2010 Twilight Tour

[Busnerd]

I'd love a 14.5 but they probably aren't allowed out at that time of night or down that certain street or to reverse back to there or stop there or lower the bus here...

Seriously though - what would we want to take on the tour? If you want interstaters we can't really offer any new interesting buses as we've used bendy's and MAN's etc. on all the tours before so there's not much variety, personally i'd rather keep overheads low! Maybe just use one bus (991) and It would focus more on the content of the tour than the bus used....

Find some good night time locations, places we havent been before, maybe a drive through the airport lol Im not sure, but post some ideas zac im interested to hear what your thinking

[Snorzac]

We are currently looking at having two buses, one from ACTION and one from Deanes.

The Bus from Deanes that we wish to have is the Volvo B6BLE/Express. It was delivered in 2000. Photo by 'Irisbus Rider'

The bus from ACTION that we wish to have is BUS 990, I am sure everyone knows it's history, if not it can be found in the wiki. Photo by 'Chris_Guru'

[King of Buses]

Canberra Bus Tour December 2010
1pm – 9pm

I don't think much of having a deanes bus unless it's Ex ACTION. But if we did use two ACTION buses I think we should use 990 and 490

Heres a itinary of my idea for the tour

Buses 490 and 990

12:30pm: Bus 990 Departs Belconnen (ABS Bus Station)
12:45pm: Bus 990 picks up from city platform 10 while 490 departs Tuggeranong platform 9
1:00pm: Buses Meet at platform 16 Woden Interchange
1:10pm: Bus 490 Departs for drive past new Molongolo development (990 returns to Belconnen)
1:30pm: Cooleman Court. Bus 490 depart for tour of New Bus Stations in Belconnen
2:00pm: Belconnen Bus Station Tour 490 and 990
2:15pm: 990 Drives through new Belconnen Suburbs. (West Macgregor, Dunlop)
2:50pm: Fraser West Terminus. 990 Drives for tour of Hall
3:20pm: Federation Square. 990 Departs for tour of new Gungahlin suburbs. (Casey, Bonner, Forde, Franklin, Crace) 490 comes to Gungahlin Marketplace.
4:15pm: Gungahlin Marketplace. Both Buses Depart for Tuggeranong
4:45pm: Tuggeranong. Bus 990 departs for Tharwa (Via Point Hut Rd).
5:20pm: Tharwa. Bus 990 Departs for Tidbinbilla Tracking Station
5:45pm: Tidbinbilla Tracking Station (990)
5:45 – 6:20pm: Dinner Break
6:20pm:  Bus 990 Goes to Woden Depot. 490 goes to Woden Depot
7:10pm: Woden Depot Tour. 990 and 490
7:25pm: Both Buses Depart for The Canberra Airport
8:00pm: Airport. Group Photo in front of the Terminal
8:20pm: Bus 990 Returns to City While 490 returns to Woden
8:35pm: Bus 990 drops off at city.
8:45pm: Bus 490 drops off at Woden
9:00pm: Bus 990 arrives at Belconnen and Bus 490 arrives at Tuggeranong 
Tour Ends

[Sir Pompously]

The thing is KOB, in the last two tours we have left Deanes out. Deanes is important to the ACT aswell, and has a much larger variety of vehicles available for hire.

Personally, I would like to see either one bus or two small buses, so the Deanes B6 (If it is available, it may be out on LocalLink as it is a wheelchair access vehicle) and maybe a Dart if we really need to have that second bus. Realistically, it would be better to lower the overheads. We have already had one tour this year and we got a decent turnout, unlike the Artic tour which brought more than anticipated. A second tour this year may result in less people wishing to come down to Canberra from Sydney, so a more interesting choice of vehicles is a better option. If the B6 is not available for use, maybe the Leyland Lynx could be an option, the 0405NH (John, keep it in your pants), even the Tiger's for the older folk.

[Snorzac]

Locallink does not operate on weekends Todd. A dart would be a good option. I am still sorting that out, I am sure Martin would enjoy driving it though

[King of Buses]

in the last two tours we have left Deanes out. Deanes is important to the ACT aswell, and has a much larger variety of vehicles available for hire.

True.

So Deanes 133 would be okay.
I think we should try and get Dart 133 so its a
133 Tour

[Barry Drive]

KOB - ACTION will not allow 490 out on a tour. I'm liking the idea of a 133 tour, although with the Darts being so unreliable getting a specific one may not be possible. Deane's may charge by time rather than Km (since they have to pay the driver) so you want to get the Deane's hire all done in one go.

[Snorzac]

I have inserted a date

[CNG]

Seems fun, don't know if my parents would let me go thoe. I really like the part about touring woden depot.

[Barry Drive]

(A) I don't think a Woden Depot tour would be possible. (B) There's not much to tour anyway - it's just a fenced parking lot.

