Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

[W179 SCU]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Does any of the NE members know if there are any shuttle services to the Mouth of The Tyne festival on Saturday coming, and what company are operating them?

Thanks in advance.

[tom.robinson206]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(08/07/2012 17:55)W179 SCU Wrote:  Does any of the NE members know if there are any shuttle services to the Mouth of The Tyne festival on Saturday coming, and what company are operating them?

Thanks in advance.

I'm fairly sure it's been Arriva for the past few years.

[W179 SCU]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(08/07/2012 20:01)tom.robinson206 Wrote:  

(08/07/2012 17:55)W179 SCU Wrote:  Does any of the NE members know if there are any shuttle services to the Mouth of The Tyne festival on Saturday coming, and what company are operating them?

Thanks in advance.

I'm fairly sure it's been Arriva for the past few years.

Aright, cheers - Do you know what services there will be?

[kuyoyo]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(05/07/2012 16:08)kuyoyo Wrote:  July is a very busy month for myself:

11th July: A day down to Sheffield
14th July: Unsure, either a day out up on Tyneside or a day photoing outside Middlesbrough Bus Station for the last time prior to its closure on the 16th July
16th July: Middlesbrough, first day after the closure of Middlesbrough Bus Station and the start of the 600
21st July: Sunderland Airshow, including photo opportunities with routes serving places they don't normally (E1/E6 finishing at Seaburn Camp)
25th July: Potentially another day down in Yorkshire (either West or South) using Megabus
28th July: Newcastle and South Shields, first trip to get the Olympic Cover vehicles

Some changes to this, mainly of those in bold:
14th July: a combined day to Newcastle (to find some of the Yorkshire vehicles that are coming on-loan for the Olympics period) before returning to Teesside for the late afternoon/evening to spot some surprises out on the road (Stagecoach's Assistant Operation Manager is out driving on a Backshift), also enables some time in Middlesbrough for the last full service day of the Bus Station before the refurbishment work begins
18th July: Middlesbrough again
28th July: Again, trip to Tyneside but mainly aimed at getting the B10BLEs reactive in South Shields (and potentially at Slatyford as well)

[M113 YKC]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Today, me and my friend (another member of this forum) went out and visited a few depots. Here's how it went:

52 (ANW) - Netherton, Glovers Lane > Queen Square Bus Station
Pulsar CX58 FZC (2922)
(AGAIN! Same buses every time...) As usual, this bus was excellent. It sounded great and it barely rattled, although it rattled more this time than when I last rode on it... The excellent driver created a fantastic ride - high speeds towards the end of my journey!

(I met up with my friend in Queen Square Bus Station.)

6 (ANW) - Queen Square Bus Station > Huyton Bus Station
Plaxton Pointer 2 X201 ANC (2201)
This bus was loud and at the back, where we sat, the ride-quality wasn't very good, although there were some padding in the seats. The driver was quite fast and the bus seemed to be quite fast, too - when the driver was going fast, however, I noticed a burning smell...

10B (ANW) - Huyton Bus Station > Huyton, Manor Farm Road
Pulsar 2 MX09 JTY (2964)
This bus was horrible! It rattled violently and it didn't sound very nice; the woman driver was quite fast, though. The interior was a disgrace - as standard with Green Lane buses, as it seems...

(We visited HTL Buses' depot.)

10B (ANW) - Huyton, Manor Farm Road > Huyton Bus Station
Pulsar 2 MX09 JHY (2960)
SLOW! Again, the interior was a disgrace... The engine sounded nice, though, and the driver seemed to be friendly and talkative!

15 (ANW) - Huyton Bus Station > Queen Square Bus Station
Pulsar 2 MX61 AWU (3064)
It's always a delight to have this bus! It barely rattles and it has a nice interior, along with an excellent-sounding engine. Both drivers were fast.

14 (ANW) - Queen Square Bus Station > Croxteth, Willow Way
Pulsar 2 MX61 AWZ (3068)
Another favourite of mine! This bus seemed to rev higher than 3064, even with the two decent drivers that we had at the wheel. Rattles were quite violent on the worst roads en-route.

(We visited SM&SL's Gillmoss depot.

14 (ANW) - Croxteth, Callestock Close > Broadway, Utting Avenue East
Pulsar 2 MX61 AWY (3067)
Firstly, the missing white stripe at the front of the bus (exterior) was not to my taste, as wasn't the squeaky seats at the back! The bus sounded nice and, apart from those annoying squeaky seats, was free from major rattles. The driver was disappointingly slow...

14 (ANW) - Broadway, Utting Avenue East > Queen Square Bus Station
Pulsar 2 MX09 JHK (2955)
VERY SLOW! The fast driver at the wheel was fantastic, however the bus literally crawled off the line - probably THE slowest "slow mode" that I've ever sampled! The so-called hills en-route were a major issue! Once again, the interior was a disgrace and the bus rattled and squeaked violently at times. It sounded fantastic, however...

