Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
That is correct Luke, about half a dozen if not less left to do now, but with EcoCitysin service very soon, that should cover for the last one or two. Should be fun and games soon though, with the EcoCitys going on busway circulars and Chesters, Runcorn are going to have to try and sort any troublesome Cadets out, as I know that there one are two that are kept local.

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Cheers Danny, wonder who'll get P&P next then? Can only be Bootle, St Helens or Green Lane. (The latter two have a lot of Renowns with life left in them to refurbish yet, would make sense doing them before it's too late!) I do wonder if Runcorn will try to get rid of the ones confined to locals? P&P should have really sorted mechanical problems out I think but that's another story.

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Anyones guess, but well soon see! The Renowns on paper have 2 years left in service going by Arriva's 15 year general rule, but personally I think they are capable of a lot longer than that with a bit of a spruce up, but well see!
Runcorn are trying to get rid of the lot of them mate, and its no surprise seeing as the lot of them have gone through just under 500 gearboxes and countless engines during their time there, the costs are mounting, and they wont last much longer living such a hard life! Its a funny one as P&P treatment doesn't include any sort of mechanicals as standard, only vehicles judged to be needing them actually gets them. So buses are coming back looking pretty good and rather refreshed are most likely still carrying faults they had when they left.

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Aye I agree, the Southport ones which have been refurbished look capable of a good few years left yet. Never had the fortune of riding one but with a ZF underneath they should be pretty good buses! 500 gearboxes in what 7 years?! That's ridiculous. Just proves that small buses designed for town services really shouldn't be used on anything too demanding, which the 79Cs and 82As are. As has been mentioned many times, it's Cadets which are unsuitable at Runcorn and it's Cadets which need to leave, not Pulsars. I do think Arriva need to look into the mechanics of vehicles when they get P&P though, it's all good making it look nice on the outside but underneath if the bus is going to be just as much trouble (like 2528 was last year, but I think that's fixed now as I've seen it on Liverpools a few times) there's just no point in it! Better spending the extra money on it at P&P then forking out for new engines and gearboxes over time.

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
I agree mate, 2729 at St Helens is a superb vehicle, a bit of a tidy up would do the world of good for it.
Give or take mate, yeah, they just can't cope with the demands of the routes!
I guess thats why you have MOTs and services, and as long as they run in service, thats the main thing, even if it is only on local services, but I get your point, may as well make them right first time!

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
2721 at Green Lane was a cracker before it sadly burnt out, least no-one was hurt though! What Runcorn needs I think for the demanding route network is some proper heavy duty buses. Maybe the similar aged Eclipses from Bangor could be transferred in for now and displace a few Cadets to St Helens, Green Lane or Bootle as Dart replacements? Would make sense!

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
The Y plater renowns are 2001 registered so should have 3 years left, the X platers more like 2 1/2 years, this 15 year rule that seemingly only ANW seem to have is daft, especially when all step vehicles have gone.

[Arriva3137]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(23/02/2013 11:26)motormayhem Wrote:  

(22/02/2013 12:01)Arriva3137 Wrote:  Just went past the unbranded 3137 on the 79C



Also before I joined the site I caught the unreliable 2419 on the X1

---

Doesn't look like 7642 will see service again It has something wrong with its engine and they've given up with it


2419 is VOR (doesn't surprise me)

2532 has been off the road for some time must be something seriously wrong with it

2532 is at st helens having a new front end put on it as was involved in an RTA a few weeks/months ago as its in st helens body shop.

Yes 2532 crashed into the back of pulsar 2940 in the depot last year and hasn't been out since, 2940 is back out!

[mr t]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
The Pulsars on lates too, on a saturday night with all the drunks going to Liverpool, Ray will be cursing any ASBO on this vehicle im sure!

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Nice to see the extra capacity of the Pulsars being used. Speaking only as a passenger of course, I'd say they are ideal for most operations at Runcorn at most times, the Chesters, X1s, 110s and 79Cs do warrant a full sized bus on them a lot of the time when I have rode on them. Drivers obviously have a better idea as they see which route carries what when they are out all the time but as a passenger, from what I see when I ride Runcorns services, a full allocation of Pulsars would do rather nicely IMO!