First Manchester

[P528LND]

RE: First Manchester
Oh, and forgot to mention, it appears drivers will still sooner choose a B9 for late night runs and Sunday runs over Enviro400s. They really don't like them.

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester
B9s do tend to wander onto the 180/184 route from time to time, 59 is usually B9s but may get an Enviro or B7. One route missing from Oldham depot is the 428, which is usually similar to 408. Must admit, haven't really seen Solos used on the 408 too often, mainly Citaros and Darts. The peak-time runnings of the 343 are random, with all sorts of vehicles used.

[P528LND]

RE: First Manchester
Peak 343's are boarded as PTE DECKER, ie Olympian, though drivers usually take the board off the Olympian that was used for the morning and afternoon schools and use something a bit more drivable.

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
Its not usually a case of drivers taking the running boards of a bus so that it doesn't get used on an afternoon School Service as unless the bus stays out all day on Staff Taxis the afternoon run-out is usually completely different to the morning run out so drivers are instructed to hand the running board back into traffic after the bus gets back in the morning.

Also another reason is that some afternoon School Services are allocated to P Boards so only go out in the afternoon peak

[Polo Mint]

RE: First Manchester
Interesting list of allocations at Oldham. The only consistent allocations seem to be the B9 on the 59 and Enviro400 on the 180/184 and 409 then B7's on 81. I saw yet another Olympian on the 24 going down Oldham Road the other day and a 58 using an Enviro400 (but with all the snow odd allocations aren't surprising). Bury also seem to be getting less consistent.

Why do drivers not like the Enviro400's? From a passenger persepctive they are really comfy and nicer than Stagecoach's Enviro400's.

[P528LND]

RE: First Manchester
I have to agree downstairs they are comfortable, though the top deck isn't half as good. B9TLs for me are a thousand times comfier, I don't find myself slipping off seats and the suspension is less harsh, you hardly feel bumps. The B9TLs seem more powerful too.

There's an anti drive lock when the doors are open that doesn't unlock until up to 5 seconds after the doors are closed, which gets on drivers nerves. They also don't like the blind spots I've been told, due to the large columns either side of the windscreen and the small side window on the off side next to the doors being a lot shallower than the wright variants. All in all I like them from downstairs but definitely not upstairs, B9TLs however with standard moquette seats on either deck is far superior in my opinion, and having sampled both the Gemini 2s at the Oldham depot, I find the same problem with the leather seats however the ride quality is still superior.

That is my two penneth.

Also! 60230 I have just spotted on the 425, notably because I've not seen this one at Oldham yet and now I have. Is that a recent transfer?

If anyone has an up to date Citaro allocation for the Oldham depot that would be much appreciated.

[Polo Mint]

RE: First Manchester
There was a bomb scare in Manchester today and I noticed a bus 18 stuck on Cross Street, it was waiting near those bollards but they had shut and it was just parked there with passengers there, but they would not open.

I get what you mean, the Enviro400's seems a bit rattlier (if that is even a word) and the B9's seem a bit more robust and less flimsy. I like the coach-style seats, they feel comfy, but look more impressive than they are. My first Enviro400 ride was with Stagecoach and I had to keep making sure I don't bang my head on the top deck and I never had that issue with First.

[Benzo]

RE: First Manchester

(07/02/2013 13:18)P528LND Wrote:  I have to agree downstairs they are comfortable, though the top deck isn't half as good. B9TLs for me are a thousand times comfier, I don't find myself slipping off seats and the suspension is less harsh, you hardly feel bumps. The B9TLs seem more powerful too.

There's an anti drive lock when the doors are open that doesn't unlock until up to 5 seconds after the doors are closed, which gets on drivers nerves. They also don't like the blind spots I've been told, due to the large columns either side of the windscreen and the small side window on the off side next to the doors being a lot shallower than the wright variants. All in all I like them from downstairs but definitely not upstairs, B9TLs however with standard moquette seats on either deck is far superior in my opinion, and having sampled both the Gemini 2s at the Oldham depot, I find the same problem with the leather seats however the ride quality is still superior.

That is my two penneth.

Also! 60230 I have just spotted on the 425, notably because I've not seen this one at Oldham yet and now I have. Is that a recent transfer?

If anyone has an up to date Citaro allocation for the Oldham depot that would be much appreciated.

The Citaros Ive spotted over past few weeks were: 60224/5/8/9/30/4/40/4/8/56

[Wright Eclipse]

RE: First Manchester

(08/02/2013 15:00)Polo Mint Wrote:  . My first Enviro400 ride was with Stagecoach and I had to keep making sure I don't bang my head on the top deck and I never had that issue with First.

maybe because stagecoachs Enviro 400s are lowheight,firstbuses Geminis are full height

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
Problems with First Manchester services heading/leaving Manchester Via Shudehill area yesterday afternoon due to incorrectly phased traffic lights at Rochdale Road/Abingdon Street junction saw major delays build up during the afternoon from about 13:00 onwards, it didnt help either that junction of Oldham Street/Dale Street was being controlled by temporary traffic lights duue to the closure of the bottom of Oldham Street.

Leaving Shudehill Bus Stationn some buses were having to wait about 3 or more cycles of lights due to the shear amount of traffic trying to head up Rochdale Road and traffic wanting to get to Church Street was having an extra 10mins or more added to the journey time due to the temporary traffic lights at Oldham St/Dale Street as I mentioned