More second hand shite

(26 Jul 2023, 10:44 am)Rapidsnap wrote They were built after Optare took over East Lancs so known as Optare Olympus. Here's a pair still displaying their Optare badging https://flic.kr/p/2mukkXp

Aye you're right. Appears that they were badged in East Lanc, Darwin and Optare depending when they were built. Had a Google before as I knew there was East Lancs variants around.

Ick. They look awful

(26 Jul 2023, 1:08 pm)V514DFT wrote More second hand shite

Exactly what buses do you expect a company that lost £4.5m in the last published annual accounts to acquire??

There appears to be a lot more internal transfer of buses within Go Ahead Group than ever before. 
Perhaps the new owners have a different outlook on capital investment, or London is taking up a lot of the available money (I recall a recent announcement of another 141 electric buses for London this year).

The Hydrogen fleet at Metrobus in Crawley won't be cheap, and the bid for Fast Track in Kent around Bluewater probably wasn't cheap either.

Also if Go-Ahead London want to keep winning / retain contracts London, then they have to go down the Electric Vehicle route which ain't cheap as Electric vehicle development is always evolving.

(26 Jul 2023, 6:06 pm)busmanT wrote Exactly what buses do you expect a company that lost £4.5m in the last published annual accounts to acquire??

There appears to be a lot more internal transfer of buses within Go Ahead Group than ever before. 
Perhaps the new owners have a different outlook on capital investment, or London is taking up a lot of the available money (I recall a recent announcement of another 141 electric buses for London this year).

Usually when you displace stuff, then you'd send stuff up which have a few years life in them. Arriva were good for it until recently with things like the 55 plates B7's which turned up in 2016 or the 51/52 plate B7's in 2013/14 so still have 5 or year left on paper - obviously some are still here but that's another debate and all had a full refurb so they were as new.

15 year old buses should be getting withdrawn, not sent to the provincial fleets, especially non-standard ones which are still in GoAhead London interior.

(26 Jul 2023, 7:40 pm)Storx wrote Usually when you displace stuff, then you'd send stuff up which have a few years life in them. Arriva were good for it until recently with things like the 55 plates B7's which turned up in 2016 or the 51/52 plate B7's in 2013/14 so still have 5 or year left on paper - obviously some are still here but that's another debate and all had a full refurb so they were as new.

15 year old buses should be getting withdrawn, not sent to the provincial fleets, especially non-standard ones which are still in GoAhead London interior.

Precisely, took the words right out of my mouth

(26 Jul 2023, 7:40 pm)Storx wrote Usually when you displace stuff, then you'd send stuff up which have a few years life in them. Arriva were good for it until recently with things like the 55 plates B7's which turned up in 2016 or the 51/52 plate B7's in 2013/14 so still have 5 or year left on paper - obviously some are still here but that's another debate and all had a full refurb so they were as new.

15 year old buses should be getting withdrawn, not sent to the provincial fleets, especially non-standard ones which are still in GoAhead London interior.

Doesn’t GNE operate a fleet of 50 dedicated school only buses?

You’re never going to get anything much newer than life-expired for school contracts in the North East, other than perhaps County Durham where some coach operators can tie a school in with some other work.


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(26 Jul 2023, 8:23 pm)Dan wrote Doesn’t GNE operate a fleet of 50 dedicated school only buses?

You’re never going to get anything much newer than life-expired for school contracts in the North East, other than perhaps County Durham where some coach operators can tie a school in with some other work.


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Isn't that what the B9's and Enviro 400's were brought up here for? I don't know that's a question btw.

or has there been a change in heart at some point and some of them are now going into frontline but they're a bit old now really aswell especially since GoAhead sold off a bunch of 11 plates which appeared to end up at Lothian.

(26 Jul 2023, 8:44 pm)Storx wrote Isn't that what the B9's and Enviro 400's were brought up here for? I don't know that's a question btw.

or has there been a change in heart at some point and some of them are now going into frontline but they're a bit old now really aswell especially since GoAhead sold off a bunch of 11 plates which appeared to end up at Lothian.

