As posted by Shayne Howath on the Stagecoach Enthusiasts group - here is Excel 35006, the first example to be refurbished.

(12 Jun 2014, 2:59 pm)Kuyoyo wrote As posted by Shayne Howath on the Stagecoach Enthusiasts group - here is Excel 35006, the first example to be refurbished.

Great to see that the Excels are still in active service! I know the batch with the front similar to the Solo was introduced in 1999 (?), but it's great that it's been refurbished for another few years use.

Ex-Aberdeen MAN 22110, 22112, 22309, 22702, 22703, 22710, 22802 and 22803 set off for Lincoln yesterday. However, 22112 has broken down en-route somewhere north of Scotch Corner.

Steven Crombie > ‎Stagecoach Enthusiasts
2 mins ·
Today saw the arrival at Lincoln of two more Man 18.220 Alexander ALX300 from Stagecoach Teeside. The newcomers today are 22464 T464BNL and 22468 T468BNL. Also Arrived today is the first of the Man's from Stagecoach Bluebird. The first to arrive is 22309 AE51RYF. The unidentified Man en route from bluebird is now Identified as 22701 V701DSA.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leice...e-27908373

Dear me...

Stagecoach have transferred Optare Excel 35015 (YN51 VJA) from Worksop to Hull for driver familiarisation prior to 35007/8/10-4 (YN51 VHR/T/V/W/X/Y/Z). They have been replaced at Worksop by Darts from Carlisle.

Don't know if this is of any use to anyone, but I'm currently in Skegness and have compiled a complete fleetlist for a little local operator called Red Bus, based in nearby Friskney. They operate one route, service R1 (Skegness - Winthorpe - Butlins - Fantasy Island).

- JFZ 8625 (R119 NPN) - Volvo B6BLE/Alexander ALX200

- JFZ 8626 (P334 JND) - Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200

- JFZ 8627 (R697 MEW) - Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital

- S313 SHB - Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton SPD

Along with their extra E400 as a spare, Derby will be having 1 Volvo B9 refurbished and repainted to Sapphire spec, also as a spare meaning (obviously) they will have a total of 2 spares. See if they get off to a beter start than Ashington...

Hoping to break my Brylaine duck at some point over the next few weeks.
Quite an interesting fleet they have, ranging from Solo's to Deckers, with a mixture of vehicles appearing across their routes.
Fingers crossed I get to sample a few of their vehicles - will be in the area working, so will be restricted to the services I use.

(02 Sep 2014, 2:37 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Hoping to break my Brylaine duck at some point over the next few weeks.
Quite an interesting fleet they have, ranging from Solo's to Deckers, with a mixture of vehicles appearing across their routes.
Fingers crossed I get to sample a few of their vehicles - will be in the area working, so will be restricted to the services I use.

Emailed Brylaine with a fare query at 13.22 this afternoon via their 'contact us' section on their website.
They had responded with the price by 13.24!

Appreciate they aren't a massive company, but that is some prompt customer service!

Quite a reasonable fare, with no funky coloured zone boundaries either!

Bryaline seem to have an Olympian type decker, still in Ensign colours (vinyls removed, but marks have been left), operating out of their Coningsby depot.
Seen it a few times, but haven't managed to note reg details.

Stagecoach in Lincoln had a few odd workings today.
Saw an IC1 branded E400 and LN6 branded 300 on the 27 today.
The 400 came in, unloaded and went to head back to its stand (changing drivers in the process) - a supervisor/allocator of some type, came running out of the portakabin at one end of the station, running across to the new driver of the decker.

At this stage, I had no idea what was going on - but saw the allocator run off again and jump into an empty LN6 E300, bombing around onto the stand for the 27, which had a queue of confused conc pass holders.
The E400, bombed around and was abandoned on the stand for the IC1 (it wasn't parked... there's a difference ).
He then sauntered over the the E300, which was fully loaded (encouraged by the allocator rather enthusiastically) and not checked in on the ticket machine.

As my Brylaine was leaving, a driver had been found for the E400 and it was loading up for a run to Grantham (still parked at an angle).

Kept me entertained!

The first of Mansfield's Pronto E300 delivered is SL64HXR, photo below by Miles Williams from 'Stagecoach Bus Enthusiasts' group.



It is in a slightly revised livery - note the difference between that and 22800 below. 22800 is one of the 5 MAN E300s being replaced by these new E300s (22797/8/9/831) as they are to standard specification compared to Pronto's leather coach seats (almost Gold but not Gold)

I gather Olympians 16482 (N132 AET) & 16498 (P148 KWJ), along with Dart SLF 33001 (R701 DNJ) and B10M 52622 (S902 CCD) are all awaiting disposal at present.

