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

Whiteway215 · 16 Sep 2019

I know you can't trust the bustracker but surely some/most of it must be correct!
Shown as being on the 24 this morning is a real mixture. It's almost as if Bath has taken over the vehicle allocation with Bath having the reputation of being rather random when it comes to putting any bus on any route.
Anyway the tracker shows 32637 33062/4 37002 37587/90 47447 47566/8 63068/70/71/72. Mind you 53819 is also shown as on the 24 but I would take that with a pinch of salt!
I see 31143/6 32225 are in service on the 4, 2 and 44. Also the ghostly 32216 was on Y6. Question. Could 32216 really be 32260 as the latter fleet number is not on the tracker. Steve will know if 32260 has entered service yet.

RailUK Forums

Dhassell · 16 Sep 2019

Whiteway215 said:
I know you can't trust the bustracker but surely some/most of it must be correct!
Shown as being on the 24 this morning is a real mixture. It's almost as if Bath has taken over the vehicle allocation with Bath having the reputation of being rather random when it comes to putting any bus on any route.
Anyway the tracker shows 32637 33062/4 37002 37587/90 47447 47566/8 63068/70/71/72. Mind you 53819 is also shown as on the 24 but I would take that with a pinch of salt!
I see 31143/6 32225 are in service on the 4, 2 and 44. Also the ghostly 32216 was on Y6. Question. Could 32216 really be 32260 as the latter fleet number is not on the tracker. Steve will know if 32260 has entered service yet.

There was a photo of 53819 at Hengrove posted on Facebook last night... I am wondering if it is infact on the 24A...

Whiteway215 · 16 Sep 2019

Dhassell said:
There was a photo of 53819 at Hengrove posted on Facebook last night... I am wondering if it is infact on the 24A...

My humble apologies to the tracker then!!! I imagine the staff at Hengrove will be amused having an old Solo.

carlberry · 16 Sep 2019

Whiteway215 said:
I know you can't trust the bustracker but surely some/most of it must be correct!
Shown as being on the 24 this morning is a real mixture. It's almost as if Bath has taken over the vehicle allocation with Bath having the reputation of being rather random when it comes to putting any bus on any route.
Anyway the tracker shows 32637 33062/4 37002 37587/90 47447 47566/8 63068/70/71/72. Mind you 53819 is also shown as on the 24 but I would take that with a pinch of salt!
I see 31143/6 32225 are in service on the 4, 2 and 44. Also the ghostly 32216 was on Y6. Question. Could 32216 really be 32260 as the latter fleet number is not on the tracker. Steve will know if 32260 has entered service yet.

What the tracker is showing is 100% reliable; It's taking a data source and reporting it. It slightly misrepresents itself by saying it's reporting vehicles when, in fact, it's reporting ticket machine locations however to most people that's irrelevant as they just want to know when their bus is coming, not the actual registration. If the ticket machine is in the wrong vehicle it's First's fault however I doubt there's many people in First that will be concurred about it, they'll just be happy the bus is on the road with a working ticket machine.

D2007wsm · 16 Sep 2019

Whiteway215 said:
My humble apologies to the tracker then!!! I imagine the staff at Hengrove will be amused having an old Solo.

I would have thought it would be better than some of the old B7TLs and Tridents which have been brought in

CD · 16 Sep 2019

Whiteway215 said:
I know you can't trust the bustracker but surely some/most of it must be correct!
Shown as being on the 24 this morning is a real mixture. It's almost as if Bath has taken over the vehicle allocation with Bath having the reputation of being rather random when it comes to putting any bus on any route.
Anyway the tracker shows 32637 33062/4 37002 37587/90 47447 47566/8 63068/70/71/72. Mind you 53819 is also shown as on the 24 but I would take that with a pinch of salt!
I see 31143/6 32225 are in service on the 4, 2 and 44. Also the ghostly 32216 was on Y6. Question. Could 32216 really be 32260 as the latter fleet number is not on the tracker. Steve will know if 32260 has entered service yet.

It`s noticeable that none of the 15 B7TLs that have arrived from Scotland are on the 24 today. I was expecting them on the 24 rather than existing Hengrove vehicles.

