Messages

Off-topic posts about old destination displays have been split off into a new topic here:
https://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=6693.0

4747 - Ok on flats but it absolutely despises hills. Struggles to reach 10mph on steep ones, worse than your average painfully slow 4900s

Are you a bus driver then?

I see Van Hool has gone belly up and are being purchased subject to conditions being met to VDL, wonder if this will affect delivery of the above ?

Last I read was that Van Hool were looking to restructure their business in order to focus on 'luxury coaches', and it was the regular buses they were looking to discontinue or off-load, so I don't think this will affect things that way.

The worst one of these changes is the fact they've moved all the Stratford Road services to one stop, when the stop before was in use, whose idea was that to do that?

One consequence of this is that more people are piling on to the 4/4As if they are the first bus to arrive when the 6 has gaps in service.

This evening, same as yesterday, I saw a few single-deck 4 and 4A which were absolutely rammed.

Lucky for me I don't have to catch the 4 or 4A, but has still been a nightmare getting home from Sparkbrook the last couple of evenings.

[OK, back on topic now please folks]

OK, back on topic now please folks

Does the Number 8 run on Saturdays to Lichfield as in a couple of Saturdays time depending on how the Football season finishes I might need to travel over to Lichfield to watch my local side in the play offs, Looking on Google maps It tells me to ger there for 2PM I will need my local buses at 9/10AM and to get the Chaserider 36, the NX 8 I know for certain I could get on it with an Nbus Daysaver as only NX would accept it as I'm sure Westy asked Mark Fitchew and that's what he said

Surely you know where to look up bus timetables?

https://bustimes.org/services/8-walsall-lichfield

Looking at going To Lichfield in a couple of weeks maybe to visit Lichfield City for local football club to play in the Play Offs of there league, From Walsall could I get to Lichfield City seemingly the closest station to there stadium without going through Birmingham, Google Maps for a Saturday says I need to go to Birmingham New Street, then CrossCountry to Tamworth then LNWR to Trent Valley, but Can't I go Walsall to Rugeley, Rugeley to Lichfield Trent Valley and either walk or get the CrossCity Line back to City, if I can do this what Ticket would I ask for.

Depending on your time of travel, you have a few different options.

You can plan a journey and get ticket prices at the National Rail website:
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/plan-a-journey/

To be honest, it is probably quicker (and cheaper) to get the 8 bus from Walsall to Lichfield.

E011 on Stratford Rd

Let me guess, you saw E011 parked up in Sparkbrook by Aldi just after 4pm with it's hazard warning lights on?

If so, it wasn't 'broken down', I can see on BusTimes that it was turned short at Camp Hill Island due to late running, and so would have been sat waiting time to start it's outbound journey on-time.

Please don't automatically assume that any bus parked up somewhere with hazards on is 'broken down'.

https://bustimes.org/vehicles/tnxb-e011#

I can also see that on arriving in Solihull, the bus did go straight back to garage, but even so a bus that can get back to the garage itself has not technically 'broken down'.

Hopefully, if the estate is big enough, it'll generate its own bus service that can also serve Parkhill Estate, and let the x1 bypass it. I know, wishful thinking.

I found this 'draft masterplan' for the site, didn't realise how big it was!

https://www.eastern-green.com/draft-masterplan



What I guess would have been ideal would have been if there was some connecting road on the eastern side through to Woodridge Avenue for an easier connection to the Parkhill Drive terminus stops.

Sorry, I meant the services that weren't quoted on the diversion information list.

As the closure is from 7:30pm, I would assume that any other daytime-only services are not affected.

https://x.com/ChaseriderBus/status/1776367199554318682

Pickford Grange Lane/Pickford Green Lane ain't a pleasant road to be driving up on a consistent basis. It isn't lit and has sharp bends on it, as well as a HGV ban. The residents wouldn't be too happy about it.

Yes, hence why that was only used as a temporary diversion route. 

The installation of the bridge is also seeing a new junction being built there on the A45.

So I assume at some point there will be a new road running through this development that buses could use instead of Pickford Grange Road.

This might be the wrong place to say this but at roughly 16.25 on severene road 4A the driver of 6704 would not move because a passenger was carrying a TV, is this allowed on a bus or is the driver overreacting? He was holding 7540 up which was already 20 mins late and we couldn't go around due to a parked car.

Depends on how big the TV was and/or if it was boxed or not.

A large boxed item would have to be stowed in the buggy zone, if that area was already occupied by buggies then the driver would be perfectly right to refuse entry.

If it was a large unboxed LCD/LED TV, the driver can refuse to carry it due to the risk of getting damaged and potentially injuring other passengers, as well as making a hazardous mess.

Pleasant ride, but is there no other way of serving that bit past Meriden, where you come off the A45, where you have to double back on yourself?

Parkhill Terminus?

When part of the A45 was closed for a while, when they were building the bridge, both the X1 and 82 diverted via Pickford Grange Lane and Upper Eastern Green Lane to get to Parkhill Drive.

While it's possible to go that way, its still quicker to go direct via the A45 and then dip in/out of the Parkhill estate.

I suppose things might change in coming years as there is a new housing development underway there, hence the reason for the construction of the road bridge over the A45.

No, Zenobe wanted three of the Z fleet into service. The three E buses are parked in Coventry garage yard fully operational with no defects.

That's reassuring to know.

I assume then that Zenobe just would like these 'spare' vehicles to just 'rack up' some service mileage rather than just being sat around doing nothing.

(I believe the phrase is "getting your money's worth out of them"!)

Presumably at some point then, Zenobe will recall the current three back from NX Bus, and then provide another three to do the same again.

Has the issue with the 'new' NSA displays been resolved now?

It's resolved but some buses at BC haven't had this fix applied.

To answer my own question, maybe not. Travelled home on E014 on the 2 this evening, and that still has displays that go blank.

Perhaps it is because 6917 is a recent arrival on loan from Pensnett, so would have received any updated programming.