• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Wellglade Group

Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Trainman40083

Established Member
Joined
29 Jan 2024
Messages
4,528
Location
Derby
Solos have been a good workhorse for the company over the years
From a passenger point of view, I only had one issue. When the bus stopped at a bus stop, and the vibration was that bad, your teeth nearly fell out. I guess with the Enviro 200MMC, we have stop /stop technology.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

146 is now in service in mango livery it's on keyworths today
Two early trips, anyway

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Indeed it does

811 obviously as I previously stated is also in use as we know along with 813.

A sign of things to come.
Wonder if 811 really is on V3 today?
 
Last edited:

Trainman40083

Established Member
Joined
29 Jan 2024
Messages
4,528
Location
Derby
I saw a facebook post about a vehicle being destroyed in a fire which had previously been repaired after a fire and it listed a number of incidents they’ve had
Oh that referred to Versa 804 that had a fire. It was rebuilt, re-entered service then caught fire and was no more.. There have been a few fires in the past 3 years. Some the oldest buses, some Enviro 200MMCs.
 

ceo of 741

On Moderation
Joined
1 Aug 2025
Messages
69
Location
stapleford
Oh that referred to Versa 804 that had a fire. It was rebuilt, re-entered service then caught fire and was no more.. There have been a few fires in the past 3 years. Some the oldest buses, some Enviro 200MMCs.
They should have just taken it off the road altogether I go on the my15 often and the versas are In dreadful conditions 808 was leaning left once and sounded like a hoover and had a horrible smoky smell I prefer it when a Volvo turns up on it like 723 or 724
 

YX73OUB

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2024
Messages
531
Location
East Midlands
They should have just taken it off the road altogether I go on the my15 often and the versas are In dreadful conditions 808 was leaning left once and sounded like a hoover and had a horrible smoky smell I prefer it when a Volvo turns up on it like 723 or 724
That's the air systems on them (the smell)
 

Mollman

Established Member
Joined
21 Sep 2016
Messages
1,698
Location
Preston
They should have just taken it off the road altogether I go on the my15 often and the versas are In dreadful conditions 808 was leaning left once and sounded like a hoover and had a horrible smoky smell I prefer it when a Volvo turns up on it like 723 or 724
I think the main issue is they don't have an abundance of spare vehicles to allow that to happen.
 

ceo of 741

On Moderation
Joined
1 Aug 2025
Messages
69
Location
stapleford
talking of versas what’s the deal with 817 the last time it tracked was 29th march 2024 on the hucknall connect unless there is a tracking issue according to bus times that is the date it has only seemed to track
 

derbybusdepot

Member
Joined
17 Dec 2015
Messages
347
It is a shame some services are quite consistently unreliable, especially the sixes 6.2, which when missed out not only means no service on at least part of the Belper to Ripley section, but also leaves a noticeable gap in the frequency main Derby to Belper corridor. Trent portray a good image, but there are evidently underlying issues that haven't been addressed, or are being addressed in a very slow manner.

That's not to say that people at Trent Barton do not work very hard with what they have, to do the best they can. That can be seen by how spares are switched between services. Surely though, a company the size of Wellglade should have a way of sourcing extra spare vehicles to ensure services operate. After all they easily find extra vehicles when awarded funding to operate additional services (Allestree, Swift, Mickleover). Too much carrot, not enough stick.

I'm not really convinced by franchising, but I do think all bus services should be regulated in a much better, fairer way, providing some incentive for providing a good service, and penalties for failing to operate. At a time when it's much easier to track what does and does not operate, and monitor punctuality, you'd think this would be easier to implement than ever before.
 

ceo of 741

On Moderation
Joined
1 Aug 2025
Messages
69
Location
stapleford
It is a shame some services are quite consistently unreliable, especially the sixes 6.2, which when missed out not only means no service on at least part of the Belper to Ripley section, but also leaves a noticeable gap in the frequency main Derby to Belper corridor. Trent portray a good image, but there are evidently underlying issues that haven't been addressed, or are being addressed in a very slow manner.

That's not to say that people at Trent Barton do not work very hard with what they have, to do the best they can. That can be seen by how spares are switched between services. Surely though, a company the size of Wellglade should have a way of sourcing extra spare vehicles to ensure services operate. After all they easily find extra vehicles when awarded funding to operate additional services (Allestree, Swift, Mickleover). Too much carrot, not enough stick.

I'm not really convinced by franchising, but I do think all bus services should be regulated in a much better, fairer way, providing some incentive for providing a good service, and penalties for failing to operate. At a time when it's much easier to track what does and does not operate, and monitor punctuality, you'd think this would be easier to implement than ever before.
That’s versas and e200 mmcs for you unreliable at Trent Barton if you go back 15 years or so when the had the optares they seemed better the older ones are better
 

YX73OUB

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2024
Messages
531
Location
East Midlands
talking of versas what’s the deal with 817 the last time it tracked was 29th march 2024 on the hucknall connect unless there is a tracking issue according to bus times that is the date it has only seemed to track
It's at Langley mill in the workshops being used by the apprentices as a working on bus/project. You'll be very fortunate to see it again out on the roads but stranger things have happened.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

It’s dreadful though it’s like all versas sometimes even the back seats on the eclipses get hot
I know. It started when they started putting ethanol into the air system which was to prevent them from freezing in the winter - we weren't able to use them at night time in the winter on the threes in 2013/14 because of the air tanks that would freeze regularly.
 

Trainman40083

Established Member
Joined
29 Jan 2024
Messages
4,528
Location
Derby
It's at Langley mill in the workshops being used by the apprentices as a working on bus/project. You'll be very fortunate to see it again out on the roads but stranger things have happened.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==


I know. It started when they started putting ethanol into the air system which was to prevent them from freezing in the winter - we weren't able to use them at night time in the winter on the threes in 2013/14 because of the air tanks that would freeze regularly.
Wonder if Trentbarton et all use winter grade diesel? The railways did. A bit of kerosene ? in the mix to stop the diesel waxing and getting the DMU to fail . I could mention a funny story about that, but it would be off topic.
 
Joined
30 Jul 2024
Messages
68
Location
Nottinghamshire
Not necessarily, accidents happen & the bus was taken off (exactly like it should’ve been)
Fair enough.

Whenever I go to Broadmarsh Bus Station, it seems to be very quiet. To me, the only thing it is really useful for is a terminus for coaches and a terminus for the buses whenever the city centre stops are blocked.
 

Trainman40083

Established Member
Joined
29 Jan 2024
Messages
4,528
Location
Derby
Most likely it could have. There might have been a warning light in the cab, and the driver probably wasn't willing to take that warning light all the way to Coalville!
Might indicate the engine was getting very warm and that might lead to another f**e. Noooooooo. Always best to safe than sorry
 

Top