WM Bus Photos Forum

West Midlands Buses in Discussion => National Express West Midlands => Topic started by: monkeyjoe on November 17, 2018, 12:24:55 PM

Title: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: monkeyjoe on November 17, 2018, 12:24:55 PM
Saw a post on Facebook, someone saying two drivers were talking about plans for a bus depot in chelmsley wood and the 55 and 94 merging into one route. Is it a load of old tosh, anyone else heard this?
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: Steve3229vp on November 17, 2018, 12:33:05 PM
Quote from: monkeyjoe on November 17, 2018, 12:24:55 PM
Saw a post on Facebook, someone saying two drivers were talking about plans for a bus depot in chelmsley wood and the 55 and 94 merging into one route. Is it a load of old tosh, anyone else heard this?
I'd say no truth in either of them, besides how could the 55 and 94 be merged into one route when the routes are only the same between City and Ward End, after that they are completely different
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: winston on November 17, 2018, 12:34:11 PM
Anything's possible, with PB closing to make way for Commonwealth Games Village & The Adderley Street bus park of BC earmarked to become a Metro Park & Ride site in the future.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: 2206 on November 17, 2018, 03:27:53 PM
Quote from: Winston on November 17, 2018, 12:34:11 PM
Anything's possible, with PB closing to make way for Commonwealth Games Village & The Adderley Street bus park of BC earmarked to become a Metro Park & Ride site in the future.
The depot bit could be.
But not the 55 & 94 after Ward End once they're of the Washwood Heath Road they take completly different routes to Chelmsley. Though I suppose they could always see changes, but there's no way you can "merge" them.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: Brummie45 on November 17, 2018, 03:39:54 PM
Only way to merge the routes is to form a circular route. One way via Kingshurst and the other way via Castle Bromwich.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: monkeyjoe on November 17, 2018, 04:33:15 PM
Merging could mean a comment I've made before, make the 94 the 54 or the 55a  or vice versa to simplify number sequences . Like they did with the 37 and 31 I.e 4. Just thinking out loud.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: DJ on November 17, 2018, 05:46:34 PM
Quote from: monkeyjoe on November 17, 2018, 04:33:15 PM
Merging could mean a comment I've made before, make the 94 the 54 or the 55a  or vice versa to simplify number sequences . Like they did with the 37 and 31 I.e 4. Just thinking out loud.

Makes sense to me, similar to how we now have the 11 and 11A rather than the 311/11 and 313/13.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: Kevin on November 18, 2018, 08:46:42 PM
Quote from: Brummie45 on November 17, 2018, 03:39:54 PM
Only way to merge the routes is to form a circular route. One way via Kingshurst and the other way via Castle Bromwich.

It's not a bad shout to be honest, a circular could involve Cooks Lane in case anyone is still whinging about the loss of the 94 along there
A depot around say J5 on the M6 would serve a number of PB routes well, they could take some BC routes so BC can have further away PB routes
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: 2206 on November 18, 2018, 08:56:44 PM
Quote from: Kevin on November 18, 2018, 08:46:42 PM
It's not a bad shout to be honest, a circular could involve Cooks Lane in case anyone is still whinging about the loss of the 94 along there
A depot around say J5 on the M6 would serve a number of PB routes well, they could take some BC routes so BC can have further away PB routes
J5 would be the Castle Vale area rather than Chelmsley Wood though.
Also where would you put it in that area?
Quote from: monkeyjoe on November 17, 2018, 12:24:55 PM
Saw a post on Facebook, someone saying two drivers were talking about plans for a bus depot in chelmsley wood and the 55 and 94 merging into one route. Is it a load of old tosh, anyone else heard this?
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: Kevin on November 19, 2018, 07:52:25 AM
Quote from: 2206 on November 18, 2018, 08:56:44 PM
J5 would be the Castle Vale area rather than Chelmsley Wood though.
Also where would you put it in that area?

