Wellglade Group

[SubToBloxOrDai]

Versa 836 (ex Sixes) does appear to have been painted in Swift green..A further Volvo destined for the training fleet, is 725. That has a green back.

Interestingly it has been repainted while retaining it's incorrect replacement front panel with the silver stripe, wonder if that will be changed before they enter service

 

[Trainman40083]

Interestingly it has been repainted while retaining it's incorrect replacement front panel with the silver stripe, wonder if that will be changed before they enter service

Ah yes, 836 was the bus involved in the Duffield accident.. A van on the wrong side of the road. I doubt it will get changed.

 

[JJM22]

H1 Enviro 325 (I think) was involved in an accident this morning just outside of the Langley Mill garage. Looked like a car had hit the offside front corner and took out several panels along the length of the bus.

 

[callum3490]

Desperation has seemingly reached a high at derby that 837 has been put out onto swift today.

Only one branded b7 tracking on both swift and comet today.

 

[Trainman40083]

Desperation has seemingly reached a high at derby that 837 has been put out onto swift today.

Only one branded b7 tracking on both swift and comet today.

I did notice two Swift Volvos on the depot as I walked past. 329 and 702 seemed to come off during the day, leaving 735 , 780 and a branded Volvo.. I did see a Mango Versa on Comet in Chesterfield. It got further than 827 did (supposedly).....Did anyone see 837?

 

[Np13]

Desperation has seemingly reached a high at derby that 837 has been put out onto swift today.

It's 701 tracking as 837

 

[Trainman40083]

Mango 217 on the Mickleover today.

 

[jondr3]

As if TM's luck wasn't bad enough, 1406 spat its dummy out on the 218

 

[43055]

Mango 217 on the Mickleover today.

Also been used on the Comet with the 1605 departure from Derby

 

[Trainman40083]

Also been used on the Comet with the 1605 departure from Derby

When I took my shot, it was about 13.00 and looked to be going to Mickleover. Seemingly it worked the 13.05 ish Comet.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 19:47 ==

Four green buses ,sitting in the rows. Two were Swift Volvos. At least it shows the two operators green is different.

 

[derbybusdepot]

842 tracking on the V3 this evening. Looks like it was the only bus on the harlequin all day too.

 

[StavBered]

842 tracking on the V3 this evening. Looks like it was the only bus on the harlequin all day too.

I did spot 841 yesterday afternoon roaming around Derby City Centre, must've been on a test drive of some sort

 

[Trainman40083]

I did spot 841 yesterday afternoon roaming around Derby City Centre, must've been on a test drive of some sort

Been in A garage for a few days. I saw Swift Volvo 702 on Kedleston Road yesterday morning. It was soon back on Meadow Road

 

[43055]

Next Stop announcments and screens have started to be rolled out across the Versa's and Volvo's over tne last couple of weeks.

Solo 500 has reportidly moved to Kinchbus

 

[Mal]

One for the historians. Though I was born in Edinburgh, I was brought up in Derby and remember all Trent routes were numbered. I've often wondered when Trent changed routes from numbers to names and if it was done in one massive change-over day or gradually brought in.
Thank you in advance.

 

[Trainman40083]

One for the historians. Though I was born in Edinburgh, I was brought up in Derby and remember all Trent routes were numbered. I've often wondered when Trent changed routes from numbers to names and if it was done in one massive change-over day or gradually brought in.
Thank you in advance.

I thought it was done as each route got new buses, under the rainbow umbrella. Things like the Rainbow 5 later became Indigo.. The 34* group, rainbow 3, now the Threes. Initial changes would have been with the arrival of the S154 UAL batch of Optare Excels, That said, the Dennis Lances N356 VRC were branded for Rainbow 4 and 5. Rushcliffe services would have been in the days of Optare Deltas, later becoming MAINLINE. The Ilkeston service would have been the Double Two, later the TWOs. In the case of the Swift service to Ashbourne, that was probably the last of the Excels. It all seems so long ago.

 

[station_road]

Wasn't the Spondon Flyer the first named route (around 1994)? Then the R2 which was the first of the Rainbow Routes (replacing the old 102 and using Optare Excels, but still using numbers, just with the R prefix to indicate newer buses. The R2 is now the i4, which isn't confusing at all )

Though as you say, that's over thirty years ago now so I may be mis-remembering

 

[Trainman40083]

Wasn't the Spondon Flyer the first named route (around 1994)? Then the R2 which was the first of the Rainbow Routes (replacing the old 102 and using Optare Excels, but still using numbers, just with the R prefix to indicate newer buses. The R2 is now the i4, which isn't confusing at all )

Though as you say, that's over thirty years ago now so I may be mis-remembering

I'm thinking the Spondon Flyer was launched with MAN /Optare Vectas, M801 PRA.

