Red Diamond Depot - Redditch

[fleetline6477]

Walked round to have a look what was parked up in the Redditch Depot today about 12.30. What a mixed bag

Red liveried Volvo B7 30856 and Plaxton MPD Dart 20469 T 469 HNH

Blue Diamond liveried Alexander Dart 30013 Y 3 NBB and Plaxton Dart 30500 MW 52 PZP

Wessex Connect (red / silver UWE liveried) Enviro 200 SN 56 AWZ.

Also white liveried Plaxton Dart S 405 JUA was operating on route 70.

[Ash]

Walked round to have a look what was parked up in the Redditch Depot today about 12.30. What a mixed bag

Red liveried Volvo B7 30856 and Plaxton MPD Dart 20469 T 469 HNH

Blue Diamond liveried Alexander Dart 30013 Y 3 NBB and Plaxton Dart 30500 MW 52 PZP

Wessex Connect (red / silver UWE liveried) Enviro 200 SN 56 AWZ.

Also white liveried Plaxton Dart S 405 JUA was operating on route 70.

S405JUA transferred to Redditch which is strange especially when R532YRP is at Tividale and is branded for the 70 service it would have made more sense to send R532YRP there instead.

[tank90]

51 route will be withdrawn on the 4/3/13 and they will run the FMR timetable but not the 57/58 diamond timetable yet or the FMR. I think FMR are going to play silly buggers myself, sell off the garage get a smaller unit in the town and run the 57/58 and a few other services. I say that as First are spending £76 Million on new buses. Weird that, the info is from Worcestershire County Council Bus Timetables.

[Tony]

51 route will be withdrawn on the 4/3/13 and they will run the FMR timetable but not the 57/58 diamond timetable yet or the FMR. I think FMR are going to play silly buggers myself, sell off the garage get a smaller unit in the town and run the 57/58 and a few other services. I say that as First are spending £76 Million on new buses. Weird that, the info is from Worcestershire County Council Bus Timetables.

No, First won't do that. £76million on new buses doesn't get anywhere near catching on there vehicle repalcement where First are actually interested in operating buses let alone Redditch. When an operator as big as First is still spending a couple of thousand pounds to keep a G-reg Olympian on the road (30038 at Potteries) that tells you how far behind they are with vehicle replacements

[Discodave]

Walked round to have a look what was parked up in the Redditch Depot today about 12.30. What a mixed bag

Red liveried Volvo B7 30856 and Plaxton MPD Dart 20469 T 469 HNH

Blue Diamond liveried Alexander Dart 30013 Y 3 NBB and Plaxton Dart 30500 MW 52 PZP

Wessex Connect (red / silver UWE liveried) Enviro 200 SN 56 AWZ.

Also white liveried Plaxton Dart S 405 JUA was operating on route 70.

Sure you was not at Tividale thats just as bad.

[winston]

51 route will be withdrawn on the 4/3/13 and they will run the FMR timetable but not the 57/58 diamond timetable yet or the FMR. I think FMR are going to play silly buggers myself, sell off the garage get a smaller unit in the town and run the 57/58 and a few other services. I say that as First are spending £76 Million on new buses. Weird that, the info is from Worcestershire County Council Bus Timetables.

No, First won't do that. £76million on new buses doesn't get anywhere near catching on there vehicle repalcement where First are actually interested in operating buses let alone Redditch. When an operator as big as First is still spending a couple of thousand pounds to keep a G-reg Olympian on the road (30038 at Potteries) that tells you how far behind they are with vehicle replacements

Based on the 464 new buses ordered for the 2013/4 financial year which are also cheaper single deckers & midis, based on a UK fleet size of around 8000 vehicles, First's current investment levels are implying a working life of in excess of 17 years, which just goes to prove how behind they are on vehicle replacements. Particularly single deckers & midis, I'm not sure that lightweight Streetlites & ADL 300's would last the 17 years, heavy duty single deckers maybe