Your opinion on liveries…

[Wumpty]

Crimson/Blueson and red/white blue/white are just variations on a theme, so I'm not sure why those would be considered seperate liveries.

While grey might be considered 'dull' or 'boring', there's at least a chance of finally having some consistency in the next couple of years.

I've mentioned before how some of the recent repaints into the grey livery look quite smart, and I still believe they do, and hopefully they will stay that way for some time.

In theory, and fresh from the paintshop in daylight, they do look very smart, however take this morning as an example;

Dark and misty in places - I'm sat in traffic and only saw one of WN's B7's last minute when the blinds came into view first. It's not visually a practical livery in darker conditions, though is much more practical from an engineering side.

Does that mean there's a more strategic approach to this, as in it appears to be more cost-effective with the grey being hard wearing, thus saving money with repaints, refurbs etc., even if it doesn't look as good as some previous liveries do like the Blueson, Crimson etc.

There will always be a cost saving the less colours you use - painting will be a one-size-fits-all, replacing panels/body parts becomes easier and the fewer colours means a stronger corporate brand identity, though does dilute the platinum brand (although I'm convinced Platinum was a pre-cursor to this all grey fleet - psychologically, if it looks like a Platinum, then the rest of your journey SHOULD feel like a Platinum experience, even when the bus itself isn't). 

What the crimson/blueson did best was to try and get away from the mish-mash of red/white and hybrid liveries (toothpaste etc) and shade variations of red/white and the weathering of the red that turned it pink against steel/aluminium and fibreglass parts, that still exists. repaints are going at a great rate, older buses in red/white will very shortly disappear leaving a fleet that can be repainted quickly, dispelling further confusion.

Wmt esop livery

@karl724223 I completely agree, and there IS something to be said for special/commemorative liveries, and hopefully, as the fleet changes and older buses disappear, NX will continue the heritage repaints as this is an important nod to the history of local public transport.

Anyway I'm off to look at some photos of the first Timesavers - great livery, weathered very badly!!!!!

[karl724223]

Doesn't help the new livery when panels are put back on after rta and they are the wrong shade of grey load of wolves singles look a mess because of this also pn 47xx buses look a mess from the same thing 

[Wumpty]

Doesn't help the new livery when panels are put back on after rta and they are the wrong shade of grey load of wolves singles look a mess because of this also pn 47xx buses look a mess from the same thing

Are the panels painted locally? This might explain why there's a colour variation, though surely you'd expect the paint supplies to be closely monitored to match the right buses?

[joseph88]

I like Grey 2nd Edition because it looks good and is also has another colour which is good. Grey 1st edition is also good. 
The Crimson livery looks nice and has got a couple of secondary colours which look good on the Volvo and Trident buses

[karl724223]

ESOP livery was one of the best on metrobuses

[Rachvince53]

I liked the heritage liveried Metrobuses.

[markcf83]

ESOP livery was one of the best on metrobuses

I remember those. Lowest numbered Metrobus to get it was 2507(?) at PB-not sure if a Scania had it or not. 

[busfan2847]

The ESOP liveried metrobuses were:
2447 (HY), 2507 (PB), 2576 (BC), 2843 (DY), 2880 (QN), 2888 (WA), 2898 (CV), 2993 (WN), 3000 (AG), 3034 (WB), 3042 (HL), 3044 (LH), 3049 (WH), 3055 (YW)

no Scanisa were painted in the ESOP livery.

[Rachvince53]

The ESOP liveried metrobuses were:
2447 (HY), 2507 (PB), 2576 (BC), 2843 (DY), 2880 (QN), 2888 (WA), 2898 (CV), 2993 (WN), 3000 (AG), 3034 (WB), 3042 (HL), 3044 (LH), 3049 (WH), 3055 (YW)

no Scanisa were painted in the ESOP livery.

If I recall wasn't 2993 previously branded as the 1000th Metrobus for WMT?

[Gareth]

If I recall wasn't 2993 previously branded as the 1000th Metrobus for WMT?

Yes. It carried fleetnumber 1000 for a short while and special lettering saying it was the thousandth Metrobus for WMT.

[Wumpty]

Yes. It carried fleetnumber 1000 for a short while and special lettering saying it was the thousandth Metrobus for WMT.

Legend has it that 2993 wasn't actually the 1000th Metrobus. It just happened to be near enough due to the real 1000th being unavailable for some reason and it replaced it.

One of those stories you hear that I liked the sound of, though happily stand corrected if I'm wrong.

[j789]

Legend has it that 2993 wasn't actually the 1000th Metrobus. It just happened to be near enough due to the real 1000th being unavailable for some reason and it replaced it.

One of those stories you hear that I liked the sound of, though happily stand corrected if I'm wrong.

Well were were the 7 prototypes - 6831-5 and 7006/7 so 2993 more would be the 3000th bus.

I guess it could be argued against though, for example 2994, 2995 etc may actually have entered service before 2993 so would actually be the 1000th bus in service.

Also, a few early MK1 Metros had been sold by the time the 'F' reg Metros came in. Not many but again 2993 was never the 1000th Metro in concurrent service with WMT, that would have been a 30** one to take into account those sold off/withdrawn.

[Wumpty]

Well were were the 7 prototypes - 6831-5 and 7006/7 so 2993 more would be the 3000th bus.

I guess it could be argued against though, for example 2994, 2995 etc may actually have entered service before 2993 so would actually be the 1000th bus in service.

Also, a few early MK1 Metros had been sold by the time the 'F' reg Metros came in. Not many but again 2993 was never the 1000th Metro in concurrent service with WMT, that would have been a 30** one to take into account those sold off/withdrawn.

I just like the notion that the original was not available so someone went, "That one will do!".

Agreed, lots of movers and shakers up to the 1000th Metrobus - perhaps @Tony could quell the myths?

[Isle of Stroma]

Legend has it that 2993 wasn't actually the 1000th Metrobus. It just happened to be near enough due to the real 1000th being unavailable for some reason and it replaced it.

One of those stories you hear that I liked the sound of, though happily stand corrected if I'm wrong.

Dunno, but the build number is in sequence with other WMT deliveries.

[Rachvince53]

Well were were the 7 prototypes - 6831-5 and 7006/7 so 2993 more would be the 3000th bus.

I guess it could be argued against though, for example 2994, 2995 etc may actually have entered service before 2993 so would actually be the 1000th bus in service.

Also, a few early MK1 Metros had been sold by the time the 'F' reg Metros came in. Not many but again 2993 was never the 1000th Metro in concurrent service with WMT, that would have been a 30** one to take into account those sold off/withdrawn.

I think it meant the 1000th metrobus delivered to the post deregulation WMT as the others were delivered to WMPTE.