(16 Jan 2014, 8:23 pm)Y961 XBU wrote [ -> ]Was able to catch up with Wright Gemini 1 4207 this morning! very good Bus! could not find a thing wrong with it! Heres a photo of it i took
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68287403@N06/11985075885/
Not been on it myself but from all accounts it is said to be a nice bus, can't say that for many Gemini 1s personally but there are the odd few that are decent. As for solos on the 33 it is a bit of a p-take, can prehaps justify it on services after 16:00 but certainly not morning services.
It is a CRIME that such a decent bus is wasted on Schools when some of Arriva's main corridors are struggling with single deckers.
to my anger there was a solo on the 33 again today (thankfully not my duty this time!!) i agree however, there is a service or 2 at st helens that is being ran under capacity, deckers would be very much welcomed!
Possibly the end has happened for Warrington Coachways as all the Merseytravel Tendered work they have is currently showing up on Merseytravel website as being suspended!
Ace Travel Forthcoming Service changes summed up!!
From 27/1/14 Ace Travels 11 Service will be chopped and changed and will run as the following: Queens Square Bus Station - Tue Brook - Old Swan. The Service will no longer go to Stockbridge Village and will no longer Serve Lime Street in Liverpool City Centre.
Heres a Timetable
http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travellin...02014).pdf
Next is the 38, the 38 service starts on 10/3/14 and will follow most of the current Arriva 78 Service with its route being:
Liverpool One Bus Station - Liverpool Queens Square - Edge Hill - Wavertree (Clock Tower) - Belle Vale - Halewood Shopping city - Halewood Okell Drive.
The 38 will run hourly Monday to Saturday, Heres the Timetable
http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travellin...02014).pdf
As you will see on the Timetable theres a 38E service that will only run between Liverpool One Bus Station and Halewood Shopping City, this will interchange onto Ace Travels recently gained Tender 264.
Next is the 264, the 264 Service is a new Tendered Service that will run between Halewood Shopping City and Huyton Bus Station via Whiston Hospital and Prescot Bus Station, the service is an evening and Sunday service.
Heres a Timetable
http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travellin...02014).pdf
One rumour thats currently floating around (i will post it as i think it could be true) is the remaining Plaxton Pointer Darts Ace Travel currently have and operate could be getting replaced soon as they are starting to age.
Quite concerning that there is another North West independent going under.
(16 Jan 2014, 10:16 pm)Y961 XBU wrote [ -> ]to my anger there was a solo on the 33 again today (thankfully not my duty this time!!) i agree however, there is a service or 2 at st helens that is being ran under capacity, deckers would be very much welcomed!
Yes would love to see deckers on long and short 33s, never really liked St helens "style" of allocations always found it very poor. To be honest I really think that St helens would be better suited to cadets than the likes of Runcorn, were as Runcorn would be alot better suited to pulsars. Still don't understand why Runcorns pulsars were transfered here last year.
Followed a black Shearings 3 axle Setra up the A1 yesterday.
There were no passengers on board, but internal lighting was on and the black leather interior stood out a mile.
I'd never noticed these before.
some new coaches due as 632 to 646
in ancirally fleet T 503 LRH has been scarpped YJ 02 XHB moved from Normation to a cheshire base STR new Transit van at Normation YF 63 ETE in white livery
506/10 reported withdrawn at the latter depot NOR, 10/13
(18 Jan 2014, 3:36 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Quite concerning that there is another North West independent going under.
apparently the 37/38 been running today but considering the recent buses running out of fuel whilst in service i think people will start to catch other options but soon find out!
As reported elsewhere #71 is believed to have been out and about at some point this week.
due to massive Bus Shortages Ex Blue Bus (Bolton) Trident 4001 Reg Plate Y47 ABA is on loan to speke and can normally be found on route 82
Also on its was to Speke right now is Marshall Capital Dart 7652 that is apparently also going to see service
Marshall Capital Dart 7660 is Withdrawn at the rear of the Depot, its just being stored here until it meets its fate.
Daf Ikarus 2563 is now repainted into the New Interurban Livery and wil be returning to Bolton within the next few Days.
Y196 KBU will be repainted next week out of HTL Livery and into Hattons Livery.
(18 Jan 2014, 1:32 am)Y961 XBU wrote [ -> ]Possibly the end has happened for Warrington Coachways as all the Merseytravel Tendered work they have is currently showing up on Merseytravel website as being suspended!
It's only the 156/256 which are suspended as far as I'm aware. No mention of the 157 being suspended and indeed it was noted running yesterday albeit with step-entranced M89 DEW once again making up the allocation. The ex-Howard's Travel Dart has also been making up the allocation recently on there.
Terence, from mention in one of your earlier posts I assume you know, is the entire fleet of Primos VOR at the moment?
(19 Jan 2014, 3:03 pm)CX58 EWK wrote [ -> ]It's only the 156/256 which are suspended as far as I'm aware. No mention of the 157 being suspended and indeed it was noted running yesterday albeit with step-entranced M89 DEW once again making up the allocation. The ex-Howard's Travel Dart has also been making up the allocation recently on there.
Terence, from mention in one of your earlier posts I assume you know, is the entire fleet of Primos VOR at the moment?
Welcome to the Forum, am lead to understand that theres only 1 serviceable at the moment, 2 are at the rear of Hattons Depot that are going to be fixed by Hattons
(16 Jan 2014, 10:16 pm)Y961 XBU wrote [ -> ]i agree however, there is a service or 2 at st helens that is being ran under capacity, deckers would be very much welcomed!
I'd disagree that services are being run under capacity, overall. With the likes of the 32s and 33s the allocation of Solo SRs are perfectly adequate as, other than on a few peak journeys, they're seeing well under full loads across most of the route. Besides which, Pulsars are often used on split shift duties anyway to alleviate any potential overcrowding on peak journeys which, in turn, is no wasted capacity as these vehicles can then have 30 day inspections, regular maintenance etc. performed whilst back at Jackson Street during the day reducing the necessity for them to be off the road at other times.
I do agree that an allocation of deckers would be beneficial to St Helens however. What I don't agree with is that the allocation need be for the entirety of, say, the 10/A and instead, my proposal has always been that, at least, the 10A should be half decker operated. Having the 10 allocated as such (50% deckers, 50% single decks) too would be an ideal. There's no other route out of St Helens which would allow for a financially viable operation of deckers full time though, in my opinion.
Ideally though, these newer school deckers should be utilised as best as possible between weekday school duties and all day of a Saturday and school holidays. I can understand why this wasn't the case with notoriously unreliable and poorly performing DLAs but if these ex-VLWs show better potential, there's no excuse for their capacity not to be better utilised on busy boards.
(18 Jan 2014, 6:33 pm)HaltonMiniMarshall wrote [ -> ]Yes would love to see deckers on long and short 33s, never really liked St helens "style" of allocations always found it very poor. To be honest I really think that St helens would be better suited to cadets than the likes of Runcorn, were as Runcorn would be alot better suited to pulsars. Still don't understand why Runcorns pulsars were transfered here last year.
Deckers would be a complete waste allocated full time to the likes of 33s; a Pulsar provides more than adequate capacity at the busiest of times.
Although I agree Runcorns Cadets would be better transferred to St Helens and replaced by full size vehicles at Runcorn, they're provide no real additional capacity on the St Helens network. Instead, the movement would largely centralise Cadet operations and replace a significant number of ageing Darts on routes where their capacity is sufficient at the moment. It'd be a good move in my opinion.
As an aside, although it was rumoured, St Helens have received no Pulsars from Runcorn - they transferred back to Wythenshawe via Birkenhead.