Arriva Leicester

[Mayfield]

That's good business practice, convert a batch of buses to Sapphire spec then replace them with 13 year old DD's.
Why do they waste their time and money route branding, last Thursday 5/5a 4531 on the 58a and sapphire 158
On the 53.

[Vulcan]

About right for Arriva these days  😀
Sapphire dead in the water another promise broken

[Bob]

About right for Arriva these days  😀
Sapphire dead in the water another promise broken

Try the routes 1 and 2 in Cannock, 64 plate Streets####s ( which were horrific to be honest) replaced with 18 year old Commanders that were branded for the service 13 years ago, oh and the odd14 year old example and 15 or 16 year old Dart, or if you're really lucky a Solo. Thats just the 1 lol

[Mayfield]

I see that 5006 & 5007 don't appear on the U.K. buses fleet list as of 19th February but they are currently parked at Thurmaston depot along with 2 other unidentified others

[CL]

I see that 5006 & 5007 don't appear on the U.K. buses fleet list as of 19th February but they are currently parked at Thurmaston depot along with 2 other unidentified others

5001 is also there, so I've been told - I think the other may be 5003?

[AlexS]

Looks like Wigston's vehicle allocation policy has completely changed to drawing the buses out of a hat route by route with special effort being made for route branded buses to appear on any route other than the one they are branded for. The same diagram may be worked by a 2001 B7 one day, an Enviro 400 mmc the next and a solo or dart later in the week. It also appears that most of the Hinckley fleet is also in the hat with various Wigston buses taking their place on Hinckley routes.

[the trainbasher]

Looks like Wigston's vehicle allocation policy has completely changed to drawing the buses out of a hat route by route with special effort being made for route branded buses to appear on any route other than the one they are branded for. The same diagram may be worked by a 2001 B7 one day, an Enviro 400 mmc the next and a solo or dart later in the week. It also appears that most of the Hinckley fleet is also in the hat with various Wigston buses taking their place on Hinckley routes.

Sounds like Northern Rail fleet management have taken over down there.

[leicesterbusadventurer]

Looks like Wigston's vehicle allocation policy has completely changed to drawing the buses out of a hat route by route with special effort being made for route branded buses to appear on any route other than the one they are branded for. The same diagram may be worked by a 2001 B7 one day, an Enviro 400 mmc the next and a solo or dart later in the week. It also appears that most of the Hinckley fleet is also in the hat with various Wigston buses taking their place on Hinckley routes.

That sounds like the 44 and 49 alright, and yes, it's ridiculous. Since they were quick to shift the Lowlanders off, they've been an absolute joke.

[Pat]

Looks like Wigston's vehicle allocation policy has completely changed to drawing the buses out of a hat route by route with special effort being made for route branded buses to appear on any route other than the one they are branded for. The same diagram may be worked by a 2001 B7 one day, an Enviro 400 mmc the next and a solo or dart later in the week. It also appears that most of the Hinckley fleet is also in the hat with various Wigston buses taking their place on Hinckley routes.

Vehicle allocation can be tricky at times, especially when vehicles are parked in the depot in the wrong order overnight in order for run out in the morning.  Factors such as maintenance e.t.c needs to be taken into account which could cause this sequence to be broken, which is why you may end up with different vehicles on the route.  Also, a depot may 'borrow' another vehicle from a neighbouring depot (that is surplus to their requirements) in order to meet their PVR.  It happens at Telford sometimes where you may see a versa (all based at Shrewsbury) on a TF route.

[LazyGuy222]

Vehicle allocation can be tricky at times, especially when vehicles are parked in the depot in the wrong order overnight in order for run out in the morning.  Factors such as maintenance e.t.c needs to be taken into account which could cause this sequence to be broken, which is why you may end up with different vehicles on the route.  Also, a depot may 'borrow' another vehicle from a neighbouring depot (that is surplus to their requirements) in order to meet their PVR.  It happens at Telford sometimes where you may see a versa (all based at Shrewsbury) on a TF route.

There's a difference between sometimes and a daily re-occurance. Wigston are an utter joke. Thurmaston are better, except those 158 pulsars. Now the DB250's can go onto the 158, some of the 127/158 workings switch half way through the day, causing the Sapphire Pulsars to wonder about.

[leicesterbusadventurer]

There's a difference between sometimes and a daily re-occurance. Wigston are an utter joke. Thurmaston are better, except those 158 pulsars. Now the DB250's can go onto the 158, some of the 127/158 workings switch half way through the day, causing the Sapphire Pulsars to wonder about.

Wigston have been in a bad state on-off for many years. When 4765-4777 moved to Thurmaston in 2008, the 44 and 49 were just like they are now. Sometimes you got one of the usual DB250s, sometimes a Lowlander, but usually I kept seeing Commanders and Scania OmniCities, which also kept going on the 50 when it transferred the following summer. This went on for a year and a half until Wigston had the entire Lowlander fleet.

