TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion

[mangad]

If that’s the reason, that will add significant operational costs, so let’s hope TfGM have deep pockets, especially if that’s being replicated across the area.

Many other cities seem to cope without having huge spare capacity added in.

Have other cities managed to work out how to prevent the need for electric vehicles to be recharged? If so, they should be sharing this useful information to other operators!

Wonder if they've worked out how to stop diesel buses needing fuel too .

 

[darylyates17]

They should be going to Diamond Eccles, replacing solos

So going to Diamond after all explains why 2 white MMCs and a few Solos are being used for passenger use but thought they were getting new build Stratas.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Have other cities managed to work out how to prevent the need for electric vehicles to be recharged? If so, they should be sharing this useful information to other operators!

Wonder if they've worked out how to stop diesel buses needing fuel too .

I think you've taken @Stan Drews' post completely out of context

There are many ways to allow for mid-day charging, without increasing the spare capacity drastically

One is the utilisation of peak buses (run-backs, if you're industry minded); for example a bus which would "traditionally" be in service from 06:00 to 08:30, sit spare in the depot all day, then come back out again at 15:30 until 19:00 is instead back out in service at 9am, allowing one of the first buses of the day to receive a charge boost. Once charged that then goes back into service, allowing a different vehicle to come off for charging, and so on, until all buses are required again in the afternoon peak.

Another alternative would be to graph bus allocations so that the last buses out [of the depot] are the last buses in, so to speak. Or, even more simply, have diesels stay out all night.

Increasing spare capacity drastically is like having money sat in the yard all day!

 

[johncrossley]

Opportunity charging is commonly used in other countries, as well as in Harrogate and on TfL route 358, meaning you can top up the batteries regularly throughout the day at the terminus. This also has the benefit of not needing such heavy batteries which increases range and passenger capacity.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Opportunity charging is commonly used in other countries, as well as in Harrogate and on TfL route 358, meaning you can top up the batteries regularly throughout the day at the terminus. This also has the benefit of not needing such heavy batteries which increases range and passenger capacity.

Like this I saw at Helsinki Vantaa last year

 

[Stan Drews]

Have other cities managed to work out how to prevent the need for electric vehicles to be recharged? If so, they should be sharing this useful information to other operators!

Wonder if they've worked out how to stop diesel buses needing fuel too .

Indeed they have. They schedule them as efficiently as possible and then plug them in when they return to the depot. Seems to work up and down the country without the need for 25% spare capacity.
Theyve also found out that if you install a fuel pump at the depot and then fill up the diesel buses when they too return to the depot, they can stick them out again the next day!
It’s just marvellous what is possible nowadays!

 

[toms]

Indeed they have. They schedule them as efficiently as possible and then plug them in when they return to the depot. Seems to work up and down the country without the need for 25% spare capacity.
Theyve also found out that if you install a fuel pump at the depot and then fill up the diesel buses when they too return to the depot, they can stick them out again the next day!
It’s just marvellous what is possible nowadays!

It’s funny how one comment can cause a massive outbreak of argument in a bus forum, coming from someone who doesn’t have a clue and made a educated guess on why 25% of a fleet was spare (me)

 

[mangad]

Indeed they have. They schedule them as efficiently as possible and then plug them in when they return to the depot.

So they charge them then?

 

[M60lad]

Not to sure whether its limited to just Stagecoach but it seems that Stagecoach are having problems with their Ticketers at the moment with some of them wanting to accept phone payments or even not working at all, I've been on a few buses recently whereby card payments are accepted but phone payments are refused for some reason.

 

[MCRTransitYT]

So they charge them then?

Overhead charging called pantograph. Like mentioned earlier, Harrogate and tfl 358 has them, and electric trains/trams also use pantograph charging

 

[KendalKing]

Overhead charging called pantograph. Like mentioned earlier, Harrogate and tfl 358 has them, and electric trains/trams also use pantograph charging

Well said. Also don't forget in the days of Trolleybuses, they had what was called trolley arms.

 

[mayneway]

Stockport interchange has been closed due to a serious vehicle fire involving 10587.
Reports, possibly speculation suggesting it’s arson. Pictures show the fire pretty well established on the upper deck.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

B9s aside, what are the plans for the many Stagecoach liveried Metroline original Enviro400s? I don’t mean the new ones that look a bit like London Mew Routemasters, but the original ones, for example the ex Magic Bus ones and green ones with green seats, and the others in Stagecoach new and old liveries with blue beachball seats. Are these getting yellowed and refurbished? There’s quite a lot of these still and they’re very tatty inside. I see them on the 50 (Salford Quays) and 38 (Logistics North) quite a lot.

 

[toms]

B9s aside, what are the plans for the many Stagecoach liveried Metroline original Enviro400s? I don’t mean the new ones that look a bit like London Mew Routemasters, but the original ones, for example the ex Magic Bus ones and green ones with green seats, and the others in Stagecoach new and old liveries with blue beachball seats. Are these getting yellowed and refurbished? There’s quite a lot of these still and they’re very tatty inside. I see them on the 50 (Salford Quays) and 38 (Logistics North) quite a lot.

