Uno

[vjaska]

Sept 11, 2023 14:10:03 GMT ADH45258 said:

Sept 11, 2023 13:37:37 GMT vjaska said:

Whats happening with the other two MMC's as 1478 (ex DH38501) has been in service for a number of weeks now?

I'm also a little surprised they were brought specifically for the 643 as it's almost unheard of for a 2 PVR school route to have a spare unless one is allocated to the 653 or 683

Most school routes have a pool of DDs available from standard all-day routes at the same garage, so Uno (and Sullivan) require a few more - probably also why they have 5x BYDs for the 692/699 which have a PVR of 3.

But it makes perfect sense for a route using secondhand electric buses especially when it was the only TfL route operated by them that could take deckers at the time. On top, the 628/688 has a spare mainly due to the 688 requiring a spare (628 only uses 1 vehicle) and I expect the 683 simiarly has a spare which should be enough to cover. Sullivan Buses had more than a normal amount of spares due to the Scanias and this has now changed since all but 3 Scanias are now no longer part of the school fleet.

If the 643 was the only school route UNO ran, it would make sense to have a spare so presumably the third MMC is attached to another of the school routes, presumably the 653 or 683 given they are the two with unknown full allocations

[buston]

Those 2 MMCs are electric aren't they?

[Busboy105]

Sept 11, 2023 16:28:22 GMT buston said:

Those 2 MMCs are electric aren't they?

Yeah, they were charged at Walthamstow and Canning Town I believe

[wirewiper]

Sept 11, 2023 17:15:54 GMT Busboy105 said:

Sept 11, 2023 16:28:22 GMT buston said:

Those 2 MMCs are electric aren't they?

Yeah, they were charged at Walthamstow and Canning Town I believe

They are actually hybrids. Three vehicles were originally part of an "opportunity charging" experiment on route 69, where buses would charge from special plates at Walthamstow and Canning Town. The aim was to run in pure electric mode 80% of the time but a supplementary diesel engine was also fitted. The MMC bodywork was also relatively novel at this time having only started to appear a year previously.  

Route 69 was chosen as both terminals were within TfL-owned and managed bus stations. The experiment commenced in late 2015 but was overtaken by rapid  developments in fully electric vehicles - things moved fast in the 2010s!
 

Route 69 by Julian Walker, on Flickr

[buston]

Sept 11, 2023 17:34:01 GMT wirewiper said:

Sept 11, 2023 17:15:54 GMT Busboy105 said:

Yeah, they were charged at Walthamstow and Canning Town I believe

They are actually hybrids. Three vehicles were originally part of an "opportunity charging" experiment on route 69, where buses would charge from special plates at Walthamstow and Canning Town. The aim was to run in pure electric mode 80% of the time but a supplementary diesel engine was also fitted. The MMC bodywork was also relatively novel at this time having only started to appear a year previously.  

Route 69 was chosen as both terminals were within TfL-owned and managed bus stations. The experiment commenced in late 2015 but was overtaken by rapid  developments in fully electric vehicles - things moved fast in the 2010s!
 

Route 69 by Julian Walker, on Flickr

any chance we could see them stray on the 614?

[vjaska]

Sept 11, 2023 17:15:54 GMT Busboy105 said:

Sept 11, 2023 16:28:22 GMT buston said:

Those 2 MMCs are electric aren't they?

Yeah, they were charged at Walthamstow and Canning Town I believe

There was three - DH38501-3 of which only former DH38501 is in service with UNO so far

[NotchA]

605 withdrawn

[Hillrise Estate 175]

UNO are shutting down their Northampton operations from March 2024. The Northampton Uni have pulled funding.

[theferret124]

Nov 14, 2023 16:31:08 GMT Hillrise Estate 175 said:

UNO are shutting down their Northampton operations from March 2024. The Northampton Uni have pulled funding.

at the moment seems to be all wibble. no sources and vague answers.

[B10M]

UNO's former demo 286/YY64GXG is to return to London service with fleetnumber 1479.

[NotchA]

It has been made official that UNO will no longer operate in Northampton after 10th March. www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/stagecoach-takes-over-uno-bus-services-as-university-of-northampton-launches-new-partnership-4425007

[B10M]

Oct 17, 2023 19:26:07 GMT NotchA said:

605 withdrawn

From what I've heard it's set to return, and is currently awaiting a new wheelchair ramp.