Friday 23 July 2010

Stuck inside

At hyde road today on a course. Shame really it's the only day it has not rained and i'm stuck inside. Not much going on down her at the moment. Paint shop looks as busy as ever. Even the new dart we are getting has just been done. Few enviros in the queue 19101, 19165, 19006, and 19001 is just visiting for the day. 17645 just come out too along with 19046. There you go in case anyone was wondering where they were. Back to normal things tomorrow.

45 comments:

  1. wow what a big depot what is the little yellow bus 60013 used for

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  2. Ashton is allegedly going to be just as big , when phase 3 kicks in !

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  3. where will you get the space from at Ashton heard you are getting more buses with CCTV do you know how many

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  4. Our glourious owner has already bought one disused part of the yard,going to be the paint shop , and putting a 2 way system in,so we have an in and an out. I have heard our operations manager wants cctv in all our buses , which is fine by me!

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  5. Little yellow van is used for new starter driving assesments. No extra buses yet just replacing what we can for cctv ones. I'm all for it.

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  6. I didn't know Stagecoach had bought the empty unit at the front but certainly great news.

    I saw the Bullocks Olympian on the 143 today. Is it back as Hyde road for good?

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  7. *Sorry, saw it yesterday not today*
    I wasn't even in Manchester today lol

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  8. good to hear you are expaning the depot I saw the yellow van in saddleworth last month it is a little thing

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  9. I remember the Stagecoach Taxi cabs knocking about. I think they had about 4 or 5 at one point.

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  10. yes so do I they looked funny in the livery

    Oldham 100

    did you see ford Fiesta car 92963 YB 08 CLY at Hyde rd and if so does it have stagecoach fleetnames

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  11. There was a few fiestas knocking about doing taxi work for the 50 and 168/169 219. They dont have names but have fleet numbers didnt pay too much attention to them though,sorry,

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  12. thats ok looked like Speedwell KX 54 NKH had broken down again yestaday just up from where I live

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  13. I thinj your right Mic, I noticed they were using the two V reg Darts on the S48 and two of the Marshall Darts were on the S50.
    There certainly having problems with breakdowns at the moment.

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  14. NKH is back running again now saw a small speedwell pass Hey farm when waiting for NKH do not know where it was going had a last ride on R513 YWC

    noctied firstbus are using double decks a lot on the 348 andthe 331/33

    saw 3 409s come in the bus stn at the same time today what a shambles I say

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  15. Its funny Mic becuase this afternoon i was walking home along Oldham Road and counted 5 409's heading towards Ashton, and a 419 in the space of 10 minutes.
    No Olympians on it today though.

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  16. Roll on S49 service when ever it starts

    shame speedwell did not get the 419 to themselfs it would have been better as their solos are better and not hard seats like firstbuses

    well got my 5th marathon at Fleetwood in 4 weeks

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  17. I doubt the S49 will be starting before October, or even early November, when you consider whats involved in setting up a service like that its going to need 'big guns' to succeed.

    Speedwell didn't do well on the 419's. They were still a relatively new operator in Tameside when they ran the 419, i just remember there Solo's running empty all the time.

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  18. Mic the empty Speedwell bus passing Hey Farm was probably involved in the Joseph Etchells Memorial walk which took place today in Micklehurst, Speedwell provided a number of vehicles and have been displaying adverts about the memorial walk on the back of some of there buses.
    Nice of them to get involved and provide transport.

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  19. Ah, abit of time to post lol

    S49 will be prepared and looked into thoroughly. The Idea was originally that the 49 would only need 2 buses and it would interwork with the S50. I have pointed out that it is do-able in 20 minutes but its a challenge and would be a risk. So chances it may have 3 buses on it... I don't know atm, plus the number of stops is ridiculous, literally 30 feet apart at times so that would slow it down with more demand

    The plaxton mercs are being used, as mentioned before, some buses were used for the Joseph Etchells Memorial Walk... close call since the cricket club was apparently double booked that day lol

    Give the S49 time, and Speedwell will provide. I won't be posting til friday know. I'm lucky today lol

    Also, whats the point in painting Fiesta in stagecoach fleet colours lol

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  20. Thanks for the update William.
    I think Mic was asking if the Fiesta's had Stagecoach fleetnames on, or whether they were just plain.

    Im surpised there only going to do a 20 min frequency, bare in mind how frequent the 409 is. The problem is using 3 buses every 20 mins will be very tight, and even tighter when the service gets busy, they might start falling behind. Thats what happened with the first S50 to Manchester, the timetable just wasn't do-able.

