Arriva Leicester

[Magikrabby]

I am guessing the Leicester garage runs the 8 service.

When I was driving up the a5 this afternoon (about 15:40) an Arriva optare Solo (or that shape anyway) passed me, with just the number '8' on the display with no destination or other information. I guess it was a recently transferred bus?

Hinckley depot operates it. I presume you saw 1520 and yeah it is a recent transfer. I believe it's there to replace one of the solos that were scrapped recently. 

[ellspurs]

No worries, thanks for the information and sorry for the incorrect thread. Do those displays allow for manual entry (ie so the driver could just put that '8' there without there being the correct boards loaded)?

[SSmith09]

No worries, thanks for the information and sorry for the incorrect thread. Do those displays allow for manual entry (ie so the driver could just put that '8' there without there being the correct boards loaded)?

Possibly the display system is set up with a different configuration to other buses in the fleet hence the issue of it showing just 8

[Mayfield]

Looks like 4201 has gone to Arriva Beds and Bucks

[Magikrabby]

Looks like 4201 has gone to Arriva Beds and Bucks

I've heard it transferred down there to replace 4110, which got turned into an open topper thanks to a low bridge in Luton

[AlexS]

Looks like 4201 has gone to Arriva Beds and Bucks

Which is completely illogical whilst 4760 and 4761 which should have been withdrawn months ago continue to be required and saloons continue to cover decker diagrams on an almost daily basis due to an ongoing shortage of deckers.
Also makes absolutely no sense to have an avoidable micro fleet of one within the depot so really 4202 should be swapped with an enviro at Derby.

[Magikrabby]

Which is completely illogical whilst 4760 and 4761 which should have been withdrawn months ago continue to be required and saloons continue to cover decker diagrams on an almost daily basis due to an ongoing shortage of deckers.
Also makes absolutely no sense to have an avoidable micro fleet of one within the depot so really 4202 should be swapped with an enviro at Derby.

It seems quite unfair that we lose a decker because of a silly driver in Luton! I agree about the swapping - I think that swapping 4202 with Derby's 4402 would make sense, since they already have a lot of that B9TL Gemini batch, and we already have 4400 and 4401. That would make Thurmaston's deckers entirely Enviro400s from next year if they did that.

The DB250s are slowly being withdrawn when their MOTs expire. 4760 will go in October and 4761 in March at the latest. I would have thought that the only reason they are keeping them around is to help with the decker shortage, otherwise more saloons would be on routes that need deckers! 4761 also seems to still be pretty solid

[Fin W]

4425 (ex 5468) SN15 LPY now in service at Thurmaston

[Magikrabby]

4425 (ex 5468) SN15 LPY now in service at Thurmaston

Ooh that's one of the ex-Ayelsbury ones right?

[Fin W]

Ooh that's one of the ex-Ayelsbury ones right?

Yes, has a fresh coat of Journey Mark too

[Magikrabby]

Yes, has a fresh coat of Journey Mark too

That's exciting! I loved this batch of enviros back at home on the 280. Must have been what was tracking as 4201 earlier. Are we getting any more of them?

[47609FireFly]

That's exciting! I loved this batch of enviros back at home on the 280. Must have been what was tracking as 4201 earlier. Are we getting any more of them?

Shame, a 'Really Good Bus Company' would've configured the ticket machine correctly so that it tracked with the right fleet number. One wonders how much material relevant to its former area of operation is still plastered around its interior...

[Magikrabby]

Shame, a 'Really Good Bus Company' would've configured the ticket machine correctly so that it tracked with the right fleet number. One wonders how much material relevant to its former area of operation is still plastered around its interior...

I bet they just shoved 4201's old machine in and called it a day in typical Arriva fashion - as we should all know by now they are certainly not a really good bus company haha!

These are sapphire spec so I expect will be full of sapphire branding inside, but other than that I don't recall any region specific branding. It's been a while since I was on one though so could be wrong about that! I will check it out and see tomorrow

[joieman]

One wonders how much material relevant to its former area of operation is still plastered around its interior...

4400 and 4401 still have "Oxford SmartZone" written on the nearside windows, some of the 3137-44 MMCs have branding for the Harlow/Stansted 508/9/10 on the ceiling, and 3791 has bilingual English and Welsh signage both inside and out. I wouldn't be surprised if the new 4425 will also have some... relics!

[Fin W]

Looking at photos, it has had a retrim too