Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(31/01/2013 21:06)SLTRegular Wrote:  4064 was one of my favourites when allocated to Skem its not the best at Hills namely Upholland it used to struggle up it to be honest not as bad as 3024/5 but still quite bad that was on the 375/385/395/313 but its certainly fun on country roads especially around Ormskirk and seems quite well padded seats for a DLA. is 4064 one of the Derby or Bootle refurbed examples as i remmeber one of the companies had higher standards than the other as the one that refurbed 4091 hardly even did anything to it and entered service at Skem in a Vandalised London state i think this is why 4091 transferred to Speke and Manchester as cover quite often because Skem seemed ashamed of it..

Generally, it is the Derby (Pickerings) conversions which are inferior and often virtually untouched from London condition. The majority of the second batch of DLA cascades (2010-11) were converted at Pickerings but I believe some visited Bootle for internal work prior to entering service. The registration plates show where the conversion took place - the Derby ones have Pickerings insignia below the registration, the Bootle ones Arriva insignia. The Bootle conversions tend to have the Arriva website address at the rear of the bus and are all internally refurbished, although a few feature the older moquette as opposed to 'blue blocks'.

4091 I think was only loaned to Skem until 4094 (a fully refurbished example) arrived in early 2011. I haven't managed a ride on 4091 yet but from photos it looks like one of those left practically in London internal condition, with the vandalism you mention and no doubt flat seat backs as well. I think the Pickerings ones had some of the seat back linoleum replaced but not a lot else.

Definite Pickerings conversions are the following, which have unrefurbished interiors: 4012-4020, 4040, 4041, 4056, 4076, 4078, 4079, 4083, 4089-4091, 4093, 4095-4097, 4140, 4143, 4157, 4159. I also think that 4060 and 4098 were Pickerings visitors and a number of others are possible too.

The original seven cascades were all done at Bootle if memory serves despite their clearly poor external conversion. These examples are unique amongst the DLAs in that they lack opening side windows at the front of the top deck, and unlike the later cascades they retain high-backed seating on the back row downstairs.