The B9s appear to be in frontline service work - many at Riverside on the 51/52/93/94 and 57, and as spare buses for services allocated native B9s.


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(25 Jul 2023, 10:05 pm)Retro Nero wrote Yes apparently there are eleven Olympus bodied ADLs for Go North East

I Stand corrected there are only 6 coming

(26 Jul 2023, 10:28 pm)Retro Nero wrote I Stand corrected there are only 6 coming

What are they for?

(26 Jul 2023, 10:28 pm)Retro Nero wrote I Stand corrected there are only 6 coming

Six sounds a bit of an odd microfleet - I echo Unber43's question; what are they intended to be used on?

With the rumors about the X20 coming back Sunderland > Durham only, it could be for that, but I wonder if 6356-63 going on the X21, that could leave 6313/6314 (2 Spare PVR). With 6308-12 on X20 (1 PVR Spare)

(27 Jul 2023, 6:41 am)Ianthegoon wrote Six sounds a bit of an odd microfleet - I echo Unber43's question; what are they intended to be used on?

I mean they're probably only going to be used on Scholars, and it's not that much of a microfleet since they're Enviro 400s underneath, I imagine they probably would have preferred to get more B9s or E400s though.

whats happened to 684 it hasnt been in service for a couple of months

(27 Jul 2023, 4:36 pm)Graphite39A/39B/39 wrote whats happened to 684 it hasnt been in service for a couple of months

Awaiting a new engine.


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(27 Jul 2023, 9:39 am)Unber43 wrote With the rumors about the X20 coming back Sunderland > Durham only, it could be for that, but I wonder if 6356-63 going on the X21, that could leave 6313/6314 (2 Spare PVR). With 6308-12 on X20 (1 PVR Spare)

I don't think ex-London Tridents are going to do fantastically well on an express service, if I'm honest.

(26 Jul 2023, 8:23 pm)Dan wrote Doesn’t GNE operate a fleet of 50 dedicated school only buses?

I’d suggest that whilst they may do on paper, in reality there is no fleet of 50 dedicated school only buses. Having travelled on a number of ex London E400s on the 21 this year, I’d certainly not include the 6944-6967 batch as dedicated school buses. There is rarely a day without at least one on proper service work. Similarly, the ex DFDS Omnidekkas are on the 51/52 and 93/94 on a pretty much daily basis so I’d rule those out of that category too.

Arguably the only buses that are “dedicated school only buses” are 6172-6175 which rarely escape their contract 850 work these days.

If these new vehicles do arrive and go into the 69xx fleet, it’ll only be a matter of time before one appears on proper service work.

They might be "dedicated" school buses but i don't think the majority of the public really cares if a older bus turns up instead of a newer bus, they just want a bus to turn up, they don't care what colour it is, what extras it has on, they just want to go somewhere at the time it should turn up at the end of the day thats what they pay their money for

(28 Jul 2023, 8:53 am)N1cholas wrote They might be "dedicated" school buses but i don't think the majority of the public really cares if a older bus turns up instead of a newer bus, they just want a bus to turn up, they don't care what colour it is, what extras it has on, they just want to go somewhere at the time it should turn up at the end of the day thats what they pay their money for

I disagree with that, most people don't care whether it has a USB socket or NSA screens.

People certainly do care though when the bus is full of rattles, stinks of damp and there's water leaking down the side of the bus as the windows are leaking or even worse struggle to get a seat because they have to climb stairs as there's a middle door taking most the low floor seats. There's a minimum bar and most these ex London buses are below that bar.

(28 Jul 2023, 9:20 am)Storx wrote I disagree with that, most people don't care whether it has a USB socket or NSA screens.

People certainly do care though when the bus is full of rattles, stinks of damp and there's water leaking down the side of the bus as the windows are leaking or even worse struggle to get a seat because they have to climb stairs as there's a middle door taking most the low floor seats. There's a minimum bar and most these ex London buses are below that bar.

Do the centre doors take away any extra seats? There’s four fixed forward facing priority seats infront of the centre doors making the first row of fixed seating closer for those that need them than on a bus without centre doors.
Agree with the rest however.

