I know it is pretty early on in the year for this but does anyone know if Stagecoach are planning on using the open top buses at Sunderland depot on the E routes again this year?

I really enjoyed riding them last summer on these routes but all of them (maybe except 17240) had really bad reliability and they are ageing so I wondered if these buses are still around to be used this year?

One will be used weekends only on the 19 connecting Sunderland North estates with Seaburn, starting 15 April. https://bustimes.org/services/19-sunderl...ll-seaburn

Another will be used Bank Holiday and specific Saturdays only on certain E1 journeys.  https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.ama...022Apr.pdf

(04 Apr 2022, 10:49 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote One will be used weekends only on the 19 connecting Sunderland North estates with Seaburn, starting 15 April. https://bustimes.org/services/19-sunderl...ll-seaburn

Another will be used Bank Holiday and specific Saturdays only on certain E1 journeys.  https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.ama...022Apr.pdf

Thanks for the information! Good to know they will be out at least some of the time. Just hope there is good weather to match too!

A rather underwhelming offer from Stagecoach today on their Open Top E1 runs, half of which were run with 19645...despite their socials today even advertising open top (presumably down to vehicle availability not the crap weather this afternoon as 17643 managed a full day on the other board, as did 17240 on the 19).

(02 Jun 2022, 8:32 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote A rather underwhelming offer from Stagecoach today on their Open Top E1 runs, half of which were run with 19645...despite their socials today even advertising open top (presumably down to vehicle availability not the crap weather this afternoon as 17643 managed a full day on the other board, as did 17240 on the 19).

Turns out yesterday wasn't so bad after all - compared to today anyway!  Not only was one of the two advertised open top boards again ran by a conventional closed top decker, but 17643 also got took off the 19 mid afternoon, and the 'open top' offering was substituted for a gas bus.  Seems SNE shooting themselves in the foot continuing to push these open top specials on social media as it must be leaving families disappointed when a normal bus rocks up.  You'd have thought they could have got more than one of the four in a serviceable condition for one weekend!

i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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(03 Jun 2022, 10:30 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Turns out yesterday wasn't so bad after all - compared to today anyway!  Not only was one of the two advertised open top boards again ran by a conventional closed top decker, but 17643 also got took off the 19 mid afternoon, and the 'open top' offering was substituted for a gas bus.  Seems SNE shooting themselves in the foot continuing to push these open top specials on social media as it must be leaving families disappointed when a normal bus rocks up.  You'd have thought they could have got more than one of the four in a serviceable condition for one weekend!

i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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(03 Jun 2022, 10:30 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Turns out yesterday wasn't so bad after all - compared to today anyway!  Not only was one of the two advertised open top boards again ran by a conventional closed top decker, but 17643 also got took off the 19 mid afternoon, and the 'open top' offering was substituted for a gas bus.  Seems SNE shooting themselves in the foot continuing to push these open top specials on social media as it must be leaving families disappointed when a normal bus rocks up.  You'd have thought they could have got more than one of the four in a serviceable condition for one weekend!

i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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(03 Jun 2022, 10:30 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Turns out yesterday wasn't so bad after all - compared to today anyway!  Not only was one of the two advertised open top boards again ran by a conventional closed top decker, but 17643 also got took off the 19 mid afternoon, and the 'open top' offering was substituted for a gas bus.  Seems SNE shooting themselves in the foot continuing to push these open top specials on social media as it must be leaving families disappointed when a normal bus rocks up.  You'd have thought they could have got more than one of the four in a serviceable condition for one weekend!

i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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(03 Jun 2022, 10:30 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Turns out yesterday wasn't so bad after all - compared to today anyway!  Not only was one of the two advertised open top boards again ran by a conventional closed top decker, but 17643 also got took off the 19 mid afternoon, and the 'open top' offering was substituted for a gas bus.  Seems SNE shooting themselves in the foot continuing to push these open top specials on social media as it must be leaving families disappointed when a normal bus rocks up.  You'd have thought they could have got more than one of the four in a serviceable condition for one weekend!

i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

(04 Jun 2022, 10:08 am)toward6931 wrote i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

There are 3 seasiders and the white one

Given the unreliability of the Seasider ALX400s, I can see this being their last year in service. Stagecoach London have recently been converting some of their Omnicities to open top for the City Sightseeing services, perhaps they could transfer some up here for that purpose?

(04 Jun 2022, 10:08 am)toward6931 wrote i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

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i thought that there was only 3 now, i know there was four that originally replaced the 5 Olympians but recently ive only seen the 2 seasiders and the white one

Three Seasiders (17239, 17240 and 17645 - though only 17240 appears to be operational currently) plus plain white 17643.

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(04 Jun 2022, 12:05 pm)wibblejunior wrote Given the unreliability of the Seasider ALX400s, I can see this being their last year in service. Stagecoach London have recently been converting some of their Omnicities to open top for the City Sightseeing services, perhaps they could transfer some up here for that purpose?

Suspect you're right re this season being their swansong.  Can't see them bringing in more open tops - they have long abandoned the various City Sightseeing attempts, abandoned the Seasider attempt and seemingly based on this weekend all but abdandoned the seafront specials.