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

[D2007wsm]

X8 is run by Abus (apart from Saturdays - maybe MS will run it on Saturdays?)

The arrangement with Abus is similar to the existing arrangement other than Abus will operate some of the X8s rather than X9s. The new combined X8 and X9 timetable on Traveline SW shows the last Abus X8 departures from Bristol as being 18:10 with the 19:10 and 20:10 being operated by First. Likewise on a Saturday it is a roughly 50/50 split between Abus and First. Sunday's will only be the X9.

All North Somerset work will be operated out of Weston Depot, with Weston drivers and vehicles. The North Somerset network is being rebranded in conjunction with North Somerset Council.

 

[carlberry]

X8 is run by Abus (apart from Saturdays - maybe MS will run it on Saturdays?)

Who are MS?

 

[BBC]

Who are MS?

Malbrough street (wrong spelling I think !) or the bristol bus station to most.

 

[D2007wsm]

Malbrough street (wrong spelling I think !) or the bristol bus station to most.

Yes MS is Marlborough Street (Nearly there), other common abbreviations for Marlborough Street is MST or MH.

 

[Private Baxter]

Malbrough street (wrong spelling I think !) or the bristol bus station to most.

I believe MS is actually the official depot code but has always been known as MH, even in the old days when Badgerline put it on the front of their vehicles ahead of fleet number. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Dai Corner]

I believe MS is actually the official depot code but has always been known as MH, even in the old days when Badgerline put it on the front of their vehicles ahead of fleet number. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yes that's what I remember seeing on buses, and it goes back to before Badgerline to the Bristol Omnibus Co days. The depot is no longer at the bus station of course.

Here's a picture by former Bristol bus driver Stephen Dowle showing the MH depot code. Stephen's Flickr photostream and accompanying descriptions and discussions will be of great interest to anyone interested in the history of Bristol buses.
https://flic.kr/p/RHnanv

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes MS is Marlborough Street (Nearly there), other common abbreviations for Marlborough Street is MST or MH.

MH is the generally accepted abbreviation; it was the depot code in the BOC days with WS - Wells, WM - Weston and BH - Bath.

City depots were LH - Lawrence Hill, MR - Muller Road, WE - Winterstoke Road with the latter being replaced with HE - Hengrove.

Won't bore you with all the other depot codes across the BOC (Bristol Omnibus Co) empire

 

[Whiteway215]

MH is the generally accepted abbreviation; it was the depot code in the BOC days with WS - Wells, WM - Weston and BH - Bath.

City depots were LH - Lawrence Hill, MR - Muller Road, WE - Winterstoke Road with the latter being replaced with HE - Hengrove.

Won't bore you with all the other depot codes across the BOC (Bristol Omnibus Co) empire

Oh go on! Avonmouth, Staple Hill, Easton, Bris, ,Swindon, Devizes, Trowbridge and probably others.

 

[THarris123]

Reason why I used MS was because last time I used MH someone commented on here asking what depot that is and that surely MS would be a better abbrev.

 

[diffywood]

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=fd8e88633dffafd4bc85885fbeea5ced&oe=594E22B1

a better picture

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=8dfd5adad388db735b2c1690d48fec81&oe=595A5969

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Oh go on! Avonmouth, Staple Hill, Easton, Bris, ,Swindon, Devizes, Trowbridge and probably others.

Here goes (Carl and Swifty on standby to correct)

SH - Staple Hill
GR - Gloucester
CM - Cheltenham
SN - Swindon
SD - Stroud
TE - Trowbridge
HN - Hanham

Can't remember Devizes. Avonmouth, Highbridge and Wotton were subdepots so carried the code of their main depot.

Westbury, Coleford, Briz and Eastville may have been prior to use of codes. Kingswood did have KD but that was in CityLine days.

 

[freetoview33]

a better picture

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=8dfd5adad388db735b2c1690d48fec81&oe=595A5969

See a lick of paint makes a world of difference, just needs a good interior makeover and a look at the engine and it will be as good as new.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

See a lick of paint makes a world of difference, just needs a good interior makeover and a look at the engine and it will be as good as new.

