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

[TheGrandWazoo]

Do the three Wessex Water E200s count? If so that's three extra ones I can think of!

Good point - knew I'd forget something

 

[Whiteway215]

If I remember correctly the reason that First put so many new buses into Bath in 2005 was partly because BNES had successfully applied to the Traffic Commissioners for (I think it was called) a Traffic Regulation Condition.
The council was concerned at the number of polluting tour buses operating in the city centre.
This required a high proportion of the tour buses to comply with Euro 3. The number of old tour buses reduced as a result and some of the operators ceased.

I was very sad that many of the lovely Bristol VR open toppers disappeared !

The regulations did not have to be applied to First’s scheduled services but they appear to taken action to upgrade their fleet.

I think most of this is fairly accurate but I am more than happy if anyone has more information/updates!

 

[iantherev]

First around that time operated a policy where new buses would be introduced to an area with maximum publicity and then, over time, these vehicles would be quietly spirited away graduallly to somewhere else where newer vehicles were needed - hence some of the WX 55 Eclipses ending up in Taunton after a couple of years with the assistance of some grant money from Somerset CC to upgrade the Taunton - Yeovil corridor.

 

[Dorsetbus]

Hi All,
A little news from here in sleepy Yeovil. Whilst returning from a walk into town this afternoon noted Frost recovery truck with Solo 53403 on extended lift outside the depot awaiting departure to ?
This one has been VOR for some time so needed to be towed away.
Presume just 53209 to depart now once it's passport is sorted ! Scotland bound.
Cheers, Mike

So does that mean 16 e200 now and 1 trident?

 

[Streamr_MXP]

At least they’re better than the Streetwrecks! and are 5/6 years newer than the B9s. Hardly a backwards step! Suspension can be fixed, interiors can be tidied up and USBs can be installed. Wells is no different to Weston receiving hand me downs from all over the place. In recent years, Wells has received far more new vehicles than Weston with the 54 & 59 plate B7RLEs, plus the Streetdecks. All Weston has had is 33825-33830 E400s in 2013 and 67107/8 E200MMCs in 2017 for the A3.

I think the intention where possible, is to try and group vehicle types at a depot to have a common fleet and cut down on spare parts having to be kept.

If the suspension is fixed, most of the time they are fine. I usually travel on the excel E400s a lot and they are fine. The main issue is with the 335** which are London spec. These are shorter and have the same amount of seats in less space, meaning there is less leg room. The 334/6/7/8** are better. The only other issue with all the E400s is the heating or lack of in the winter.

Last year I caught a 376 from Wells to Bristol and a B9 turned up. I found these suffered from lack of leg room, not good on a longer journey and the lack of headrests didn’t make them as comfy. I would much rather an E400 had turned up. The only saving grace was the USB as my phone was dying and I had forgotten my battery pack I usually carry.

My issue is that the 12 reg Enviros that arrived were rushed. One still doesn't have a full livery with vinyls, months after arriving (33662), one is falling to pieces already (33754), one isn't the same colour as the rest (33658), they weren't given charging ports, of which are essential for my journeys, one has been given a very poor euro 6 upgrade (33660) and one is always making odd noises (33665). Their reliability hasn't been the best, with 33754 spending over a month off the road, 33667, the same, 33660 spending a few weeks in one of the Bristol depots. A few of the 14 reg Enviros aren't in a good shape, 33835 has a hole in the roof downstairs, 33836's windows seem to be on the verge of falling out the amount they rattle, 33838 rattles like mad and makes grinding noises at speed, 33840 seems to be a hoover, 33857's drivers side is covered with rust. The buses are unbearable in the Winter, with their lack of heating, I'm gonna miss being able to be warmed by the engine on B9tls. I get the reasons why they want to have the same style buses together in one depot, though the lack of variety is going to bore me very quickly, and I have spoken to a couple of drivers who don't even like the Enviros, and are dreading having a fleet of just them. In my personal opinion, Wells needs MMC's. They are far nicer than their predecessors, and with Lazzers being the prefered seating option for First, much more comfortable for longer journeys. I was considering becoming a driver for Wells at some point in the next few years, however Bath may get me instead, just for the variety in fleet.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

