September 4th 2020 @ 13:45: Fleet Ramblings

4/9/2020

Stagecoach Midlands
It looks like the company took up the option for more Dart SLFs as a further three have arrived at Rugby from Stagecoach East. Now here are 34422 along with 34533 and 34549, all of which had been stored at Stagecoach East’s Haverhill outstation. 34878, which arrived at Rugby depot earlier this week is now in service there.

Stagecoach West
In preparation for the return of schools a large number of changes have taken place here including:
Gold-spec Enviro 400MMCs 10994-96 from Cheltenham to Swindon, whilst Gold-spec Scania/Enviro 400s 15857-59 have transferred from Gloucester to Swindon with standard-spec Scania/Enviro 400 15876 transferring from Gloucester to Ross on Wye
Gold-spec Scania/Enviro 400s 15523-26 from Gloucester to Stroud with Tridents 18414/15 moving to Stroud from North Bristol.
Arrivals at Cheltenham have been Scania/Enviro 400s 15977-80 from Stroud and similar 15981 from North Bristol. Also transferred from North Bristol to Cheltenham are Enviro 200s 36107 and 36257.
Gold-spec MAN/Enviro 300s 22744/46/47/49/54 have moved from North Bristol for Gloucester.
Enviro 200s 36258/60 and 36385-87/92 are transferred from Stroud to Cheltenham .
Optare Solos 47244 and 47686/88 have transferred from Stroud to Cheltenham.
Former Stagecoach Manchester Enviro 400s 19165-67 have been allocated to Swindon whilst 19186-88 are allocated to Stroud.
The first repaint completed for Cheltenham depot is Scania/Enviro 300 28686 with 28687 currently in the paint shop. Also almost complete is former-Gold-liveried MAN 22752 which is being repainted at North Bristol prior to transfer to Gloucester. All three vehicles are receiving the Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery as is the case with all new livery repaints that have been undertaken here.

Stagecoach UK Bus
The number of vehicles receiving the new Stagecoach livery and branding continues to increase almost daily, although the ‘Local’ version is the dominant livery amongst repaints. Whilst I’m sure there is a standard ‘template’ for depots to follow there remains limited artistic licence around the colour of the headlight clusters and also around whether some vehicles retain black window surrounds. That said, there are some variations emerging on how different paint shops interpret the scheme. As an example we have images of two early-build Enviro 300s, 27517 with Stagecoach West and 27594 with Stagecoach East Midlands which show a difference in front end application of the blue.

Go North East
Repaints last week included Optare Solo SR M890 644 into the 2020 Venture livery and Volvo B5TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 3s 6309/11/13 into the blue variant of the X-lines livery.
Now here on temporary loan from Brighton & Hove are Scania N270UD/East Lancs OmniDekkas 685/86/87/88, which have been numbered 9065-68 for their stay. In return, on loan to Brighton & Hove from the Go North East fleet are Volvo B9R/Caetano Levante coaches 7107/09/12.
New vehicles received here are:
ADL Trident 2/ADL Enviro 400MMC 6344 (YX70 OKK), in the dark-green X-lines livery.
Wright StreetDeck/Wright StreetDeck Micro-Hybrid 3 6358 (NK20 EMF), in the light-green X-lines livery, which has also now entered service at Consett.
Wright StreetDeck/Wright StreetDeck Micro-Hybrid 3 6374 (NK70 BYR), in the red X-lines livery.
New 6376 (NK20 EMJ) was re-registered to NK70 BYU before entering service.
New ADL Enviro400s in service at Consett are 6341/42/45/46/47/49/50/51.
Displaced from Consett by the entry into service of new vehicles are Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s 6149/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61which have transferred to Riverside.
Volvo B9R/Caetano Levante coaches 7108 and 7110 have transferred from Deptford to Riverside.
Volvo B9R/Caetano Levante coaches 7104/05 along with 7143/44 have been sold to Glen Valley Tours, Wooler.

Stagecoach Megabus/Joint Venture
We understand that a Volvo B11R from the main Megabus fleet at Rugby has been on loan to Stagecoach East Midlands at Hull for MegabusPlus work. Initially 54215 was reported but we understand that it was subsequently swapped for 54213.
We have heard that a number of (currently) surplus Megabus vehicles are likely to go on loan to Stagecoach Manchester for use on Transport for Greater Manchester duplicate schools workings. Reported as being at Stagecoach Manchester’s Stockport depot is Caetano Levante 59227 from the Stagecoach West-maintained North Bristol fleet.