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(That does trump stand AL in Acocks Green, for some reason, they've taken off the side next to the road, so the whole shelter is open on that side. The shelter's not been replaced, still the same one. No idea why they've done it.)

They have done that to most of the stops on Hawthorn Road, plus the 7/28 stop at the Crossways

Strange that they haven't done this to the other shelters in Acocks Green village.

Is it to save money on the cleaning contract with OCS I wonder? (less shelter = less for OCS to clean lol  :D)

This has happened in Coventry, especially on the Holyhead Rd, it appears only shelters carrying double-sided adverts [some scrolling on one side and fixed the other] have been altered. Presumably Network WM & Clear Channel Adshel have come to a recent agreement whereby the frontal piece of some shelters - the bit nearest the kerb - can be removed allowing the ad to be seen from the road more easily. On a similar theme Adshel's 10-year exclusive right to advertise on Centro/NWM's shelters comes to an end in July, I guess expressions of interest etc will be issued soon, if they haven't already. 

CAN ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT COVENTRY'S 0405N 1636....as far as I know it came to Coventry last year, as a replacement for the Coventry 0405N's that had been withdrawn, replaced by the new buses. It came with 1634, 1635, and 1678.

The query is 1636 is in the Travel Coventry colours, dark blue, light blue and white, where as 1634, 1635,1678 are in sky blue and white. I cannot recall 1636  in the fleet before last summer

I must admit I have never seen 1635, I was told it is sky blue and white, it is said its been out of service for some time since its transfer to Coventry waiting repairs.

Can anyone help me to caption the pics I have of 1636?

1636 together with 1548/1608/1612/1655 remain in the earlier TC livery (with NXC vinyls obviously) all the others carry NXC livery. I'm assuming those five still remain in service at Coventry.

If it doesn't break down 1553 is in service with sky blue front working journeys from city 09:04 18A, 10:24 18,  11:34 18A, 12:54 18

I haven't seen it yet - but had noticed its transfer on Tony's updates. It was of-course originally based in Coventry.

Currently enjoying a beautiful sounding 2462 on the "900" back to brum :)

2462 left just after 4pm. I managed to get a ride on Bristol VRT/MCW 4413 to Keresley Road and back (my first ever ride on a WMPTE Bristol) followed by, later-on Leyland Lynx 1266 for a return trip to the Brownshill Green terminus (I've not been aboard one of those for a while, so that was nice). I have not come across 3057 before, good to see it in its 1989 blue/silver livery. MCW was well represented - and the free bus rides proved quite popular.

Was that the first time a VR has been in Coventry?
( Was on 4413 at Aston Manor last week! )

I think the same bus (4413) attended the event organised at the [former] Sandy Lane garage in Coventry, in May 2012. Not sure it was giving rides - maybe it did, I can't quite remember?!

Currently enjoying a beautiful sounding 2462 on the "900" back to brum :)

2462 left just after 4pm. I managed to get a ride on Bristol VRT/MCW 4413 to Keresley Road and back (my first ever ride on a WMPTE Bristol) followed by, later-on Leyland Lynx 1266 for a return trip to the Brownshill Green terminus (I've not been aboard one of those for a while, so that was nice). I have not come across 3057 before, good to see it in its 1989 blue/silver livery. MCW was well represented - and the free bus rides proved quite popular.

This video may be of interest
Two things of note, one is that the Midland Red driver of the S23 has the passenger door open this was the norm for Midland Red drivers in other areas, not just Coventry it it not the sort of thing that would happen these days,

The Second thing is that anyone know the inspector who gives me the evil eye at in the film at about42 seconds?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/13145758575/

At about 1.18 - that looks like a Mk1 Metrobus amongst the many Fleetlines on view in Pool Meadow, dating the film to around 1978-79 [or later]

It will use Warwick Rd, Kenilworth Rd and Earlsdon Ave South, don't know if the 1 will replace it though.

