SVBM today. I shall post the (ex)-Lothian offerings on this thread upon arrival.
For anyone going: we can be drowned rats together!

I'm off tomorrow when its sunny. I shall be in Edinburgh 5th - 9th and on the 28th september

Thanks to the driver of 198 last night on service 113 at Pencaitland. That 635 and 636 are going into East Lothian colours.

Forgot to upload this link from my adventures to the west coast of Scotland the other week.

Can anyone make sense of this or the ticket options available?
* Your in zone 1 and going to zone 2 - you have to buy a zone 6 ticket.

* Your in zone 2 and your heading off to zone 5 - you have to buy a zone 6 ticket.

Try buying them for the day...
It was cheaper apparently, buying two singles in zone 2, than a day ticket. The two singles were £3.65 each. A weeks ticket is £17.00....
A child ticket (which must be used before 7pm) was apparently £1 and could only be used within that zone.

www.mcgillsbuses.co.uk/gozones.aspx

Mindboggling!

Big fan of independents, but not when they're as bonkers as some of our local plc's.
Bet you can never guess which zone the major competition operates in?

(20 Aug 2013, 10:14 pm)Andreos1 wrote Bet you can never guess which zone the major competition operates in?

Would it be zone 1 by any chance?
That map is bonkers!

(21 Aug 2013, 5:38 pm)BJ10VUS wrote Would it be zone 1 by any chance?
That map is bonkers!

Aye, zone one is the area where the main competition is.s
There are smaller independents in the other areas, but they don't have First or Stagecoach emblazoned on the sides of their vehicles.

Aye, whoever designed that zone map had maybe overdone it on the 'bucky'.
I had to look twice when I first clapped eyes on it.

Believe it not, when you follow the coloured boundary lines opposed to the zone labelling it does make sense. However, I do agree that it appear quite confusing upon initial viewing.

One question though!

Where is 'Zone 8'? - I can't seem to find it anywhere.
There reason I ask is because the 7-zone ticket enables you to travel 'anywhere' whereas the 8-zone ticket is valid for travel only in zone eight.

(22 Aug 2013, 12:37 pm)AdamY wrote Believe it not, when you follow the coloured boundary lines opposed to the zone labelling it does make sense. However, I do agree that it appear quite confusing upon initial viewing.

One question though!

Where is 'Zone 8'? - I can't seem to find it anywhere.
There reason I ask is because the 7-zone ticket enables you to travel 'anywhere' whereas the 8-zone ticket is valid for travel only in zone eight.

Zone 8 is the twighlight zone - located at the bottom of a tenemant block, 200yds from the off licence. Look for the empty bottles of bucky - cant miss the place!

Roof ripped off school bus as it passed under railway bridge in North Ayrshire

22 Aug 2013 12:44
A DOUBLE-DECK school bus, operated by Marbill Coaches of Beith, failed to get under a railway bridge on the A737 north of Dalry.

Read more here

It's not the first time we've had an incident from Marbill Coaches either. Back in 2011, they appeared when there was a fierce storm and was blown over. See article here.

Lothian vehicles 855 and 930 now in Madder colours.

177 now staying with Lothian. 178 entered service at Leven Valley today.

874 has returned to service after a partial rebuild to front end after a fatality last year. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_mont...otostream/

http://lothianbuses.com/our-community/ar...-announced

Lothian Buses is delighted to learn of a fourth round of Scottish Green Bus Funding. As a company we are always looking for ways to offer greener and more sustainable travel, both for our passengers and the local environment. With the financial support from the Scottish Government we have been able to continue growing our green fleet. To date we have placed 25 hybrids into service and have a further 20 on order as a result of earlier Scottish Green Bus Fund rounds. These buses have helped trim over 1,000 tonnes per year from our carbon footprint and are persuading a significant number of car users to use the bus instead of a private car for urban journeys.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt56120/9...hotostream For those of us who like the Volvo 7900H here is #5 at Fountainbridge Grove Street bus stop on service 1 to Easter Road

