Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
Even just pottering around on a 35 I personally found it a bit sluggish, may have been the driver, I don't know, but they just don't seem as nippy as conventional 'classic' style Solos. I'm not a fan of the Mercedes engine in buses of this size, but I admit particularly in HTLs M710SEs, they are more than adequate and are actually quite fast!
I can't help but think Versas may have been a bit better and more suited to a wider variety of routes!

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
2273,1048 been withdrawn now

[chris-s]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(01/08/2012 20:26)motormayhem Wrote:  2273,1048 been withdrawn now

what will happen wheen the timetable increases again? will there be a vehicle shortage or will more vehicles arrive in the form of V-DJC's?

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
1055 as been withdrawn too.

[anw2015]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(01/08/2012 20:26)motormayhem Wrote:  2273,1048 been withdrawn now

Very happy to see 2273 withdrawn! Hopefully 2274 will follow suit!

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
So that gives 1044 the honour of last Paladin, and the last Scania standing in regular service on Merseyside. Now the question is, will it see service tomorrow? (Kind of gutted I never got a ride on it when I saw it on 89s today!)

[SL64 JFK]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(01/08/2012 20:31)chris-s Wrote:  

(01/08/2012 20:26)motormayhem Wrote:  2273,1048 been withdrawn now

what will happen wheen the timetable increases again? will there be a vehicle shortage or will more vehicles arrive in the form of V-DJC's?

Hopefully by then all of the Solo SRs will be in service, so there won't need to be further transfers.

And Chris - we can live in hope - 2274 has always been a bit of a heap

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(01/08/2012 20:44)V671 DVU Wrote:  So that gives 1044 the honour of last Paladin, and the last Scania standing in regular service on Merseyside. Now the question is, will it see service tomorrow? (Kind of gutted I never got a ride on it when I saw it on 89s today!)

well the answer to that is no according to a shunter i have just spoken to as his words said to me is that all the stepped scanias are withdrawn as of tonight,so we shall see tomorrow as he said 1044 will be withdrawn tonight too.

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(01/08/2012 20:56)motormayhem Wrote:  

(01/08/2012 20:44)V671 DVU Wrote:  So that gives 1044 the honour of last Paladin, and the last Scania standing in regular service on Merseyside. Now the question is, will it see service tomorrow? (Kind of gutted I never got a ride on it when I saw it on 89s today!)

well the answer to that is no according to a shunter i have just spoken to as his words said to me is that all the stepped scanias are withdrawn as of tonight,so we shall see tomorrow as he said 1044 will be withdrawn tonight too.

Cheers for that MM, the end of an era today then! RIP Arriva Merseyside Scanias, you served the area well. I suspect we'll see more Solos out tomorrow then!

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
With 2273 having been withdrawn ahead of other R-ABA Darts (which I also welcome), I wonder if at least some of them have escaped withdrawal for now and will soldier on for some time to come. Certainly unless other vehicles are transferred in, their withdrawal in its entirety wouldn't be covered once the PVR returns to normal after the summer period.

I also wonder whether this latest batch of withdrawals will finally see the remaining blinded X-ANCs along with 2710 fitted with LEDs. Surely there must be enough units available from withdrawn vehicles?