Confusion At Cummer-Nodd (2)

Up To Date Information

 There was a Bluebird flying

When First Bus was trying

Just you wait and see ...

Despite fbb's enthusiasm for reporting on a forthcoming significant change to Cumbernauld's bus service, the old man cannot resist trying to unravel the pattern of the longer distance services from Stirling and Falkirk.

Thanks to the First Bus timetable archive, a snapshot of services over the last dozen years or so can be gleaned. Blog readers may not be familiar with First's  collection of old timetables, but the assemblage of information (not always complete) can be gleaned from a trawl through the company's vast collection of "current" timetables available on-line.

Most operators delete out-of-date information, but First leaves lots of it in place to entertain transport historians and, more importantly to confuse and obstruct potential passengers.

All the extracts referred to are labelled with First's new and weedy logo and are easy to find on-line. There is usually no indication that they are old stock.

2012 -X37

The WFTD archive (We Forgot To Delete) does not have an X36 or an equivalent from Stirling; but such a beast did operate, presumably every hour.

2018 - X37

Still every hour.

2018 - X39/X36

Intriguing? The X39 hourly service runs from the Wallace Monument in Stirling ...

... then via a different route in Cumbernauld to the X37. It runs hourly ...

... with additional short working between Stirling bus station and Denny.

2018 - X35/X37

But the X35 runs via Kiksyth, not darkening any Cumbernauld doors. Herewith a map ...

... and herewith the timetable extract.

Despite the arrival of an X35, fbb surmised that Cumbernauld now has an X36 and an X37, each hourly.

2019 - X35/X37

... with times similar to the previous year.

2019 - X36

And a timetable extract.

We now enter the realm of declining publicity (well, no printed material at all) but the archive does offer us:-

2022 - X36

2022 -X37

And a recent route map?

Don't  be silly.

So with all this information on-line, what services does First Bus operate today between Stirling/Falkirk via Cumbernauld to Glasgow?

Answer, NONE!

First sold its Stirling and Falkirk operations to McGills and they resurrected the Midland Bluebird name.

McGills now operate the X36 and X37 with excellent printed publicity which fbb will explore tomorrow.

And a few pictures. 

When First Bus had branding.

When First Bus bodged branding.

And, not relevant to Cumbernauld, but the interwebnet reveals a superb example of First's bodged branding.

"Pioneering Spi" or "Ng Spirit" clearly explains all.

Please Note:-

Your elderly blogger is preparing for Sunday's and Monday's fellowship meetings, so blog size and content may be slightly curtailed, especially if the combined mental effort wearies the vintage grey cells.

  Next Cumbernauld blog : Fri 30th Jan