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

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carlberry

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19 Dec 2014
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3,169
What Depot is 33165, 36070, 36071, 36072, 36073, 36074, 36075 based at.
I suspect they're not yet. Especially the Scanias as they're likely to need vinyls removed and ticket machines installed. My money would be on Hengrove for the Trident and Lawrence Hill for the Scanias so the Trident is bound to end up at Weston and the Scanias at Bath!!!

Steve White's site will usually have the latest information:
http://swhite.org.uk/
 

carlberry

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19 Dec 2014
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3,169
Today's Bristol's post

This is why First's buses keep breaking down

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/...-3429769#ICID=Android_BristolPostApp_AppShare

What a wonderful bit of journalism, the Evening Post at it's finest!

I'm sure this example is all above board however, in times past, there always used to be drivers who would have more 'breakdowns' than others, often with faults that then couldn't be found.
Back in the past when Lawrence Hill used to be used for crew reliefs a vehicle would be parked at the end of the garage to be swapped if any vehicles came in that a crew wanted to get replaced. It was usually the oldest or least favored (heavy steering or least power) vehicle on the depot on the grounds that this usually meant the crew suddenly decided that they'd put up with whatever the issue was until the end of the shift. I've been told that the K type that ran at Weston (but was kept at Lawrence Hill over winter) was sometimes parked there on sunny days just to wind the crews up even more.
 

vicbury

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Joined
17 Mar 2012
Messages
901
Location
Bristol
Today's Bristol's post

This is why First's buses keep breaking down

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/...-3429769#ICID=Android_BristolPostApp_AppShare
For once, a Bristol Post article that seems to be fairly accurate and balanced! Interesting to note that the Wrightbus collapse has already impacted on the availability of spares - presumably most mechanical components aren't unique to Wrightbus and it's more spares for the body and interior that will be affected.
 

vicbury

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17 Mar 2012
Messages
901
Location
Bristol
What a wonderful bit of journalism, the Evening Post at it's finest!

I'm sure this example is all above board however, in times past, there always used to be drivers who would have more 'breakdowns' than others, often with faults that then couldn't be found.
Back in the past when Lawrence Hill used to be used for crew reliefs a vehicle would be parked at the end of the garage to be swapped if any vehicles came in that a crew wanted to get replaced. It was usually the oldest or least favored (heavy steering or least power) vehicle on the depot on the grounds that this usually meant the crew suddenly decided that they'd put up with whatever the issue was until the end of the shift. I've been told that the K type that ran at Weston (but was kept at Lawrence Hill over winter) was sometimes parked there on sunny days just to wind the crews up even more.
Then there are also drivers who keep a bus on the road no matter what - like the one I had this morning driving a bus with broken front suspension which meant that the front of the bus kept scraping the road when going through undulations or potholes. Although to be fair I was glad I wasn't delayed getting to work!
 

GRAHAMJ

Member
Joined
27 Jan 2017
Messages
18
Interesting. Hopefully they won't just be lost (as when First threw in the 234). Wonder if Stagecoach might look to expand their network (yet again)
The X31 evening service is a Wiltshire Contract so anyone could operate it from January (including First bus who may have suggested that it is a case of the revenue being too low rather than them not wanting to do it anymore according to a notice seen at Bath Bus Station).
 

lx12ddo

Member
Joined
12 Oct 2019
Messages
109
Location
Dublin
10037 and 10176 were parked up on Bath Uni campus around midday with mechanics working on both. Very low suspension on rear wheels of 176, and 037 had a big pile of sand beneath the exhaust. Both had gone by 2pm

Also, 10036 is being tracked as 32553..... oddly enough.
 

freetoview33

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24 May 2009
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West of England
From Faresaver on Facebook, they are looking into the evening services then!
This is an article on Somerset Live today. It only gives half the story. Faresaver were made aware of this last week and we are going to replace the Sunday X31 service and are speaking to Wiltshire Council about the evening service contracts. Contracts to operate bus services do change from time to time and this is nothing more than a change in operator on these services.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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18 Feb 2013
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The X31 evening service is a Wiltshire Contract so anyone could operate it from January (including First bus who may have suggested that it is a case of the revenue being too low rather than them not wanting to do it anymore according to a notice seen at Bath Bus Station).

