First Manchester

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 10:18)M60lad Wrote:  Interesting working sees 37281 on loan to Oldham Depot and is operating on 83s today, also 69138 is out on 149s today

Also spotted 37281 this morning. Still has the 'Look' advert on the top front window for the 17/18. Might disappoint a few Oldhamers that the £2.50 day ticket and £9 weekly isn't available on the 83.

[Damien]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 11:03)SF07 Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 10:18)M60lad Wrote:  Interesting working sees 37281 on loan to Oldham Depot and is operating on 83s today, also 69138 is out on 149s today

Also spotted 37281 this morning. Still has the 'Look' advert on the top front window for the 17/18. Might disappoint a few Oldhamers that the £2.50 day ticket and £9 weekly isn't available on the 83.

I saw a good few people in Bury with a few disappointed looks last week, asking the same thing about £2.50 day tickets when that bus did a 471

[james]

RE: First Manchester
In rochdale today watching first 409/471s mainly if anyone was unsure of buseson 471 today we have 12016/7/8 all newly painted 37293/4/8+ 37391/3 all branded plus 37292/5/9 awaiting top deck branding.
Also quick question what was 37384s previous route was on 409 and looks like it has been recently debranded any ideas?

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 14:27)james Wrote:  In rochdale today watching first 409/471s mainly if anyone was unsure of buseson 471 today we have 12016/7/8 all newly painted 37293/4/8+ 37391/3 all branded plus 37292/5/9 awaiting top deck branding.
Also quick question what was 37384s previous route was on 409 and looks like it has been recently debranded any ideas?

37384 had branding for the 180/184 route. I know one of them does still have the poster map of the routes on the upper deck.

[P528LND]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 14:27)james Wrote:  In rochdale today watching first 409/471s mainly if anyone was unsure of buseson 471 today we have 12016/7/8 all newly painted 37293/4/8+ 37391/3 all branded plus 37292/5/9 awaiting top deck branding.
Also quick question what was 37384s previous route was on 409 and looks like it has been recently debranded any ideas?

37384 was branded originally for the 184, and in fact retained it's front branding after repaint for a short while. It's comparable to other B9TL's at Oldham depot because it jumps through gears quicker, seems faster and doesn't have the stereotypical whine in either 3rd or 4th gear as most with the ZF 6 AP 1200 B 'Ecolife' transmision do.

I think it was then branded for the 184 again, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Hope this helped

To Admin:Now I don't mean to be a nuisance but I can't seem to access the on-site fleetlist for First Manchester. Any chance you could provide a solution? Thanks in advance.

[james]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 14:34)P528LND Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 14:27)james Wrote:  In rochdale today watching first 409/471s mainly if anyone was unsure of buseson 471 today we have 12016/7/8 all newly painted 37293/4/8+ 37391/3 all branded plus 37292/5/9 awaiting top deck branding.
Also quick question what was 37384s previous route was on 409 and looks like it has been recently debranded any ideas?

37384 was branded originally for the 184, and in fact retained it's front branding after repaint for a short while. It's comparable to other B9TL's at Oldham depot because it jumps through gears quicker, seems faster and doesn't have the stereotypical whine in either 3rd or 4th gear as most with the ZF 6 AP 1200 B 'Ecolife' transmision do.

I think it was then branded for the 184 again, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Hope this helped

no mate it's nt branded it's plain thanks for the info ta

To Admin:Now I don't mean to be a nuisance but I can't seem to access the on-site fleetlist for First Manchester. Any chance you could provide a solution? Thanks in advance.

[P528LND]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 14:48)james Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 14:34)P528LND Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 14:27)james Wrote:  In rochdale today watching first 409/471s mainly if anyone was unsure of buseson 471 today we have 12016/7/8 all newly painted 37293/4/8+ 37391/3 all branded plus 37292/5/9 awaiting top deck branding.
Also quick question what was 37384s previous route was on 409 and looks like it has been recently debranded any ideas?

