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Messages - MW

#1
Stagecoach / Re: Stagecoach in Birmingham
Yesterday at 07:46:54 PM
Quote from: BBS on Yesterday at 06:44:02 PMRugby, Leamington and Nuneaton to get electrics, may see these Birmingham service get those too

Birmingham tendered services are Euro 6 spec. Why would Stagecoach allocate more expensive Electric vehicles to Birmingham when there's no obligation. That's without beginning to consider mileage and range!
#2
Quote from: Stu on March 15, 2024, 07:04:37 PMSparkhill was a congested mess this evening!

Left work at 5:30pm, saw on BusTimes that there would be a long wait for the next 2 or 3, so thought it would be a good idea to get the 5 instead. It (almost ironically) was pretty much on-time, just a couple of minutes late, at 5:42pm.

Ended up getting off at Wilton Road stop because Stratford Road was jammed solid and it looked like we were going nowhere fast.

Walked along Fulham Road to get across to Stoney Lane to take my chances on a 2 or 3. Stoney Lane was no better, another congested mess. Was getting aggravated by idiots blaring their horns (like that's going to suddenly make the traffic start moving), so walked up to the Esme Road stop, as I could see it would still be a while before any bus arrived.

Ended up on Z4007 on the 2, which was showing as 15 minutes late when I alighted at Billesley Common, with another two buses on the 3 following closely behind.

Probably because it's Ramadan. The fast opens around 18:15. Usually hectic just before then and at the click of the finger it all becomes a ghost town for an hour, and then back to normal.

Coupled with Walford Road being closed coming from Stratford Road, that was probably the reason.
#3
Other Operators / Re: Flixbus
March 14, 2024, 03:39:44 PM
Quote from: the trainbasher on March 14, 2024, 10:38:41 AMCould it be from a cancelled order maybe, like how Johnsons brought the Metrodeckers from Optare that Reading cancelled?


They did have plans to join Flixbus but pulled out, and decided to keep the Coach.

Here's a better pic of it earlier at Cheltenham:
https://flic.kr/p/2pDiV95
#4
Other Operators / Re: Flixbus
March 14, 2024, 12:02:39 AM
West Midlands based ASA Travel have acquired a new Yutong GT12 (AA24ASA) today, in full Flixbus spec, bar branding. No plans to actually join the Flixbus network though.

https://flic.kr/p/2pDdJHw
#5
Other Operators / Re: Carolean Coaches, Willenhall
February 29, 2024, 09:51:49 PM
Quote from: Westy on February 29, 2024, 08:58:18 PMFrom reports elsewhere, looks like they're concentrating on the 29 at the moment!

Maybe Carolean have reached out to the ringleader... 👀

No, I'm just speculating.

Have any of their vehicles been attacked?
#6
Other Operators / Re: Solus Coaches
February 29, 2024, 09:49:29 PM
Quote from: Michael Bevan on February 29, 2024, 08:52:22 PMSolus appear to have lost the Sunday 71/71A tender between Sutton Coldfield and Chelmsley Wood, with Stagecoach Midlands taking back over from this Sunday.

The original contract went out for 105 weeks, until 01/11/25. I know that Solus were awarded on an Alternate basis, but it looks like they've chucked it in rather than the contract expiry. 

Can you confirm?
#7
Other Operators / Re: Carolean Coaches, Willenhall
February 29, 2024, 05:14:27 PM
Quote from: Wba_lad on February 29, 2024, 04:27:44 PMive been on the service before, ive also been in walsall when the 19 was loading up and the driver was just waving everyone on board. not even checking if they had a ticket or inteded on buying a ticket. this is why i think there is going to be friction when they start charging.

Could put a positive spin on it. Special introductory offer, to attract passengers.
#8
Quote from: Lukeee on February 28, 2024, 07:37:00 PM30852 - doubt it would be on the road with broken air suspension, if its doing this whilst idling it's could be the bus just dumping excess air and sucking air, old volvos tend to do this when idling.

