Renaults a-go-go partie deux

[The Love Guru]

852 was in service this morning.

[Busfanatic101]

how common is it for withdrawn buses to come back into service?

[The Love Guru]

Very common if there is a shortage of vehicles due to a network change.

[King of Buses]

Very common if there is a shortage of vehicles due to a network change.

Not many midi shifts in Network '14 have meant that other shifts have gotten the older buses (as 1.drivers love hate the darts, 2.ACTION don't usually send midis out on std/EURO/STAG/artW/IRIS shifts and 3. Everyone hates the darts (I think) out. I think there is a lack of EURO's as well. Probably preparing for more Scanias... This may have something to do with the buses returning to service.

But yes, lack of vehicles = return to service for the oldies (and goodies! - In most cases...)

[Barry Drive]

... Surely some Darts can be sacrificed instead!

Which is essentially what has happened for Network 14. As KOB has pointed out, there are fewer Dart shifts - resulting in 6 more Darts being sent to Woden for storage. They have been replaced by 852, 993 & 994 resuming service plus 552, 553 & 554 entering service.

Given the current shortage of buses and the re-working of the shifts for next year, it may be that there won't be any withdrawals for a while. But they might store one or two more Darts and maybe re-store/withdraw 993 & 994 once sufficient new Scanias are in service.

[The Love Guru]

852 was sighted alongside 995 this morning, assumed re-withdrawn after 554 entered service. 551 and 555 were awaiting fit out for service.

[Barry Drive]

And to further complicate matters, Bus 119 is back in service.

[King of Buses]

And to further complicate matters, Bus 119 is back in service.

At Tuggers?

[Barry Drive]

852 - false alarm: was seen in service today.

119 - until or unless there is evidence to the contrary, presumed to still be at T depot.

[smitho]

It would be good to get 852 and several more PR2s based at Tuggeranong as more reliable orange buses are needed there.

[volvo]

I wonder what the chances are of 852 remaining in service for another 8 months? If so, it would be the first bus to be in service for 25 years, wouldn't it?

[Bus 400]

Atleast buses 714, 715 & 718 all made it to 25 years & older.

[volvo]

Atleast buses 714, 715 & 718 all made it to 25 years & older.

Good point, sorry, my mistake.
Still, it would be nice to see one - if not more - of the current Mk I's get to 25 years.

[Barry Drive]

ex-859, which was sold through Pickles, was sighted today parked at Erindale Centre. NSW rego BZ-19-TN. Still complete with ACTION colours.

[743]

ex-859, which was sold through Pickles, was sighted today parked at Erindale Centre. NSW rego BZ-19-TN. Still complete with ACTION colours.

I was just about to post my own sighting of it - it was in Palmerston this afternoon. Thought to myself, "why did they take a bike rack off?", then saw the rego. 803 was also parked at The Lakes a few blocks over, so a very old Renault afternoon for the Gungahlin district.

[volvo]

ex-859, which was sold through Pickles, was sighted today parked at Erindale Centre. NSW rego BZ-19-TN. Still complete with ACTION colours.

Presumably it had the ACTION logos removed?

I didn't think ACTION allowed buyers of old buses to keep the ACTION livery?

[Barry Drive]

ACTION logos are removed when they are withdrawn to Woden. Buses sold via Pickles do not have any livery conditions - certainly all sold to interstate buyers have not had to change the colours.

[volvo]

ACTION logos are removed when they are withdrawn to Woden. Buses sold via Pickles do not have any livery conditions - certainly all sold to interstate buyers have not had to change the colours.

That makes sense, thanks.

Also, I know this isn't strictly relevant to this thread, but why do some of the PR100.3's (such as 126) have most of the windows bolted closed so they can't be opened?

[Barry Drive]

Early last week 854 had a breakdown of some description; it has now been withdrawn. [emoji20]

857 is also a suspected withdrawal, but this isn't 100% confirmed.

So that leaves 8.

[Busfanatic101]

Early last week 854 had a breakdown of some description; it has now been withdrawn.

857 is also a suspected withdrawal, but this isn't 100% confirmed.

Damn, I still haven't ever been on the 857  and I'll never get to...

[Bus 400]

Damn, I still haven't ever been on the 857  and I'll never get to...

It may come up for sale, so you could buy it.

[743]

852 and 856 passed each other yesterday on 39s, just around the corner from 867 doing a 2!

[smitho]

Not sure if my eyes are playing tricks on me, but on Friday I thought I passed a Belco PR2 Mark 1 painted out in the Mark 2 livery....??

[The Love Guru]

853

[Buzz Killington]

It's had the mk2 livery since 2004, and has been at Belco since 2005.