I can't help wondering whether this would also make a stronger case for putting the bendis on that route ...

I guess the useful University of Warwick to Rail Station link remains then, handy for students. I presume the new bus-gate at the [new] junction of Park Rd and Quinton Rd only really benefits the 8/8A/9/9A group of services - from a NXC perspective.

If the 1 isn't diverted along Belvedere & Spencer Road's to cover the 11/12 then they will be un-served, so I would assume some cover will be provided - the old service 1 used to go that way in the past.

I have to agree, the previous numbering system of 200's (Dudley), 300's (Walsall), 400's (Sandwell), 500's (Wolverhampton) was a good system, it should have been left alone, I saw an OAP picking up a 7 timetable in Walsall Bus Station, I just noticed that it was the City to Perry Common service 7 where as she wanted the 7 Walsall to Castlefort service. All this could have been avoided.

I know right? Did people really find it so hard to remember one additional number? Again, it's graduates with degrees in power. As I'm sure you can imagine, I'd much further respect management when they've worked up from the bottom of a business. Not come in upper management straight from a poxy University. The old way was the best way.

Even just a separate number for each and every route would have been better, without the 200/300/400 etc system - a-la London style. 1-250 or 300 or something with only the Coventry system being numerically separate (as its always been).

[9th March]

NXC say they are currently finalising service changes (diversions) due to the long term roadworks for the Friargate project around Coventry Ring Road J6 and Warwick Road.  Expect this could be occuring as soon as 9th March as Vosa is showing a short notice route change for Johnsons bus services 539 and 580 from that date.
Buses (and taxis) will soon be able to leave Cov Rail Station and access Junction 5 via a new gate currently under construction at the (dead) end of Park Road.

11 & 12 are having the route changed and will not serve Spencer Rd and Belvedere Rd.

Will that mean a more major route change for the 11/12 - e.g. going via The Butts, Albany Road and then return to its current route by the Library? Or will it remain using Warwick Road and make use of Kenilworth Road instead of the two roads mentioned above? (I'm not sure what the access will be like during the works). It does mean a fairly substantial reduction in frequency along Belvedere Rd and Spencer Rd though.

Think I would have left the 20/30/40 numbering system as it was during the Feb 2012 changes. The 40 to Bell Green was clear enough and appeared to passengers as a separate service. 30 could have been used for shorter-workings to Oban Rd (as was broadly the case in the early 70's) with the 20 going all the way to Bedworth, as it always did, leaving '20A' & '20E' free. We have a plethora of 'A' services in Coventry currently, harking back to the final days of CT and the first few years of WMPTE operation - perhaps its just a fad and these will disappear and be renumbered in the long-term?

I have to say that I do prefer the 20a/e slightly to 20/30/40(/50/60 as was) since at least it shows some logical connection.
When I first came to Coventry, I remember being a bit confused that the 20 shared far more in common with distant numbers like 50 and 60 than it did with the 19 and 21.
Ideally, I would like to see three consecutive numbers used, e.g. 24, 25, 26, but at least 20/a/b would be preferable to 20a/e in my view.
I also feel really sorry for the people of Hawkesbury who no longer have a bus to Coventry, and wish that half of the 20e's could run to there instead of Oban Road: surely it must only take about 1/2 mins more than doing that loop.

There is a history of both in the city, consecutive numbers being used on services that broadly follow the same route; 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 10/11, 32/33 and so on. But also using numbers ending in the same digit as described above, 21/31/41/51 along the Stoney Stanton Rd at one point, other examples include the 17/27 & 18/28 - although the City - Spon End/Earlsdon - Canley corridor, you could say has used both systems: 18/18E/19/19W/28/29 etc since the separate Earlsdon (29/39) & Canley (18) services were merged in April 1985. 

