Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

[copey]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(11/08/2014 19:49)copey Wrote:  3615 has been collected this afternoon by some staff from Bright Bus.

When I arrived at work today 3615 was parked back up in the yard at Winsford.
Apparently it broke down at the top of Road One whilst being moved. Think they are coming back to recover it.

[copey]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(07/08/2014 11:12)33109 Wrote:  BHA I echo your comments exactly, the presidents look the mutts nuts, very clean inside & out & the livery looks superb. Also i'd personally like to say a massive thanks to the drivers, despite the roadworks around chester city centre they've really tried hard to keep to timetables although ATM they must be going spare with all the traffic around chester etc etc.

Heard off a macc driver mon morning that apparently in the new yr, 4489/90/91 will be given full refurbs. This will include leather seating & WI-FI being fitted. Also told it'll only be certain drivers on the 38s & they'll have a new smarter uniform & supposedly more customer service training.

Copey you know if this is true & also what new stock will be sought for the 84s, presume it'll be single deckers poss?

The 38's are to be given 'Sapphire' status with a refurb of the Geminis even though the service frequency does not exactly meet the requirements.
The last I heard regarding the 84's is that from January 2015 they will also go sapphire and some 09 plate deckers from London are being sort after. There is also a requirement to improve the reliability of the service so expect some timetable changes.
The B7's from Southport are still favourites to replace the DLA's in October after a visit to the body shop.

[126th street]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
It's nothing spectacularly new - a number of Stagecoach's first Tridents in London had very short careers before being cascaded away. First also got rid of a number of Tridents to other parts of the country after short lives in London.

In any case the next Borismaster conversions in London have not been announced and it could be one of those which may free up modern DDs. The 73s are a prime candidate at some point, and while the hybrids off that route are not going to move out of London there could be an indirect cascade to Arriva NW.

As for the 84s receiving a more robust timetable... finally!!

[FC Pictures]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(12/08/2014 19:48)Dentonian Wrote:  I know TfL and/or London contractors policy is to cascade buses before reaching the end of their normal life, but just 5.5 years!!!!

This would make better sense at this end of the game as the cascades in recent years are too old to be longer term reliable members of the North West fleet,you could say if unkind that they are pretty knackered when they arrive here after a decade in London,many of them would have seen service 24 hours a day in London conditions,Some of the recent VLW cascades are far from smooth runners,they might look nice enough but you can`t escape the 11/12 years service use on the running units,there are enough older buses in the area ready for the chop without adding these heaps to the fleet.

[Penny Return]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
On way to Crewe yesterday noticed deckers on 84

4026 4156 4177 4180

[33109]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
Now now lets not be too harsh on the VLWs! 4215/16 are doing well now that their reliability issues are sorted, 4216 has been a regular performer over the hols on the 84 longs. But aye the DLAs are totally wrecked now, they've hard a hard life in london then moved oop north onto longer distance more rural routes.

Lets remember they were mainly used to pottering around north london at much slower speeds on better roads than we have. Then shoved onto rural routes around cheshire has done em no favours. Copey arny idea what the 09 plate deckers could poss be? Thank christ they're finally sorting out the 84 timetable it needs it!

Think reason for the monumental delays on 38s is there's always a lot of traffic either getting into or out of crewe throughout the day tbh. Also congleton seems to be a snarl up area, there can be massive ques at times going down rood hill from the ambulance station down to the lights at tesco where the 38 heads into town always seems busy.

Copey how much longer have we got deckers on the 84s now? Can't be that long as the schools/colleges go bk in about 3-4 weeks, gotta say though that the 29/31/37s have been soooooo quiet over the hols. Hope CWC get their arses in gear soon & get northwich town roadworks complete ASAP if not it'll be hell in few weeks time.

[copey]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
4042 and 4141 are withdrawn. Two DLA's from Wrexham 4030 and 4098 I believe are to replace them. I might stand to be corrected on the fleet numbers.
A Optare is being picked up from St Helens today, not sure which one but it is to replace one of the darts possibly 867.
I am told that we will get the Southport B7's in about 6 weeks time.
Single deckers on all 84's from Sunday when the Eddleston Road closure takes place, inbound services diverted via Mill St. 37,38 to be diverted via Earle St and Macon Way.

[copey]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
New arrival is Optare Solo 679 from St Helens.

Allocations for Sat 16.08.14

Northwich locals
679,867,2616 and 2614.

Crewe 6's
878

Crewe 8's
709

31/37A
4216,4180,4177,2618,2610

31A/37
2612,2515,2617,2425

29's
4170,4156,4027,4026

84 longs
2609,2499,2497,2502,2503,2613

84 shorts
2608,2501

Crewe spare
2615

[33109]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
Copey so take it 867s finally heading for scrap or sold onto another operator? Good to see 679 in northwich, hopefully it'll get a leg stretch at some point maybe a 29 or 31 circuit during the day when its quiet.

For anyone interested just found couple of pics of 4030/4098 on flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jncarter19...fnb-oc9Snh

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmighty...1w7-gh5M7e

Not my photos, but gotta say they both look smart.

[BHA]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(16/08/2014 07:10)copey Wrote:  New arrival is Optare Solo 679 from St Helens.

Allocations for Sat 16.08.14

Northwich locals
679,867,2616 and 2614.

Crewe 6's
878

Crewe 8's
709

31/37A
4216,4180,4177,2618,2610

31A/37
2612,2515,2617,2425

29's
4170,4156,4027,4026

84 longs
2609,2499,2497,2502,2503,2613

84 shorts
2608,2501

Crewe spare
2615

Just seen 2499 and 2502 at 1025 in Nantwich - really strange to see two single deckers together there on a Saturday. 2499 left for Chester with barely a seat available and by Tarvin I'm sure there would have been standing room only, and not much of that. The 84 really does need deckers, particularly during the shopping hours on a Saturday, if not during the week.