(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.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.
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.
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