It does look good and a refurb/repaint does certainly help.

However, they've had a hard life grinding around London before time in Southampton (surprisingly hilly in parts) and then Bristol - they're good buses but they've been worked hard! Perhaps "as good as new" is a bit hopeful

 

[ryson357]

First Kernow and Buses of Somerset changes at the end of May. Vosa registrations are up.

Route 2 (Taunton Town Service to Priorswood) - Timetable amended and extended to Monkton Heathfield.
Route 28 (Taunton to Minehead) - Timetable changes on all days of operation
Route 29 (Taunton to Wells) - Change of route Monday's-Friday's and timetable changes on all days of operation.
Route 30 (Taunton to Axminster) - Change of route and timetable on all days of operation.
Route 54 (Taunton to Yeovil) - Change to timetables on all days of operation.
Route 75/X75 (Bridgwater to Street/Wells) - Change to route and timetable on all days of operation.
Route 77 (Wells to Yeovil) - Change to timetable on all days of operation.

Interesting changes to some of kernow so services with many routes renumbered and introduced.

Wonder what the changes are like for Somerset, hope we don't see too many more cuts since October. Interesting to see route 2 being extended. As my local route wonder what's changing to the 28?

 

[THarris123]

First Kernow and Buses of Somerset changes at the end of May. Vosa registrations are up.

Route 2 (Taunton Town Service to Priorswood) - Timetable amended and extended to Monkton Heathfield.
Route 28 (Taunton to Minehead) - Timetable changes on all days of operation
Route 29 (Taunton to Wells) - Change of route Monday's-Friday's and timetable changes on all days of operation.
Route 30 (Taunton to Axminster) - Change of route and timetable on all days of operation.
Route 54 (Taunton to Yeovil) - Change to timetables on all days of operation.
Route 75/X75 (Bridgwater to Street/Wells) - Change to route and timetable on all days of operation.
Route 77 (Wells to Yeovil) - Change to timetable on all days of operation.

Interesting changes to some of kernow so services with many routes renumbered and introduced.

Wonder what the changes are like for Somerset, hope we don't see too many more cuts since October. Interesting to see route 2 being extended. As my local route wonder what's changing to the 28?

That's interesting. Wonder if this is the change to give 77 to Yeovil and maybe a frequency increase on 28 for the summer period?

I do hope that the change of timetable on 29 is just minor changes and not a frequency change. What might the route change on it be?

Hopefully the change on 30 also isn't a frequency decrease.

The change to 75/X75 seems also interesting. Any ideas?

Maybe FSW can confirm what some of these changes are, rather than the thread going into meltdown mode with speculation?

 

[diffywood]

seems stagecoach has won the tender to run the 77 Bristol to Thornbury from september 2017

 

[ryson357]

That's interesting. Wonder if this is the change to give 77 to Yeovil and maybe a frequency increase on 28 for the summer period?

I do hope that the change of timetable on 29 is just minor changes and not a frequency change. What might the route change on it be?

Hopefully the change on 30 also isn't a frequency decrease.

The change to 75/X75 seems also interesting. Any ideas?

Maybe FSW can confirm what some of these changes are, rather than the thread going into meltdown mode with speculation?

A frequency boost for the 28 would benefit, especially for the summer with Butlins and boost in demand.
Maybe the 54 & 77 is to be passed to Yeovil depot to free up drivers and room for buses at Taunton/Bridgwater.
The 29 is looking better with passenger wise, the vechicles used is an improvement with B7RLE's being most common with the occasional Streetlite or E200. Hopefully no cuts to frequency to this route. Wonder if the route would no longer serve Windmill Hill road, Leg of Mutton road in Glastonbury? Maybe the 75 would extend from Street to Glastonbury and do a loop around Windmill Hill road and Leg of Mutton road?
As with the 30, lets hope it's a better timetable by spacing out journeys better with the 99 to/from Chard.

Certainly interesting times for Somerset.

