Almost forgot

This arriva bus was on the pitts at hyde road. I believe vosa test them here. Not sure why.

Happy halloween

Nice and early today, only because i have a party to go to tonight. Would much rather stay in bed and come in later but needs must. Busy weekend this weekend on the 330 for 3 trips to start then 2 on a 216 so the blood pressure will be up by the end of the day. Busy down at eastlands too, there is 2 cycling competition going on and the selnec 40 bus thing which is running with the one at the museum od transport. I might have a venture down tomorrow hangover depending. Plus i'm in at 4pm tomorrow too so will see. Just finishing bus checks so will head out soon. Let's hope for a nice easy day.

How many to change a lightbulb?

I have heard lots of jokes about how many people it take to change a light bulb. A slight change of plan today. I have been pulled from hyde road as we are a bit short of drivers. I'm waiting for a 217 and i am tickled to see this guy doing something as basic as change a lightbulb with mr moany who works in the bus station watching him do it! Very important job.lol.

Enviro 300

As per previous comment this is the Enviro 300 manchester has. Is's actually a 52 plate so at 7 year old it's not looking too bad. It's in for a paint job. All sanded down and ready to go in. There are another 4 man buses waiting for paint out here and the Enviro i saw last time looks almost ready to come out.

New school

Just off to pick a workmate up who is on the same course as me today at hyde road. This is the new school thats being built just off broadoak road. The land is huge. I think it's the replacement for hartshead and the other one on Mossley road.

Dark so soon.

It was dark from 5pm tonight i noticed. The warm weather makes it feels so different. It should be cold and raining every evening. Been on 330s and now on my last 7. This poster is in the canteen at ashton regarding testing of the metrolink.
Tomorrow i am at hyde road again so might see something interesting who knows.

How Nice

This street just outside Manchester caught my eye and i thought it was worth a few pics. Looks very pieceful.
I have never seen round this part of town before. It's at the back of the express building on Great Ancoats St.
The  Victorian flat complex at the back is very interesting. I did try to get inside the gates as the square in the cntre is very interesting and  has been featured in lots of tv programmes. It's called Victoria Square.

I took this because i found it creepy going through it. It is on Lever street where the old bus station was. Looks like some kind of building being put up there now.

Metrolink Update

Here are a few pictures of the Metrolink works heading up past Sportscity and onto Ashton New Road.
The tram will run underneath Alan Touring Way through a tunnel which was built at the same time as the stadium in 2001. This is the Tunnel entrance and exit. Oddly i have passed this hundreds of times and never knew it was even there.

 After it comes out at Asda it runs parallel to the New Road and along side Asda upto the canal where a brand new bridge is going to be positioned. The footings were being put into place when i came along yesterday. I think it will mean a completly new bridge over the canal at Bank Street.

 Finally after 12 months of work on Pollard Street the foundation work has been done. The workman i spoke too says there is still things to go underground and the track will be laid first then the road. Given that this road was to be closed for 18 months this cannot be too far off now. I couldnt get close to the tunnel under Great Ancoats Street which has been constructed without most people even knowing it's there.

Road to nowhere.

This road off lord sheldon way appears to have been started but not finish. Any ideas what the plans were for this road? I have just cycled up the new road and took some shots of all the roadworks. Not sure if i will post them yet will see later. I did finally get to set my mind right about where the metrolink is going and will post them pics later.

Metrolink

The metrolink system looks like a state of panic. There is lots of brass hanging around watching whats happening here is a few pics of whats going on right now.

Nice day out

You wouldn't think it was nearly november. It's 18 degrees today and the fountains in piccadilly are as busy as a summer day. Just having a rest. I have come through a few streets at the back of the express buildings in manchester. Some interesting housing round there will post a few pics when i get home.

What a bargain.

Just heading into manchester on my bike. I noticed this cut price city parking for only 3 quid. What a steal. I think someone forgot to come back for there caravan though too.

Almost finished.

Just waiting a few minutes out in hadfield before finishing my last trip. Very quiet evening. I could do this duty every day. Off tomorrow and with the warm weather comes a bike ride so i'm hoping for a good nights sleep. Will see what tomorrow brings.

Not so simple

Today seemed average but my two trips on the 330 has turned into one. This is so i can do a late on the good old glossops. Should be pretty eventless. This first bus has broken down near to ikea on Oldham road. Thought i would snap it as nothing much else going on today.

Very average day.

