Messages

I have driven the 4H, weekdays, Saturdays and on a Sunday at Diamond. There is an awful lot of time on the route, but when there are roadworks this is a huge advantage. I much prefer to sit in Oldbury/Halesowen etc for a few minutes knowing ill be leaving on time.

Do we have any idea of which operators are increasing services? I know of Arriva going back to around 80-90% service possibly start of June, but what about Diamond, NXC?

Day trips and holidays cancelled till 22nd July. It's a sad time for the coach industry it really is.

Versa's on the X84 again. Just shows that they never learn from past events really considering 2990 rarely managed to last a whole day on there. Looking at bustimes.org it appears that 2952 failed yesterday afternoon and 2958 had failed by 07:30 this morning which really is embarrassing considering the amount of available stock at the minute.

The Versas aren't made for a long route like the X84 at all and it is a pure stupid idea putting them on there, capacity wise also. Decent, reliable Volvo B9TLs such as 4210, 4207 etc should be on that route as it is a route they are made to do.

The following vehicles are currently SORN due to the lockdown:
2209, 2402, 2403, 2447, 2448, 2450, 2491, 2508, 2524, 2525, 2526, 2527, 2529, 2538, 2570, 2571, 2937, 2938, 2939, 2940, 2942, 2949, 2956, 2990, 3107, 3108, 3110, 3300, 3313, 3314, 3315, 3316, 3318, 3764, 3774, 3776, 3809, 3810, 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4008, 4009, 4010, 4011, 4012, 4013, 4014, 4028, 4200, 4201, 4202, 4203, 4204, 4205, 4206, 4207, 4208, 4209, 4210, 4211, 4212, 4217, 4503, 4505, 4507, 4512, 4515, 4746, 4748, 4749, 4751, 4752, 4753, 4754, 4755, 4756, 4757, 4758, 4759, 4760, 4761, 4762, 4763, 4764, 4765, 4766, 4767, 4768, 4769, 4770, 4771, 4772, 4773, 4774, 4775, 4777 and 5003.

Few others too, 2410, 4201.

4503 and 4505 are back on the fleet.

HST11 and H5 HST are currently at Coventry too.

Stoke On Trent have its either 4 or 5 Expat Mercedes Tourismo's currently whilst Coventry have the Stoke Scania Irizars, YR17CYH etc.

Wigston have been in a bad state on-off for many years. When 4765-4777 moved to Thurmaston in 2008, the 44 and 49 were just like they are now. Sometimes you got one of the usual DB250s, sometimes a Lowlander, but usually I kept seeing Commanders and Scania OmniCities, which also kept going on the 50 when it transferred the following summer. This went on for a year and a half until Wigston had the entire Lowlander fleet.

From 2016-2017 it was bad but still bearable, the only flaw being the ex-London Volvos running instead of the Lowlanders (although of course that's my personal preference). Some were OK I will admit. 4021 and 4025 are still good machines in Aylesbury and I had 4027 on the 49 just before it was withdrawn. Drove nice and smooth and I was kind of gutted when it was withdrawn. However, 4028 seems to be an awful bus that keeps breaking down. I remember going past it when it had done so in October 2018, and I thought they'd withdrawn it after that.

I'd say the downfall was caused by 2 things: Taking over Hinckley and the departure of 4536-4545, with the only replacements being 3105-3111. This was what's made the 44 and 49 back to how it was from 2008-2010. It should be (and I highly expect to get) a B7TL, a few B9TLs but of course, there's always an E200 to get in the way, but I think the 86 and 87 have got it worse as you can't predict that. Could be a Streetlite which are probably the most common, could be an Optare, could be a Volvo, could even be the Dennis Dart.

And as for Thurmaston, the only thing I'm going to point out is their failed promise to get more double-deckers on the 29 and 29A. In November and December they seem to manage about 4 or 5, sometimes 6 but throughout the remainder of the year, they only get 1.

Last time I drove 4028, in February, it was absolutely amazing! Was breaking down because some drivers kept turning the retarder off causing all sorts of faults.

Hello,

Not been on the forum myself for a while but any Harry Shaw/Expat questions I will try my best to answer!

As looked at above, the Tourismo with 'Harry Shaw' on the side in blue, is 3 KOV, Ex BU14SYS and is mainly used on the contract routes.

Mercedes Vario/Plaxton Cheetah SF08FTA is being re painted into the new orange (the same orange as BV19YKX/YKY), I have had a sneaky look, and it looks absolutely brilliant.

Cadet 2737 CX04FHZ has returned today on the service 8 to Lutterworth.

26223 - 41 Atherstone/9 Stockingford (no jokes....)

At what point does it stop being an unusual working and become general poor allocation of branded vehicles? 5/5A and Gold branded buses off route seems to be a daily occurrence now.

5/5A branded vehicles very rarely stray off route because there is only 3 of them and there is 4 boards for Them, the Golds are "STRICTLY ONLY FOR 48S" but seem to do absolutely everything.

Friday 8th June - 5/5A branded 36747 on the 48, Gold 26224 on 5/5A...

 26224 - 5/5A

10 branded 36750 was also on 5/5A, 10 branded 36757 was on 9s, 10 branded 36753 was on 17s and 36756 was on 18s.

Unbranded 39694/39697/36749 were all on 10s! Very strange.

Monday 4th June - 5/5A branded 36748 on the 10. Very rare since there is 3 5/5A brandeds and 5 buses on that route and also rare as there was 2 10 branded on the 5/5A!. Not very often a 5/5A branded strays off route either.

Saturday 26th

47652 - Nuneaton 10
26220 - 767/766, left Nuneaton around 1800 on a Tamworth 767, that one's usually a standard E200

17:52 767 to Tamworth.. standard E200/MAN on A weekday and a Gold on Saturdays.