My issue is that the 12 reg Enviros that arrived were rushed. One still doesn't have a full livery with vinyls, months after arriving (33662), one is falling to pieces already (33754), one isn't the same colour as the rest (33658), they weren't given charging ports, of which are essential for my journeys, one has been given a very poor euro 6 upgrade (33660) and one is always making odd noises (33665). Their reliability hasn't been the best, with 33754 spending over a month off the road, 33667, the same, 33660 spending a few weeks in one of the Bristol depots. A few of the 14 reg Enviros aren't in a good shape, 33835 has a hole in the roof downstairs, 33836's windows seem to be on the verge of falling out the amount they rattle, 33838 rattles like mad and makes grinding noises at speed, 33840 seems to be a hoover, 33857's drivers side is covered with rust. The buses are unbearable in the Winter, with their lack of heating, I'm gonna miss being able to be warmed by the engine on B9tls. I get the reasons why they want to have the same style buses together in one depot, though the lack of variety is going to bore me very quickly, and I have spoken to a couple of drivers who don't even like the Enviros, and are dreading having a fleet of just them. In my personal opinion, Wells needs MMC's. They are far nicer than their predecessors, and with Lazzers being the prefered seating option for First, much more comfortable for longer journeys. I was considering becoming a driver for Wells at some point in the next few years, however Bath may get me instead, just for the variety in fleet.

If your phone won't last 90 mins without charging, I'd suggest you get an upgrade

Appreciate what you're saying but many of the things that you are saying would have been equally if not more applicable of the B9TLs before they got refurbished. The ones on the X39 are similarly careworn despite being refurbished in 2013. Things like getting vinyls applied and the like really should be sorted - one can only presume that it's an oversight.

In terms of reliability, 33754 may have been VOR. However, cast your mind back. There were situations last year when one of the B9TLs (think it was a 58 plate) was also off the road for quite some time, whilst at the same time, it was common for 2 or 3 Streetdecks to be off the road at any time. That's why they allocated an additional Streetdeck (35147) and then had to send additional B7TLs (32669/73/88) and STILL they had one or two Bath deckers on loan including such sheds like 30871 and 32008.

The reality is that the B9TLs are now 11/12 years old and have to go, and it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for these e400s to be a solution for a couple of years. Hopefully, having dealt with the various CAZs, they can then get new fleet for the 376 in due course.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

First around that time operated a policy where new buses would be introduced to an area with maximum publicity and then, over time, these vehicles would be quietly spirited away graduallly to somewhere else where newer vehicles were needed - hence some of the WX 55 Eclipses ending up in Taunton after a couple of years with the assistance of some grant money from Somerset CC to upgrade the Taunton - Yeovil corridor.

That sort of thing wouldn't happen now....like Worcester losing Streetlites to help meet the Leicester CAZ

 

[Streamr_MXP]

(plus whatever for the 126).

The 126 is going to Weston, and is going to be operated by Streetlites, Wells is getting rid of all single deckers.

If your phone won't last 90 mins without charging, I'd suggest you get an upgrade

Appreciate what you're saying but many of the things that you are saying would have been equally if not more applicable of the B9TLs before they got refurbished. The ones on the X39 are similarly careworn despite being refurbished in 2013. Things like getting vinyls applied and the like really should be sorted - one can only presume that it's an oversight.

In terms of reliability, 33754 may have been VOR. However, cast your mind back. There were situations last year when one of the B9TLs (think it was a 58 plate) was also off the road for quite some time, whilst at the same time, it was common for 2 or 3 Streetdecks to be off the road at any time. That's why they allocated an additional Streetdeck (35147) and then had to send additional B7TLs (32669/73/88) and STILL they had one or two Bath deckers on loan including such sheds like 30871 and 32008.

The reality is that the B9TLs are now 11/12 years old and have to go, and it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for these e400s to be a solution for a couple of years. Hopefully, having dealt with the various CAZs, they can then get new fleet for the 376 in due course.

