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

spw24 · 26 Mar 2018

yes that was me just taken 37014 to and from Newport tonight

RailUK Forums

Luk3y · 26 Mar 2018

spw24 said:
yes that was me just taken 37014 to and from Newport tonight

Little bit of variety tonight then!

henairs · 26 Mar 2018

TheGrandWazoo said:
Granted, it was the old Almex ticket machines but drivers had no problem with a visual check!

I also remember the old Explorer tickets. They had the advantage of being used across multiple NBC operators and you could buy them in advance and then scratch off the required date.

However, you weren't able to buy on the bus (think it was bus offices and post offices mainly) and where I lived, there were a number of odd conditions so that you couldn't use it for a journey wholly within Tyne and Wear, nor before 0900 on Mon to Fri plus some other constraints.

Hi Wazoo,
A friend of mine and myself often used the Explorer to travel to Cornwall. There was a 50p add on to use any National Express service across the Tamar Bridge at Saltash whilst journeys on Nat Ex routes within Cornwall was allowed. We often used the 501 down there which was Decker Coaches run by Trathens on behalf of Nat Ex. There was even an overnight move in the summer season.
I remember arriving at Penzance at 0200 walking to Newlyn and back then getting the first one out about five-o-clock. We were a bit younger then though!
Cheers, Mike

freetoview33 · 26 Mar 2018

Anyone found out what D means yet?

JamesGoldsmith · 27 Mar 2018

Saw a First liveried E200 NiS running through Bedminster Parade yesterday at about 2:45 - too far away to get an ID. Any idea where it was heading?

g4mby · 27 Mar 2018

JamesGoldsmith said:
Saw a First liveried E200 NiS running through Bedminster Parade yesterday at about 2:45 - too far away to get an ID. Any idea where it was heading?

Probably 44905 which arrived NIS at the bus station just before 2pm and then reversed into the parking area. Driver and one other member of staff on board. I left shortly after so i don't know if it returned.

TheGrandWazoo · 27 Mar 2018

henairs said:
Hi Wazoo,
A friend of mine and myself often used the Explorer to travel to Cornwall. There was a 50p add on to use any National Express service across the Tamar Bridge at Saltash whilst journeys on Nat Ex routes within Cornwall was allowed. We often used the 501 down there which was Decker Coaches run by Trathens on behalf of Nat Ex. There was even an overnight move in the summer season.
I remember arriving at Penzance at 0200 walking to Newlyn and back then getting the first one out about five-o-clock. We were a bit younger then though!
Cheers, Mike

Ah, the stupidity and energy of youth.

I have kept records of most of my Explorer (and other rover style tickets) for most of the last 30+ years (yes, I appreciate it's tragic but it was a habit that I kept up) and it amazes me how early and how late I was getting back!

As an aside, I needed to head into Bristol last week and so tried to buy a BristolRider. Disappeared from the First ticket machines (though AvonRider was still there) so had to buy from a Wessex driver. Didn't this happen a few months ago when Ticketer was first rolled out? As a greater aside, I did enjoy some trips not previously sampled so the 51 Centre to Knowle, 515 from Stockwood to Whitchurch, the 511 Knowle to Bedminster, the 505 Clifton to Long Ashton and the 52 Centre to Highridge (though I've done the 51 with First and the 505 when with Wessex). Good ticket if you can actually buy it!!

JamesGoldsmith · 27 Mar 2018

g4mby said:
Probably 44905 which arrived NIS at the bus station just before 2pm and then reversed into the parking area. Driver and one other member of staff on board. I left shortly after so i don't know if it returned.

Interesting - wonder if it was Weston route knowledge for the 'new A2' or something... seems odd..

CD · 27 Mar 2018

Buses of Somerset have confirmed on FB that their £11 day ticket is indeed still valid on FWoE services.
Seems to be a problem with the code on the tickets not being read correctly by FWoE ticket machines.
Hopefully instructions will be given to drivers to accept them until the problem is rectified.

D2007wsm · 27 Mar 2018

CD said:
Buses of Somerset have confirmed on FB that their £11 day ticket is indeed still valid on FWoE services.
Seems to be a problem with the code on the tickets not being read correctly by FWoE ticket machines.
Hopefully instructions will be given to drivers to accept them until the problem is rectified.

Drivers have all ready been instructed to accept any ticket that is valid, should it not scan.

CD · 28 Mar 2018

D2007wsm said:
Drivers have all ready been instructed to accept any ticket that is valid, should it not scan.

It`s a case of knowing the validity of a ticket. If some Wells drivers don`t know a BoS day ticket is valid on FWoE services, what chance in Bath or Bristol?

D2007wsm · 28 Mar 2018

CD said:
It`s a case of knowing the validity of a ticket. If some Wells drivers don`t know a BoS day ticket is valid on FWoE services, what chance in Bath or Bristol?

If they are doing their job properly, they should know which services are acceptable on their service and what ticket is required.

g4mby · 28 Mar 2018

With the B7RLEs being moved away from MH Darts are making a reappearance on the 82. 42898 this afternoon.