It's been a Wiltshire Council contract for many years. My point is that First having thrown it in, and Faresaver not known for doing evenings, would reduce the potential operators that may wish to tender.

The irony being that Faresaver is a Pickford enterprise (as was Fosseway Coaches). Fosseway did a lot of tendered work including evening and Sunday runs on the 271-3. Can't recall if they did the 231 or the Sunday X54 (back in the day) - seem to recall it was Clapton Coaches and Regis Coaches but a Mr C Berry Esq will doubtless recall.
 

carlberry

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19 Dec 2014
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It's been a Wiltshire Council contract for many years. My point is that First having thrown it in, and Faresaver not known for doing evenings, would reduce the potential operators that may wish to tender.

The irony being that Faresaver is a Pickford enterprise (as was Fosseway Coaches). Fosseway did a lot of tendered work including evening and Sunday runs on the 271-3. Can't recall if they did the 231 or the Sunday X54 (back in the day) - seem to recall it was Clapton Coaches and Regis Coaches but a Mr C Berry Esq will doubtless recall.
I have enough trouble recalling what day it is!

From the listings I have they appear to have run the 231 in 1999 and never ran the X54. I suspect the 231 runs were the daytime competition as the next year was when Wessex started running on the route because Badgerline had some sort of restraint on changing the service registration.
As TGW said they started out with lots of contracts at random times but have tended to change to mostly Monday-Saturday daytime and lots of commercial stuff. Partly, I suspect, because it's much easier to get drivers like that.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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I have enough trouble recalling what day it is!

From the listings I have they appear to have run the 231 in 1999 and never ran the X54. I suspect the 231 runs were the daytime competition as the next year was when Wessex started running on the route because Badgerline had some sort of restraint on changing the service registration.
As TGW said they started out with lots of contracts at random times but have tended to change to mostly Monday-Saturday daytime and lots of commercial stuff. Partly, I suspect, because it's much easier to get drivers like that.

In Fosseway days, they did the 271 on Sundays but not certain what else they did. Seem to recall that Clapton Coaches were also keen on tendered work and they had the X54 with Regis Coaches. Then Stagecoach replaced Regis and Badgerline bought Clapton. It's all very vague - >25 years ago.

1999 sounds like it was the Badgerline/Wessex episode.

The Faresaver model has been to secure schools work elsewhere. Then find a commercial corridor and then run a skeleton peak service, adding in the schools vehicles to then provide a full competing service.
 

GRAHAMJ

Member
Joined
27 Jan 2017
Messages
18
It's been a Wiltshire Council contract for many years. My point is that First having thrown it in, and Faresaver not known for doing evenings, would reduce the potential operators that may wish to tender.

The irony being that Faresaver is a Pickford enterprise (as was Fosseway Coaches). Fosseway did a lot of tendered work including evening and Sunday runs on the 271-3. Can't recall if they did the 231 or the Sunday X54 (back in the day) - seem to recall it was Clapton Coaches and Regis Coaches but a Mr C Berry Esq will doubtless recall.
Not entirely sure why it is ironic? but maybe i should have taken more notice during English lessons. I think you will find that Faresaver operated the 231 evening services and 231 sunday services under contract to Wiltshire Council. Not to mention 234, 265, 271/2 evening services and 265/271/272 sundays as well. Maybe they were just keener to 'buy' work back then?
 

carlberry

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19 Dec 2014
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In Fosseway days, they did the 271 on Sundays but not certain what else they did. Seem to recall that Clapton Coaches were also keen on tendered work and they had the X54 with Regis Coaches. Then Stagecoach replaced Regis and Badgerline bought Clapton. It's all very vague - >25 years ago.