 

[THarris123]

A frequency boost for the 28 would benefit, especially for the summer with Butlins and boost in demand.
Maybe the 54 & 77 is to be passed to Yeovil depot to free up drivers and room for buses at Taunton/Bridgwater.
The 29 is looking better with passenger wise, the vechicles used is an improvement with B7RLE's being most common with the occasional Streetlite or E200. Hopefully no cuts to frequency to this route. Wonder if the route would no longer serve Windmill Hill road, Leg of Mutton road in Glastonbury? Maybe the 75 would extend from Street to Glastonbury and do a loop around Windmill Hill road and Leg of Mutton road?
As with the 30, lets hope it's a better timetable by spacing out journeys better with the 99 to/from Chard.

Certainly interesting times for Somerset.

99 goes a very different route to Chard than 30, so the spacing of the timetable won't particularly matter too much.

I didn't think about the route in Glastonbury changing from 29 to 75, which would make a lot of sense. I hope it is that, rather than missing out Creech on 29, as that picks up most of the passengers. And completely agree with you on 29 - it has picked up a lot of passengers and is doing well thankfully. I had 44077 on it on Saturday, which was a really really pleasant journey - the E200 was probably the best I've been on (B7s though are the most fun on the route - I remember having 66745 on it which was a lot of fun) and it was nearly full getting into Taunton (the 10.04 from Wells).

 

[DaveHarries]

First Kernow and Buses of Somerset changes at the end of May. Vosa registrations are up.

Route 2 (Taunton Town Service to Priorswood) - Timetable amended and extended to Monkton Heathfield.
Route 29 (Taunton to Wells) - Change of route Monday's-Friday's and timetable changes on all days of operation.

The 29 serves Monkton Heathfield so I think this is a case of one route replacing the other in that area.

Dave

 

[83G/84D]

As FSW Official mentioned, there's a bit to do in the back office functions before they start fully adopting BoS identity. Might also add there's plenty of cascaded vehicles at BR and TN to repaint already!

I remember "back in the day" my first experience of Southern National in 1991 - buses in NBC green, apple green and cream, yellow with two tone green (Somerset minis), yellow with blue and orange (Dorset minis), a few stragglers in cream and burgundy minibus livery, and an LH Plaxton still in Brutonian livery.

As for Sunday services to Yeovil, First did persevere with the 377 after the council pulled the funding. It didn't get the passengers so not commercially viable and the council won't even fund services to places that would otherwise lose any link on any day (e.g. west of Cannington).

Sad but true

The Grand Wazoo - a picture of Southern National Bristol LH 3102 (PTT 72R) departing Exeter on a lightly loaded X30 service to Yeovil in February 1987.

 

[ryson357]

99 goes a very different route to Chard than 30, so the spacing of the timetable won't particularly matter too much.

I didn't think about the route in Glastonbury changing from 29 to 75, which would make a lot of sense. I hope it is that, rather than missing out Creech on 29, as that picks up most of the passengers. And completely agree with you on 29 - it has picked up a lot of passengers and is doing well thankfully. I had 44077 on it on Saturday, which was a really really pleasant journey - the E200 was probably the best I've been on (B7s though are the most fun on the route - I remember having 66745 on it which was a lot of fun) and it was nearly full getting into Taunton (the 10.04 from Wells).

Although the 30 & 99 have different routes, many people from Taunton are mostly heading to chard and vice versa, it's just thought of the less lengthy gaps and short gaps between the two main towns. The 30 is every 90 mins and the 99 is every 120 mins. From Taunton the 99 runs 1050 1250 1450 for instance. The 30 from Taunton runs at 0905 1035 1205 1335. Combine the 30/99 0905, 1035 1050 (15 minute gap), 1205 1250 1335 (45 minute gap each), then nothing for over an hour then 1450 1505 with a 15 minute gap.

With the 29, much better with vechicle wise (from the clapped out darts years ago and uncomfortable B6's) to more modern B7RLEs, I find that a massive improvement. Glad to see the 29 picking up more passengers to secure a sustainable future of the route as technically it links up the First territory and exploring more routes within the West of England

 

[ryson357]

The 29 serves Monkton Heathfield so I think this is a case of one route replacing the other in that area.

