TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion

[cnjb8]

This seems to be incorrect information as both have been in service today. (LVF)

The move has been cancelled for now

 

[mayneway]

What are the mellors going to be used for, they seem overly small

The Bury circulars i believe 487 etc.

Just be glad 3068 is not another one ruining the Vantage experience. I know there have been a number of complaints about the Evoseti’s on that route with their solid seats etc.

Issue there is TFGM were happy for the Evosettis to be used initially as spares on the vantage services as they knew First were retaining the B9’s previously used. Infact 3051/2/3 were the first to be painted before they even took over Bolton specifically for the vantage. With the increase in frequency it was pretty obvious more of the Evosettis would end up on there.

According to my pal who’s a vantage driver they are actually better than the B5’s as they have a larger capacity so in afternoon peaks they can actually fit more punters on.

Anyone know the whereabouts of 3068 as according to BusTimes, it’s not tracked since

Another observation relates to the 184. The last two trips in the evening that run to Marsden and Diggle used to be run by Nexus Move with minibuses which provided more than sufficient capacity but since the Bee Network took over they seem to have been consistently worked by double-deckers. This doesn't seem to make sense but may be due to vehicle shortage?

They will simply add the two last journeys onto existing 184 boards which normally would be run by deckers. N

I doubt it's vehicle shortages and either its specified to always be a double decker, or it's just easier to always be a double decker.

In Stockport Stagecoach run the 374 and 375 evening services with a double decker even though the routes could get away with a small minibus. They will have their reasons for this. Perhaps because they don't have loads of random small minibus floating around that wouldn't be much use during the day.

The last two 184’s will simply have been added to existing 184 boards or inter work on boards with other services that require deckers. Likewise Stockport will run the 374/375 with deckers because they interwork with other services (possibly 192) that only use deckers.

 

[stait.john]

First update:

Only 4 short Streetlites left at First Rochdale now, 47418, 47432, 47433 & 47632. All others have been cascaded out via Adderley Green.

69445, 69446, 69447, 69506, 69509 & 69510 have also gone for temporary storage at Adderley Green.

47612, 47629 & 47634 have gone to First West of England, Lawrence Hill.

47611 is at Worcester, possibly for onward move to Cymru, I’m not sure.

14 of the 16 B8RLEs are in service now. 69630 arrived at Rochdale on Thursday.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Of the Bee Network B7 mk2s

69505 and lower are going to Sheffield
69506 upwards going to Bradford

 

[syjunkie]

Of the Bee Network B7 mk2s

69505 and lower are going to Sheffield
69506 upwards going to Bradford

Thought it was the other way round?

 

[mic]

stagecoach
another EV bus in service at Oldham is 84243 LF 24 ZCA been on it today and it is double tracking as 84223

 

[dodecahedron67]

Thought it was the other way round?

Might be. I’m half awake

 

[AlexE]

Might be. I’m half awake

69505 and under Bradford

69506 upwards Sheffield

 

[Class 466]

Stagecoach 11840 has just driven past me in Blackpool. Turning up anywhere but Bee Network routes

 

[317 forever]

An excellent response...

Returns from Thorntons for interior refurbishment consist of:

4032
3477

Going out to Thorntons:

3401

I rode 3477 on Thursday, on route 10. I late rode 27955, a Stagecoach ex First E300, itself now refurbished.

 

[jcrwey]

First update:

Only 4 short Streetlites left at First Rochdale now, 47418, 47432, 47433 & 47632. All others have been cascaded out via Adderley Green.

69445, 69446, 69447, 69506, 69509 & 69510 have also gone for temporary storage at Adderley Green.

47612, 47629 & 47634 have gone to First West of England, Lawrence Hill.

47611 is at Worcester, possibly for onward move to Cymru, I’m not sure.

14 of the 16 B8RLEs are in service now. 69630 arrived at Rochdale on Thursday.

Out of curiosity why were so many of these painted bee network yellow for a matter of months only to move out again?

 

[MasterSpenny]

It seems like Stagecoach’s new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters for the Bee Network have commenced delivery - the first one, plated LV24ROU has been delivered. I do not know the fleet number it has been allocated as of yet. Photo (not mine) linked below.

Stagecoach Manchester (LV24ROU)

Mercedes Benz Sprinter Strata Seen at Queens rd, thank you to a good friend for getting me some pics

www.flickr.com

A user on bustimes.org has got a list of them. The one I picked up on (LV24ROU) is allocated fleet number 49902. 49901 (the bus that the edit is on) has been registered LV24RPY. The edit that confirms this information is linked below.

Log in to bustimes.org

49901 - LV24 RPY • 30 minutes ago

reg to LV24RPY
added to list

LV24RPY - 49901
LV24ROU - 49902
LV24RRU - 49903
WV24NCU - 49904

 

[Andyh82]

Just be glad 3068 is not another one ruining the Vantage experience. I know there have been a number of complaints about the Evoseti’s on that route with their solid seats etc.

I had a ride on the V1 today, one of the proper Vantage buses with the good seats

Sadly further along the route some local yobs decided to throw three full sized house bricks at the bus in broad daylight which ruined the journey somewhat considering I was sat at the front and could see it happening before it happened.

Ironically on the prior journey I’d caught into Leigh there were TravelSafe officers on board checking tickets. I presume this is something Andy Burnham has introduced with the roll out of the Bee Network

 

[Leyland Bus]

I had a ride on the V1 today, one of the proper Vantage buses with the good seats

Sadly further along the route some local yobs decided to throw three full sized house bricks at the bus in broad daylight which ruined the journey somewhat considering I was sat at the front and could see it happening before it happened.

