(19 Sep 2022, 10:41 pm)glen wrote Does meen Stockton getting new buses then if E200 Mmc going north then?

(19 Sep 2022, 11:01 pm)toward6931 wrote no, I believe what's happening is this due to CAZ, the compliant MMCs at Stockton are swapping with non-compliant ALX300s from slatyford. I suppose this makes sense as SNE would needlessly pour money down the drain if they didn't do this.

TBH, I don't know why the 2019 MMCs didn't just go straight to slatyford on delivery if they knew this was coming

(20 Sep 2022, 9:29 pm)Benny wrote Well Covid practically scrapped three years of 'normal' investment by Stagecoach, which I assume would have included buses for Newcastle, as well as midi buses to replace the MANviros. 

it's not ideal, however I usually see plenty of E300s on the 36-37-38 so the downgrade isn't going to really hit the normal commuter.

(20 Sep 2022, 10:10 pm)toward6931 wrote I'm not on about the investment i understand about the covid situation but, I just would have thought that it would have made sense after Stockton had the 2014/2015 E300s delivered and then the 2016 MMCs went to slatyford it would make sense for the 2019 MMCs to be delivered to slatyford especially as CAZ was getting talked about when i worked at slatyford in 2013-2014.

from a fleet management point of view i would have thought it simpler to group vehicle types together

(21 Sep 2022, 10:42 am)Lolpest wrote Ugh more e300s ?

---

Should give Stockton the 2016 E200MMC

---

As well as the ALX300 in trade for SN64OJ batch

(23 Sep 2022, 11:47 pm)glen wrote I see that 200 mmc 26071 is at Stockton depot is it still on loan?

(25 Sep 2022, 8:53 am)Kuyoyo wrote 26071 and 36979 remain at Stockton - judging by Bus Times, 26285/6 are the last 2 MMCs to return so likely the 2 loans will remain until they are back. 36974 returned to Wheatsheaf on Friday.

In other news, 22064 is now officially withdrawn along with 22024 (which hasn't been used since it was towed in at the start of August) as are the two Omnilinks and MAN E200 39660/1/6 at Hartlepool. Hartlepool are also due to receive 34611 from Wheatsheaf to replace sister 34605 which is presently engineless with its MOT due to expire soon. 35236 is also still expected to enter service at Hartlepool as the official replacement for the long-withdrawn 39659.

(25 Sep 2022, 11:24 am)Lollist wrote According to an engineer at stockton 22064 is not withdrawn and is almost done fir a road test on the 29th

(25 Sep 2022, 11:24 pm)glen wrote I think stagecoach north east alx 300 man have been really good buses I think it time cells it day. I first saw man alx 300 in Middlesbrough buses station in 1999 on 36.

(25 Sep 2022, 8:53 am)Kuyoyo wrote 26071 and 36979 remain at Stockton - judging by Bus Times, 26285/6 are the last 2 MMCs to return so likely the 2 loans will remain until they are back. 36974 returned to Wheatsheaf on Friday.

In other news, 22064 is now officially withdrawn along with 22024 (which hasn't been used since it was towed in at the start of August) as are the two Omnilinks and MAN E200 39660/1/6 at Hartlepool. Hartlepool are also due to receive 34611 from Wheatsheaf to replace sister 34605 which is presently engineless with its MOT due to expire soon. 35236 is also still expected to enter service at Hartlepool as the official replacement for the long-withdrawn 39659.

(26 Sep 2022, 9:53 am)tcts24 wrote Is it not 39664 that's off the road? I was driving 39660 in service last Thursday.

(25 Sep 2022, 10:44 pm)toward6931 wrote if I was fleet manager if all 6(correct me if I'm wrong) Carlisle buses are decent, I would have used those 6 as an opportunity to get rid of some E200s.

I would have done it by put all 6 in service at slatyford using 3 E300s to oust 3 E200s at slatyford sending the newer and hopefully more reliable examples to hartlepool. and then I would cascade 3 ALX300s to hartlepool to oust another 2 E200s there.

all in all, that would give both slatyford and hartlepool a small uplift in carrying capacity and an opportunity to remove 5 of the most troublesome E200s from service and strip them for spares and the spare ALX300 could be used as a spare vehicle for when one of the other ones goes properly tits up

(26 Sep 2022, 8:49 pm)Kuyoyo wrote The ex-Carlisle MAN E300s are not Euro6 - so they cannot be allocated to Slatyford as they wouldn't be able to be used on the vast majority of services. 22887/9 have only entered service there to cover for vehicles away as part of the Commonwealth Games (allowing some of the newer native re-engined examples to move to Walkergate on loan, and 26071 to be loaned to Stockton even if that happened months before they arrived). Their likely home is Stockton, either as replacements for the ALX300s here or to release the MMCs northwards.

