Tracline-65

[wembley86]

Why was tracline 65 pulled? Surely the new sprint service will have the same problems.

[Stevo]

On deregulation in 1986 WMT did not register the Sunday 65 and it was gained by Midland Red West with non-guided Leyland Nationals.  Maintenance of the track and the guided vehicles was a cost the new West Midlands Travel didn't want. The track was a complete waste of time anyway. Passengers had to cross a fairly busy road to access bus stops and there were traffic lights galore which slowed progress. The Tracline was more of a WMPTE experiment than a contribution to bus travel in Erdington.

[Westy]

If you want to see a Tracline 65 vehicle, Aston Manor are in process of restoring one.

[JoNi]

Weren't the Tracline 65 buses in a different livery which became fleet standard. Who knows Platinum could become NX standard livery, bus stops in Solihull and Coventry centres are now all platinum. Who knows they may have started I saw the 877 stealthily glide by in the dark on the Coventry Road this morning!

[2900]

Hockley garage had a few of these ex tracline metrobuses quite simply awful buses to drive, finding them in the garage use to be a pain, I had the habit of looking at number plates because it related to the fleet number back then. These ex tracline buses had odd number plates for some reason.

[Tony]

Hockley garage had a few of these ex tracline metrobuses quite simply awful buses to drive, finding them in the garage use to be a pain, I had the habit of looking at number plates because it related to the fleet number back then. These ex tracline buses had odd number plates for some reason.

The registrations matched the tracline fleetnumbers

[Bryan]

Weren't the Tracline 65 buses in a different livery which became fleet standard. Who knows Platinum could become NX standard livery, bus stops in Solihull and Coventry centres are now all platinum. Who knows they may have started I saw the 877 stealthily glide by in the dark on the Coventry Road this morning!

A photograph of A112 WVP (8112) in Tracline 65 livery in 1986.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/bryan_a_smith/24717317

Hockley garage had a few of these ex tracline metrobuses quite simply awful buses to drive, finding them in the garage use to be a pain, I had the habit of looking at number plates because it related to the fleet number back then. These ex tracline buses had odd number plates for some reason.

After being taken off the Tracline 65 service it then received fleetnumber 2972.

This particular vehicle still has a life now after being converted to a mobile dining vehicle and cocktail bar, as can be seen from the photographs on the website below.

http://www.no08.co.uk/the-transformation/

[Squiz1971]

Hockley garage had a few of these ex tracline metrobuses quite simply awful buses to drive, finding them in the garage use to be a pain, I had the habit of looking at number plates because it related to the fleet number back then. These ex tracline buses had odd number plates for some reason.

They were only strange when they were re-numbered into the existing fleet after the Tracline 65 was closed as they went from 8101-8114 to 2961-2974. I believe they were all originally based at MS before moving to Hockley & other depots later in life

[paulb1973]

They were only strange when they were re-numbered into the existing fleet after the Tracline 65 was closed as they went from 8101-8114 to 2961-2974. I believe they were all originally based at MS before moving to Hockley & other depots later in life

Suppose it was handy that Metrobus deliveries had reached 2960 (ending in a zero) at that time - it meant that the last number digit in the registrations still matched-up with the new fleet numbers.

[2900]

I always thought it was strange you had A registration metro-buses with 2961/74 sequenced fleet numbers where as the others were on C and D plates much newer buses having 2900/2960
At least I know why now.

[Pete175]

I drove 2971 from this batch, nice bus

[37351ml]

Strange why it has been named "number 08 after the route it used to work on between hamstead and the radleys". That was number 17-  Or do they mean it worked the inner circle as well as the 16/17?

[Squiz1971]

Strange why it has been named "number 08 after the route it used to work on between hamstead and the radleys". That was number 17-  Or do they mean it worked the inner circle as well as the 16/17?

Not sure where this has come from but as far as I am aware the 16/17 were done by 2 garages LH (17) & HY (16) though some 17's did run from HY. At the time the 8 was I think based at BC before HY took it over before BY took over when HY closed.

[Kevin]

The Hamstead route has always been 16/17 to my knowledge, can't find anything to the contrary

[Bryan]

Not sure where this has come from but as far as I am aware the 16/17 were done by 2 garages LH (17) & HY (16) though some 17's did run from HY. At the time the 8 was I think based at BC before HY took it over before BY took over when HY closed.

I stand to be corrected, but I suspect their detailed investigation onto the history of Metrobus A112 WVP (8112) was incorrect. After all, can anyone imagine Travel West Midlands putting a brand new bus with guide wheels on any service other than the 65 on which it was to work.