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HEs 141s aren't on, some schools (not just HE) have broken already up reducing PVR - there's a few spares about. There aren't going to be any more buses on the road than there normally would be.

Yeah some schools have already broken up for 2 weeks especially ones in/around Oldham area whereas some others round Manchester and Wigan areas dont finish until this Friday from what I can gather

(28/03/2016 19:16)Dentonian Wrote: [ -> ]There will only be more buses (and drivers) on the road if resources are available. As Schools (Stockport, Tameside & Manchester, at least) don't break up until Friday, we could be looking at lost mileage on normal services.

The 141 service is not running at the moment as the Uni is on holiday for two weeks, so I have noted a number of the 141 branded buses on the RR service over the weekend. Also a number of the "new" Magic buses.

(29/03/2016 06:30)Owl Wrote: [ -> ]The 141 service is not running at the moment as the Uni is on holiday for two weeks, so I have noted a number of the 141 branded buses on the RR service over the weekend. Also a number of the "new" Magic buses.

The 141 will resume on the 12th April as will Sharston's duplicate 142's between UoM and Withington

47768 operated one-half of the 173 today

What was the id of the Long term VOR Eclipse?

25343 was out yesterday (30/3) on 406s.

Also heading down Hyde Road past Gorton Tesco Manchester bound yesterday about 13:30ish was 39642 being driven by engineering staff, I'm guessing it was off to Hyde Road for some reason, maybe its return to service is iminent althought not to sure.

(31/03/2016 05:54)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]25343 was out yesterday (30/3) on 406s.

Also heading down Hyde Road past Gorton Tesco Manchester bound yesterday about 13:30ish was 39642 being driven by engineering staff, I'm guessing it was off to Hyde Road for some reason, maybe its return to service is iminent althought not to sure.

Given that the last thing I saw on 39642 was a picture of it at Hyde Road with no engine and gear box, things certainly seem to be on the up. Although given that younger ex-Bluebird vehicles have been disposed of recently, the logic of spending more time and money on it seems unclear.

(31/03/2016 07:03)Owl Wrote: [ -> ]Given that the last thing I saw on 39642 was a picture of it at Hyde Road with no engine and gear box, things certainly seem to be on the up. Although given that younger ex-Bluebird vehicles have been disposed of recently, the logic of spending more time and money on it seems unclear.

Don't forget they have done this for many years with the ex Maynes Scania's 28506/7 at Ashton. They have been withdrawn then returned to service then broken down and towed away only to be slowly repaired and made serviceable again. After sitting at the back of AZs depot after one of them saw very limited use at Middleton soon after the bluebird takeover both have been repaired had recently MOTd so it's a similar service.

I suppose from the point of book prices potentially a bus that's running rather then dead is worth more to them.

But going back to the Scania's, both have been ear marked for disposal on and off since 2008 yet apparently because their valued at so much presumably because of thier age they have never managed to sell them on at a decent price so they have spent much of thier time dumped at the back of the depot, yet the pair of ex Bluebird MPDs which are a couple of years younger than the Scania's have quickly been sold onto ensign recently.

The difference is that Darts are in demand; they're great on fuel, parts are plentiful and cheap. Compare that to the thirsty Scanias which were never that popular, with expensive spares and bodies that are known to be more akin to sieves...