Private Observations - January 2018 to June 2018

[Stu]

Something bright to kick off the new year.

Busways - unknown chassis under a CC CB80 body was in TfNSW styled chevron livery in orange & white, this is what Forest Coachlines did a few years ago with green & white. Observed travelling West on Canterbury Rd, Punchbowl during the late afternoon (03/01/2018).

[Daniel]

Refer here: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=26389&p=1016268&hilit=Underneath#p1016268

[Stu]

^ From a distance I thought that the livery as in the style of the TfNSW chevron however after looking at the photos I can see that this is not the case - very effective livery.

[ScaniaGrenda]

Another Bus accident, happened yesterday in Illawong but no one has reported it here yet so It looks like I get the honours of posting it

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/5153324/buses-crash-on-old-illawarra-road-no-passengers-on-board

A bus driver had to be freed by emergency services following a crash between two buses at Illawong earlier today.

Just after 8am police and emergency services were called to Old Illawarra Road near Blaxland Road, following reports of a crash between two buses.

The driver of one bus had to be released by Fire & Rescue NSW officers.

Both drivers were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for minor injuries and did not require further medical treatment.

No passengers were on the buses at the time of the incident.

Both drivers were breath tested at the scene with a negative result.

Two northbound lanes on Old Illawarra Road were blocked for a short time, before the buses were towed from the scene.

The road has since re-opened to traffic.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Luckily no passengers were on board the bus but hope both drivers are okay

As for what bus this, I've come across an uncensored photo of the white Transdev Bustech on Facebook from the scene but the plate is bent so I copied the photo into MS paint to try and figure out the fleet number but it was still to hard to make out the fleet number. Best guess I can make out is it being bus m/o 7559. The other bus is a Mercedes-Benz Transdev bus. Unfortunately can't make out the plates or fleet # on that one .

Photos from the paper (There is two more I haven't liked here on the paper)



Inside of m/o 7559? Pretty wrecked so I don't think anyone odds are too high on this bus being fixed and returned to service. Will likely be used for parts and will be a write off.


Transdev Mercedes-Benz Bustech Metrobus rear (Front photo of the bus can be seen above, front damage isn't bad but the back looks buggered)

[BAMBAM]

Previous buses in the transdev fleet suffered similar incidents and have been fixed and put back on the road, So I wouldn't say they'll be withdrawn and used for parts just yet.

[Campbelltown busboy]

The damage on the VST B12BLE in the photos looks abit worse then the damage that Bustech O405NH 5327 got after it's accident in September 2009

[Daniel]

7559 and 5071.

[tonyp]

http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/st ... sh/?cs=203

[ScaniaGrenda]

I'm not sure how common this is but today I caught 3617 MO from Hunter Valley Buses Thornton and on the back of half of the seats, they had advertisements on the back of them for some Retail SDA thing. Wanted to grab a photo but too many people on the bus.

Also no photos again but I caught 7398 MO on route 180 from Hunter Valley Buses which is Volvo B7RLE Volgren Optimus bus today. They hardly if ever operate the 180 route. Usually it's the MAN 12.220's or Mercedes 0405NH's that operate routes to Singleton with a small chance of a Scania Volgren bus operating the route as well.

[BanksfielderIdiot823]

Okay, what?!? I just saw Transdev Revesby's 6663 (Bustech VST, Volvo B7RLE) in Fairfield, heading off on the 8:00pm 905 to Bankstown today...

[BAMBAM]

Okay, what?!? I just saw Transdev Revesby's 6663 (Bustech VST, Volvo B7RLE) in Fairfield, heading off on the 8:00pm 905 to Bankstown today...

Most likely Revesby helping out for another depot run, nothing else as other depots does in return.

[BanksfielderIdiot823]

Okay, what?!? I just saw Transdev Revesby's 6663 (Bustech VST, Volvo B7RLE) in Fairfield, heading off on the 8:00pm 905 to Bankstown today...

Most likely Revesby helping out for another depot run, nothing else as other depots does in return.

Well, this is the first time I've seen a bus from Revesby in Fairfield for a reason other than rail replacement.

[BAMBAM]

Well, this is the first time I've seen a bus from Revesby in Fairfield for a reason other than rail replacement.

[/quote]

Theirs always a first sighting for everyone, one for me one for you and one for many others. One time their was a BCI on metrobus route M91.