1999 sounds like it was the Badgerline/Wessex episode.

The Faresaver model has been to secure schools work elsewhere. Then find a commercial corridor and then run a skeleton peak service, adding in the schools vehicles to then provide a full competing service.
A list of the Fosseway services that I'm aware of, in age order. It's not complete and very little has been added to it post 2010.
Updates welcome!
http://bristol-re.co.uk/bvbg/routes.asp?opt=v&IL1=FOSSE&IL5=&IL6=&IL8=A
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Not entirely sure why it is ironic? but maybe i should have taken more notice during English lessons. I think you will find that Faresaver operated the 231 evening services and 231 sunday services under contract to Wiltshire Council. Not to mention 234, 265, 271/2 evening services and 265/271/272 sundays as well. Maybe they were just keener to 'buy' work back then?
Ironic in that Fosseway/Faresaver were very keen to operate tendered work incl Eve/Sun yet then adopted a contrary approach and moved away from that (for entirely understandable reasons already explained).

I think in the mid 1990s, Fosseway operated the 265 and 271 interworked on a Sunday.

I remember doing a trip from Bath to Devizes and back on a Fosseway Transit one Sunday. Spirited trip out!
 
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Tommy Walters

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9 Nov 2017
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Ottery St Mary
10037 and 10176 were parked up on Bath Uni campus around midday with mechanics working on both. Very low suspension on rear wheels of 176, and 037 had a big pile of sand beneath the exhaust. Both had gone by 2pm

Also, 10036 is being tracked as 32553..... oddly enough.
Saw both of them earlier too, wondered what had happened. 10176 spent much of yesterday evening at the Bath Uni Campus with the same problems. First clearly don't like that one, it has never been used on the U3 for some reason, possibly due it's lack of power!!
 

henairs

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12 May 2014
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506
Location
Yeovil
Another one bites the dust today with 35161 breaking down by Waggon and Horses pub outskirts of Glastonbury. Was towed suspended lift to Wells by tow truck.
Also 37762 on route today running very good with plenty of power it would seem.
32015 seen arriving into Wells at 1220 early afternoon on a 173 board.
Cheers, Mike R
 

lx12ddo

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12 Oct 2019
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Location
Dublin
Another one bites the dust today with 35161 breaking down by Waggon and Horses pub outskirts of Glastonbury. Was towed suspended lift to Wells by tow truck.
Also 37762 on route today running very good with plenty of power it would seem.
32015 seen arriving into Wells at 1220 early afternoon on a 173 board.
Cheers, Mike R
Interesting that 32015 was on the 173....! One of the MMCs did a run on the 39 last week I believe.

Saw both of them earlier too, wondered what had happened. 10176 spent much of yesterday evening at the Bath Uni Campus with the same problems. First clearly don't like that one, it has never been used on the U3 for some reason, possibly due it's lack of power!!
Not completely certain, but 176 was still there around 2150 yesterday evening - wondering if it was left overnight? 10036 on the U3 did compensate for the absense of 177/176 I'd say, good engine that.

Also, 10037 is still leaking rainwater on the rear two rows of the artic since I first caught it over 3 years ago. Quite a nuisance when on a packed peak-hour UniBus service and you're seen to leave seats empty.
 
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Robertj21a

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22 Sep 2013
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7,518
Take it that the First WoE Streetlites and 59 plate Eclipses are no longer due for Leicester (or deferred?). These Eclipses have been displaced by the ex Glasgow Airport e200s so are more Eclipses due to move to Leicester?

Apologies, yes a typo - it's 69382/4. More are expected to follow but, as usual, it's any permutation of numbers from 7 to 11 in total. The Mendip Eclipses transfer was cancelled after the first 5 moved over.
I believe that the Streetlites are still likely to transfer at some point.
 