Nothing happening today upto now. Been the gym had dinner and now i'm waiting for my 347. Two trips on here then two on the 330 later. Nice and simple. Heard there was accident yesterday on the 330 at asda in ashton. 6 people went to hospital in ambulances. The Enviro i believe was in a collision with a car at the lights. I'm sure the cctv will help pass fault. The driver though was released from the company this morning.i won't speculate about fault.

Dining out.

Just in stockport on my 2nd 330. I left ashton at 8am. You get so much time to get here because the roads are normally bad. I have got about 20 minutes here now so the cornflakes have made a premature appearance. Should keep me going until 2 anyway. From a radio message i heard before i think a bus might have been stolen overnight. Will find out later.

I hate mondays.

I try to avoid monday morning like the plague. Just been picked up to go to work. It's wet, cold and megarider day which means busy roads and a busy bus. I'm sure i will survive. Got a pretty mixed bag today. 330s first then tour-de-greenfield, then a trip on a 7 finishing the long day off at 6pm. One good thing is the schools are off so that should make things a little easier, we will see. Not sure if this little video will upload, i'm trying to upload it in 2 different way. Tis the very nice sounding b10m we have on taxi duty at the moment.

Are they MAD?

This is the new site for the post office in Droylsden. Now then... Looking at this, i am concerned. Where a post office appears so do pensioners with disabled badges in ther cars. Now i have nothing against disbaled badges, but the way Droyslden is at the moment, a load of cars parked up outside this building will cause chaos next to the lights. Who thinks of these things, really! If this was a cab company it would have been refused permission. There will be more people stopping outside this building to "nip" in than you would see parked outside a cab company. Can't wait to sit there sounding the horn wating for them to come out and abuse me lol.
I took this yesterday when i had time to wait, Yes time to wait, on the 218.
Not today i won't. the 5km diversion starts today. I'm the second one through it at 850am from the Hospital. Should be a nice ride out. Might try to get a pic of a 218 next to Greenfield station as a momento. First are only running to top Mossley and asking people to walk down to a shuttle bus so i am expecting the 217s 218s to be very profitable with free passes this week. It was however, very hard to keep time on there yesterday so we have no chance this week in rush hour. We will end up taking 216s off to cover and once again draught in the Princess road massive to cover some 216 trips which, like yestersday, went to the dogs once more. I'm so glad i don't live down there and have to use that bus it really is horrid for the people. And there is nothing we can do to make it any easier.....Very poor.

Broken bus

Makes a nice change to see other bus companies in a little trouble. This 118 has broken down at the bottom of Oldham road blocking the bus stop. Looks like one of our ex drivers on the phone out of shot calling it in too. Am sure it will be moved soon.

Basic model

This is the cab of an Enviro 400. Very basic. Nowhere near as nice as the Scania or even the newer model Enviro like the ones jpt has. This one (19104) is like a bullet. Very powerful bus. Just in stockport on a 330. Got loads of time on that trip but no traffic at 7am. I have a long day today with 5 hours on a 217 then 2 more trips on here.

Silly boys

Just coming past the carpet place in denton. There 3 youth who look like they should be in school as cutting a large piece off a roll of carpet. To do this the dragged is across the main road with pedestrians walking over it. Stopped the traffic made the cut and then rolled it up again. Pretty mad as it's 4pm and the road is very very busy. I can see why the owner didn't want to do it himself. Finished today so on my way home now. Didn't win the best new blog award but i don't mind. It's still fun even for me reading back where i been. Lol pretty odd yes i know.

Creepy

If your in town the 216 stand is worth looking at. As if this part of town wasn't bad enough the advertisers have plastered the shelter with a ghost theme for halloween. It includes an advertising bored which has scary noises coming out of it.

Old workhorse

This is one of our old buses which has been transformed into an information vehicle. Picture might be a bit naff didn't get much time to hang about.

Another landmark going.

Just waiting for my school run to start. I am stopped at a very well known mill in newton. I think it's the hyde mill but more better known as senior service. Looks like it's being demolished. Sorry it's a little dark still so pics might not be as good as i liked.

