Greater Manchester old depot codes

[Open top 80]

Do fleet numbers on buses still have letters before the fleet number to identify its depot? For example, before deregulation Manchester had codes 2 letter codes for depots: QS was Queens Rd,HE was Hyde Rd, OM was Oldham etc.

 

[Tim33160]

Do fleet numbers on buses still have letters before the fleet number to identify its depot? For example, before deregulation Manchester had codes 2 letter codes for depots: QS was Queens Rd,HE was Hyde Rd, OM was Oldham etc.

Not anymore! Stagecoach , First and Arriva in Greater Manchester don't have such depot codes.
It seems to have died out with GM Buses when they became First and Stagecoach
There was a long list of these two depot codes - which included low cost units at one point

However under the new Bee Network, Go North West have introduced depot codes on their yellow buses:
B = Bolton
H = Heywood
Q = Queens Rd
W = Wigan
These are appearing on Green disc / stickers on the front nearside corner of the windscreen
There is also an Orange disc but I don't know what these letters mean -

 

[Citibus]

The orange discs indicated the storage depot of buses acquired in the build up to the rollout of the Bee Network so in theory should disappear shortly.

 

[stait.john]

The orange discs indicated the storage depot of buses acquired in the build up to the rollout of the Bee Network so in theory should disappear shortly.

Seems someone wants to bring them back!

 

[Leyland Bus]

Seems someone wants to bring them back!

I like that... I tried it back in 2005 when I was at QS, got about half the buses done before someone from "higher up" twigged and they had to come back off!!

 

[mic]

Seems someone wants to bring them back!

i saw that bus the other week and noted that

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

It seems to have died out with GM Buses when they became First and Stagecoach

The codes may have disappeared from vehicle exteriors at that time but I can assure you they were very much still in everyday use within the companies.