ValleyLines142 · 16 Sep 2019

CD said:
It`s noticeable that none of the 15 B7TLs that have arrived from Scotland are on the 24 today. I was expecting them on the 24 rather than existing Hengrove vehicles.

I've seen at least three Streetlites (one being 63071) on there today still.

ValleyLines142 · 16 Sep 2019

Now that the Severn Express is run by Stagecoach, is it better for passengers to buy an Avon Dayrider at £7 for use on both that and First buses? Before, the First West of England day ticket was great as it included the 7XP and travel on local buses in Bristol, but anybody who wants to go over to Cribbs Cribbs Causeway/Bristol and then use First buses would otherwise have to buy a Stagecoach Explorer (£7 anyway) plus a First West of England or Bristol Day Rider.

Bradley · 16 Sep 2019

32288, 32289, 33491, 33493, 33494, 33496 are all on the 75/76 today.

spw24 · 16 Sep 2019

there was 1 Scottish B7 on the 24 32619 appeared dinner time. 37181/3 were on 75/6 and all 3 (so far) Essex Tridents 33072/4/90 were out

TheGrandWazoo · 16 Sep 2019

DanTrainMan185 said:
Now that the Severn Express is run by Stagecoach, is it better for passengers to buy an Avon Dayrider at £7 for use on both that and First buses? Before, the First West of England day ticket was great as it included the 7XP and travel on local buses in Bristol, but anybody who wants to go over to Cribbs Cribbs Causeway/Bristol and then use First buses would otherwise have to buy a Stagecoach Explorer (£7 anyway) plus a First West of England or Bristol Day Rider.

I don’t think the Avon Rider is valid until you reach Aust Services so depends. The wording does say in Avon with the Discover routes as an exception.

I’m fancying do the loop from Bristol - Chepstow - Forest of Dean - Gloucester - Dursley - Bristol.

Did a TrowVegas - BPW (train) - Thornbury - Dursley - Cheltenham - Cirencester - Swindon - Wroughton - TrowVegas last year which was good.

Marcus Fryer · 16 Sep 2019

D2007wsm said:
I would have thought it would be better than some of the old B7TLs and Tridents which have been brought in

It (53819) ran out of water about 16:00 and was out of service for about half an hour until some could be brought (from
Hengrove?). Annoyingly, the destination had been changed to 'Not in service' and wasn't changed back when it resumed running.
33494 on the 75 at present (18:00).

Bradley · 16 Sep 2019

I don’t think the ex Glasgow buses the 326 and the 371 don’t track on the map but only on the incomplete fleet list and the same with the 362 in Bath.

TheGrandWazoo · 16 Sep 2019

spw24 said:
there was 1 Scottish B7 on the 24 32619 appeared dinner time. 37181/3 were on 75/6 and all 3 (so far) Essex Tridents 33072/4/90 were out

32619 and 32624 out and about

D2007wsm · 16 Sep 2019

DanTrainMan185 said:
Now that the Severn Express is run by Stagecoach, is it better for passengers to buy an Avon Dayrider at £7 for use on both that and First buses? Before, the First West of England day ticket was great as it included the 7XP and travel on local buses in Bristol, but anybody who wants to go over to Cribbs Cribbs Causeway/Bristol and then use First buses would otherwise have to buy a Stagecoach Explorer (£7 anyway) plus a First West of England or Bristol Day Rider.

The Avon Rider Ticket isn’t valid into Wales, so a customer has no option other than to buy a Stagecoach ticket plus a FirstDay or Avon Rider.

NorthernSpirit · 16 Sep 2019

D2007wsm said:
The Avon Rider Ticket isn’t valid into Wales, so a customer has no option other than to buy a Stagecoach ticket plus a FirstDay or Avon Rider.

Here's an oddity though, the Avon Rider is valid to Westbury, Haynes Road.