Long Long Day

Its all very quiet in the pitts.. Hopefully should have all the right buses on all the right routes today. Not too much can be said for JPT, I read on there facebook site that one of there Scania double deckers tried ducking under the bridge NEXT TO THE DEPOT!! and failed. Im sure there will be some pictures or videos out soon somewhere. The only issue we have around here is whitelands road which is 14' 6" Some of the Scanias we have are 14' 9" so have to be on the look out all the time. I almost took a MAN under a 10' bridge in Glossop but the height sign was missing on the bus so i thought best not to risk it.
Got a school this morning 861, Not look where it goes yet, Am guessing Longendale followed by what seems a thousand hours on the 217 / 218. Which from next week is on a 6km diversion around Greenfield, Excellent. Lets see them run to time next week..... NOT. I took this pic last night before i left as yesterday was pretty uneventful apart from a driving assesment whilst i was on the 7s on a rubbish bus. Went ok though. Shame the instructor wasn't there to see me evict a couple of unsavories on the 330 later on in the day. Get ready time now. Working until 8 pm tonight so best prepare for a busy old day.

Sent out.

Luckily i have been sent out to cover a missing 347. I am just waiting for a bus to appear first though. Just noticed there is more oil on the 347 stand than on most others. Considering it's the only bus that stops here and they are 97% man buses think what you will. Only doing 2 trips so will lounge around ashton for a while when i have done this part.

Bored now.

I've only been in work for 5 minutes and i'm bored already. I think jeremy kyle might have something to do with it. Spare from 10am with a couple of trips on a 7 later. I'm hoping that something comes up soon i am not the biggest fan of daytime tv.

How Nice For A Sunday

I'm off today. I was n the 347 earlier in the week going around in cirles and managed to find time to take picture of this church near the terminus. Very pretty i though. Anyway all late starts this week with 10am spare in the morning. So not much happening hopefully tomorrow. We will see. Off to collect my poorly bike now so might be able to get back out on it soon too.

Spying time

This is the new RIBAS system being fitted to buses at hyde road. It measures the acceleration, braking, speed that the bus is doing. The idea i am told is too see what routes are timed in such a way that the bus has to be driven in a swift manner. I'm sure drivers will be monitored and advised in due course too. This one is fitted to 17621 which we have on loan at the moment. We also have a b10 from stockport which is covering the taxi as 32048 is off for repair. What with this new monitoring system and the gps being applied soon, it won't be long before robots are driving the buses i think. Will be interesting to see what the 216 buses show up as on this system lol. Off the scale i'm sure.

Oh it's cold!

Got another long day today. I'm on this horrid dart thing with no room in they cab and a rubbish heating system so i'm squashed and cold. Off to the pub after work so at least there is something to look forward to later. 7's first then 330s all day. Lets hope i don't get the idiot who i threw off yesterday. If your gonna be abusive to the driver at least wait until you get to your destination. Lol some people are plain stupid.

Always something

On a long day today. Just about the finish the first of three parts. Just done the 237 to glossopdale school. Not many on really. This pic is from last week. As usual a pensioner ran for a bus, fell and the an ambulance had to be called. Which in turn parked on the 330 stand for 30 minutes causing problems. So it would be better for them to slow down a little and not rush i think. Anyway off to ashton now. Corn flakes will be interesting this morning as a picked up a fork instead of a spoon. Hmmm.

More Hyde Road Pics.

Damaged MAN Awaiting repair

This one is just awaiting the paint shop. Will come out looing like new. lol They are all painted by hand with a brush if you didn't know.

 

This is the chassis wash. We have to bring our buses here because we dont have a ramp. this guy get covered in S*%T

And here is fire Damaged 19425 (MX58FUH) returned from Scotland after a refit. 19084 is still at Ashton. There is a dispute with Dennis over the reason for the fire.

Hyde road day

Just arrived at hyde road for the day. This bus outside the paint shop is only 3 year old and we can see it's been prepared for a full paint job. It's very busy here at the moment as always at this time. Also just seen a brand new enviro in the back not even numbered up yet but only a 58 plate. Very odd. Doing a disability awareness course today should be interesting.

Frustated and a little lost

Ok. So i'm home in one piece but not without worries. I got to liverpool from preston. Then i tried to find a bus to warrington. I saw a st helens bus so got on that thinking it was almost warrington. How wrong was i? There wasn't anything after 6 from st helens to there so i got a bus to wigan. I just missed the 33 to manchester. So i boarded a bus to bolton about 715ish the driver said it takes an hour! Really? So i caved in and want for the train. This broke down at salford. After 20 they got it going. Got into victoria (didn't pay by the way) jumped straight onto an ashton train which was also free and then got a 409 home. It's been a long day today glad to be home but it's also nice to see places i have never been before. I'm at the motherland tomorrow for some training so hopefully hyde road depot might offer some interesting pics and tails. The pic by the way is a very nice outdoor market in preston.