The 12" never got an interior refurbishment which greatly frustrates me, and I find myself frequently travelling on them with low phone battery. My phone is less than a year old, however I do a lot of filming bus rides, as well as general use, which drains the battery throughout the day. The 12 reg Enviros should stay on the 376, as the 14 reg ones I believe are coming specifically for the Bath to Wells corridor, though the few euro 6 upgraded 12 reg ones will be able to join them in a years time. The B9TLs were off the road, yes, however Wells depot has been short of engineers for months, as so buses have been sent to Bath. Bath depot's maintenance standards are pretty awful if you ask me. I get the B9TL's are old, and they were being killed by the hills they dealt with every day, however I was thinking the Gemini 2's that are in Bath would be far superior at Wells. Having had them on loan, they are as fantastic as the Gemini 1s, but yet are more comfortable, with civic 3's. Granted, there are only 5 of them, but if you threw them into the mix with the Enviros, It would atleast give variety. The old B7tl's were actually on loan due to 33754 and 33667 being off the road for such a long time, and 32009 was also not long ago on loan, due to 37772 (the least reliable b9) being off the road with a gearbox or clutch issue I believe. I've never said that the Streetdecks shouldn't have gone, whilst I actually think they weren't too bad on the Wells to Bath corridor, they are much better suited in Bristol. The B7rle's are the buses I don't want to let go of. They are perfect during the majority of the day, I can sometimes find myself being the only passenger on them. Their reliability has been incredibly good, with 69445 & 6 being the only ones to have any issues (And 69437 which has disappeared). I'll let First realise their mistakes with the Enviros, as they aren't gonna last long before breaking down frequently and having a load of issues. I look forward to seeing tons of issues with the Enviros, and more loans at Wells. Some more MMC's on loan would be fantastic in my opinion, and would give me & the drivers some much needed variety.

 

[Whiteway215]

Streamer MXP out of interest did you ever travel on or have an opinion on 30871 32008 or 09 when they were on loan from Bath?

 

[Streamr_MXP]

Streamer MXP out of interest did you ever travel on or have an opinion on 30871 32008 or 09 when they were on loan from Bath?

Indeed yes, I have travelled on 32008 & 9, while at Wells and both were very nice buses, and did extremely well on routes 172 - 4. They were both in fantastic conditions for their age, and I'd take them any day over the Enviros coming to Wells.

 

[Whiteway215]

Indeed yes, I have travelled on 32008 & 9, while at Wells and both were very nice buses, and did extremely well on routes 172 - 4. They were both in fantastic conditions for their age, and I'd take them any day over the Enviros coming to Wells.
View attachment 77098

Thanks for the photo on Bear Flat.

 

[D2007wsm]

My issue is that the 12 reg Enviros that arrived were rushed. One still doesn't have a full livery with vinyls, months after arriving (33662), one is falling to pieces already (33754), one isn't the same colour as the rest (33658), they weren't given charging ports, of which are essential for my journeys, one has been given a very poor euro 6 upgrade (33660) and one is always making odd noises (33665). Their reliability hasn't been the best, with 33754 spending over a month off the road, 33667, the same, 33660 spending a few weeks in one of the Bristol depots. A few of the 14 reg Enviros aren't in a good shape, 33835 has a hole in the roof downstairs, 33836's windows seem to be on the verge of falling out the amount they rattle, 33838 rattles like mad and makes grinding noises at speed, 33840 seems to be a hoover, 33857's drivers side is covered with rust. The buses are unbearable in the Winter, with their lack of heating, I'm gonna miss being able to be warmed by the engine on B9tls. I get the reasons why they want to have the same style buses together in one depot, though the lack of variety is going to bore me very quickly, and I have spoken to a couple of drivers who don't even like the Enviros, and are dreading having a fleet of just them. In my personal opinion, Wells needs MMC's. They are far nicer than their predecessors, and with Lazzers being the prefered seating option for First, much more comfortable for longer journeys. I was considering becoming a driver for Wells at some point in the next few years, however Bath may get me instead, just for the variety in fleet.

The 126 is going to Weston, and is going to be operated by Streetlites, Wells is getting rid of all single deckers.


The 12" never got an interior refurbishment which greatly frustrates me, and I find myself frequently travelling on them with low phone battery. My phone is less than a year old, however I do a lot of filming bus rides, as well as general use, which drains the battery throughout the day. The 12 reg Enviros should stay on the 376, as the 14 reg ones I believe are coming specifically for the Bath to Wells corridor, though the few euro 6 upgraded 12 reg ones will be able to join them in a years time. The B9TLs were off the road, yes, however Wells depot has been short of engineers for months, as so buses have been sent to Bath. Bath depot's maintenance standards are pretty awful if you ask me. I get the B9TL's are old, and they were being killed by the hills they dealt with every day, however I was thinking the Gemini 2's that are in Bath would be far superior at Wells. Having had them on loan, they are as fantastic as the Gemini 1s, but yet are more comfortable, with civic 3's. Granted, there are only 5 of them, but if you threw them into the mix with the Enviros, It would atleast give variety. The old B7tl's were actually on loan due to 33754 and 33667 being off the road for such a long time, and 32009 was also not long ago on loan, due to 37772 (the least reliable b9) being off the road with a gearbox or clutch issue I believe. I've never said that the Streetdecks shouldn't have gone, whilst I actually think they weren't too bad on the Wells to Bath corridor, they are much better suited in Bristol. The B7rle's are the buses I don't want to let go of. They are perfect during the majority of the day, I can sometimes find myself being the only passenger on them. Their reliability has been incredibly good, with 69445 & 6 being the only ones to have any issues (And 69437 which has disappeared). I'll let First realise their mistakes with the Enviros, as they aren't gonna last long before breaking down frequently and having a load of issues. I look forward to seeing tons of issues with the Enviros, and more loans at Wells. Some more MMC's on loan would be fantastic in my opinion, and would give me & the drivers some much needed variety.

