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

carlberry

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Leicester will be sending 6 Streetdecks down to FWoE. They were acquired from FSY a while ago, and still need significant repairs before they can move on.
I thought that FWoE was trying to reduce it's Streetdeck/lite numbers and Leicester needed the LEZ vehicles?
 
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TheGrandWazoo

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Leicester is getting some E400s that have been on loan to Rotala instead.

I was going to suggest that perhaps it was a six Streetdecks in exchange for a higher number of Streetlites back out e.g. converting the 8 to decker operation! Definitely agree with @carlberry in thinking that FWoE were looking to offload Streetdecks rather than have more!

It's intriguing given Leicester is arguably less arduous (in terms of hills) than Leicester so might be better suited to Streetdecks AND, of course, First Midlands has a number of Streetdecks but no e400 AFAIK (having got rid of their e400s to Essex and FWoE).
 

Tommy Walters

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I was going to suggest that perhaps it was a six Streetdecks in exchange for a higher number of Streetlites back out e.g. converting the 8 to decker operation! Definitely agree with @carlberry in thinking that FWoE were looking to offload Streetdecks rather than have more!

It's intriguing given Leicester is arguably less arduous (in terms of hills) than Leicester so might be better suited to Streetdecks AND, of course, First Midlands has a number of Streetdecks but no e400 AFAIK (having got rid of their e400s to Essex and FWoE).

Think you mean Leicester is less arduous than Bristol :lol: .

Given most of the remaining e400s on hire to Rotala are SN12s, I'd have thought they'd be much better placed at FWoE. They would be really handy at upgrading the Excel fleet, for example!

Are the Leicester Streetdecks newer than the WoE ones?
 

Robertj21a

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I was going to suggest that perhaps it was a six Streetdecks in exchange for a higher number of Streetlites back out e.g. converting the 8 to decker operation! Definitely agree with @carlberry in thinking that FWoE were looking to offload Streetdecks rather than have more!

It's intriguing given Leicester is arguably less arduous (in terms of hills) than Leicester so might be better suited to Streetdecks AND, of course, First Midlands has a number of Streetdecks but no e400 AFAIK (having got rid of their e400s to Essex and FWoE).

Just because Leicester has Streetdecks, it doesn't mean that they might not prefer to have E400s if they were offered them !!
 

Private Baxter

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FSY gained new streetdecks in 2016, but actually began their careers as rail replacement buses during a blockade between Bath and Bristol during, I think, that April. They had a very pale pink front. Maybe it is those, although four years is perhaps a bit too soon to be moving on to their third home already....
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Think you mean Leicester is less arduous than Bristol :lol: .

Given most of the remaining e400s on hire to Rotala are SN12s, I'd have thought they'd be much better placed at FWoE. They would be really handy at upgrading the Excel fleet, for example!

Are the Leicester Streetdecks newer than the WoE ones?

Unless I meant different parts of Leicester.....er no, I'm banged to rights. Brain f**t ;) Leicester is less hilly than Bristol!!!!

If it's the ex FSY examples, then they are similar age to 35139 onwards in being 65 plates.

Incidentally, a number of the native Leicester ones (16 plate) began life in Bristol, being diverted on delivery and used on loan for Rail Replacement services between Bristol and Bath

Just because Leicester has Streetdecks, it doesn't mean that they might not prefer to have E400s if they were offered them !!

True but arguably as true with FWoE if not more so. I was thinking more in terms of standardisation.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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FSY gained new streetdecks in 2016, but actually began their careers as rail replacement buses during a blockade between Bath and Bristol during, I think, that April. They had a very pale pink front. Maybe it is those, although four years is perhaps a bit too soon to be moving on to their third home already....
I just said that. However (puts pedant hat on :s) but the ones with a pale pink front were the ones destined for Norwich. The Leicester ones had fuchsia fronts like the 70/71 examples.



The FSY ones have been VOR for quite a while and were sent down before Christmas to Leicester https://www.flickr.com/photos/77751...TQX-EYXmay-FLeSco-C9snZb-G9DwdP-G1uHyN-V1fix9
 

Tommy Walters

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Unless I meant different parts of Leicester.....er no, I'm banged to rights. Brain f**t ;) Leicester is less hilly than Bristol!!!!

