TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion

[Class 466]

I believe oldham school services are operated by MX09 e400s, and queen's road use whatever, but the B5LHs would be good, only if there were replacements which at the moment, there arent

The B5s will be leaving Queens Road soon…

 

[Marcus Fryer]

I think the B5LHs from Oldham and QR should be on school services as they are old and unreliable

Why do you think unreliable buses are suitable for running school services?

 

[Leyland Bus]

Why do you think unreliable buses are suitable for running school services?

Zing!

 

[mayneway]

School buses can be corporate livery

That’s not what he’s saying.
He’s saying if everything was yellow there’s then the flexibility to use it on regular work if needed.

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There were some Yellow Bus routes where children had allocated seating, big yellow buses, same driver and things like that. A lot of the buses were hybrids. But those routes went a few years ago (was it after Covid?) and the routes became normal school bus routes.

Belle Vue still have quite a few of actual vehicles that were used. They don't run any TfGM school buses any more, but were using the vehicles for the other school and college services they have, as well as using them for school trips to swimming pools, up until July. I assume they'll be out on the road next week as well.

There was yellow school bus services up until that area became franchised. GNW ran several yellow school contracts until their Queens road services became franchised then the yellow school services became normal regular school runs using regular vehicles.
The hybrid versa school buses were all sold into Belle Vue (who operatored many anyway) at a cheap price and they have sold many of them on.

 

[mangad]

That’s not what he’s saying.
He’s saying if everything was yellow there’s then the flexibility to use it on regular work if needed.

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There was yellow school bus services up until that area became franchised. GNW ran several yellow school contracts until their Queens road services became franchised then the yellow school services became normal regular school runs using regular vehicles.
The hybrid versa school buses were all sold into Belle Vue (who operatored many anyway) at a cheap price and they have sold many of them on.

There were school buses that were yellow running up until franchising (I know because Belle Vue were running them near me) but they didn't have the allocated seating and things like that. That had been axed. They were simply normal school buses that were painted yellow.

If you do a search you'll find articles about the launch and it was more than just the buses being yellow.

 

[mayneway]

There were school buses that were yellow running up until franchising (I know because Belle Vue were running them near me) but they didn't have the allocated seating and things like that. That had been axed. They were simply normal school buses that were painted yellow.

If you do a search you'll find articles about the launch and it was more than just the buses being yellow.

I know all about them as I drove one briefly several years ago. Belle Vue operated a mixture of YSB school contracts and regular school services until they lost all the schools to the Bee network, it’s just that the TFGM hybrids were officially withdrawn then sold to Belle Vue who still used some of them.
Each seat was allocated to one child for the full school term, regular drivers were used and it was a closed door service meaning random public couldn’t flag them down and jump on.

 

[mattyharding]

Why do you think unreliable buses are suitable for running school services?

Well they wont be used as much compared to when used in normal service

 

[StagecoachBus1]

Well they wont be used as much compared to when used in normal service

No - almost all large franchise school services use buses which go into regular service later in the day, or even on the same duty. Also, if a bus breaks down an hour away from the depot, with 60 school children onboard, is that better than having a bus break down on a frequent every 10 minute corridor, which buses dead-run many times a day to anyway, and passengers simply have an extra few minutes added onto their journey. School buses also go on motorways much more frequently, both in and out of service, and on roads quite a few drivers are much less familiar on.

 

[darloscott]

No - almost all large franchise school services use buses which go into regular service later in the day, or even on the same duty. Also, if a bus breaks down an hour away from the depot, with 60 school children onboard, is that better than having a bus break down on a frequent every 10 minute corridor, which buses dead-run many times a day to anyway, and passengers simply have an extra few minutes added onto their journey. School buses also go on motorways much more frequently, both in and out of service, and on roads quite a few drivers are much less familiar on.

Not to mention engineering too… after all they have to go and try to find them!

 

[M60lad]

Not sure if its going to be the same when the Schools go back next week but there used to be a E300 duty that would do 183s during the day then a 828 School in the afternoon before doing a 182 and a 181.

During the School Holidays most duties on 181/182s have been double deckers while the rest of the E300 fleet got repainted but now most have come back from repaint most daytime 181/182s may revert to being E300s again.

Speaking of E300s is there a ruling of what routes that they can actually go on as its very rare that they venture onto 184s as a rule although they turn up on virtually on any other Oldham route including 59, 81, 83, 84 & 402s.

 

[mayneway]

Speaking of E300s is there a ruling of what routes that they can actually go on as its very rare that they venture onto 184s as a rule although they turn up on virtually on any other Oldham route including 59, 81, 83, 84 & 402s.

Yes there will be compliance that states a double decker must be used for capacity but Oldham tend to get away with it because there’s constant issues with the chargers at depot etc.
Incidentally I noticed an E300 on the 348 yesterday afternoon at peak. Bet that was a tight squeeze.

 

[mattyharding]

Yes there will be compliance that states a double decker must be used for capacity but Oldham tend to get away with it because there’s constant issues with the chargers at depot etc.
Incidentally I noticed an E300 on the 348 yesterday afternoon at peak. Bet that was a tight squeeze.

