New thread for Go North West that is, as per the idea of the site about fleetnews!
The original Go North West thread was going too far off topic with talk about strikes etc that I've removed it for now while we edit it and it will then be reinstated.
Please keep this thread purely on fleetnews - it is okay to talk about allocations during the strike etc but no talk about the strike itself or political views regarding it and unions etc
Any totally off topic posts will be deleted and members possibly put on moderation
I was in Manchester on Thursday for my jab. I noticed an ex-Plymouth Eclipse outside Piccadilly Station available for Free Bus routes. I then saw an Enviro 400 on Free Bus route 2.
Some work had been subcontracted, meaning I saw Selwyns buses on routes 18 & 33 for example. Also route 135 had an all-white Scania saloon but I didn't spot any operator name on it.
Some pics of the optare Solos transfered In for Middleton tender gains have been posted online. Look to be in standard livery with ‘Middleton Mini’s’ fleetnames. Comments seem to suggest they are for 129 and 415.
(13/03/2021 20:11)Mayneway Wrote: [ -> ]Some pics of the optare Solos transfered In for Middleton tender gains have been posted online. Look to be in standard livery with ‘Middleton Mini’s’ fleetnames. Comments seem to suggest they are for 129 and 415.
The livery fits in nicely with the Citaro branding for the 41. Always good to see an operator putting in some resources into their tendered operations.
(13/03/2021 20:26)Nwales Bus Wrote: [ -> ]The livery fits in nicely with the Citaro branding for the 41. Always good to see an operator putting in some resources into their tendered operations.
Agree but I think I slightly more universal name, maybe Go Mini’s, would have worked better so these Solos could then work evening and Sunday tenders but yep agree completely about how good they look.
(13/03/2021 20:11)Mayneway Wrote: [ -> ]Some pics of the optare Solos transfered In for Middleton tender gains have been posted online. Look to be in standard livery with ‘Middleton Mini’s’ fleetnames. Comments seem to suggest they are for 129 and 415.
Where can I find the pics of these Solos I’ve not found any of them? btw other than 69197 do any of the Eclipses due to replaced remain at Queens Road.
(13/03/2021 21:28)darylyates17 Wrote: [ -> ]Where can I find the pics of these Solos I’ve not found any of them? btw other than 69197 do any of the Eclipses due to replaced remain at Queens Road.
There was still quite a few B7’s stored at QS at the end of Feb (before depot temp closed), but I suspect some have moved out as they are being used in service by other operators.
Quite surised to see 69197 has been moved to the temporary depot and has been made available for service, it was supposedly withdrawn along with the unpainted versions due to its age but has made a reappearance.
While its good to see QS expand onto some smaller routes. The branding thing is absolutely ridiculous. Three buses being branded for a Mon-Sat daytime route. Reducing the fleets flexibility even more. Each night and Sundays those buses could have been quite nicely used to cover Free Bus services as well as some of the quiet evening services when short of buses.
99% of the passengers using the 415/129 could not care less what colour it is as long as it shows up.
While I'm sure they no doubt have the best intentions, the numerous colour schemes just seem to be something for managment to play with unaware of just how much trouble numerous branded routes cause for the routing end engineering departments.
(14/03/2021 01:38)Solo40336 Wrote: [ -> ]While its good to see QS expand onto some smaller routes. The branding thing is absolutely ridiculous. Three buses being branded for a Mon-Sat daytime route. Reducing the fleets flexibility even more. Each night and Sundays those buses could have been quite nicely used to cover Free Bus services as well as some of the quiet evening services when short of buses.
99% of the passengers using the 415/129 could not care less what colour it is as long as it shows up.
While I'm sure they no doubt have the best intentions, the numerous colour schemes just seem to be something for managment to play with unaware of just how much trouble numerous branded routes cause for the routing end engineering departments.
Agree with you it’s just going to make it harder for evening and Sunday run out, but they seem to be following Go North East’s ‘every route has a brand’ formula.