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt56120/9...hotostream #859 sporting McCain oven chips advertisements on service 1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt56120/9...hotostream Driver Trainer TB586 seen on Lothian Road

The 7900H is one of the best buses ive seen... wish the NE would get them

I've not yet managed to have a ride of the 7900... Got two trips to EDB planned though, so will fit in a couple of rides on at least one of the two trips. :p

I've been on 7 out of the 10 of them and must admit, best modern bus I've travelled on

(13 Sep 2013, 6:17 pm)Half Pint wrote I've been on 7 out of the 10 of them and must admit, best modern bus I've travelled on

What are they like for rattling? Edinburgh must have some of the bumpiest road surfaces going...
If they weren't built pretty solidly, I don't think I'd be a fan.

(13 Sep 2013, 6:19 pm)Daniel wrote What are they like for rattling? Edinburgh must have some of the bumpiest road surfaces going...
If they weren't built pretty solidly, I don't think I'd be a fan.

Actually when they depart it's dead quiet not until i'd say 20 any sound appears. Rattle wise the body is solid and nothing like a dart.

Livingston based 37135 SN57HCP has been repainted into the new First colours. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbridgman/9739472121/

Doors Open Day next Saturday... Might I see anyone there?

Shall be at the open day with my brother. Going up nice and early and leaving about 5pm

(25 Sep 2013, 8:34 pm)Half Pint wrote Shall be at the open day with my brother. Going up nice and early and leaving about 5pm

I should be there for 9am and leaving for 6pm, and I'm doing the same the week after too - my final trip for a while.

(25 Sep 2013, 8:41 pm)Daniel wrote I should be there for 9am and leaving for 6pm, and I'm doing the same the week after too - my final trip for a while.

Never a final trip to Edinburgh for me, love the city and the company.

(26 Sep 2013, 8:42 pm)Half Pint wrote Never a final trip to Edinburgh for me, love the city and the company.

Only for a while!

My visits recently have been quite frequent (well, my train ticket purchases have been... my actual visits, hmm...)
Wanting to lay off the big trips for a while and stay local. Maybe another trip up towards the New Year period though!

800 on 36s.

If anyone has taken any photographs in Edinburgh today, feel free to share a link to the photos here. Was very good and I had a great day - can't wait to see all of the photos. Just a shame about my better quality camera packing in. Still took some photos with it mind, just ensured I left enough room to crop them later as I was using my eyes rather than the screen to determine when to take the photo.
En-route back to Newcastle now and the train is pretty much dead..lovely!

(28 Sep 2013, 5:36 pm)Daniel wrote If anyone has taken any photographs in Edinburgh today, feel free to share a link to the photos here. Was very good and I had a great day - can't wait to see all of the photos. Just a shame about my better quality camera packing in. Still took some photos with it mind, just ensured I left enough room to crop them later as I was using my eyes rather than the screen to determine when to take the photo.
En-route back to Newcastle now and the train is pretty much dead..lovely!

Didn't get many I must admit from the garage as the crowds got to me a bit. Did really enjoy it and came home with a destination blind. Was quite interesting seeing 918 in half harlequin and madder, reminded me of 2 face from Batman (geek moment of the day). Gutted to be home though.

(28 Sep 2013, 9:25 pm)Half Pint wrote Didn't get many I must admit from the garage as the crowds got to me a bit. Did really enjoy it and came home with a destination blind. Was quite interesting seeing 918 in half harlequin and madder, reminded me of 2 face from Batman (geek moment of the day). Gutted to be home though.

That, alongside seeing the new pink cancer research bus (can't remember fleet number and I'm still not prepared to get out of bed! ;p), was the highlight for me at the depot - quite liked the racing thing and the wash too. Did you get to go inside of the 'bus of the future'? Was really quite stunned, but the seats were horrible from a customer's comfort perspective.

918 in 50:50 was just so good to see though. The effort that must have gone into doing that is unreal. Gutted I will miss her out in service (it's a possibility!)