I also believe 16498 is at Grimsby, 33001 is at Hull, 52622 is at Lincoln, and 16482 is at Worksop.

http://derbyshire.gov.uk/council/have_yo...ortedbuses

You wait for one and like buses, several come along together

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-north...e-30612155

Police come to rescue of Mam to be, caught in bus fire traffic jam.

Trent Barton are to receive an Enviro 400 MMC demonstrator. It will be registered YY64 GWX and will be based at Nottingham depot for service i4 (Derby - Sandiacre - Nottingham).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10624108@N...1EL-phC4Ks

Wright Streetdeck 4600 (FJ64 ETZ) has entered service today on Sapphire service 38.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/duffy469/16278580712/

(21 Feb 2015, 7:55 pm)AIG20 wrote Information from "Paul Morfitt" of the "Stagecoach Enthusiasts" Facebook Group:
Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini's 16943 (FX06AOE) from Skegness; and 16962 (YJ04FZC), 16964 (YJ04FZE), 16965 (YJ04FZF) and 16966 (YJ04FZG) from Scotland are to be converted to open-top for Skegness, Grimsby and Lincoln' sightseeing services. Will the north east be getting some to replace the open-top Leyland Olympians?

No, they've chosen B7TLs for Lincolnshire as they already have the bulk of Stagecoach's B7TL allocation. The example for Lincoln is replacing Volvo Olympian 16314 (IUI 5454, S314 CCD) on the Lincoln City Tour. The 2 for Skegness aren't replacing anything, instead they are joining the 'Seasider' Tridents on the 3 to enable the full PVR of the 3 to be open top. The 2 for Grimsby are for the 17 (Cleethorpes Pier - Thorpe Park Holiday Camp) replacing 14667 (PIW 4457, H667BNL) plus sadly means Chesterfield's 15513 (MBE 513R) won't return home this summer (it was new to Grimsby back in 1977 and only left there in the late 2000s).

Is it just me that thinks Trent Barton's brands are better than GNE's

(16 Mar 2015, 8:24 pm)leestransportphotos wrote Is it just me that thinks Trent Barton's brands are better than GNE's

Just you.

Haha, I just think they have some really good basic designs which are always on the correct route! My auntie lives in Tutbury and there is always a Villager solar on the Villager... Nothing else! Where as you'll get a Red Arrows Gemini on the 85 here haha

(16 Mar 2015, 8:24 pm)leestransportphotos wrote Is it just me that thinks Trent Barton's brands are better than GNE's

As a whole, I'd probably say that I prefer Go North East's. 

There are individual brands that I like (i4, Black Cat and Mango Card to name a few), but I think the majority of Trent Barton's brands look quite cheap... The likes of Go North East's "Saltwell Park" and "Angel" brands put TB's to shame.

Basic but good

I like the Pronto brand from them.

The one thing I like about the way Trent do their brands is there is always something that links them all - mostly down to the font they use and the lighter/darker coloured circle around the rear axle on most of the brands. It's subtle but links all of the brands together!

Yeah also there Brands actually are linked to something, par example the Villager goes through a load of Villages eg Tutbury, Hatton, Streton, Rolleston where as the SimpliCity... What's all that about

(16 Mar 2015, 8:58 pm)leestransportphotos wrote Yeah also there Brands actually are linked to something, par example the Villager goes through a load of Villages eg Tutbury, Hatton, Streton, Rolleston where as the SimpliCity... What's all that about

"SimpliCity" was originally set up as a brand housing local Sunderland services (36 and 42) on a simple turn up and go 10-minute frequency, with simplistic fares which were cheaper than Stagecoach's competing services. The brand has lost its original meaning since the withdrawal of the 36...

Yep, that's what I mean. It did have a meaning but it doesn't now. Where as at least 95% of TB's do

You can see where I'm coming from though, I'm not having a go at GNE or anything I just think the route branding has gone to far.

(16 Mar 2015, 9:03 pm)leestransportphotos wrote Yep, that's what I mean. It did have a meaning but it doesn't now. Where as at least 95% of TB's do

It may just be because I'm unfamiliar with the area, but having looked over Trent Barton's website, I'm unable to identify the reasoning for the brand name in a large number of cases... However, I'd be able to tell you the meaning behind the majority of Go North East's brand names.