Messages

Centro have made the right decisions; I'm glad the free travel on the train and metro has been kept. My Dad uses that most Saturdays to get to the football and it would not be practical to get the bus from Solihull all the way up to Wolverhampton. I know others who do the same and also commented they did not want the train travel cut as is it useful.

:) I'm also relieved they've kept the free train travel for Centro ENCTP holders - it's a perk I do use, also for football.  Try getting to Highgate United by bus ........
I believe South Yorkshire are scrapping their similar concession from this March .......

6027 noted around midday heading up Rectory Road (Good Hope Hospital) away from Sutton.  Couldn't tell if it was in or out of service.

Can't think for a moment that it was on the 115/914, so I guess it was heading to Fairfax / Willmott schools for an afternoon schools service .... although it was pretty early if that was the case.  I have seen bendis on these schools services before, but they aren't common.

... 'cos according to a cab-radio message I overheard about 1/2 hour ago - it appears to have gone missing!!!  ;D ;D ;D

I'm sure there's a rational explanation ....

Frequency - not brilliant, I'd say on average one movement every 15-20 minutes maximum during the daytime. If you're unlucky, you might only see one freight in an hour.   Much less on Saturday but I have seen the occasional mass light-loco working towards Bescot on Saturday afternoons, the largest convoy I've noted was 6 class 66's but that was a couple years back now.  A lot of Saturday traffic depends on positioning movements for week-end engineering work, running to/from Bescot Yard, and that could bring 3 or 4 Saturday afternoon workings - or none!

However I got lucky this afternoon while visiting the Ryland Road tip - DR73923 Mercury northbound and 60092 southbound.

Location - the old Sutton Park station (by the GPO sorting office) used to be good, but it's now a building site, so no longer any line-side access, I'm pretty sure.  So your best bets are either the north end of East View Road, Sutton Coldfield which runs parallel to the track, or if you don't mind a short walk, take the Newhall country park cycle path southwards from Wylde Green Road (by the pedestrian crossing near Newhall Mill), and the railway crosses that path and Plantsbrook on a bridge about 1/4 mile down there.  Nice location in the summer when it's dry.

When I saw "London Buses" as a thread topic on this West Midlands Bus board, I thought you were going to be talking about the ex-London Transport DMS Fleetlines that were acquired by WMPTE back in the late 1970's ....  ;D

I remember a batch of them were at Quinton garage, mainly working the old 9 route ..... 8)

I think there was about 30 acquired in all?

Google "wmpte 5514" if you want to see what they looked like ...

For the record 4723/27/30 working all day on the 115/914 roster - managed to ride 4727/30

Also 1863 on the 914 around midday, which again I luckily caught - much chuntering from three old ladies getting onboard at Lidl, Pype Hayes ....

"Well you don't usually see a single deck bus on this route - fair threw me, it did ...."

Quite, Madam!  ;D

There was a south-bound 71E working yesterday lunchtime, noted at ASDA Minworth, destination "Chelmsley Wood".  2106 from memory. An actual 71, a 70**, was pretty much right behind it. 

Not usual to see a 71E ...... presumably something out of sync trying to get back on sync via a short-working ......

Still not migrated south, but noted around Sutton this morning, were 4723 (907) and 4727 (904/115)

1694 on 5 in Sutton - not seen one 'o they over here for ages.

7021 on 71.  Only mentioned because I can't remember if this was the one Rob wanted confirmation had moved to AG, and there's too many posts to trawl back ......  ;D

1846 on the 115

Bucket leather seats and tinted windows .... vroom, vroom!  8)  So comfy, I nearly missed me stop ...

7020 on the 71 this a.m.

Shape of things to come?  ;D

Omnilinks on the 71/72 aren't unusual Ossie they get a mixture of both B7's and Omnilinks :)

Hmm, I've always thought them a bit of a rarity, Rob ..... that said, just seen 7025 on the 71 today !!  ;D ;D ;D

2256 on the Sainsbury Free Bus in Sutton today.  Mind you, just about anything can turn up on this route .....  ;D

4931 SHAKIRAH out on 38

On the 904 today, I believe ..... certainly one of the Sutton routes

Thanks, Mike!

7020 on the 71 this a.m.

Shape of things to come?  ;D

As a matter of interest - I've never had an Oystercard or similar - how can you (the passenger) tell when the darn thing has run out of credit?  ???