Pensnett Garage

[Trident 4609]

Not another Merc on Fire! Another one down though. Seems the Mercs are really beginning to struggle lately. Hopefully it will provide a good call for more better buses in the future too.

Well some of the Mercs are going anyway so it might mean an extra merc (Lets hope 1515 stays as it is one of the best Mercs we have) stays to cover for it

[Roy]

I'm not sure if this is a first, but at 9.50 this morning there were 4 Tridents in Merry Hill Bus Station at the same time - 4193 on the 276, 4196 on the 141, 4351 on the 53 and 4574 on the 255.

[Ashley]

4348 is on the 120 and 4349 is on the 246

[Stuharris 6360]

A look at 1658, sorry for the pic, but couldn't get any nearer.

[nitromatt1]

A look at 1658, sorry for the pic, but couldn't get any nearer.

That's worse than 1644

[winston]

A look at 1658, sorry for the pic, but couldn't get any nearer.

That's worse than 1644

It is on seeing that, I only saw a glimpse of the rear end as I drove past as there were two guys inspecting it. Its as bad as 1663

[Stu]

Guess that other Merc has been there for some time, as it has 450 on its rear display.  ;)

[winston]

Guess that other Merc has been there for some time, as it has 450 on its rear display.  ;)

It has been withdrawn for a while, but only moved to Pensnett for storage during the last week

[Eric Shaw]

I believe that 4 Mercs have had similar fires, 1644, 1663, 1664 and now 1658. These are all from the same batch [1628 to 1707] and none of the earlier batch have been involved. The only other fire was in 6010,I think, and that was cused by ancilliary equipment. I would think it is time for a full investigation into the problem before someone is injured.

[winston]

I believe that 4 Mercs have had similar fires, 1644, 1663, 1664 and now 1658. These are all from the same batch [1628 to 1707] and none of the earlier batch have been involved. The only other fire was in 6010,I think, and that was cused by ancilliary equipment. I would think it is time for a full investigation into the problem before someone is injured.

1665 & 1699 whilst both at BY suffered fires and were repaired & refurb'd
(I think 1699 was un-related, If I remember right that one was a RTC and the bus crashed in to house a ruptured a gas main that is what caused that fire)

1693 suffered a fire whilst at BY and was withdrawn & scrapped

1698 at WB suffered a fire and was repaired most recently

Not sure on the causes of the all the above fires, but interestingly they are confined to the same batch at the PE fire victims

[winston]

Reserve fleet arrivals for storage are all follows:

1517, 1522, 1526, 1529 & another Dudley Rd branded Merc 1528 ?

In additional to 1658 the latest fire victim

There may be more, that is all I could see through the fence

The other Dudley Road Merc is definitely 1528. Further arrivals are 1537 & 1609.

The only Merc I can't identify is the one parked next to 1658 with 450 on the rear blinds. It is TWM liveried & I'm pretty sure it is a R---XOB example, so that could either be 1531 or 1534?

[uniquicity]

Reserve fleet arrivals for storage are all follows:

1517, 1522, 1526, 1529 & another Dudley Rd branded Merc 1528 ?

In additional to 1658 the latest fire victim

There may be more, that is all I could see through the fence

The other Dudley Road Merc is definitely 1528. Further arrivals are 1537 & 1609.

The only Merc I can't identify is the one parked next to 1658 with 450 on the rear blinds. It is TWM liveried & I'm pretty sure it is a R---XOB example, so that could either be 1531 or 1534?

Definitely 1531, i remember this one being parked up on the scrap line at Miller Street with 450 on the blinds.

[winston]

Reserve fleet arrivals for storage are all follows:

1517, 1522, 1526, 1529 & another Dudley Rd branded Merc 1528 ?

In additional to 1658 the latest fire victim

There may be more, that is all I could see through the fence

The other Dudley Road Merc is definitely 1528. Further arrivals are 1537 & 1609.

The only Merc I can't identify is the one parked next to 1658 with 450 on the rear blinds. It is TWM liveried & I'm pretty sure it is a R---XOB example, so that could either be 1531 or 1538?

Definitely 1531, i remember this one being parked up on the scrap line at Miller Street with 450 on the blinds.

Nice one, I was swaying more towards it being 1538 with 1531 being in the scrapline @ MS, I'd have thought that would have stayed at MS until being picked up by EMR or PVS etc

Done some digging, you may well be right:

I think the one next to 1435 is 1531 in the photo below, but the Merc at Pensnett I think? only has the front bumper section with the number plate on missing, not headlights as this photo  ???
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8812176378/in/set-72157630540103342

Interestingly, 1517 & 1537 have both come to Pensnett from the Miller St scrapline
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8812183240/in/set-72157630540103342

I also have 1531 as being scrapped either in error or Tony has reported it on a disposal list but it has never been collected  ??? Or it has been collected and Tony hasn't moved it to the vehicles left the fleet log

Looking at Tony's Miller Street log from 24/6, 1531 appears to have gone from the scrap line.

Vehicles currently in Miller Street at 10:45  on 24/6 excluding the training fleet are
293
517, 530, 541, 579, 594, 606, 619,645, 650, 665, 676
693
1435, 1448
1517, 1522, 1533, 1537, 1539, 1542, 1555, 1578, 1580, 1605, 1606, 1609
7086, 7115, 7123, 7125, 7126

And 1533 & 1539 from that log have also since been scrapped. And it can't be 1534 that I originally suggested as that is in NX livery, it got to be 1538!

[4130Quinton]

it got to be 1538!
[/quote]

I agree Winston on it being 1538. Very few Mercs retained their rear badges throughout their whole lives, I noticed that 1538 still had one when I peered at it through the fence at Miller Street a few weeks ago and tried my best to take a photo through the wire. When I get home I can check my photos to see if 450 is on the rear blinds.

[winston]

it got to be 1538!

I agree Winston on it being 1538. Very few Mercs retained their rear badges throughout their whole lives, I noticed that 1538 still had one when I peered at it through the fence at Miller Street a few weeks ago and tried my best to take a photo through the wire. When I get home I can check my photos to see if 450 is on the rear blinds.
[/quote]

Nice one, as you can probably tell it's been bugging me (plus I've been struggling to motivate myself to do any work.....), you can't see if now as the rear view is blocked by 1609 & the front is obscured by shrubbery & the bumper with the reg plate is missing