Teflon Lettuce · 28 Mar 2018

D2007wsm said:
If they are doing their job properly, they should know which services are acceptable on their service and what ticket is required.

or more correctly if their supervisors/ managers are doing their job properly. I have worked for many companies where the ticket manual drivers are given is hopelessly out of date and any enquiry as to validity of a ticket is met with a shrug of the shoulders and "I don't know, ask x y or z"

Whiteway215 · 28 Mar 2018

Quite a few of Bath's latest transfers in were out and about late this afternoon. 36814 on Odd Down P&R, 66728 on 19, 66729 on 267 and 66938 must definitely be Bath/Westbury as seen on a 265. I haven't noticed any Scanias 65724-6 lately though.

TheGrandWazoo · 28 Mar 2018

Whiteway215 said:
Quite a few of Bath's latest transfers in were out and about late this afternoon. 36814 on Odd Down P&R, 66728 on 19, 66729 on 267 and 66938 must definitely be Bath/Westbury as seen on a 265. I haven't noticed any Scanias 65724-6 lately though.

One of either 65724/6 was in Melksham on the 272 to Bath just after 1230.

henairs · 28 Mar 2018

D2007wsm said:
If they are doing their job properly, they should know which services are acceptable on their service and what ticket is required.

I had a similar problem with a day ticket bought in Yeovil just over a year ago when I travelled between Burnham and Weston. I had no trouble on my first bus up to Brean where I had a tea break but the driver on the next 20 service I took told me my ticket wasn't valid so I stood my ground after calmly explaining the ticket was valid and sat down. He relented and drove on so I got to Weston as intended. Instances like this are rare but a concise map leaflet available to both drivers and passengers would help no end. The map could be displayed in Drivers rest rooms alongside notices.
Cheers, Mike R

D2007wsm · 28 Mar 2018

Teflon Lettuce said:
or more correctly if their supervisors/ managers are doing their job properly. I have worked for many companies where the ticket manual drivers are given is hopelessly out of date and any enquiry as to validity of a ticket is met with a shrug of the shoulders and "I don't know, ask x y or z"

henairs said:
I had a similar problem with a day ticket bought in Yeovil just over a year ago when I travelled between Burnham and Weston. I had no trouble on my first bus up to Brean where I had a tea break but the driver on the next 20 service I took told me my ticket wasn't valid so I stood my ground after calmly explaining the ticket was valid and sat down. He relented and drove on so I got to Weston as intended. Instances like this are rare but a concise map leaflet available to both drivers and passengers would help no end. The map could be displayed in Drivers rest rooms alongside notices.
Cheers, Mike R

Most of the information about tickets and where they are valid are in the 'Your Fares' booklets which are available to customers and drivers alike and can even be downloaded in PDF form. This contains prices, maps, restrictions and exclusions etc.

Teflon Lettuce · 28 Mar 2018

D2007wsm said:
Most of the information about tickets and where they are valid are in the 'Your Fares' booklets which are available to customers and drivers alike and can even be downloaded in PDF form. This contains prices, maps, restrictions and exclusions etc.

the problem comes when there is a ticket that isn't included in the most. In any case, even if an operator DOES do a good job of explaining it's own tickets there is then the problem of multi operator tickets or inter available tickets.
I have worked for many companies over the years and I can assure you that most ticket manuals I have been issued with have been hopelessly out of date, and supervisors/ managers do not have, nor care to have any real working knowledge of tickets... after all they don't need to deal with the arguments that ensue do they?

Things then get even more complicated in towns where "big group" have 2 subsidiaries working in from different depots, and both have multi journey tickets using the same product name, but where the tickets aren't valid on each others services! you try explaining that the day rider the passenger bought on the bus this morning operated by Big group serving that bit isn't valid on this bus because it's operated by Big group this bit... even though both buses are exactly the same livery and have "Big group" emblazoned on their sides!

Dai Corner · 28 Mar 2018

Teflon Lettuce said:
the problem comes when there is a ticket that isn't included in the most. In any case, even if an operator DOES do a good job of explaining it's own tickets there is then the problem of multi operator tickets or inter available tickets.
I have worked for many companies over the years and I can assure you that most ticket manuals I have been issued with have been hopelessly out of date, and supervisors/ managers do not have, nor care to have any real working knowledge of tickets... after all they don't need to deal with the arguments that ensue do they?

Things then get even more complicated in towns where "big group" have 2 subsidiaries working in from different depots, and both have multi journey tickets using the same product name, but where the tickets aren't valid on each others services! you try explaining that the day rider the passenger bought on the bus this morning operated by Big group serving that bit isn't valid on this bus because it's operated by Big group this bit... even though both buses are exactly the same livery and have "Big group" emblazoned on their sides!

There may be fun and games in Monmouthshire from this Sunday when Stagecoach tickets, and multi-operator tickets normally accepted by Stagecoach, will not accepted on services operated by, er, Stagecoach.

