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4063 on the 52/52A

2263 was out on the 52 this evening, while 4030 worked the more usually single-decked 56 board. Quite a few occasions with a hat-trick of deckers on the 56 recently.

With the Kirkby branch of the Northern Line suspended for a couple of hours this afternoon, Bootle provided 4026 and 4074 as rail replacement buses between Aintree (where the Kirkby trains were being diverted), Fazakerley and Kirkby. Both performed well although 4074 was rather cold upstairs on this occasion.

Bootle unusually for a weekday had at least 2 pulsars on the 59/61, one was an 09 plate, didnt take any notice which one, the other was 3117.

I had Pulsar CX58 EXH (2916) on my 311 journey from Skelmersdale to Aintree this afternoon. There was strange clunking and grinding noises coming from underneath the bus - specifically when the bus was going off of the line, travelling at high speeds and turning corners, which suggests (or does it?) that the problem is the differential... Its gearbox also seemed to be struggling at times - again, specifically when the bus was turning corners.

I also had Pulsar CX58 EXK (2918) on my 53A journey from Aintree to Netherton this afternoon. This bus is definitely "getting old" - it sounded very strange in idle (odd, not-in-sequence clanging). The ride-quality wasn't great, either. Speed-wise, this bus has been "slow" since January of 2012! A friend (driver at Bootle) told me that this has a lot of mileage on its clock, along with CX58 FZA (2920) - although the latter has already had its original engine replaced.

I think that overall the older Bootle Pulsars are in a worse condition that everybody elses and really have been for some time.

(12/02/2013 15:18)MPTE1955 Wrote: [ -> ]I think that overall the older Bootle Pulsars are in a worse condition that everybody elses and really have been for some time.

I reckon that Green Lane wins that. Bootle has a small handful of buses that are in a bad condition, however Green Lane have a lot more - for example, very few of their 58, 09 and 59 plates seem to have a clean and tidy interior! As for them being "slow", Green Lane win that hands down.

I may look into this in depth over the next few months...

Think I do my own observation as well, the St Helens ones seem to be in the best condition of those that I use regularly. We should also remember that these buses are not the best anyway and the wearing early issue is already evident, at the moment you would still say that some of them will not make 15 years, but that is another issue altogether.

(12/02/2013 15:32)MPTE1955 Wrote: [ -> ]at the moment you would still say that some of them will not make 15 years, but that is another issue altogether.

Let's be honest - that's the case with the majority of the Marshalls! Arriva will probably make them last about 15 years, regardless of their conditions...

(12/02/2013 15:35)3111 Wrote: [ -> ]

(12/02/2013 15:32)MPTE1955 Wrote: [ -> ]at the moment you would still say that some of them will not make 15 years, but that is another issue altogether.

Let's be honest - that's the case with the majority of the Marshalls! Arriva will probably make them last about 15 years, regardless of their conditions...

That is very true as most of them have been rotten for years.