TfGM Bus franchising

[WWH44L]

Hi,

Just a quick update on proceedings at Bolton (BN).
40809 has been completed and will re-enter traffic following some minor mechanical work.
40799 replaces it in the paintshop.

B7 30928 has returned to service following repaint, complete with "Bee Network" insignia, so keep an eye out for her!

Thanks for the update. Has 40729 arrived back from Thorntons yet!
Has the branding for 33028 arrived yet? Noticed it’s out on my local route today still looking a little bare

 

[Leyland Bus]

Thanks for the update. Has 40729 arrived back from Thorntons yet!
Has the branding for 33028 arrived yet? Noticed it’s out on my local route today still looking a little bare

40729 hasn't returned from Thorntons yet.

Yes and it'll get fitted once it sits still for long enough! Hehe!

 

[kiewilk0970]

Hi,

Just a quick update on proceedings at Bolton (BN).
40809 has been completed and will re-enter traffic following some minor mechanical work.
40799 replaces it in the paintshop.

B7 30928 has returned to service following repaint, complete with "Bee Network" insignia, so keep an eye out for her!

Thanks for the updates, will try my best to get a drive of 30928 when I'm in tommorrow

 

[stait.john]

39253 is now yellow and lettered, and operated the 875 School service from Oldham Depot this morning! A mega rare working!

 

[HSTEd]

Having seen some buses on Oxford Road in the livery, I must admit it is rather less eye-searing than I had expected.

But I worry its going to look very grimey very quickly.

 

[WWH44L]

40729 hasn't returned from Thorntons yet.

Yes and it'll get fitted once it sits still for long enough! Hehe!

Haha! It’s been all over today. On a taxi run, then on the 36 and now just gone past my place on a 533!!

 

[stait.john]

39251 is the latest into Bee Network livery - seen at Oldham Depot this morning.

 

[Leyland Bus]

39251 is the latest into Bee Network livery - seen at Oldham Depot this morning.

Looking good!! How many Vantage buses are there, I can never remember?

Also, at Bolton (BN) 31408 is making progress to completion. I have attached photos of it with Bee branding added and its rear end now complete.

 

[WWH44L]

Looking good!! How many Vantage buses are there, I can never remember?

Also, at Bolton (BN) 31408 is making progress to completion. I have attached photos of it with Bee branding added and its rear end now complete.

Looks great, tons better.

25 Vantage buses, 6 repainted so far (I think)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Looking good!! How many Vantage buses are there, I can never remember?

Also, at Bolton (BN) 31408 is making progress to completion. I have attached photos of it with Bee branding added and its rear end now complete.

Not sure about that. Black to roofline looks odd unless the bus has glass to there.

 

[Leyland Bus]

Not sure about that. Black to roofline looks odd unless the bus has glass to there.

No natural line to paint too other than roof and TfGM want the black the same depth as the B7, so the yellow would be so thin, you wouldn't really see it and would be a waste of time masking it out etc etc

 

[Bletchleyite]

No natural line to paint too other than roof and TfGM want the black the same depth as the B7, so the yellow would be so thin, you wouldn't really see it and would be a waste of time masking it out etc etc

I was more thinking just a box around the windows (or just the windows if it's ribbon glazed, i.e. no paint) with the Bee Network branding as black on yellow (as per the decker), but I guess TfGM have decided

 

[Fin447]

Not sure about that. Black to roofline looks odd unless the bus has glass to there.

probably to make it look like an enviro200 mmc

 

[Leyland Bus]

probably to make it look like an enviro200 mmc

No, to make all singles look like Citaros...

Same as all the deckers are painted to look like an E400City...

 

[90sWereBetter]

Interesting to note Stagecoach Manchester are introducing a brand new batch of E400MMCs at present - wonder if they feel confident retaining their old GM Buses territory!

 

[Leyland Bus]

Interesting to note Stagecoach Manchester are introducing a brand new batch of E400MMCs at present - wonder if they feel confident retaining their old GM Buses territory!

They'll have no idea but will just move them if they don't, so it won't really worry them.

 

[Dave The Bus]

Ticket machines are getting primed...


And a question... why has the bee got handlebars?

(Images show a test print from a Diamond ticket machine and a close-up shot of the bee logo)

 

[Geeves]

Stagecoach Won Oldham, Queens Road and kept their Middleton depot so far so I think they will have lots of work for their new buses

New tickets look good! Thanks Dave

 

[WatcherZero]

Ticket machines are getting primed...


And a question... why has the bee got handlebars?

(Images show a test print from a Diamond ticket machine and a close-up shot of the bee logo)

Look at pictures of bee antennae, they often do. And the logo was originally created for cycle routes branding as well…

 

[TheLunaPark]

Looking good!! How many Vantage buses are there, I can never remember?

Also, at Bolton (BN) 31408 is making progress to completion. I have attached photos of it with Bee branding added and its rear end now complete.

Thanks for the update. Is that a big dent in the rear panel at the bottom?

 

[Dallamlad]

It seems good progress is being made at by Go Ahead as the they prepare for September. Although the stickers on 6178 aren’t right…

https://twitter.com/buses2012/status/1677280441676574720?s=46&t=HKwEiNT1q0Y1ga8DGMwyuA

 

[cnjb8]

It seems good progress is being made at by Go Ahead as the they prepare for September. Although the stickers on 6178 aren’t right…

https://twitter.com/buses2012/status/1677280441676574720?s=46&t=HKwEiNT1q0Y1ga8DGMwyuA

6178 was painted before the final design was settled on

 

[Dallamlad]

6178 was painted before the final design was settled on

I assumed as much, wonder what other additions will be made as time passes!

 

[stait.john]

39247 re-entered service today freshly painted. The sixth one completed. 39244 is away currently, at Bus & Coach World.

Sadly 39255 had an engine malfunction whilst enroute to be painted and was towed to Thomas Hardie Trafford Park.

 

[Leyland Bus]

6178 was painted before the final design was settled on

But they should have left the stickers off, white on yellow looks pretty silly. It's also the trouble when a company doesn't have any painters, they're unlikely the send something away just to have alittle black applied. They ofcourse won't have that problem come September.

 

[cnjb8]

But they should have left the stickers off, white on yellow looks pretty silly. It's also the trouble when a company doesn't have any painters, they're unlikely the send something away just to have alittle black applied. They ofcourse won't have that problem come September.

I agree, it must be costing loads to send most of their fleet to Thorntons in Northumberland (although I'm not sure if they also use a company closer to Manchester)

 

[WatcherZero]

Heard a rumour the franchising costs for Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 have come in considerably under expectation with the bus companies on average bidding 1/3rd less per route/km than they charge for standard subsidised route contracts.

 

[Goldfish62]

I agree, it must be costing loads to send most of their fleet to Thorntons in Northumberland (although I'm not sure if they also use a company closer to Manchester)

Thorntons are very competitive. At least one operator down south, who I won't name, finds it costs the same and is quicker to send its buses to Thorntons for refurbishment rather than do it in-house. Thorntons also do a rather fine job.

 

[Robertj21a]

Thorntons are very competitive. At least one operator down south, who I won't name, finds it costs the same and is quicker to send its buses to Thorntons for refurbishment rather than do it in-house. Thorntons also do a rather fine job.

Not just 'a rather fine job', the end result is truly excellent.

 

[Goldfish62]

Not just 'a rather fine job', the end result is truly excellent.

Well indeed. I went on one of their jobs the other day. Inside and out it felt like a new bus. The quality of finish was very high.