STA Observations - March 2012

[fm2790.]

Firstly STA V'S m/o3932 I think it should no longer be classified as an AOA pumpkin bus as a majority of the ad has been taken off. I spotted it on a early morning Route 136 service departing Dee Why. Ex STA m/o2784 I spotted that in the Manly coaches depot earlier on this week.

[Ikarbus]

1873 also now presumably at R, seen operating a PM 891 inbound on Tuesday evening 6th March.

[booma]

1661 or 1681 new AOA, TELSTRA.

[pgt]

1661 or 1681 new AOA, TELSTRA.

Pretty sure I saw 1661 this afternoon wearing said AOA on Military Road (I seem to recall 1661 quite often has AOA on it?)

--Phil.

[crimsontide]

M Scania on the back of a low loader on Mowbray Road, enroute to the depot around 1345.

[TAA727]

1661 or 1681 new AOA, TELSTRA.

Pretty sure I saw 1661 this afternoon wearing said AOA on Military Road (I seem to recall 1661 quite often has AOA on it?)

--Phil.

Yep definitely 1661, seen it twice today. AOA for Telstra (whatever?) generation mobile.

[booma]

Yes, "This bus stops frequently, your Network shouldn't."

[booma]

1723 in Telstra AOA too.

[Simes]

Of the 5 withdrawn W MkIV's stored alongside York Road, 2775, 2781, 2787, 2789 & 2846, only 2787 and 2846 remain there now. W's TNSW liveried 2291 has had it's nearside rear white fleet numbers removed and an ad frame is now in place there. This would have obscured half the fleet number. I've noticed of late that many R Volvos have had the "Get on board...." slogan removed from their roof line.

I'm pretty sure 2781 is the only remaining one left at L in the "to be scrapped" roads.
I'm also pretty sure that most of the R euro 5s didn't have that "get on board" rubbish applied to the roof line.

So all those bar 2781 have to scrap?

[CityRail]

Seems the future music festival have not only attracted a lot of youths but also a lot of buses across Sydney.
I've seen buses from L, K, N and even B, V and Y depots were there to help picking up passengers.
Some notable buses includes:
2348 (N), 2407 (K), 23XX (L), 49XX(B), 1738 (V) and several Volgren Volvos from Y.
Just wondering with so many people there waiting for the bus why not a single bus from T was deployed, as T buses will be most suitable to carry a lot of passengers at one time.

[Daniel]

Metrobuses are generally kept off charters and other work as much as possible.

[RickyT]

There were also a couple of artics in Transport NSW livery from L and Y operating those shuttles.

[fm2790.]

I wonder what is the go with STA F's m/o1682. It is still in the purple PrePay livery. How long before it is stripped of this AOA? and V's m/o 3932, not much is left of the Pumpkin livery. Isn't it time to take off the remaining parts of the ad?

[fm2790.]

Seems the future music festival have not only attracted a lot of youths but also a lot of buses across Sydney.
I've seen buses from L, K, N and even B, V and Y depots were there to help picking up passengers.
Some notable buses includes:
2348 (N), 2407 (K), 23XX (L), 49XX(B), 1738 (V) and several Volgren Volvos from Y.
Just wondering with so many people there waiting for the bus why not a single bus from T was deployed, as T buses will be most suitable to carry a lot of passengers at one time.

If I am not mistaken m/o1738 is an F bus even though it is sporting V's Accreditation.

[Route548]

Metrobuses are generally kept off charters and other work as much as possible.

Only time I saw or been informed of T operating a non-Metrobus run was a month or so ago when a few drivers from there were called in to do VOT from Bondi Beach to either BJI or CQ...W DO got a bit desperate for extra buses due to larger than expected crowds and the M40s were the closest ones around to the beach. M and K were also called in to help out; in M's case, four 555 shuttles were converted to 380s/333s.

[TAA727]

T was also roped in to help out with the Australian Open Golf shuttles. From memory around 3-4 shifts rostered per day.
On Bondi Beach runs T is only able to operate 333s as they are to only pre-pay routes out of BB. (T drivers obviously don't carry cash trays and T doesn't have any cash handling facilities.)

[drpurpleturtle]

Y's m/o 1713 is also in the Telstra AOA, seen on Iron Cove Bridge around 5:10pm today.

[Ribble]

There doesnt seem to have been many / any new deliveries of buses to STA in the last few months. The "New yet to be deliveried" list seems to be almost the same as back in early January. Nos 2376-2393 Volvos seem to have been on the list a while now, whilst there has been a small amount of movement with the Scanias No 2408 upwards. Are completed buses from Custom Coaches / Volgren just sitting somewhere? Any comments from anyone....????

[Ikarbus]

There doesnt seem to have been many / any new deliveries of buses to STA in the last few months. The "New yet to be deliveried" list seems to be almost the same as back in early January. Nos 2376-2393 Volvos seem to have been on the list a while now, whilst there has been a small amount of movement with the Scanias No 2408 upwards. Are completed buses from Custom Coaches / Volgren just sitting somewhere? Any comments from anyone....????

I think there is an issue with the Volvo B7 CB80's in regards to the driver's visiblity of the offside mirror, perhaps other issues as well. Not sure if this has been resolved but if it hasn't it would explain why we haven't seen more of these hit the road yet... and I would have thought that the Scania CB80s would have the same problem because they have the same body but it seems not as they are well and truly running out of K on revenue service.

[Daniel]

At Customs there was a full batch of B7s upfront then a batch of Scanias, so in due course there will be a factory full of B7s again. Generally makes more sense from a manufacturing point of view rather than doing two models concurrently.

[TOXANA]

2411 is the only scania in the ops yard at L awaiting the trip to K

[booma]

on behalf of a 3rd party...

Wed 15/2

Arr V 2079, 2080 X R

3021, 3033 to N


Fri 9/3

1956, 1959, 1960, 1961 to V X R

3021 X N to V


Mon 12/3

3021, 3047, 3048, 3051, 3053

withdrawn from service.

[Daniel]

2411 is the only scania in the ops yard at L awaiting the trip to K

2414 registered today.

[Ribble]

At Customs there was a full batch of B7s upfront then a batch of Scanias, so in due course there will be a factory full of B7s again. Generally makes more sense from a manufacturing point of view rather than doing two models concurrently.

Thank goodness they are away from the 'individual' ones in the Fleet Nos....back to sensible 'groups' of similar types.... makes my recording and photography collection easier.... thanks Daniel.

[Muttley]

2376 now in service out of North Sydney