Open top bus service 300 Lands End St Ives

[whole diary]

[old original]

This is what was on the 300 yesterday, on hire from First Beeline (?) Bracknell.  But it is going back to there today to do trips for the Derby so it's back to the regular First topless buses

[Chris from Nailsea]

That's not a bus - it's a fire engine! 

[old original]

Apparently(& alledgedly) the green one used in the advertising is available but the drivers won't use it as it doesn't have power steering and it has a crash gearbox. The red one above has been "modernised"

[LiskeardRich]

The green one used in their publicity is a stock photograph and not the actual bus anyway!

The Roofless Routemaster was on a 1 week loan from Berkshire, now being reported the normal open toppers (which the Citybuses are approaching 30, so probably a classic anyway!)will be running the route for the next week. Mechanical issues with the Lodekka according to an insider at First.

[GBM]

"Staff have refused to use it", a totally incorrect statement.
Training for those who volunteered for the 300 route is in progress.  However, it is proving difficult for those involved as most are used to an auto gearbox, so adapting to a 'crash box' is time consuming (& painful!)
Original drivers who used these buses would not have known anything different (i.e., auto); there would have been far less traffic on the roads, and far less passengers.  Drivers would have also used that type of gearbox day in/day out.
And yes, open toppers for the time being.

[old original]

Western Greyhound have extended their 547 Newquay - St Ives service down the coast to to Lands End for the summer.It's only one each way but also operated with a decker (don't know if an open one though). Like First - no national pass concessions available

[LiskeardRich]

Western Greyhound have extended their 547 Newquay - St Ives service down the coast to to Lands End for the summer.It's only one each way but also operated with a decker (don't know if an open one though). Like First - no national pass concessions available

It's not even one each way, it's one full circle from st Ives to Penzance via lands end.

[GBM]

It's not even one each way, it's one full circle from st Ives to Penzance via lands end.
[/quote]

Word on the street is saying that service currently not happening as it's not been registered.
Another rumour...............

[LiskeardRich]

Word on the street is saying that service currently not happening as it's not been registered.
Another rumour...............

That's not a rumour, its fact.

It was submitted to the commissioner end of may/early June but as yet hasn't been approved.

[LiskeardRich]

824KDV by Rich.W., on Flickr

Here is the 300 today. There is a VR being prepped at Camborne to back up in the summer, as the Lodekka is only doing 3-4 days a week.

Loading looked poor compared to previous years open top loadings. I think I counted around 8-10 passengers plus the conductor.

I have couple of other pictures on my Flickr if anyone is interested I took today. Should load by clicking on my Flickr username above.

[GBM]

Loading looked poor compared to previous years open top loadings. I think I counted around 8-10 passengers plus the conductor.

Why change something that works well?  Open tops running the circular route for years, & always popular.
MD insists on a vintage; has to be paid for, so open tops as feeders - very full.  Vintage to be paid for, considerably less passengers.
 

[LiskeardRich]

Loading looked poor compared to previous years open top loadings. I think I counted around 8-10 passengers plus the conductor.

Why change something that works well?  Open tops running the circular route for years, & always popular.
MD insists on a vintage; has to be paid for, so open tops as feeders - very full.  Vintage to be paid for, considerably less passengers.
 

The open toppers I saw on the feeder service either end were both full upstairs, didn't pay attention to downstairs.

My observations yesterday were people like the open top feeders- which are still bus pass compatible which may impact the numbers, The vintage less popular and not bus pass friendly.

[old original]

This service has now been extended, although only 2 services each way, until 27th September

[LiskeardRich]

Today the VR broke down at the bottom of Sennen Cove, so was substituted by a Royale.

It couldn't have picked a nicer place to break down on a Sunny day though. Left rather tight for other buses to pass as can be seen in my pictures:

AFJ706T Sennen Cove (2) by Rich.W., on Flickr

AFJ706T Sennen Cove (1) by Rich.W., on Flickr

[Sleepy]

Looking at the 2015 timetable for 300 on first website it seems the route reverts to open top operation this year. No mention of validity of bus passes that I can see, can anyone locally update us ?