Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

[K101HUM]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(12/02/2013 15:35)3111 Wrote:  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...

It is understood we will see the end of the Marshall's come the end of the year. Arriva's fleet renewal system at the moment, it has to be said, is admirable. Come early 2012, the earliest of Dart SLF's in 7531 and 7532 were still fresh in the memory, now we are biding farewell to T-registered examples across the region.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
DAF 4063 was on the 60 today, keeping up its wandering ways, while the 56 was once again fully double decked, a process seemingly becoming the norm. 4064 and 4082 were joined by 4094 on what had been the commonly single decked duty. Good to see and I hope Bootle keep this up. However, the seemingly inevitable pair of Darts on the 52/52A appeared in 2224 and 7660. These sort of allocations are hard to understand when Bootle apparently have easily enough Pulsars to operate the 52, 53, 55 and 62 corridors without substitutes.

On the Pulsars, just my opinion but I don't think Bootle's are too bad actually. As Michael says, a few do ride roughly but I think they're in the minority. Bootle's are also generally still clean and tidy unlike a lot of Green Lane's. Of all the depots' Pulsars I've used, Southport probably has the best ones. St Helens are decent as well, Birkenhead a mixed bag.

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
With Bootles Pulsars, my criticism is aimed really at the 58 platers, interally, well seat backs on a lot of GL's leave a lot to be desired, probably due to the routes that they cover.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(12/02/2013 20:35)507009 Wrote:  DAF 4063 was on the 60 today, keeping up its wandering ways, while the 56 was once again fully double decked, a process seemingly becoming the norm. 4064 and 4082 were joined by 4094 on what had been the commonly single decked duty. Good to see and I hope Bootle keep this up.

You've spoken too soon - Marshall V660 DVU (7660) is on the 56 today! I seen it on the duty that works on the 12:37 56 departure from Netherton, which, if I'm correct, is a double-decker duty.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(13/02/2013 12:55)3111 Wrote:  

(12/02/2013 20:35)507009 Wrote:  DAF 4063 was on the 60 today, keeping up its wandering ways, while the 56 was once again fully double decked, a process seemingly becoming the norm. 4064 and 4082 were joined by 4094 on what had been the commonly single decked duty. Good to see and I hope Bootle keep this up.

You've spoken too soon - Marshall V660 DVU (7660) is on the 56 today! I seen it on the duty that works on the 12:37 56 departure from Netherton, which, if I'm correct, is a double-decker duty.

Apologies - 7660 is on the 311, so it wasn't that one (although it was one with a front LED destination unit). V659 DVU (7659) is also on the 56 today - heading into town at about 15:00 on Great Homer Street, so on the other double-decker duty...? Either way, DAF/ALX400 S260 JUA (4090) was on that duty (13:07 departure from Netherton) and the driver that was on 4090 was driving 7659...

Meanwhile, Pulsar CX58 FZA (2920) is on the 59/61.

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
4090 later appeared on the 58, I seen it passing the strand at 4.30

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
More than likely both Marshalls were replacements as they were both on the so-called "double decker duties". 7669 was the one I saw tonight, while 4030 was on the 18.50 working, the more usually booked single decker service. I assume all three 56s started the day as deckers and smaller replacements can't be helped when all DLAs tend to be out these days.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(13/02/2013 21:34)507009 Wrote:  More than likely both Marshalls were replacements as they were both on the so-called "double decker duties". 7669 was the one I saw tonight, while 4030 was on the 18.50 working, the more usually booked single decker service. I assume all three 56s started the day as deckers and smaller replacements can't be helped when all DLAs tend to be out these days.

7669 must have been the "LED'd" Marshall that I seen, then - it looked like 7660 from where I identified it in Netherton, however, obviously, I identified it wrong as 7660 was on the 311!

I rode on Pulsar 2 MX59 FFZ (3020) on my 311 from Aintree to Skelmersdale this morning and also on my 311 journey from Skelmersdale to Old Roan this afternoon! Disappointingly, its exterior had a few odd panels and the white stripe didn't continue in succession next to the front entrance/exit. Its interior featured plenty of faded and odd seats, of which the back ones were flat, accompanied by minor vandalism on a few seat-backs. Ride-quality-wise, this bus was OK - just a rattly cab door was a minor problem. The bus, despite its sluggish amount of speed, sounded nice. This isn't one of Bootle's best VDL SB200CS', however I wouldn't call it one of the worst examples.

I also had Pulsar 2 MX59 FFV (3017) on my 55 journey from Netherton (Chapel Lane) to Old Roan this morning, although it wouldn't be fair to judge this journey as it consists of a lot of speed-bumps and the driver was taking it easy due to running slightly early - noteworthy, the first driver since I started using that journey (albeit not on a regular basis) to arrive at Old Roan Interchange more-or-less on time and not several minutes early. (Also, I wasn't able to have a good look at its interior, due to me sitting at the front of the bus, and its exterior, due to it being dark.) I have to be at the stop on Chapel Lane before 06:35, despite it not being scheduled to leave there until 06:40, as it usually arrives and leaves at that (the former) time.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
Bootle have the majority of their Enviros out today on rail replacements with 4424/25/26/28/29/30/32/33/34 all observed. There were two routes operating today, Sandhills - Central and Sandhills - Hunts Cross so more of the batch might have been out. Sampled 4429 which was a rough rider, but 4434 was impressive. Loads were superb - buses were routinely full to standing with some leaving people behind. 4429 on the Sandhills-bound journey had a number of people standing upstairs along with a crammed lower deck.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
At about 11:30 today, the depot had no reserve buses! A new-liveried Plaxton Pointer 2, possibly X226 ANC (2226) as I've seen all of Bootle's out on the road today, has been parked by the entrance to the building for a week or two now - when I first seen it, its external electrical compartment was being checked. That Dart was accompanied by a Marshall awaiting space in a garage and a trainer. This isn't the first time that I've seen an empty depot recently...

Pulsar CX58 FZL (2929) was also having its electrics checked at Bootle North Park after it, presumably, failed - although it was back out in service on the 56 this evening. Plaxton Pointer 2 X227 ANC (2227) was unusually on the 52/52A today (http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael2770...ostream/), so I presume that it replaced 2929.