Why do Arriva keep buying these? Absolutely crap buses, ive never been on anything so bloody underpowered the engines/gearboxes shriek pulling out on a flat road and if you heard one struggling to get up Chasetown High St, awful!
Jesus how underpowered are these buses? So not equipped for anything other than light duties
And arriva thought they'd be brilliant for 60's and 825's and 44's lol
Arriva now doubt get a discount on VDL products by buying them through Arriva bus & coach dealership in Gomersal
Not quite sure what's wrong with them...
Underpowered, horrendously noisy, scream when even trying to pull away from a bus stop on flat ground....
Don't get me wrong, they may be ok for some routes but not 60's and 825's
What would you put on 60 & 825? Idput Deckers on 60 and B10BLE on 825 lol
Deffo deckers for the 60's but 825's 2371-2376 were fine, if I was a driver I couldn't be drivin an sb200 for 5 hours
There was a rumour that the 825 was going back to stafford garage a while back
Oh so 825's could be operated by b6's or if stafford are like cannock they'll use mpd's lol
maybe the pulsars would transfer, stafford are welcome to em lol. Speakin of which surely the 57 plate ones are due a repaint??
The Staffords do need a repaint and maybe debranding, at least 1 out the 5 have been on Pye Greens, 1's or 2's and 3728 is startin to go blue at the back, that's pretty bad for a 57 plate but the centros are no better are they to be honest
i want em to hurry up and do a service review of Cannocks routes! its gotta be comin up for one surely? I wanna see some deckers out in force!!
Midland become arriva their deckers will come to cannock and cannock will class them as 'Brand New' lol
I wish they'd do summert with the route 1 buses, putting them on route 1 would be a good start lol but they need a major refurb and respray
I feel sorry for the poor passengers travelling all the way from Shrewsbury to Hanley on these whiny piles of crap! The 64/X64 used to be operated by a coach or at the very least a DP bus!
I quite like these, cannocks wouldn't be so bad if summert was done with them
like what lol?
Well 3737 and 3738 need their side and rear destination blinds fixed 4 a start lol and the interiors are vile as well 3736 sounds like a commander or am I the only 1 that thinks that?
They all sound like commanders lol its same crap bus with a different body. I wish Arriva would get off the Walsall routes & NXWM come back, better and cheaper! Even Metrobus interiors were better than the 1 branded Dafs
Bob next time u have the pleasure (bit of sarcasm) of travelling on 3736 listen to it then travel on of the other 3 there's a big difference in the sounds... 37, 38 and 39 sound the same but 3736 sounds very different.....
its prob just slightly more knackered an just got the Cannock maintenance standard ahaha
Lol I never actualy thought of that, bob I think u have just answered my question
Lol. Cannocks fleet is so crap these days. Far to many midi. buses used on long routes, too many Darts, tired B10BLEs, rubbish SB120s ( prob the bus i hate the most) and no deckers on busy routes. It needs a proper network review and some better buses, id start with reducing the pye greens to half hourly, reduce the 70 to hourly and bring back a quicker wolves bus ( like the 872) id reduce the 1 & 2 frequency and decker the 1 and full size the 2, id bring back a Cannock to Brum route and promote it properly and dump the stupid Huntington extension to the 1. Id have an hourly route to Rugeley and have an hourly equivalent of the 32/3 running btwn Hednesford and Cannock and a seperate Walsall via heath hayes and Brownhills.
