Private Observations - July to December 2018

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Xplorer
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Xplorer »

Fleet Lists wrote:It could refer to just rail or to the earlier promise some years ago but which never happened. Basically the article comes from a councillor who is arguing the same way we are; he wants to see Opal introduced on buses.

And the Lithgow article which is dated March 2017 is out of date since the trial which I referred to, started in December 2017.
as far as i know, the only Berrima service that accepts opal is the Picton-Mittagong-Bowral loop line, but nothing official was mentioned about it
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Fleet Lists
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Fleet Lists »

I guess that would be at train fares where tap on/off is done at stations and not on the buses.
Living in the Shire.
burrumbus
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by burrumbus »

The Picton-Bowral loop line is part of the train network and therffoe accepts opal.
Berrima Buslines other route services operate under their rural and regional contract which doesn't accept opal.
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MO9205
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by MO9205 »

Howard's of Murrurundi have a new Denning Silver Phoenix, 3209MO. Very nice looking bus, saw in Tamworth on Wednesday. Not sure what happened to the Nissan, but based on past purchases, it is probably stored at Murrurundi. Photo was not a good one, so won't add.
Wishing Howards would paint ex 9205 into their livery and get her back on the road.... drool....
Xplorer
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Xplorer »

Fleet Lists wrote:I guess that would be at train fares where tap on/off is done at stations and not on the buses.
Can’t really tap on/off at places like Thirlmere
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Centralian
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Centralian »

MO9205 wrote:Howard's of Murrurundi have a new Denning Silver Phoenix, 3209MO. Very nice looking bus, saw in Tamworth on Wednesday. Not sure what happened to the Nissan, but based on past purchases, it is probably stored at Murrurundi. Photo was not a good one, so won't add.
Looking through the Fleet Lists I was surprised at how many Denning Phoenix are being purchased by operators, mainly country based. Some large fleets in Queensland, but slowly quite a few are appearing across fleets in NSW. Good to see.
Think for yourself, while it's still legal !
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Swift »

Centralian wrote:
MO9205 wrote:Howard's of Murrurundi have a new Denning Silver Phoenix, 3209MO. Very nice looking bus, saw in Tamworth on Wednesday. Not sure what happened to the Nissan, but based on past purchases, it is probably stored at Murrurundi. Photo was not a good one, so won't add.
Looking through the Fleet Lists I was surprised at how many Denning Phoenix are being purchased by operators, mainly country based. Some large fleets in Queensland, but slowly quite a few are appearing across fleets in NSW. Good to see.
That Denning name must hold sway in an ever changing bus landscape. I hope the product treats them well in return.
NSW, the state that embraces mediocrity.
BDAT
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by BDAT »

Hi Spotted Charterplus's Decker today doing the staff car park shuttle from Blacktown Showground to Westpoint shopping center.
For those that may not be aware of it, Blacktown Westpoint car park has a Major structural failure and half the car park is closed off.
So in order to make more room for customers, Staff have to park at the Showground and catch the shuttle bus.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Geoff »

Went past 772 Mamre Road, Kemps Creek this afternoon. Parked on the property were approx 12 white buses and coaches, couldn't identify any of them from the road.

Is this a new multi user yard?

Geoff.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by burrumbus »

Yes,it is interesting the good solid sales of the Denning Phoenix products,Swift.I think that is fantastic that some operators see through the cheap prices of the Chinese/Korean vehicles and are opting to pay the higher upfront cost of the Phoenix ,and indeed Coach Design/Coach Concepts/Express vehicles,but enjoy the lower whole of life costs and reliability of those vehicles.You get what you pay for in our industry.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by tonyp »

Premier Illawarra were supplying buses this afternoon to what I'd call a bus supplementation rather than bustitution between Kiama and Nowra Bomaderry. A bushfire near Dunmore disrupted the electrics and they were no longer meeting with the railcars at Kiama, so the Endeavours kept running to their normal schedule and buses filled in between to create effectively a half hourly service, which was great.

Perhaps, however, I should say theoretically because the RMS in its wisdom decided to reduce the Princes Hwy to one lane with flag men at Jaspers Brush in evening peak. So the bus trip went swimmingly to just outside Berry where it joined queues (carparks) which were kilometres long both directions. RMS can do the stupidest things but I think it's out of arrogance more than anything else. They must know what they're doing but somehow they're immune from the type of public criticism that public transport works attract.

