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We had not planned a Fleet Ramblings update until the New Year, but we have received several queries regarding a fire on a Stagecoach Midlands double deck yesterday. The bus involved was Kettering's Trident 18105 which was running out of service from Kettering Depot to Northampton. It is believed that an engine fire occurred and the bus is reported to have received substantial damage.
In other news Stagecoach East Midlands has repainted Volvo 16916 in the latest version of the InterConnect livery. Stagecoach Yorkshire has received another MAN/East Lancs saloon from Stagecoach East Scotland at Dundee. 22508 has gone to Chesterfield for initial inspection before entering service which is likely to be at Barnsley. MANs 22439/42 have lost Sheffiled Route 83 branding on repaint whilst former Stagecoach London Trident 17562 has been re-registere to MKZ9039 from LY55HDO. The next planned Fleet Ramblings update will be on Monday 5th January 2015 Previously unreported is the delivery of a further two converted ex-Stagecoach London Tridents to Norfolk Green. 17742 was delivered on December 3rd with 17743 arriving some weeks earlier on November 18th. Andy James at Andy's Bus Blog advises that Volvo Olympian 16226 has been withdrawn and sold to Ensign, whilst 16459 which has been on loan has been returned to Stagecoach Midlands at Kettering.
Stagecoach Midlands is fitting WiFi to the Enviro 200 saloons that were delivered in 2013/14 and are based at Northampton. Stagecoach East has confirmed that the 61 new buses and coaches delivered this year to Cambridge (Gold Scania/E400s and Enviro 200s), Fenstanton (Scania/Enviro 400s for Busway), Peterborough (Enviro 200) and Bedford (Volvo/Plaxton Elite coaches) represents an investment of around £11.5million and sees around 18% of the company fleet replaced. Our regular correspondents Dave Russell and Deric Pemberton have advised us that Stagecoach West officially launched its new fleet of vehicles at Cheltenham yesterday (15/12/2014). The launch took place at Cheltenham Racecourse and was attended by Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths, as well as the Mayor of Cheltenham and various other local dignitaries.
Martin Griffiths said that the 24 new buses for Cheltenham represented an investment of nearly £3.2 million and that from January 2015, the average age of the Cheltenham fleet will be only 3.4 years old. The 24 vehicles consist of five Scania/Enviro 400 (15977-81) for the University Service 94U, of which 15977-80 carry all over wraps in a different colour for each vehicle promoting the University of Gloucestershire and Service 94U, Eight Scania/Enviro 300 (28681-8) for Service 41 (Cheltenham – Tewkesbury – Northway) of which four will carry a new Service 41 branding (28683/4 are the first to receive the branding) and eleven ADL E20D/Enviro 200 (37236-46) for Cheltenham Town Service D (Hatherley/Warden Hill – Town Centre – Bishops Cleeve). Of these, seven will carry a new Service D branding, each one having a rear end featuring a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner (Service D serves the Racecourse). The first to receive this branding are 37244/5. Finally, the last of the batch, 37246, is in the traditional Cheltenham District maroon and cream livery with Cheltenham District fleetnames and the Cheltenham coat of arms. Dave and Deric also advise that Scania 28681 has not yet been delivered. It is still at Falkirk having some work done on it. Cheltenham expect to receive it by the end of December. Following the introduction of the six new Cambridgeshire Busway Scania/Enviro 400s at Stagecoach East's Fenstanton depot last month, three ALX400-bodied Tridents 18422/23/24 are now in the reserve fleet.
Stagecoach Yorkshire has confirmed that East Lancs-bodied MAN 22512 transferred from Stagecoach East Scotland is now in service at Barnsley and that a further seven examples are due for transfer - 22508/10/11/14/15 will transfer from Stagecoach East Scotland at Dunfermline and 22509/13 from Stagecoach West Scotland at Ayr. Stagecoach London reports that Routemaster RM2050 is off the road for repairs, whilst Dart SLF 34380 is in Helsinki, Finland for modifications. Vehicles currently for disposal are Dart SLF 34376 and Tridents 17427/66, 17505/09/26/45/66/70/80/86/88/89. Dart SLF 34386 has ben sold for scrap whilst ten Tridents have been returned from Ensign Bus with 17489/90/95 moving to Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire and 17528/29/38/53/60/71/72 being allocated to Stagecoach South.