Valid. I was just going for a generally East area, didn't even read the bit about it being specifically Chelmsley Wood.
Also. I've no particular idea where you would put it in either area, not convinced there's anywhere in CW you could put one
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: Solo1 on November 19, 2018, 08:06:02 AM
Wonder if they could buy back Lea hall do it up & use that
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: 2900 on November 19, 2018, 09:21:21 AM
Can't see any old depots being recommisioned being they don't really fit into the low cost ethos i.e high rates for roofed buildings etc. It's more like patch of land some porta cabins and a  few sheds for maintenance work, and a massive supply of umbrellas would be a bonus,  The Farm I is thinking
Tony did mention here some where PB replacement will be custom built for modern bus operations.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: SK68MEV on November 19, 2018, 03:43:51 PM
Lee hall has just been abandoned it's not used at all since it closed
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: 2206 on November 19, 2018, 03:48:52 PM
Quote from: Hammad on November 19, 2018, 03:43:51 PM
Lee hall has just been abandoned it's not used at all since it closed
NX Bus sold it, its no longer owned by them.
I've not looked inside to see if its still in use today, but looking at street view on Google Maps it was clearly in use in October 2015, looks like it was being used to store clothing.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Vintage+Wholesale+UK/@52.4863024,-1.7875195,3a,41.4y,78.32h,83.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sW2NQNdTvkUGu4CH5QuM52g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x4870bba66e962817:0xdbe931a056aad536!8m2!3d52.4866771!4d-1.7875642
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: winston on November 19, 2018, 03:56:11 PM
Quote from: 2206 on November 19, 2018, 03:48:52 PM
NX Bus sold it, its no longer owned by them.
I've not looked inside to see if its still in use today, but looking at street view on Google Maps it was clearly in use in October 2015, looks like it was being used to store clothing.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Vintage+Wholesale+UK/@52.4863024,-1.7875195,3a,41.4y,78.32h,83.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sW2NQNdTvkUGu4CH5QuM52g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x4870bba66e962817:0xdbe931a056aad536!8m2!3d52.4866771!4d-1.7875642

The rear yard & half of the depot was leased back to NX for vehicle storage. If you carry on to the end of the depot fence just before the roundabout on that Streetview, you will see stored Mercs parked in the back yard. Inside housed withdrawn bendi's in dry storage.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: 2206 on November 19, 2018, 04:07:13 PM
Quote from: Winston on November 19, 2018, 03:56:11 PM
The rear yard & half of the depot was leased back to NX for vehicle storage. If you carry on to the end of the depot fence just before the roundabout on that Streetview, you will see stored Mercs parked in the back yard. Inside housed withdrawn bendi's in dry storage.
They emptied it a few years back though didn't they and as far as I know nothing is stored there now, so presumably its no longer leased to them now?
I recall seeing a few Mercs at the Fox and Goose, in TC and TWM livery at the time, being moved to MS, or going for scrap.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: winston on November 19, 2018, 04:42:37 PM
Quote from: 2206 on November 19, 2018, 04:07:13 PM
They emptied it a few years back though didn't they and as far as I know nothing is stored there now, so presumably its no longer leased to them now?
I recall seeing a few Mercs at the Fox and Goose, in TC and TWM livery at the time, being moved to MS, or going for scrap.

The back yard was full at one point. The inside housed the Scania bendi's and B10L's potentially earmarked as possible driver trainers. Nothing is stored their now & I assume any leasing arrangements have expired.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: monkeyjoe on November 19, 2018, 06:09:10 PM
I don't think modern approach would be to have depots in residential areas
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: monkeyjoe on February 17, 2022, 06:37:29 AM
Took 3 years for so called 94 /95 merger, still curious about the depot now anymore speculation out there?.
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: D10 on February 17, 2022, 08:19:54 PM
Or forget speculation and wait to hear where the new East Birmingham depot is going to be when NX are in a position to officially announce it?
Title: Re: Bus depot in East Brum
Post by: monkeyjoe on February 18, 2022, 02:37:01 AM
With all due respect you could say that about a lot of posts on here the reason I come on here is to read about insider topics and views rather than which bus appeared on which route etc.