Forum | Merseyside Dennis Dart Website

Same as last year - apologies for it being a bit late!

1 - Who was the best company of the year?
2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2016?
(This can be any depot located in the North West region)
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
10 - What bus was the best during the year?
11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2017?
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2017?

1 - Stagecoach Merseyside
2 - None really, all operators seem pretty decent!
3 - Stagecoach Merseyside Gillmoss Depot (bias aside), the Enviro400MMCs are really good so a massive improvement to get new deckers at Gillmoss.
4 - See above, Enviro400MMCs!
5 - None really, maybe some of the Optare Solos at Gillmoss but more so because I loved driving them on the 192 but they haven't all gone, its the 192 that has gone!
6 - Stagecoach Merseyside Enviro400MMCs?
7 - From a personal view, probably Stagecoach 18385, 19038, 10535 & 10537 all on the 217/227 on the same day!
8 - DYB/Enviro200s - especially that Green Lane are getting some - I'd also say the scale of route changes locally with the various bus reviews surprised me.
9 - No one bought any Optare MetroDeckers
10 - Again, I'm going to go for Enviro400MMCs because I think they are brilliant!
11 - None really?
12 - Maybe a batch of MetroDeckers being built, some potential there, shame no one has any - More fully electric buses too, that would be a great way to go if it could be done really well
13 - More Enviro400MMCs?!

Same as last year - apologies for it being a bit late!

1 - Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancs for their excellent fleet investment
2 - Hard to say really
3 - Stagecoach Gillmoss depot
4 - The Enviro400s for Gillmoss
5 - Can't really think of any. I guess I'd have to say the last step entry double deckers being withdrawn across the region
6 - The new Enviro400s at Gillmoss look smart
7 - Hard to say really. I suppose seeing an Enviro400 on the 68 on a weekday afternoon
8 - The size of Arriva North West's order for eco friendly buses and also the return of night buses to Merseyside
9 - The delay in the new double deckers for Green Lane which were originally expected in April last year. At least they're here now anyway
10 - My favourite has to be Green Lane's DAF 2474. A solid bus for its age and in my view the best of its type in the fleet
11 - I can't remember to be honest
12 - The BYD D9URs for Green Lane
13 - More Enviro400s I suppose

1. Stagecoach Merseyside have invested a fair bit in it's fleet
2. Haven't seen much investment from Diamond NW so I'll go for them
3. Gillmoss or Rock Ferry for the Enviro400 MMC's
4. Enviro400 MMC looks pretty decent, loads better that the Gemini 3
5. Hmm step entrance deckers are the only thing I can think
6. Rock Ferry's Enviro400 MMC Park & Ride look superb
7. Stagecoach 28514 PO56 JDJ at Queen Square on an X3 only because I hadn't seen that before, not seen it since November, I get to Liverpool a fair bit and a friend had to look twice to believe it when he saw it. It saw service at Preston Bus many years ago.
8. Night buses going as far as Chester from Liverpool
9. Amount of Optare Metrodeckers that have been ordered
10. SL15 ZGP is all I can think of were I really enjoyed a ride on
11. Rotala 30917 PO56 JDX based at Atherton I caught this from Trafford Centre to Sale Lane (Busway) and it was an absolute shed, I was unable to hear my own thoughts
12. Maybe a ride on Wrexham's new deckers for it's 1 Wrexham-Chester service
13. Optare Metrodeckers, Optare Metrocities and electric buses

1 - Who was the best company of the year?
Stagecoach Merseyside - FINALLY Investing in Deckers for Services that require them
2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
HTL, Still not impressed with X338 SKJ, Also a mention to Diamond Bus, South Lancs Travel was doing well expanding commercial wise but Diamond only seem to care about Tenders
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2016?
(This can be any depot located in the North West region)
Stagecoach Gillmoss, New Deckers at last
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
Again the MMCs at Gillmoss where by far the best improvement
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
Its a shame to see the final Olympains with Stagecoach Morecombe go, I always enjoyed going down there in the summer for them!
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
Jim Stones, Never see a scratch on their fleet!
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
Had to think long about this, Maybe getting an 11 Reg Enviro300 on the 41 from Preston to Lancaster
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
Was surprised to see Wigan Coachways sell to Diamond Bus, I always assumed the manager would pass the company down to his son
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
Diamond Buses lack of expanding on a commercial side, South Lancs did well at it but since it was sold onto Rotala theres been no joy there
10 - What bus was the best during the year?
Wigan Coachways T42 PVM, had a ride on it on the 352 to Orrell and i was surprised at how much power it still had and the fact there was not a single rattle!
11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
X338 SKJ, Does not handle bumps in the road well at all and i find it to small for service anyway
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2017?
Am glad to see for MMCs for Stagecoach Gillmoss, I know i have already said this but this depot is in real need of these
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2017?
Some Citaros would be nice, They really do look smart in am honest!

1 - Who was the best company of the year?
Townlynx for taking on a lot of the ex GHA work
2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
Catch22 for the whole shenanigans with the TC
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2016?
Stagecoach Gillmoss for the massive investment in the new Enviro400 MMCs, they look smart and I'm hoping to go ride on them soon.
(This can be any depot located in the North West region)
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
Cadets to Rhyl. Much more capacity on the 35/36(A) Circulars, I like the MPDs but they aren't big enough IMO. Also all the B10BLEs that came on loan to Wales (except for 2711), they are solid for their age and it'll be sad to see them go in a few weeks.
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
2722 & 2724. They should have stayed in service a little longer they were only at Chester a few months before withdrawal, also 2713/16/27 that came to Rhyl and Chester before returning to the North West. Also the DK09 Gxx B7RLEs leaving Chester for Grimsby was a sad sight, I'm a big fan of those buses.
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
Stagecoach Enviro200 and Enviro400 MMCs I think, hoping to go on more of them soon
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
Probably Arriva MPD LF02 PTZ (922) on the 12 Rhyl-Llandudno
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
GHA going down. Didn't think that would happen, thought they had a lot of money with the amount of relatively new vehicles in the fleet, I thought Townlynx would have gone first (I'm very glad they didn't tho, I'm a big fan of theirs and hope to work for them when I'm older)
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
Probably GHA going
10 - What bus was the best during the year?
Arriva Renown 2727. Better condition than its age would suggest, love for it to be preserved or bought by another operator
11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
Any of the Pulsars at Chester depot (besides 2660) or 2711. Pulsars rattle so much and 2711 is very slow
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2017?
More Cadets coming to Rhyl, extra capacity on circulars as mentioned before. Also the new deckers for Wrexham look great and I'm excited for them
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2017?
Volvo B8RLE/Eclipse 3. I think more operators should buy these, especially for longer journeys