[Fleet Lists]

Sighted in Caringbah this morning was TV 8710 which is not in the fleet list and did not carry accreditation, BCI PK6127A with VIN ending in 0612 which most likely makes it:

528 JSE BCI PK6127AT LSFC130886C000612 BCI - 2006 C50F
ex (56) 528 JSE, Bus It Queensland, Nebo, QLD.

which is shown in the Maguire Coaches - Chinchilla withdrawn vehicles.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-19097

[tonyp]

Lucky enough to be driving across Nowra Bridge today when, what ho, a brand new Scania Volgren artic in Nowra Coaches colours drives past me on its delivery run. So after I do my errands, its off to the depot for some photographs which I'll upload tomorrow.

Apparently it's one of five with 3 double doors on K series chassis and they will be used on school services plus rail replacement (which of course is big business on that joke of a line). The front door only will be used on school services and all doors on rail services. I think they're a bit disappointed that they aren't supplied with seat belts for the school runs. They have some sort of alerting device to tell the driver if theres a kid left on board at the end of the run. The ex Adelaide artics will all be sold. Apparently these are the last artics TfNSW will supply for school services; rigids from now on, which means more drivers, higher costs.

They're not mourning the demise of Custom. They got two new units recently and there are quality issues. The Volgren's easy steps to the high floor will be a relief after the dysfunctional CB80 Cargos.

It's very strange seeing a full-blown, high capacity, rapid turnover city artic in a place like Nowra. The normal route services, such as they are, are positively bucolic. Especially considering that a number of larger cities would be screaming out for these. South Nowra depot is an incongruous sight. Dozens and dozens of parked buses lined up and you know only about four of them are for Shoalhaven local route services. Five artics lined up will make it even more surreal. This could form the complement of a Sydney depot!

[tonyp]

Nowra Coaches, South Nowra, last night. One of the old ex Adelaide artics is visble in the background. I had only a couple of minutes between when I arrived and when the bus was put away to get these, so apologies for quality. No number plate identification yet.

NowraArtic1.jpg (115.83 KiB) Viewed 6623 times

NowraArtic2.jpg (113.07 KiB) Viewed 6623 times

These five, when fully delivered, could be put to good use on the Gong Shuttle too!

[Daniel]

First three are 8342 to 8344 MO.

[Bovways]

The front door only will be used on school services and all doors on rail services.

Hmmm - I wonder if a better compromise would have been a front door and one in the trailer then. Allow 4 more seats for school services, but still allow "front entrance, rear exit" for rail.

C

[tonyp]

I would think that with such an expensive bus, it's better to have it with the full complement of doors for maximum flexibility in future deployment, not to mention sale if it ever comes to that. The King family seems to do a bit of dealing in buses but I'm not clear whether these buses are owned by them or TfNSW.

[Fleet Lists]

If owned by TfNSW I would have expected then to be in TNSW livery

[tonyp]

I probably misunderstood a point in the conversation. It would be that they were chosen complying with TfNSW standard specs/suppliers. My original understanding from a while back is that they were bought by the company. One (or the only one so far?) was out on rail duty today.

[tonyp]

I saw a Premier Illawarra Coaster (or similar) running around today with signage on it for on demand.

The other stirring site I saw today, while observing the crowds on and off the reduced train service at Bomaderry, was the bus on the Bomaderry local feeder, Shoal Bus route 721, pull in at the station just after the train arrived. Just as the first people in the crowd off the train appeared out of the station entrance into the bus plaza, the bus took off on its run, leaving anybody who wanted to go home to their house in Bomaderry with a long walk.

My heart glowed to see that the finest traditions of dedication to service in the public transport industry are still being upheld in sterling fashion (not). I guess there was some sort of technicality that the train was a few minutes late and the bus of course had to leave on time, passengers or not.

[ScaniaGrenda]

On a run to pick up some takeaway this afternoon, I travelled on Thornton Road (Thornton) and looked at the back of the Thornton CDC bus depot as I went by. I spotted 4063 MO Which is HVB Edgeworths Mercedes-Benz OH1830L Volgren SC222. I wonder why that's there.

I also spotted 4698 MO at the back but that's been there for a year now and hasn't moved since. 4698 MO is one of the very old Csepel 844.31's with a CB60 body. Something odd tho is that it is displaying the old 3 digit school route number which happens to be 166 (School Bus 166)

Has there been a transfer of 4063 MO from NE (Edgeworth) to NB? (Thonrton)

[Stu]

Transdev buses at BJI on Australia Day.
Metrobus 5353 from Sth Granville and metrobus 5072 from Menai.

[burrumbus]

I would think that with such an expensive bus, it's better to have it with the full complement of doors for maximum flexibility in future deployment, not to mention sale if it ever comes to that. The King family seems to do a bit of dealing in buses but I'm not clear whether these buses are owned by them or TfNSW.

Owned by Nowra Coaches Pty.Ltd.All buses used on Rural and Regional contracts are owned by the operators.
Hope this helps,Tony.