Perry Barr Garage

[2206]

With 4895-4913, and 4940-49, there should already be enough to cover the Pershore Road. But BC will need more low emission vehicles for the future LEZ changes so it makes sense to start cascading Euro 5 vehicles there. The 24 has been largely Trident operated since the Pershore Road upgrade, after being mainly E400 operated so I would expect that to be addressed.

The Bristol Road is well overdue a set of brand new buses IMHO.

There will not be enough ex 934/5/6 to cover for the Bristol Road though,so I agree and expect. That the number of tridents on the 24 and 60 will be addressed. I think that the 94, 126, 61 and 63 and 97 are all very likely options for new buses in 2016 though, all of witch are very overdue.

[2206]

I thought there was already enough for the Pershore Rd myself.

There was a trident on there last night.

[BU07 LGO]

I'll be glad to see the back of them at walsall! They're good buses but so boring! They're all the same!

[CL]

I'll be glad to see the back of them at walsall! They're good buses but so boring! They're all the same!

I can only assume you're talking about the tridents? They're decent buses, especially for their age. I'd have say, the 46** batch tridents at BC are the best, and notably different, to say, the 41** batch. The last one I rode on was one of the 463*'s - on the 24. It was above average, to say the least! It was a quick bus, nippy doen Court Oak Road - with a ferocious sounding engine... They may seem generic now, but to me, I feel like the ALXs could be the next Metrobus (debatable). Though, you can't beat a good B7TL! :P ;)

[Liberator9]

No - I think BU07LGO was actually referring to the Enviro 400s at WA  :) I can see where he's coming from - they are good but do seem a bit of a boring prospect to drive with the poor acceleration. 

[CL]

No - I think BU07LGO was actually referring to the Enviro 400s at WA  :) I can see where he's coming from - they are good but do seem a bit of a boring prospect to drive with the poor acceleration. 

My bad. :P I assumed only because the post above was on about tridents... Nevertheless, I can't say I really have an opinion on the WA Enviros...

[Liberator9]

@clayderman

That's fine  :P Easy mistake to make - I've done it in the past!

[BU07 LGO]

No - I think BU07LGO was actually referring to the Enviro 400s at WA  :) I can see where he's coming from - they are good but do seem a bit of a boring prospect to drive with the poor acceleration.

Yeah I mean the 61 and 13 plate enviros! Thjey do their job well and have never let me down but they are so dull and boring! To be honest the 13 plates seem good now, they've just hit 100,000 miles and a few drivers that remember them when they were new said they have definitely got quicker!

[CL]

@clayderman

That's fine  :P Easy mistake to make - I've done it in the past!

... and to think. I practically wrote an essay on the Tridents! lol! :P

Yeah I mean the 61 and 13 plate enviros! They do their job well and have never let me down but they are so dull and boring! To be honest the 13 plates seem good now, they've just hit 100,000 miles and a few drivers that remember them when they were new said they have definitely got quicker!

Well, with my experiences of PB's 61 plate E400s, I think they're not the best in the fleet, either... I can agree with you there, they do seem dull and boring. I think my last ride on a 61 plate was during term time, where 4855(?) appeared on the 101. Nice change to the Tridents, though, it jolted quite a lot... :-\

[Liberator9]

 :P  Still interesting to read about the Tridents!

The ones I've been on at WA and BC have always been fairly good - glad that some are starting to speed up at last - gear ratios been changed again? Two good ones I know of are 4944 and 4860 - both quite good. Quite a change for a bus to gain speed as it ages as opposed to lose it  ;D Quite glad my daily trip is Scanias and Tridents - never dull and both good bus types ;)

Wouldn't surprise me if your ride jolted a lot @clayderman - some of the E400 suspension at times is fairly jolty - varies though on the bus etc.

[Trident 4194]

:P  Still interesting to read about the Tridents!

The ones I've been on at WA and BC have always been fairly good - glad that some are starting to speed up at last - gear ratios been changed again? Two good ones I know of are 4944 and 4860 - both quite good. Quite a change for a bus to gain speed as it ages as opposed to lose it  ;D Quite glad my daily trip is Scanias and Tridents - never dull and both good bus types ;)

Wouldn't surprise me if your ride jolted a lot @clayderman - some of the E400 suspension at times is fairly jolty - varies though on the bus etc.

I'm yet to go on a scania that is fast!! All the Walsall ones are slow. They are the best looking vehicles by far

[CL]

:P  Still interesting to read about the Tridents!

The ones I've been on at WA and BC have always been fairly good - glad that some are starting to speed up at last - gear ratios been changed again? Two good ones I know of are 4944 and 4860 - both quite good. Quite a change for a bus to gain speed as it ages as opposed to lose it  ;D Quite glad my daily trip is Scanias and Tridents - never dull and both good bus types ;)

Wouldn't surprise me if your ride jolted a lot @clayderman - some of the E400 suspension at times is fairly jolty - varies though on the bus etc.

Yeah... The first (West Midlands) batch E40D's aren't my favourite... In fact, I quite like the exPN Trident E400s more, I suppose. There's some notable buses in that batch, of which the fleetnumbers escaped me - nevertheless, they're terrific vehicles for the 16, and certainly the 101.

Come term time in September, and onto Birmingham Central, I have a suspicion that the 24 will be almost 60% Tridents...  ::) I feel like the "E400 to Hybrid to Trident" ratio is low, even prior to the Pershore Road upgrade... Oh well, can't wait the ex934/5/6 buses! ::) (Though the ALX400 legroom at the rear is phenomenal! I don't think there's a need for the 'feet off seats' stickers, personally.)

[2206]

I'm yet to go on a scania that is fast!! All the Walsall ones are slow. They are the best looking vehicles by far

Acocks Greens are quite fast. Especially along the Newport Road and Chester Road, they will always go fast alone those roads on the 71 route ,or get one while you can that's running late and they will go fast on the whole of the 71 route.

[Liberator9]

Get a ride on a late running YW 6 Scania - they can really move! That last batch of 59/10 reg Scanias that AG and YW had are great. They have a different engine to the older Scanias. The Scanias up to 1907 have the Scania DC9 16 230 engine, whilst the 1909-1953 batch have the newer Scania DC9 30 230 engine.

That batch of 2009 E400s are great - really can move along at a pace! The ALX400s have a great set of legroom near the back - do like them from my very few rides on them.

[BU07 LGO]

My favourite mk2 enviro's are 4863,4867,4880,4882

Its interesting that on the 61 plate's the driver can switch the cctv monitor in the cab to the left or right hand side which is useful for tight gaps but on the new ones the button is dead and wont work!