Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire

[cumbria0902150]

RE: Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
17017: Old 3-speed Voith. Has had 4 (?) engine replacements/rebuilds in the 2 years it has been in Cumbria (about half of those 2 years off the road for repairs). Had a new engine fitted at great cost very recently while at Carlisle, and has still been having regular problems since (gearbox related, but they won't replace the gearbox). Recently it has been "breaking down" most times it is allocated to service 104, which is what it was transferred to Carlisle to work.
17217: Old 3-speed Voith. Had a few problems after initially entering service as an open top, but it has settled down now, still rather tired though.
17277: Old 3-speed Voith. Had a good few problems since being converted to open top, usually 2nd choice vehicle. Very underpowered, sounds awful.
18357: Better Voith gearbox, but since coming out of Manchester it has been worked solid on long distance service 555 Keswick - Central Lakes - Lancaster, which they're not built or designed for (they're designed for city services), now in a very tired condition and its reliability shows it.

All 4 of them struggle with most hills in the area, quickly losing power, not ideal when the services they're for involve hills and/or speed. In an ideal world, 104 would have Scania Enviro 400's, and something stronger for open tops on 78, but Stagecoach is just full of Tridents.
Going back a few years now, I travelled on one of Manchesters W reg Tridents on service 250 before they went on Magic Bus, with the 4 speed ZF gearbox. That was one good bus despite its age. The ZF gearbox lets through more power than the 3 speed Voith 'boxes do, but with the better speed handling you lose the smooth ride you get with a Voith (notably the classic bang into 2nd on the ZF). 2 of those would probably be better for open tops, but there's no chance now we have the V and X reg from London just converted over winter.