New Artics for ACTION

[Bidgee]

511 should be in Canberra this afternoon, spotted in Wagga just before 9am.

[smitho]

511 was purring away within Woden Depot garage late morning ...(yesterday).

[Barry Drive]

In case you missed it elsewhere, 512 was delivered to Woden yesterday afternoon (5 Oct).

507 & 508 appear ready to enter service, but they might be waiting for the new School term. 509 & 510 may be ready by the end of the coming week.

Usage of artics on ACTION services is primarily driven by their use as school buses; don't expect this will change with the replacement of Renault artics with Scania artics.

But they can alter which non-school routes get artics. And can also schedule low floor artics to be in service during the middle of the day and into the evening.

[ajw373]

But they can alter which non-school routes get artics. And can also schedule low floor artics to be in service during the middle of the day and into the evening.

That would more or less require a rewrite of the schedule, so not something you would expect to see on the fly.

Just noticed in the picture above a speed limit sign on 511. Is that on the others? Don't recall seeing it on 506.

[Snorzac]

I think 508 onward have that sticker.

[Barry Drive]

Yes, new shifts will come into effect late Nov/ early Dec or later. By that stage B depot will have around 10 low floor artics.

The speed limit sticker is being removed by ACTION once the bus arrives. Never saw it on 506, but there was a white patch on the back. (507 did have one.) Also saw a sticker on one of the new MANs - 496 maybe.

[Busnerd]

Presumably the sticker is there for the delivery run, so that other motorists can see the max speed is 85

[Barry Drive]

507 entered service yesterday (10 Oct). 509 now also appears ready to enter service - this week or next.

[smitho]

Some official looking blokes were fiddling around with 511 & 512 at Woden Depot early this afternoon.

[Bus 400]

Bus 506 spent its first night in the artic shed at Belconnen Depot on Friday night.
By next month/early December this shed would be mostly Scania's.

[The Love Guru]

Bus 506 spent its first night in the artic shed at Belconnen Depot on Friday night.
By next month/early December this shed would be mostly Scania's.

Not quite right but close. It was in the sheds for 3 days this week (well, when it escaped the workshops), 507 was also in the sheds.

[belcodriver]

Saw 510 doing a 16 this morning.

[400:D]

Saw a Scania on a 885.

[Barry Drive]

To catch up: 513 delivered last Friday, has been named Artic Monkey; 509 entered service on Monday; 508 was seen in service this morning, but may not go out again until next week; 511 & 512 have left Woden, presumably at B depot for preparation.

[Bus 400]

Bus 512 returned to Woden Depot after it & 513 went MIA for the last few weeks. Bus 513 is still MIA.

Bus 514 was delivered to Woden yesterday.

Also, it has been mentioned on Twitter the last few weeks that Buses 508 & 509 have entered service.

[Bus 400]

Bus 513 has returned from its driveabout.

[Bus 400]

On today's roll call at Woden Depot, it looks like Bus 513 was absent.

[Bus 400]

Bus 511 was the first one to enter weekend service on 900's today. However the driver wasn't permitted to do the Erindale diversion (length excuse). So it is doing Tuggeranong runs via the weekday version. By a sneak of the shift it is out all day today on only 900's.

[ajw373]

Just the one or are there many out due to foreshore?

[Barry Drive]

Bus 511 was the first one to enter weekend service on 900's today. However the driver wasn't permitted to do the Erindale diversion (length excuse). So it is doing Tuggeranong runs via the weekday version. By a sneak of the shift it is out all day today on only 900's.

No. The reason why it would not be servicing Erindale is nothing to do with length. Artics can go anywhere a rigid bus can.

The reason they are not going through Erindale is because (a) it takes too long (b) it's not necessary. The purpose of running Intertown augments (or whatever you want to call them) is to get passengers from the Town Centres into the City. But they should be calling them Route 300 if they don't want to go through Erindale.

[Bus 400]

The length was what the driver said.

[Barry Drive]

The length was what the driver said.

Length of the bus or length (time) of the route?

Route 900/Erindale has been serviced by artics often. The Scania artics can easily go anywhere a normal 12.5m bus can. Someone has no clue.

[Buzz Killington]

Indeed. Artics regularly operate Routes 63, 64 and 65 which involve right hand turns through those shitty little roundabouts on Langdon Avenue. Going straight ahead through all three of them on Route 900 would be no issue.

And yes, route number 300 should have been used. I presume passengers were informed that the bus wasn't servicing Erindale but what if they weren't?

[Ed]

Unlike the special length restrictions on the STAGs, artics can go anywhere a standard rigid bus can.

