Good Friday Bunzel

[Mark V]

Here is a few of my pic's from the day.. starting with a visit to the Royal Eastershow at Olympic Park to check out the bus action after being inspired by recent posts.. followed by a visit to Hurstville to see some of the Rail bus action before catching a delightful Telford 0405 back home.





















Cheers Adam

[wallace]

In regards to Telford's vehicles on Rail Bus duties, I thought the maximum age for a rail bus was 12 years old, but a quick check of the fleet lists reveals that the Merc 0405 and Man SL200 shows that they are from 1988 and 1989 respectively.
So my question is, 'How do they get away with it'? Unless I have some thing wrong about this??

[hurstville1]

Great photos there 8203!

Give us a buzz if your going for another bunzel on Monday

Thanks, Vince

[Fleet Lists]

In regards to Telford's vehicles on Rail Bus duties, I thought the maximum age for a rail bus was 12 years old, but a quick check of the fleet lists reveals that the Merc 0405 and Man SL200 shows that they are from 1988 and 1989 respectively.
So my question is, 'How do they get away with it'? Unless I have some thing wrong about this??

Incorrect.

Without going in to too many technicalities of the MSBC's etc, the operators must have an average fleet age of 12 years old.

I was under the impression that the MSBC did NOT apply to rail replacement services but that it had different rules which didi restrict vehicles to a certain age. I am not sure whether that was 12 or some other value.

For instance Telfords without any route services would not be subject to any MSBC.

[Bovways]

Incorrect.

Without going in to too many technicalities of the MSBC's etc, the operators must have an average fleet age of 12 years old.

I was under the impression that the MSBC did NOT apply to rail replacement services but that it had different rules which didi restrict vehicles to a certain age. I am not sure whether that was 12 or some other value.

For instance Telfords without any route services would not be subject to any MSBC.

Back when rail tenders were awarded on a weekly basis there used to be a maximum age of 12 years for vehicles on rail contracts; although this seemed to be policed with different amounts of vigour depending on who the contractor was awarded to. Certainly when I was preparing rail bids for NX Westbus, we had a vehicle sent back to the shed for having a body age of 11 years 9 months but a chassis age of 12 years 3 months! (or something similar). When other operators had the contract, it seemed anything up to 20 years old was free game!

Now that rail replacement has moved to long contracts (I think maybe 5 years?), the requirement is an average age of the fleet of 15 years.

C

[Fleet Lists]

Thanks for that piece of information.

But could you expand on the definition of "fleet"?

Does that mean the fleet which is being used on the day irrespective of who the operator is?

If say 10 Veolia buses were used, 6 Punchbowl and 5 Telford, would the averago age be calculated over the 21 vehilces being used?

If that is the case with Veolia and Punchbowl teding to use newer buses, the use of older Telford buses would not break the rules.

[TheLoneGunMan]

Hi Adam,

Great pictures mate, I don't really care if Telfords vehicles are too old because, they add a touch of colour out on the road. I wouldn't mind seeing the red and black paint lines curve up the back instead of being straight to blend in with their new sign writing.

[RailwayBus]

Nice photos.

I see the word "Bunzel" has spread into North Korea.

Whats the route 2B-207? Thats a very funny route number.

Cheers
RailwayBus

[hubert]

Nice photos.

I see the word "Bunzel" has spread into North Korea.

Whats the route 2B-207? Thats a very funny route number.

Cheers
RailwayBus

Why does Veolia and Punchbowl have to put some (run? shift?) numbers into the desto, whereas other operators seem to cope without this piece of (generally useless to the public) information?

[Fleet Lists]

Yes Veolia (and Punchbowl) show the shift number in the desto for Special Event and Rail Replacement services. On Punchbowl buses the shift number is in smaller font which makes it easier to distinguish it from the route number.

So this bus is operating on route 2B with the rest being the shift number.

Other operators subtracting to Veolia on Veolia routes have also being displaying this shift number on cardboard in the windscreen - see photo of Caringbah m/o 8839 which shows shift 607. One other operator I saw yesterday also showed the word "shift" with the three digit number.

The first digit of the shift number is usually the same as the route number (ignoring any alpha suffix) but this may not always be the case if a shift operates over multiple routes on the same day.

