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The latest withdrawals, or reserve list seems to indicate that Arriva is pulling out of the coach operation it acquired from Wardle.  Is this the case?

sconehead85

This is not in the West Midlands I know, but is there any news about First's intentions here?

sconehead85

I have long thought that First's Sema Voyager (yuk) fleet numbering scheme was a mess and half way through they opted for a type based system.  This is what I would do.

10000-19999     COACHES AND BESPOKE SCHOOL BUSES

Allocated to articulated buses, this series is excessive for the type which is now diminishing in
numbers.  So Mercedes Citaros would become 649xx, Scanias 65980-97, and Volvo B7LAs 68885-68999.

Coaches would move in -Volvos 13xxx, other types 14xxx.

Bespoke school buses to move from 68xxx to 18xxx, 61135/6 becomes 18007/8 in this scheme.

20000-29999   HYBRID DOUBLE DECKERS

This is a GROWING aspect of First's fleet and therefore needs to be moved out of the cramped 39xxx series.   20xxx could be ADL E400H, 21xxx Volvo B5LH, 22xxx Wrightbus Gemini (so far only nine).

30000-39999  DOUBLE DECK

30000-31999  To be cleared
32xxx             Volvo B7 only  -Dennis Tridents to move to 33xxx gaps
33xxx             Dennis/Transbus/ADL Tridents and E400s
34xxx             All step entry double decks to move here
35xxx             To be cleared
36xxx             Scania (000-099), Volvo B9 (100 up)
37xxx             VOLVO B7 and B9
38xxx             ADL Enviro 500s 38201-25 only so far.
39xxx             Open-Tops and Heritage.

40000-49999  LIGHTWEIGHT SINGLE DECK

40xxx            To be cleared
41xxx/42xxx  Dennis/Transbus/ADL  Dart concentrated here
43xxx            To be cleared
44xxx            ADL Enviro Darts
45xxx            ADL Enviro Dart reserve
46xxx            Dennis Dart step-entrance to be concentrated here.
47xxx            Wrightbus Streetlite
48xxx            Volvo B6LE to be concentrated here
49xxx            Optare Versa (499xx heritage sd)

50000-59999  MINIBUS/MIDIBUS

50/51xxx      To be cleared
52xxx           Plaxton Primo (0xx), Ford Transit (1xx), Renault Master (2xx), VW (3xx), Fiat (4xx)
                    Mercedes Vario (5xx)  Mercedes Vito/Sprinter (9xx)
53xxx           ALL diesel Optare Solos
54000-58999  Spare
59xxx           Hybrid Optare Solo

60000-69999   FULL SIZE SINGLE DECKS and ARTICULATED

60xxx/61xxx/most 62xxx  To be cleared - Volvo B10Ms to become 627xx, no change to DAF 62901-3, Optare Excel 62949 and London fuel-cell buses 62991-8.

63xxx                              Spare
64xxx                              Mercedes Citaro (artics 9xx)
65xxx                              Scanias (artics 980-997)
66xxx                              Volvo B10BLE/B10L/B7L/B7RLE
67xxx                              Dennis Lance (2xx/3xx), ADL  Enviro (6xx/7xx)
68xxx                              Volvo B7LA (885-999)
                                       Schoolbuses move to 18xxx
69xxx                              Volvo B7RLE


Many buses will not need to  be renumbered, this is a PARTIAL scheme to end the anomalies in the
2002 scheme, eg 46268-74 were SLF Darts in a step series, and the Optare Solos in the 40xxx range.

HOWZAT!

sconehead85

One aspect of Rotata's activity is the shares it trades for.  According to "busandcoach.com" it is 47p, compared to First and National Express around 220p, Stagecoach 275p and Go Ahead £12.
Arriva/Transdev are foreign owned so not quoted.  While share price isnt everything Rotala's is quite small by comparison.

sconehead85

According to the fleetlist, the First vehicles LIKELY to be acquired are

10 Dennis Tridents
  2 (of 6) Volvo Citybuses s/e
  1 Volvo Olympian s/e

19 Transbus/ADL E300
   8 Dennis Lance s/e
11 Dennis Dart SLF

Apart from the E300s everything else is pre-2000.

sconehead85

I have read on ROUTEONEs website that Premiere Bus of Nottingham have gone into administration.  Their commercial routes are trading but their contract services are being taken away.  The company tried to sell its operations but there were no takers.  It appears that this operator expanded too quickly  and most of its routes were competitive with Wellglade and Nottingham City Transport.  Premiere is another bit of the former Veolia to go belly-up.

