News, debate and discussion on East Midlands' Bus Operations.

As well as Go North East, Trent Barton are celebrating 100 years this year. They've recently unveiled a centenary livery that is certainly eye-catching with its gold base colour. (Photo from Matt Burley).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattburley0...hotostream

PC Coaches have inherited Scania K230 demonstrator, YN62AAK.
Photos can be seen by clicking here and here.

Photo credit to Damon Powell (ACBest).

(17 Jun 2013, 8:50 pm)Daniel wrote PC Coaches have inherited Scania K230 demonstrator, YN62AAK.
Photos can be seen by clicking here and here.

Photo credit to Damon Powell (ACBest).

Cheers dude, appreciate that.

I was passing through the area a week or so ago and they had what looked like a couple of decent looking Streetlites, which although were a few years old, were in cracking nick.

Never heard or noticed them (amongst the throng of Stagecoach stuff down there) before and saw two within minutes of each other.

(17 Jun 2013, 9:22 pm)Andreos1 wrote I was passing through the area a week or so ago and they had what looked like a couple of decent looking Streetlites, which although were a few years old, were in cracking nick.

Never heard or noticed them (amongst the throng of Stagecoach stuff down there) before and saw two within minutes of each other.

Yep, they have three - two in fleet livery (one longer than the other), and a white one used on a uni contract. All three are FX61 reg, and are looked after well!

They also have a large fleet of coaches and East Lancs bodied Scania's used on school contracts, and quite a number of Solo's too. Also, two brand new Enviro400H's - the first ever with a small independent.

Where abouts in Lincoln are they based?

The two I saw were both in fleet livery. May have seen the white one, but the green stood out.

(17 Jun 2013, 9:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote Where abouts in Lincoln are they based?

The two I saw were both in fleet livery. May have seen the white one, but the green stood out.

They're based on the Crofton Industrial Estate, just off Allenby Road - there's two yards, one is head office, and the other is the bus yard, both are about a five minute walk from each other, and you can also see one from the other.

Ah, that's the wrong side of Lincoln. Generally just pass through, but thats a bit too far out of the way.

(17 Jun 2013, 10:03 pm)Andreos1 wrote Ah, that's the wrong side of Lincoln. Generally just pass through, but thats a bit too far out of the way.

None of the depots in Lincoln for any company really are on the beaten track so to speak - Stagecoach are down the Great Northern Terrace industrial estate, and Brylaine will soon be down there too, a few doors down from Stagecoach. PC's are on the Crofton industrial estate, and the small company I work for, Black Cat Travel, are based in an industrial estate in South Hykeham.

You will know the seatbelt place just off the A46 then if your just up the road in Hykeham!

There were two ex-GNE deckers getting the works a month or so back, then were painted white. Any chance you know who has bought them? Are they staying in the Lincoln area?

Do you know what the deal is with the battered vehicles just before you get to Harmston on the A607 too?

(17 Jun 2013, 10:21 pm)Andreos1 wrote You will know the seatbelt place just off the A46 then if your just up the road in Hykeham!

There were two ex-GNE deckers getting the works a month or so back, then were painted white. Any chance you know who has bought them? Are they staying in the Lincoln area?

Do you know what the deal is with the battered vehicles just before you get to Harmston on the A607 too?

I do know about the seatbelt place in Thorpe-on-the-Hill, but no clue where vehicles are going from there, as they don't just do local stuff.

The ''battered'' vehicles at the old Enterprise and Silver Dawn depot between Waddington and Harmston belong to the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society, many were involved in a fire a few years back, but the few in there which are still whole are used at our events.

Wondered what the deal was with them. Noticed them sitting outside whatever the weather for a while now.
The one that looks like a Bristol RE with the corrugated iron windows was the one which caught my eye.

Cheers for clearing that one up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrahamm/9166457921/

Black Cat Travel of Lincolnshire's HIG 9454 (previously registered as T299ROF), Mercedes-Benz O404/Hispano Vita, carrying a white variation of the company's standard livery while sporting the name "SMUDGE", is pictured at a car park near Hobson Way, South Shields, while on Private Hire on a trip to Newcastle upon Tyne from Lincoln for the weekend, looking rather smart indeed. 29/06/13

Having been made aware of HIG9454's presence in Tyne & Wear by friend and enthusiast from Lincoln, Damon Powell (ACBest), I couldn't deny a photograph of her. HIG9454 posesses a relatively rare bodywork for a coach used within this country, and it's certainly not a type of bodywork I'd seen in person prior to today. Slightly gutted the sun didn't play ball and come out for us all today, but nevertheless, HIG9454 stands in all of her glory.