The vehicles are not allocated unfortunately based on personal preference of customer’s or drivers, they are allocated based on what is best for the service and the company.

Yes some vinyls may yet to be added, this is done by an outside company. Perhaps they didn’t get to the depot to do them. Likewise if one has been painted the wrong shade, that’s again done by an outside company. A slot probably has to be found for it to go back. Yes it would be nice to have them all looking pretty, but the priority is to get them out on the road.

Regular E400s when maintained properly cope fine with the hills and indeed fast running on the motorway. It is only once they get older or have a defect they stuggle a little and being 12 or 14 plate they are not that old. I think the excel network should recieve MMCs first to get rid of the 334** and 335** which are 6 and 8 years older doing the same sort of work. In terms of uncomfy E400s, you’re welcome to the 335*** I’m sure Weston would welcome the 12 and 14 plates.

The USB charging yes is a nice bonus, it’s a free service and isn’t guaranteed. I don’t think First see it as their responsibility to keep someone’s phone charged. Battery packs are very cheap and useful which most have to make do with.

 

[Private Baxter]

First around that time operated a policy where new buses would be introduced to an area with maximum publicity and then, over time, these vehicles would be quietly spirited away graduallly to somewhere else where newer vehicles were needed - hence some of the WX 55 Eclipses ending up in Taunton after a couple of years with the assistance of some grant money from Somerset CC to upgrade the Taunton - Yeovil corridor.

Ahh that makes sense! Though couldn't remember if it was Yeovil or Taunton 66956/8/60-1 transferred to. That said I remember the fanfare when they were introduced on the 54.

The 126 is going to Weston, and is going to be operated by Streetlites, Wells is getting rid of all single deckers.

Wow! Never thought that I would be reading that. A great pity, I love the singles, particularly the ones at Wells. More loss of work for Wells, as I can't see anything else replacing the two 126 boards.

Indeed yes, I have travelled on 32008 & 9, while at Wells and both were very nice buses, and did extremely well on routes 172 - 4. They were both in fantastic conditions for their age, and I'd take them any day over the Enviros coming to Wells.
View attachment 77098

Good photo. I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure of these buses. They seem to have gained classic status in the past few months!

The vehicles are not allocated unfortunately based on personal preference of customer’s or drivers, they are allocated based on what is best for the service and the company.

Yes some vinyls may yet to be added, this is done by an outside company. Perhaps they didn’t get to the depot to do them. Likewise if one has been painted the wrong shade, that’s again done by an outside company. A slot probably has to be found for it to go back. Yes it would be nice to have them all looking pretty, but the priority is to get them out on the road.

Regular E400s when maintained properly cope fine with the hills and indeed fast running on the motorway. It is only once they get older or have a defect they stuggle a little and being 12 or 14 plate they are not that old. I think the excel network should recieve MMCs first to get rid of the 334** and 335** which are 6 and 8 years older doing the same sort of work. In terms of uncomfy E400s, you’re welcome to the 335*** I’m sure Weston would welcome the 12 and 14 plates.

The USB charging yes is a nice bonus, it’s a free service and isn’t guaranteed. I don’t think First see it as their responsibility to keep someone’s phone charged. Battery packs are very cheap and useful which most have to make do with.

Thanks for the explanation. I agree with what you say. Whilst the e400s so far based in Wells are not my favourite, they also seem suitable enough for the work they do. And as you say, certainly a lot better than the ex Leicester 58 reg ones you have for X6/X7!
As for USB chargers, that is a relatively recent phenomenon, the majority of buses, don't have them. (I think Hengrove's 65 reg streetdecks for the 90 were first to get them, though curiously not the Wells ones of the same batch). That said, times have changed and what we use phones for now has vastly changed compared to ten years ago.