Slatyford do still require E200s, for the 32/32A and 35 (even if the 35 can be covered by full size vehicles). The 6/7 has already been converted to full size vehicles, hence the cascade of 36091-3 to Hartlepool as they were surplus to requirements.

(27 Sep 2022, 5:51 pm)Lollist wrote Personally I think the 2016 Enviro 200 MMC should head down to Stockton along with the ALX300S (2019 E200MMC head tnorthqarda) as well as sending a batch of stocktons enviro 300 to Newcastle as well and maybe they could attempt to get some more deckers down for the 36 in which gets very busy until late hours wxample: 7am-10am services are busy as well as 15:00pm to 8pm services are very busy which the envirob300s sometimes can't handle, especially on thr 35 ti Wolvi Court is absolutely ramacked and an enviro 300 cannot handle it they ar edumb enough to put 19680 on thr 7:00 run only for it to change on to thr 58, the least busiest route and they don't run it on the school time?

(27 Sep 2022, 6:56 pm)toward6931 wrote the problem is Stockton's E300s as far as i know aren't CAZ compliant, so by transferring MMCs from Newcastle to Stockton for E300s that aren't compliant, so you are literally pouring money down a drain.

as for more Deckers most Newcastle services are very busy and more services could do with an uplift in capacity in my opinion.

so as for more double Deckers in the Tees area i doubt this would happen unless either there's a cascade of vehicles elsewhere which saying as most divisions are trying to uplift capacity modestly after covid there's a slim chance of bagging a few, another option is that a lot of near end of life tridents are going so maybe being lucky and try to grab a few of them.

or finally my preferred option would be that if in the slim chance of new MMCs double decks arrive in Newcastle. for example if 25 new vehicles turned up i would do the following.

---

put all 25 in service at walkergate. the 5 2007 registered E400s throughout the fleet go to Stockton allowing 5 single decks (ideally) ALX300s to go to hartlepool allowing a capacity uplift and maybe 4 of the worst E200s to get scrapped and one vehicle spare.

next ten of the 2008 E400s go to Sunderland to allow 5 E200s to cascade to hartlepool (again replacing 5 of the worst examples to be disposed of) and four single decks (any CAZ compliant) to go to slatyford or if none available 4 to go to Stockton to replace ALX300s or defective E300s. maybe 2 ALX300s and 2 of the GEN1 E300s to be used as engineering spares.

finally ten vehicles perhaps either 2010 or 2011 E400s go to slatyford allowing maybe 3 E200s to cascade to hartlepool and 6 single decks to cascade elsewhere (any none CAZ compliant) examples. this gives a healthy ratio of increasing capacity and also replacing obsolescent vehicles

(27 Sep 2022, 8:17 pm)Unber43 wrote Pretty sure only Euro 6 buses at Wheashef are the gas buses.

(27 Sep 2022, 6:56 pm)toward6931 wrote the problem is Stockton's E300s as far as i know aren't CAZ compliant, so by transferring MMCs from Newcastle to Stockton for E300s that aren't compliant, so you are literally pouring money down a drain.

as for more Deckers most Newcastle services are very busy and more services could do with an uplift in capacity in my opinion.

so as for more double Deckers in the Tees area i doubt this would happen unless either there's a cascade of vehicles elsewhere which saying as most divisions are trying to uplift capacity modestly after covid there's a slim chance of bagging a few, another option is that a lot of near end of life tridents are going so maybe being lucky and try to grab a few of them.

or finally my preferred option would be that if in the slim chance of new MMCs double decks arrive in Newcastle. for example if 25 new vehicles turned up i would do the following.

---

put all 25 in service at walkergate. the 5 2007 registered E400s throughout the fleet go to Stockton allowing 5 single decks (ideally) ALX300s to go to hartlepool allowing a capacity uplift and maybe 4 of the worst E200s to get scrapped and one vehicle spare.

next ten of the 2008 E400s go to Sunderland to allow 5 E200s to cascade to hartlepool (again replacing 5 of the worst examples to be disposed of) and four single decks (any CAZ compliant) to go to slatyford or if none available 4 to go to Stockton to replace ALX300s or defective E300s. maybe 2 ALX300s and 2 of the GEN1 E300s to be used as engineering spares.

finally ten vehicles perhaps either 2010 or 2011 E400s go to slatyford allowing maybe 3 E200s to cascade to hartlepool and 6 single decks to cascade elsewhere (any none CAZ compliant) examples. this gives a healthy ratio of increasing capacity and also replacing obsolescent vehicles

(27 Sep 2022, 9:17 pm)Storx wrote Sure a better investment would be some single deckers to get shot of the ALX300's aswell. Mechanically they may be sound but for someone who rarely travels on Stagecoach and ended up on one the other day they really shouldn't be in service. They're 17 year old and are showing it.

