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a diamond 71 was either a few minutes early this evening or nearly half hour late

On the couple of occasions I've had to use a late night Diamond 71 during the last few months, it's departed Sutton Coldfield about 5 late - but then run virtually non-stop through to Walmley where I've got off it, so quite possibly it's then, more or less, back on schedule ........

Now that the Rectory Road railway bridge in Sutton Coldfield has been totally rebuilt (without the road-narrowing arches), wouldn't it be an idea to relieve the awful congestion in Riland Road by diverting at least the 904 from Good Hope up the hill, then down into Sutton Parade from the Lichfield Road (the old 119 route)? 

Riland Road is getting beyond a joke these days - it took outward-bound 4938 on the 914 a good couple of minutes to inch past an inward-bound 2122 on the 71 last Tuesday, late morning, and I do mean inch .... I was on the lower deck of 4938 and I reckon the clearance at one stage was little more than 6 inches.  Very skillful driving.  Additionally, there was a 904 Falcon Lodge in front of us, and a 75 coming in from Coleshill behind 2122 ........

[Or we can just say bollocks to it... lets all fit Microchips in our necks with tracking, 360 degree cameras and sound recording.]

I still can't believe anyone would actually support this. You're all bloody brainwashed to make it seem that its OK to be sound and video recorded 24/7.

Back to my earlier point, how would passengers feel about microphones in the saloons? Everything everybody has ever said would be recorded.

You're all too scared to say what you really think. Why? If the press wasn't controlled in such way you'll all be less desensitized to what's actually happening around you. You lot are being blinded and brainwashed by the government. See though the shit you're being fed.
Or we can just say bollocks to it... lets all fit Microchips in our necks with tracking, 360 degree cameras and sound recording.
You'll be better off in prison.

Already here, LS - it's called Google Glass.  Audio/video recording is a feature.  And it's coming to a bus near you ........  :-X

Colas 70807 on the Sutton Park line this afternoon (the Westbury > Bescot freight working).

4246 on the 115 this afternoon, a real blast from the past!

Awarding two bouquets to AG staff today - firstly the driver who managed to stop an obviously confused elderly lady from poking a £5 note into the coin collection box for a single fare, then nodding her through - an act of kindness, and secondly the young trainee driver (and minder) out on the 71 today, for a faultless (if slightly slow!!  :D) journey.

If you read this, you'll know who you are.  Well done both of you!

Solved - it's with TJ Travel of Polesworth, Warwicks.

I know 60087's been in Colas service for a while now, but I spotted it being towed down the Sutton Park line towards Water Orton Junc last week.  It was being hauled by 47727 "Rebecca".  The Colas livery certainly looked smart on both the 47 and the 60!

This was one of the old AMPM double deckers.  I don't know if it went to Thandi or not when AMPM finished, but Flikr shows it with a firm in Preston in 2013.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbell50000/9417015867/

However, it was travelling up the Lichfield Road in Erdington yesterday!  Does anyone know if it's back with a local operator?

Also late gen - a very smart looking 4777 was performing on the 115 this morning; haven't seen one of that batch on the 115/914 routes for quite some time.

....... whats happened to the metro that was there

I think you're referring to POG539Y which was the old Sandwell Youth Bus, and again if you look it up on Flikr, there's comment that it was kept at Oldbury Fire Station.

It's said to have gone, sometime in the last three years or so, but sorry I don't know if it was scrapped or sold.  Is there anyone on the forum with knowledge of ex- WMPTE Metrobuses who might know ?

Query solved: apparently POG539Y was sold on by Sandwell, and I'm told it's currently residing in the yard of Storage King in Darlaston. 

....... whats happened to the metro that was there

I think you're referring to POG539Y which was the old Sandwell Youth Bus, and again if you look it up on Flikr, there's comment that it was kept at Oldbury Fire Station.

It's said to have gone, sometime in the last three years or so, but sorry I don't know if it was scrapped or sold.  Is there anyone on the forum with knowledge of ex- WMPTE Metrobuses who might know ?

Solo, see my post on your eco-bus thread.  Just a thought, perhaps this decker you saw in Oldbury was the "youth-bus" ?

If you google that T reg, you'll find there's Flikr pics of it.  I've only seen it the once, that was outside that huge College building on the West Brom ring-road, adjacent to the West Bromwich Central tram stop.

Its R291LHK.   Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.  Plenty of pics on Flikr if you google it.

Indeed, it's an ex-Dublin Bus Olympian, RV366.

The "eco-bus" is not to be confused with the Sandwell MBC "youth bus", T135AUA, which is bright red!  :)

Forget the timetable, I tend to regard the PPM simply as a shuttle!  8)

In my limited experience (mainly coming back from watching Stourbridge play on a Saturday afternoon), by 17:00 it's occasionally running out of synch to the timetable anyway. 

I've had journeys where the PPM has left Town on time and connected seamlessly into the 17:10(ish) Birmingham bound service from Junction.  I've had other journeys where the PPM has left Town 5m late, missing the Junction connection (doors of the 172 shutting as we arrived in Platform 1  >:( ) and on one occassion the following train from Junction was 10 down arriving and continued to lose time.  By the time I got back to the Birmingham city centre, I was around 30 minutes down ...... catching a 9 would have been quicker!!!