Bit of a long shot here, but does anyone know what route the remaining Excels are usually on?
Also, Trent Barton are due to have their new Tri-Axle Plaxton Elites for the Red Arrow in service in around 6 weeks (this is from Trent Barton's Facebook page), as well as having the B8RLE's for the Two in service on/by the 25th October (A bit optimistic, if i'm honest). The 10 plates displaced off the Red Arrow will be used to upgrade the Club Class from B10M/Panthers and the X38 from Tempo X1200's.
The Black Cat is no longer a branded route, with the branded Tempos having been put on the new Rushcliffe Mainline service, and 312 becoming a red spare at Nottingham.
Trent Barton have still got the following Excels in service (according to an updated fleet list I just found)
Derby (Notts+Derby ones):258/259
Ashfield:257/261/263
I have been to Derby a few times before and the Notts and Derby were on the University 5 and 6 services which they are in a livery for. Not sure if they still do them services though. Your best way to find where they are would be to stand at the bus station in Derby or walk to the Derby depot where all the Notts and Derby buses live and the Derby allocated Trent buses.As for the Ashfield ones, I have no idea what routes they do.
Hope this helps
@Alex
Quote from: Dylanbusboy45 on September 21, 2015, 07:55:15 PM
Trent Barton have still got the following Excels in service (according to an updated fleet list I just found)
Derby (Notts+Derby ones):258/259
Ashfield:257/261/263
I have been to Derby a few times before and the Notts and Derby were on the University 5 and 6 services which they are in a livery for. Not sure if they still do them services though. Your best way to find where they are would be to stand at the bus station in Derby or walk to the Derby depot where all the Notts and Derby buses live and the Derby allocated Trent buses.As for the Ashfield ones, I have no idea what routes they do.
Hope this helps @Alex
Cheers, managed to find 259 the last time I went, so that's one down
I thought that the 141 [Sutton-Mansfield-Hucknall-Nottingham] was supposed to get either Excels or Solars. But I've seen fairly recent photos of Excels on the eighteen, the Centrelink, the Ruddington Connection, and the i4, so I thought they were still allocated to Nottingham. But thanks for the help mate :)
That's alright
@Alex . I may visit Derby again once the new Red Arrows are in service. :)
Nice line up of new Red Arrows in Nottingham today.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/92409298@N06/VmX562
@JoNi will new Elites be there tomorrow?
Don't know apparently they start Sunday when section between Derby and Chesterfield becomes Comet.
What are Trent using on the X 38 atm?
Quote from: Bob on October 23, 2015, 08:23:10 PM
What are Trent using on the X 38 atm?
Was still Tempos when I was in Burton a couple of weeks ago.
Quote from: Cheese on October 23, 2015, 08:28:59 PM
Was still Tempos when I was in Burton a couple of weeks ago.
Apparently, 307 & 308 (the two X38 branded Tempos) are now Keyworth Connection branded, so I would anticipate that the X38 is now unbranded spares. Seems as if they only debranded them in the last week or two.
Edit:
Yes, they have, as I have a fleetlist dated 16th October saying they are Keyworth Connection branded
http://www.soes.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/docs/fleets/tb.pdf
Still an X38-branded Tempo today. A mix of Solars and Solos otherwise.
How many Elites has red arrow got so far?
Quote from: James4368 on October 25, 2015, 04:50:44 PM
How many Elites has red arrow got so far?
@James4368 - At least four from the picture posted on another forum:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36750&page=156
Batch of B8RLE's with Wright bodywork have been ordered as well, they haven't ordered anything from Optare for a while now...
Quote from: DiamondDart on October 25, 2015, 05:05:08 PM
Batch of B8RLE's with Wright bodywork have been ordered as well, they haven't ordered anything from Optare for a while now...
I believe they are either been delivered or ready to be delivered. Saw a photo of one of them on Facebook.
Must admit, i wish NX went for B8RLE's for the 37/71/72 instead of E200MMC's.
Quote from: Nathan on October 25, 2015, 05:49:42 PM
I believe they are either been delivered or ready to be delivered. Saw a photo of one of them on Facebook.