The bus was nice and comfortable and quick - coach seating, though a high floor with steep stairs that I struggled to get up and down. I haven't been on the Endeavour for a while but I'd forgotten how slow they run that train. It just ambles along like Browns Cow on dead straight sections of track. The seats seem to be the same rock hard ones as the Oscars. There's so much potential in the line but the railways just kill it with awful service.
Last edited by tonyp on Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by BroadGauge »

tonyp wrote:The seats seem to be the same rock hard ones as the Oscars. There's so much potential in the line but the railways just kill it with awful service.
You can now sit on those seats all the way from Central to Bathurst (3.5 hours) or Goulburn (3 hours). Sound appealing? ;)

I remember the old seats in Endeavours pre-refurbishment may have looked a bit tatty by the end, but were actually quite comfortable to sit on.
tonyp
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by tonyp »

Though on the south coast you need to consider that they're the same seats in the H sets so in all you're also looking at nearly 3 hours in the same seats as with the other lines.
idontknow556
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by idontknow556 »

Busways demonstrator 7006 seen in Blacktown interchange.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by BAMBAM »

idontknow556 wrote:Busways demonstrator 7006 seen in Blacktown interchange.
idontknow556 wrote:Busways demonstrator 7006 seen in Blacktown interchange.
Adding on to that vague information, it’s an Optare Tempo in TNSw livery
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by crazyturbo76 »

I got to ride 7006 on a 729 service back to Mt Druitt this afternoon. Tonyp will be pleased to know that it has ample low-floor space. I don't know what underlying drivetrain powers the Tempo but it did seem a little... underpowered when I was riding it.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Swift »

crazyturbo76 wrote:I don't know what underlying drivetrain powers the Tempo but it did seem a little... underpowered when I was riding it.
It can't be as bad STA's woeful CNG Mercedes fleet up hills.
NSW, the state that embraces mediocrity.
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Campbelltown busboy
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

BAMBAM wrote:
idontknow556 wrote:Busways demonstrator 7006 seen in Blacktown interchange.
Adding on to that vague information, it’s an Optare Tempo in TNSw livery
If the rego of the Busways Optare demo 7006 is CP 45 NT then it would have a two tone blue livery that looks a little like the TNSW livery this bus was recently with Interline
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Swift »

I hope the blooming thing isn't 1 or 1 & 1/2 doors as the privates seem to have a fetish for.
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Stu
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Stu »

3453 returned to active duty on December 7th.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

Swift wrote:I hope the blooming thing isn't 1 or 1 & 1/2 doors as the privates seem to have a fetish for.
When it comes to the privates and that one and a half door idea it might come down to Transport For NSW knowing the number of passengers per trip via opal data and there might be a option of type of centre door on the contract when the operator does the new bus deal with Transport For NSW
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Daniel »

Swift wrote:I hope the blooming thing isn't 1 or 1 & 1/2 doors as the privates seem to have a fetish for.
It is a 1.5 door spec.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by tonyp »

Daniel wrote:
Swift wrote:I hope the blooming thing isn't 1 or 1 & 1/2 doors as the privates seem to have a fetish for.
It is a 1.5 door spec.
It's getting confusing. I recall that you wrote once that all metropolitan contract operators were required to have two double-leaf doors on 12 metre buses, but now it seems to be flexible again? The Stationlink buses, for example, were delivered with a mixture of door combinations that seems to have no relationship to their ultimate intended service. As for artics, Nowra Coaches told me that they were required by TfNSW to have three double-leaf doors on their artics. So if that's the case in the country, it must be also in metro and outer metro.
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by gld59 »

Stu wrote:3453 returned to active duty on December 7th.
Presumably any parts it had donated since the beginning of August were replaced by scavenging from 3426?
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Re: Private Observations - July to December 2018

Post by Linto63 »

Noticed Crowthers TV3922, TV4912 and TV8515 all carrying accreditation #33714 with Queanbeyan as the registered address. Were stabled amongst a number of Murrays coaches at Central station, maybe they had been subbing on express services from Canberra.
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