New Buses

[Ash]

I was thinking one big bulk order with some form structured plan, ie enough E400s for Preston Wessex and RH & LA (50 Brum to Druids) and then replace All darts over an age ie R,S,T,V,W,X,Y,51 with full lenght E200s thus meanig they will have buses to suit there needs in the Midlands if Wessex need smaller ones then buy them smaller ones as well but would never make it up here unless to replace Solos! Then if Diamond kept the best Solos they have for workings that need a bus that big they will be rolling in it.
buying E300s was only an idea so they only had to make one order.
Im sure you can buy An E200 with a centro body as they are made by the same company at a different site. You'd never know till they asked.

Dan,

What sort of time frame were you basing the above bulk order on? I like your thinking, but I think the chances of that ever happening are slim to none, Rotala don't buy new buses in quantity, it's generally only small quantities of new vehicles, supplemented by newer used vehicles. As for Diamond ever getting new E400's, I reckon you've got no chance; the vast majority of Diamond's loadings don't justify double deckers, let alone brand new ones. Redditch may get some newer double deckers in the future as all the Tridents allocated there are 13/14 years old (T/V reg), but I expect these will be second-hand possibly ex London again.

The Centro body has been discontinued and was never built on the Dart SLF/E200 chassis, so unless Rotala would be prepared to order hundreds of them I don't think that will be a viable option

I do see your point, but RH can make the loadings for new E400s tho, the 57/58 could easierly make the loading with a frequency of upto every 5 mins peak as there are 3 high schools and other middle and First schools. Also it would show the good folk of Redditch they care, as if TGB are going to extend the 50A Diamond are going to feel it.

Diamond might lose out on a few cash fares but I guess most regular users of the service and school children will have some sort of diamond pass.

[winston]

I was thinking one big bulk order with some form structured plan, ie enough E400s for Preston Wessex and RH & LA (50 Brum to Druids) and then replace All darts over an age ie R,S,T,V,W,X,Y,51 with full lenght E200s thus meanig they will have buses to suit there needs in the Midlands if Wessex need smaller ones then buy them smaller ones as well but would never make it up here unless to replace Solos! Then if Diamond kept the best Solos they have for workings that need a bus that big they will be rolling in it.
buying E300s was only an idea so they only had to make one order.
Im sure you can buy An E200 with a centro body as they are made by the same company at a different site. You'd never know till they asked.

Dan,

What sort of time frame were you basing the above bulk order on? I like your thinking, but I think the chances of that ever happening are slim to none, Rotala don't buy new buses in quantity, it's generally only small quantities of new vehicles, supplemented by newer used vehicles. As for Diamond ever getting new E400's, I reckon you've got no chance; the vast majority of Diamond's loadings don't justify double deckers, let alone brand new ones. Redditch may get some newer double deckers in the future as all the Tridents allocated there are 13/14 years old (T/V reg), but I expect these will be second-hand possibly ex London again.

The Centro body has been discontinued and was never built on the Dart SLF/E200 chassis, so unless Rotala would be prepared to order hundreds of them I don't think that will be a viable option

I do see your point, but RH can make the loadings for new E400s tho, the 57/58 could easierly make the loading with a frequency of upto every 5 mins peak as there are 3 high schools and other middle and First schools. Also it would show the good folk of Redditch they care, as if TGB are going to extend the 50A Diamond are going to feel it.

Haven't there also been issues with vandalism in Redditch when using double deckers on the 57/58 & also at one time services were suspended after 8pm due to risk of attack etc. I think Diamond would need to making some serious wedge in Redditch to justify them investing that kind of money in brand new double deckers. I will be interesting to see what the 10 x Trident/Presidents are replaced with, as they are still currently for sale, Rotala could be using the ex Yourbus Trident in to replace them which are X-reg so not much newer. It wont hurt Diamond to gain some competition, it may help keep them on there toes.....

[Ash]

I think it's interesting to how diamond compete with NXWM in the West Midlands on services such as the 4/40/42/43/301 as only a few people actually purchase a diamond bus pass, which means diamond must do well at selling their return tickets, accumulating cash fares and the money they get from the n passes and concessionary passes.

[bwsau cymru]

I think it's interesting to how diamond compete with NXWM in the West Midlands on services such as the 4/40/42/43/301 as only a few people actually purchase a diamond bus pass, which means diamond must do well at selling their return tickets, accumulating cash fares and the money they get from the n passes and concessionary passes.

