Refurbs

[don]

Two more Geminis in for repaint/retrim are 4479 & 4653. Another trident is 4391

Great that they're keeping up the momentum with these - strange they seem to be in no set pattern though - do you know the thinking behind that - are they done when they need major unit replacement or MOT, or when the interior becomes tatty, or a combination?

[MW]

Two more Geminis in for repaint/retrim are 4479 & 4653. Another trident is 4391

Great that they're keeping up the momentum with these - strange they seem to be in no set pattern though - do you know the thinking behind that - are they done when they need major unit replacement or MOT, or when the interior becomes tatty, or a combination?

I would have thought that the each depot just pays for it to be done when required. Unless they're anyway going for Walsall for some work, then it is understandable.

I think each depot is allocated a fund compared to how much revenue it pulls in and they use that for repaints/retrims/new buses, but that's just me applying my own logic.

[Ashley]

I think your pretty close, I know its something to do with each garage having a fund for things like refurbs. Like when Lea Hall closed in 2010, they got 20 something buses refurbed in a matter of months because they had the money to do so

[andy]

Strange comments! I don't understand why people think a vehicle shouldn't be refurbed 'because it doesn't need it'....these vehicles are nearly 10 years old and are still in as delivered spec, including out of date livery. All vehicles should be on a programme of overhaul whatever their condition and when you compare pictures of 4482 etc to a non refurbed exmple, there really is no comparison...

[Tony]

My mistake with the fleetnumber, it is 4475, not 4479 that is currently inpaint

[BU07 LGO]

Strange comments! I don't understand why people think a vehicle shouldn't be refurbed 'because it doesn't need it'....these vehicles are nearly 10 years old and are still in as delivered spec, including out of date livery. All vehicles should be on a programme of overhaul whatever their condition and when you compare pictures of 4482 etc to a non refurbed exmple, there really is no comparison...

That is only due to iot been a recent refurb. I'd much rather have stripey livery than a dirty refurb like the early AG repaints!

[andy]

Strange comments! I don't understand why people think a vehicle shouldn't be refurbed 'because it doesn't need it'....these vehicles are nearly 10 years old and are still in as delivered spec, including out of date livery. All vehicles should be on a programme of overhaul whatever their condition and when you compare pictures of 4482 etc to a non refurbed exmple, there really is no comparison...

That is only due to iot been a recent refurb. I'd much rather have stripey livery than a dirty refurb like the early AG repaints!

I understand your point and agree that a lot of early repaints and refurbs were done to a pretty poor standard, but you still have to overhaul vehcles regularly or you risk the ridiculous situation NX have now where until last month there were still 4 different liveries floating about. No bus should reach 10 years with one operator without some form of overhaul.

[Discodave]

Damn, forgot about those. Well done Luke. 2002-2008 then. I'm not counting 4535-4609 cos those were used to replace Metros at Wolverhampton and not intended for the 79. Its not my fault WN were useless at allocating vehicles in the 2000s ;)

True when the 4535-4609 tridents were at wolves I was told they should have been used on the 126 (metros at the time) and on the 501 but as in quote they were put on all the routes where the undesirables ruined them 79's and pendeford routes and bushburys 559,s when they had already had new low floor the last time penn road and warstones routes suffered for years with old buses and clapped out optares until finally the network review and the volvos

[Tony]

A Start has been made on giving BCs 46xx Tridents a full refurb including new Euro 4 engine. I think the first is 4633 currently away at Cummins for the new engine

[Ashley]

Saw one of PE's Enviro400s today fresh from the paintshop, looked much better than the one a few metres in front of it

[Ashley]

When WN had 4535-4609, they were used acrosss the network morning until night along with the other vehicle types we had back then. The older Tridents, Metrobuses, B10B's, Excels and Solos. Using them automatically on routes like the 512, 525 and 79 was a mistake because 2 were fire damaged after a few months. But in some cases, vandalism has gone down on the Wolverhampton network. Yes the Tridents still get abit messy but the new Volvos, compared to the ones at AG, ours are close to spotless, even our Mercs are cleaner than they have been, the Excels still have it tough on the 25 and 81, Spectras on the 79 and maybe the Solos when theyre on the 11 and 26.

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

Yes saw a couple of Excel's on the 81 route today looking fairly tatty but they have served very well considering how awful the 81 route is and some of them are still on their first coat of paint. Definetly A) a hotspot for anti-social behaviour and B) some of the hills are absolutely incredible, I know the Black Country routes are renowned for their hills and after travelling on pretty much all of them the 81 has to have some of the steepest and tightest even struggled on some of the hills in the car today so as for a full bus, when the Excel's go I presume more Merc's will be transferred in and used because after having travelled on the B7's with their environmentally friendly engines etc... they really do seem ever so sluggish compared with the older single buses and would really struggle on the 81

[4504]

I agree that the geminis are in an ok condition, interior wise, I got on 4477 today and the condition isn't bad at all, however I can't speak for the top deck

[MW]

I agree that the geminis are in an ok condition, interior wise, I got on 4477 today and the condition isn't bad at all, however I can't speak for the top deck

It's the top deck that is wrecked on most of them. Even the Outer Circle ones are decent downstairs!

[Badger]

But in some cases, vandalism has gone down on the Wolverhampton network. Yes the Tridents still get abit messy but the new Volvos, compared to the ones at AG, ours are close to spotless,

There are burnt seat backs on the B7RLEs on the 3. I saw the "kid" (~16-18) doing it but don't have a clue how to report him, would probably recognise him on a tape... It's a shame because yes, vandalism in Wolverhampton has really gone down in recent years. Plus the little disks off the backs of the new seats have been ripped off a lot of them.

Yes saw a couple of Excel's on the 81 route

The 81 is an amazing route. Even worse when you consider the worst of the hills has a bus stop in the middle of it! I can't believe the buses get started again after stopping there.