AllanMacF · 16 Sep 2019

I drove up and down Muller Road twice this morning on business and then I spent an hour with my camera, 16:30 to 17:30, on Horfield Common ... in the drizzle. Buses I saw on the 24 were 47568, 63071, Zebedee - sorry, 32292 (think about it), ex-Glasgow 32624, then 32637 and 37587. Pretty good variety. Paint condition of 32624 not good. Meanwhile, 63069 was on the 76! Also saw 33491/6 and one other on 75 - any ideas why this is happening?

TheGrandWazoo · 16 Sep 2019

AllanMacF said:
I drove up and down Muller Road twice this morning on business and then I spent an hour with my camera, 16:30 to 17:30, on Horfield Common ... in the drizzle. Buses I saw on the 24 were 47568, 63071, Zebedee - sorry, 32292 (think about it), ex-Glasgow 32624, then 32637 and 37587. Pretty good variety. Paint condition of 32624 not good. Meanwhile, 63069 was on the 76! Also saw 33491/6 and one other on 75 - any ideas why this is happening?

Guess the use of the U1 vehicles will cease as from Monday then the Uni term commences, but until then, they are available until all the Glasgow vehicles are sorted out for service.

I saw 32292 (I got it

) at the other end of the route on Winterstoke Road. A recent move to Hengrove?

32619/24 both looked shabby. 37181 looked a little better when I saw it.

Wessexbuses · 16 Sep 2019

Can someone comfirm if 31146 is currently on the 2 please

freetoview33 · 16 Sep 2019

AllanMacF said:
I drove up and down Muller Road twice this morning on business and then I spent an hour with my camera, 16:30 to 17:30, on Horfield Common ... in the drizzle. Buses I saw on the 24 were 47568, 63071, Zebedee - sorry, 32292 (think about it), ex-Glasgow 32624, then 32637 and 37587. Pretty good variety. Paint condition of 32624 not good. Meanwhile, 63069 was on the 76! Also saw 33491/6 and one other on 75 - any ideas why this is happening?

And the first 2 weeks of any changes always means allocations are all over the place. They should settle down by October

Private Baxter · 16 Sep 2019

An unplanned walk down to Stapleton Road this morning gave me a very brief snapshot of the first proper day of the 24 on the new timetable. Was very strange seeing a decker work it! This was in the hands of one of the 05 plate ones, didn't get fleet number. The other I saw was regular 64 reg streetlite.

So someone was saying that some of the streetlite maxes have moved to MH, suggesting they could be staying in our region after all. If so, I actually think 37, 178 and Y4 could be the perfect role for them

freetoview33 · 16 Sep 2019

Private Baxter said:
An unplanned walk down to Stapleton Road this morning gave me a very brief snapshot of the first proper day of the 24 on the new timetable. Was very strange seeing a decker work it! This was in the hands of one of the 05 plate ones, didn't get fleet number. The other I saw was regular 64 reg streetlite.

So someone was saying that some of the streetlite maxes have moved to MH, suggesting they could be staying in our region after all. If so, I actually think 37, 178 and Y4 could be the perfect role for them

I think they are really the only single only routes left after 8.9.72

Bradley · 17 Sep 2019

Is there anymore movements if so will they be coming from Glasgow still.

D2007wsm · 17 Sep 2019

NorthernSpirit said:
Here's an oddity though, the Avon Rider is valid to Westbury, Haynes Road.

Yes it is, it is supposed to cover the old county of ‘Avon’, so currently Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. So similar to the old ‘Avon Plus’ tickets offered by First, though they did allow you to travel into neighbouring counties such as Somerset, before being replaced of course by South West tickets and now West of England tickets.

Private Baxter said:
An unplanned walk down to Stapleton Road this morning gave me a very brief snapshot of the first proper day of the 24 on the new timetable. Was very strange seeing a decker work it! This was in the hands of one of the 05 plate ones, didn't get fleet number. The other I saw was regular 64 reg streetlite.

So someone was saying that some of the streetlite maxes have moved to MH, suggesting they could be staying in our region after all. If so, I actually think 37, 178 and Y4 could be the perfect role for them

There was at least 3 Streetlite Max’s operating Marlborough Street services yesterday. They do seem to fit in on the 37, 178 and Y4. Perhaps the regular Streetlites Marlborough Street already have, could be used to replace the Darts on the 5 and the 35?

