Renaults in service - includes Training Buses

[Snorzac]

BUS 786 appears to be the new Belconnen training bus.

Also word from a reliable source is that the Renaults at Woden will be stripped and scrapped shortly. I am looking into ways of acquiring one of these buses like Hobart did with their Scania 134. If you are interested please send me a PM. 

[Barry Drive]

786 now sports a large "Training Bus" sticker on its front. (Definitely a sticker this time.) Its front desto number box bas been removed.

[Sir Pompously]

786 now sports a large "Training Bus" sticker on its front. (Definitely a sticker this time.) Its front desto number box bas been removed.

Still don't know why they don't PATH Transit it and make it a special training bus, advertising the fact that you can be a bus driver! Would make sense and help a little with their recruitment drive.

[Bus 400]

786 now sports a large "Training Bus" sticker on its front. (Definitely a sticker this time.) Its front desto number box bas been removed.

Below is Bus 786 at Belconnen Depot sporting these features:

[King of Buses]

yesterday, 780 and 795 were at Tuggy Workshops with new stickers on the front saying 'training bus' just like 786.
Also a lot of MKI Renaults out today including 785 and 788

[Kramden]

Buses 802,784,787 and 824 are leaving for Adams Coachlines next Wednesday.

Also Bus 781 is sitting at Tuggeranong Bricks where the old bus use to sit.

I saw 781 in the past hour doing a lap of Marcus Clarke St City West with the training plates on.  Nigel (Tuggy trainer) was on board with a newbie at the wheel.

A newbie? Hey... that'll be ME in a few weeks!

[King of Buses]

781 was back at Tuggy as if it hadn't moved by 2:00pm today.

[The Love Guru]

You were at the depot at 2am why?

[King of Buses]

You were at the depot at 2am why?

Oops. Wrong time. I wonder why it didn't change when I re-read it and edited.

[King of Buses]

783 is now where 781 has been living for a while. A 8## series Renault is also next to the dart collection at Tuggy.

Adam's are not going to like 824!

[Kramden]

#781 now at TISC for next round of trainees (starting 3 August) to do MR licence upgrade.

[smitho]

Noticed 783 stabled in the usual Tuggeranong training bus location yesterday, so assume this is another addition to the trainer 'fleet'.

[Barry Drive]

Noticed 783 stabled in the usual Tuggeranong training bus location yesterday, so assume this is another addition to the trainer 'fleet'.

So, that means current training fleet consists of:

781, 869 @ TISC
780, 783, 795 @ T depot
786, 796 @ B depot

Is this correct?

[Kramden]

795 was sent to TISC last week but developed a mechanical fault.  I think it's a gearbox issue??  781 was hurridly dispatched as a replacement and that's what me another guy were learning on last Wed, Thur, Fri.

Obviously through lack of experience I can't compare the performance of various machines in the fleet against each other, but 781 seemed to perform very well.  It certainly holds air tremendously well to the point where you'd be lucky to get a few seconds of 'bells' upon starting from cold.

[smitho]

Having returned to driving artics after a long break, have found them to be in a far better operational state than they were, say 2 years ago...although interiors are looking worse for wear.

[Kramden]

So, that means current training fleet consists of:

781, 869 @ TISC
780, 783, 795 @ T depot
786, 796 @ B depot

Is this correct?

I was out at TISC this afternoon to finalise my MR licence upgrade which I did in 781.  Sadly 795 was there... on its knees.  The poor old dear has a serious transmission problem.  While out on training in recent days it got stuck in first gear and was returned to TISC through the streets of nearby QBN v-e-r-y slowly. This caused honking and bouts of general impatience from several road users.

The trainer reports that 795 will go back on the scrap line.

[smitho]

Have not spotted ANY 700 series Mark 1 non-artics @ Tuggy Depot this week;

lowest numbered Mark 1 identified at Tuggy Depot today was 803.

[Barry Drive]

So, until someone can tell me otherwise, the following will be regarded as the training fleet: 781 783 786 869.

[smitho]

783 was back in the usual Training Bus layover area at Tuggy Depot this am....

[Merv319]

783 was back in the usual Training Bus layover area at Tuggy Depot this am....

Oh really...I saw 783 on London Circuit, near Canberra Theatre about 8am this morning.
Desto said "000 Special".

[Barry Drive]

So, until someone can tell me otherwise, the following will be regarded as the training fleet: 781 783 786 869.

786 has had its advertising, ACTION logos and number plates removed. Which strongly suggests it's not a trainer anymore. 796 now appears to be the sole Belconnen trainer.