I don't see why the 1 runs so often, I don't know why they couldn't make the 74 go to the dog - in - tree every hour, that would be plenty, I live in wimblebury and have to rely on the 23 wich is hourly
Wimblebury lol back of beyond
That's the 1, live by the old flaggin lamb pub and get to see a clapped out solo every hour lol
Scott st? The flats there am exactly same design n that as mine
I'm syacmore road me the shit part of wimblebury
ohhh there like the old type council houses ay they
That's the 1 the run down 1..... Lol
Lol try livin in Longford it use to be dead nice but the council have put all smackheads round here i hate it. At least once office of fair tradin have fin Arriva will be runnin the 23 so youll be able to get home with a daysaver ! I wanna no what buses theyre gonna move to Midland now Stafford have got loadsa B6s and are keepin em
The last arriva buses used on 23 before choice took over was the R/UAL, R/DUB and occasionly the P/CAL I think it was 1382 but no doubt it'll be a clapped out 51 plate dart now and coincil have just moved a family of druugies right opposite my house
Scum bags ay they :-( I remember when the 19 to wimblebury was run by a independent in the 80s/90s usin a plain green national lol
Blimey the only memories I have of the 19 are the old E/UNE/ F/ENF tigers I think and some old plaxton derwent F170DET I think and the occasional decker would run the route (very rare) I was only a kid and if it was anything bigger than a merc on it would excite me lol
Lol. Chase use to run a 303 to rose hill usin nationals & ex mid red cannock DP leopards that became arriva 35 lol
Can remember cannock had a load of H/UGO carlyle darts, they were a common bus on the 870, its strange when you look back at what arriva used in the past to what they use now...... I remember 2001 H501GHA been at cannock and ussed on the old 29 route Cannock to Rawnsley..... And did cannock used to have the G/TND carlyle mercs or the M/EDH ones??
G/TND used to be on the 21 cheslyn hay, 33, and occasionally the pye greens
I prefered the 709d, 811d mercs to the 814d, I remember having 1180 on the 23 once and it broke down on langholm drive and the replacement bus was 1171 and what was the nimbus cannock use to have... Was it K136ARE (the 1 Green Bus Service had)
Might of been. It started off with Stevensons, i used to think it had dead weird seat moquette it was same as what london transport used in DMS Fleetlines in the 70s! The L-NFA darts use to have the same
Were the L/NFA darts Derby/Burton buses? Don't ever recall them being Cannocks
Yea they were, might of ran in Rugeley for Stevensons as well cos they ran all the locals there
Its mad as I said before how you look back to how buses used to run to how they are now and there is a BIG difference
Quote from: bob on December 12, 2012, 11:50:40 PM
Might of been. It started off with Stevensons, i used to think it had dead weird seat moquette it was same as what london transport used in DMS Fleetlines in the 70s! The L-NFA darts use to have the same
That is probably where they came from. Stevensons had a load of DMS vehicles in the early 80s including ones acquired for spares only.
Quote from: arrivaaston on December 13, 2012, 12:12:19 AM
Were the L/NFA darts Derby/Burton buses? Don't ever recall them being Cannocks
Dennis Darts L300SBS and L301-305NFA were new to Stevensons (300-305).
I have a model of L300SBS in stevensons liverey with Cannock Garrages address on it, its got 14 Stretton on the blind
To be fair those Darts werent the best buses in the Stevensons fleet, they were the same as the P-PWW & P-RWU ones, pretty s***e! i dont think ive ever seen legroom as horrendous ( even women struggled) on any bus! To replace buses like Nationals which had plenty of room with crap like them, well
I couldn't stand the P/RWU or P/PWW vile darts if I'm honest, same as the hand down b6's L/TKA, L/YCU qnd L/HPP
God yea! they didnt last long. Ur right about how services etc have changed , i think theyre a lot worse
As its been said before, the cannock to brum route would of worked if it had a better route, going on the M6 was asking for trouble.... And what is the point in the 33 going to Walsall??
Quote from: arrivaaston on December 13, 2012, 08:11:00 PM
As its been said before, the cannock to brum route would of worked if it had a better route, going on the M6 was asking for trouble.... And what is the point in the 33 going to Walsall??
What is the point in the 33 going to Walsall?
Think carefully about the question you're asking there.
Ok but there's a 32 to brownhills then there's numerous buses from the high street, didn't it expand to walsall to replace fromer chase route 67 or 64 summert like that?
Quote from: arrivaaston on December 13, 2012, 09:09:06 PM
Ok but there's a 32 to brownhills then there's numerous buses from the high street, didn't it expand to walsall to replace fromer chase route 67 or 64 summert like that?
OK then I live in Heath Hayes, although I walk to Hednesford for the train whenever I go out, if my family need to get to Walsall without a long walk then they can catch the 33, oh no sorry, you don't want Heath Hayes to have a bus to Walsall
But, fundamentally, the purpose in extending the 33 beyond Brownhills to Walsall is to provide a service for the market that clearly exists there - otherwise the service wouldn't exist and we wouldn't have registered a competing commercial operation as Midland.
