Messages

I think it sensible of NX to opt for E400 double deckers as the Volvo B5 and Wright Streetdeck only have 5 litre, 4 cylinder engines and going too small with the engine has not generally been successful. The Leyland Tiger Cub, Bristol, with the Gardner 4LK and more recently the Volvo B6 were not popular. Reading these columns some drivers prefer the Trident to the E400 as it has the bigger Cummins engine.

Many thanks MW.

4033 please. I have seen the rest of AG's Presidents in the last few weeks but not 4033.

4514 was in Acocks Green Village this afternoon. I think it was displaying 11E, but couldn't be sure as the sun was so bright.

06, 08, 10 and 16 were working on Monday 20th April. 33 was on test.

6135 0n the 50 this morning.

1787 was mentioned somewhere on this site as moving to Dundee. Evidently it did not happen.

1787 is not included in the March changes as being transferred to Dundee. Is it only on loan? Dundee will need to replace the 6 B10L's by the end of 2015 and the remaining 8 Rreg B 1 BLE's,if they do not have ramps

2085 and 2087 were on the 9 this morning.

Sad to see the Bendies go from the 67, but if they can be replaced by the same number of deckers on the same schedule they did not make commercial sense. Why carry about an extra 4 tons of bus all day? In London on the 436 26 Bendies were replaced by 32 Enviro 400's, and on the 453 23 Bendies were replaced by 34 Enviro 400's. I took the information from Visions [The London Bus Guides].
NXWM have successfully operated express routes to Perry Barr and along the Coventry Road for some time now and are upgrading them with Platinum buses. This is surely the way ahead and not "Sprint" which does the opposite and puts the faster buses on the shorter routes. If Bendies have not worked on the 67 why reintroduce them. I can miss the 59 in the City Centre and take the next 900 or 957 and be able to catch up the 59 by the Swan. Why not let the operators work out the routes instead of Councils or Quangos, who know nothing about how to run a bus service.

Will all 58 platinum buses be needed for routes 900, 957, X51, 997, 934, 935 and 936?

4259 on the X51 this afternoon.

08 and 09 in service today.

I am sorry to see the Scania Bendies go despite all their problems. I have had my pensioners pass now for some years and while I travel on the top deck when there is one many people my age like the Bendies with 32 seats  being reached without  a step. Why go to the expense of a low step entry if you have to climb a step inside, whilst the bus is moving? The worst buses for this are the new Routemasters where many of the seats on the lower deck are either up steps or face backwards. This design is a victory of vanity over sanity.

Sorry if this post is in the wrong section.

4813 and 4822 on the 16 this morning.