TfGM Bus franchising

[WWH44L]

Colour... but not necessarily in the way you'd be thinking!

It's got to be viewed and approved once done and I'm still waiting for the paint to arrive!

Intrigued now! Look forward to seeing the finished result.

Great updates, nevertheless

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Would it not have been better to await final colour approval prior to the commencement of any re-painting programme?

 

[Leyland Bus]

Would it not have been better to await final colour approval prior to the commencement of any re-painting programme?

All repainting has been at the request of TfGM, sometimes these things evolve naturally as time goes along...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2023 ==

Given that you are obviously on the inside on this topic can you comment on the fact that Bee Network yellow, notwithstanding the colour of Metrolink's trams, appears to be very similar to that used on Berlin's buses, a fleet that includes plenty of double-deckers.

If you know the paint code for the Berlin yellow, I could tell you if they are similar or not, however I don't believe there is any connection.

 

[Goldfish62]

All repainting has been at the request of TfGM, sometimes these things evolve naturally as time goes along...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2023 ==


If you know the paint code for the Berlin yellow, I could tell you if they are similar or not, however I don't believe there is any connection.

The Berlin yellow is brighter and richer than the Metrolink/TfGM yellow.

I was told a few weeks ago that allegedly the mayor didn't like the shade of yellow so I was half expecting a change. Glad it may be happening, although probably too late for the first batch of E400EVs.

 

[daodao]

Personally, I would prefer all the buses to be red, or red and cream, as they all were on the south side of Greater Manchester until 1969, whichever the operator.

 

[Leyland Bus]

The Berlin yellow is brighter and richer than the Metrolink/TfGM yellow.

I was told a few weeks ago that allegedly the mayor didn't like the shade of yellow so I was half expecting a change. Glad it may be happening, although probably too late for the first batch of E400EVs.

That's okay, we'll start painting them orange instead

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That's okay, we'll start painting them orange instead

Perhaps a brown skirt as well to cover up the road grime??

 

[Statto]

Personally, I would prefer all the buses to be red, or red and cream, as they all were on the south side of Greater Manchester until 1969, whichever the operator.

I'd have prefered White, Orange, Brown combo, that were the colours of GMPTE buses, that were all over the GM area in the early 80s, & that livery stood out too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd have prefered White, Orange, Brown combo, that were the colours of GMPTE buses, that were all over the GM area in the early 80s, & that livery stood out too.

Nah, horribly dated. Though I do think Hamburg's white with an orange skirt and black window band looks good - keep it simple.

You can't really use red because that's the City of Manchester colour, not GM.

 

[winston270twm]

Perhaps a brown skirt as well to cover up the road grime??

I understand more black is being added to the Bee Network Livery.

 

[Goldfish62]

Nah, horribly dated. Though I do think Hamburg's white with an orange skirt and black window band looks good - keep it simple.

You can't really use red because that's the City of Manchester colour, not GM.

Referencing Berlin again, I think the shade of all over yellow looks really good. It also seems to wear well.

 

[WWH44L]

I understand more black is being added to the Bee Network Livery.

Andy has probably seen his mate Steve’s Merseyside offerings which have grey and black and look really smart obviously a best impressions design.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Andy has probably seen his mate Steve’s Merseyside offerings which have grey and black and look really smart obviously a best impressions design.

I know it's the bee thing, but I've always felt the Metrolink livery was a bit of Merseyrail envy

 

[Leyland Bus]

So, we've had our tweaks signed off and 40821 will be released back into traffic tomorrow and subsequent repaints will follow, although the legal lettering and fleetnumbers etc will henceforth be in TfGMs own house font and will be the standard going forwards...

40821s place in the paintshop has been taken by 40760.

Note: Photos show bus 40821 in the revised Bee Network livery.

 

[dodecahedron67]

I didn't actually think the first livery was *that* bad, but that revised livery is head and shoulders above it, wow. It's incredible what a little bit of black shadowing/outlining does for a livery...

 

[py_megapixel]

Looks good to me.

I don't think the design is new, though - it's pretty much the same as the computer generated renderings of the new ADL buses

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I didn't actually think the first livery was *that* bad, but that revised livery is head and shoulders above it, wow. It's incredible what a little bit of black shadowing/outlining does for a livery...

Well, considering that the bee is the approved symbol, anyone knows that bees have black and yellow colouring, whereas buses in pure yellow have no pure yellow bee equivalent to the best of my knowledge.

 

[cnjb8]

Having the columns next to the front upper windscreen be black really improves the look of a StreetDeck IMO

 

[JD2168]

The revised livery on the StreetDecks in the picture looks much better than the previous version.

