A few questions from an old fool

[Liverpool Street]

Hi All

Having not visited the Rotala portion of the forum for some time, I have a few questions I would need to ask. I would search for the answers but if I start a new topic then it can be my reference point.

1) Is Long Acre still an operative depot?
2) I notice on Diamond website the 'West Midlands' routes span a massive area, are all these 'West Midlands' routes operated out of one depot? & If so, which one.

I did have a massive list of questions to ask all you Rotala nuts but forgot the bulk of them.

More questions to follow~

Charlie.

[the trainbasher]

Long acre is still running buses.

They do the following routes

All Solihull/Coventry/Lichfield services

56 Peaks in conjunction with Tividale
Erdington 25, 53, 66A, 600
Aston 654A
Hawksley 27
Birmingham 50, 108, 647
Acocks Green 96, 99

[Liverpool Street]

And the 16 I guess?

I thought they was gonna close Long Acre?

[winston]

And the 16 I guess?

I thought they was gonna close Long Acre?

Yes and the 16

Long Acre is for sale, once a buyer is found it's vehicles & routes might move in to a expanded Tividale depot.

[the trainbasher]

Yeah the 16 too. I had forgot all about that one

[Liberator9]

Long Acre also operate the Solihull signature services with Mercedes Citaros, Optare Versa Hybrids and Optare Solo SRs.

S2 - Solihull to Dorridge
S3 - Wythall/Dickens Heath to Hockley Heath
82 - Solihull to Coventry
88 - Solihull to Balsall Common
S11 - Solihull circular (north)
S15 - Solihull circular (south)

The Optare Solo SRs are woeful to say the least - underpowered and break down a lot
The Versa Hybrids are fine - very rattly though - more rattles than an Enviro 200 - suspension at times feels like it was left behind on rough roads.
The Citaros are by far the best - smooth running, fast and a true bus - easily thrashed on the route to Coventry - great to run on the dual carriageway on the 82 route. What a dream it would be if we were having Citaros rather than Enviro 200s at NX  ;)

They only run the 27 on a Sunday - some of the Solihull signature drivers I know are on it on a Sunday.

[Stu]

Don't forget also:

S4 - Solihull to Cheswick Green (Signature)
30 - Acocks Green to Solihull

[Liberator9]

Forgot about the S4 - the 30 is no longer a Signature route for some strange reason - it has two Blue Diamond darts on it each day.

[Stu]

Forgot about the S4 - the 30 is no longer a Signature route for some strange reason - it has two Blue Diamond darts on it each day.

I've been seeing Solos (both blue and black) more often on the 30 recently, no doubt due to the Darts being required elsewhere. Still see the odd Signature bus on there from time to time, there was a Versa on yesterday.

[Bryan]

Forgot about the S4 - the 30 is no longer a Signature route for some strange reason - it has two Blue Diamond darts on it each day.

I've been seeing Solos (both blue and black) more often on the 30 recently, no doubt due to the Darts being required elsewhere. Still see the odd Signature bus on there from time to time, there was a Versa on yesterday.

Solo YJ06 YPU (30639) on the 30 in Olton on 20 November

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/bryan_a_smith/36011821

and YJ12 GTY (30129) on 5 December 2014.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/bryan_a_smith/36166358

[Liverpool Street]

Forgot about the S4 - the 30 is no longer a Signature route for some strange reason - it has two Blue Diamond darts on it each day.

I've been seeing Solos (both blue and black) more often on the 30 recently, no doubt due to the Darts being required elsewhere. Still see the odd Signature bus on there from time to time, there was a Versa on yesterday.

Solo YJ06 YPU (30639) on the 30 in Olton last week.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/bryan_a_smith/36011821

From that picture makes me warm a bit to Diamond. Their simple livery is growing on me, but the way it is run leaves a little bit to be desired.

[Ashley]

I know some people have a downer on Diamond but I couldn't really fault them. Decent enough buses and friendly drivers, two things that simplify the desires of bus users / bus nuts