(28/09/2012 21:15)mic Wrote: [ -> ] (28/09/2012 20:58)GmBusesNorth Wrote: [ -> ]The b7 at wigan that was repainted into the new colors has been swapped with a b7 from Bolton and the main engineering bloke at wigan is moving to oldham! I reckon wigan is definitely going to be sold!
not heard that one will get latest report on sunday so will know more then
Just seen said 66931 running dead back to Bolton depot. Not sure what's gone in return.
69168 is another repaint.
(29/09/2012 16:58)gilesbus1 Wrote: [ -> ]What is the reason incidentally for these two odd balls, would it now have made sense to move these to another fleet and order two more Enviro Enviro400's instead for later delivery, considering plenty must be still parked up as only one was seen on depot at Bolton yesterday everything else was B9TL. In terms of spares all this seems a nightmare. Obviously the two B9TL's have been put at Bolton because there are common body penels with the BD11 registered B7RLE's, but when it all adds up together would it now be simpler to have made Oldham entirely Enviro Enviro400 and cascaded the Volvo's out to Bolton to add to teh ones already there or other depots?
Incidentally all the Dart SLF's there had been piled into the withdrawal section of the yard, in the elcove so all look withdrawn.
As for Wigan that all remaisn unclear as to what will happen there. However I am suprised the Volvo B9TL's havcen't been moved out to Manchester along with the total services 32 and X34 and evening 33's and the staff who operate them regularly.
Gilesbus1
Bolton's Enviros are imminent according to a Bolton Driver contact I know and 36279/80 are there for the forseable but not necessarily permenent. There reason for them being there is yes covering for the south west Enviros but also as a direct comparison for Gemini Mark II, that's the official First Manchester line. Enviro 400s are very important to first Manchester as they are more reliable and have less known faults compared to B9s, except Enviros to become first Manchester's number 1 choice bus
(29/09/2012 16:58)gilesbus1 Wrote: [ -> ]What is the reason incidentally for these two odd balls, would it now have made sense to move these to another fleet and order two more Enviro Enviro400's instead for later delivery, considering plenty must be still parked up as only one was seen on depot at Bolton yesterday everything else was B9TL. In terms of spares all this seems a nightmare. Obviously the two B9TL's have been put at Bolton because there are common body penels with the BD11 registered B7RLE's, but when it all adds up together would it now be simpler to have made Oldham entirely Enviro Enviro400 and cascaded the Volvo's out to Bolton to add to teh ones already there or other depots?
Incidentally all the Dart SLF's there had been piled into the withdrawal section of the yard, in the elcove so all look withdrawn.
As for Wigan that all remaisn unclear as to what will happen there. However I am suprised the Volvo B9TL's havcen't been moved out to Manchester along with the total services 32 and X34 and evening 33's and the staff who operate them regularly.
Gilesbus1
most of the slfs will have come from pioneer
I've heard from more than 5 drivers that the Enviro400's are piles of cr#p and they hate them.
(29/09/2012 16:58)gilesbus1 Wrote: [ -> ]As for Wigan that all remaisn unclear as to what will happen there. However I am suprised the Volvo B9TL's havcen't been moved out to Manchester along with the total services 32 and X34 and evening 33's and the staff who operate them regularly.
Gilesbus1
It's only really the X34 that has 'allocated' drivers, the 32 seems to have anybody and everybody on it, and I don't know about the 33 lol! :P
(29/09/2012 20:06)mic Wrote: [ -> ] (29/09/2012 16:58)gilesbus1 Wrote: [ -> ]What is the reason incidentally for these two odd balls, would it now have made sense to move these to another fleet and order two more Enviro Enviro400's instead for later delivery, considering plenty must be still parked up as only one was seen on depot at Bolton yesterday everything else was B9TL. In terms of spares all this seems a nightmare. Obviously the two B9TL's have been put at Bolton because there are common body penels with the BD11 registered B7RLE's, but when it all adds up together would it now be simpler to have made Oldham entirely Enviro Enviro400 and cascaded the Volvo's out to Bolton to add to teh ones already there or other depots?
Incidentally all the Dart SLF's there had been piled into the withdrawal section of the yard, in the elcove so all look withdrawn.
As for Wigan that all remaisn unclear as to what will happen there. However I am suprised the Volvo B9TL's havcen't been moved out to Manchester along with the total services 32 and X34 and evening 33's and the staff who operate them regularly.
Gilesbus1
most of the slfs will have come from pioneer
They have as the Wright SLF is there as well.
Also,think the Enviros for BN have been stored and checked at WN whilst the ones stores at BN have gone to OM! If you know what I mean...........
(29/09/2012 22:07)thomasl1231 Wrote: [ -> ] (29/09/2012 16:58)gilesbus1 Wrote: [ -> ]As for Wigan that all remaisn unclear as to what will happen there. However I am suprised the Volvo B9TL's havcen't been moved out to Manchester along with the total services 32 and X34 and evening 33's and the staff who operate them regularly.
Gilesbus1
It's only really the X34 that has 'allocated' drivers, the 32 seems to have anybody and everybody on it, and I don't know about the 33 lol! :P
The WN X34s have four regular drivers and a "regular" relief, plus a couple of other drivers who act as relief when necessary. You can't just move drivers to suit the service, you could ask if they wish to transfer, but they can refuse - after all, you're asking these drivers to potentially travel an extra 30-40 miles per day to work!
The 32s and WN 33s are on the general rosters, so can be driven by everyone and anyone.
In addition, the transfer of services apparently takes 8 weeks. There is still plenty of time to transfer the services over anyway, after all there will be around three months between the depot being sold and it being transferred to the new owner. In that time, there will be a rewrite on 28 October, plus potentially between then and the end of the year. A rewrite could also be timed to coincide with the transfer.
Couple of photos from the UKBus Photos Facebook page.
33673 and 36280 on the 8s in Manchester:
![[Image: 149656_276287315817032_450047211_n.jpg]](http://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/149656_276287315817032_450047211_n.jpg)
33754 on the 184 in Huddersfield:
![[Image: 23951_276283425817421_792201916_n.jpg]](http://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/23951_276283425817421_792201916_n.jpg)
(30/09/2012 10:30)Nicholas Wrote: [ -> ] (29/09/2012 22:07)thomasl1231 Wrote: [ -> ] (29/09/2012 16:58)gilesbus1 Wrote: [ -> ]As for Wigan that all remaisn unclear as to what will happen there. However I am suprised the Volvo B9TL's havcen't been moved out to Manchester along with the total services 32 and X34 and evening 33's and the staff who operate them regularly.
Gilesbus1
It's only really the X34 that has 'allocated' drivers, the 32 seems to have anybody and everybody on it, and I don't know about the 33 lol! :P
The WN X34s have four regular drivers and a "regular" relief, plus a couple of other drivers who act as relief when necessary. You can't just move drivers to suit the service, you could ask if they wish to transfer, but they can refuse - after all, you're asking these drivers to potentially travel an extra 30-40 miles per day to work!
The 32s and WN 33s are on the general rosters, so can be driven by everyone and anyone.
In addition, the transfer of services apparently takes 8 weeks. There is still plenty of time to transfer the services over anyway, after all there will be around three months between the depot being sold and it being transferred to the new owner. In that time, there will be a rewrite on 28 October, plus potentially between then and the end of the year. A rewrite could also be timed to coincide with the transfer.
Wigans rewrite has been cancelled!