Dave

The 29 serves Creech & Ruishton since 2015 which replaced the withdrawn service 26. Although some journeys currently (early morning and evening journeys), do not serve Ruishton or Creech, they go via Britons Ash (near Monkton Heathfield). Monkton Heathfield is currently served by the 21.

 

[THarris123]

Although the 30 & 99 have different routes, many people from Taunton are mostly heading to chard and vice versa, it's just thought of the less lengthy gaps and short gaps between the two main towns. The 30 is every 90 mins and the 99 is every 120 mins. From Taunton the 99 runs 1050 1250 1450 for instance. The 30 from Taunton runs at 0905 1035 1205 1335. Combine the 30/99 0905, 1035 1050 (15 minute gap), 1205 1250 1335 (45 minute gap each), then nothing for over an hour then 1450 1505 with a 15 minute gap.

With the 29, much better with vechicle wise (from the clapped out darts years ago and uncomfortable B6's) to more modern B7RLEs, I find that a massive improvement. Glad to see the 29 picking up more passengers to secure a sustainable future of the route as technically it links up the First territory and exploring more routes within the West of England

I forgot about the frequencies. Would make sense for them both to be the same sort of frequency. 30 could really do with a 2 hourly frequency, as the timetable is very tight at the moment - whenever I've caught 30 it always comes in late and leaves late. Either 2 hourly or hourly - we could see 99 and 30 hourly each, creating a 30 min frequency from Taunton to Chard, but I really struggle to see the demand for that.

 

[freetoview33]

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/updates-six-people-hospital-after-18388

Looks like a bad accident involving a street deck?

I hope everyone involved makes a full and speedy recovery.

 

[THarris123]

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/updates-six-people-hospital-after-18388

Looks like a bad accident involving a street deck?

I hope everyone involved makes a full and speedy recovery.

That was lucky it was only a Not In Service bus. I do hope the people from the car are ok though.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That was lucky it was only a Not In Service bus. I do hope the people from the car are ok though.

Heard about it on BBC Breakfast; echoing others, hope all involved make a speedy recovery. Worrying about the vehicle ID and repairs is probably not warranted at this stage

 

[vicbury]

Heard about it on BBC Breakfast; echoing others, hope all involved make a speedy recovery. Worrying about the vehicle ID and repairs is probably not warranted at this stage

Six people in a Vauxhall Corsa (max capacity of five) according to the Bristol Post. Five walking wounded and one serious.

Hope all in the car, and the driver of the bus, will be ok.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The Grand Wazoo - a picture of Southern National Bristol LH 3102 (PTT 72R) departing Exeter on a lightly loaded X30 service to Yeovil in February 1987.

Thank you for posting.

Having checked the Wazooarchiv, the date was 1st July 1991 and the vehicle was similar 3109 SFJ129R. It worked the 0900 212 from Dorchester to Cattistock where there was an unadvertised change onto an Iveco Turbo Daily (D550MJA ex Greater Manchester) for travel to Yeovil.

From there, I travelled to Taunton and back on a pair of NBC leaf green vehicles (LN 2869 and VR1093) on the 54 before a trip to Stalbridge and off at Sherborne on the 58A on another ex Provincial Iveco!

Sure Mike and Ron remember those days of yellow minibuses of various types and origins; some long lost services that I never experienced!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 29 serves Creech & Ruishton since 2015 which replaced the withdrawn service 26. Although some journeys currently (early morning and evening journeys), do not serve Ruishton or Creech, they go via Britons Ash (near Monkton Heathfield). Monkton Heathfield is currently served by the 21.

Of course, the 26 was introduced in 2014 commercially against Webberbus' tendered 27 that I think was hourly.

 

[father_jack]

Six people in a Vauxhall Corsa (max capacity of five) according to the Bristol Post. Five walking wounded and one serious.

Hope all in the car, and the driver of the bus, will be ok.

Nicked from twitface- for reference bus is coming uphill empty from Hengrove depot which is to the right at the lights. Car coming downhill has ended up to the left of the bus, almost by the traffic lights. Alloys on Corsa appear to be worth more than the rest of the car....... Glad all are ok, especially the bus driver.