Wessexbuses

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10 Mar 2018
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118
Location
Weymouth
65007 YN54 NZC on 54 to Yeovil today, just left Yeovil on 1145 to Taunton

UPDATE
33127 replaced it on the return trip to Yeovil
 
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Joined
7 Jan 2019
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216
Location
West Midlands
Just a few queries for your Bristolians..
Planning a trip to Bristol this Saturday to try and find some of the recent cascades.

re, the ex South Wales and Essex Tridents. I assume these are employed on the 70/75/76/90/96 routes from previous experience. The Essex ones don’t track on bustimes but I assume they are in regular service ??

And the Transbus E300s - Hengrove, Bath and Lawrence Hill each have a few. Specifically where am I most likely to find the Hengrove and Lawrence Hill examples please?

Also after the ex Scotland, York & Manchester B7TL / ALXs & Presidents, but most of these seem to track on bustimes with some being branded for the 3/4 too

Any help much appreciated!
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Just a few queries for your Bristolians..
Planning a trip to Bristol this Saturday to try and find some of the recent cascades.

re, the ex South Wales and Essex Tridents. I assume these are employed on the 70/75/76/90/96 routes from previous experience. The Essex ones don’t track on bustimes but I assume they are in regular service ??

And the Transbus E300s - Hengrove, Bath and Lawrence Hill each have a few. Specifically where am I most likely to find the Hengrove and Lawrence Hill examples please?

Also after the ex Scotland, York & Manchester B7TL / ALXs & Presidents, but most of these seem to track on bustimes with some being branded for the 3/4 too

Any help much appreciated!

You're pretty much on the money. The Tridents tend to appear on the 75/76/90 though did see one for Essex example on the 24 the other day. The recent ALX/President cascades are found.... 31143/6/32225 do appear on the 3/4, 30945 has been on the 3/4 but has also been on the 2 and other route whilst 32222/3 have appeared on the 70

Can't help on the Lawrence Hill e300s but think the Hengrove ones have appeared on the 90/91/92
 

vicbury

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17 Mar 2012
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901
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Bristol
You're pretty much on the money. The Tridents tend to appear on the 75/76/90 though did see one for Essex example on the 24 the other day. The recent ALX/President cascades are found.... 31143/6/32225 do appear on the 3/4, 30945 has been on the 3/4 but has also been on the 2 and other route whilst 32222/3 have appeared on the 70

Can't help on the Lawrence Hill e300s but think the Hengrove ones have appeared on the 90/91/92
Lawrence Hill Enviro 300s have been on the 42/42A/43 but not noticed any during the last few days. Bath Enviro 300 was on the 19 this evening.
 

carlberry

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19 Dec 2014
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3,169
And the Transbus E300s - Hengrove, Bath and Lawrence Hill each have a few. Specifically where am I most likely to find the Hengrove and Lawrence Hill examples please?

Also after the ex Scotland, York & Manchester B7TL / ALXs & Presidents, but most of these seem to track on bustimes with some being branded for the 3/4 too
A lot of the ex Scotland stuff is on the 24, some branded. One E300 on the 72 today and one on the 24 a few days ago.

Also on the X39 today was one of the ex Airport Discovers revisiting Bristol!
 

freetoview33

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24 May 2009
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West of England
From Buses of Somerset/Taunton Park & Ride Facebook

Good Afternoon, Great News! After a lot of work in securing support we are pleased to announce that in conjunction with Somerset West and Taunton Council a Saturday Service will be reintroduced from November 2nd this will run as a trial until March 2020 and we hope to see you all support this great addition. Buses will run every 20 mins between 8:30am and 6pm.
 

lx12ddo

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Joined
12 Oct 2019
Messages
109
Location
Dublin
Anyone know what was wrong with 33947 YX66WEW around mid-September? It was making very odd sounds, nothing like a cooling fan at all.... lots of whining on any corner, hill, or moving off from traffic lights / stops.
 

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