37384 was branded originally for the 184, and in fact retained it's front branding after repaint for a short while. It's comparable to other B9TL's at Oldham depot because it jumps through gears quicker, seems faster and doesn't have the stereotypical whine in either 3rd or 4th gear as most with the ZF 6 AP 1200 B 'Ecolife' transmision do.

I think it was then branded for the 184 again, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Hope this helped

To Admin:Now I don't mean to be a nuisance but I can't seem to access the on-site fleetlist for First Manchester. Any chance you could provide a solution? Thanks in advance.

no mate it's nt branded it's plain thanks for the info ta

That's what I mean, the 184 branding could have been taken off again to make way for Enviro400's possibly. I'm not promising that though because I've got my heart set on them being for the 81-83 fingers crossed, and if there's any left over the 425 too! (But like that's ever going to happen...)

Can I ask if anyone knows anything about this timetable change and route change of the 425?

I was thinking possibly rerouting it so that it does the evening circular of Fitton Hill 100% of the time which would shave some time off the journey, bringing the frequency back up to 6 per hour.

Also, maybe they're making the route skip the bus station again, as it used to do. It would also save a lot of the time and most people get off at the Tommyfield Market stops anyway, as it's quicker to walk to Cheapside than being driven right around it to go to West Street. Even then King Street is only a short walk away, and since it takes anything between 1 and 5 minutes to call at West Street (which is effectively up to around 8 minutes per round trip) that could solve some timing issues.

Either way that frequency needs to be pulled back up to scratch, and since First only brand services every 10 minutes or better in Greater Manchester, maybe this is will lead to the big relaunch of the route! (Bahahahahaha....)

[thomasl1231]

RE: First Manchester
60391 seemed to be having some problems today...I saw it parked up at the side of a road in Hindley near the little roundabout thing near that swimming pool I think at around 14:00ish - it was 'deserted' with no driver on it (and no driver to be seen anywhere near it either), not at a stop on the 540 heading in the Bolton direction. Later on in Platt Bridge at the little roundabout there at around 16:45, I saw it on a recovery truck! :P

[Nicholas]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 17:00)thomasl1231 Wrote:  60391 seemed to be having some problems today...I saw it parked up at the side of a road in Hindley near the little roundabout thing near that swimming pool I think at around 14:00ish

You mean the Wakes Hotel roundabout (the old Castle Hill timing point), which I'd hardly say is small!

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester

(20/08/2012 14:34)P528LND Wrote:  37384 was branded originally for the 184, and in fact retained it's front branding after repaint for a short while. It's comparable to other B9TL's at Oldham depot because it jumps through gears quicker, seems faster and doesn't have the stereotypical whine in either 3rd or 4th gear as most with the ZF 6 AP 1200 B 'Ecolife' transmision do.

I think it was then branded for the 184 again, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

37384 was branded for 184 but since it has been painted in the new livery, it hasn't gained any route branding or even the temporary 'we believe in improving your buses' branding.

(20/08/2012 14:59)P528LND Wrote:  Can I ask if anyone knows anything about this timetable change and route change of the 425?

I was thinking possibly rerouting it so that it does the evening circular of Fitton Hill 100% of the time which would shave some time off the journey, bringing the frequency back up to 6 per hour.

Also, maybe they're making the route skip the bus station again, as it used to do. It would also save a lot of the time and most people get off at the Tommyfield Market stops anyway, as it's quicker to walk to Cheapside than being driven right around it to go to West Street. Even then King Street is only a short walk away, and since it takes anything between 1 and 5 minutes to call at West Street (which is effectively up to around 8 minutes per round trip) that could solve some timing issues.

Either way that frequency needs to be pulled back up to scratch, and since First only brand services every 10 minutes or better in Greater Manchester, maybe this is will lead to the big relaunch of the route! (Bahahahahaha....)

New 425 timetable is up on the First website. A quick glance at the current non-summer timetable and the new timetable and it looks like that the Sunday daytime service will run along the Monday-Saturday route. This means running along Fir Tree Avenue, Keswick Avenue and Honeywell Lane in both directions and serving Alt Estate.

Current timetable
New timetable