 

[henairs]

So does that mean 16 e200 now and 1 trident?

Sorry for late reply, just spotted this. At the moment from what I can remember there are 8 Darts on strength with 5 E200s but I expect this to alter after the pandemic as only a limited amount of vehicles are required at present. 45115 is/was here from Taunton, 44918/920/921 have been about but haven't seen 44919 since its arrival a couple of weeks ago.
Several Deckers have arrived at Bridgwater from Cornwall but as the 54 is only 3 hourly at the moment just a single Yeovil Dart is fulfilling that duty for the time being.
Expect there will be more changes after pandemic eases.
Cheers, Mike

 

[freetoview33]

On another topic it looks like at least some of the 75/76 dupes are being covered by Citylines East buses! So really no idea what services are being operated by who at the moment

 

[ValleyLines142]

On another topic it looks like at least some of the 75/76 dupes are being covered by Citylines East buses! So really no idea what services are being operated by who at the moment

I had a look on Bus Times this morning and whilst it isn't 100% accurate, I honestly can't keep up at the moment.

Some more MMC's on loan would be fantastic in my opinion, and would give me & the drivers some much needed variety.

Variety?! The MMCs are the most common buses out there at the moment I'd say. WoE has 114 of the things (all a mixture of Scania/traditional diesel/two electric hybrids). How many more do you want?

The Enviro 400s aren't that old. They still have some life left in them. Don't forget they've been worked hard across Manchester and Cornwall and now down here. A bit of TLC and a quick bit of cosmetic surgery and they'll be fine.

 

[THarris123]

The 126 is going to Weston, and is going to be operated by Streetlites, Wells is getting rid of all single deckers.


The 12" never got an interior refurbishment which greatly frustrates me, and I find myself frequently travelling on them with low phone battery. My phone is less than a year old, however I do a lot of filming bus rides, as well as general use, which drains the battery throughout the day. The 12 reg Enviros should stay on the 376, as the 14 reg ones I believe are coming specifically for the Bath to Wells corridor, though the few euro 6 upgraded 12 reg ones will be able to join them in a years time. The B9TLs were off the road, yes, however Wells depot has been short of engineers for months, as so buses have been sent to Bath. Bath depot's maintenance standards are pretty awful if you ask me. I get the B9TL's are old, and they were being killed by the hills they dealt with every day, however I was thinking the Gemini 2's that are in Bath would be far superior at Wells. Having had them on loan, they are as fantastic as the Gemini 1s, but yet are more comfortable, with civic 3's. Granted, there are only 5 of them, but if you threw them into the mix with the Enviros, It would atleast give variety. The old B7tl's were actually on loan due to 33754 and 33667 being off the road for such a long time, and 32009 was also not long ago on loan, due to 37772 (the least reliable b9) being off the road with a gearbox or clutch issue I believe. I've never said that the Streetdecks shouldn't have gone, whilst I actually think they weren't too bad on the Wells to Bath corridor, they are much better suited in Bristol. The B7rle's are the buses I don't want to let go of. They are perfect during the majority of the day, I can sometimes find myself being the only passenger on them. Their reliability has been incredibly good, with 69445 & 6 being the only ones to have any issues (And 69437 which has disappeared). I'll let First realise their mistakes with the Enviros, as they aren't gonna last long before breaking down frequently and having a load of issues. I look forward to seeing tons of issues with the Enviros, and more loans at Wells. Some more MMC's on loan would be fantastic in my opinion, and would give me & the drivers some much needed variety.

So where exactly have you heard this info from about 126 going to Weston?

The last I heard we (Wells) would be getting some 54/55 plate B7RLEs for the two boards of 126 and Weston would get another, all in a new brand for 126.

The likelihood of Weston doing the whole 126 is very slim. 126 doesn't make much of a profit and can therefore be absorbed better into Wells, which makes a healthy profit compared to Weston, which doesn't. The current situation works well in my opinion.