[ajw373]

And yes, route number 300 should have been used. I presume passengers were informed that the bus wasn't servicing Erindale but what if they weren't?

More to the point what about those who may have been waiting for a 900 at Erindale?

[Bus 400]

Another 900 left 5 mins before to service Erindale. Buses 511 & 984 (there may of been others) were put on as additional 900's due to crowds of youngens heading into the City for Foreshore.

[Buzz Killington]

That makes more sense. If they weren't timetabled services and were just there to satisfy demand then there's no real issue

[Bus 400]

Bus 517 arrived on Friday. With Bus 709 sitting at the back of Belconnen Depot on Friday, it is suspected that Bus 512 may of entered service on Friday. But it must definitely was in service this morning (& this evening).

[The Love Guru]

709 to Woden, 516 to Belconnen, which should be the last artic for Belco. Most likely that B will do the fit out of the new artics for T and then send them down once completed, similar to how the MANs were done.

[The Love Guru]

Appears the fit out of the T artics has already begun with 517 sighted at the B workshops. Expect a lot of driver training to be done in the new year prior to the school term commencing at T.

[Buzz Killington]

So what's the story with the last few Mk2 Renault Artics at Belconnen? Are they staying there or heading to Tuggeranong?

There was a Scania artic at Woden Depot this evening - If 516 and 517 are at Belconnen, does that mean 518 has arrived?

[Bus 400]

Bus 518 is at Woden Depot.

[Barry Drive]

So what's the story with the last few Mk2 Renault Artics at Belconnen? Are they staying there or heading to Tuggeranong?

Still waiting on more new artics to enter service. 514 should be ready to go, 515 & 516 could be ready by the end of the week. Maybe they are waiting to put all 3 in service at once.

[ajw373]

Are the new artics allocated to any particular shift or driver? The reason I ask is every morning around 745ish I see the bus that forms a 703 into Barton and every day it is a different bus. Could have sworn that yesterday it was 517.

[Busnerd]

has someone got some trip times for any of the ones running around in the afternoons? I might try and get a few photos and catch one tomorrow

[ajw373]

The 703 ex Barton at 4:40 is usually one, except the day I caught it of course!

[Bus 400]

Hang around Platform 8 at City Bus Station from 16:40 to 17:45 & you'll find one. Also a 7 that goes through the City to Belconnen at 17:55ish.

[Bus 400]

Bus 514 was spotted for the first time in route service today.

[Bus 400]

Bus 517 is now at Tuggeranong Depot, now all bets are on* to see if it can enter service before Belconnen's Buses 515/516.

*Just remember before betting, that Tuggeranong drivers need to be acquainted with the Scania artics new features.

[smitho]

517 and 511 have been operating out of Tugg Depot for driver training since yesterday.

They are only on loan froim Belco Depot although by start of school term in early Feb, Tugg should have two Scania artics of its own.

[smitho]

The indications are that 517 WILL remain at Tuggeranong Depot beyond the current driver training program - first of 21 Scartics (Scania artics) to be based at Tuggeranong.

[Barry Drive]

The indications are that 517 WILL remain at Tuggeranong Depot beyond the current driver training program - first of 21 Scartics (Scania artics) to be based at Tuggeranong.

517 has actually gone back to Belconnen! But by the looks of things, just for a final fitout (ticket machine etc.). Could be ready to enter service in one or two weeks, if they choose.

Tuggeranong will be getting 22 Scania artics: 517 - 538. (No, I refuse to call them SCArtics.)

[smitho]

Tuggeranong will be getting 22 Scania artics: 517 - 538. (No, I refuse to call them SCArtics.)

yep, a horrible abbreviation...

[smitho]

518 was at work at Tuggy today; I gather it was taking 517's role as trainer bus.

[Bus 400]

Bus 519 has arrived, since it wasn't spotted at Woden on the weekend & has no appeared at Tuggeranong. I suspect it was hiding somewhere with 518 in the workshop.

[smitho]

517 and 518 were lined up together on Tuggy bricks this arvo (still both minus two ways and Wayfarer kit)....

[Bidgee]

Got a photo of 515 yesterday on its second day of service (IIRC), didn't realise I over exposed the front. 

[smitho]

517's engine bay has been fitted with a fire suppression kit and all subsequent artic deliveries will have them fitted by Custom Coaches in Adelaide.

They will also be retrofitted to the Belco Scania artics.

[ajw373]

Is this a 'last minute' change by Action or by Scania? Has there been any history of fires with these buses elsewhere to need to put it in?

[Bus 400]

Bus 517 entered service this afternoon.