Mattydj60 · 29 Mar 2018

TheGrandWazoo said:
As I say, you can take the left immediately before the current one by the Redan if they wanted to put deckers on without it affecting the lower bit of Chili and Withies Park. Perhaps a shade narrower than Fry’s Well and perhaps a bit of branch trimming but doable.

I know that they aren’t massively popular stops but there’s some passengers rather than none by the rugby club.

But there are also people in the Bennel area of Chilcompton that have had no bus service at all since the 184 was removed some years ago. Chilcompton Sports Club is also down there. Routing the 173 via Wells Road and Bennel would redress that balance. I wouldn't want be on a double decker climbing Bowden Hill and Baker's Lane either, especially in the rain or snow!! I assuem that the 173 will run as per the 174 now only turning right at Norton Down Crossroads instead of going straight on to Stratton. The plan, I understand is also to divert Libra Coaches 184 service from Norton Down Crossroads left and into Chilcompton, then via Bennel, Fry's Well and The Street to Midsomer Norton that way. Whether it will the go on to Tesco as now (its often empty), I don't know.

TheGrandWazoo · 29 Mar 2018

Mattydj60 said:
But there are also people in the Bennel area of Chilcompton that have had no bus service at all since the 184 was removed some years ago. Chilcompton Sports Club is also down there. Routing the 173 via Wells Road and Bennel would redress that balance. I wouldn't want be on a double decker climbing Bowden Hill and Baker's Lane either, especially in the rain or snow!! I assuem that the 173 will run as per the 174 now only turning right at Norton Down Crossroads instead of going straight on to Stratton. The plan, I understand is also to divert Libra Coaches 184 service from Norton Down Crossroads left and into Chilcompton, then via Bennel, Fry's Well and The Street to Midsomer Norton that way. Whether it will the go on to Tesco as now (its often empty), I don't know.

If we’re concerned about deckers climbing hills or going on narrow roads in the rain, you’d not convert the routes at all. Bakers Lane is no worse than Gurney Slade or Dinder.

Whilst the new route gives an hourly service to two stops that lost a two hourly 184, it disadvantages many more people.

D2007wsm · 29 Mar 2018

At least 2 buses transferred from Bath to Weston today. I think one is a purple B7, from what I could see coming out of Asda

Whiteway215 · 29 Mar 2018

D2007wsm said:
At least 2 buses transferred from Bath to Weston today. I think one is a purple B7, from what I could see coming out of Asda

Bath Uni's U2 Summer Term service runs from 9 April until 1 June 2018 and the pvr reduces from 4 to 3 so it's quite logical that one or two of the U2 purplies has gone Bath to Weston. Given their age one wonders whether the B7s will be back in September to run the U2.

Class 33 · 29 Mar 2018

I might get one of the rail-replacement buses from Temple Meads to Weston on Saturday. The non-stop services with a timetabled 45 minute journey time. Will make a pleasant change to the X1 or X2. Anyone know which buses(or coaches) these are likely to be?

D2007wsm · 29 Mar 2018

Probably E400s

Class 33 said:
I might get one of the rail-replacement buses from Temple Meads to Weston on Saturday. The non-stop services with a timetabled 45 minute journey time. Will make a pleasant change to the X1 or X2. Anyone know which buses(or coaches) these are likely to be?

D2007wsm · 29 Mar 2018

Whiteway215 said:
Bath Uni's U2 Summer Term service runs from 9 April until 1 June 2018 and the pvr reduces from 4 to 3 so it's quite logical that one or two of the U2 purplies has gone Bath to Weston. Given their age one wonders whether the B7s will be back in September to run the U2.

It would be nice to see 2 more of these go off and be converted the same as 32001/32002/32012 for the 1. Just extend the Coaster branding, but rather than having an orange back, use green for example.

freetoview33 · 29 Mar 2018

Class 33 said:
I might get one of the rail-replacement buses from Temple Meads to Weston on Saturday. The non-stop services with a timetabled 45 minute journey time. Will make a pleasant change to the X1 or X2. Anyone know which buses(or coaches) these are likely to be?

Anything and everything going. But most likely to be a mix of E400's

heart-of-wessex · 30 Mar 2018

Class 33 said:
I might get one of the rail-replacement buses from Temple Meads to Weston on Saturday. The non-stop services with a timetabled 45 minute journey time. Will make a pleasant change to the X1 or X2. Anyone know which buses(or coaches) these are likely to be?

On top of the suggestions, there's 3 Bath Uni ALX400's and two ex-Airport Flyer Volvo's gone to Weston depot today for the rail replacement work

Marcus Fryer · 30 Mar 2018

Class 33 said:
I might get one of the rail-replacement buses from Temple Meads to Weston on Saturday. The non-stop services with a timetabled 45 minute journey time. Will make a pleasant change to the X1 aAtor X2. Anyone know which buses(or coaches) these are likely to be?

At BPW atm are 32096, 36822 and 47559, plus a variety of coaches from, e.g., Abingdon Coaches, Redwoods, Pencoed Travel, Buglers, Wheadon and Willetts.

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