 

[carlberry]

On another topic it looks like at least some of the 75/76 dupes are being covered by Citylines East buses! So really no idea what services are being operated by who at the moment

The gas buses will be used on everything if possible as they cost the least to run. Therefore it would makes sense to operate the dupes from LH.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

On another topic it looks like at least some of the 75/76 dupes are being covered by Citylines East buses! So really no idea what services are being operated by who at the moment

Yesterday the 19 reverted to double-deck operation (368xx), having been B7RLE operated (695xx) for the previous weeks. Sunday's service was all Solos (538xx) (observations/bus tracker).
The 70 was operated by Route 90 branded Streetdecks 35142 yesterday (observed) and 35141 (bus tracker) today

 

[freetoview33]

The gas buses will be used on everything if possible as they cost the least to run. Therefore it would makes sense to operate the dupes from LH.

I just thought all the gas buses were already being used on LH routes is all, so didn't think there were any spare, so something else must be now being used. It is fact as there is a picture, this wasn't from the tracker.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

I just thought all the gas buses were already being used on LH routes is all, so didn't think there were any spare, so something else must be now being used. It is fact as there is a picture, this wasn't from the tracker.

The tracker shows four CLE gas buses (39411/12/18/39) having an outing on the 75/76 today. LH routes (1/2, 3/4, 5, 6/7, 42, 43, 45, 48/48A/49) are showing as 100% CLE buses (except 1 SGL each on the 2 and 5). It appears from the tracker that another five CLE gas buses aren't in use today, so plenty of spares. There are also three 73, six m3 (including 39489) and two SGL buses showing as not used today. Two of the m3 buses will probably go out on the m1 at 16:00. I haven't worked out the PVR of the current operations.

 

[Streamr_MXP]

So where exactly have you heard this info from about 126 going to Weston?

The last I heard we (Wells) would be getting some 54/55 plate B7RLEs for the two boards of 126 and Weston would get another, all in a new brand for 126.

The likelihood of Weston doing the whole 126 is very slim. 126 doesn't make much of a profit and can therefore be absorbed better into Wells, which makes a healthy profit compared to Weston, which doesn't. The current situation works well in my opinion.

Listed on Weston-Super-Mare's operations on First West of England's website, was service 126, listed as "The Strawberry Route". And don't remember seeing it on Wells' most recent operations. (Pages has been temporarily removed due to Coronavirus). This does suggest that it's being transferred to Weston, and Wells is going fully double decker operations. Judging by Weston's allocations for their run of the 126, It will most likely be ran by Streetlites. I very much doubt 54" and 55" B7RLEs will operate the route, as they are all being withdrawn from service, and I believe two (66940 & 66941) are replacing two b10's for training. I may be wrong, but these are a few things i've noticed recently.

 

[Streamr_MXP]

Ahh that makes sense! Though couldn't remember if it was Yeovil or Taunton 66956/8/60-1 transferred to. That said I remember the fanfare when they were introduced on the 54.

Wow! Never thought that I would be reading that. A great pity, I love the singles, particularly the ones at Wells. More loss of work for Wells, as I can't see anything else replacing the two 126 boards.

Good photo. I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure of these buses. They seem to have gained classic status in the past few months!

Thanks for the explanation. I agree with what you say. Whilst the e400s so far based in Wells are not my favourite, they also seem suitable enough for the work they do. And as you say, certainly a lot better than the ex Leicester 58 reg ones you have for X6/X7!
As for USB chargers, that is a relatively recent phenomenon, the majority of buses, don't have them. (I think Hengrove's 65 reg streetdecks for the 90 were first to get them, though curiously not the Wells ones of the same batch). That said, times have changed and what we use phones for now has vastly changed compared to ten years ago.

At one point, Wells' fleet all had charging points. The B7RLEs, B9TLs and Streetdecks all had them. They are pretty essential things these days, for people doing longer journeys on buses, and yet I've found that the Enviros coming to Wells aren't receiving them, which really frustrates me, as I find myself spending hours on buses each day, and my battery just goes flat eventually.

 

[carlberry]

Listed on Weston-Super-Mare's operations on First West of England's website, was service 126, listed as "The Strawberry Route". And don't remember seeing it on Wells' most recent operations. (Pages has been temporarily removed due to Coronavirus). This does suggest that it's being transferred to Weston, and Wells is going fully double decker operations. Judging by Weston's allocations for their run of the 126, It will most likely be ran by Streetlites. I very much doubt 54" and 55" B7RLEs will operate the route, as they are all being withdrawn from service, and I believe two (66940 & 66941) are replacing two b10's for training. I may be wrong, but these are a few things i've noticed recently.