If it's the ex FSY examples, then they are similar age to 35139 onwards in being 65 plates.

Incidentally, a number of the native Leicester ones (16 plate) began life in Bristol, being diverted on delivery and used on loan for Rail Replacement services between Bristol and Bath


I just said that. However (puts pedant hat on :s) but the ones with a pale pink front were the ones destined for Norwich. The Leicester ones had fuchsia fronts like the 70/71 examples.



The FSY ones have been VOR for quite a while and were sent down before Christmas to Leicester https://www.flickr.com/photos/77751...TQX-EYXmay-FLeSco-C9snZb-G9DwdP-G1uHyN-V1fix9


Throwing a rather wild theory into the ring. If it is those 65-plates, might they be an potential updated fleet for the Bath U5/6? They're the right colour and those routes are fairly flat, after all!!
 

Whiteway215

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Throwing a rather wild theory into the ring. If it is those 65-plates, might they be an potential updated fleet for the Bath U5/6? They're the right colour and those routes are fairly flat, after all!!
As long as they’re not to update the U2. Hill up from Twerton to Whiteway and all that! Having said that I did travel on 32673 once up that hill and it climbed it quite well. 32673 must have been having a very rare good day. Or perhaps the hill climb finished it off!!!
 

swifty

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Leicester will be sending 6 Streetdecks down to FWoE. They were acquired from FSY a while ago, and still need significant repairs before they can move on.

I thought Nigel Eggleton had said that, depending on funding being awarded to upgrade 7 E400s to euro 6, they may go to Leicester in turn seeing those Streetdecks heading to FWoE.

If not the E400s would head down instead.
 

Tommy Walters

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As long as they’re not to update the U2. Hill up from Twerton to Whiteway and all that! Having said that I did travel on 32673 once up that hill and it climbed it quite well. 32673 must have been having a very rare good day. Or perhaps the hill climb finished it off!!!

32673 wasn't too bad for the first couple of months it was in Bath (though it was a terrible hoover). It was sister 32669 that took around 2 months to actually see service, only being used on Bath routes for a very brief period!
 

CD

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32673 wasn't too bad for the first couple of months it was in Bath (though it was a terrible hoover). It was sister 32669 that took around 2 months to actually see service, only being used on Bath routes for a very brief period!
I first had 32673 on 18/3/19 Wells-Bath on 173. Went well enough but was freezing cold !!
Took me 4 tries to get 32669 as it kept failing with overheating when it was out on 173/4, so didn`t get it until 10/7/19 on 174.
 

martyjon

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I note the Bristol Post is today reporting that the North Somerset Council is urgently seeking a replacement for the X5 Weston - Cribbs Causeway.
 

freetoview33

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Talk of Faresaver but in a non Covid sense.

They have removed all the Discover bus stop flags along what was the D3 route (including the ones that First strangely put up after Bowerhill that they only served on eve/Sun). They have replaced them with their own bus stops that have service numbers and fare stage location on them; very professional. They really are becoming a much more polished business, and certainly are able to force First out. Be interesting to see what happens with First's D2 in due course.
Indeed. Makes you think if Westbury will even need to reopen
 

ATW158Xpress

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I note the Bristol Post is today reporting that the North Somerset Council is urgently seeking a replacement for the X5 Weston - Cribbs Causeway.
Are there any independent operators based on the Weston end of the route which would be willing to take up the route as there is no alternatives modes of transport linking 3 major North Somerset towns together.
 

matt_splat

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Are there any independent operators based on the Weston end of the route which would be willing to take up the route as there is no alternatives modes of transport linking 3 major North Somerset towns together.

do you need a weston end operator though to work it we will wait and see what happens CT Plus might be in a decent location easy to get to portershead to start trips as well as nailsea for collage runs
 

ATW158Xpress

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do you need a weston end operator though to work it we will wait and see what happens CT Plus might be in a decent location easy to get to portershead to start trips as well as nailsea for collage runs
I totally forgot about BCT could be ideal for them to expand there network into North Somerset and also could do though day ticket with Metrobus for connecting journeys onto Bradley Stoke and UWE and Bristol Parkway in the future with changing buses at Cribbs Causeway.
 

martyjon

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I totally forgot about BCT could be ideal for them to expand there network into North Somerset and also could do though day ticket with Metrobus for connecting journeys onto Bradley Stoke and UWE and Bristol Parkway in the future with changing buses at Cribbs Causeway.

