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First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)

Ivo

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Steppy dart 46246 (N246 LHY I think) is still knocking around surprisingly, saw it working the Bath to Devizes 271 the other day, would have loved to have been on that!

You sure it's that one? My source suggests there is no 245 or 246. Also, they are N24x LHT ;)

Anyhow, I saw two consecutive step entrance Darts on the 231 last week. I wouldn't have liked to be on either of those.
 
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heart-of-wessex

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46247, is that one? And N24x LHT, that's the one, keep forgetting that!

Any steppy dart is a bonus for me, I'd be happy to go to Melksham tomorrow and have a dart on my commute, shame the Faresaver turns when I go to work are never Marshall Darts
 

Ivo

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46247 is still about, yes.

Last time I stepped on a Marshall Dart I was pleasantly surprised. The driver floored it on the A4 dual-carriageway leading to my Uni, overtaking an Eclipse on the X39 in the process (to the amusement of the X39 driver)! We must have hit at least 60...
 

Schnellzug

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You sure it's that one? My source suggests there is no 245 or 246. Also, they are N24x LHT ;)

Anyhow, I saw two consecutive step entrance Darts on the 231 last week. I wouldn't have liked to be on either of those.

I don't actually object to step entrance Darts; they have much better performance than an SLF, and seem generally better put together.
 

Ivo

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I don't actually object to step entrance Darts; they have much better performance than an SLF, and seem generally better put together.

Maybe - but there's nothing special about them. They just get the job done with no real "life" (if you see what I mean - think Leyland Olympians for example).

Still, they aren't nearly as dull as the Dominators Southend used to have. Horrid things.

wow! A steppy Marshal overhauling a Gemini? To say I would have enjoyed bashing that one is an understatement!

A little hint - this was an early SLF model (no wheelchair/buggy space), and it was a single-deck Eclipse (so not a Gemini). But it was still something to see - and something to experience :p I haven't been on a bus at that speed since Chelmsford withdrew their Lynxes.
 

anthony263

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I don't actually object to step entrance Darts; they have much better performance than an SLF, and seem generally better put together.


Very true and it can be embaressing if you are driving the low floor dart and a step entrance flies past you when you are driving up a hill.

Some of the early low floor pointers do have a good bit of talk however the transbus pointers are useless although not as bad as the marshal darts we have in south wales which really struggle up hills.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
46247 is still about, yes.

Last time I stepped on a Marshall Dart I was pleasantly surprised. The driver floored it on the A4 dual-carriageway leading to my Uni, overtaking an Eclipse on the X39 in the process (to the amusement of the X39 driver)! We must have hit at least 60...

Ow can we have that marshal transfered to south wales please it will be fun to drive.
 

anthony263

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I think it came from South Wales...

If it did can we have it back please.

Shame this particulary vehicles wasnt operating at the Bridgend depot as my bus route has some very steep twisty hills which I would mind having that dart and see how it performs.
 

Blindtraveler

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Nowhere near enough to a Pacer :(
and a wee loan to FSE after so we can all bash it up here. It wil come as no surprise to many that many of the origional LF darts FSE got are going for scrap apparently when Dalkeith Depot closes. Many are in a bad way
a
 

83G/84D

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I followed a FD&C Trident up Richmond Hill out of Truro towards the Railway Station. It was crawling albeit with roughly a 80% full load. When it got to the top it stopped at the bus stop but no-one got on or off,perhaps the driver was giving the bus a brief rest after it's exertions!

On the other hand I have seen the Olympians on school runs doing 50+mph on the A30,not bad for 15 year old buses.
 

Ivo

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Steppy Dart fans:

They were out in force on Bath's City routes today. I even went on one on the 5 <D

It was running 13 minutes late <(
 

richw

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On the other hand I have seen the Olympians on school runs doing 50+mph on the A30,not bad for 15 year old buses.

I'm always impressed by how quick they seem to be moving in the mornings when I pass them on their truro college duties


Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2
 

Ivo

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think il have to get down there for some step dart action, only a handfull round here. Maybe if that bus bash mentioned in the bus bashing thread happens il do a cupple of megabus £1 specials and join you!

