Like most businesses, we want you to receive our books in pristime condition and we would be uhappy if they were not delivered in this condition. We have been packing books in a waterproof polythene bag. We are now trialling a heavier duty board envelope with the books also individually packaged and sealed in a celophane bag.
We are initially trialling this alternative mailing system, alongside the former method, with orders placed through the Lincolnshire & East Yorkshire Transport Report. Orders will generally be despatched on the next working day after receipt by second class post, We regret we are no longer able to offer a same day despatch following changes to Royal Mail post box collections, which has seen the single collection from our local post box being timed for between 0700 and 0900. As we are not prepared for our mail, and your order, to be in the post box overnight we now deliver our outgoing mail to a main post office.
We would be pleased to receive feedback on our packaging trial. Please use our Contact Form to leave your comments.

As our series of Fleet Handbooks grows, we have decided to put some of the fleet information we receive each month into a new Blog column, which we will update at least once a week, and more often if we can. Check out our Fleet News Ramblings Blog now

Scania has announced that the UK's first 15-metre overall length Scania Irizar i6 coach is set to enter service later this month when it embarks upon long-term trials on a megabus.com route. The initial trial will run for six months, during which time the vehicle is to be based at Stagecoach's Rugby depot and will operate on routes across the UK.
Based on a Scania K 410 EB 6x2*4 rear-steer chassis, the vehicle features Scania's 13-litre DC13-115 engine, which complies with the Euro 6 exhaust emissions standard using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) only. Power output is 410 horsepower at 1,900 r/min and the unit delivers 2,150Nm of torque at 1,000 - 1,300 r/min. Transmission is by way of Scania's GR875R eight-speed gearbox with integral retarder and Scania Opticruise fully-automated gear selection system. The vehicle is also equipped with Scania's C200 OnBoard fleet management system.
In addition to being the UK's first 15-metre Scania Irizar i6, the vehicle is also the first to be equipped with a 13-litre Euro 6 engine, a front wheelchair lift (PLS and Magic Floor) and a full height emergency door with fold-out cassette steps.
Inside, the coach provides seating for 61 passengers on Irizar PB passenger seats with three-point seatbelts, leather headrests and centre armrests. Seating capacity is reduced to 59 if the vehicle's NMI Magic seats for wheelchair passengers are in use. Three-pin electrical sockets and USB charging sockets are provided at each double seat.  Other interior fitments include Hannover DDA-compliant destination equipment, a Synetics CCTV system and a rear offside surface-mounted Shades freshwater toilet.
"Scania has long enjoyed a productive and mutually beneficial business relationship with Stagecoach and we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to prove this exciting new vehicle on its megabus.com service," comments Tony Tomsett, Bus, Coach and Engine Sales Director for Scania (Great Britain) Limited. "The Scania Irizar i6 is highly appointed, provides exceptional levels of passenger comfort and undoubtedly has the wow factor.  We are therefore confident it will be extremely well received both by megabus.com and its customers."
Megabus.com Managing Director Elizabeth Esnouf said: “We are always keen to look at new options that have the potential to enhance our fleet and deliver a continued high standard of service for our customers. This is potentially an exciting new vehicle for us and we look forward to the results of this trial.”
Stagecoach has confirmed that the vehicle, which is registered YN14FVR has been given fleet number 80025 and it will be used on domestic Megabus services in England and Wales that are operated by Rugby garage.

It's been an extremely busy few weeks as we wored on five different Fleet Handbooks. The first covering East Yorkshire Motor Services and its Midlands-based Whittles subsidiary was published last Friday and we are encouraged with early sales, so if you have ordered or bought a copy Thank You.
Of the remaining four books, a new and enlarged edition of our Norfolk Green Fleet Handbook will be published in late September in time for the Omnibus Society's Presidental Weekend. This edition will include changes to the fleet that are currently taking place and will also detail the vehicles that are due to be transferred in September/October to replace the remaining Agoralines in the fleet.
However, you may be wondering what is happening with some of our publications that we sought photographs for several months ago. We have rescheduled several books pending delivery of new vehicles, and other fleet changes (both in and out of the fleets) that we have been advised will be happening.
The biggest delay will be to the Stagecoach North East book, which will now not appear until January 2015. We have replaced this in our Autumn/Winter 2014 schedule with a book covering the Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire fleet. Unless we are expecting further images from you, we now have all the photographs we need for these books.
The revised publication schedule is:
East Yorkshire Motor Services (2014 Big Bus Day Edition) now published
Norfolk Green - Due end September
Stagecoach Oxford - Due end September
Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire - Due early November
Stagecoach North East - Due late January 2015
We are planning a new edition of our Stagecoach East Midlands Fleet Handbook in early 2015. We are seeking images for this book, but as there are a large number of fleet changes taking place - and new vehicles due for delivery this Autumn. We would want the majority of photographs to reflect the fleet after these changes have taken place. Additionally we would want photographs to be taken in the Grimsby/Cleethorpes area to represent the new service network (and route numbers). We appreciate that it may be necessary to illustrate some vehicles prior to the changes to ensure that we have a representative selection of images.
We are currently looking at whether we will be in a position to publish a Fleet Handbook covering the Stagecoach Manchester fleet during the first part of 2015 and expect to make a decision within the next couple of months.
We are also able to announce that we have increased our payment for photographs used to £4 per image and we hope to be able to increase this amount again next year. Correspondents whose images are used in the books will also receive two complimentary copies of the book.
We will announce more details, publication dates and prices for these books on our 'Publications and Collectables' page as soon as they are available.

The 48-year old Open Top Bristol FLF, which is part of the Stagecoach in Peterborough fleet had a day out to the Norfolk Coast on Saturday 2nd August 2014. Bus 19952 (JAH552D) was used for a tour to the coast and a visit to Norfolk Green's depot in King's Lynn.
The bus certainly created quite a stir as it headed out from King's Lynn and through West Newton and Sandringham before taking the coast road to Wells-next-the-Sea also heading through Burnham Market.
Special thanks are due to Stagecoach in Peterborough and Norfolk Green who made the trip possible.