NX Hybrids

[MW]

I wonder what would happen to the tridents used on the 1 after the hybrids arrive

How many new hybrids are coming? 21

How many old battered Spectras are there? 21

What will happen to the Tridents? I wonder...

[Roy]

I wonder what would happen to the tridents used on the 1 after the hybrids arrive

The chances are that, as WN are getting 21 hybrids, the 21 Spectras will be withdrawn.  Personally, I would prefer to see the rest of the Excels withdrawn to provide extra capacity in the Wolverhampton area.

[4504]

Yeah, I suppose that makes sense  ;D

I wonder what would happen to the tridents used on the 1 after the hybrids arrive

The chances are that, as WN are getting 21 hybrids, the 21 Spectras will be withdrawn.  Personally, I would prefer to see the rest of the Excels withdrawn to provide extra capacity in the Wolverhampton area.

[4504]

Ok... I was only asking  :(

I wonder what would happen to the tridents used on the 1 after the hybrids arrive

How many new hybrids are coming? 21

How many old battered Spectras are there? 21

What will happen to the Tridents? I wonder...

[richie]

All spectras are exterior refurbed and digi blinds fitted recently they are going no where! another garage maybe!

[4504]

It would be a shame to withdraw them after refurbs

All spectras are exterior refurbed and digi blinds fitted recently they are going no where! another garage maybe!

[richie]

The older Mercedes will be withdrawn before the spectras

[winston]

It's a pity NXWM couldn't stretch to a re-trim as well for them all, would certainly improve the internal appearances

All spectras are exterior refurbed and digi blinds fitted recently they are going no where! another garage maybe!

[MW]

All spectras are exterior refurbed and digi blinds fitted recently they are going no where! another garage maybe!

I find that very unlikely. NX are already having to get rid of the Presidents from Birmingham operated routes. Thats around 99 Presidents plus 21 Spectras leaving 120 vehicles that cannot be operated within Birmingham City Centre. Where do you propose to keep them all?

Some will have to go, and considering the Presidents are in much better condition, I doubt the Spectras will remain.

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

Well I'd much rather see Merc's withdrawn and Excel's before the Spectra's because they have worn much better than the SD types, are undoubtedly in my opinion and a few others the most comfortable buses in the whole fleet and provide obviously extra capacity. In my mind its far better to run DD's on routes even if they aren't going to be completly full as a way of advertising public transport. In my mind having a older, slightly scruffier DD with spaces is a better advertisement than having a packed out newer SD. and how much more does it cost to run a DD really? I can't imagine the differences are that great, especially compared to the Merc's that seem to always be driven as fast as possible all the time. Long live the Spectras! If they go before the Excel's at WN it would be a great great shame and foolish in my mind as there are many still in the old livery with absolutely none having LED destination screens along with the fact as previously discussed they are fairly dreadful.

[Ash]

The reason the mercs seem to be driven fast is that there quicker accelerating than most buses of the same age but there great buses to be on when they get thrashed a bit.

[Gareth]

There should be no need for any of the Presidents or Spectras to go. With around 120 double deckers not being allowed into Birmingham City Centre, that wont be any problem. Across the network, there is a higher PVR on Non Birmingham City Centre double deck routes. There may be a logistical headache with garage transfers, but all totally possible.

[Zach Jordan]

The Spectra's are of no problem at all to the Birmingham low emission thing, but will be going reasonably soon due to their age! The Presidents on the other hand look like they could cause a slight problem, but they could easily transfer out to WB/AG for newer buses to be transferred into Central (although that'd involve BC receiving Gemini's or ALX400 B7TLs unless some other dubious swaps happened!)

[John]

This is all my personal opinion, however silly it might sound! (sorry it is long winded!)

The President's will have to be transferred elsewhere rather than to WB I think, as only one of their current double decker operated routes does not go into Birmingham, which is the 451, which I would think takes about 14 buses on it in the peak. Unless West Brom are planning to convert other routes such as the 401, 402, 448, 449 to double decker if possible maybe to repalce B6's or 0405Ns, then West Brom would have to lose some Presidents itself, and replace them with double deckers that could go into the city centre. As it seems, there are not enough Volvo B7TL's currently at West Bromwich to cover all of the 74, 75, 80, 82, 87, 127 and 128, so that means that from somewhere, buses will have to come to West Bromwich for all of these routes that are allowed into the city centre, even if they have to introduce Tridents from Wolverhampton/Walsall to help clear Presidents from their city centre routes. Not from Perry Barr, because all of their B7TL's are needed for their own city centre routes. Acocks Green might be able to spare a few more Gemini's, but not enough for the amount that WB might need.

As for Acocks Green, I have 39 President's currently there, and the only routes that could have President's on there are the 11, 966 and the 1, so a few more Presidents could transfer there to cover these 3 routes completely, which guessing would be a total of about 55?, including spares, not forgetting that they still need enough double deckers that can enter the City Centre for the 31 and the 5, and 37 workings.

Birmingham Central still have 31 President's, all of which need to go elsewhere, the solution might be to transfer these to garages not in Birmingham like Wolverhampton, Walsall or Coventry, or maybe even Yardley Wood (for Solihull routes 49, 76 and 18) unless there is a specific reason why they can't, who can spare Trident's to replace the President's at Central. I think that the 900 could be upgraded with the 7 ex 997 Gemini's at Walsall, to replace 7 President's at BC, as there must be enough Enviro's, both old and new at Walsall to Cover the 997 and 51/X51, or even some Gemini's from Acocks Green, transferred for President's.

Somewhere it is more than likely that at least one garage will have to take in a new type of bus that they have not operated before or for a very long time, even if this is only short term until more new buses are ordered next year.

I don't think that many people will agree with what I have said, but this is just what I am thinking (with no insider knowledge of NXWM).

[Stu]

You've pretty much there summed up what a few other people (including myself) have already speculated on in several other topics in this forum.  8)