodied Darts, displaced from Sunderland by Pointer Darts cascaded from South Shields by the new Enviro200s. Further examples were moved from Hartlepool's reserve fleet. Hartlepool retain 3 examples.

Sadly, the days of the Volvo B10BLEs are now approaching the end - indeed, almost half of them have now been sold off. Likewise, the last short Olympians have also been offer for sale - almost a year after the last one was stood down from active service (16707).

The last big event of 2012 was the unexpected conversion of the X34 to Enviro400 operation with the transfer of 3 examples from Slatyford in exchange for 3 MAN ALX300s from South Shields. The 2 branded MANs were debranded yet retain the blue livery.

[cbma06]

RE: Stagecoach North East
Stagecoach South Shields 21139 is on the Ensignbus website for sale:

http://ensignbus.com/Sales_1998-Volvo-B10BLE.htm

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach North East

(01/01/2013 21:38)cbma06 Wrote:  Stagecoach South Shields 21139 is on the Ensignbus website for sale:

http://ensignbus.com/Sales_1998-Volvo-B10BLE.htm

Read back over the thread - with the exception of 21105, Ensign have taken all the other departed B10BLEs in the fleet. They seem to be taking the rest of them apart from 21148/52.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach North East
I have been informed that MAN Enviro300 24104 is due to go to MAN presumably tomorrow.

[tyresmoke]

RE: Stagecoach North East
I think it was going this afternoon... presumably another warranty repair as usual with those Enviro300s!

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach North East
Hartlepool's Dart 34568 is current at Walkergate, presumably undergoing repairs

Photo @ Ray Parnaby

[rachel]

RE: Stagecoach North East
With all bloble and some alx200 sold now do you think that we see new buses and newly buses in 2013 and how long is befor some of alx300 will start to be sold off what do you think

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach North East
I don't think all the B10BLEs have been sold yet. And the ALX200s that have gone have been Christmas Tree'd.

Having received nothing new last year, I would hope that NE do indeed see some new Enviro300s which will allow the older ALX300s to be disposed.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Stagecoach North East

(04/01/2013 01:25)mbonwick Wrote:  I don't think all the B10BLEs have been sold yet. And the ALX200s that have gone have been Christmas Tree'd.

Having received nothing new last year, I would hope that NE do indeed see some new Enviro300s which will allow the older ALX300s to be disposed.

I think all have been sold but only so many have departed. As for the withdrawn ALX200s, 33126/827 sat at the back of Slatyford Depot still being picked apart for spares, and 33487 I think may still be at Hartlepool where it has been for the last year or so since it was withdrawn.

As for new stock, Enviro300s would be top of the list - hopefully mixed to the various depots with the oldest ALX300s rather than centred on one depot and newer ALX300s cascaded to other depots.