I would imagine nxwm loose out a lot on nbus ticket repeat tickets, I know when ive used one the driver have just registered it as a repeat travelcard and not registering it as a nbus so obviously would be loosing out.

On the subject of newer buses I think Centros would be a good solid idea and I would love to see the ones from Minsterley Motors bought or something similar. Then the ones on the daf chasis for smaller routes and more MAN ones. Really like the centro and its such a shame they are discountiued I know if I had a company I would definely be a customer for them. I really hope rotala don't get enviro 400's and to be honest proberly enviro 200 from my enthuistast point of view they are too common are boring. Would love to see more optare versas coming in and ones with the cummins engines would be a bonus maybe even some tempos. Or for a double decker the wright bus would be a better option or even the mcv one.

[andy]

New B7RLE's parked up at Long Acre this afternoon

[PM]

New B7RLE's parked up at Long Acre this afternoon

Must have been bought from volvo stock them-anyone got any pictures and surely with these new buses they could paint them in a less bland livery and shout about the fact that theyre new-at least for a bit

[Ash]

New B7RLE's parked up at Long Acre this afternoon

Must have been bought from volvo stock them-anyone got any pictures and surely with these new buses they could paint them in a less bland livery and shout about the fact that theyre new-at least for a bit

Any idea what services there specifically going to be used on. Surely will be a waste if there going to be just dotted around anywhere. Also aren't diamond going to be receiving 3 b7rle's from Wessex  as there to receive some new buses as well.

[Dylan4579]

I think that diamond should extend the 50 to Redditch via 57 and 58 route, transfer to redditch, and use the wright eclipse urbans there on that route, keep the deckers that are currently for sale, do an X56 and put the wright eclipse urbans on that route with spares going on the 56

[bwsau cymru]

I think that diamond should extend the 50 to Redditch via 57 and 58 route, transfer to redditch, and use the wright eclipse urbans there on that route, keep the deckers that are currently for sale, do an X56 and put the wright eclipse urbans on that route with spares going on the 56

What a great idea!! but I would personally still prefer to see them on the 4

[JackC]

I think that diamond should extend the 50 to Redditch via 57 and 58 route, transfer to redditch, and use the wright eclipse urbans there on that route, keep the deckers that are currently for sale, do an X56 and put the wright eclipse urbans on that route with spares going on the 56

What a great idea!! but I would personally still prefer to see them on the 4

They rather need to be on the 4 if Diamond have any hope of reviving their fortunes on the route.

[Dylan4579]

I think that diamond should extend the 50 to Redditch via 57 and 58 route, transfer to redditch, and use the wright eclipse urbans there on that route, keep the deckers that are currently for sale, do an X56 and put the wright eclipse urbans on that route with spares going on the 56

What a great idea!! but I would personally still prefer to see them on the 4

They rather need to be on the 4 if Diamond have any hope of reviving their fortunes on the route.

The ex56 centros go onto the 4, with the E200's and keep some of the cadets for the 4   

[Ash]

I think that diamond should extend the 50 to Redditch via 57 and 58 route, transfer to redditch, and use the wright eclipse urbans there on that route, keep the deckers that are currently for sale, do an X56 and put the wright eclipse urbans on that route with spares going on the 56

What a great idea!! but I would personally still prefer to see them on the 4

They rather need to be on the 4 if Diamond have any hope of reviving their fortunes on the route.

Diamond's 4 service I don't believe is struggling Monday to Saturday daytime's. It shouldn't be struggling on a Sunday or with it's evening service but thanks to timetable changes that thinks running 5-10 Minutes behind NXWM is going to work it is going to be withdrawn. Previously when it was the 404E the Sunday service was well used and could easily be successful commercially I remember traveling on full MCV's on the service on a Sunday but to be honest someone has really messed up the timetable.

[PM]

Im coming round to the opinion that the 56 is their most successful route as last saturday i saw it take on huge loads in birmingham city centre-it must do well. If so, begs the question why arriva axed it. Mind you, the same could be said about the X31

[John]

Im coming round to the opinion that the 56 is their most successful route as last saturday i saw it take on huge loads in birmingham city centre-it must do well. If so, begs the question why arriva axed it. Mind you, the same could be said about the X31

Yes I agree with the 56, and I think the 002 is another successful route, whenever I have been on it, that is nearly full.

Was it an old Ludlows route, or Diamonds own?

[the trainbasher]

002 was a Ludlows route