Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(16/10/2014 20:03)VolvoB10M Wrote:  Are they quite slow I haven't managed to get any in a long while, it's always Tridents and Darts running when I go up to Middleton.

The majority of the older MANs I've been on recently are in fine form and are a pleasure to travel on. It was always the X reg ones that were blighted with gearbox issues that meant they would often be very slow espically up hill.
22102 performs better than some of the 08 reg Enviro400's at AZ.

[M60lad]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Not sure if anybody noticed it today but a very rare working saw Magic Trident 17507 replacing Enviro400 19475 at Woodford on X57 this afternoon, I'm guessing it was the only available vehicle in the depot at the time

[John I]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(16/10/2014 20:50)M60lad Wrote:  Not sure if anybody noticed it today but a very rare working saw Magic Trident 17507 replacing Enviro400 19475 at Woodford on X57 this afternoon, I'm guessing it was the only available vehicle in the depot at the time

Also a Magic Bus on a X41 in Sale this morning.
Travelled on 22231 to Stockport (X5) - excellent runner, hardly a rattle to be heard and a good turn of speed on M60.
20982 arrived back at Stockport depot @ 17:30 under tow.

[VolvoB10M]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Would 20982 have been on school duties or is it a driver trainer now?

[Owl]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(16/10/2014 15:40)Polo Mint Wrote:  Before: https://www.flickr.com/photos/68628359@N04/9570374094/
After: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chriswhite...182028752/

Thanks for that - really interesting to see the comparison. It looks quite smart in the "after" picture, shame it is not back in service yet.

[jimbo]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Yeah hopefully allocated back to mid where they need newer buses

[stait.john@hotmail.co.uk]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
When I was a driver, I always preferred 22101-22215 MANs over the X-reg batch, they were dreadful particularly in braking! I'd quite happily make a visit to Barnsley scrapyards when they go!!!!
Still think MANs are awful though!

[jimbo]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
Now this is purely romour; but anybody heard that the 330 Stockport-Ashton may be extended to Oldham and they're also jumping on the 36??

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(17/10/2014 17:10)jimbo Wrote:  Now this is purely romour; but anybody heard that the 330 Stockport-Ashton may be extended to Oldham and they're also jumping on the 36??

I'd be very surprised
The 330 suffers greatly with reliability even off peak so extending it to Oldham would only make it worse. Plus is there really a big enough demand for it? I live on the 409 route just outside Ashton an it's very rare to see a packed 409 these days. Yes in the morning and afternoon peak school kids and college pupils make some journeys look busy but off peak most buses are only half full.

There seems to be a lot of rumours banded about at the moment by the 'bus wars' brigade who think an all out war between First and Stagecoach is iminent but ill believe it when I see it.

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(17/10/2014 15:46)stait.john@hotmail.co.uk Wrote:  When I was a driver, I always preferred 22101-22215 MANs over the X-reg batch, they were dreadful particularly in braking! I'd quite happily make a visit to Barnsley scrapyards when they go!!!!
Still think MANs are awful though!

There's always been those who love and those who hate the MANs. I think one of the big grudges drivers had with them was that the driver position was very low, I'm told on the 54 and 06 reg MANs it's even lower, the big overhang at the rear another downside.
When you consider the original batch and thier age it's very obvious Stagecoach have had thier monies worth out of them and if it wasn't for age restrictions on contracts and DDA ect I reckon these buses would last another 10 years.