 

[Urobach]

I didn't actually think the first livery was *that* bad, but that revised livery is head and shoulders above it, wow. It's incredible what a little bit of black shadowing/outlining does for a livery...

Pretty much my thoughts. All it needs now is to remove that speech bubble from the upper deck front window

 

[Bletchleyite]

I didn't actually think the first livery was *that* bad, but that revised livery is head and shoulders above it, wow. It's incredible what a little bit of black shadowing/outlining does for a livery...

Almost any livery on anything looks better with a dark window band.

 

[Goldfish62]

Almost any livery on anything looks better with a dark window band.

Agreed, although in this case the windows are bonded so will always appear as a black band.

Have you seen the hideous repaints that Metroline has done with its MMCs? They've painted the metal window frames red. Looks awful!

 

[WWH44L]

So, we've had our tweaks signed off and 40821 will be released back into traffic tomorrow and subsequent repaints will follow, although the legal lettering and fleetnumbers etc will henceforth be in TfGMs own house font and will be the standard going forwards...

40821s place in the paintshop has been taken by 40760.

Note: Photos show bus 40821 in the revised Bee Network livery.

Looks great. Is the yellow the same shade as previously?

Also, is there a planned single deck version of the livery? I’ve seen GNW have painted two B7RLEs and a Citaro but in overall yellow.

Have the ones that have gone to Blackburn retuned yet?

 

[Goldfish62]

So, we've had our tweaks signed off and 40821 will be released back into traffic tomorrow and subsequent repaints will follow, although the legal lettering and fleetnumbers etc will henceforth be in TfGMs own house font and will be the standard going forwards...

40821s place in the paintshop has been taken by 40760.

Note: Photos show bus 40821 in the revised Bee Network livery.

Just a little bit extra black trim, effectively based on another manufacturer's standard factory finish, really has lifted the livery.

It really has lifted the livery and is far more imaginative than the black skirt that some have suggested - that would be very 1980s.

I still don't like the logo though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I still don't like the logo though.

I like the bee logo but it's slightly too big and needs reducing to about 80% of size so it doesn't end up "catching" on other elements of the bodyside.

I don't think having the text plastered everywhere makes sense any more than TfL should plaster the text "London Buses" down the side of theirs, but it is a new thing, I think that'll lose prominence over time and have adverts stuck over the top.

 

[Goldfish62]

I like the bee logo but it's slightly too big and needs reducing to about 80% of size so it doesn't end up "catching" on other elements of the bodyside.

I don't think having the text plastered everywhere makes sense any more than TfL should plaster the text "London Buses" down the side of theirs, but it is a new thing, I think that'll lose prominence over time and have adverts stuck over the top.

The problem with the text is that it's across several panels and in an area vulnerable to damage. That's not going to be a good look when individual panels are replaced. "BEE NET", "E NETWORK", etc.

With the TfL roundel it's either there or not there.

 

[domcoop7]

Comparing the two sets of photos, this yellow does look more vibrant and the black sets it off. Don't know if it's the same shade, or the summer sun making a difference!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The problem with the text is that it's across several panels and in an area vulnerable to damage. That's not going to be a good look when individual panels are replaced. "BEE NET", "E NETWORK", etc.

With the TfL roundel it's either there or not there.

I think once the brand and logo is well established the text can probably go away. Buses sometimes have adverts there anyway, those will go over the top.

 

[Leyland Bus]

Comparing the two sets of photos, this yellow does look more vibrant and the black sets it off. Don't know if it's the same shade, or the summer sun making a difference!

Definitely the same yellow, the black and the sun probably make it pop a bit more...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

Looks great. Is the yellow the same shade as previously?

Also, is there a planned single deck version of the livery? I’ve seen GNW have painted two B7RLEs and a Citaro but in overall yellow.

Have the ones that have gone to Blackburn retuned yet?

Yes, two, I did mention the numbers further up the thread. They stand out as they don't have any black on the headlight surrounds.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

Looks great. Is the yellow the same shade as previously?

Also, is there a planned single deck version of the livery? I’ve seen GNW have painted two B7RLEs and a Citaro but in overall yellow.

Have the ones that have gone to Blackburn retuned yet?

Single deckers are still in the planning stage as the black would be harder to add on some buses.

I'm told that First have sent at least one Vantage B5 away for yellowing.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2023 ==

I think once the brand and logo is well established the text can probably go away. Buses sometimes have adverts there anyway, those will go over the top.

I've never seen any double decker with adverts on the lower skirt panels.

 

[JetBlast]

A couple of single deck images in base colours.

https://twitter.com/buses2012/status/1662054718334533633?s=46&t=JiZRzTNc38vw-5FftuP1Bg