Pensnett Garage

[winston]

I asked why they was not parked up the top was told top buses for scrap them five going to miller st

Cheers for that, 1648 should be in the scrap line as it's a rust bucket. 1649 especially seems in good condition, far better than others still on the road.

[Stuharris 6360]

Maybe miller st stripping them to keep other mercs on the road into 2015

Didn't take them long to finish 1707, was out & about today!

[Ashley]

Wont miss 1554 much but still its another merc gone

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

4135 now has Enviro 400 rear lights, looks extremely smart, is this a result of one of its many accidents or done at refurb?

[winston]

4135 now has Enviro 400 rear lights, looks extremely smart, is this a result of one of its many accidents or done at refurb?

4135 has had a couple of bumps since being refurbished, but I think they have all being front end.

[Tony]

Old livery returns to Pensnett.
WB 1668 is on the 243/244s today

[winston]

Old livery returns to Pensnett.
WB 1668 is on the 243/244s today

Is that a loan?

[Stuharris 6360]

Old livery returns to Pensnett.
WB 1668 is on the 243/244s today

Is that a loan?

Let's hope so!

[karl724223]

1668 was on the x96 this morning

[karl724223]

1704 being repaired

[Stuharris 6360]

Well they more se more of a future at PE for the Mercs than i first thought, they are not going to spend money doing these repairs if they are going to withdraw them soon!

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

Well they more se more of a future at PE for the Mercs than i first thought, they are not going to spend money doing these repairs if they are going to withdraw them soon!

Well the money has probably come through insurance, so they're not actually going to be spending any money to keep a bus in service, surely got to be better than just scrapping it, as they are virtually worthless as no other operator is going to touch them

Will be a very sad day when the last one of the Mercs goes, as if you really wanted to travel on a B6, Excel, Solo, some of the other recently withdrawn or to be withdrawn types they are still being operated around the country by others, but once the Mercs go that is it! Other than a holiday to Germany

[winston]

Well they more se more of a future at PE for the Mercs than i first thought, they are not going to spend money doing these repairs if they are going to withdraw them soon!

Well the money has probably come through insurance, so they're not actually going to be spending any money to keep a bus in service, surely got to be better than just scrapping it, as they are virtually worthless as no other operator is going to touch them

Will be a very sad day when the last one of the Mercs goes, as if you really wanted to travel on a B6, Excel, Solo, some of the other recently withdrawn or to be withdrawn types they are still being operated around the country by others, but once the Mercs go that is it! Other than a holiday to Germany

I think your forgetting the repanelling of 1707 which wasn't down to an accident, it was due to corrosion.

This internal photo of 1643 is a little concerning: https://www.flickr.com/photos/24034040@N07/14761877450/

[don]

Well they more se more of a future at PE for the Mercs than i first thought, they are not going to spend money doing these repairs if they are going to withdraw them soon!

Well the money has probably come through insurance, so they're not actually going to be spending any money to keep a bus in service, surely got to be better than just scrapping it, as they are virtually worthless as no other operator is going to touch them

Will be a very sad day when the last one of the Mercs goes, as if you really wanted to travel on a B6, Excel, Solo, some of the other recently withdrawn or to be withdrawn types they are still being operated around the country by others, but once the Mercs go that is it! Other than a holiday to Germany

I think your forgetting the repanelling of 1707 which wasn't down to an accident, it was due to corrosion.

This internal photo of 1643 is a little concerning: https://www.flickr.com/photos/24034040@N07/14761877450/

Goodness - not good  ???  by my reckoning, when the current batches of new vehicles have been delivered, there would be around 45 Mercs left, which would fit neatly as 15 buses at each of 3 garages (my guess - CV; PE; WN). However PE currently have considerably more than that - anyone care to speculate how reallocations might reduce the number? Or maybe there will be 60 left? I can't get my head around it. The other uncertainty with Pensnett is what will happen with the Hagley Road Sprint service - it could reduce NXWM's operation there if they didn't win the operating contract for the new bendy vehicles, although they might attempt to compete (which would p*** off Centro majorly) or they could beef up all of the connecting services, or both. If they did win the contract, where on earth would they garage the bendies  ;) 

[winston]

Well they more se more of a future at PE for the Mercs than i first thought, they are not going to spend money doing these repairs if they are going to withdraw them soon!

Well the money has probably come through insurance, so they're not actually going to be spending any money to keep a bus in service, surely got to be better than just scrapping it, as they are virtually worthless as no other operator is going to touch them

Will be a very sad day when the last one of the Mercs goes, as if you really wanted to travel on a B6, Excel, Solo, some of the other recently withdrawn or to be withdrawn types they are still being operated around the country by others, but once the Mercs go that is it! Other than a holiday to Germany

I think your forgetting the repanelling of 1707 which wasn't down to an accident, it was due to corrosion.

This internal photo of 1643 is a little concerning: https://www.flickr.com/photos/24034040@N07/14761877450/

Goodness - not good  ???  by my reckoning, when the current batches of new vehicles have been delivered, there would be around 45 Mercs left, which would fit neatly as 15 buses at each of 3 garages (my guess - CV; PE; WN). However PE currently have considerably more than that - anyone care to speculate how reallocations might reduce the number? Or maybe there will be 60 left? I can't get my head around it. The other uncertainty with Pensnett is what will happen with the Hagley Road Sprint service - it could reduce NXWM's operation there if they didn't win the operating contract for the new bendy vehicles, although they might attempt to compete (which would p*** off Centro majorly) or they could beef up all of the connecting services, or both. If they did win the contract, where on earth would they garage the bendies  ;)

I think there may end up being more like left than 45, maybe closer to the 60 Mercs you suggest (I make 82 Mercs left which still include 1554 being active). WB are currently loosing some Gemini's to WA, so may not lose their entire Merc allocation? Don't forget that most of WB, WN & WA E200's will be replacing B6LE. In addition, 1898 which has left WA for YW may be replacing B10L's there or could be extra single deckers for the 6 allowing more Tridents to leave?

I think the Merc fleet may be as follows, once all withdrawals/cascades have taken place:

CV = 12
PE = 23
WB = 10
WN = 10

Total = 55

All Dart SLF's & B6LE's withdrawn by end of Sept/Early Oct

Birmingham Central would seem the most logical to house Sprint bendi's with it's large open plan parking areas. I'm still not convinced that NX wont operate Sprint, it would be daft to have a different operator running Sprint when NX run the Metro & the three quarters of all the buses in the region. Sprint needs to compliment existing Hagley Rd services by attracting new passengers, not by simply taking them off the buses & the frequency of those is cut.