Arriva get slated for fleet presentation but their worse than anything they've got.

ie.
Sunderland:
Long Enviro 200 MMC for E1/E2/E6 displace 11 plates to Newcastle to withdraw ALX300's (some have E6 mods already and others can be done).
Midi Enviro 200 MMC for 23/10/11 withdraw MANviros and displaced Enviro 200 to Hartlepool

Hartlepool:
Midi Enviro 200 MMC for 1 withdraw MANviros

South Shields:
Midi Enviro 200 MMC for 10/11/12 withdraw MANviros and Darts

You've removed the actual problematic buses in the North East rather than sending crap to Stockton.

(27 Sep 2022, 9:31 pm)Unber43 wrote 4/3 should be upgraded aswell. 

Pretty sure someone mentioned that Stagecoach's goal might still be to turn sunderland all gas using Scania Fencer range

(27 Sep 2022, 9:17 pm)Storx wrote Sure a better investment would be some single deckers to get shot of the ALX300's aswell. Mechanically they may be sound but for someone who rarely travels on Stagecoach and ended up on one the other day they really shouldn't be in service. They're 17 year old and are showing it.

Arriva get slated for fleet presentation but their worse than anything they've got.

ie.
Sunderland:
Long Enviro 200 MMC for E1/E2/E6 displace 11 plates to Newcastle to withdraw ALX300's (some have E6 mods already and others can be done).
Midi Enviro 200 MMC for 23/10/11 withdraw MANviros and displaced Enviro 200 to Hartlepool

Hartlepool:
Midi Enviro 200 MMC for 1 withdraw MANviros

South Shields:
Midi Enviro 200 MMC for 10/11/12 withdraw MANviros and Darts

You've removed the actual problematic buses in the North East rather than sending crap to Stockton.

(27 Sep 2022, 11:46 pm)col87 wrote Ideally Hartlepool needs longer buses for most 6/7 journeys and and a majority of the Middlesbrough 1s.  When the E300 from Stockton have been used it immediately improves the service.  The darts might be nearing 18 years of service but even they are better than most of the current fleet that Hartlepool has.  So until investment is made I would try do the following. 

All remaining Stockton Alx 300 moved to Hartlepool seeing off the worse of the E200 darts. 
All remaining darts SLF  sent to Hartlepool that should be 6 - 8 buses at least which then means the remaining 08 plate Manviros can be used in reserve or on the 3/3A with only occasionally used on the the 1 6/7. 

Stockton will still have the swap but if possible they could try getting a few tridents as well with 3 for Hartlepool depot ( one for the East Durham contract with the remaining two been used at peak times for the 6/7 ).

That leads on to the tall ships race next year both Hartlepool and Stockton will need to get plenty of Double Deckers from somewhere.  In 2010 Stockton sent about 4 to Hartlepool for various services while most 36 journeys switched to been operated by Olympians.  So something will need to be done I would think the 1 7 and 36 ( services From out of town and serving the Marina)  would need to be considered for Deckers at least.

(27 Sep 2022, 4:27 pm)toward6931 wrote ok well if that's the case i would send them to Stockton, allowing 6 MMCs to go the other way, then repeat with ALX 300s until all 19? (Correct me if I'm wrong) 2019 MMCs were fully transferred, (makes business sense) instead of paying fines/tolls or whatever title the council are using.

i would still maybe get rid of 2/3 more E200s in Newcastle as I do see them slip onto high-capacity services occasionally. as an example, even a 71 in the early morning can get uncomfortably full when allocated a 300 never mind when a smaller 200 gets on. as for the 6 "spare" vehicles that will likely arise as a result of the cascade I would perhaps keep 1 ALX300 as a genuine spare vehicle. 1 as an engineering spare (ideally 1 that's absolutely hammered ready for the breakers to strip down for parts) and the other 4 for hartlepool to help build capacity and maybe get rid of 3 of the worst E200s.

that then generates another spare for hartlepool until newer reliable cascades or brand-new vehicles arrive. once genuine newer problem free (hopefully) vehicles arrive I would start by dispensing with problematic vehicles and then unnecessary spare vehicles and if there's anything left either cascade older vehicles or start to replace DTs