Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

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ScaniaGrenda
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Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

I'm possibly looking at taking a trip down to Sydney in the near future if things go to plan.

What I'm wanting to do is photo & possibly ride the the one of a kind type of buses that STA originally held (some of which would now be with Transit Systems?). Of course to come across them I need some information as I'm probably unlikely to come across them unless I know where I can find them.

Can anyone advise of where I'm likely to find the following, whether they are seen out on Weekends / Public Holidays? Probably best time of the day and do they usually run into the Sydney CBD etc (I understand 100% accurate information can't be provided of course but anything helpful is appreciated)

I'm after any tips on the following to best find these in action?

2108 ST (Scania K310UB Volgren CR228L)
2111 ST (Scania K310UA CB60 EVO II)
2112 ST (Scania N310UA Volgren CR228L)
2109 ST & 2110 ST (Volvo B12BLEA CB60 EVO II)
m/o 4878 (Mercedes O500LE Custom CB80)

Finally, while I'm super unlikely to come across them, how often do the Mercedes-Benz Custom 510's from Ryde make an appearance? I'm guessing it would be a weekday only thing and only in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the afternoon given it is not an accessible bus.
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Jurassic_Joke
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by Jurassic_Joke »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 8:57 am I'm possibly looking at taking a trip down to Sydney in the near future if things go to plan.

What I'm wanting to do is photo & possibly ride the the one of a kind type of buses that STA originally held (some of which would now be with Transit Systems?). Of course to come across them I need some information as I'm probably unlikely to come across them unless I know where I can find them.

Can anyone advise of where I'm likely to find the following, whether they are seen out on Weekends / Public Holidays? Probably best time of the day and do they usually run into the Sydney CBD etc (I understand 100% accurate information can't be provided of course but anything helpful is appreciated)

I'm after any tips on the following to best find these in action?

2108 ST (Scania K310UB Volgren CR228L)
2111 ST (Scania K310UA CB60 EVO II)
2112 ST (Scania N310UA Volgren CR228L)
2109 ST & 2110 ST (Volvo B12BLEA CB60 EVO II)
m/o 4878 (Mercedes O500LE Custom CB80)

Finally, while I'm super unlikely to come across them, how often do the Mercedes-Benz Custom 510's from Ryde make an appearance? I'm guessing it would be a weekday only thing and only in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the afternoon given it is not an accessible bus.
As you note, most of these have been transferred to Transit Systems R6.

They all remain very elusive buses that are fun to find!

From my observations:

2108 is perhaps the hardest to find, its a real unicorn. 392 and 394/L94 would be safe bets and only Monday-Saturday during the day - however please note that the South-East of Sydney where 2108 runs is about to get a massive revamp of its bus network. None of us know yet where the bus will run when changes come in on the 5th. It’s the same bus, 14.5m Scania Volgren that runs very commonly in CDC’s Hills bus network so not as much novelty with this one besides being very different from a typical STA bus and the altered seating layout.

2111 & 2112 are Scania artics (one 100% low floor the other 50% high floor) out of Leichhardt depot and these are exclusive to weekday operation - more likely to find them on route 440 short workings between Haymarket Light Rail and Leichhardt (peak hours only), but also sometimes route 470 and 438x (also peak hour only).

2109 &2110 are Volvo Custom-Coaches artics with a more fun interior seating layout from Tempe depot - route 320 during the peaks is the most likely bet.

The Merc 510’s from Ryde are even rarer than the other buses you ask about, mainly used for school runs - seeing one in passenger service really doesn’t happen that much at all anymore these days, Ryde received a massive shipment of CB80 B8RLE’s just a year ago that now form the backbone of services from that depot
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ScaniaGrenda
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

Great Information Jurassic, much appreciated.

Any idea on possibly finding m/o 4878?
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by Stonesourscotty »

I used to see 4878 on Fevaux St between 4-5 Monday to Friday peaks.

You also have 2724 which is unique and 2250 the demonstrator bustech and 1701 the metrobus custom artic to hunt for obscure ex sta stock.
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by Jurassic_Joke »

4878 is a standard 12.5m bus albeit another one of a kind bus for STA and doesn’t seem to have a specific route it’s assigned to - can show up on any of the Port Botany routes as far as I’m aware, but definitely not easy to find!

What’s not nice about bus hunting here compare to say tram hunting in Melbourne is we don’t have a Tram Tracker aka an app where you can key in a specific fleet number and find where it’s currently running - apps only show the model name of the bus (but not number)
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Campbelltown busboy
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

Stonesourscotty wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:22 pm I used to see 4878 on Fevaux St between 4-5 Monday to Friday peaks.

You also have 2724 which is unique and 2250 the demonstrator bustech and 1701 the metrobus custom artic to hunt for obscure ex sta stock.
1701 is still in region 6 I would of thought that both of Transit Systems euro 3 B12BLEAs 1668 and 1701 would of been been running T80s out of Smithfield
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by J_Busworth »

I would concur with most of what Jurassic has said. I few observations of my own;

Currently 2108 is on a fixed shift with the same runs each day, a mixture of Anzac Parade runs in the morning and 392/X92s in the afternoon. Once we have the new network and shifts in place for the East, it will be relatively easy to work out what trips it will be on if they continue to run it on a fixed shift. I will note that 2108 is prone to being off the road for some reason, you even with the fixed shift it is no guarantee that it will run.

TSA artics (2109, 2110, 2111 and 2112) are all weekday only. 2109 and 2110 out of Tempe depot are seen almost exclusively on 320s. 2111 and 2112 see a bit more variety, but will usually end up on the 438X, 440 or 470.

4878 is just a regular bus at Port Botany and doesn't seem to get any special treatment. It will be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, but going somewhere where Port Botany has lots of runs would help. Anzac Parade at the Kingsford Light Rail terminus or Redfern Station would be examples of places it could be seen.

Often searching the fleet number in the search function in the AnyTrip app will bring up a list of buses that are the same model as the fleet number entered, but not which is which. For 2109/2110 it shows all CB60 artics, but if there is a 320 in that list there is a 2 in 3 chance that it it either 2109/2110. It would be easier with 2111 and 2112 which are one offs.
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by Off The Rails »

Well, today I found out that was possible! Just found 2112 on a 503.

Cheers! :wink:
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by J_Busworth »

2108 Shift as of this week

AM Peak
05:44 309 ex Port Botany to Redfern
06:27 309 ex Redfern to Port Botany
07:29 394X ex Little Bay to City Museum
08:44 309 ex Redfern to Port Botany

PM Peak
15:41 309 ex Port Botany to Redfern
17:10 394X ex City Martin Place to Little Bay
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Re: Finding the "STA" one of a kind buses

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

I'd like to thank everyone for their information and run downs you have been able to provide me with, I was able to find 2112 ST, 2111 ST & m/o 4878.

Unfortunately I didn't have much luck seeing if 2108 ST / 2109 ST / 2110 ST were running tho hope in a future visit to Sydney I can see them again at some point.
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