They’re on loan last time I checked, I thought the plan was for Metroline to wait for all their new vehicles and all loaned vehicles would leave which would mean Metroline had an entirely new fleet. Well so someone at Hyde Road on Facebook says

 

[Leyland Bus]

They’re on loan last time I checked, I thought the plan was for Metroline to wait for all their new vehicles and all loaned vehicles would leave which would mean Metroline had an entirely new fleet. Well so someone at Hyde Road on Facebook says

The hybrids are now apart of the TfGM pool fleet (I'm pretty sure anyway) and I think it was stated on a post upthread that they were soon to be refurbished and repainted.

Frankly, every garage will get new buses *eventually* but you're talking years and years and likely on a rolling programme depending how the political wind blows, the economy, passenger usage etc etc...

 

[mayneway]

The hybrids are now apart of the TfGM pool fleet (I'm pretty sure anyway) and I think it was stated on a post upthread that they were soon to be refurbished and repainted.

Frankly, every garage will get new buses *eventually* but you're talking years and years and likely on a rolling programme depending how the political wind blows, the economy, passenger usage etc etc...

Yes you’re correct. The E400 hybrids are owned by TFGM now. The diesel ones are on loan.
According to a manager at work TFGM are in talks with neighbouring authorities (presumably Merseyside), to sell vehicles onto them for transition purposes so the loans might not actually get refurbished.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The hybrids are now apart of the TfGM pool fleet (I'm pretty sure anyway) and I think it was stated on a post upthread that they were soon to be refurbished and repainted.

Frankly, every garage will get new buses *eventually* but you're talking years and years and likely on a rolling programme depending how the political wind blows, the economy, passenger usage etc etc...

Yes you’re correct. The E400 hybrids are owned by TFGM now. The diesel ones are on loan.
According to a manager at work TFGM are in talks with neighbouring authorities (presumably Merseyside), to sell vehicles onto them for transition purposes so the loans might not actually get refurbished.

Are they to get USBs and information screens, do we know?

 

[toms]

Are they to get USBs and information screens, do we know?

I know info screens are required for all vehicles but I didn’t know USBs were a priority

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Stockport interchange has been closed due to a serious vehicle fire involving 10587.
Reports, possibly speculation suggesting it’s arson. Pictures show the fire pretty well established on the upper deck.

Is it now known what actually caused the fire and if so, what is it. What was the actual vehicle type?

 

[Andyh82]

Is it now known what actually caused the fire and if so, what is it. What was the actual vehicle type?

10587 is a standard Stagecoach spec ADL/Enviro 400 MMC

 

[Leyland Bus]

Is it now known what actually caused the fire and if so, what is it. What was the actual vehicle type?

It drove back to the garage so you could highly likely rule out a vehicle issue (unless ADL wiring looms are very contained) given the area and the damage I'd say it was likely arson...

 

[M60lad]

Considering it was able to be driven back to Daw Bank Depot how bad was the damage and how likely is it that it will be fixed and see service again?

 

[Leyland Bus]

Considering it was able to be driven back to Daw Bank Depot how bad was the damage and how likely is it that it will be fixed and see service again?

Upper rear third of the roof has burnt away, last 3 windows each side and rear have blown but frames in place, the rest of the roof has warped down the middle and the whole upper deck is very smoke and heat damaged... Seats have obviously burnt/melted etc

It's entiely up to Stagecoach to decide if it's worth repairing.

 

[Along the bay]

Saw a BZL on the 219 today. I assume this means Ashton electrification works are complete?

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Saw a BZL on the 219 today. I assume this means Ashton electrification works are complete?

Seems like it yes

GNW 59001 "saved" from scrap, Nice to see a free bus being preserved.

Go North West's 59001 (YJ60KCA)

Optare Solo SR The only ex Free Bus standing, parked at the back of Weston St, awaiting restoration, it's rumoured to be going to the Museum of Transport .

flic.kr

 

[mayneway]

Seems like it yes

GNW 59001 "saved" from scrap, Nice to see a free bus being preserved.

Go North West's 59001 (YJ60KCA)

Optare Solo SR The only ex Free Bus standing, parked at the back of Weston St, awaiting restoration, it's rumoured to be going to the Museum of Transport .

flic.kr

It was always the plan to preserve it and hand over to the museum. Can’t remember why it was initially withdrawn, but it was, then returned to the free bus a couple of times before the destination equipment was removed and it ended up being used for months on route learning before disappearing - presumably to Bolton.
The Solo was always superior to the Versa’s in my opinion.

 

[Charles Street]

It was always the plan to preserve it and hand over to the museum. Can’t remember why it was initially withdrawn, but it was, then returned to the free bus a couple of times before the destination equipment was removed and it ended up being used for months on route learning before disappearing - presumably to Bolton.
The Solo was always superior to the Versa’s in my opinion.

59001 was parked up inside Heywood garage for quite a long time visible at the far end.

 

[BlitzFan87]

Can someone tell me how many bzls ashton depot is getting

 

[darylyates17]

When will the B5s at Queens Road get refurbished as the ex Oxfords at Oldham have been done?

 

[xitz2012@gmail]

When will the B5s at Queens Road get refurbished as the ex Oxfords at Oldham have been done?

They were supposed to be moving to Oldham to join the rest there, not sure if that's still the case.