STA Observations - November 2015

[Frosty]

Noticed yesterday the new 8:20 from Zetland to Wynyard m20 was formed by a gassie an 0405NH couldn't catch the fleet number if it was a P or maybe even Y bus. I'm guessing it's pretty rare to find a gassie on the m20. Is this service usually standard bus along with the 7:58 the additional 2 morning peak services post post October 4. I'm guessing a bendy couldn't be provided due to a shortage or something.

[boronia]

So what is unique about 2751? All the VST's I have seen have large route numbers on the desto.

Not this one:

DSC06284 (Small).JPG (111.67 KiB) Viewed 4563 times

The side box had SPECIAL EVENT displayed (full size) and the rear route number was half sized.

[Swift]

Incompetents.

[swtt]

So what is unique about 2751? All the VST's I have seen have large route numbers on the desto.

Not this one:

DSC06284 (Small).JPG

The side box had SPECIAL EVENT displayed (full size) and the rear route number was half sized.

Hey that Mobitec LED desto finally has some decent fonts to it! (Albeit it isn't scaled properly for the higher "resolution" LED instead of flipdot)

[Forest]

A few observations from the northern beaches...
1509 is now at V
3954 is now in V2 livery
Haven't spotted any of the 333X series 0405's all week.

[marcnut1996]

2752 also has the small desto problem. (Sorry for camera quality) I haven't seen 2750 with small desto yet, but I do remember the desto was normal size when it was newly delivered.

[Frosty]

Noticed one of the Waverley O500 LE CNG TfNSW livered buses it was operating route 400 around 2pm or so couldn't catch the bus number had a green TVM missing it was the one nearest the driver console.

[fm2790.]

A few observations from the northern beaches...
1509 is now at V
3954 is now in V2 livery
Haven't spotted any of the 333X series 0405's all week.

I can say that m/o3334 is deinately gone. I spotted it without desto rolls and only display numbers. Heading citybound near Warringah Mall.

[fm2790.]

STA ex Newcastle m/o3378 is curremtly roaming the streets of the Northern Beaches and seems to be going in and out of Brookvale during the past week or so.

Understood to be a driver training bus.

I thought the mk v's were going! What are they training for?

[Frosty]

Saw a Kingsford bound 343 go via Grosvenor Street and Bridge St instead of running via the Cahill Expressway which means it could of not stopped at the Bridge St at Gresham St stop in order to pick up customers there it must of used to stop on Gresham St instead of Bridge since its physically impossible to get the Bridge street stop from running via Grosvenor St. Was the driver lost or was making up for late running.

[boronia]

I thought the mk v's were going! What are they training for?[/quote]
As long as they are in service, new drivers will have to be trained to drive them.

Also, having drivers do initial heavy vehicle training on them releases newer vehicles for regular service.

[Bodysurfer]

Not to mention that it's easier to start driving on a shorter bus before moving on to the longer models.

[jake_s_258]

Hey that Mobitec LED desto finally has some decent fonts to it! (Albeit it isn't scaled properly for the higher "resolution" LED instead of flipdot)

Is there any way of obtaining the program to make these destination signs for use at home. I recall getting ZEdit from someone here previously.

[Tonymercury]

I've just been advised that the inbound stop at Redfern Station is closed with an employee standing at the stop telling passengers.


Has anyone heard a reason?

[Fleet Lists]

Building fire see http://www.transportnsw.info/en/transpo ... um=2021705

Updated 30 Nov 14:19

Route 309 buses are diverting from Botany Road in Botany due to a building fire. These buses are using Stephen Road and Banksia Street instead and missing three stops in each direction.
Routes affected:

309 Railway Square to Port Botany
309 Port Botany to Railway Square

although I am not sure how this effects Redfern.

[marcnut1996]

The fire crew were starting to leave the Botany building fire around 8pm. Looks like the road will be reopened soon.

[Frosty]

How many Scania VSTs will be delivered to be P there quite a few already does it mean the Scania L113TRBs are going. Is this an additional growth buses for the Eastern Region. I'm guessing Port Botany has the space last I'm checked that site looks massive maybe because it's in a port in comparison to other depots.

