Birmingham Central Garage

[Gareth]

While 6867 looks really good, the mismatch of legacy platinum, red diamond style, plain platinum, red sticker platinum, crimson, red and white national express, two tone grey and one tone grey liveries/branding is jarring and frustratingly inconsistent

I'm sure once the older buses are scrapped, repaints are done and new buses are ordered, we'll see more consistency, but it is a bug bear at the moment

I'm not sure of your age or if you remember but the WM Buses era in around 1994/5 was wild for the amount of liveries!

[Mike K]

While 6867 looks really good, the mismatch of legacy platinum, red diamond style, plain platinum, red sticker platinum, crimson, red and white national express, two tone grey and one tone grey liveries/branding is jarring and frustratingly inconsistent

I'm sure once the older buses are scrapped, repaints are done and new buses are ordered, we'll see more consistency, but it is a bug bear at the moment

Agreed, a lot of the platinum fleet looks a mess at the moment. Dozens of different permutations of liveries and partially removed branding - the former X51/997 ones look shocking, X21/22 ones still have turquoise decals, some have cheap nasty stickers partially covering the mess left behind, others have nothing, some with damaged paintwork etc.

I've also noticed lots of platinums with mismatched panels, odd black headlight surrounds, largely black lower front ends (6877?), fronts that look like they've been pebble-dashed (6840).

Fleet presentation has sadly nosedived massively from where it was a few years ago. Presumably systemic of the cost pressures across the whole of the industry now.

[BBS]

Agreed, a lot of the platinum fleet looks a mess at the moment. Dozens of different permutations of liveries and partially removed branding - the former X51/997 ones look shocking, X21/22 ones still have turquoise decals, some have cheap nasty stickers partially covering the mess left behind, others have nothing, some with damaged paintwork etc.

I've also noticed lots of platinums with mismatched panels, odd black headlight surrounds, largely black lower front ends (6877?), fronts that look like they've been pebble-dashed (6840).

Fleet presentation has sadly nosedived massively from where it was a few years ago. Presumably systemic of the cost pressures across the whole of the industry now.

Also, damaged paintwork from branding removals, 6707,6708 missing branding and basically chopped up branding. Fleet management is all gone now it's all about whatever can save £1 

[Tony]

@Tony has 4889 stopped tracking?

No

[MasterPlan]

If this timetable on tfwm (and the one for the X22) is correct it looks like the short X21 workings to Uni are being replaced with a slight increase in frequency from  27th April. Albeit there are still 2 shorts, one to Weoley Castle and one to Woodcock Lane.

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/plan-your-journey/find-a-timetable/#/route/cen_33X21_B_H_y11_22-22

[Celestial Toymaker]

Also, damaged paintwork from branding removals, 6707,6708 missing branding and basically chopped up branding. Fleet management is all gone now it's all about whatever can save £1

6969 is all replacement panels passenger side below coach line, there was also a panel bent at an angle looks slightly dangerous from behind, possibly next to the doors, difficult to tell from behind, never noticed it from the side, seen at MMUH yesterday, a lot of WB 69xx seem to be used as battering rams, theyre either full of dents or replacement panels of the wrong shade of grey or in some cases BOTH - no pride in the fleet anymore

[Tony]

Please not this is the Birmingham Central thread, not Acocks Green or West Bromwich

[Celestial Toymaker]

Please not this is the Birmingham Central thread, not Acocks Green or West Bromwich

if that was meant for me, i was just replying on a thread

[Tony]

if that was meant for me, i was just replying on a thread

Which is why I mentioned AG first

[2206]

Been on 7521 on the 11:56 from fox & goose today. And it appears they have redone the next stop announcements again.
Notable difference includes it now says 95 to Birmingham City Centre instead of 95 to Birmingham like it used to.

& at when it stops the stop name comes up in big text across the display before changing.

[BBS]

Has 6867 returned to service?

[Tony]

Has 6867 returned to service?

You need to be patient,  BC are hoping to put apprentices on it next week to get it ready for MoT then hopefully present it a couple weeks later 

[Celestial Toymaker]

Which is why I mentioned AG first

well once again i apologise for being in the wrong but i was just replying to a thread

[2206]

Caught 4880 on the 20:27 14 earlier. Unusually we followed 4873 which ended up on Curzon Street on the X12 with passengers on. Best place to change the bus over maybe looking at bus times?

Seems the 94/95 were having problems earlier the 20:05 6856 annoyingly had the driver change over on the 14 stop and went out without picking anyone up. And then the 20:15 6872 went back to the garage as the driver was having problems with the bus I think.

Mad people on that 14 as well some homeless people and a young lad dragged a completely unconscious woman on and said she will wake up when she gets a seat, the driver made them get her off. Never seen anything like it in all the years I have been travelling on these buses.

[GoldenSquid]

Caught 4880 on the 20:27 14 earlier. Unusually we followed 4873 which ended up on Curzon Street on the X12 with passengers on. Best place to change the bus over maybe looking at bus times?

Yeah, I had 4873 but it has a seat that doesn't lower properly which isn't good for when I'm driving so to try and minimise the delay we already got. I drove down there and had 4944 which was taken from the garage. Then nearly caught up the whole 20 minute delay, which I think was pretty decent :)

I think 6872 went limp mode?