Must admit, i wish NX went for B8RLE's for the 37//1/72 instead of E200MMC's.
Two were reported elsewhere at Heysham Docks earlier in the week.
Edit
At the other end of the age spectrum. The last 4 Optare Excels (257, 261, 263, 264) are expected to be withdrawn during November.
Quote from: Nathan on October 25, 2015, 05:49:42 PM
I believe they are either been delivered or ready to be delivered. Saw a photo of one of them on Facebook.
Must admit, i wish NX went for B8RLE's for the 37//1/72 instead of E200MMC's.
They have been delivered, as they were supposed to be in service on the Two today, fleet numbers are 770 (BF65 WLE)-781 (Not sure on the reg), the Elites will have the fleet numbers 80-88 (YX65 ZHK-YX65 ZHU)
Quote from: Nathan on October 25, 2015, 05:49:42 PM
I believe they are either been delivered or ready to be delivered. Saw a photo of one of them on Facebook.
Must admit, i wish NX went for B8RLE's for the 37/71/72 instead of E200MMC's.
Right you are, delivered, look stunning inside and out!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137322335@N08/22443135025/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137322335@N08/22443143325/
There should be 11 apparently
Quote from: Nathan on October 25, 2015, 05:49:42 PM
I believe they are either been delivered or ready to be delivered. Saw a photo of one of them on Facebook.
Must admit, i wish NX went for B8RLE's for the 37/71/72 instead of E200MMC's.
There's a photo of a yellow one at Heyshsm docks although I don't recall which website. Visually it looks very much like the Eclipse 2 B7RLEs. Is there a new Eclipse 3 body due out any time soon, i.e. the single deck equivalent of the body as seen on the latest Lothian and First B5TLs?
Quote from: Mike K on October 25, 2015, 06:50:09 PM
There's a photo of a yellow one at Heyshsm docks although I don't recall which website. Visually it looks very much like the Eclipse 2 B7RLEs. Is there a new Eclipse 3 body due out any time soon, i.e. the single deck equivalent of the body as seen on the latest Lothian and First B5TLs?
I believe Wrightbus plan to offer the new funny fronts eventually. Last months issue of Buses magazine explains it more thoroughly.
Quote from: Ashley 60171 on October 25, 2015, 06:55:06 PM
I believe Wrightbus plan to offer the new funny fronts eventually. Last months issue of Buses magazine explains it more thoroughly.
I think the Streetdeck style fronts will ruin the Eclipse bodywork. The styling only sits well on some typically plainer liveries.
Quote from: Winston on October 25, 2015, 07:50:57 PM
I think the Streetdeck style fronts will ruin the Eclipse bodywork. The styling only sits well on some typically plainer liveries.
I agree Winston. A single decker version would look too much like an E200MMC. I hope Wrightbus stick with their classic Eclipse designs. As has been said before, you wouldn't think the design is approaching 15 years old. It still looks pretty new.
Quote from: Ashley 60171 on October 25, 2015, 09:06:35 PM
I agree Winston. A single decker version would look too much like an E200MMC. I hope Wrightbus stick with their classic Eclipse designs. As has been said before, you wouldn't think the design is approaching 15 years old. It still looks pretty new.
I agree, the Eclipse bodywork styling has aged pretty well with only fairly minor design changes over the years.
Quote from: Ashley 60171 on October 25, 2015, 09:06:35 PM
I agree Winston. A single decker version would look too much like an E200MMC. I hope Wrightbus stick with their classic Eclipse designs. As has been said before, you wouldn't think the design is approaching 15 years old. It still looks pretty new.
Plus Streetlites are pretty ugly looking monstrosities
Quote from: Winston on October 25, 2015, 09:24:23 PM
I agree, the Eclipse bodywork styling has aged pretty well with only fairly minor design changes over the years.
These new Trent Barton examples are badged as Eclipse 3 but what's the difference between this body and the Eclipse 2? I can't work out what's different on either these or the Go North East demonstrator, which is also an Eclipse 3. Not that that's a bad thing as the Eclipse 2 was a smart looking body.