Think I would have left the 20/30/40 numbering system as it was during the Feb 2012 changes. The 40 to Bell Green was clear enough and appeared to passengers as a separate service. 30 could have been used for shorter-workings to Oban Rd (as was broadly the case in the early 70's) with the 20 going all the way to Bedworth, as it always did, leaving '20A' & '20E' free. We have a plethora of 'A' services in Coventry currently, harking back to the final days of CT and the first few years of WMPTE operation - perhaps its just a fad and these will disappear and be renumbered in the long-term?

Thanks Paul just the ticket

I wouldn't take this as completely official, but its a reasonable resume' of all their current locations. Some of those stored have been withdrawn quite some time ago - but the location of which can be quite fluid. Only 4 garages host active O405N's (none in Birmingham you'll note) so it's easier to track & list these now. I've got 1687/1689 as being 'under conversion' - but Tony has them as trainers currently, I would wait for clarification from Tony on those two. 1623 was of-course involved in that West Brom fuel-bay fire in 2001, the first to go and I suppose the only one really early withdrawal.

I was wondering about the exact whereabouts of all the NX Mercedes O405N's - I have been trying to keep a track of the remaining examples, mostly via this forum/site and through Flickr and the like. Quite a few are unknown, especially those ex-Coventry ones rendered redundant by the arrival of the those Volvo B7RLE's. I am assuming 1691/2 remain unused at Walsall and two examples remain at Lea Hall.

In-service:
Coventry (CV): 1548/50/58/63-64/66/68-72/79/91/94/1608/10/12/25/34-36/55-56/59/78/80/1703
Pensnett (PE): 1515/18/20-21/43/46/53-54/73/93/1614/16/20/27/29-32/37-38/40-43/47-49/57/65/1704-7/43
West Bromwich (WB): 1560/82/85-86/89/1607/13/18/51/53/66-68/95-1702
Wolverhampton (WN): 1650/52/60-62/69-74/77/79/81-86

Trainer: 1688
Conversion work at PB: 1687
Conversion work at WA: 1689

Withdrawn at LH: 1590/1624
Withdrawn at WB: 1577
Withdrawn at WA: 1691/1692
Withdrawn at PE: 1516/1517/1522/1525/1526/1528/1529/1534/1536/1537/1538/1542/1545/1549/1552/1555/1557/1596/1609/1639/1644/1654/1658/1663/1664
Withdrawn at MS: 1540/1541/1556/1578/1581/1592/1597/1601/1603/1605/1606/1611/1621/1645/1675/1676/1690/1694
Other withdrawn (locations unknown): 1523/1547/1551/1561/1565/1574/1576/1595/1598/1599/1600/1602/1604/1619/1622/1626/1628/1633/1646

Scrapped:
1533/1539/1580 sold to PVS, Barnsley for scrap 9/13
1519/1530/1562/1587/1588/1615/1617 sold to EMR, Kingsbury for scrap 7/13
1527 sold to PVS, Barnsley for scrap 4/13
1532 sold to EMR, Kingsbury for scrap 2/13
1544 sold to EMR, Darlaston for scrap 2/13
1567/1584 sold to EMR, Kingsbury for scrap 11/12
1531/1535/1559/1583 sold to EMR, Kingsbury for scrap 10/12
1524/1575 sold to PVS, Barnsley for scrap 5/12
1693 sold to PVS, Barnsley for scrap 4/12 after fire damage
1623 sold to PVS, Barnsley for scrap 2/02 after being stripped for spares by EvoBus, Coventry 12/01

Paul

After a hiatus of about 11 weeks the reconstuction of the remaining two old bus stops in Trinity Street is due to start 23rd Feb,
Click here for details.

When this is all finished - presumably some new (and quite fancy!) shelters will be installed on Trinity Street? A-la city-centre Birmingham style.

Think these remain in service in Coventry:
1548/1550/1558/1563-1564/1566/1568-1572/1579/1591/1594/1608/1610/1612/1625/1634-1636/1655-1656/1659/1678/1680/1703 (27 examples).