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

[TheGrandWazoo]

The dual door nature of them signifies they were originally ordered for metrobus services due to the dual door layout. Other than the Bristol Park & Ride services and Bath/Bristol Unibus services, the infrastructure is not there for dual door usage.

Quite, which is why they haven't been specifying dual doors for the standard city services, despite the benefits for dwell times etc. When I caught one on the 75, the dual doors were only used from Bemmie into town because of the metrobus stops.

I reckon they are now used on the Bath corridor is they are indeed a massive upgrade on the B9s and to save them having to order more new buses.

Having had the Streetlites that were quickly overloaded and then the tired and increasingly unreliable B9s, these should be a welcome improvement as is the marketing. Of course, there are plenty of stops along the Upper Bristol Road, through Saltford, and then down Bath Road where dual doors may be an issue (and that's without the 39 via Keynsham). Certainly will transform the route.

Personally, I think the excel network is due an upgrade as most of the excel E400s are older than the B7s, are not native to the area and have been used all over the place particularly the 335**s (which are horrible) and are getting on a bit and some are struggling. The only E400s brand new to the area are 33825-30 which were delivered new to Weston.

Don't disagree with that. The former Plymouth 33411-9 have been good buses and were lightly used (relatively) in their early years but they are showing the strain now. The ex London/Leicester ones aren't much newer and they're quite gloomy. Perhaps some of the 2015/6 e400mmcs might head there eventually?

 

[Buses in Bath]

With the gas buses being higher than the diesel Scanias, what will Marlborough Street use on the 37 school trips as they are too tall? B9s can’t be used either unless a couple of diesel Scanias will be retained to use on the T2 where the Scania used to be pinched from.

I thought B9s could be used. There is a list in the control room in Bath but I dont remeber what could be used.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I forget exactly what buses can be used on there but B9s definately can be used on the 37

The bridge at Willsbridge Station is a mandatory observance of 14'3 - that means B9s should NOT be being used. However, the gas buses would be fine.

 

[henairs]

Hi All,
First off Happy Easter to all disputes this years circumstances.
On my exercise walk this morning noticed 44919/921 were in the bottom yard Yeovil depot recently arrived from Kernow and slightly earlier whilst walking top of Reckleford noted 50466, 53056 and big Bertha 67600 heading out of town and down Queensway to ?
The E200s looked smart in their Cornish Green livery.
Best Wishes,
Mike R

 

[henairs]

Make that dispite on above post, my predictive text is being pedantic.
Mike R

 

[Stompehh]

The new gas buses are remarkably quiet. Makes a big difference when they go past my house compared with the Geminis they have replaced.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Make that dispite on above post, my predictive text is being pedantic.
Mike R

Hope you have a lovely Easter too, Mike

Think it was mentioned that Ensign were taking a number of vehicles including Kernow Solos for resale

 

[ValleyLines142]

Does anyone know why 47603 has been withdrawn in Southampton?

 

[matt_splat]

The other longer-term solution could be the 37 transferring back to Bath again, simply using an Aquae Scania instead?

The school bus 37A is it is ran using Bath Uni deckers as for the Bristol end of stuff unless we see the 37 at school times take the 18 route around the bridge

 

[CD]

The bridge at Willsbridge Station is a mandatory observance of 14'3 - that means B9s should NOT be being used. However, the gas buses would be fine.

Mandatory is the word. It`s actually rather higher. On a "Running day" from Brislington P&R site to Bitton Station I have been under it on an ex LT RT which is 14`6.
But of course in public service the mandatory height must be observed.

 

[envirommc]

Does anyone know why 47603 has been withdrawn in Southampton?

47603 WAS INVOLVED IN A NASTY ACCIDENT.

 

[ValleyLines142]

47603 WAS INVOLVED IN A NASTY ACCIDENT.

Just had a look online. Seems to be the one in June last year in Lordshill.

 

[CD]

Hi All,
First off Happy Easter to all disputes this years circumstances.
On my exercise walk this morning noticed 44919/921 were in the bottom yard Yeovil depot recently arrived from Kernow and slightly earlier whilst walking top of Reckleford noted 50466, 53056 and big Bertha 67600 heading out of town and down Queensway to ?
The E200s looked smart in their Cornish Green livery.
Best Wishes,
Mike R

Update from Yeovil.
All four 44918-21 have arrived in Yeovil.

 

[Wessexbuses]

Update from Yeovil.
All four 44918-21 have arrived in Yeovil.

Do you have any pics ?

 

[Whiteway215]

Hi All,
First off Happy Easter to all disputes this years circumstances.
On my exercise walk this morning noticed 44919/921 were in the bottom yard Yeovil depot recently arrived from Kernow and slightly earlier whilst walking top of Reckleford noted 50466, 53056 and big Bertha 67600 heading out of town and down Queensway to ?
The E200s looked smart in their Cornish Green livery.
Best Wishes,
Mike R

Happy Easter to Mike and everyone on here. Where would BOS store their withdrawn buses? Would there be room at Taunton or Bridgwater? Winkleigh?

 

[CD]

Do you have any pics ?

No there is a lockdown on. Drove past the depot on the way home from my weekly food shop.

 

[D2007wsm]

The school bus 37A is it is ran using Bath Uni deckers as for the Bristol end of stuff unless we see the 37 at school times take the 18 route around the bridge

I don’t know what Bath use on the 37A, I haven’t seen it.

