National Express Coventry - Unusual Workings

[JoNi]

All quiet today, no mercs and even all the Geminis are on the 13.

[Ben]

2/3 - 4830

I spotted that too (or should I say 2 :P) Thought I was imagining things.

[Stu]

All quiet today, no mercs and even all the Geminis are on the 13.

I thought CV didn't use any Mercs on Sunday?

[JoNi]

Just before xmas a couple of mercs appeared on Sundays. 

[JoNi]

No Bendys seen on 21 this Monday ::)

2/3 - 4695
10  - 2155 replaced 4203,  1610 replaced 4216
11/12 pm - 1656
27am - 2155

[nitromatt1]

No Bendys seen on 21 this Monday ::)

2/3 - 4695
10  - 2155 replaced 4203,  1610 replaced 4216
11/12 pm - 1656
27am - 2155

All the good workings seem to happen Mon-Fri, and never when I'm down on Saturday!

[JoNi]

Matt

There seems to be virtually no spare vehicles on weekdays so if any changeovers are required peak buses get reused, hence why 2155 and 1610 ended up on the 10. The B7s are very reliable but the older Enviros are beginning to be less predictable. Geminis now are allocated on any DD working that Tridents and Volvos ALX400s can work.

There are spares on Saturday as the vehicle requirement requires 11 less buses, hence why you don't see these interesting workings.
Also there is more interworking between routes and school buses on M-F too.

I've set up a flickr account and intend to start posting pictures once I've got it meet my needs!
Mind you I don't want to end up with a bus photo collection of only unusual workings!

[Valandil]

To be honest, I pretty much only photograph unusual workings or other unusual features: they seem far more interesting to me than the 'run of the mill'.
So it's not all bad if you do end up with photographs of only unusual workings!

[lauren1993]

One thing... the last time an 8 branded enviro 400 was on the 21 was october 3rd! That was 4894. Beofre that was late june but can't remember which day exactly, and that was 4891! Surely one of 4890-4894 are due to make an appearance again on the 21 soon!?
4840 was tonights 21 branded on the 12, and for some reason 4831, 4885, 4887 and 4888 were all on 21 today!

[lauren1993]

Matt

There seems to be virtually no spare vehicles on weekdays so if any changeovers are required peak buses get reused, hence why 2155 and 1610 ended up on the 10. The B7s are very reliable but the older Enviros are beginning to be less predictable. Geminis now are allocated on any DD working that Tridents and Volvos ALX400s can work.

There are spares on Saturday as the vehicle requirement requires 11 less buses, hence why you don't see these interesting workings.
Also there is more interworking between routes and school buses on M-F too.

I've set up a flickr account and intend to start posting pictures once I've got it meet my needs!
Mind you I don't want to end up with a bus photo collection of only unusual workings!

The older enviros are actually more reliable than the new ones! At least 3 of the new ones have broken down already, I don't think i've ever seen one of the older enviros be towed!
The geminis are the most reliable double deckers we have, and the b7's are quite reliable, but one has broken down already.

[Trident 4609]

One thing... the last time an 8 branded enviro 400 was on the 21 was october 3rd! That was 4894. Beofre that was late june but can't remember which day exactly, and that was 4891! Surely one of 4890-4894 are due to make an appearance again on the 21 soon!?
4840 was tonights 21 branded on the 12, and for some reason 4831, 4885, 4887 and 4888 were all on 21 today!

Well as stated by someone else the allocation is tight at CV during the week so if a bus breaks down or a particular bus isn't avalible the put out whatever they can (Usually the most suitable) so even if there are Route 8 branded E400's on the 21 then its still an E400. Better than nothing at all

[lauren1993]

One thing... the last time an 8 branded enviro 400 was on the 21 was october 3rd! That was 4894. Beofre that was late june but can't remember which day exactly, and that was 4891! Surely one of 4890-4894 are due to make an appearance again on the 21 soon!?
4840 was tonights 21 branded on the 12, and for some reason 4831, 4885, 4887 and 4888 were all on 21 today!

Well as stated by someone else the allocation is tight at CV during the week so if a bus breaks down or a particular bus isn't avalible the put out whatever they can (Usually the most suitable) so even if there are Route 8 branded E400's on the 21 then its still an E400. Better than nothing at all

They will deliberately allocate a route branded bus to a different route for a whole day (weekday) once in a while. This keeps the fleet age down and for many other reasons i'd imagine?

[Trident 4609]

I wouldn't say its to do with fleet age at all but its about if a bus is avaliable or not. As stated elsewhere CV are really tight with buses during the week so you find alot of different types of buses on routes.say if a 61 plate E400 (21 branded or unbranded) was off the road or parked in the middle of the garage, instead of struggling to get the 21 branded bus out, a 13 plate E400 is the next best thing

[Ashley]

The fleet age doesn't come in to it what so ever. It's all about availability. If any garage say Coventry, short on Mercs, get a plastic or a decker to replace. Same if they are totally stuck for deckers they would have a single decker deputise. Or maybe in the case of the 21, a bendy could fill in if requiredm if the average age was the pivital factor the whole fleet would all be plastic rubbish at which point I'd give the hobby up probably

[lauren1993]

Why do they choose different buses to be out until the end of the night every day rather than just have the same group out every night?