TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion

[Tim33160]

I have just looked at the live tracking on bustimes and cross checked three Stagecoach Manchester schools services that are running and the TfGM checker says they are all unaffected so must be run by non striking depots.

First are running multiple schools services this morning and right now, no others.

This probably should be discussed on the other Bee Network thread through.

Added to the Bee Network Route thread:

Bee Network services from Stagecoach,First and Metroline depots are on strike Friday 19th - Monday 22nd September,
Full details at https://tfgm.com/bus-industrial-action with full lists of routes not operating
Ticket acceptance on local trains and Metrolink

Stagecoach Queens Rd depot is working, as are Go North West and Diamond Bus depots.
Some school buses actually showed running on Bustimes tracker:
First
69623 BV24 LSZ 968 07:26
69624 BV24 LTA 862 07:40
69629 BV24 LTN 828 07:35
69630 BV24 LTO 709 07:42
69631 BV24 LTT 880 07:28
69632 BV24 LTU 967 07:20
69633 BV24 LTX 894 07:08
69637 BV24 LUB 800 07:52
69638 BV24 LUD 865 07:51
58014 WR24 BBE 895 07:18

Stagecoach
10401 SL64 HZG 927 08:01 Little Hulton
10408 SL64 HZR 956 07:53 Little Hulton
10414 SL64 HZX 944 07:19 Hyde Road
10415 SL64 HZY 962 07:25 Little Hulton
10420 SL64 JBO 665 07:25 Little Hulton
11256 SN69 ZFR 879 07:30 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
11810 SK24 CKD 822 07:23 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
11816 SK24 CKN 887 07:23 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
13173 BN61 MWX 836 07:26 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
21424 BV24 LSF 711 07:28 Queens Road
37152 YX64 VMU 943 07:33 Little Hulton
37156 YX64 VMZ 890 07:22 Hyde Road
37162 YX64 VNF 937 07:39 Little Hulton
37165 YX64 VNJ 660 06:55 Little Hulton

Free buses – all electric buses not tracking due to garaged at Oldham – only one diesel decker tracking at 0940: 10851 SN17 MJU

 

[mattyharding]

these strikes are a catastrophe for the small villages on the 343/348 as the 343 stops running after 6pm

 

[Bovverboy]

Stagecoach
10401 SL64 HZG 927 08:01 Little Hulton
10408 SL64 HZR 956 07:53 Little Hulton
10414 SL64 HZX 944 07:19 Hyde Road
10415 SL64 HZY 962 07:25 Little Hulton
10420 SL64 JBO 665 07:25 Little Hulton
11256 SN69 ZFR 879 07:30 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
11810 SK24 CKD 822 07:23 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
11816 SK24 CKN 887 07:23 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
13173 BN61 MWX 836 07:26 Oldham Bus Depot (Walshaw St)
21424 BV24 LSF 711 07:28 Queens Road
37152 YX64 VMU 943 07:33 Little Hulton
37156 YX64 VMZ 890 07:22 Hyde Road
37162 YX64 VNF 937 07:39 Little Hulton
37165 YX64 VNJ 660 06:55 Little Hulton

Free buses – all electric buses not tracking due to garaged at Oldham – only one diesel decker tracking at 0940: 10851 SN17 MJU

I have 10414 and 37156 as both being currently allocated to Little Hulton - perhaps Little Hulton depot isn't on strike, I don't recall it having been mentioned at all. 10414 and 37156 couldn't have been Hyde Road, they would have had Metroline fleet numbers.
There's no problem about 21424 operating out of Queens Road.

Electric buses not tracking - do you mean they're simply not tracking, or not operating at all?

 

[W176 XMA]

I have 10414 and 37156 as both being currently allocated to Little Hulton - perhaps Little Hulton depot isn't on strike, I don't recall it having been mentioned at all. 10414 and 37156 couldn't have been Hyde Road, they would have had Metroline fleet numbers.
There's no problem about 21424 operating out of Queens Road.

Electric buses not tracking - do you mean they're simply not tracking, or not operating at all?