I heard from an informed source the rest should be heading that way too. Presumably, they will arrive once the assortment of deckers which have arrived at Hengrove have been made fit for service. After speaking to a Hengrove driver yesterday, some of them are in quite a state.

Another wondering I had is, now the 178 is inter worked with the 37, does this spell the end of the 178 being a ‘Mendip Explorer’ route? I cannot see the 37 being branded as such as the 37 hardly serves the Mendips. Perhaps a hybrid, Mendip Explorer/Urban livery is in order for these. So I cannot see any ‘Mendip Explorer’ Streetlites, unless of course some head to Wells. I thought another sensible home for the Streetlite Max’s would be in Wells for the 126.

Private Baxter · 17 Sep 2019

D2007wsm said:
Yes it is, it is supposed to cover the old county of ‘Avon’, so currently Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. So similar to the old ‘Avon Plus’ tickets offered by First, though they did allow you to travel into neighbouring counties such as Somerset, before being replaced of course by South West tickets and now West of England tickets.

There was at least 3 Streetlite Max’s operating Marlborough Street services yesterday. They do seem to fit in on the 37, 178 and Y4. Perhaps the regular Streetlites Marlborough Street already have, could be used to replace the Darts on the 5 and the 35?

I heard from an informed source the rest should be heading that way too. Presumably, they will arrive once the assortment of deckers which have arrived at Hengrove have been made fit for service. After speaking to a Hengrove driver yesterday, some of them are in quite a state.

Another wondering I had is, now the 178 is inter worked with the 37, does this spell the end of the 178 being a ‘Mendip Explorer’ route? I cannot see the 37 being branded as such as the 37 hardly serves the Mendips. Perhaps a hybrid, Mendip Explorer/Urban livery is in order for these. So I cannot see any ‘Mendip Explorer’ Streetlites, unless of course some head to Wells. I thought another sensible home for the Streetlite Max’s would be in Wells for the 126.

Thanks for the info regarding streetlite maxes. I'm pleased that they seem to be staying, and yes your suggestion that the 5 and 35 could get other streetlites is possible, although personally I think the darts still have some life in them!

I dont think 178 was ever a true ME route, but they could also get away with not repainting the B7RLEs. As a result though, they wont do anything with the streetlite maxes, although perhaps some might be turned out in South Glos lynx? As for 126, well maybe in a few years!

TheGrandWazoo · 17 Sep 2019

Private Baxter said:
Thanks for the info regarding streetlite maxes. I'm pleased that they seem to be staying, and yes your suggestion that the 5 and 35 could get other streetlites is possible, although personally I think the darts still have some life in them!

I dont think 178 was ever a true ME route, but they could also get away with not repainting the B7RLEs. As a result though, they wont do anything with the streetlite maxes, although perhaps some might be turned out in South Glos lynx? As for 126, well maybe in a few years!

You get the feeling that the management would prefer to lose more Streetlites so wonder if ultimately, the Bath e200s may end for the 5/35?

I did query the 178 (and 177) being converted to Mendip Explorer though I could see the sense as well. However, as soon as 69439-42 went, that seemed to be the end to that in terms of vehicle branding and I don't see it happening now. As for the 126, that has always tended to have older vehicles (with the exception of some newish Darts in Badgerline days) with REs, knackered Lynxes, B10BLEs and more latterly, some of the oldest Eclipses.

spw24 · 17 Sep 2019

32488 is back from the paint shop and it's front is yellow not light blue

TheGrandWazoo · 17 Sep 2019

spw24 said:
32488 is back from the paint shop and it's front is yellow not light blue

32488?? Assume you mean 32688???

swifty · 17 Sep 2019

TheGrandWazoo said:
32488?? Assume you mean 32688???

I would’ve thought 33488 more likely?

TheGrandWazoo · 17 Sep 2019

swifty said:
I would’ve thought 33488 more likely?

Fair point

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

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

On Moderation

Member

Veteran Member

Member

On Moderation

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

On Moderation

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member