Hey Tony anything......

[Eric Shaw]

I would like to see the new liveries before commenting, but I find the announcement interesting in that 171 buses are to cost over £34million. This is nearly £200 000 each and suggests to me that they may be all E400 double deckers, which I did not expect.

[CL]

Whilst on the topic of realisation, I have thought about something:

Hypothetically speaking, since the X51 interworks with the 997 now, that technically means the 997 will get the new E400s too?

[RW]

Tony a question you may be able to answer or speculate about. I assume the new livery will not see the light of day until next years vehicle deliveries commence. Will the new livery then become the standard for all future repaints of older vehicles currently in the fleet? Can't believe it will only be introduced via new vehicles or we will have the existing livery around for 10+ years at least. There must surely be a date from which all repaints will be into the new livery! If not how is it going to work?

[Trident 4609]

Whilst on the topic of realisation, I have thought about something:

Hypothetically speaking, since the X51 interworks with the 997 now, that technically means the 997 will get the new E400s too?

Yes

[CL]

Tony a question you may be able to answer or speculate about. I assume the new livery will not see the light of day until next years vehicle deliveries commence. Will the new livery then become the standard for all future repaints of older vehicles currently in the fleet? Can't believe it will only be introduced via new vehicles or we will have the existing livery around for 10+ years at least. There must surely be a date from which all repaints will be into the new livery! If not how is it going to work?

My guess is that the entire fleet, excluding soon-to-be withdrawn vehicles (Mercs, Spectras, etc...), will be in the new livery & all uniform before 2025. Judging by what they have achieved over the last six years...

[don]

So the remaining 79 of the 250 buses announced by NX could be split between NXD and NXC - I also seem to remember the 58 platinum buses would be additional to the 250 so lots of mixed messages!!

I quite like the liveries but can't help wondering how a dark colour like maroon will wear - it's always been a problem going dull and fading on cars.

I rather like the current livery and find it a very easily recognisable brand - only the red has been a problem with fading and that seems to have been resolved now. I can't see any vehicle below 4475 receiving the new livery as they should all be withdrawn over the next three/four years with the new vehicles planned in the current contract - as 4518 etc are being repainted in standard NXWM livery maybe even those won't get the new livery.

I still think NX are missing an opportunity with their huge presence in West Midlands by not having a consistent brand developed by non in-house specialists. There have been some great examples around the country. I also think the national express logo is great in proper coloured form - something which is not used on the bus fleet.

[Liberator9]

Provided quality paint is used, as on the refurbs since mid 2012, the maroon won't fade either. Take these Mainlines up in the north for example; despite not being painted since delivery in 2009, the maroon has not faded in these pictures (not mine) from 2014.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/100217592@N06/14105612317/sizes/l
https://www.flickr.com/photos/100217592@N06/14290183882/sizes/l

Barely any difference to when it was newer - https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=FJ09KNV

[winston]

So the remaining 79 of the 250 buses announced by NX could be split between NXD and NXC - I also seem to remember the 58 platinum buses would be additional to the 250 so lots of mixed messages!!

I quite like the liveries but can't help wondering how a dark colour like maroon will wear - it's always been a problem going dull and fading on cars.

I rather like the current livery and find it a very easily recognisable brand - only the red has been a problem with fading and that seems to have been resolved now. I can't see any vehicle below 4475 receiving the new livery as they should all be withdrawn over the next three/four years with the new vehicles planned in the current contract - as 4518 etc are being repainted in standard NXWM livery maybe even those won't get the new livery.

I still think NX are missing an opportunity with their huge presence in West Midlands by not having a consistent brand developed by non in-house specialists. There have been some great examples around the country. I also think the national express logo is great in proper coloured form - something which is not used on the bus fleet.

I don't think there will be 250 new buses coming to NX UK bus fleets, despite what the IMS announced, which appears to be misleading. Anything for NXC will be included in the NXWM total order. Dundee could end up with no new buses and just newer cascades. The NX/ADL deal announcement originally said they anticipated taking 125 new buses per year after the initial 100, so effectively at 171 they have taken extra.

The first 100-plus vehicles, which will be a mix of double decks and midi vehicles, will be to Euro6 specification and delivered in the second half of 2014. Thereafter we anticipate a further 125 buses per year during the period 2015-2018, taking the total replacement programme to circa 600 over five years.

The only other possible scenario is if the 2016 order is brought forward, but I suspect 171 new buses is the 2015 total across all of NX UK bus.

[don]

You may be right, Winston - however I would be more inclined to believe the NX announcement as covering the whole group and the NXWM announcement covering the West Midlands - presuming that's who made the recent announcement. As for NXD not having new buses, I don't see why not - it shouldn't be a Cinderella outpost in Scotland and on the basis Stagecoach is investing in that area then NX not doing so could send signals that they're not really interested in it - the age profile of the NXD fleet is a little bizarre and I would have thought new buses would be essential.

Liberator9 - interesting comparison there and as you say, the colour seems reasonable. I saw brand new and one year old Stagecoach Gold buses operating side by side earlier in the year and there was a noticeable difference in the colours. With modern two pack paint there should be less fade but UV affects some colours worse than others. White is about the least affected!!

[winston]

You may be right, Winston - however I would be more inclined to believe the NX announcement as covering the whole group and the NXWM announcement covering the West Midlands - presuming that's who made the recent announcement. As for NXD not having new buses, I don't see why not - it shouldn't be a Cinderella outpost in Scotland and on the basis Stagecoach is investing in that area then NX not doing so could send signals that they're not really interested in it - the age profile of the NXD fleet is a little bizarre and I would have thought new buses would be essential.

Don, the NXWM order will definitely include anything for NXC as in previous years. As for the remainder of the new buses to make the 250 being due for NX UK Bus, other than Dundee, NX Stansted & Airlinks (both airport transfers), there are no other UK subsidiaries. I agree that Dundee should have new buses, however they have already missed out this year, it largely depends how much profit they are contributing to the NX group

[Stevo]

'The first 100-plus vehicles, which will be a mix of double decks and midi vehicles, will be to Euro6 specification and delivered in the second half of 2014. Thereafter we anticipate a further 125 buses per year during the period 2015-2018, taking the total replacement programme to circa 600 over five years.' Actually, were any of this year's vehicles to Euro 6? They weigh the same as the Euro 5 vehicles of 2013 so I doubt it.

[The Fox 4846]

Hey Tony, can I make a topic yet?

[Liberator9]

I hardly think it is polite to be requesting new pictures to be taken at Walsall bus station by Tony - he already puts a lot of effort into the website and taking photos of the west midlands buses (and beyond). I am sure at some point Tony will take some more pictures there, but be patient.

[Tony]

I hardly think it is polite to be requesting new pictures to be taken at Walsall bus station by Tony - he already puts a lot of effort into the website and taking photos of the west midlands buses (and beyond). I am sure at some point Tony will take some more pictures there, but be patient.

As I am mostly office based at the moment I am not seeing much daylight to take photographs, hence why a lot of old ones are going on at the moment. Good job I still have a plentiful supply!

I doubt there are many other individuals with websites with nearly 10,000 photographs on!

I still have a supply of another 2000 (at least), and then I have Ronnie Morgan's negatives arriving sometime this month!

[mranon]

regarding the fading paint, iy doesnt help with the chemicals used in commercial vehicle wash systems especially when soap not rinsed off fully