869 was, of course, removed in the great purge (and may never have been a trainer for more than a few days anyway).

So it looks like 781, 783 and 796 are the remaining trainers.

Can someone at T depot please confirm that both 781 & 783 are there? Or is one of them now at TISC?

[King of Buses]

783 next to 478 at Tuggy.

[smitho]

Saw 858 doing a circuit around Tuggeranong Depot this morning with Learner's Plates (so evidently, this was TISC training); later came across it travelling north along the Parkway, turning off at Hindmarsh Drive and heading in the direction of the Weston Centre.

[Kramden]

Ah, ...takes me back.  If only a few months ago.  Another class must be looming.

[smitho]

783 was out and about in Bonython this afternoon, also with Learner's Plate,  but with a Tuggy Trainer on-board. Suspect it is a 'lapsed' former bus driver going for re-licensing...

[Barry Drive]

781 has come out of hiding - last night was parked at Belconnen Workshops "bricks". Still has BUS plates, so if it has gone to TISC, it is still owned by the Government.

[Bus 400]

781 has come out of hiding - last night was parked at Belconnen Workshops "bricks".

Bus 781 is now parked next to Bus 783 at Tuggeranong Depot.

[smitho]

Bus 781 is now parked next to Bus 783 at Tuggeranong Depot.

Yes, I noticed that today; it wasn't there on Friday.

I think that the most recent driver basic training class graduated on Friday....may be TISC don't need 781 for a while now.

[smitho]

781 and 783 have had new rear end advertising applied to them.

[Buzz Killington]

methinks the bus advertising person didn't know they aren't in route service anymore

[smitho]

methinks the bus advertising person didn't know they aren't in route service anymore

Yeah, the bus advertising team come down from Sydney every now and then.

They probably grab whatever buses are in the Depot at the time....so not surprising that the PR3s and Mark 1s seem to cop quite a lot of the new adverts.

[smitho]

Yeah, the bus advertising team come down from Sydney every now and then.

They probably grab whatever buses are in the Depot at the time....so not surprising that the PR3s and Mark 1s seem to cop quite a lot of the new adverts.

A handful of Tuggy Darts have been given the rear end treatment promoting 'Handwritten', the National Library's latest high profile public exhibition.

Artsound (wireless station 92.7 FM) is rolling out an advertising campaign using ACTION exterior bus space;Renaults and green buses.

[smitho]

Had 804 for regular shift work and a charter job today. Goes well.

[Buzz Killington]

Saw 822 in service this week, haven't seen 804 in a week or two.

[Bus 400]

Bus 804 & 805 both spotted in the City this afternoon.

[743]

822 and 845 passed each other in service on Cowper St, Dickson this morning.

[Buzz Killington]

Saw 804 and 808 on revenue service this arvo

[smitho]

810 & 811 were still in revenue service today...

[Buzz Killington]

I had 811 earlier in the week and another 81.. either 816 or 818.. Shame their days are numbered.

Was 808 still the Elvis bus when you had her, smitho?

[smitho]

No Buzz, the Elvis advertising had been removed by then, but it was still referred to as 'the Elvis bus' by some of the senior drivers.

It had previously been 'owned' by the same driver for many, many years and I'm told he took a lot of pride in keeping it in top condition....so it was always a sought after bus by other drivers. I considered myself pretty lucky to have it allocated to me as my morning shift bus, especially as it had an electronic desto.

[Buzz Killington]

Thought it would have been before your time.

Shame that less buses are 'owned' by drives nowadays. Overall there seems to be a whole less pride in the fleet than there once was.

[Bus 400]

I remember riding Bus 808 with the driver that "owned" her. It was the first ACTION Bus I regularly caught when i started at Lake Tuggeranong College. Then that 62S was replaced with a Dart in Network '06.

[smitho]

805 was in service this am, while 783 was out on training duties.

[Buzz Killington]

822 in service today also

[smitho]

Had 818 today; goes very well.

[smitho]

Had 810 today - goes pretty well.

[smitho]

783 was out on the road this morning, presumably on training run for workshop staff or for a 'returning' driver (ie someone who has been away on long term leave).

[smitho]

Anyone seen 810 on the road lately? It was "behaving suspiciously" @ Tugg Depot on Monday morning, making me think it might be getting prepared for Woden.

[Merv319]

Anyone seen 810 on the road lately? It was "behaving suspiciously" @ Tugg Depot on Monday morning, making me think it might be getting prepared for Woden.

I saw 810 this afternoon, in service.

[smitho]

810 was off road this morning receiving detailing attention in the Tuggy bus cleaning facility...