Ironically on the prior journey I’d caught into Leigh there were TravelSafe officers on board checking tickets. I presume this is something Andy Burnham has introduced with the roll out of the Bee Network

Sadly, this has become an extremely regular occurrence on the busway... It's an utter joke that they're still getting away with it...

 

[KendalKing]

Out of curiosity why were so many of these painted bee network yellow for a matter of months only to move out again?

That was what I was thinking! I thought it was the un-repainted ones that were on loan, and the repainted ones were staying.

 

[stait.john]

They were painted as the delivery dates for the new buses wasn’t certain and we wanted to make a good impression.

The 63xxx Streetlites and 5 of the E400s are used on non-tranche 2 school contracts hence why they’re still in Olympia, and additionally the First Amazon contract and the 13 MCFC match day service.

 

[darylyates17]

They were painted as the delivery dates for the new buses wasn’t certain and we wanted to make a good impression.

The 63xxx Streetlites and 5 of the E400s are used on non-tranche 2 school contracts hence why they’re still in Olympia, and additionally the First Amazon contract and the 13 MCFC match day service.

Is it likely the Evoras will allow the Eclipses to move on whats the PVR for Rochdale?

 

[Class 466]

Is it likely the Evoras will allow the Eclipses to move on whats the PVR for Rochdale?

They are the replacements.

 

[Bungle965]

A user on bustimes.org has got a list of them. The one I picked up on (LV24ROU) is allocated fleet number 49902. 49901 (the bus that the edit is on) has been registered LV24RPY. The edit that confirms this information is linked below.

Log in to bustimes.org

I must admit I had completely forgotten that Stagecoach had ordered these. They are presumably the Ultra variant with the First Manchester ones being Plus.

Anyone know what routes these are to operate for Stagecoach?

 

[mayneway]

I must admit I had completely forgotten that Stagecoach had ordered these. They are presumably the Ultra variant with the First Manchester ones being Plus.

Anyone know what routes these are to operate for Stagecoach?

Based at queens road and will operate the Bury circulars that Rosso did previously.

 

[mic]

Today I noted 2 Stagecoach Bee Network livery buses at a non Bee Network depot, this being Ashton? I had walk past on the canal.

 

[mangad]

Today I noted 2 Stagecoach Bee Network livery buses at a non Bee Network depot, this being Ashton? I had walk past on the canal.

They are presumably vehicles Stagecoach will be keeping in Greater Manchester in the future. Prior to Tranche 2 Stockport got an ever increasing number of Bee Network branded buses, which were all moved to the Tranche 2 depots. And now the cycle is continuing with more yellow buses appearing in Stockport station. It will be the same at Ashton.

 

[xitz2012@gmail]

They are presumably vehicles Stagecoach will be keeping in Greater Manchester in the future. Prior to Tranche 2 Stockport got an ever increasing number of Bee Network branded buses, which were all moved to the Tranche 2 depots. And now the cycle is continuing with more yellow buses appearing in Stockport station. It will be the same at Ashton.

Stagecoach isn’t keeping Ashton. Those yellow MMCs are just on loan to non Bee Network depots because of a vehicle shortage.

 

[Class 466]

I've heard murmurs of a change in fleet strategy post Tranche 3 announcement hence these vehicles going on loan to non Bee Network Depots.

 

[mangad]

Stagecoach isn’t keeping Ashton. Those yellow MMCs are just on loan to non Bee Network depots because of a vehicle shortage.

Yes, I know they're not. But that's irrelevant. As I said, Stockport wasn't tranche 2 yet it filled up with Bee Network branded buses ahead of Tranche 2. It's pretty obvious when Tranche 3 starts there's going to be a big move of vehicles just as there was in Tranche 2, and what is currently at Ashton is going to move.

 

[Andyh82]

Stagecoach isn’t keeping Ashton. Those yellow MMCs are just on loan to non Bee Network depots because of a vehicle shortage.

I imagine this is the case

Since Tranche 2 started Stagecoach have introduced various new buses. The MCV Evoras, further Solos, more of the electric buses entering service, but there has been no report of anything having been withdrawn

Therefore it is likely Tranche 2 depots currently have a fleet surplus, meaning some of the latest MMCs can initially enter service from a commercial depot

 

[xitz2012@gmail]

I imagine this is the case

Since Tranche 2 started Stagecoach have introduced various new buses. The MCV Evoras, further Solos, more of the electric buses entering service, but there has been no report of anything having been withdrawn

Therefore it is likely Tranche 2 depots currently have a fleet surplus, meaning some of the latest MMCs can initially enter service from a commercial depot

You would think that they'd at least send over enough MMCs to QR to replace the god awful unreliable Scanias instead of sending them to non-bee network depots.

 

[mayneway]

On the contrary. All the Tranche 2 depots are short of vehicles.

The reason for the use of these buses at commercial depots is simple. When mileage is lost due to a breakdown involving a TFGM owned vehicle then it’s down to them and not the operator as they are ultimately responsible for maintenance. This is why stagecoach will continue to push to use the non standard TFGM ‘pooled’ vehicles for as long as they can.

 

[jeffery9098]

You would think that they'd at least send over enough MMCs to QR to replace the god awful unreliable Scanias instead of sending them to non-bee network depots.

send more mx58, the better

 

[xitz2012@gmail]

send more mx58, the better

Definitely wouldn’t mind more lovely tridents at QR to go along with our lovely B9s!