    William im abit confused by some of your post. Are they using the Plaxton Mercs on the S49 or did you mean they were used for the Memorial today?

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  21. Oh no they wont use the mercs on the S49, I meant for the Memorial walk. I don't know whats planned for the S49. All under wraps.

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  22. I thought thats what you meant, just checking.
    Cheers William.

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  23. I though the solo I saw was on the S50 thanks for telling me about the walk wondered what all those people where doing If the S49 did interwork with the S50 I could get home on one bus from work

    I did how ever see firstbus 40370 with 50 on the rear route panal with the 3 missing

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  24. Anonymous24/7/10 21:38

    First will wipe the floor with Speedwell! remember its registered as a frequent service,so First will just jack the frequency up to every 5mins!!! You talk some bollocks William,its alright competing with First on marginal services around Ashton,but this is a different ballgame.This unnecessary competition is one of the reasons why bus Deregulation as been the disaster it is!and why iam a big fan of the Quality contract concept,although the Coalition Government due to political dogma and lack of funds will unlikely allow it to go ahead.

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  25. Anon, theres no need to attack others, we are all allowed an opinion.
    Do you live in Tameside? If you do you will know that the words First and quality should never go in the same sentence. They charge high fares for a very poor service.

    Take a look at the 350/S50 & 348/S48. Are First wipeing the floor with Speedwell there - NO.

    If Speedwell were running in competition with First, they would run every 5 minutes infront of First, just like UK North did with Stagecoach on the 192.

    What Speedwell are doing is offering an alternative cheaper service. You call it unnecessary competition but the Office of Fair trading claims competition is GOOD for passengers as it keeps fares down.

    Time will tell if Speedwell's new S49 service will work, but lets not slate it before its even started.

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  26. ooh hoo... meow. Thank you though Felix. First wiping the floor?? lol

    someones a bit upset and/or angry. I would like you to highight the "Bollocks" in my comments... do please. First have labelled the 348 as frequent due to it having a certain number of buses on the route only (6 at any one time, no more). Not with the 350 since it goes to Oldham. I might be young but not stupid or a liar at that... considering I work for speedwell, I think i might have a clue.

    Competition is one, of few, advantages about deregulation. Speedwell have decided to run a service in Tameside thats worked a treat, so logic dictates that it may be useful in Oldham... time will tell. In the meantime "Anon" you keep certain remarks to yourself.

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  27. Anonymous24/7/10 22:46

    Ho,Ho,William!got under your skin havei?good because i am sick and tired of reading the absolute tosh that you, Felix and others write on this blog,just because the author works for Stagecoach,and resides in Oldham.
    I am under no illusions about First i appreciate their are probably the poorest of the major groups,but your incessant,subjective attacks wear a little thin after a while!

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  28. anon

    speedwell are doing well on the S50 I should know as I use it every day and see half the 350 nearly empty and the 409 service is no good service sometimes I have had to wait up to half an hour when they should be like every so often and so walk to Ashton from where I work and sometimes no bus passes me give the S49 a chance when/if it starts they will be charging just £1 max fare as they do on S48/50 services

    I would not mind stagecoach running the 409

    happy travelling

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  29. Anon, firstly if you are going to attack us in this childish way, why not use your name. We are all adults after all.

    I have never attacked First, but im intitled to my opinion just like you are. I HAVE to use both First/Stagecoach and Speedwell bus services to get around in Tameside and in MY OWN opinion First dont compare to the other two. Compared to other parts of Manchester First have failed to invest in the Dukinfield depot and as a result services in Tamside arn't there best. Services labeled as 'low floor' often have a mix of High and low floor vehicles, which for older passnegers and parents with prams is a nightmere.

    Id love to know what your opinion is on JPT and Bluebird who also run in competition with First and often attack First on there facebook fan pages. Are they as bad as Speedwell?

    At the end of the day we are invited to coment on whats posted by Oldham 100 on his blog. I must admit that sometimes the coments get a little bogged down with the Speedwell subject but im sure if the author wasn't happy about this he would ask us to stop.

    So why not make your comments, but dont attack me and others for having an opinion.

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  30. Wow, someone upset with personal opinion and discussions... great step foward. Personally, the puctuation and missing words in your comments says it all.

    Ahywho, I'd rather end this debate, considering Oldham100 may not appreciatte it, pls ' the fact you're trying to 'get under my skin' really does show what you're like then Anon.