EVs not in use during the strike as despite being operated from Queens Road they are charged at Oldham

 

[MCRTransitYT]

I have 10414 and 37156 as both being currently allocated to Little Hulton - perhaps Little Hulton depot isn't on strike, I don't recall it having been mentioned at all. 10414 and 37156 couldn't have been Hyde Road, they would have had Metroline fleet numbers.

It's Bee Network data problems, as there are mamy issues with the depot field on bustimes. Bolton Go North West does not show up and a few depots are abbreviated and some are not

 

[mattyharding]

I know this might be irreverent right now but is the Bee Network due any new order

 

[TheSmiths82]

Does anybody know is the bus companies involved in the strikes will be given a financial penalty for not running the buses? I assume strikes are considered be something the company can control.

 

[mattyharding]

Does anybody know is the bus companies involved in the strikes will be given a financial penalty for not running the buses? I assume strikes are considered be something the company can control.

I was on 10612 today and I noticed a new Bus Stopping sign was added near the disabled part of the bus and it had the new style of blind on it

 

[MCRTransitYT]

I've seen these on 6253 on Saturday, and it can only show the next stop and the route.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Sep 2025 ==

Excuse the "And it features", it's a screenshot from a video I will be uploading

 

[mattb7tl]

Does anybody know is the bus companies involved in the strikes will be given a financial penalty for not running the buses? I assume strikes are considered be something the company can control.

TfL appears to deduct payments for lost milage during strikes based on their lost mileage codes. I would imagine it is a similar story with TfGM. If you want to find out for sure do a FOI.

FOI request detail

FOI request detail

tfl.gov.uk

ST03	Staff Dispute

 

[py_megapixel]

I've seen these on 6253 on Saturday, and it can only show the next stop and the route.

Same displays as the upper decks of the Wright Streetdecks, apart from the 2019 batch delivered new to Diamond with larger screens (which were for at least a short period used for anti-franchising propaganda videos!)

 

[TheSmiths82]

TfL appears to deduct payments for lost milage during strikes based on their lost mileage codes. I would imagine it is a similar story with TfGM. If you want to find out for sure do a FOI.

FOI request detail

FOI request detail

tfl.gov.uk

You would think the bus companies will want this sorting quickly though, I know they might be hoping the strikes will ease off that is a gamble.

 

[mangad]

You would think the bus companies will want this sorting quickly though, I know they might be hoping the strikes will ease off that is a gamble.

This is always the game that employees and employers have to play with industrial action. Somewhere there is a deal to be had. But both sides want the deal best for them. As an employer if you fold too soon you may well be hit by a bigger cost. But leave it to drag on and you may lose more income.

As an employee if you fold too soon you may miss out on a bigger reward. But if you let it drag on, you may lose more in lost earnings than you may gain from any deal.

It's the same everywhere.

 

[mattyharding]

Has 10603 left Oldham as it seems to be working around Wigan on School Services

 

[Bovverboy]

Has 10603 left Oldham as it seems to be working around Wigan on School Services

The routes it has been used on in recent days are normally operated by Little Hulton depot.

 

[mattyharding]

The routes it has been used on in recent days are normally operated by Little Hulton depot.

That's what I'm trying to say it looks like it's moved depot

 

[mayneway]

That's what I'm trying to say it looks like it's moved depot

The Queens road B5’s are supposedly expected to move over to Oldham now the free bus is electric so maybe that’s free’d up some of the older MMC’s to move over to little Hulton.

 

[M60lad]

Looks like the Solo SRs at Oldham could be on borrowed time now as the first of Oldham's Enviro 100EVs has entered service, it was on a late 184 to Marsden last night, once more of these enter service the Solos will be off to Queens Road so they themselves can withdraw the Mellor's there.

As for the older MMC400s I'm not to sure what's happening with them but with all of Oldham's E300s now back from repaint and now back in service I'm guessing some of the deckers may not be needed.

 

[Class 466]

Looks like the Solo SRs at Oldham could be on borrowed time now as the first of Oldham's Enviro 100EVs has entered service, it was on a late 184 to Marsden last night, once more of these enter service the Solos will be off to Queens Road so they themselves can withdraw the Mellor's there.

