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#51
Fleet / Re: Four CD Element 2s (748-75...
Last post by triumph - January 24, 2024, 12:07:21 AM
Quote from: Barry Drive on December 04, 2023, 09:52:38 AMCan't locate the reference right now, but Minister Steel has stated all 4 Elements will be in service by the end of this year - so that has to be accurate.

School goes back on Monday. if it is intended that these 4 buses enter service on or before that, then TC is cutting it fine - only 3 week-days left.

Pre-requisites mentioned in posts were driver and staff training, completion ( including turning on) of the new Belconnen Depot chargers, and resolution of any industrial issues concerning routine charging. Does the training involve on the road training? If so, it is most unlikely that service entry is imminent, as they are not even registered yet.

Looks like the Renaults will be soldiering on for quite a while yet. The on-line TT for school term services from next Monday supports this, as various non-accessible services continue to be shown.

#52
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - January 16, 2024, 06:21:48 PM
454 (R3)
529 (R4)
723 (R4)
527 (R5)
008 (R1)
710 (R9)
403 (R3)
#53
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by triumph - January 15, 2024, 05:05:15 PM
Bustech executives must be worried about the effect of limited deliveries on cash flow. Also about the potential leakage and diversion of orders to other producers. If the situation doesn't improve quickly, then the firm's viability might come into question too.

In respect of 693, I used the term resources in a broad sense covering all aspects, including parts acquisition.
#54
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by Bus 400 - January 15, 2024, 01:10:41 PM
It almost would have been quicker for TC to pick up some second Mercedes low floor buses from Perth. Pay around $20,000 to 30,000 each for a 5-10 year life. Even if they picked up 35 buses, having some spares for parts. Saves spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Not having any buses ordered for delivery between August 2020 & December 2022 didn't help things either.
#55
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by Barry Drive - January 15, 2024, 10:57:41 AM
I don't think they'll ever announce publicly what is happening. While I don't doubt there were air conditioning supply problems (in 2022?), this doesn't seem to be affecting other body builders now.

I haven't found any details about what buses were on order from Adelaide - so don't know if they have a similar backlog. There has recently been an announcement of 15 new Hybrid buses in 2024, but no mention has been made whether these will be BusTechs (although it's highly likely).

The problem with changing body builders would have been firstly relocating the chassis from Adelaide and secondly whether any alternative had sufficient capacity for additional units. Again - at the time - this may have been a valid consideration assuming BusTech could meet the revised schedule. But in hindsight, had they made a decision early on to move some to Brisbane and others to either Volgren or Custom Denning, we'd probably have the order finished by now. It still may not be too late to send some away, depending on how many bodies are in a partially built state.

Bus 693 is (probably) at Wales Bus Repairs in Sydney. Hard to know how much of the body they'd need to rebuild and whether they'd need parts from BusTech. They are a specialist bus repair business though, so they should have adequate resources and staff.

The next sitting week of the ACT Legislative Assembly is early February - one year since the first announcement by Chris Steel that the buses would arrive by mid-2023. I look forward to what he will announce this time.
#56
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by triumph - January 14, 2024, 08:54:45 PM
Very interesting. 12 deliveries in 9 months to all customers. At that rate, even if the entire production came here, the last delivery would be around next Christmas. I wonder what would be regarded as a 'normal' production rate.

I mentioned air-conditioning as Minister Steel, I read somewhere, had included this in a comment on supply delays. Likewise, it was said that moving the contract to another provider would not result in quicker deliveries because other providers were similarly impacted. Or did that actually refer to just involving the Bustech Brisbane factory? 
Something doesn't add up.

This also raises the question of progress of repair of 693 and any similar resource availability impacts.
#57
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by Barry Drive - January 14, 2024, 12:56:55 PM
Quote from: triumph on January 14, 2024, 10:39:00 AMNo sign yet of the expected pre-Christmas deliveries. Some components, such as airconditioning, are imported. Could it be that this is behind the latest delivery failure?
While it seems feasible, this led me to do some internet searches, and it looks like the answer is "no".

The Australian Bus & Coach magazine publishes monthly bus delivery statistics - with data on chassis, body builder, air con supplier, seat supplier and region. What's interesting about these stats is that there don't appear to be any supply problem with Thermo King to other body builders. The problem, whatever it is, is entirely localised to BusTech.

These are the total units completed by BusTech Adelaide since April:

April: 3 (all TC)
May: 1 (1 x Adelaide)
June: 2 (all TC)
July: 1 (TC)
August: 2 (1 x TC, 1 x Adelaide artic)
September: 1 (TC)
October: 1 (1 x Adelaide Scania C250 Electric)
November: 1 (1 x Adelaide artic)
December: 0

This information only show completed deliveries, so can't determine what's currently on the production line. BusTech's Brisbane plant also had minimal output, yet Volgren, Custom Denning and even Express Coaches have managed to maintain consistent output - so these other manufacturers don't appear to have supply chain difficulties.

Interestingly, ABC Magazine have just published an article (which reads as an advertisement) about how BusTech are now offering the EVST body which can be adapted for electric buses (although only the Adelaide Scania C-series has been built).

Conclusion: when will we see the remaining 17 Scanias - 🤷 Will Scania step in and transfer the chassis to someone else - also 🤷
#58
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by triumph - January 14, 2024, 10:39:00 AM
No sign yet of the expected pre-Christmas deliveries. Some components, such as airconditioning, are imported. Could it be that this is behind the latest delivery failure?

'According to Shipping Australia, DP World has estimated that the industrial action is costing the Australian economy A$84m (US$56m) every week – A$1.34bn since October.

It said there are more than 44,000 containers stalled at ports, which will take between two and eight weeks to clear once the industrial action ends.'

DP World has around 50% of port business in Australia so it seems quite probable that Bustech is impacted.

The inability to deliver product also must be having a big financial impact on bus manufacturers' cash flows and viability.
#59
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - January 13, 2024, 11:53:30 PM
727 (R3)
810 (R3)
#60
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by Buzz Killington - January 13, 2024, 12:33:11 PM
Quote from: 743 on January 11, 2024, 01:24:39 PMThe last time I was there, the northern end of Catalina Dr looked to have been permanently closed off - that exit from the roundabout had been concreted in (gutter and all, which is why I thought it was permanent). I suspected that was the reason for the "diversion", there was no longer a right turn from Mustang to Catalina.

So it sounds like it's been opened up again?

That part of Catalina Dr has been permanently closed.

There is a road that runs parallel to where it was, through the middle of the carpark. It joins up the road that runs alongside the front of Costco. I'm not sure it even has a name - it doesn't appear on ActMAPI.

The street signs at Majura Park are pretty poor, though the road network there has been changed substantially over the years.