I wonder if part of the company will be taken over by YourBus, which is owned by a Mr Dunn and would share the same "family tree" as Premiere Bus ?

sconehead85

A number of Optare Solos and Volvo B7 saloons have been acquired according to UK Buses Fleet List.  What are their numbers please?

The B7s may be 66690 descending, but the Solos could be 53016-39 range (except 53028/34/5).  Any info greatly appreciated!

sconehead85

Here is a thought regarding First and National Express.  This would not reduce First's fleet.

I think it might be an idea for First to acquire NX Dundee's base in exchange for either Leicester or Potteries.  This would give First a presence in the four main Scottish cities, and strengthen NX in the Midlands, where First are pulling out.

Just a wee thought!

Mc Sconehead85

With the virtual abandonment of the 3xx/4xx/5xx numbers and a local numbering scheme of sorts in Coventry (which has always been the case) and the "three Ws" the lower numbers are duplicated and triplicated.

What I suggest is a sort of compromise scheme which keeps the "local" element but not the duplication, except for Coventry.

When West Midlands PTE was formed in  1970, the fleet numbering systems had to use the last letter of the "three Ws".  This ROUTE numbering scheme will have to use letter prefixes for various areas.  Heres how it pans out.

1-99       Birmingham regular services.  Most services starting in Brum to be numbered in this series, except for X prefix and 900 series numbers. 

1-99       Coventry - all regular services to be numbered in this series

100-199  Birmingham - less frequent services to be numbered in this range.  Some run outside
               Brum, for example Solihull services would be numbered in the 150-159 range.


500-899  To be allocated to schools and other occasional services, with lower numbered routes
              of this category moving into this block.

900-999  Limited stop.

A prefix-  Walsall regular services

B prefix-  West Bromwich/Sandwell services

C prefix-  Wolverhampton city services.

D prefix    Dudley area services

X prefix-  Limited stop services.


I will answer any questions other than "what's the point?" or "if it ai'nt broke"

sconehead85

Put ALL Cannock depot news here!  The town that just missed being swallowed into the 1974 West Midlands county.

sconehead85

How this escaped your fleetlist compiler is beyond me but as a resident of Merseyside I've got a scoop here!

On another website I have read of OSWESTRY depot receiving four Optare Versa V1200s 3696-9
(YJ12 PLV/U/O/N) for route 70.  There is a photo of 3698 on flickr.  These are larger than the 29xx Versas because they are in the 3xxx range.

Im making the most of this!

sconehead85

Ive been looking at the fleet list and have worked out the SHORT-TERM vehicle replacement needs of subsidiaries. This is REGARDLESS of whether they are in line for disposal.

None of the vehicles need necessarily to be new .  I will specify.

LEICESTER- None

MIDLAND RED(even though they are not!)
They need 7 LF cascaded doble decks and 20 LF single decks to replace Dennis Lances step and SLF.

POTTERIES

Seven VOLVO OLYMPIANS, P reg or newer to replace the last five Leyland Olympians, the Volvo Citybus and an L-reg Volvo Olympian.

This wll convert all bar Potteries to low floor and eliminate the Dennis Lance and Volvo Citybus

sconehead85

Looking at the excellent fleetlists section on the last update , barring mini/midi buses and coaches there are the following step entry buses.  How long have they got?

10  Volvo Olympians
3   Leyland Olympians (4545-7)
6   Scania single decks
1   Dennis Dart 2038 (M100 PHA)

I have left out Mercedes minibuses because Im not sure to the extent that they are used in regular public service, but many of those need replacing.

sconehead85

Why are First hanging on to these buses long after they should have retired?  The sad fact is the youngest of these is now 20 years old and surely with the Scottish reductions there must be enough spare Volvo Olympians around to take over those duties which dont yet merit a LF decker.

The Volvo Citybuses have THREE STEPS and First have only six left (as well as open toppers). These really should go now. (  Im not against their preservation BTW.)

While there are 200 double deckers due to leave London after the Olympic Games there is no guarantee they will directly or indirectly oust the oldest buses First have.

First still have some G-XRE reg Leyland Olympians , now 23 years old and its time they were retired (or preserved).

sconehead85