Whilst a diversion around the bridge may be possible, there may not be the time to do it in both directions. If the bus is pinched off of a South Glos Lynx service, the bus has to be back in time for it to go back on the running board it came off of and swapped back to a B7RLE, Dart or Streetlite for the 178.

 

[swifty]

I don’t know what Bath use on the 37A, I haven’t seen it.

In recent times the 37 was always duped by a Discover B7. Since Abus have come off the school services and been replaced by Eurotaxis the 37A has mainly been the Unibus E400s as Matt says.

The extra 19 in the afternoon is usually a B7 decker of some kind as it doesn’t need to be low height.

 

[ValleyLines142]

37A is a purple U1 E400MMC.

 

[Tommy Walters]

37A is a purple U1 E400MMC.

The 37A & morning R2 both used running boards that later went onto the U1, hence the regular use of Purple MMCs on both.

 

[henairs]

No there is a lockdown on. Drove past the depot on the way home from my weekly food shop.

Adding to Rons comment they are out the back in the yard which is out of bounds to enthusiasts and private property so have to wait a while yet I'd imagine to see them on the road.
There are 5 Solos here still available for use which are enough for services running at the moment alongside the Darts on country routes,

For Whiteway not sure where the withdrawn vehicles will be going but it was mentioned on here that Kernow's withdrawn Solo's were heading to Ensignbus sales so maybe some of ours will also head there but not 43906 or 66700 I would of thought.
Cheers, Mike R

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Had my allowed socially distanced exercise yesterday and was able to sneak a peak at First's Bath depot. A few Aquae liveried (but not vinyled) Scanias there but also 36815. Wonder if that's a reallocation - might make sense to have a 11 liveried for the PVR and an urban spare?

 

[northken]

Quite, which is why they haven't been specifying dual doors for the standard city services, despite the benefits for dwell times etc. When I caught one on the 75, the dual doors were only used from Bemmie into town because of the metrobus stops.

This comes across as a bit of a chicken and egg scenario: the bus company won't order dual door buses because the bus stops can't accommodate them, and the council won't build/adapt bus stops to accommodate dual door buses because there aren't any dual door buses anyway.

I personally think the gas buses were an ideal yet wasted opportunity to future-proof the network. Dual door buses can reduce dwell times considerably. You've got First pushing their app yet locking in another twenty years of single door buses which can't be easily adapted to dual door.

 

[freetoview33]

This comes across as a bit of a chicken and egg scenario: the bus company won't order dual door buses because the bus stops can't accommodate them, and the council won't build/adapt bus stops to accommodate dual door buses because there aren't any dual door buses anyway.

I personally think the gas buses were an ideal yet wasted opportunity to future-proof the network. Dual door buses can reduce dwell times considerably. You've got First pushing their app yet locking in another twenty years of single door buses which can't be easily adapted to dual door.

Then again on a majority of routes it would be almost impossible for most stops to be expanded, to accommodate dual doors

 

[northken]

Then again on a majority of routes it would be almost impossible for most stops to be expanded, to accommodate dual doors

Respectfully, I doubt that. A bus stop can be built and configured to any layout of a highway authority's choosing. Not all bus stops can't be changed overnight, but over the lifetime of a vehicle it's most likely doable.

 

[carlberry]

This comes across as a bit of a chicken and egg scenario: the bus company won't order dual door buses because the bus stops can't accommodate them, and the council won't build/adapt bus stops to accommodate dual door buses because there aren't any dual door buses anyway.

I personally think the gas buses were an ideal yet wasted opportunity to future-proof the network. Dual door buses can reduce dwell times considerably. You've got First pushing their app yet locking in another twenty years of single door buses which can't be easily adapted to dual door.

The Metrobus stops show that it's quite possible for the council to build dual door buses 'up front' and then get the operators to purchase dual door buses. However they're also a good example (on most stops) of why it dosent really achieve anything on services that aren't cross city (or have major point to point flows when both doors are useful for exiting).

 

[carlberry]

Respectfully, I doubt that. A bus stop can be built and configured to any layout of a highway authority's choosing. Not all bus stops can't be changed overnight, but over the lifetime of a vehicle it's most likely doable.

Highway authorities don't like giving extra space to bus stops as all the local residents and businesses complain. And you need the stops ready before the vehicles, people rapidly get annoyed if they are told to sometimes use the middle doors and sometimes not, and even if they are told to use the middle doors then find they're being turfed out in the middle of the road because the stop is obstructed. It's got to be a simple message!

 

[freetoview33]

Respectfully, I doubt that. A bus stop can be built and configured to any layout of a highway authority's choosing. Not all bus stops can't be changed overnight, but over the lifetime of a vehicle it's most likely doable.

It can with reduced stops. I know plenty of locations where it is physically impossible, without majorly moving or reducing locations

 

[Tommy Walters]

Had my allowed socially distanced exercise yesterday and was able to sneak a peak at First's Bath depot. A few Aquae liveried (but not vinyled) Scanias there but also 36815. Wonder if that's a reallocation - might make sense to have a 11 liveried for the PVR and an urban spare?

I did mention in another post that 815 was in Bath. I initially thought it had moved in as a float vehicle while all the aquae ones get branded. Your suggestion as a permanent spare may also be of merit, as it can be used as a spare for the U1 as well as the P&R routes in the future!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I did mention in another post that 815 was in Bath. I initially thought it had moved in as a float vehicle while all the aquae ones get branded. Your suggestion as a permanent spare may also be of merit, as it can be used as a spare for the U1 as well as the P&R routes in the future!

Apologies - missed that you'd mentioned it.