Nice bus, but contender for the worst livery ever.

(29 Jun 2013, 11:09 pm)aureolin wrote Nice bus, but contender for the worst livery ever.

I really wasn't keen on the livery when I was first shown it, but I think the main "fault" of the livery is the coach bodywork being unsuitable. Check out another member of the fleet here. I think the livery looks much better in black, and on a different bodywork.

It's amazing what a two year ticket price freeze can do... www.thebuspeople.co.uk/?p=2556. Non-concessionary customer numbers have increased by 3.1% with 85 new vehicles being introduced over a 2 year period with the Council owned operator.

How many privately owned operators could say the same thing?

(19 Jul 2013, 9:44 am)Andreos1 wrote It's amazing what a two year ticket price freeze can do... www.thebuspeople.co.uk/?p=2556. Non-concessionary customer numbers have increased by 3.1% with 85 new vehicles being introduced over a 2 year period with the Council owned operator.

How many privately owned operators could say the same thing?

Whoa, you're not saying that a policy of low fares leads to an increase in patronage are you?

That's like, placing customers before profit. It's almost blasphemous to suggest that. What would the shareholders say?

haha, now I have been on my best behaviour and not used that word recently due to the risk of others getting upset and annoyed .

But yeah, it's amazing what reducing or freezing prices can do - to profits and passenger numbers! NCT have shown it can work!

It's hardly unique. It's been shown to work for a long time. Recently, I posted a link in the video thread pointing to an episode of a documentary called Losing Track (1985). As well as looking at TWPTE, the episode also looks at how South Yorkshire PTE managed to increase passenger numbers in the 1980s through a low fares policy subsidised partially through local rates. It's quite interesting if you haven't watched it already.

http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=328&pid=6432#pid6432

No, I haven't seen that video.

Your right, it isn't a recent thing. But it just goes to show how one operator can increase numbers and buy a massive number of new vehicles, when others (who will all have similar costs, overheads etc) do the exact opposite, as well as having older stock and not replacing them with anything like the numbers NCT are.

Wonder how much NCT will get when selling off their older vehicles, which is all in decent condition? As far as I can remember, there is nothing from beyond 2000, in their fleet these days. They might even be younger than that - circa 2001/2002 being their oldest vehicles.

A Frequento branded Alx400 not looking too happy on the M62 running to Castleford on the X62

edit meant e400....

Six people were injured when the roof of a double-decker bus was ripped off after hitting a railway bridge.
Read more: http://news.sky.com/story/1121181/bus-ro...way-bridge

Further video footage of the damaged caused on the video on this article.

(29 Jul 2013, 7:01 am)Daniel wrote Six people were injured when the roof of a double-decker bus was ripped off after hitting a railway bridge.
Read more: http://news.sky.com/story/1121181/bus-ro...way-bridge

Further video footage of the damaged caused on the video on this article.

The bus in question is 'Transpeak' branded Optare Olympus YN07 LHT (fleet number 904).

Free breakfast for Derbyshire 'bus war' commuters

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-der...e-23663131

(13 Aug 2013, 11:56 am)Daniel wrote Free breakfast for Derbyshire 'bus war' commuters

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-der...e-23663131

Good job some of the GNE drivers hadn't done an exchange visit that day! The coffee drinkers would have been left behind with their sealed hot drink

Hello! New member just joined so apologies this is old news.
Noted at Wetherby Services on Sunday 2nd March were;
47274/FX04 WFU
47397/YM55 SVJ
47398/YM55 SVK
47399/YM55 SVL

Presumably all returning after gas conversion.

(19 Apr 2014, 8:15 am)Richard Smiles wrote Updated Stagecoach in Grimsby & Skegness Fleet List - As at Monday 14th April 2014.

Cheers for keeping us updated, Richard!

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-notti...e-27344433

Events to mark 100 years of buses in Nottingham

Two Darts arrived at Lincoln on lorries from Perth yesterday - 33434/6.
Believe they are to replace the Sprytes.

Former Stagecoach North East based MAN 18.220LF/Alexander ALX300s 22453 & 22463 have now arrived at Lincoln depot.