Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Had an outing yesterday funded by the mother (She was getting a Nanados, I got a day ticket, pretty fair I think!). Below is what I rode!

Halton Transport 23 Y203 PFM
Service 14 from Hough Green Station to Widnes Green Oaks
Couldn't be bothered waiting 10 minutes for the 79C so I decided to jump the first thing came. Lovely bus, really smooth, engine sounded very good with a great gearbox. Interior was rather scruffy, with numerous grab poles painted in a garish orange colour which blatantly didn't match the original colour. Wasn't rattly at all though, and was a good start to the day!

Arriva North West 2532 DK55 FXV
Service 82A from Widnes Green Oaks to Beechwood, Arriva Runcorn depot
10 minutes late, rather miserable driver, scruffy looking bus, I just thought it was a typical ride on a Runcorn service. How wrong I was. I will go as far to say that this bus is a beast! The driver absolutely ragged it, and had it kicking down and hitting some great speeds. The acceleration on this was beyond belief and was leaving cars behind. This received a new engine a few months ago, needless to say there is clearly nothing wrong with this one it has now! Not rattles what so ever, massively improved from when I last went on it. This is what all Cadets should be about, great engine that can easily pick up speed, no rattles with a brilliant driver!

Arriva North West 2938 MX09 EKV
Service 21 from Beechwood, Arriva Runcorn depot to Halton Lea North
Not a bad ride, not very fast, not very rattly, typical Pulsar. However one thing that seems to be on the majority of these Wythenshawe Pulsars is when slowing down or in idle, the vibrations are bone-shaking, absolutely horrible!

Arriva North West 2543 DK55 FYG
Service 1 from Halton Lea South to Castlefields
An average ride, the plan was to do a full circular on this but for some reason I decided against it. Been on better, been on worse!

Arriva North West 2937 MX09 EKT
Service X1 from Castlefields to Halton Lea North
Another pretty poor Pulsar, vibrations just as bad as 2938, and also quite squeaky. Good engine made up for the downfalls somewhat, but bring on the new Pulsars!

Arriva North West 2537 DK55 FYA
Service 79C from Halton Lea North to Halton Hospital
Rattly, looks crap, but pretty fast! Thats all that can be said really!

Arriva North West 2949 MX09 LXU
Service X30 from Halton Hospital to Warrington Bus Interchange
Not been on a native Runcorn example in a while so I was happy when this turned up! It was a great ride, wasn't a very fast ride, but the bus itself was flawless, the odd rattle and squeak, but a nice smooth, comfortable ride with a pleasant driver!

Arriva North West 2721 Y721 KNF
Service 6 from Warrington Bus Interchange to Huyton Bus Station
I was very happy to see this turn up, I would have preferred an ALX300, but better than a Pulsar. Another decent ride, slightly rattly at some parts of the route, and the driver refused to put his foot down through Penketh and Cronton, rather infuriating (The part of the ride I used to always look forward to with Marshalls!). All the same it was a nice ride, however it desperately needs P&P and a deep clean!

Arriva North West 3067 MX61 AWY
Service 10B from Huyton Bus Station to Huyton Industrial Estate
A case of getting the wrong bus, shameful I know! Still, a nice enoguh bus, no rattles, decent engine, better than most other Pulsars at Green Lane!

Arriva North West 2310 R310 CVU
Service 6 from Huyton Bus Station to Edge Lane Drive
I was desperate for a Dart, and seeing as I let 7664 and 7629 go past, I decided to get this to see how exaggerated its problems are. In actual fact, they are not exaggerated at all, what a heap! Not only did it rattle, but the engine had as much power as a motorbike engine combine harvester, sounded like that as well! It didn't seem to be revving high enough making it incredibly sluggish and genuinely struggling up the slightest of inclines. The gearbox could be easily altered to prevent this problem, but otherwise I'd suggest drivers should use the gear selectors and hold gear 1 and 2 at least the give it a bit more momentum, it would make a hell of a difference I think! Otherwise though, I pity 27701 having this shed up London Road!

Arriva North West 2581 CX06 BHN
Service 81 from Queens Drive to The Jolly Miller
I never seem to have time to ride these, but it was nice to get a ride. No rattles with a tidy interior, and the engine sounded very healthy, good grunt to it. Lovely buses these, shame I don't get to ride on them enough!

Arriva North West 3049 MX10 DAU
Service 15 from Jolly Miller to Green Lane
Nice bus! No rattles, sounding pretty good, tidy interior and exterior!

Arriva North West 2202 X203 ANC
Service 12 from Green Lane to Sheil Road
Not that bad actually! There was an annoying rattle coming from the row of seats in front of me, but apart from that it was reasonably solid with a nice sounding engine! One that I wouldnt avoid should it come again!

Arriva North West 2406 V406 ENC
Service 27 from Sheil Road to Liverpool, Whitechapel
Not great Im afraid! Rather rattly, the majority of rattles coming from 2 loose strips on the ceiling which made quite a lot of racket! I felt every bump in the road in this, not a smooth ride at all, was reasonably quick but not a nice sounding engine, and no kickdown, all rather disappointing!

Arriva North West 2515 DK55 FWZ
Service 79C from Queen Square to Hough Green
Not bad from what I can remember rather quick with a decentish interior, but thats as much as I can remember due to almost falling asleep through the majority of the journey!