West Bromwich Garage

[JB93]

I think due to past unpleasant experiences on the 14, I'd nominate Alum Rock as one of the places I'd not want to have to walk home through.

[Gareth]

I think due to past unpleasant experiences on the 14, I'd nominate Alum Rock as one of the places I'd not want to have to walk home through.

I've live just off the Alum Rock Road on and off since 1989, before that Washwood Heath Road.

I'm not dead yet, I've never been shot or stabbed. I've never been approached by a drug dealer and never been mugged.

Keep yourself to yourself, yet be streetwise at the same time. It's not the most glamorous area, the traffic is a nightmare and the pedestrians are even worse on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon. But it's not half as bad as people think it is.

But if you've had bad experiences, then I'm sorry to hear that. It is very much a non regular thing.

[John]

4709 back in service on the 82/87 today, still has the green branding on the rear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/9501972413

[Stuharris 6360]

4709 back in service on the 82/87 today, still has the green branding on the rear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/9501972413

Would have thought it deserved a full repaint.

[Mike K]

4709 back in service on the 82/87 today, still has the green branding on the rear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/9501972413

Would have thought it deserved a full repaint.

Why can't they do a proper job on these Wright Eclipse repaints and keep the destination surrounds black? Detracts from the modern looks having red bars in place of black.
Same applies to E400 repaints (and Spectras and Presidents before them). The black window surrounds look far more stylish.   

[winston]

4709 back in service on the 82/87 today, still has the green branding on the rear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/9501972413

Would have thought it deserved a full repaint.

Why can't they do a proper job on these Wright Eclipse repaints and keep the destination surrounds black? Detracts from the modern looks having red bars in place of black.
Same applies to E400 repaints (and Spectras and Presidents before them). The black window surrounds look far more stylish.   

No doubt it's down to time & ultimately cost. More colours/ more stages/ more masking etc

[Mike K]

4709 back in service on the 82/87 today, still has the green branding on the rear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/9501972413

Would have thought it deserved a full repaint.

Why can't they do a proper job on these Wright Eclipse repaints and keep the destination surrounds black? Detracts from the modern looks having red bars in place of black.
Same applies to E400 repaints (and Spectras and Presidents before them). The black window surrounds look far more stylish.   

No doubt it's down to time & ultimately cost. More colours/ more stages/ more masking etc

Well yes, you hit the nail on the head Winston. But it's a pity, the livery is crap as it is without doing away with the minor touches that break up the dreadful expanse of white and red. With just single tree deflectors on the more recent E400s NXWM take cost cutting to another level.

[winston]

Why can't they do a proper job on these Wright Eclipse repaints and keep the destination surrounds black? Detracts from the modern looks having red bars in place of black.
Same applies to E400 repaints (and Spectras and Presidents before them). The black window surrounds look far more stylish.   

No doubt it's down to time & ultimately cost. More colours/ more stages/ more masking etc

Well yes, you hit the nail on the head Winston. But it's a pity, the livery is crap as it is without doing away with the minor touches that break up the dreadful expanse of white and red. With just single tree deflectors on the more recent E400s NXWM take cost cutting to another level.
[/quote]

I'm with you Mike on the black window surrounds, I agree it is the finer detail that is still lacking/letting NX down. With the latter Enviro 400's at Pensnett that already had black window surrounds from new, you would think retaining them would have been the easier option as the whole window extent could have been masked off in one go rather than having to do each individual window. There still doesn't seem to be any consistency........

[JackC]

4709 back in service on the 82/87 today, still has the green branding on the rear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/9501972413

Would have thought it deserved a full repaint.

Why can't they do a proper job on these Wright Eclipse repaints and keep the destination surrounds black? Detracts from the modern looks having red bars in place of black.
Same applies to E400 repaints (and Spectras and Presidents before them). The black window surrounds look far more stylish.   

No doubt it's down to time & ultimately cost. More colours/ more stages/ more masking etc

Well yes, you hit the nail on the head Winston. But it's a pity, the livery is crap as it is without doing away with the minor touches that break up the dreadful expanse of white and red. With just single tree deflectors on the more recent E400s NXWM take cost cutting to another level.

The two big problems is that, 1) NX no doubt want to churn out these refurbs as quick as possible and if that means painting everything you can get away with and skipping some masking then that's what will happen. 2) While these bits of trim being painted over may tick off us enthusiasts, I doubt it makes much different to the average customer. Infact, the average customer probably wouldn't even notice the fact that a Scania is supposed to have silver front trim. NX can't just do everything to please enthusiasts as we are a small group in a massive customer base. The general consensus is that if it's quick to achieve and won't affect their public image with customers then it's fair game.

[BU07 LGO]

I agree that the red on 4709 looks tacky but with the toothpaste enviros I think the white beams look quite good, and on the 4763-4767 batch.

Though I still think they should have splashed the cash with the enviros like they did on 4698 with the silver light surrounds and silver grille

[Dylan4579]

Just got off 4709 on the 87 should be in Oldbury now.
What a disgrace of a bus green branding incomplete connection bars, burn marks on seat covers, only front end repaint filthy seats. Rant over.

[winston]

F.A.O Uniquicity

Tried to reply to your PM, but you have PM blocked  ;)

[Liverpool Street]

With the state of 4709 you'd be forgiven for thinking NXWM is returning to the glory days of no VCR's and shoddy repairs with norepainting. Shame on you NX. It alls comes down to cash again. I wish that company wasn't so tight fisted.

[Ash]

1852 has had part of its rear advert removed ages ago probably due to a repair but half of it remains and doesn't look great, not sure if this advert has to be kept until the duration of what has been paid for the advert is up but surely either way it could be reapplied as it's a mess and at the moment advertising nothing. May be WB would have removed the advert and tidied the bus up.

[wbdriver]

4709 now branded for 82 and 87 to match the other 06 gems.

4291 back at garage, repainted but as of this morning, the old seat covers were still on, ie not the grey ones with dots, the same as the old 451 presidents had before refurb.

3610 still in back car park, not moved an inch yet.

2 mercs being driven by engineers with blank blinds past the malt shovel on the newton road yesterday, didn't get numbers, but i think being withdrawn.