Does Baker Dolphin operate stage services, I remember some time in the past seeing them as operator of contracted services.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Throwing a rather wild theory into the ring. If it is those 65-plates, might they be an potential updated fleet for the Bath U5/6? They're the right colour and those routes are fairly flat, after all!!

I don't see the U5/U6 getting fleet that modern....remember that they have long periods when you only need a few of them. A much more likely option are the Mendip B9s which are also the right colour and have the requisite USB chargers!

I totally forgot about BCT could be ideal for them to expand there network into North Somerset and also could do though day ticket with Metrobus for connecting journeys onto Bradley Stoke and UWE and Bristol Parkway in the future with changing buses at Cribbs Causeway.

I guess the most logical would be for First to take it on under tender but don't know if they wouldn't prefer it if BCT did it!
 

Marcus Fryer

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So they are. I'm sure they weren't there yesterday when I checked. The 70 ones are there too, but you have to look more closely because they run the full route.
The First Bristol website shows the 16:00 route 70 ex UWE as being duplicated, but in fact it is triplicated (if that's the correct term); one of the trio seems to be provided by LH with a City Lines gas bus.
 

swifty

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I don't see the U5/U6 getting fleet that modern....remember that they have long periods when you only need a few of them.

I’ve believe 14 ex Bolton E400s are due to Bath over the next few weeks, with a possibility they’ll end up on the U2/5/6 to replace the B7s before the clean air zone begins.

Certainly interesting times ahead for Bath and the wider WoE region in terms of vehicle movements.

I also noticed 39430, YN69EHG, on the 17 in unbranded Red this afternoon. I’ve not seen this one before and a quick check on Bustimes shows it’s only been tracking since the end of April, compared to February for the others in the batch.
 
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Marcus Fryer

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I also noticed 39430, YN69EHG, on the 17 in unbranded Red this afternoon. I’ve not seeun this one before and a quick check on Bustimes shows it’s only been tracking since the end of April, compared to February for the others in the batch.
Steve White reported it as arriving in March. Others late into service were 39419/32/33 which started tracking on 9 March.
 

Whiteway215

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I’ve believe 14 ex Bolton E400s are due to Bath over the next few weeks, with a possibility they’ll end up on the U2/5/6 to replace the B7s before the clean air zone begins.

Certainly interesting times ahead for Bath and the wider WoE region in terms of vehicle movements.
Fourteen would be the exact number to replace the old B7TLs (32003/4/7/8/9/14/15 and 32069/70/75/76/83/96/99 that used to run (mainly) on U2/5/6.
I reckon they still have plenty of time to replace the non compliant vehicles given the delay to the implementation of the Bath LEZ.
 

matt_splat

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Fourteen would be the exact number to replace the old B7TLs (32003/4/7/8/9/14/15 and 32069/70/75/76/83/96/99 that used to run (mainly) on U2/5/6.
I reckon they still have plenty of time to replace the non compliant vehicles given the delay to the implementation of the Bath LEZ.

I didn't think bath had delayed it the u2 could actually use older busses still, so could the u6 but if it is going into the center then obviously it cant
 

Tommy Walters

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I didn't think bath had delayed it the u2 could actually use older busses still, so could the u6 but if it is going into the center then obviously it cant

The issue with both the U2 & the U6 is how they run operationally. The U2, whilst not serving the central area, has its vehicles park at the bus station to undergo driver changes, as doing this at the uni or the depot is less practical. The U5 & U6 meanwhile interwork with one another as one PVR, again for the purpose of doing changeovers at the bus station.

Wasn't there also some rumour that the U6 was going to be extended to the bus station to give the 5 some relief along Lower Bristol Road? Or am I making that up?
 

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