The location of services on the website is purely a marketing thing. As others have said I cant see the whole of the 126 being run from Weston, that's two serious return positioning runs and if theres any issues on the road no ability to respond with a shuttle service. The only advantage is the removal of single deckers from Wells which is a fairly small saving. It's even possible that you could run it from Bath (about the same mileage and possible savings on deckers on some 172/173/174 journeys), however I'm not suggesting that's actually likely to happen!

 

[THarris123]

Listed on Weston-Super-Mare's operations on First West of England's website, was service 126, listed as "The Strawberry Route". And don't remember seeing it on Wells' most recent operations. (Pages has been temporarily removed due to Coronavirus). This does suggest that it's being transferred to Weston, and Wells is going fully double decker operations. Judging by Weston's allocations for their run of the 126, It will most likely be ran by Streetlites. I very much doubt 54" and 55" B7RLEs will operate the route, as they are all being withdrawn from service, and I believe two (66940 & 66941) are replacing two b10's for training. I may be wrong, but these are a few things i've noticed recently.

Wow. Just makes me realise just what I was like a few years ago.

Well firstly, let me just reassure everyone that 126 is staying the same as it currently operates. The Strawberry Line brand is the new 126 brand. This was due to come in for April, but obviously due to various issues, it can't. 3 B7RLEs would be repainted into the brand for Wells and one for Weston.

Weston are currently using a Streetlite for their part of 126 because it's the only spare vehicles they have. Once a B7 is repainted, they will use Streetlites as a spare for the route.

Just because one part of the website was updated and another part wasn't doesn't suggest that a route is transferring depots.

However this might all change after the current circumstances. I highly doubt these B7s will be a priority to repaint, but in all honesty I have no idea at the moment what will happen.

I'll move onto the points about the Enviros and USB points later.

 

[THarris123]

At one point, Wells' fleet all had charging points. The B7RLEs, B9TLs and Streetdecks all had them. They are pretty essential things these days, for people doing longer journeys on buses, and yet I've found that the Enviros coming to Wells aren't receiving them, which really frustrates me, as I find myself spending hours on buses each day, and my battery just goes flat eventually.

One Streetdeck had USB charging points. So Wells has never had a full fleet of USB point buses.

 

[carlberry]

At one point, Wells' fleet all had charging points. The B7RLEs, B9TLs and Streetdecks all had them. They are pretty essential things these days, for people doing longer journeys on buses, and yet I've found that the Enviros coming to Wells aren't receiving them, which really frustrates me, as I find myself spending hours on buses each day, and my battery just goes flat eventually.

Whilst they're useful (if you remember to bring the cable) there are plenty of buses, coaches and trains that dont have charging points, try finding some on London buses for example. They're more useful on Wells's services than some others, however the age profile of the users of the services means they're not going to be a vital point. I suspect the current fleet wil remain for a while now so your best bet is a few letters of complaint and hope for a mid life internal refresh at some point.

 

[CD]

It was trialled in 2003 when new as it was a demo vehicle, for use on the X39 and was indeed found to be too long for the old Bus Station in Manvers Street.

It can’t have been tried at the old bus station during it’s tenure at First WoE as this was closed in June 2007, with services moving to the temporary bus station on Avon Street. The current Bus Station on Dorchester Street open-end in June 2009. It didn’t arrive at First WoE until March 2014.

It arrived at Lawrence Hill in preparation for service from Hereford, before moving down to Weston for service in April 2014. It stayed in Weston for just over 2 years, moving to Taunton in May 2016. Whilst in Weston though, it was treated to a repaint from Barbie to Urban.

It was actually OK to travel on, I remember catching it back from Bristol one night on the 00:10 W1.

In late 2003 it was with First Somerset & Avon in Bath. Saw it in the old bus Station in Manvers Street opposite the railway station. I believe after proving unsuitable for Bath bus station it moved to the West Coast rail replacement fleet in Manchester. Before going to Redditch Midland Red West.
I agree it was fine on the occasions it was actually in service.

 

[Tommy Walters]

Whilst they're useful (if you remember to bring the cable) there are plenty of buses, coaches and trains that dont have charging points, try finding some on London buses for example. They're more useful on Wells's services than some others, however the age profile of the users of the services means they're not going to be a vital point. I suspect the current fleet wil remain for a while now so your best bet is a few letters of complaint and hope for a mid life internal refresh at some point.