It WILL happen at some stage - I already have the tickets! You are more than welcome to come along. And unlike the first time I met you we won't be surrounded by people that don't understand buses! :p
 

83G/84D

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A handful of step Dart's at FD&C following the April route retenderings. You might have to go searching for them though as although they are on paper based at Camborne they have been seen outstationed at Helston,Falmouth and Truro recently.

Not much sign of them at Penzance depot although they have occasionally reached the town on service 18.

Interestingly this service can produce anything these days after being the preserve of the 692xx Volvo's for some time. I have seen Optare's,Olympian's,Dart's and even a Merc Vario on this route.
 

Ivo

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Does anyone know what kind of vehicles usually run the 352 (the slow Bristol to WSM route)? At about 13:00 yesterday [Friday] I saw a Solo on the route :shock:

'Twas also nice to get a Volvo Olympian on the 112 soon after! :D Unfortunately the X1 failed to deliver and we [sonic2009 and myself] ended up with one of S&A's myriad 2003 B7TLs and not one of the high-spec E400s...
 

heart-of-wessex

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A Solo was dropped onto the 234 in the peak hour as the ALX 400 fell apart, but the Solo was soon swapped out ASAP with a Crusader sent from Bath to Melksham to take over from the Solo.

Today, a decker was back out with 32280 vice 284, and the Crusader is on the Trowbridge Town 236 instead.
 

Ivo

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An important note for everyone interested in a south-West bus bash:

One of my three South-West Day tickets has now been used! Only two remain!
 

anthony263

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:roll:

Very funny.

I will shortly send you a PM about that ambitious project we discussed last night ;)


I dont think I want to know what project you two have come up with :lol:

Just kidding is it anything interesting?

Also the mercedes-benz vario first cymru have/had is likely to be off somewhere soon
 

Ivo

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We came up with the idea of running from Bristol to the south coast, then on the X53 to Poole, and then back again via Salisbury - in one day :p
 

anthony263

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We came up with the idea of running from Bristol to the south coast, then on the X53 to Poole, and then back again via Salisbury - in one day :p

Excellent sounds like something I would do.

Hopefully it will go well for you and the weather will be nice (I just jixed it haven't I?)

Anyway I did look at trying to do the entire trawscymru network in a day which sadly isnt now possible thanks to arriva.

Then again I might do a round trip round wales by bus and see how long it takes me
 

heart-of-wessex

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Is there much old stuff in Weston-S-Mare to do, or has some of the older darts and mini mercs gone from the locals? I don't know if the open decker Olympian is still there or not.

I'm thinking of doing (not 100% yet) a First Day South West to Bristol this Wednesday, to see what Steppy Darts are around, bargain trip at around £7-£8 for the day anyway, but I won't waste my time going to Weston if there's not much there.

I'll probably spend half my time in Bristol then over to Bath to see what's knocking around there if anything then the 265 back home.

Is there anything much up Wells way otherwise?


James.
 

anthony263

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Well Crossvile buses are running some vintage buses around Weston Super mare as well as a few solos.

I think First have a volvo olympian on their open top service buts I havent been to weston for a few months so I dont know if First are running any step entrance darts dopwn there any more of course you could get lucky and get a mercedes-benz minibus
 

Ivo

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I don't think Weston have any step-entrance Minis left these days, whereas Bridgwater and Bath do. All areas apart from Weston still have step-entrance Darts to my knowledge, including Wells (probably for the 161); the best bet for steppy Darts is probably Bath, with the 36 in Bristol a prominent alternative. I think Weston still have the open-topper, but even if they don't they definitely do have plentiful "closed-top" Olympians left (the 112 is by far the best bet for these).
 

Schnellzug

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the exciting news is that the Weymouth-Portland Bill open Top service appears to have started again! :D And guess what the weather's like today! That's right! :D
 

heart-of-wessex

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Cheers for that Ivo, been too long since I've been on a bash I don't know what's left! I'll head straight for Bristol on the X39 (+1 connection at Bath) then maybe head down on the X1 first to Weston.

Me and my partner used to go to Weymouth ever year, usually for the skips but we'd do a unit from now on instead obviously. Wanted to do the open topper in Weymouth but we aren't going this year and avoiding the area like the plague, but I might get some advances to Swansea and do the open topper from there. Does anyone know when the runs from and to, and if it runs on certain days of the week please?


James.
 

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