Although I don't expect the current timetable to continue in its present form (alas, we are now competing against ourselves!) it is sustainable - demand is there. So that is the point in the 33 extending beyond Brownhills.
I'm all for constructive criticism, suggestions and even the more-analytical-than-usual questions, but unless you have access to our route cost index and Wayfarer data, with all due respect you can't really be shouting the odds on what is and isn't profitable!
I read somewhere on here about how somebody thinks the Pye Greens should be reduced in frequency. I'm sure they would be if the takings were rubbish! The point in business is to provide a quality service and make a profit - we are aware of that!
I wasn't saying that at all, sorry if it came accross that way, by the way how long u lived in Heath Hayes? My mum grew up there and I was just saying wouldn't it be eaiser to have just a 33 and sxrap the 32 then because there is times where they run together
There has pretty much always been demand for a service between Heath hayes and Walsall, id say its less nowadays considering WMPTE/WMT used deckers on the 345 & Arriva use MPDs, ( the worst buses ever for longer distances!). It was me who made the remark about the 25/26,I wouldnt call it much of a quality service tbf, half empty deckers, MPDs, midibuses or full size at any given time. It used to be an important route and had branded vehicles, its deteriorated somewhat....
Years ago Pye Greens were operated by branded mercs
Quote from: bob on December 13, 2012, 11:18:22 PM
There has pretty much always been demand for a service between Heath hayes and Walsall, id say its less nowadays considering WMPTE/WMT used deckers on the 345 & Arriva use MPDs, ( the worst buses ever for longer distances!). It was me who made the remark about the 25/26,I wouldnt call it much of a quality service tbf, half empty deckers, MPDs, midibuses or full size at any given time. It used to be an important route and had branded vehicles, its deteriorated somewhat....
So, because your favourite types of bus aren't used and they are sometimes half-full, the service is of a low standard?
It is inconsistent. thats all im saying. going from branded buses promoting a service to a mix of sticking any available nail on there is a decline yes. Arriva provide a crap service for the extortionate ( compared to nxwm) fares they charge! Look at the DISGUSTING condition of the interiors of the 1 branded SB200s, is that a good quality service? The same goes for the SB120s, theyve had them how long and have only managed to refurb one?
Once again - inconsistent because you don't like the colour of the seats and you don't like Mini Pointer Darts...
Colour?? CONDITION! MPDs are terrible! If you think Arriva provide a quality service in Cannock you must have lost the plot
Quote from: bob on December 14, 2012, 09:16:32 AM
Colour?? CONDITION! MPDs are terrible! If you think Arriva provide a quality service in Cannock you must have lost the plot
I'm not the one who started a thread on the whiny nature of SB200s...
I can't recall the particular vehicles you mentioned from memory - it may well be that they are due a refurb - but the squabs themselves have to be of reasonable standard without holes and rips to pass MOT so I doubt very much that "disgusting" is an appropriate description for their condition.
I think 2731 was refurbed when at stafford, and let's be fair the interior on 2391 is vile and I think what's trying to be said is some of the buses could do with been refurbed, this may seem like a stupid question but how is it Burton can refurb their commanders and telford can do their sb120's but cannock don't do that many refurbs??
The seats on the SB120s are actually threadbare, and at least one has got head rests literally stitched back together. Also mechanically some of the buses are awful one of the mpds i think its an fk52 plate judders and shakes horrendously! V605 DBC is a knackered sounding bus, and yea Cannock dont refurb there buses any where near enough. Is there any more about the stafford branded SB200s going/being reallocated?
Not heard nothing for abit about those, 3731 is on the 32's today and the bus your on about is 2274 I think it was once Shrewsburys and it ratlles like hell, 2209's proberbly the best dart cannock have
Quote from: jarh_9394 on December 14, 2012, 08:49:44 AM
Once again - inconsistent because you don't like the colour of the seats and you don't like Mini Pointer Darts...
You're wasting your time, you won't get through to the Arriva Cannock hate club on here, I've tried :P
Slowly learning!
Obviously people on here are givin their opinions and ithers take it to heart, bit daft really
I kinda want someone like VIP or Sandwell Travel to end up operation in Cannock so these people realize that Arriva aren't as bad as they think.