Exactly, there are only a handful of buses in London with USB chargers (mainly electric vehicles), and I'd add that none of them have Wifi fitted either as per all of FWoEs fleet, even the W-PAEs!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 126 is going to Weston, and is going to be operated by Streetlites, Wells is getting rid of all single deckers.


The 12" never got an interior refurbishment which greatly frustrates me, and I find myself frequently travelling on them with low phone battery. My phone is less than a year old, however I do a lot of filming bus rides, as well as general use, which drains the battery throughout the day. The 12 reg Enviros should stay on the 376, as the 14 reg ones I believe are coming specifically for the Bath to Wells corridor, though the few euro 6 upgraded 12 reg ones will be able to join them in a years time. The B9TLs were off the road, yes, however Wells depot has been short of engineers for months, as so buses have been sent to Bath. Bath depot's maintenance standards are pretty awful if you ask me. I get the B9TL's are old, and they were being killed by the hills they dealt with every day, however I was thinking the Gemini 2's that are in Bath would be far superior at Wells. Having had them on loan, they are as fantastic as the Gemini 1s, but yet are more comfortable, with civic 3's. Granted, there are only 5 of them, but if you threw them into the mix with the Enviros, It would atleast give variety. The old B7tl's were actually on loan due to 33754 and 33667 being off the road for such a long time, and 32009 was also not long ago on loan, due to 37772 (the least reliable b9) being off the road with a gearbox or clutch issue I believe. I've never said that the Streetdecks shouldn't have gone, whilst I actually think they weren't too bad on the Wells to Bath corridor, they are much better suited in Bristol. The B7rle's are the buses I don't want to let go of. They are perfect during the majority of the day, I can sometimes find myself being the only passenger on them. Their reliability has been incredibly good, with 69445 & 6 being the only ones to have any issues (And 69437 which has disappeared). I'll let First realise their mistakes with the Enviros, as they aren't gonna last long before breaking down frequently and having a load of issues. I look forward to seeing tons of issues with the Enviros, and more loans at Wells. Some more MMC's on loan would be fantastic in my opinion, and would give me & the drivers some much needed variety.

First of all, it's fair to have opinions and that's what this forum is about.

In terms of the 126, that's certainly new information. @D2007wsm had suggested that Wells were to keep the two boards; FWIW I'd wonder if it could really be run with Streetlites in terms of capacity.

However, I do query what you're saying as I don't think it reflects the reality of the decker situation at Wells; it feels like you're selectively picking out information and interpreting because you don't like the e400s. The B7TLs including the oldest were there long, long before the e400s began moving over in August/September. Frequent loans from Bath to Wells have been commonplace over the last two years. That includes stuff like 30871 and 30877 which were there at various times during the spring. I've seen X39 B9s, ex London Geminis, ex Glasgow Geminis, various ALXs etc. Such were the issues that 32669/73/88 were sent there from April 2019. Unfortunately, there were problems with 32669 and 32688 - the former was a dog and 32688 was also VOR for much of Oct/Nov. To blame it on 33754 and 33667 is ignoring the issues that have beset Wells and hastened the replacement of the Streetdecks.

I know it's all about opinions but I think you're wrong in terms of the Streetdecks on the Bath corridor as they wouldn't have survived there either. There's as many sharp hills whether its Dunkerton, Chilcompton, Nettlebridge or through the Horringtons as there are on the 376. Also, whilst the ALXs are surprisingly good vehicles for their age, to suggest that they are as comfortable as an e400 (especially the 2000/1 examples with their a**e numbing seats).....not a chance. The main issues with the e400s are the heating as others have suggested but otherwise, they are robust if uninspiring. Yes, they do need a refresh but given the issues that Wells were experiencing (i.e. having four additional deckers and it still not being enough), the 12 plates were pushed into service quicly

@D2007wsm is right about USBs in that these are relatively new features. You filming routes is pretty extraordinary rather than the norm and if it's an issue, just take a juice bar out with you. Same with variety - the idea was originally to have just B9s (172-4) and Streetdecks (376). Having fewer types means you minimise spares issues and type training - stuff that is quantifiable int terms of financial and operational performance rather than something esoteric about it being nice to have depending on your view.

A few other points. All the e400s will need to be Euro VI to comply with the Bath or Bristol CAZs. I'd assume that in practice, the 12 and 14 plates will simply be a mixed pool and the better ones will appear on whichever boards are out the longest!! Also, there are 6 not 5 B9/Gemini 2 at Bath (36229-34).