My local route (348) used to be predominately E300s and they were not capable of running peak services as it would be rammed especially if an earlier bus was cancelled (which was very common as it was First)

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Can I just confirm as there is a lot of confusion on the Bee network enthusiasts facebook. Where are 46021-4 bound for? People keep saying middleton or Oldham but i thought it was Queens Road for Bury locals

 

[Class 466]

Can I just confirm as there is a lot of confusion on the Bee network enthusiasts facebook. Where are 46021-4 bound for? People keep saying middleton or Oldham but i thought it was Queens Road for Bury locals

Oldham to free up Solos for Queens Road to finally send the Mellor Strata’s on their way.

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Oldham to free up Solos for Queens Road to finally send the Mellor Strata’s on their way.

Ahh ok thank you. Will they just be for Oldham locals then

 

[Leyland Bus]

Oldham to free up Solos for Queens Road to finally send the Mellor Strata’s on their way.

ADL engineers were at Wigan on Thursday/Friday "resurrecting" them from their prolonged slumber...

 

[mayneway]

Can I just confirm as there is a lot of confusion on the Bee network enthusiasts facebook. Where are 46021-4 bound for? People keep saying middleton or Oldham but i thought it was Queens Road for Bury locals

They were for Queens road but they won’t have the capacity to charge them so they are going to Oldham to free up the Solo’s for Queens road.

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Oldham to free up Solos for Queens Road to finally send the Mellor Strata’s on their way.

And ironically the Solos are just as bad as the Mellor’s.

 

[M60lad]

What's actually wrong with the Stagecoach Solo SR's out of interest? I've ridden on quite a few of them and they don't seem that bad and have a good turn of speed depending on the driver and what route their on. The only problem I find with them is as I've mentioned before is they way the next stop announcement displays on them have been programmed as most glitch in someway or another, there was one on 415s the other week that was correctly announcing the next stops but the display was randomly showing next stops on what I think was 129 Hollin Circular route while others just flash constantly between route and next stop points (No good for anyone for Epilepsy).

 

[toms]

What's actually wrong with the Stagecoach Solo SR's out of interest? I've ridden on quite a few of them and they don't seem that bad and have a good turn of speed depending on the driver and what route their on. The only problem I find with them is as I've mentioned before is they way the next stop announcement displays on them have been programmed as most glitch in someway or another, there was one on 415s the other week that was correctly announcing the next stops but the display was randomly showing next stops on what I think was 129 Hollin Circular route while others just flash constantly between route and next stop points (No good for anyone for Epilepsy).

I remember the MMCs that were first programmed flashed and froze a lot, but when the newest announcements were introduced this seemed to be fixed

 

[Bovverboy]

B9 3287 did two one-way V1s yesterday 28/8 and 3288/9 haven't been used since 20/8 - being fitted with guide wheels?

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Yes

3288-90 have all worked Vantage routes in recent days. 3286 has been out of circulation for a few days, so that may be having guide wheels fitted, too.

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[TT-ONR-NRN]

3288-90 have all worked Vantage routes in recent days. 3286 has been out of circulation for a few days, so that may be having guide wheels fitted, too.

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3288-90 have all worked Vantage routes in recent days. 3286 has been out of circulation for a few days, so that may be having guide wheels fitted, too.

I had one yesterday. Huge downgrade from the B5LH Vantage buses but I’ll take one over an Evoseti, definitely.

 

[Leyland Bus]

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3288-90 have all worked Vantage routes in recent days. 3286 has been out of circulation for a few days, so that may be having guide wheels fitted, too.

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3286 has had arms fitted, wheels will go on over the weekend/early next week as it was having exhaust work done on Friday.

 

[mayneway]

What's actually wrong with the Stagecoach Solo SR's out of interest? I've ridden on quite a few of them and they don't seem that bad and have a good turn of speed depending on the driver and what route they’re on. The only problem I find with them is as I've mentioned before is they way the next stop announcement displays on them have been programmed as most glitch in someway or another, there was one on 415s the other week that was correctly announcing the next stops but the display was randomly showing next stops on what I think was 129 Hollin Circular route while others just flash constantly between route and next stop points (No good for anyone for Epilepsy).

Just a shocking cheap shoddy build. Cabs are tiny and they are dogged with electrical issues.

 

[py_megapixel]

Just a shocking cheap shoddy build. Cabs are tiny and they are dogged with electrical issues.

To be fair the whole of the bus is tiny!

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Diamond 21253 has entered service today on Altrincham locals. Interesting to see that Diamond got a Sprinter City 45

 

[darylyates17]

Diamond 21253 has entered service today on Altrincham locals. Interesting to see that Diamond got a Sprinter City 45

I think it's only a loan rather than permanent.

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Yeah, they painted it out of arriva blue into white not yellow

 

[mayneway]

To be fair the whole of the bus is tiny!

Correct but having driven similar small Solos that are older they have taken a lot of space out of the cab. I couldn’t drive one all day.

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I think it's only a loan rather than permanent.

Yeah there’s some comments today that Diamond are running some of these services short today because they haven’t got the Fiat bread vans available - I believe they are waiting to get the 4 Mellors off Stagecoach so they can have enough suitable vehicles for the services.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There appears to be a single decker on the Guided Busway today.

 

[Fox192]

There appears to be a single decker on the Guided Busway today.

2118 also shows on the V1 currently