(11 Sep 2015, 5:24 pm)Jimmi wrote It's a gig with a 11pm curfew so I should be alright, although I'm not making any promises [emoji1]

Might be tired though as I'll have to get up sometime before 6, so I hope I don't end up in the sleeping commuters thread [emoji1]

(11 Sep 2015, 8:28 pm)Malarkey wrote Unlike me who will be up at 4am and in a Taxi from my Dads by no later than 05:30am to Newcastle Central Station to catch the 6am Train to Edinburgh, heck by the time the rest of you get on a Train here in the North East I will already of been in Edinburgh for an Hour soaking in the sights and visiting various places before eventually going along to the Open Doors Event.

(11 Sep 2015, 8:44 pm)Jimmi wrote I'll probably be getting up at around 05:45 and I probably won't be getting to bed until about midnight so it will certainly be intresting to see what state I'm in especially if I don't sleep well. I'll be getting on the bus to Darlington at 06:55 arriving at Darlington Town Centre for 07:25 and leaving Darlington Rail Station at 08:06 so I'll be arriving in Edinburgh at around 10:30.

I booked to head to this gig months ago and keep forgetting that I'm actually going to this, only remembered again earlier.

(23 Sep 2015, 7:24 pm)Malarkey wrote Floor Plan for Saturday.
http://lothianbuses.com/assets/files/Doors_open_floor_plan_ext_2015.pdf

(23 Sep 2015, 7:27 pm)Michael wrote Jesus, how big is the depot?

Sounds like a good day but looks like i can't go...

(23 Sep 2015, 7:36 pm)Dan wrote Inside, with hundreds of people inside, not very big at all!

It looks like fewer vehicles will be on display this year in favour of a greater number of stalls etc. The large 'Vehicle Display' box will squeeze in around ten vehicles at most based on a photograph I got last year of about half of the vehicles in the same line-up (the bus wash trip queue is just behind the green single decker):

Lothian Buses: Doors Open Day 2014 by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

Most of you have made a mistake by choosing to leave Edinburgh so early - you'll struggle to get decent photographs or you'll be waiting like a numpty at each bus to try and get a photograph of it without any people in-shot. I had to wait until 16:15 to get the shot above, and that was after the event officially closed to the public. I was with members of staff from Lothian Buses so luckily got some photographs that most others couldn't obtain.

I'm going up fairly early, but coming back quite late. I'll be spending most of my day out and about around Edinburgh, and only spending an hour or two at the depot before the event closes.

(26 Sep 2015, 7:23 am)Jimmi wrote Edinburgh here I come!

Currently wondering who will be sat next to me from Newcastle.

(26 Sep 2015, 7:23 am)Jimmi wrote Edinburgh here I come!

Currently wondering who will be sat next to me from Newcastle.

(26 Sep 2015, 7:43 am)Jimmi wrote A ghost it would appear, unless some muppet doesn't understand seat reservation.

(26 Sep 2015, 7:56 am)Dan wrote I've got a corker of a sleepy commuter!

(26 Sep 2015, 7:58 am)Jimmi wrote It's surprising I'm not one considering how little sleep I had last night.

You know what you have to try and do now.

(23 Sep 2015, 7:24 pm)Malarkey wrote Floor Plan for Saturday.
http://lothianbuses.com/assets/files/Doors_open_floor_plan_ext_2015.pdf

(26 Sep 2015, 8:01 am)Jimmi wrote Who on earth is camping next to the East Coast Mainline! Die hard rail enthusiasts maybe?

(26 Sep 2015, 6:19 pm)Malarkey wrote Volvo Electricity at Lothian Open Doors this afternoon - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/21111740314/in/dateposted-public/

(26 Sep 2015, 8:01 am)Jimmi wrote Who on earth is camping next to the East Coast Mainline! Die hard rail enthusiasts maybe?

(26 Sep 2015, 8:49 pm)BusLoverMum wrote V shiny.

GNE wouldn't like it. There's hardly anywhere to put any branding.

What's the range of these things, btw? They'd probably need a pretty extensive network of charging points or swappable batteries for most of the routes they have up here, wouldn't they?

(27 Sep 2015, 7:39 am)S813 FVK wrote Route 30 according to this article:
http://www.route-one.net/technology/lothian-buses-plots-electric-future/

(27 Sep 2015, 4:55 am)Dan wrote They're electric-hybrids.

Lothian are to introduce 20 new electric-hybrids by 2017 and they will carry a similar livery to the Volvo 7900 Hybrids. I'm not sure how publicly known it is which route is being upgraded, so I'll keep schtum for now.

When at a terminus, they will be 'plugged in' to charge the bus for the journey to the next terminus. There has been a few instances over the last week whereby the demonstration vehicle which Malarkey pictured broke down owing to the failure of one of the batteries, meaning it had to be towed back to the depot.

It is merely a prototype model, so the Volvo representative would not disclose information to me regarding the vehicle and infrastructure price.

(09 Mar 2016, 6:51 pm)NK53 TKT wrote Is the going to be an open day this coming September?