As for the older MMC400s I'm not to sure what's happening with them but with all of Oldham's E300s now back from repaint and now back in service I'm guessing some of the deckers may not be needed.

The routes it has been used on in recent days are normally operated by Little Hulton depot.

Stagecoach frequently move vehicles between depots to cover temporarily for MOTs or failures, it’s really no big deal and 10603 will be back at Oldham soon enough.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Sep 2025 ==

Looks as though the Solos have moved over to Queens, good riddance Mellor Strata’s, working evidence that buying local doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best quality

 

[mattyharding]

The Queens road B5’s are supposedly expected to move over to Oldham now the free bus is electric so maybe that’s free’d up some of the older MMC’s to move over to little Hulton.

That would be a downgrade as I personally prefer the MMCs and those B5s are prone to breakdowns

 

[mayneway]

Stagecoach frequently move vehicles between depots to cover temporarily for MOTs or failures, it’s really no big deal and 10603 will be back at Oldham soon enough.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Sep 2025 ==

Looks as though the Solos have moved over to Queens, good riddance Mellor Strata’s, working evidence that buying local doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best quality

Little Hulton has a very small engineering team so vehicles often went to Queens for mechanical/MOT work and Oldham for body work often with one of their vehicles going the other way on loan so it could be a simple loan.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Sep 2025 ==

Looks as though the Solos have moved over to Queens, good riddance Mellor Strata’s, working evidence that buying local doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best quality

It’s a shame because the guys at Mellor are great but they are not great buses. Having said that the Solo’s are just as bad although a bit more versatile.
Ironically Queens road came under a little bit of fire on Friday for running one of the Mellors on the 149 for part of the day - one of the only buses running in and out of Oldham bus station with the strike on. No doubt it was a tight squeeze at times.

 

[Bovverboy]

Looks as though the Solos have moved over to Queens, good riddance Mellor Strata’s, working evidence that buying local doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best quality

Solos 48104-6 have been in use on Queens Road routes 475 & 477 today.

 

[M60lad]

Not to sure if Queens Road were short of buses yesterday but for some reason E300 27936 found its way onto 33s, it wasn't out for long as you can see from the link to BusTimes:

27936 - SN13 CKD

ADL/TransBus Enviro300

bustimes.org

 

[Bovverboy]

The 33 is my local route, and I can say that it's not unknown for an E300 to appear, there was one on only a couple of weeks ago. I haven't seen an Evora on yet, though, I'll let you know if I do.

Nothing to do with the 33 or E300s, I see that, with effect from Tuesday of this week, 11928 has gone back to Stockport depot. It was working from Middleton for three months.

 

[BeeBus]

I may have unwittingly photographed the last appearance of a Solo on the 180 today. 48108 was out and I went to photograph it at Lydgate on its way to Oldham. What I didn't expect is that Lydgate would be as far as it got as it appears to have developed a fault. It was there for longer that I wished to remain, having also recorded the surprising appearance of 17-year old 19285 on the 84.

 

[mattyharding]

I may have unwittingly photographed the last appearance of a Solo on the 180 today. 48108 was out and I went to photograph it at Lydgate on its way to Oldham. What I didn't expect is that Lydgate would be as far as it got as it appears to have developed a fault. It was there for longer that I wished to remain, having also recorded the surprising appearance of 17-year old 19285 on the 84.

I remember getting on 19285 on the 348 in February and that day it tracked as Spare6

 

[darylyates17]

I've noticed several E400s are still at Wigan are they still due to transfer?

 

[Bovverboy]

For those of you who thought you had seen the last of the Stagecoach Mellor Stratas, I'm afraid 44904 has been on 480s today, from 09.25 (replacing 36780).

 

[Scania1996]

I've noticed several E400s are still at Wigan are they still due to transfer?

3107-14 are staying at Wigan for the foreseeable

 

[MCRTransitYT]

For those of you who thought you had seen the last of the Stagecoach Mellor Stratas, I'm afraid 44904 has been on 480s today, from 09.25 (replacing 36780).

On the 90 today

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Sep 2025 ==

SN16OUE is at Little Hulton on loan from Stockport, must be another LH bus off the road