And why would you waste a perfectly good evening taking photos at the airport?? Some possible evening photo locations would be Menindee Dr (near Clare Holland House), the bottom of Anzac Parade overlooking the lake and Parkes Pl (Commonwealth Place - between the High Court and Questacon).

[Snorzac]

As posted on the ATDB just seconds ago:

The tour will go ahead on the 27th. I got a quote from Deanes and the cost was through the roof. In light of that we will be using ACTION buses but ones that are unique to Canberra and to an extent Perth. We will be using a Dennis Dart fleet number 156 the last dart to enter service and 129 which is a Renault PR100.3a, the reason this one was chosen is the fact it is the only one that doesn't have a bike rack so we would be able to go into NSW and possibly still visit the Deanes depot.

[Snorzac]

Doesn't mean I'm not trying to find a way to cut the Deanes quote down.

[King of Buses]

The Itinary above that I created is JUST an idea .

I do think goin to the deanes depot would be good.
We could try and see ex 606.

[Barry Drive]

(reply removed due to it being incorrect)

[lukeo25]

Here are a few ideas of places a bus tour in Canberra haven't been to yet,
> Hall
> Tharwa
> Hume
> Fyshwick
> Woden Valley Suburbs
> Jerrabomberra (If possible)
> Cotter
> Red Hill

An idea of mine could be we could go to Hall (from Woden) via the Cotter & Coppins Crossing?

[Buzz Killington]

> Hume
> Fyshwick

Don't get any ideas, Guru.

[King of Buses]

Here are a few ideas of places a bus tour in Canberra haven't been to yet,
> Hall
> Tharwa

in my "Idea" itinary, we go to both of these.
also tidbinbilla tracking station.

[Snorzac]

Deanes has gotten back to me with a re-quote, they are unable to charter out low floor buses but we can take a hight floor B7R (one of the new ones).

They are also checking with their management as to whether we can get a drive through (maybe even a walk through) of their depot. More details coming soon. Please note their will be a date change for this event.

[Sir Pompously]

Had a feeling they would not charter the low floors as they only have a few, and all would be out on services.

[Snorzac]

The date has been changed to a date that should suit all, it is now the 4/12

As Deanes will not hire out low floors so we will be hiring out one of their new Hino RN8Js and possibly later swapping that for the Leyland Lynx.

As far as the ACTION bus goes that is still yet to be decided, won't be a dart as it will be impossible to find a driver willing to drive it so we will be going for a Renault PR100.3 possibly 113, 129 or 990 this is yet to be decided.

[CNG]

The date has been changed to a date that should suit all, it is now the 4/12

As Deanes will not hire out low floors so we will be hiring out one of their new Hino RN8Js and possibly later swapping that for the Leyland Lynx.

As far as the ACTION bus goes that is still yet to be decided, won't be a dart as it will be impossible to find a driver willing to drive it so we will be going for a Renault PR100.3 possibly 113, 129 or 990 this is yet to be decided.

Wouldn't Martin be willing to drive a dart. How about an Iris as another alternative or 982.

[Snorzac]

Well the Iris is too unreliable and frankly I don't want to be sitting on a dart all night. We won't do  a .2 because everyone has been on one, we want something you only find in Canberra and with the exception of the few newer ones in Sydney that are rarely used and the one off in Perth the .3s are unique to Canberra.

[CNG]

ok fair enough.
I am just a big fan of 982 and it is suppose to be a good bus. I also heard that it was originally going to be used on the last tour.

[Barry Drive]

As far as the ACTION bus goes that is still yet to be decided, ... so we will be going for a Renault PR100.3 possibly 113, 129 or 990 this is yet to be decided.

Don't forget 126. Although 113 is the best out of those IMO.

[The Love Guru]

Don't forget 126. Although 113 is the best out of those IMO.

Wash your F###ING mouth out boy. Do not compare my beloved 990 with any .3a, they are all crap in comparison.

[Ed]

and frankly I don't want to be sitting on a dart all night.

Who would?

[Busnerd]

Can we not take a .2 no one is interested in them from interstate. IMO dart, .3 or 14.5 (impossible)

[Snorzac]

I said we weren't going to take one Mat.....

[Buzz Killington]

But if we can tap into the Interstate market, it'll keep our costs down.

Whether or not they'll come here for a Dart is another question.

[Snorzac]

990 for sure. A 14.5 may be possible, would just limit where we can go. I do know of at least two drivers on the forum trained on them.

[Sir Pompously]

How about you ask on ATDB what Interstaters would like to ride on from the ACTION fleet? Instead of just going straight in and saying 'This is what they want', ask and see if you can get a guage of what they want. Even ask Ken to place a poll up for the various types in the NSW Thread (Keeping in mind we have had a MAN 18310/320 tour and PR180.2 tour).

[Snorzac]

Please note, due to unforeseen circumstances out of our control the tour has been postponed to a date in March 2011.

[Busnerd]

Sucked in, in that case I think we (chris todd and myself) should try to get our buses ready

[lukeo25]

good idea busn00b, then maybe we could use one for the tour :)