(24 Jan 2023, 7:09 pm)toward6931 wrote so lets say what people have said on Facebook is true and slatyford is gaining 25 new double deck MMCs,
3 vehicles for the 685 operation, 2 active and 1 spare
remaining 22 to displace the older E400s, I don't know how many slatyford have these days as the number seems to change on a weekly basis but lets say that number is 15, allows 7 of the 16 plate MMCs to go to walkergate,
walkergate would still be, by my math's 7 full size single decks short of its old allocation of only 5 single decks and the rest double decks, assuming the 7 16 plate MMCs displace 5 E200s out of the 10 they have currently have and 2 of the 300s, they would still have 12 single decks compared to the 5 they originally had.
maybe cascades from other divisions like the 24 of the 15 plate gold Scania E400s from Preston could tip the balance by allowing the rest of the excess 300s to move from walkergate and allowing a remainder of the old E400s to be cascaded
I don't know the PVR's but aren't a lot of the singles there at Walkergate since certain buses in particular the 11 plate Hybrids are shot to bits and they have a ridiculous number of spares.
But let's say if they do get 25 at Slatyford then I have a feeling all the 16 plates will go to Walkergate. There's only the 62/63/685 which should be Decker operated there but they don't have enough since the extension.
Then there should be enough for all the main services to be ran by the 16/69 Plates, Hybrids and 60 Plates. They could always keep some of the 58 Plates for school runs, 18 and spares. No need to get arid of them all imo, they just shouldn't be in front line work similar to GNE with it's assortment of old Enviro's from London of similar vintage.
It's a waste of money from them having new'ish buses doing school runs at Stockton, Sunderland and Slatyford imo.