Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

[W179 SCU]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Then through the week, I will be making visits to Newcastle, so I can try and hunt down 21101 and more of the new Geminis and 3963 in the new livery.

Then on Saturday 25th I am going to South Shields to photo many of the B10BLE's and Dartslf in service there!

Then on the 27th I am going to the Seaburn Rally.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
My plans for the rest of the month:

Tomorrow: Now working in the morning, so original plan of a day at home has now been changed as I've got to get the bus home from Billingham and Stockton, so some photos on the way home
Saturday: Teesside Tripper, mainly to get the New B9TLs, plus some photos in the refurbished Bus Station in Middlesbrough and at the Folklore Festival in Billingham
Monday: Working again on the morning, so probably same as Friday
Wednesday: Teesside Tripper again
Friday: Working again, so same as tomorrow
Saturday: Probably an Explorer to Sunderland and South Shields as well as Wallsend and North Shields
Monday: Seaburn Rally (weather depending, if it's gonna rain I'm not attending)
Wednesday: Teesside Tripper
Friday: Working again, so same as this Friday/next Monday/next Friday

[Metroline1511]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Leeds does now appear to have the August Bank Holiday in the bag. I have a few new buses to ride and, although fewer than by October, this will give me time to enable me to ride some Sunday operations. Watch this space!

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
I think October could be very interesting with the FTR's going onto the 72's (Bradford - Leeds).

[Metroline1511]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(18/08/2012 23:37)St Helens Rider Wrote:  I think October could be very interesting with the FTR's going onto the 72's (Bradford - Leeds).

I understand the FTRs should convert route 72 on October 28th. I may well go to Bradford in November to ride these, TLC Enviro 200s, and First 12-reg double-deckers, which could work routes 508 and 670 along the Kirkstall Road bus lane.

I reckon on advancing my Blackpool trip from October to September so that I still ride the trams and see the Illuminations on the same day, but have more time later in the year to ride ex-Olympics stock with First both sides of the Pennines. Apart from holidays I tend to prefer to have just one bus daytrip per month.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
September and October is probably best for Blackpool (especially if you want to cover the Heritage Trams as they will be running up to every 10 minutes during the Illuminations).

[Metroline1511]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Indeed SHR, my idea was to do new and old trams, and several buses. Hard to believe I haven't been to Blackpool for 10 years now, my longest ever gap between visits there.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Blackpool is very interesting at the moment because as well as old & new trams, there is also the Seafront Service operated by Oakwood Travel/Classic Bus North West which can include Olympians and more interestingly Routemasters.

[V671 DVU]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Decided to venture up to Warrington today to get a ride on the 6 and see if Fairbrothers had any Palatine's out, this is what I rode:

6 Huyton to Warrington (2717) - I was happy to see this turn up as I haven't rode it for a while. It was quite nice actually, the driver was fast and floored it through Cronton (only to be stopped by some stupid Tractor in the middle of the road...) Worthy of note is that it was desperate to get P&P, the interior was full of mix and match seat cushions and the interior was, to put it simply, past it's best.

A nice one hour spotting in Warrington.

6 Warrington to Liverpool (7623) - I was gutted when this turned up with a slow driver at the wheel, and surely that's what it was... A slow ride. Oddly, the driver floored it through Cronton (the best bit!) only to slow down again once we reached Tarbock Island! 7623 itself wasn't a bad bus, the engine sounded absolutely fantastic but it was let down by a 7671 style rattly window and idle vibration.

437 Liverpool to Birkenhead (4414) - I decided to go to Birkenhead despite being absolutely drained. 4414 was great, the only rattles I could find was the cab screen. Sadly, it was let down by a slow driver.

410 Birkenhead to Liscard (2451) - As far as a Myllenium goes, this was pretty good. Rattles were pretty much non-existent but the suspension was quite hard so it felt every bump and jerk in the road. The engine was nothing exciting.

433 Liscard to Liverpool (4402) - Not bad at all. Comfortable, fast and it sounded good. Need I say more?

8 Liverpool to Huyton (2310) - By this point I just wanted to go home, I was absolutely knackered! So I boarded this heap of a bus. It seems to have developed an annoying window rattle since last time I rode it, taking away the only good point about the bus, the solid ride... It seems to have had some work done though as it's a little faster than last time I rode it, and the engine sounds stronger too.

[R311 WVR]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Today, I went out on a non-bus related trip, I did however ride two buses, Of which reviews can be found below....

37E (ANW) Winsford Centre > Sandbach, Sandbach Station
MPD 877 (Y37 TDA)
Awful!! The rattles were VERY Bad and The seats were VERY Uncumfy! The driver, on the other hand! She was very fast, and thrashed the thing on the out-skirts of Middlewich!

37E (ANW) Sandbach, Sandbach Station > Winsford Centre
MPD 886 (Y46 TDA)
After riding this on a previous trip, I was dreading this one! It wasen't all that bad, to be honest! It hardley rattled, And the driver was VERY fast!