Diamond Bus - Discussion

[winston]

I thought all the streetlites were for tividale

There's 17 x 10.6m Streetlites due imminently which were destined for Central Birmingham routes.

Rotala have since ordered a further 10 x 9.6m Streetlites for Diamond, 5 x 9.6m Streetlites for Hotel Hoppa & 15 more Mellor Strata's (3 confirmed for Redditch to date)

[MW]

If the rumours are true about the 50 being operated from Redditch after February, I'd expect a further 8-9 Streetlites from those 17 will be heading to Redditch too.

[Kevin]

If the rumours are true about the 50 being operated from Redditch after February, I'd expect a further 8-9 Streetlites from those 17 will be heading to Redditch too.

If those rumours were true I wonder if they'd return to operating 50 journeys through to Redditch (obviously not every journey, like 1 per hour or even god forbid half hourly)

[Solo1]

20524 in  New livery photo in photo links page

[winston]

Fleetnumbers & registrations for the 17 x Wrights Streetlite Micro Hybrid 10.8m, 41 Seaters, Daimler Engined, all will be in two-tone Dimaond Bus livery:

32221 SN68AJJ (Arrived at Tividale in base colours approx an hour ago - see Rotala Facebook page)
32222 SN68AJH
32223 SN68AJG
32224 SN68AJF
32225 SN68AJE
32226 SN68AJD
32227 SN68AJC
32228 SN68AJB
32229 SN68AJA
32230 SN68AHW
32231 SN68AHT
32232 SN68AHS
32233 SN68AHR
32234 SN68AHM
32235 SN68AHH
32236 SN68AHB
32237 SN68AGW

Depot/route allocations still to be confirmed.

[fleetline6477]

I'm trying to find out some background information about the ROTALA operation in the West Midlands. I have found out

Go West Midlands entered in December 2005 taking over BCC and then in March 2006 People's Express.

ROTALA entered in October 2006 introducing the Central Connect brand, taking over Zak's (10/06), Birmingham Motor Traction (11/06), NBB (07/07), Ludlows (09/07).

ROTALA then purchased the Go West Midlands operation.

Was it GWM or ROTALA who introduced the Black, Blue and Red Diamond brands and what dates were these introduced?

[2206]

I'm trying to find out some background information about the ROTALA operation in the West Midlands. I have found out

Go West Midlands entered in December 2005 taking over BCC and then in March 2006 People's Express.

ROTALA entered in October 2006 introducing the Central Connect brand, taking over Zak's (10/06), Birmingham Motor Traction (11/06), NBB (07/07), Ludlows (09/07).

ROTALA then purchased the Go West Midlands operation.

Was it GWM or ROTALA who introduced the Black, Blue and Red Diamond brands and what dates were these introduced?

Blue Diamond was introduced a lot later than that from what I remember.
Blue Diamond was what was Central Connect which ran out of Long Arce, Rotalla certainly introduced this one.
I believe it was Rotalla, Red Diamond was Redditch and Worcester, Black Diamond for the Black Country.
All of those are now long gone though and all Diamond buses operate as Diamond Buses.

[winston]

I'm trying to find out some background information about the ROTALA operation in the West Midlands. I have found out

Go West Midlands entered in December 2005 taking over BCC and then in March 2006 People's Express.

ROTALA entered in October 2006 introducing the Central Connect brand, taking over Zak's (10/06), Birmingham Motor Traction (11/06), NBB (07/07), Ludlows (09/07).

ROTALA then purchased the Go West Midlands operation.

Was it GWM or ROTALA who introduced the Black, Blue and Red Diamond brands and what dates were these introduced?

Black Diamond was officially launched 8th October 2008 (see John Everill's launch photos):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johneverill/33262363244/in/dateposted/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johneverill/33719896000/in/photostream/

The first Volvo B7RLE/Plaxton Centro ventured out for photos un-registered on the 18th July 2008:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johneverill/34079439295/in/dateposted/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johneverill/34104462145/in/dateposted/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johneverill/33719456670/in/photostream/

The first vehicles to enter service were the MAN / Plaxton Centro's 802-805 (now 30802-5) & 08 plate Volvo B7RLE / Plaxton Centro's 807-810 (now 30807-10) all late July/August 2008.

I believe the 'Red Diamond' brand was also first introduced with the arrival of the first 4 x Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse 850-853 (now 30850-2 & 30862), there's a picture on Tony's main page of 850 on 19th July 2008 @ Tividale depot:

http://wmbusphotos.com/diamondpages/30850.html

[Lukeee]

I'm trying to find out some background information about the ROTALA operation in the West Midlands. I have found out

Go West Midlands entered in December 2005 taking over BCC and then in March 2006 People's Express.

ROTALA entered in October 2006 introducing the Central Connect brand, taking over Zak's (10/06), Birmingham Motor Traction (11/06), NBB (07/07), Ludlows (09/07).

ROTALA then purchased the Go West Midlands operation.

Was it GWM or ROTALA who introduced the Black, Blue and Red Diamond brands and what dates were these introduced?

It was rotalla that introduced black/red/blue diamond. Go West Midlands used a modified version of the old diamond buses BCC livery (loosing the black roof and changing the logo)

[Sandy Lane]

I hope I have done this right - copied from the DeCourcey forum.

I also wonder if the Diamond X30/31 tender is due for expiry possibly next year, the service began in summer of 2009 and was allocated funding by the now defunct Advantage West Midlands, it'll be another mop up by WMCA I suppose.

Does this mean the X30/31 tender ending/starting April 2019? Any news yet on what will happen?

[sonic84]

I'm trying to find out some background information about the ROTALA operation in the West Midlands. I have found out

Go West Midlands entered in December 2005 taking over BCC and then in March 2006 People's Express.

ROTALA entered in October 2006 introducing the Central Connect brand, taking over Zak's (10/06), Birmingham Motor Traction (11/06), NBB (07/07), Ludlows (09/07).

ROTALA then purchased the Go West Midlands operation.

Was it GWM or ROTALA who introduced the Black, Blue and Red Diamond brands and what dates were these introduced?

Central Connect traded as a separate business to Diamond, eventually being rebranded Blue diamond in 2011. Ludlows was kept as a separate business for about a year after the deal before it was absorbed into the Diamond network in 2008/2009

[winston]

Fair play to the mother:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/mother-hands-daughter-police-after-15743438

[busfan2847]

Central Connect traded as a separate business to Diamond, eventually being rebranded Blue diamond in 2011. Ludlows was kept as a separate business for about a year after the deal before it was absorbed into the Diamond network in 2008/2009

Red and Black Diamond were introduced in 8/2008. Blue Diamond was introduced 11/2011.   
Ludlows was purchased by Rotala (Central Connect) 21/6/2007, the sale was finalized on 1/4/2008. By then Rotala had purchased Go Ahead West Midlands (Diamond). Ludlow's was merged with the Diamond operations at Tividale on 1/1/2009 and the Halesowen base closed. Central Connect (Blue Diamond) and Diamond were merged in Dec 2012.

[Jordan]

Is tividale new streetlight out today

[I love Walsall buses]

Is tividale new streetlight out today

No it's booked for the rest of the vinyals to be applied today