It's a floor levelling problem by the sounds of it. NXWM 4500 does the same. Makes you feel like you're on a boat when stuck in traffic.
#9
Other Operators / Re: Carolean Coaches, Willenhall
February 27, 2024, 02:44:09 PM
Quote from: B7RLE on February 27, 2024, 02:40:06 PMThe driver let someone who wanted to purchase an nbus ticket on for free, so essentially the 19 is a free service atm if you ask for an nbus, I do question how long they've got to get ticket machines before TfWM start questioning it.

Possibly a backlog from Ticketer (if that's their supplier). Having said that, I know Rotala were selling some Used machines a while back. 
#10
Garage threads / Re: Walsall Garage
February 25, 2024, 04:29:34 PM
Quote from: Westy on February 25, 2024, 03:10:12 PMBe surprised if Walsall goes electric, as I thought with the hydros for the 51, the rest of the depot routes might go hydro, to be easier?

And with it being acquired by TfWM, maybe any hydrogen facilities will be paid for directly by TfWM and then leased out to the operator as part of the lease for the site.
#11
Garage threads / Re: Walsall Garage
February 24, 2024, 11:47:16 PM
Quote from: Bus_user_jay on February 24, 2024, 11:13:14 PMWhenever I have been at Bradford Place, WA buses run dead via Caldmore Road, Upper Hall Lane and Dudley Street. Also the B7RLEs can't go under the Bridgeman Street bridge either (as they're never on 39) but they're at Bradford Place every day.... are they meant to run dead down Bridgeman Street?


B7RLE & Omnilinks are both the same height. (10ft 6)
#12
Quote from: Westy on February 21, 2024, 09:18:03 PMJust had a thought while I was in the shower.

We have a few drivers on here, but I suspect their duties don't involve out of county services, else we might have had an answer by now.

(Example being @karl724223, as I don't think Pensnett have any out of WM county duties?)

I think it's rare @Tony drives a bus in service & I don't recall him mentioning doing any driving in service since the fare / pass changes.

There is one other driver, known to some of us, that might have a partial answer, admittedly not a member on here.

He drives a route that operates both in & out of the WM county, that being the X3 to Lichfield(which he has mentioned on his own blog, so I'm not breaking any privacy rules AFAIK!), answer being Mark Fitchew.

Do Nx's INIT machines somehow adjust the ticket availability with GPS, as I've wondered, when you had the old local area tickets, how did the driver issue the correct ticket, especially when you had a few crossover areas, for example both the Walsall & Sandwell tickets were valid between J9 & Wednesbury Bus Station, how did you make sure if you were getting on in that section towards Walsall, you got a Walsall ticket & not a Sandwell ticket?

I was thinking something similar operates on the X3, X51, 8 & 20(both WM & Coventry versions!).

We follow each other on X, so I could ask him, if he knows/what he issues, if that's ok with the mods?

There's a Daysaver menu with all the relevant Day tickets. GPS/Automatic Fare Stage allows for correct tickets to be available for the driver to choose. It's quite simple. 

Ticketer does the same thing.

You can also have "time based" tickets such as the pre-930AM Concs, which cannot be issued after 930.
#13
Quote from: Lukeee on February 21, 2024, 09:46:14 PMDon't blame you

It was good for nostalgia purposes though. I rate those who have been working there for years and years, fair play to them.

A colleague was called into the office today after 25 years service and awarded with some sort of fountain pen in a case. I told him, "well that made it worthwhile, didn't it?" Pmsl
#14
Quote from: Mike K on February 13, 2024, 10:11:43 PMAre you back driving for NX these days by any chance MW, or am I well wide of the mark? A few of your posts lately have made me wonder this.


& Bang, after 2 months handed my notice in..!
#15
Quote from: Mike K on February 13, 2024, 10:11:43 PMAre you back driving for NX these days by any chance MW, or am I well wide of the mark? A few of your posts lately have made me wonder this.

I am indeed
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