Few detail differences eg grille plus interior, window line at the back slopes up like a StreetLite! Plus the ones so far are better looking than many later Eclipse 2s because of bonded glazing!
Quote from: DiamondDart on October 28, 2015, 11:22:13 AM
Few detail differences eg grille plus interior, window line at the back slopes up like a StreetLite! Plus the ones so far are better looking than many later Eclipse 2s because of bonded glazing!
Hadn't noticed the sloping window line - it's a bit lost with the bonded glazing, but I agree, these look much smarter with bonded glass. The GNE example does have the same front grille as the NXWM Eclipse 2s so that must be something you can specify. Presumably Trent Barton will be putting branding or fleetnames there.
Quote from: DiamondDart on October 25, 2015, 06:25:39 PM
Right you are, delivered, look stunning inside and out!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137322335@N08/22443135025/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137322335@N08/22443143325/
There should be 11 apparently
I think there's actually 12, a few in service shots:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian66251/22431753940/in/pool-busandcoach65/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian66251/21996872484/in/pool-busandcoach65/
Rear:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/channel4squares/22302774530/in/pool-busandcoach65/
The Ruddington Connection (Nottingham-Trent Bridge-Wilford-Ruddington or Ruddington Fields Business Park) is to be withdrawn on Sunday 22nd November. It is understood that the Solos may move elsewhere in the fleet.
Quote from: Alex on November 18, 2015, 12:13:22 PM
The Ruddington Connection (Nottingham-Trent Bridge-Wilford-Ruddington or Ruddington Fields Business Park) is to be withdrawn on Sunday 22nd November. It is understood that the Solos may move elsewhere in the fleet.
I can personally see a transfer to TM Travel happening with these Solos, we've still got a large number of non DDA Solos running around, plus the odd couple of Olympians.
Today is the first day of the Robin Hood Smartcard in Nottingham funded with a £2.5m grant from DfT which will replace existing multi operator tickets such as Kangaroo (pity it's a memorable name with easy to recognise logo)
http://m.nottinghampost.com/Nottingham-s-Oyster-style-Robin-Hood-travel-card/story-28353045-detail/story.html
Quote from: JoNi on December 14, 2015, 12:03:56 PM
Today is the first day of the Robin Hood Smartcard in Nottingham funded with a £2.5m grant from DfT which will replace existing multi operator tickets such as Kangaroo (pity it's a memorable name with easy to recognise logo)
http://m.nottinghampost.com/Nottingham-s-Oyster-style-Robin-Hood-travel-card/story-28353045-detail/story.html
Good news for the Nottingham area.
It is interesting to read that the card is similar to London's Oyster card, in that it puts a daily cap on the cost of travel, unlike the West Midlands Swift card which fails very badly on that front in my opinion.
In other news, from the 27th December, the peak time only Club Class is being withdrawn, with its last day of operation being Christmas Eve. I wonder what will happen to the two B10M's (YRC 180/YRC 181) currently on there, as the current likelihood is them transferring to Notts & Derby, along with ex-Red Arrow 62 (YRC 182), although they may be withdrawn.
One of the ex-Red Arrow 10 plates, 74, has transferred to TM Travel, with the other 4 staying at Trent Barton, 75 being painted into a variant of the new Red Arrow livery, the other 3 are apparently for a new ''Skylink Express'' service starting next year
742-745 will be painted into spare livery from ''the Two'' livery, 743 having already being completed, with 746-750 being put into ''the Comet'' livery, all of which are now done.
498 and 499 are now in spare livery as well, following the withdrawal of the Ruddington Connection at the end of November.
Recent news:
Ex Club Class Coaches 57 and 58 are at Notts and Derby with ex Red Arrow 62. 62 has the seats from 63 which is now withdrawn.
Excels - 264 is at Notts and Derby, 263 is withdrawn so the only excels left are 257 and 261.
A number of Paladins are for sale
The X 38 is definitely not having coaches then...what's used on it now
Quote from: Bob on January 07, 2016, 09:42:32 PM
The X 38 is definitely not having coaches then...what's used on it now
L94UB's, B7RLE's and Solo's I believe.