Stagecoach East Scotland has sold MAN/ALX300s 22161 and 22261, with Dart SLFs 33432/38 also leaving the fleet having been sold to JMB Wishaw. Optare Solo SRs 47871-73 have transferred from Aberhill to St Andrews in exchange for Solos 47224/27/29. At the Rennies fleet BMC Falcolns 29717/18 and Mercedes Varios 59614/15 have been withdrawn from service and are awaiting disposal. Volvo B7Rs 53294/95 are transferred from Glenrothes to Stagecoach West Scotland, whilst Volvo B10MA 51095 has transferred from Stagecoach West Scotland, but may still be at Kilmarnock awaiting collection. Several vehicles have been displaced following arrival of new buses and are likely to be put into the Reserve Fleet or transferred to other Stagecoach companies, there include MAN/ALX300 22349/50, MAN/East Lancs 22511/14/15, Volvo B10M 52657 and Volvo B7R 53261/90/91/93  (c) Stagecoach East Stagecoach East has been out and about this week with one of its new coaches for the X5 Cambridge-Oxford route and are in Oxford today; Milton Keynes tomorrow and Cambridge on Sunday.
Stagecoach South West has received Optare Solo 47526 from Stagecoach South Wales and allocated it to Exeter. Transferred from Exeter into the Reserve Fleet is Trident 17702. Stagecoach Highlands has transferred Volvo B10M 52066 to Skye, where it has replaved 52198 which is now for disposal. Just ten Volvo Olympians remain in the main fleet at Stagecoach Highlands and Stagecoach Bluebird: Aviemore - 16120 Aberdeen - 16111/16/17 Inch - 16121/53/90, 16522 Stonehaven - 16526 Moray - 16112 Stagecoach Midlands has sold Dart SLFs 33460 and 33911 to A Hardwick (Dealer) and has donated Volvo Olympian 16729 to Southern Junior School. It is understood that the accident damage sustained by Dart SLF 34589 is beyond economic repair and the vehicle will be disposed of. Two of the MAN/ALX300s received from Stagecoach East Scotland, 22375/76, were only briefly used at Northampton and are now delicenced for repairs. Following the entry into service of the new ADL E30D/Enviro 300 saloons with Stagecoach North East at Stockton, further MAN/ALX300s have been taken out of service including 22454/66/67/76/86/89/93, 22663/68/69, 22733. 22454/66/67, 22667 and 22733 are in the Reserve Fleet whilst the remainder are for disposal. The company has also recorded that MAN/ALX300 22667 which was for disposal is now in the Reserve Fleet at Hartlepool. News reaches us that the former Norfolk Green Versa transferred to Stagecoach West (25269) has already eneterd the paintshop at Gloucester for repaint into corporate livery. Norfolk Green has also sent Dart SLF 33382 on loan to Stagecoach South.
