Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[ace]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(20/08/2012 13:34)gilbert Wrote:  

(17/08/2012 06:02)ace Wrote:  Solos are much better than Darts in my opinion. They give a much smoother ride and are a bit newer in most cases.
The Darts all have knackered doors which slam against the front of the bus when they open.
I quite like the driver alert bell on the Solos with the charming door bell sound. They don't all have it but most do.

The infernal Darts are still plaguing the 313 route.I thought that once the Olympics buses came back then they would go but no two of the daytime 3 buses today are 34054 and 33174 .

I don't think the plan ever was for the darts to go after the Olympics apart from possibly the previous reserve ones that came back into service temporarily, most of which appear to have gone.
33174 is well established on Stockport routes having joined last year from Merseyside so won't be going anywhere anytime soon, whilst I would think 34054 would remain in service until at least December when the hybrids arrive.
Much as I would love to see the back of them with solos in their place, I think we may have to endure them a while longer.

[mic]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(20/08/2012 18:30)ace Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 13:34)gilbert Wrote:  

(17/08/2012 06:02)ace Wrote:  Solos are much better than Darts in my opinion. They give a much smoother ride and are a bit newer in most cases.
The Darts all have knackered doors which slam against the front of the bus when they open.
I quite like the driver alert bell on the Solos with the charming door bell sound. They don't all have it but most do.

The infernal Darts are still plaguing the 313 route.I thought that once the Olympics buses came back then they would go but no two of the daytime 3 buses today are 34054 and 33174 .

I don't think the plan ever was for the darts to go after the Olympics apart from possibly the previous reserve ones that came back into service temporarily, most of which appear to have gone.
33174 is well established on Stockport routes having joined last year from Merseyside so won't be going anywhere anytime soon, whilst I would think 34054 would remain in service until at least December when the hybrids arrive.
Much as I would love to see the back of them with solos in their place, I think we may have to endure them a while longer.

never knew route 7 had double deckers put on them saw the queens jubliyed liverd bus on today

[ace]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(20/08/2012 18:40)mic Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 18:30)ace Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 13:34)gilbert Wrote:  The infernal Darts are still plaguing the 313 route.I thought that once the Olympics buses came back then they would go but no two of the daytime 3 buses today are 34054 and 33174 .

I don't think the plan ever was for the darts to go after the Olympics apart from possibly the previous reserve ones that came back into service temporarily, most of which appear to have gone.
33174 is well established on Stockport routes having joined last year from Merseyside so won't be going anywhere anytime soon, whilst I would think 34054 would remain in service until at least December when the hybrids arrive.
Much as I would love to see the back of them with solos in their place, I think we may have to endure them a while longer.

never knew route 7 had double deckers put on them saw the queens jubliyed liverd bus on today

The 7 doesn't often have double deckers, usually only in the rush hour. That's usually where all the old darts finish up.
Nice to see the Queen's Jubilee buses still around. I think that remains until December.

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
That's interesting as I noticed a Solo on the 7 this morning. So from one extreme to the other

I noticed apart from one very early 236, all today's 236/7s were operated with Enviro400s although I did notice MANs on the 217/218 as normal.

The 3 Darts that were brought back into service before the Olympics have gone back onto reserve.

[gilbert]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(20/08/2012 18:57)ace Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 18:40)mic Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 18:30)ace Wrote:  I don't think the plan ever was for the darts to go after the Olympics apart from possibly the previous reserve ones that came back into service temporarily, most of which appear to have gone.
33174 is well established on Stockport routes having joined last year from Merseyside so won't be going anywhere anytime soon, whilst I would think 34054 would remain in service until at least December when the hybrids arrive.
Much as I would love to see the back of them with solos in their place, I think we may have to endure them a while longer.

never knew route 7 had double deckers put on them saw the queens jubliyed liverd bus on today

The 7 doesn't often have double deckers, usually only in the rush hour. That's usually where all the old darts finish up.
Nice to see the Queen's Jubilee buses still around. I think that remains until December.

It seems that the Darts are being dumped onto the 313 at present. Would much rather be travelling on the 5 MAN's they've just sent to Carlisle.

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Same here, the MANs were brand new in Manchester when I was at secondary school and they were clearly built to last, they will probably be cascaded to other groups and will see a further 2-3 years in service?? Possibly longer.

When you compare some of the S and T reg MANs to the 56 and 07 plate Enviro400's currently at AZ, the MANs sound and performance wise you would think the MANs were the younger of the two

I've mentioned previously that I'm quite tall, and can comfortably sit anywhere on a MAN (with bench seats) where as on a Enviro200/Enviro400 for a journey more than 10 mins long, I have to pick my seat a bit more carefully.

Although it might not be the end, the B10M made a come back, well sort of

[Benzo]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(20/08/2012 18:40)mic Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 18:30)ace Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 13:34)gilbert Wrote:  The infernal Darts are still plaguing the 313 route.I thought that once the Olympics buses came back then they would go but no two of the daytime 3 buses today are 34054 and 33174 .

I don't think the plan ever was for the darts to go after the Olympics apart from possibly the previous reserve ones that came back into service temporarily, most of which appear to have gone.
33174 is well established on Stockport routes having joined last year from Merseyside so won't be going anywhere anytime soon, whilst I would think 34054 would remain in service until at least December when the hybrids arrive.
Much as I would love to see the back of them with solos in their place, I think we may have to endure them a while longer.

never knew route 7 had double deckers put on them saw the queens jubliyed liverd bus on today

Guess that would had been 19291 then? Ive seen the odd AZ double deck on the 7 too last year before the duties were handed over to Stockport drivers. Well the 7 is strictly a Single deck tender although it was cut from every 20 mins to every half our.

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(20/08/2012 23:06)Benzo Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 18:40)mic Wrote:  

(20/08/2012 18:30)ace Wrote:  I don't think the plan ever was for the darts to go after the Olympics apart from possibly the previous reserve ones that came back into service temporarily, most of which appear to have gone.
33174 is well established on Stockport routes having joined last year from Merseyside so won't be going anywhere anytime soon, whilst I would think 34054 would remain in service until at least December when the hybrids arrive.
Much as I would love to see the back of them with solos in their place, I think we may have to endure them a while longer.

never knew route 7 had double deckers put on them saw the queens jubliyed liverd bus on today

Guess that would had been 19291 then? Ive seen the odd AZ double deck on the 7 too last year before the duties were handed over to Stockport drivers. Well the 7 is strictly a Single deck tender although it was cut from every 20 mins to every half our.

The 7 isn't a tender, it's a commercial service run by Stagecoach and there's no restrictions on what vehicles can or can't be used, although when AZ had the service some parts or the route were deemed to narrow and tight for a MAN, ST has over ideas.

It's a well known fact that the 7 has gone from a minibus sized service into a very busy service at peak, and a couple of times over the last year or so reference has been made to it becoming a double deck service, but certainly not unusual to see a Enviro400 on it.

[M60lad]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Speaking of 7 I might be wrong but I'm sure in the distant past Dennis's (The bus company) have operated the service and used various buses that they had in their fleet at the time

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Dennis's did operate it using their Merc minibuses. Of course the 7 was one of the original Bee Line created the 7 using their little sherpa style mini buses, unless I'm mistaken, hence it's single number service number.