Quote from: Bob on January 07, 2016, 09:42:32 PM
The X 38 is definitely not having coaches then...what's used on it now
A bit of everything! Most colourful.
Quote from: Bob on January 07, 2016, 09:42:32 PM
The X 38 is definitely not having coaches then...what's used on it now
Tempos
Quote from: Reece on January 07, 2016, 10:39:51 PM
Tempos
@Reece The Tempos (307/8) were de branded last year and moved onto other work. Apparently they weren't that reliable.
@ashley that's what I mean. Is it other unbranded examples used now then?
Quote from: Bob on January 08, 2016, 06:50:35 AM
@ashley that's what I mean. Is it other unbranded examples used now then?
As far as I know, there haven't been any Tempos at all on the X38 since the summer at a push. But I stand to be corrected by somebody more local. I will be going up there at some point soon.
Quote from: Ashley 60171 on January 07, 2016, 10:41:41 PM
@Reece
The Tempos (307/8) were de branded last year and moved onto other work. Apparently they weren't that reliable.
Sir, you are the master of understatement!!
I am not a regular traveller, but prior to de-branding, I rarely saw both Tempos on the road, and sometimes saw neither. I have seen a Tempo on X38 on one occasion since de-branding. It was broken down in Burton!
Generally,
@646 is, of course, spot on, any spare vehicle that is available. There seems to be a preference for Volvos (logical, they are the nicest buses at Derby), and there was talk of branding two of them. Putting 10-reg coaches on there was never going to work. Whoever thought of that had either never been on the route, or was desperate to find work for two coaches!
Why wouldn't it have worked? Loads of limited stop services have had coaches on in the past? Remember Midland Express? And the red arrow has coaches? What's the difference? In fact the X38 used to have coaches
Both Tempos are still branded for the X38, they're just constantly breaking down. And unfortunately Trent Barton said that they're refurbishing them. So it looks like they're staying (in the garage) a little longer!! I'm disappointed that they haven't realised that they need replacing!! It's gotten so bad that Eclipse 723 has transferred to help!! ::)
Bob. The difference is the Red Arrow only has one intermediate stop, is a short but "proper" express service and people expect a high floor coach on it. The X38 is a bus route that happens to have a quick sprint in the middle, but is hardly the same league. Midland Express was many years ago when customer service expectations were different (no DDA). Yes, I too would like to see BMMO S22s on the X12 again, but those days have gone.
From what I have seen, there is a small but significant patronage by people with pushchairs and the occasional wheelchair on the X38. I pity the poor driver who would have to load and unload a wheelchair on one of these coaches, then cope with the delay to the service. The 10-reg coaches are also considerably longer than 12 metres. Progress into Burton via the railway station can be slow at the best of times due to narrow roads, parked cars and traffic volumes. While the coach is nice for the A38 section of the route, its unsuitability for the rest of what is after all a normal bus route cannot be ignored. One must also consider why these vehicles have been replaced on the Red Arrow so soon, being replaced at the same time as their 04-reg predecessors (lower than expected reliability?). Furthermore, I understand the drivers recognised the accumulative problems and simply didn't want them. The Volvo/Wright buses are excellent and suitable. Good decision!
A Skylink express is being introduced between Nottingham and East Midlands airport seemingly using coaches.
https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/services/skylinkexpress
Quote from: JoNi on January 08, 2016, 09:45:48 PM
A Skylink express is being introduced between Nottingham and East Midlands airport seemingly using coaches.
https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/services/skylinkexpress
@JoNi Irizar i4's 72, 73 & 76 are being done for it, I believe
Also of note, is that the vehicles on ''Indigo'' are being refurbished and rebranded with the new ''Indigo'' identity, along with a lower frequency of every 10 minutes to Long Eaton, with a reduced PVR (14) compared to before, which I believe was around 20, meaning a few B7RLEs can be displaced onto other routes (Black Cat, possibly?) (Link: https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/indigoinstyle)
8 buses are coming off Indigo so yeah it would be nice to put four on Black Cat. The others are likely to replace remaining Excels 257 and 261.
