(24/07/2012 08:42)27701 Wrote: [ -> ]This morning, I went to Skelmersdale to board the 345 journey that runs via the M58 to Liverpool. Here's how it went:
05:49 58 (ANW) - Netherton, Glovers Lane > Netherton, Park Lane
Marshall V667 DVU (7667)
Firstly, credit to the kind driver, who apologised for running a few minutes late! I've rode on this journey a lot and it's always started a few minutes late each time with no apology from the driver. The bus wasn't very good. Its' suspension was very squeaky and the bus itself was quite rattly; it was fast off the line, though, and it sounded nice! Its' MTL interior was in a good condition.
06:02 311 (ANW) - Aintree Merseyrail Station > Skelmersdale Bus Station
Marshall V633 DVU (7633)
This bus was OK. It sounded nice, however it featured a hyperactive cooling-fan! An annoying rattle, caused by the bar on the back-end window, ruined the ride - it became irritating after a few minutes on-board! The bus' interior was in a good condition - interestingly, it featured 38 seats, two, of which, were Wright tip-up seats in the unique second pram/wheelchair bay! The driver was quite fast, which was good.
07:30 345 (ANW) - Skelmersdale Bus Station > Aintree Retail Park
Plaxton Pointer 2 X235 ANC (2235)
I was surprised to see this bus on this journey; it's not usually on ex-Skelmersdale services! It was dreadful, anyway... Its' idle vibration was unbearable and rattles whilst the bus was in motion were violent. I don't know what was causing the clanging at the back of the bus (it seemed to be the seats), however it was absolutely horrific! It sounded nice and it was fast on the M58, though.
I plan on going back out today to St Helens, via Runcorn and Widnes...! I'll post about how it went tonight! 
Here's how the rest of my day went:
52 (ANW) - Netherton, Glovers Lane > Queen Square Bus Station
Pulsar 2 MX59 FFW (3018)
Finally - a chance to have a good ride on this bus with a decent driver at the wheel! It was fantastic, as usual! It sounded great and it revved really high, without kicking down, a lot! It didn't rattle - not even on Stanley Road in Kirkdale, and that bridge decreases in quality every day...! From the inside, it sounds nice - from the outside, though, it sounds dodgy...
X1 (ANW) - Liverpool ONE Bus Station > Runcorn High Street Bus Station
Pulsar 2 MX12 KVR (3140)
I couldn't resist planning my day around sampling one of these brand-new buses whilst they were brand-new! Firstly, the leather interior was something different and, to be honest, the seats that I sat on were quite comfortable. The Arriva logo was embroided on each headrest (headrests are pointless and effectless, in my opinion - how small do these designers think we are?!). I hated the exterior branding; the service has been branded as the "RapidRide" for a while, so it's disappointing to see that "famous" brand unmentioned! The bus' side and back-end LED units didn't seem to be working - just a small dot in the top-left corners... The bus rattled just as much as a typical 61-plated example (it's nice to hear that Wright are increasing their standards...). It felt sluggish, despite the driver being fast. Up Runcorn Bridge, it struggled to gain speed - the driver eventually used kickdown on gear two, which seemed to sort the issue out! Overall, I preferred the 09-plated examples, but I'll sample some more of these new buses soon to consolidate my opinion.
79C (ANW) - Runcorn High Street Bus Station > Widnes Green Oaks Shopping Centre
Cadet DK55 FYM (2547)
This was great! It didn't rattle much, it sounded OK and it was quite fast. The driver was fast all the way. This was a "P&Pd" example - those strange "Interurban and green" interiors are starting to look nice...
33A (ANW) - Widnes Green Oaks Shopping Centre > St Helens, Bickerstaffe Street
Renown X707 DBT (2707)
This was a fantastic journey! The driver seemed to be an expert at driving fast in such small residential areas! The bus sounded loud and rattled a little bit. Also, it was slow off the line nearly every time - it sounded like the brakes weren't... unbraking(?!)... The bus was booked out of service at my destination for Y714 KNF (2714).
31 (ANW) - St Helens Bus Station > Parr, ********
Plaxton Pointer 2 R563 ABA (7563)
This was alright. It was OK in the speed department and its' ride-quality was great, as was its' interior! It sounded OK, too. Overall, nothing special but nothing bad.
31 (ANW) - Parr, *** > St Helens, Bickerstaffe Street
Plaxton Pointer 2 R563 ABA (7563)
Same as above - I didn't get off the bus because I wasn't forced off!
10 (ANW) - St Helens Bus Station > Queen Square Bus Station
Pulsar 2 MX09 OPO (2983)
This was an excellent ride! The bus sounded fantastic, but it rattled a lot on the worst roads along the way. The driver was sluggish off the line, however he reached some high speeds - excellent, in my opinion, as the ride was very smooth! It was funny going up a hill because it sounded like it was in "slow mode" until it changed onto gear two normally...!
13 (ANW) - Queen Square Bus Station > Liverpool, Lord Street
Plaxton Pointer 2 X203 ANC (2203)
A short, but great ride! The driver was very, very fast! The bus rattled a lot, but it sounded great! The driver even chatted to me before I got off as I was the last passenger on-board - nice man!
55 (ANW) - Liverpool, Sir Thomas Street > Bootle Strand Shopping Centre
Pulsar 2 MX59 FFZ (3020)
This was a very rough ride. After being stuck on Scotland Road for a while whilst traffic sorted itself out - including a "hit-and-run truck" (well, the truck hit a car and the car drove away, despite the truck pulling over!)... The bus sounded nice and it didn't rattle much. The driver used kickdown twice - it revved very high on the second occasion!
58 (ANW) - Bootle Strand Shopping Centre > Netherton, Magdalene Square
ALX200 X268 OBN (2268)
This was an excellent journey. The driver was fast and the bus sounded excellent, but it rattled a bit. My seat was comfortable and legroom where I sat was fine. If the driver had stopped at the bus stop, where I asked him to stop, it would have been a better ride...