 

[StavBered]

Next Stop announcments and screens have started to be rolled out across the Versa's and Volvo's over tne last couple of weeks.

Solo 500 has reportidly moved to Kinchbus

For the volvos, I wonder why trent haven't bothered to utilise the pre existing screens on board (of course, some B7s aren't fitted with them as standard), and have instead installed a second unit. It isn't that big of a deal however the volvo B8s on the sixes (formerly the two), are managing to use the integrated screen, so how come it's not the same with the urbans?

 

[nathanclass323]

For the volvos, I wonder why trent haven't bothered to utilise the pre existing screens on board (of course, some B7s aren't fitted with them as standard), and have instead installed a second unit. It isn't that big of a deal however the volvo B8s on the sixes (formerly the two), are managing to use the integrated screen, so how come it's not the same with the urbans?

I asked a team leader this the other day and apparently it’s a compatibility issue with the pre existing screens and the new screens have been positioned to be visible by more people onboard.

 

[Teapot42]

I asked a team leader this the other day and apparently it’s a compatibility issue with the pre existing screens and the new screens have been positioned to be visible by more people onboard.

Doesn't surprise me. Display technology has moved on a lot in recent times, interfaces have changed and it's probably cheaper to buy new off-the-shelf hardware than to try and source a bridge between new and old.

 

[StavBered]

I asked a team leader this the other day and apparently it’s a compatibility issue with the pre existing screens and the new screens have been positioned to be visible by more people onboard.

Makes sense. I do hope they get onto moving the "Our drivers are lovely but..." stickers, as the screens from what I've seen, completely cover them

 

[nathanclass323]

Makes sense. I do hope they get onto moving the "Our drivers are lovely but..." stickers, as the screens from what I've seen, completely cover them

They do partially cover them - the stickers will be replaced so that they’re visible again

 

[Deerfold]

I thought it was done as each route got new buses, under the rainbow umbrella. Things like the Rainbow 5 later became Indigo.. The 34* group, rainbow 3, now the Threes. Initial changes would have been with the arrival of the S154 UAL batch of Optare Excels, That said, the Dennis Lances N356 VRC were branded for Rainbow 4 and 5. Rushcliffe services would have been in the days of Optare Deltas, later becoming MAINLINE. The Ilkeston service would have been the Double Two, later the TWOs. In the case of the Swift service to Ashbourne, that was probably the last of the Excels. It all seems so long ago.

We had Rainbow routes being introduced when I lived near Nottingham 1992-6.

Quote a lot of routes became the indigo - 1, 3, 10, 310, 506, R5, R5B, R5C. Not sure when the 3C (Nottingham-Melbourne) disappeared.

Some were then hived off into Skylink.

The Double Two was (unsurprisingly) the replacement for the 22.

When I was there the services between Nottingham and Sutton/Mansfield were the 41-45 (and were mostly double deckers).

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Wasn't the Spondon Flyer the first named route (around 1994)? Then the R2 which was the first of the Rainbow Routes (replacing the old 102 and using Optare Excels, but still using numbers, just with the R prefix to indicate newer buses. The R2 is now the i4, which isn't confusing at all )

Though as you say, that's over thirty years ago now so I may be mis-remembering

According to Wikipedia (yes, I know!) the first Rainbow route was introduced in early 1992, whilst the first with just a name was indeed the Spondon Flyer in 1994.

 

[YX73OUB]

For the volvos, I wonder why trent haven't bothered to utilise the pre existing screens on board (of course, some B7s aren't fitted with them as standard), and have instead installed a second unit. It isn't that big of a deal however the volvo B8s on the sixes (formerly the two), are managing to use the integrated screen, so how come it's not the same with the urbans?

The answer to to this is because when the old screens were in use they were supplied by init and communicated with the then init ticket machines.
Folllwing the change to ticketer these became redundant, Aesys and Hanover are now the favoured equipment suppliers for audio/visual.

 

[Trainman40083]

S

The answer to to this is because when the old screens were in use they were supplied by init and communicated with the then init ticket machines.
Folllwing the change to ticketer these became redundant, Aesys and Hanover are now the favoured equipment suppliers for audio/visual.

So, will they still work if they decide to go for Transmach machines in the future?

 

[Np13]

So, will they still work if they decide to go for Transmach machines in the future?

The Hanover system works with the Transmach machines on the Kinchbus E12s

 

[BuhSnarf]

I find the standard of driving by car drivers these days, most worrying. I wonder how they passed their test.

The tests are actually harder, however, when taking your test you aren't distracted by phones etc.

 

[Trainman40083]

Ah ha, 1422 has arrived in Derby...