Solar 624 has gone to Kinch us to replace 451, which has gone to TM Travel, and 624 was only in trentbarton spare livery for a few months
Generic livery 675 was on the V4 earlier today in Burton
The former club class coach was on the Uttoxeter 50 today (in Club Class livery minus logos)...
Last time I saw that was when I bashed it to Trent Bridge (vice Solar)
Saw a N&D Plaxton paladin approaching Riverlights earlier displaying route number 11.
I thought these wasn't allowed to be in passenger service now?
Also I saw The Really Good Trainer Bus earlier too in Derby approaching Riverlights
Solo on the Mickleover today vice branded urban
Zig zag branded Urban on Red Arrow today
DTV 131 currently on loan to TM Travel.
The new Enviro 200 MMCs are now in service on the Mickleover. Their first day was Friday 9th December. They are:
101 YX66 WLK
102 YX66 WLL
103 YX66 WLN
104 YX66 WLO
105 YX66 WLP
106 YX66 WLR
107 YX66WLU
108 YX66WLV
The other new MMCs for the Nines to Mansfield will enter service in January according to
http://www.derbybusdepot.co.uk/
A pic of one of the new buses for the Nines: (not mine)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/guy_arab_uf/30713332014/in/photolist-NN2Rz9-Q5ntHF
See photo links thread for link to a pic of one of the new Mickleovers
Information regarding new buses for Skylink (both Derby and Nottingham services), rushcliffe mainine and the allestree.
https://trentbarton.co.uk/news-and-media/our-news/article/investment2017
The new buses on Skylink Derby are new Citaros to presumably displace the 3 L94UBs currently used. Rushcliffe Mainline, Allestree and Skylink Nottingham are getting Enviro 200 MMCs. Cotgrave Connection and Keyworth Connection are getting some revamped buses maybe the former Mickleover B7RLEs displaced by MMC200s in December.
They seem to need far more than 3 citaros - every time I am in Derby there seem to be numerous random Kinch vehicles on the Skylink, even Solos.
There are 8 x 64 reg Citaros in Skylink Derby livery as well as the 3 x 04 reg Scanias. Presumably the 3 new Citaros will make it an all Citaro service
One of the Citaros on Skylink had a "issue" at Ema bus station in late Feb, and I think it's been off since then. They had a 21 Tempo off the road from Sept till March with "Engines Issues". They put it back out and it has broke down 3 Times! Burrows Recovery are making a killing off them. Last year they had Two Tempo Sr's broken down outside the White Lion waiting for tows at the same time. The gearboxes overheat on them when it gets above 20. One of the Cotgrave Buses smashed into a car in Cotgrave this week. I wonder if they will fix it.
Go ahead given for demolition of Nottingham Broad Marsh car park and redevelopment of area including bus station.
http://www.itv.com/news/central/2017-06-01/broadmarsh-car-park-to-be-demolished/
Trent Barton to joint Flixbus network with 9 coaches, I find that a surprise
Maybe to go with the acquisition of Littles into Wellglade. Also the order includes 10 coaches for the red arrow which will be good as earlier in the week only 3 of the 9 were out with 4 spares covering the rest.
When did they buy Littles
I think they've be struggling with availability on Red Arrow for a while
Quote from: Mayfield on November 15, 2024, 06:13:34 PMWhen did they buy Littles
I think they've be struggling with availability on Red Arrow for a while
Last couple of weeks.
They were struggling but over the last couple of months it had got better. This week, even with 704 and 740 returning to Derby as spares, they seem to have started struggling again on the Derby routes.
@Mayfield - there was already an existing Trent Barton thread, please check before starting new threads, Winston.
Quote from: winston on November 15, 2024, 09:19:14 PM@Mayfield - there was already an existing Trent Barton thread, please check before starting new threads, Winston.
I did look but couldn't find it, my apologies
Quote from: Mayfield on November 15, 2024, 11:04:49 PMI did look but couldn't find it, my apologies
I just used the 'search' facility.
Enviro200MMC 125 (YX67 VFC) caught fire at the bottom of Charnwood Road in Shepshed today.
Image on Leicestershire live, sorry don't know how to put link on