[Dave Wilson]

More like buses from some other depot will be cascaded to Brookvale to replace the remaining MkVs. Perhaps 0405/0500 gassies will go to Ryde and B12 Volvos from there to Brookvale

[donotsmoke]

I spotted 1387 and 1388 with Y run plate.
1387 was on 545 last Saturday and 1388 was on 458.

[AEC Decker]

T Bustech 2597 arrived at R 20 or 21/11/15 and Metrobus 2072 was taken to T.
AEC Decker has no idea why this occurred, but he was able to evaluate 2597 in service on several occasions.

I was thinking maybe use those spare W depot artics on the M40 and use the artics released from M on the 343 during the off peak. Though a 343 from Chatswood to Kingsford takes a whole hour and a bit.

Artics and 14.5m Scanias cannot make the left turn from Harcourt Pde into Dunning Ave on Kingsford bound 343s.
12.5m buses just make that turn, some STA SWA's jump the gutter and crush the NSR panels when the rear wheels drop back down onto the road from the footpath.

See photo taken from Google Maps.

343 Roundabout.jpg (81.97 KiB) Viewed 3542 times

[hornetfig]

Looks like that's poor traffic engineering rather than being an impossibly tight corner. The Clowncil should be made to correct its stupidity. (Though if all councils had to fix all their dumb decisions they'd all be insolvent)

[Frosty]

T Bustech 2597 arrived at R 20 or 21/11/15 and Metrobus 2072 was taken to T.
AEC Decker has no idea why this occurred, but he was able to evaluate 2597 in service on several occasions.

I was thinking maybe use those spare W depot artics on the M40 and use the artics released from M on the 343 during the off peak. Though a 343 from Chatswood to Kingsford takes a whole hour and a bit.

Artics and 14.5m Scanias cannot make the left turn from Harcourt Pde into Dunning Ave on Kingsford bound 343s.
12.5m buses just make that turn, some STA SWA's jump the gutter and crush the NSR panels when the rear wheels drop back down onto the road from the footpath.

See photo taken from Google Maps.

343 Roundabout.jpg

It reminds to similar roundabouts in the area such as Philip St on route m20 its always a bouncy ride at least the bus goes straight in that section. I see often drivers just drive over the roundabouts on Philip St also have to mention Lenthall St.

[Swift]

Back in the 1990s Ryde Council had to remove some conrete bumps they had installed in a road median as it was causing damage to the suspension of North & Western buses that couldn't clear them as they were cornering.
I believe they looked like the ones in the following pic except they were in a straight line formation in the centre of the road. Nasty things.
Arrogant local councils have a lot to answer for with all the traffic calming devices and the damage they cause to vehicles.

[deepthought2006]

Looks like that's poor traffic engineering rather than being an impossibly tight corner. The Clowncil should be made to correct its stupidity. (Though if all councils had to fix all their dumb decisions they'd all be insolvent)

Quite correct. The corner itself is reasonably OK in a standard bus but could be a lot better for minimal cost and effort by the council. The problems are threefold:

1. the triangular median strip/traffic island thingy with the roundabout warning sign (in Harcourt Parade at the entry to the roundabout) is too wide at its widest point. It could be made much narrower quite easily,
2. the electricity pole on the apex of the corner is too close to the kerb and
3. the roundabout sign at the exit into Dunning Avenue (the sign is facing the traffic coming the other way) should be moved about a metre or two further south, with length of the island adjusted accordingly.

Not hard to fix for the council, not too hard to negotiate for a driver, too. With a bit of driver care and a momentary, low-speed ride up onto a corner of the roundabout's entry island (the one that's too wide) with the OSF wheel, then with an immediate left full-lock turn, the driver can feel assured that all is well and there is no need for a rear wheel hitting or riding the kerb. Works reliably for me, anyway. It can be done without the island ride-up but it then can become very tight on the exit and has to be taken very, very slowly. With the small bump onto the corner of island, I know that I've got the start of the turn just right, each time. It's about the same level of difficulty as the roundabouts on the 263, 265 and 267. You just get used to them.