(28 Jul 2023, 9:20 am)Storx wrote I disagree with that, most people don't care whether it has a USB socket or NSA screens.

People certainly do care though when the bus is full of rattles, stinks of damp and there's water leaking down the side of the bus as the windows are leaking or even worse struggle to get a seat because they have to climb stairs as there's a middle door taking most the low floor seats. There's a minimum bar and most these ex London buses are below that bar.

Remember the Renowns that were on the 17, they were stinking by the time they were finally withdrawn

(28 Jul 2023, 1:18 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Do the centre doors take away any extra seats? There’s four fixed forward facing priority seats infront of the centre doors making the first row of fixed seating closer for those that need them than on a bus without centre doors.
Agree with the rest however.

The B9s that have had the middle door removed had the space replaced with seats. No buggy bay.

(28 Jul 2023, 1:18 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Do the centre doors take away any extra seats? There’s four fixed forward facing priority seats infront of the centre doors making the first row of fixed seating closer for those that need them than on a bus without centre doors.
Agree with the rest however.

I'm not 100% sure of the spec of these ones but usually the wheel chair area takes a few seats on the front right or buggy bay depending on spec with the 4 at the front being usually where the wheelchair area is (probably who should get first priority rightly imo).

Also not sure on these spec, but I'm not sure whether they'll be wheelchair accessible either as the ramp is usually in the middle door which rules out most stops up here. I could be incorrect there though.

(28 Jul 2023, 1:47 pm)V514DFT wrote Remember the Renowns that were on the 17, they were stinking by the time they were finally withdrawn

Aye rotten by the end, literally aswell, pretty much.

DOE18 has been repositioned at Saltmeadows and is now parked in the corner where a rubbed down Scania Omnicity was previously. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3078417320

(28 Jul 2023, 1:47 pm)V514DFT wrote Remember the Renowns that were on the 17, they were stinking by the time they were finally withdrawn

Ah I dunno like. There were often comments on here about how nice they smelled inside. 
The Shake & Vac wiki page even had a mention of those particular Renowns at one point.

(27 Jul 2023, 9:31 pm)Boggle wrote I’d suggest that whilst they may do on paper, in reality there is no fleet of 50 dedicated school only buses. Having travelled on a number of ex London E400s on the 21 this year, I’d certainly not include the 6944-6967 batch as dedicated school buses. There is rarely a day without at least one on proper service work. Similarly, the ex DFDS Omnidekkas are on the 51/52 and 93/94 on a pretty much daily basis so I’d rule those out of that category too.

Arguably the only buses that are “dedicated school only buses” are 6172-6175 which rarely escape their contract 850 work these days.

If these new vehicles do arrive and go into the 69xx fleet, it’ll only be a matter of time before one appears on proper service work.

(28 Jul 2023, 9:20 am)Storx wrote I disagree with that, most people don't care whether it has a USB socket or NSA screens.

People certainly do care though when the bus is full of rattles, stinks of damp and there's water leaking down the side of the bus as the windows are leaking or even worse struggle to get a seat because they have to climb stairs as there's a middle door taking most the low floor seats. There's a minimum bar and most these ex London buses are below that bar.

i dont care and due to circumstances i'll using GNE buses to get to work rather than car and i dont care if a bus smells of sweatty feet as long as i get to work on time.... but thats just me

For me, USB's and Tables are quite a big deal, we are meant to be going to Newcastle go and see Oppenheimer on Tuesday but we are going to get the X1 as there is four of us, we can get a charge, chat and relax.

(29 Jul 2023, 12:45 pm)Unber43 wrote For me, USB's and Tables are quite a big deal, we are meant to be going to Newcastle go and see Oppenheimer on Tuesday but we are going to get the X1 as there is four of us, we can get a charge, chat and relax.

You give off more Barbie vibes then Oppenheimer.

I went to Newcastle the other day, I was sat in my usual spot trying to get some work done on the laptop. Some old man got on and sat opposite me. The entire time he kept looking at me, looking at my laptop and tutting!

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