Optare Excel

[don]

Love em or hate em (and I know some of you do  ;D ) I think these are the best looking single deckers in the NXWM fleet - however a question for those of you in Wolverhampton, are there many left in all day service or are they just used at peaks now? Or confined to one or two routes?

According to Tony's listings from NXWM there are only around 20 left out of a peak of around 55.

[SMK]

Love the look of them but not a big fan of them overall (don't get me started on the shorter ones lol).

The only one that I regularly see Excels is the 25/A (though some weeks back they put the odd Trident on there O_O).
The 28 usually has Excels and/or Solos on it.
I haven't really kept track of the 27/A or the 81 lately but they used to be Excel territory.
The 32/33 now sees more Mercs than Excels alongside a Spectra.
The 11 can have the odd Excel on it along with a Spectra, Merc and B7RLE.
On Saturdays I think the 82 has Excels on it alongside the usual Mercs.

I will miss seeing them around Wolves when they all eventually go.

[TinnedPeaches]

They were running on the 27 until very recently. I've increasingly seen Merc's operating the route over the last two weeks and yesterday, shock of shocks, there was a new B7/Wright on the route! I'd be surprised if they become regulars, although having seen them on the cross-W'ton routes in a morning they're seriously over-crowded and double deckers would be more appropriate.

[BN]

I occasionally catch the 27/27A to and from Sedgley and have always had an Excel at all times of the day. I believe all of the R regs are now withdrawn and a few of the S regs. These seem to have missed alot of repainting?

[TinnedPeaches]

I occasionally catch the 27/27A to and from Sedgley and have always had an Excel at all times of the day. I believe all of the R regs are now withdrawn and a few of the S regs. These seem to have missed alot of repainting?

I was quite excited whenever NXWM moved the Excels on to the 27, Rob, as I always wanted to see them on a route that was local to me. It was a bit like seeing the Alexander Strider/B10Bs on a local route - their rarity somehow made them really appeal to me.

Wish I could muster some pennies to get an Excel before they're broken up...just to have in my yard to look at!

[TinnedPeaches]

Update: Saw two Excels on the 27 today!

[4504]

They seem ok to me, I rid on one when the 583 existed, quite an average ride. Although I have heard bad things about them. I dislike the 7*** ones though, as they don't have any buggy seats, which is quite odd, but I think they may have been withdrawn anyway

[JIM C]

The 7... series excells are the ones we had in dundee ,and to be  honest they were the worst buses in the fleet .thats why they were punted back to west midlands .even the passengers hated them .when they are cold the brakes pull to the n/s or o/s making a uncomfortable journey for everybody .

[SMK]

Saw one on the 59 in Wolves bus station around 5:20pm.
No doubt it got a bit cosy on there lol.
Anyway I'm glad all of those Ex Dundee/Travel London Excels have been withdrawn.

[D10]

Apparently the ex Dundee/London ones had no wheelchair space? Therefore they went before the "native" examples.

[don]

That makes sense - not really an accessible bus then - well accessible but no where to go once you're on it. I always thought the short ones looked all front overhang and very little bus,  even more so in NXWM livery.

Will there be a commemorative journey for the last Excel in service..........

[PM]

Hopefully not...

[MW]

 :-[

Will there be a commemorative journey for the last Excel in service..........

How about we push the last one off a cliff. Commemorative enough.

[PM]

Totally agree xD or burn one....

[4504]

 ;D I don't think they're that bad, but who knows,they did for the metro buses, but then again I don't think they did for the B10Bs, and excels are only used in Wolverhampton

:-[

Will there be a commemorative journey for the last Excel in service..........

How about we push the last one off a cliff. Commemorative enough.