We did... Choice travel.. The old merc G541TBD always breaking down but I'm not criticising arriva, I photo their buses myself just don't have an internet site but what people are sayin some buses do need refurbing
At least if an independent started running in Cannock ( or even better NXWM started running there again) there would be an ELEMENT of choice & competition, wasnt deregulation supposed to bring that in???
Quote from: bob on December 14, 2012, 06:03:37 PM
At least if an independent started running in Cannock ( or even better NXWM started running there again) there would be an ELEMENT of choice & competition, wasnt deregulation supposed to bring that in???
Yet you did nothing but moan about Midland buses prior to our takeover by Arriva and question why NXWM "bother to continue running" Cannock extensions of the Birmingham service...
I think the point Bob is making is that Midland was never a high quality competitior-Im sorry if 13 year old darts and solos are considered high quality, arriva cannock both lacks investment and has no effort put into presenting the existing investment well and NXWM aren't at all committed to the X51 so essentially they may as well withdraw. So, in short, no competition in Cannock-even if Midland were ever considered anything more than a low rate competitor with some backing by Julian Peddle. You have to ask themselves why they sold it: a bad fleet not making much money-if it was then theyd have kept it and their other companies like D and G and in particular South Lancs Travel are of a much higher standard.
Whilst taking your comments on board and not by any means dismissing what you are saying, it was not a case of flogging a dead duck.
just got on the 75 to go to my works do, £3.20 one way to Stafford, good god!
In its heyday, the Green Bus Service was a great competitor, particularly on the Wolves route, although their fleet was primarily ancient Leopards & the occasional Atlantean, despite being old they were always absolutely immaculate. At one time MRN/Arriva seemed to have no interest in the Cannock to Walsall market, it was always run by WMT, i wonder when all that changed...
My mate paid the same price on the 74, I normaly buy the 6 pound day savers when I go out to leicester or derby or other places
Never been leicester mate. u up for goin 1 of the days? wud prob have to be a Sat for me like
PS u no the centro that sounds like a commander is it the one with standard arriva pattern seats?
Yes mate would be good :) and do you mean 3736??
How do i inbox u on here mate? did u receive the one the otha day?
I have no idea, ill leave me numba, give me a text that would be easiest 07716817523
Ok mate.
hi bob see they have some of your favourite buses at wednesfield MPD darts 51 plate ones maybe they are cummins see my first new topic
lol they am all cummins just earlier ones have crap b sereis engine
Does anyone else think these buses now desperately need a repaint? Arriva branding doesnt even look like this anymore! It looks like the one used on the X31 & the 1 route in Burton. Also as theyre 6 yrs old this year and the Stafford routes are supposed to be one of Cannocks better services maybe they could do with replacing and being used to upgrade other routes like the 1? Also are they EVER!!! going to get round to refurbing the 1 branded DAF buses? Every other garage with 52 plate sb200s has refurbed theirs!!!!
Agreed Bob!! And 3705 the only BF52 not refirbed, surely the 5 staffords could be used for 1's
They are but still sodding branded for the 74 and 75 typical joke allocating and so much for the new and more robust parking system at Cannock. That was the reply I had on their FB page.
Robust parking?
Quote from: bob on February 12, 2013, 01:20:58 PM
Robust parking?
I know I have heard some corporate crap but this rates as one of the best.
My mate told me today one of the Stafford Pulsars has been debranded wonder if the rest will follow?? Maybe theyre getting some new buses for the Stafford routes? Hope its not Versa's jesus
3730 has been de branded
Maybe its just the spare of the 5 thats been done? So it can be used on anything
3730 was debranded (arrivas words now) "to make viehcle allocation" easier although my m8 told me route 1 branded buses still turn up on the late 60/825 and there was 2 Stafford branded pulsars on 60/825 on Sunday
Quote from: arrivaaston on February 26, 2013, 09:01:27 AM
3730 was debranded (arrivas words now) "to make viehcle allocation" easier although my m8 told me route 1 branded buses still turn up on the late 60/825 and there was 2 Stafford branded pulsars on 60/825 on Sunday
Vehicle allocation another joke should be on windy millers avin a laugh thread.
Lol as I've said I think its just the fact that in Cannock, Stafford, Telford, Tamworth, there's no real competition so they can do what they like, ok Tamworth and Telford have a decent set of buses but if. For example the 110 runs half hour late out of Birmingham, there's no loss because there's no other operator that do a Birmingham - Tamworth route