Vehicle Transfers

[Tony]

4860 BC-WN
6822; 6827; 6828 PB-BC
E291 from store at WN-PB for service

E286 and E290 both into service today to hit the 100 mark from this batch.

[Tony]

4511 WB-w (This will be going to Howards Coaches in place of 4521)
E285 & E294 to PB for service
6819; 6820; 6821 PB-BC

[frostjay974]

How many platinums are left at PB now?

[Tony]

How many platinums are left at PB now?

6805/14/15/17/18; 6960/3/4; 6995/6/7
along with 4777-4780 these are the only diesel double decks

[Tony]

6814; 6817; 6818; 6962 PB-WB
E298 to PB for service

[Ingleboro261F]

6814; 6817; 6818; 6962 PB-WB
E298 to PB for service

6964 too on 74

[Tony]

6964 too on 74

instead of 6962 (typo) which has been there for a couple of weeks

[cris 99]

I think he means 6964 6962 has been at WB a couple of weeks now

[Celestial Toymaker]

`obviously this wont go down well, anything i say never does but, as has been mentioned the change from two tome grey to single tone grey is a cost cutting exercise, here's one for you that you probably haven't thought of...

Now we are all agreed that with PB going all electric buses need to be cascaded, but, ive just seen 2 Platinums with X3, X4 X5 painted on them, one on the 80 and one on the 11A hmmm, cost cutting not these obviously need the branding removed, also i saw another vehicle earlier also on the 11A with 16A painted on, still in old livery i agree but this branding is very misleading especially if you are a visitor to Birmingham or the UK for the first time, AG seems to be the worst offender at the moment, for route allocated vehicles appearing on the 11.

[Ingleboro261F]

`obviously this wont go down well, anything i say never does but, as has been mentioned the change from two tome grey to single tone grey is a cost cutting exercise, here's one for you that you probably haven't thought of...

Now we are all agreed that with PB going all electric buses need to be cascaded, but, ive just seen 2 Platinums with X3, X4 X5 painted on them, one on the 80 and one on the 11A hmmm, cost cutting not these obviously need the branding removed, also i saw another vehicle earlier also on the 11A with 16A painted on, still in old livery i agree but this branding is very misleading especially if you are a visitor to Birmingham or the UK for the first time, AG seems to be the worst offender at the moment, for route allocated vehicles appearing on the 11.

There's absolutely no way you would have seen an X3/4/5 bus on the 11A, Acocks green don't have any as far as I'm aware

[Celestial Toymaker]

There's absolutely no way you would have seen an X3/4/5 bus on the 11A, Acocks green don't have any as far as I'm aware

7503 ?

[2900]

`obviously this wont go down well, anything i say never does but, as has been mentioned the change from two tome grey to single tone grey is a cost cutting exercise, here's one for you that you probably haven't thought of...

Now we are all agreed that with PB going all electric buses need to be cascaded, but, ive just seen 2 Platinums with X3, X4 X5 painted on them, one on the 80 and one on the 11A hmmm, cost cutting not these obviously need the branding removed, also i saw another vehicle earlier also on the 11A with 16A painted on, still in old livery i agree but this branding is very misleading especially if you are a visitor to Birmingham or the UK for the first time, AG seems to be the worst offender at the moment, for route allocated vehicles appearing on the 11.

You'll find the sutton branded platinum's on most WB garage routes and Wolverhampton garage , the branding is vinyl wrap not paint, easy to remove with a heat gun.
I am guessing engineers time is used to keep buses moving rather than peeling old branding due to shortage of them.

[Celestial Toymaker]

You'll find the sutton branded platinum's on most WB garage routes and Wolverhampton garage

fair enough but its not good PR and its also not cost cutting when they need a repaint to remove the branding, why not just abandon branding altogether ?

[Stu]

fair enough but its not good PR and its also not cost cutting when they need a repaint to remove the branding, why not just abandon branding altogether ?

To debrand a bus requires it to be taken out of service, I don't know how long the process takes but it is certainly not just a "ten minute job".

Clearly there is a pressing need to have these vehicles in active service, rather than have them off the road for something that could be described as 'purely aesthetic'.

Brandings will be removed eventually, given time.

[winston]

7503 ?

7503 is 16 branded, AG don't have any X3/X4/X5 Sutton Branded Platinums.

fair enough but its not good PR and its also not cost cutting when they need a repaint to remove the branding, why not just abandon branding altogether ?

The vinyl branding application & removal is sub contracted out to a specialist company by NX, from what I've seen on social media, they are currently working in Manchester branding up new Bee Network Buses being delivered for Tranche 3 from January 2025. 

The bus doesn't need a repaint when branding is removed, the vinyl branding is simply heated up with hot air guns & peels off. Only, buses which have carried allover over advertising, only in extreme cases do buses need repaints, but in that instance, the cost of this is covered by the advertising company.