Stagecoach South now has two Dart SLFs on loan. 33319 from Stagecoach South East and 33382 from Norfolk Green are allocated to Farnham. Scania/Enviro 400s 15989-93 have ben transferred from Portsmouth to Worthing, whilst Optare Versas 25246-49 have ben taken out of service at Farnham. Other transfers over the last month have been Optare Solos 47539-41 from Farnham to Aldershot, Dart SLFs 34414/16 from Worthing to Farnham and similar 33306 from the Reserve Fleet to Farnham. Sold are Volvo Olympian 16747 to Wigley, Dart SLFs 33077 and 34109 to Hardwick and Dart SLFs 33325/26 to Stephensons of Essex. Stagecoach Yorkshire has received Trident 17790 from Stagecoach London and a sold MAN/East Lancs Kinetic 22512 from Stagecoach East Scotland. Three MAN/ALX300s have been put back into service, 22126 and 22930 at Barnsley and 22203 at Rawmarsh, whilst former London Dart SLF 34365 is now allocated to Barnsley after single door conversion. Dart SLFs 33228/31 have been sold. Former Norfolk Green Optare Solo 47884 has been painted in corporate livery and has had an internal refurbishment by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire. It is part of the Reserve Fleet at Barrow. Further MAN/ALX300s taken out of service here are 22721, 22816/21. Dart SLF 34079 has been sold. Previously unreported is the transfer of Dart SLFs 34705-07 from West Cumbria to Morecambe. We understand that the Pointer-bodied Dart SLFs transferred from Stagecoach East to Stagecoach South East will be repainted before entering service. those which are now operational are 34539 at Ashfoeld (as a replacement for 33385), 34541 at Dover (replaced 33022) and 34542 ay Hastings (replaced 33374). Next into service is likely to be 34540 which will go to Herne Bay for use at Canterbury. Two Volvo Olympians have transferred to Herne Bay, 16090 and 16503, the latter replacing 16274. Eastbourne's allocation of Volvo Olympians has ben reduced to two with the transfer of 16370 to Eastbourne. The allocation of Tridents 17691/93 to Thanet replaced Volvo Olympians 16272 and 16503 whilst 18292 at Ashford has allowed Volvo Olympian 16774 to transfer to the Reserve Fleet. Olympians 16377 and 16593 have been sold.
At Stagecoach South Wales Dart SLFs 34678 and 35198-200 have ben allocated to Porth, whilst similar 34768 has transferred from Aberdare to Blackwood. Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire has transferred Pointer-bodied Dart SLFs 34598 and 34603/04 to Stagecoach East Scotland. Received on Merseyside and in the Reserve Fleet at Gilmoss are ex Stagecoach London Tridents 17448/49 and 17549/91 which had previously been provisionally allocated to Stagecoach South. At Stagecoach West Dart SLF 33967 is currently in use as a driver training vehicle at Cheltenham. Dart SLFs 34836/37/42 have been transferred from Cheltenham to Swindon. New has reached us this afternoon that Norfolk Green Optare Versa 25269 has turned up at Stagecoach West's Gloucester depot - we don't know the reason for the transfer at this time.It is understood the vehicle left King's Lynn yesterday.
Stagecoach East Midlands is expected to receive four MAN/AL300 saloons in the near future. Recently displaced from duties with Stagecoach West Scotland at Glasgow, 22360/83/80/81 are being prepare for transfer.
At Stagecoach Oxfordshire Optare Solo 47239 is returned to service at Witney and MAN/Enviro 300s have been transferre from the Reserve Fleet to the main allocation at Oxford. Optare Solo 47434 is confirmed as transferred to Stagecoach West Scotland and has been allocated to Glasgow. New Scania/Enviro 300 saloons allocated to Stagecoach West Scotland's Kilmarnock depot are 22689-708 (YN64AHA/C/D/E/F/G/J/K/L/O/P/U/V/X/Y/Z, AJO/U/V/X). Also being delivered are ADL Enviro 200s 37247-53. 37247-51 are reported to have already been received and are registered SL64HWC/D/E/F/G. The Scanias at Kilmarnock have replaced MAN/Enviro 300s which have been re-allocated as follows: 22857-59 to Glasgow 22862 to Cumnock 22863/64 to Stranraer 22865-67 Glasgow 22868 to Ayr 22869 to Dumfries 22870 to Reserve Fleet Optare Solo 47627 is transferred Ayr to Glasgow, whilst 47496 has moved from Ardrossan to Arran in exchange for 47505. Stagecoach Manchester has transferred Volvo B7TL 16968 from the Reserve Fleet to Middleton and Trident 17175 from Middleton to Hyde Road. A large number of vehicles here are reported as sold and these include: Leyland Olympian 14072 Volvo Olympian 1685/98 Volvo B7TL 16967/70/72 Trident 18294/95 Volvo B10L 21072 Volvo B6BLE 31388 MAN/ALX300 22120/31/46 BMC Falcoln 29725/26 Dart SLF 33772/73, 33852/57/77/78/79/82 Optare Excel 35047 Mercdes 811D 41166 |