From 2016-2017 it was bad but still bearable, the only flaw being the ex-London Volvos running instead of the Lowlanders (although of course that's my personal preference). Some were OK I will admit. 4021 and 4025 are still good machines in Aylesbury and I had 4027 on the 49 just before it was withdrawn. Drove nice and smooth and I was kind of gutted when it was withdrawn. However, 4028 seems to be an awful bus that keeps breaking down. I remember going past it when it had done so in October 2018, and I thought they'd withdrawn it after that.

I'd say the downfall was caused by 2 things: Taking over Hinckley and the departure of 4536-4545, with the only replacements being 3105-3111. This was what's made the 44 and 49 back to how it was from 2008-2010. It should be (and I highly expect to get) a B7TL, a few B9TLs but of course, there's always an E200 to get in the way, but I think the 86 and 87 have got it worse as you can't predict that. Could be a Streetlite which are probably the most common, could be an Optare, could be a Volvo, could even be the Dennis Dart.

And as for Thurmaston, the only thing I'm going to point out is their failed promise to get more double-deckers on the 29 and 29A. In November and December they seem to manage about 4 or 5, sometimes 6 but throughout the remainder of the year, they only get 1.

[Busboy105]

Wigston have been in a bad state on-off for many years. When 4765-4777 moved to Thurmaston in 2008, the 44 and 49 were just like they are now. Sometimes you got one of the usual DB250s, sometimes a Lowlander, but usually I kept seeing Commanders and Scania OmniCities, which also kept going on the 50 when it transferred the following summer. This went on for a year and a half until Wigston had the entire Lowlander fleet.

From 2016-2017 it was bad but still bearable, the only flaw being the ex-London Volvos running instead of the Lowlanders (although of course that's my personal preference). Some were OK I will admit. 4021 and 4025 are still good machines in Aylesbury and I had 4027 on the 49 just before it was withdrawn. Drove nice and smooth and I was kind of gutted when it was withdrawn. However, 4028 seems to be an awful bus that keeps breaking down. I remember going past it when it had done so in October 2018, and I thought they'd withdrawn it after that.

I'd say the downfall was caused by 2 things: Taking over Hinckley and the departure of 4536-4545, with the only replacements being 3105-3111. This was what's made the 44 and 49 back to how it was from 2008-2010. It should be (and I highly expect to get) a B7TL, a few B9TLs but of course, there's always an E200 to get in the way, but I think the 86 and 87 have got it worse as you can't predict that. Could be a Streetlite which are probably the most common, could be an Optare, could be a Volvo, could even be the Dennis Dart.

And as for Thurmaston, the only thing I'm going to point out is their failed promise to get more double-deckers on the 29 and 29A. In November and December they seem to manage about 4 or 5, sometimes 6 but throughout the remainder of the year, they only get 1.

Could be worse. Just ask the people who live in Cannock.

[Bob]

Could be worse. Just ask the people who live in Cannock.

Definetely

[LazyGuy222]

Why is there an update for 4752 on Bustimes. Anyone know whats happened to it?

[bensweeney14]

Wigston have been in a bad state on-off for many years. When 4765-4777 moved to Thurmaston in 2008, the 44 and 49 were just like they are now. Sometimes you got one of the usual DB250s, sometimes a Lowlander, but usually I kept seeing Commanders and Scania OmniCities, which also kept going on the 50 when it transferred the following summer. This went on for a year and a half until Wigston had the entire Lowlander fleet.

From 2016-2017 it was bad but still bearable, the only flaw being the ex-London Volvos running instead of the Lowlanders (although of course that's my personal preference). Some were OK I will admit. 4021 and 4025 are still good machines in Aylesbury and I had 4027 on the 49 just before it was withdrawn. Drove nice and smooth and I was kind of gutted when it was withdrawn. However, 4028 seems to be an awful bus that keeps breaking down. I remember going past it when it had done so in October 2018, and I thought they'd withdrawn it after that.

I'd say the downfall was caused by 2 things: Taking over Hinckley and the departure of 4536-4545, with the only replacements being 3105-3111. This was what's made the 44 and 49 back to how it was from 2008-2010. It should be (and I highly expect to get) a B7TL, a few B9TLs but of course, there's always an E200 to get in the way, but I think the 86 and 87 have got it worse as you can't predict that. Could be a Streetlite which are probably the most common, could be an Optare, could be a Volvo, could even be the Dennis Dart.

And as for Thurmaston, the only thing I'm going to point out is their failed promise to get more double-deckers on the 29 and 29A. In November and December they seem to manage about 4 or 5, sometimes 6 but throughout the remainder of the year, they only get 1.

Last time I drove 4028, in February, it was absolutely amazing! Was breaking down because some drivers kept turning the retarder off causing all sorts of faults.