[Bovways]

Thanks for that piece of information.

But could you expand on the definition of "fleet"?

Does that mean the fleet which is being used on the day irrespective of who the operator is?

If say 10 Veolia buses were used, 6 Punchbowl and 5 Telford, would the averago age be calculated over the 21 vehilces being used?

If that is the case with Veolia and Punchbowl teding to use newer buses, the use of older Telford buses would not break the rules.

Yes that is correct... average age across all the vehicles being used on the contract, as there is one prime contractor, and the rest are subbies.

C

[Fleet Lists]

Again thanks for expanding that. But how the hell is anyone going to police that? With sometimes up to 50 (or possibly even more) buses being used on a contract who is going to work out the average age of buses being used at any one time, especially with multiple operators involved?

[RailwayBus]

Yes Veolia (and Punchbowl) show the shift number in the desto for Special Event and Rail Replacement services. On Punchbowl buses the shift number is in smaller font which makes it easier to distinguish it from the route number.

So this bus is operating on route 2B with the rest being the shift number.

Other operators subtracting to Veolia on Veolia routes have also being displaying this shift number on cardboard in the windscreen - see photo of Caringbah m/o 8839 which shows shift 607. One other operator I saw yesterday also showed the word "shift" with the three digit number.

The first digit of the shift number is usually the same as the route number (ignoring any alpha suffix) but this may not always be the case if a shift operates over multiple routes on the same day.

Thanks for explaining that, and very quickly as well! Now I have to echo Huberts comments here...

Why does Veolia and Punchbowl have to put some (run? shift?) numbers into the desto, whereas other operators seem to cope without this piece of (generally useless to the public) information?

Yes.... why does this have to be on the headboard? It's confusing, I thought it was a route number

In Melbourne we use laminated cards with the run number (as we call them) on it.

[Andrew]

Passengers don't actually look at the front of the bus anyway do they?

The big numbers look a bit silly I will freely admit, however, makes it easier for some bus marshalls to see the number from a distance.

Having said that, I do like the smaller numbers that Punchbowl have started using in the last couple of weeks.

[fm2790]

If I am not mistaken wasn't 1B service done by STA MonaVale before? How long ago did Foest take over route 1B?

[Dave Wilson]

You've taken some good shots there Mark V.

[Mark V]

You've taken some good shots there Mark V.

Thanks Dave.. I'm slowly getting beter

Hi Adam,

Great pictures mate, I don't really care if Telfords vehicles are too old because, they add a touch of colour out on the road. I wouldn't mind seeing the red and black paint lines curve up the back instead of being straight to blend in with their new sign writing.

Yeah ive always been a fan of the Telfords fleet too.. even more so since they got the 0405's

Great photos there 8203!

Thanks, Vince

Wrong forum mate.. but thanks anyway.

Cheers Adam

[Andrew]

If I am not mistaken wasn't 1B service done by STA MonaVale before? How long ago did Foest take over route 1B?

It has been shared by Forest and Shorelink for some time now. Occasionally they also assist on 1A.

[Andrew]

Again thanks for expanding that. But how the hell is anyone going to police that? With sometimes up to 50 (or possibly even more) buses being used on a contract who is going to work out the average age of buses being used at any one time, especially with multiple operators involved?

Bus rego numbers are recorded by the rail marshalls - maybe someone from RailCorp looks at the Bus Aus fleet lists on a Monday to check!

[Bovways]

Again thanks for expanding that. But how the hell is anyone going to police that? With sometimes up to 50 (or possibly even more) buses being used on a contract who is going to work out the average age of buses being used at any one time, especially with multiple operators involved?

Bus rego numbers are recorded by the rail marshalls - maybe someone from RailCorp looks at the Bus Aus fleet lists on a Monday to check!

Occassionally RailCorp auditors will do spot checks of vehicles build plates.

[DarrenH]

Looks like you had a good day Bunzeling on Good Friday. I like the shot of the Telford's Merc 0405 driving over the top of the roundabout.Reminds me of a roundabout at the Salamander Centre

[Mark V]

Yeah it was a great day out.. I knew when I got off that Telfords 0405 that the roundabout was the spot to get it heading back to Hurstville.. its currently my computer's wallpaper too

Cheers Adam