[volvo]

I think the mk2 livery goes quite well with the rollerblind desto actually.

[Barry Drive]

857 is also a suspected withdrawal, but this isn't 100% confirmed.

There appears to be a new arrival at Woden Depot. Parked behind 858 (so it can't be clearly seen), there's another Mk1 - which isn't 854 (has standard taillights).

So this is most likely 857, but can't be sure.

(810 and 818 are visible, so it's neither of those.)

[Barry Drive]

Early last week 854 had a breakdown of some description; it has now been withdrawn.

854 is now being stripped for parts.

Meanwhile, 866 was towed back last night. Too soon to say, but next withdrawal perhaps.

[Barry Drive]

867 has replaced 854 as the parts bus at Belconnen Depot. 860 has also left Tuggeranong - so it's possible that one or both of 855 and 856 will be the new parts bus for Tuggeranong.

Despite earlier predictions, 866 is still in service. However, 864 is believed to have been withdrawn.

So for those keeping count, that leaves 4 Mk1s at Belconnen: 852 853 865 & 866.

[Busfanatic101]

867 has replaced 854 as the parts bus at Belconnen Depot. 860 has also left Tuggeranong - so it's possible that one or both of 855 and 856 will be the new parts bus for Tuggeranong.

Despite earlier predictions, 866 is still in service. However, 864 is believed to have been withdrawn.

So for those keeping count, that leaves 4 Mk1s at Belconnen: 852 853 865 & 866.

I'm cross, they're going way too fast 

[Bus 400]

They've been going since 2000.

[Busfanatic101]

They've been going since 2000.

I don't care, get rid of the pr3s, darts, and irises first


And don't tell me to stop whinging, I will if I want. No comment required on this post

[Bus 400]

[King of Buses]

They got rid of my PR180.2s. Theyll get rid of the Mk1s PR100.2 s too...

[Barry Drive]

Not sure what's happening with 855 & 856 at Tuggeranong, but 864 has arrived at Woden so it's a confirmed withdrawal.

[Buzz Killington]

855/856 were still with the Darts at Tuggeranong today.

[Barry Drive]

865 is now at Woden and has been joined by 128.

[King of Buses]

128? Why?

[Barry Drive]

Withdrawal of 128 is not confirmed yet. There is a slight chance that it may be transferred to Belconnen Depot.

Meanwhile 866 is believed to have been withdrawn this week, although also not yet confirmed.

[King of Buses]

One of the Tuggers mk1 buses were in the workshops yesterday evening. The other was still parked with darts. But I suppose that leaves 4 or 2 depending on which way you look at it...

[volvo]

Just a questions about how ACTION are withdrawing these Renaults. Looking through the fleet wiki, it seems that there are a lot of early Mk 1's that were delivered around 1987 and withdrawn around 2000, after about 13 years of service - whereas most of the later Mk 1's have been withdrawn after 20+ years of service. I wonder if there's any particular reason for this? (Or maybe it's ajust a coincidence that I happened to click on particular buses in the wiki...)

[The Love Guru]

Liberal government

[Barry Drive]

It's the end of (another) era - Bus 852 has been withdrawn from service. It was the last active bus with the blue-over-orange livery.

— Lord Busspotter (@ACTbusspotter) April 29, 2015

[King of Buses]

A MKI (I believe it was 856...) was at the T Depot where 860 used to sit while it was stripped for parts...seeing as this MKI hadn't a bike rack, nor any My Way etc. I think it may face the same fate 

[King of Buses]

856 is now with 126 in the old heritage bus spot at Tuggers. Neither has moved (to my knowledge, the look like the exact same spots) for a week or so.

866 I believe is being stripped for parts too (its where 860 died). It had 569 and 570 with it too...but I reported that yesterday already.

[Barry Drive]

855 & 879 appear to be recent arrivals at Woden Depot.

[King of Buses]

884 has been parked behind the rear-axle missing 866 at Tuggers for a week or so now...
It looks intact but I'm not sure if it has been withdrawn...

EDIT: 884 missing MyWay equipment

[Barry Drive]

Missing as in unplugged or missing as in all of the wiring and brackets have been removed?

Not that it's easy to tell the difference from Athllon Drive.

[King of Buses]

872 was parked on the screen at T his morning...probably waiting in line to go die 

[Barry Drive]

... Since it is not a Tuggeranong Mk2, yes. 853 is likely to remain in service until Belconnen starts getting new buses in a few months time.

Spoke too soon. Or else I shouldn't have said anything.

There are reports that 853 is being decommissioned.