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  31. M Branson25/7/10 00:30

    Blimey, bit of an argument (very heated debate?) going on here. Anon, if you are sick of other people's comments on here, then by all means add your own opinions, but there are ways of making it part of an intelligent debate rather than starting an argument.
    I also too took the opportunity to sample the last day of the Speedwell 353/354 before Stotts takes over. By coincidence, it was also R513YWC! There was one regular passenger who shook the (regular) driver's hand on departure. Photo and short video can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/m920 . I also went on the DS2 Dovestone Resovoir bus in the afternoon, had a walk round the resovoir before getting the same bus back to Uppermill, and must have been the first and second passenger on that bus all day, though I didn't ask the driver if anyone else had got on as I am too shy.

    I am sorry if my comment seems a bit out of time, it took me ages to write this comment out on my mobile phone, and chances are, some comments will have appeared in between me starting to write out this comment and me finally posting it.

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  32. M Branson,
    I dont think the Dovestones DS1/2 is doing that well. I used it last weekend and was the only passenger on the bus. The driver looked boared to death lol. I dont think GMPTE/Oldham MBC will be doing that again next year.

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  33. William
    Before you correct someone on how they write, check your spelling.People in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.

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  34. M Branson

    yes I had a last ride on R513 YWC the one that left Ashton at 13.55

    they have had buses on dovestones years ago and that did not do very well the one that did was the 180/429 to Holmfirth/Huddersfield how ever the buses kept breaking down on the A635

    If people do not like what they read then they do not have to read it so lets not argue

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  35. Oh damn. Missed the chance to enjoy the 353/4 under the vario, and Checkmates last 346 today. Can't wait 'til I'm back in Tameside, seeing the new colours lol

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  36. at least we still have the S50 to travel on here in Mossley and the 343 aswell

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  37. Thats right Mic, Glossopdale bus company operated the Dovestones park and ride service under tender in 1995 but it didn't do well.
    Then a year later JP Bus company tried it, commercially, meaning they wouldn't get a subsidy from the pte, but that again didn't do well.

    The reason for bringing it back was because the trains are running more frequently to Greenfield station at weekends, and the hope was people visiting Dovestones would leave there car at home and use the train and then the DS1/2 but it seems again its not gone well.

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  38. I know I saw the bus today and it was empty I bet the drivers are fed up use to tavel on checkmate when they did the 352 service to Denshaw

    just had this weeks bus news and it says a lot of stagecoach buses are to go out of use and a lot more loaned to other depots

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  39. Well yes Mic, the summer timetable started today so alot of the Magic bus Dragons should get stored over summer. Im told that the service change date on September 5th sould be when theres some big Stagecoach changes.

    I dont think the Checkmate drivers would be that bothered. There getting paid whether they carry 0 passengers or full loads, plus Checkmate is being paid to run the service so they all should be happy.

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  40. it also gives buses in stagecoach livery

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  41. M Branson25/7/10 22:19

    Today wasn't the last day of Checkmate operating the evening 346s as I was led to believe, it is actually the first day of Coachmasters operating the route. They are using a brand new yellow 10 reg Enviro200! MX10 KNR I think was the registration.

    I waited on Jeffrey's Drive for the first one towards Ashton, which actually turned right up Foundry Street, the correct way for journeys going the opposite way, but wrong for going back to Ashton. So I caught it on its next journey to Gee Cross and explained that to them. They realised when I pointed it out on their route description that I was right and apologised (the driver and his "helper"). I caught the bus properly its second time round and showed them the way lol. They'd been route learning the wrong way all day!

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  42. Arrr thats interesting MB. I had been told The Coachmasters had bought a E300 and a Solo, but my snout must have meant E200.
    Was it yellow?

    It is strange on service change day as some services change on the actual date and some change the day before.
    Im sure Stott's wont have any route problems tommorow as they will know Mossley/Denshaw pretty well.

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  43. Indeed the Enviro200 is yellow as I saw it on Saturday operating on 12 Middleton-Boarshaw Circular service, not seen the Solo yet but will look out for it

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  44. M Branson26/7/10 08:16

    I quote back to my last comment, "brand new yellow 10 reg Enviro200!". Yes, it was definitely yellow.

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  45. Sorry M B i asked that question very late last night after a long day at work. Silly me.

    There may not be a Solo. Ive heard a conflicting report today suggesting The Coachmasters have leased two Enviro200's, but this isn't confirmed.

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