13 (ANW) - Queen Square Bus Station > West Derby, West Derby Road
Prestige R152 GNW (2402)
It sounded very nice, however it rattled quite a lot; it also vibrated a bit in idle, however it wasn't too UNBEARABLE...! The seats seemed to be very low, strangely... Despite having the looks, this bus was NOT to my taste...

18 (ANW) - West Derby, West Derby Road > Queen Square Bus Station
Commander CX06 BHA (2574)
Fantastic! It barely rattled and it sounded very, very different from a usual bus of this type - in a good way! It seemed to hold gear one excellently! Nice interior, too.

(I left my friend on the following journey...)

56 (ANW) - Liverpool, Sir Thomas Street > Netherton, Peterborough Drive(!)
DAF/ALX400 T297 FGN (4057)
Not bad. It rattled quite a lot, however it sounded nice. Both drivers were fast. I managed to persuade the second (new-ish) driver to let me off "around the back" after a confrontation about the route in the timetable stating that the service ran via "Fleetwoods Lane, Glovers Lane, St Oswalds Lane, Peterborough Drive to NETHERTON (MAGDALENE SQUARE)." and that there was a bus-stop on Peterborough Drive...! Nice driver, anyway!

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
I had an early start today so here's my day out:

Trip to Birkenhead:
20 - 24164 PO59 MWX (Home - City Centre)
464 - 4158 S288 JUA (City Centre - Birkenhead)
507023 (Hamilton Square-James Street)

Outing with friend:
14 - 3013 MX59 FFR (James Street - Queen Square Bus Station)
6 - 2201 X201 ANC (Queen Square Bus Station - Huyton Bus Station)
10B - 2964 MX09 JTY (Huyton Bus Station - Wilson Road)

Visit to HTL Buses' depot

10B - 2960 MX09 JHY (Wilson Road - Huyton Bus Station)
15 - 3064 MX61 AWU (Huyton Bus Station - Queen Square Bus Station)
14 - 3068 MX61 AWZ (Queen Square Bus Station - Willow Way)

Visit to Stagecoach Gillmoss depot

14 - 3067 MX61 AWY (Willow Way - Broadway)
14 - 2955 MX09 JHK (Broadway - Queen Square Bus Station)
13 - 2402 R152 GNW (Queen Square Bus Station - Tuebrook)
18 - 2574 CX06 BHA (Tuebrook - Queen Square Bus Station)
56 - 4057 T297 FGN (Sir Thomas Street - Home)

[M113 YKC]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(10/07/2012 19:11)MX61 AWY (3067) Wrote:  14 - 3013 MX59 FFS (James Street - Queen Square Bus Station)

3013 is MX59 FFR!

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(10/07/2012 19:29)27701 Wrote:  

(10/07/2012 19:11)MX61 AWY (3067) Wrote:  14 - 3013 MX59 FFS (James Street - Queen Square Bus Station)

3013 is MX59 FFR!

Woops! Thanks mate

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews
Went out yesterday with no particular destinations set so it ended up just being a case of jumping on what looked good at the time! The aim had been to get a few photos whilst out and whilst I did, it also turned into a day of experimenting with camera settings having not read up on what the effect of each was before leaving... Can't say it ended amazingly well! There will be a trickle of photos making their way onto my Flickr if anyone wants to take a look but unfortunately, a lot taken yesterday went to pot thanks to my inordinate fiddling!

Northern Rail Class 156, 156425 (Home - Liverpool Lime Street)
This is one of Northern's refurbished 156 examples and I have to say, even without a refurbishment, these remain my firm favourites on the Liverpool - Wigan line. The 142s and 150s simply don't have a patch on them. This was a very nice 156 with, as mentioned, a refurbished interior and good ride quality. Notably, the interior was also in a very good condition and build quality seemed good compared to some others with a strong sounding engine proving good acceleration and speed where the line allowed.

52A - Peoplesbus Optare Tempo, V1 BUS (Sir Thomas Street to Bootle Strand)
This was my first time on Peoplesbus' Tempo and I was very impressed. I was amazed initially at the complete lack of any sort of vibration at idle. Had the engine not been making a sound, it'd have felt like it was switched off! Very impressive. The high spec interior with LED lighting is also excellent and makes the vehicle a real credit to the company. It doesn't lack in speed either. The poor roads on the way out of Liverpool did it no favours but I've had much worse vehicles over the same stretch. In summary, a commendable vehicle for Peoplesbus.

47 - Arriva North West Pulsar 2 3035, MX10 BZU (Bootle Strand to Southport)
I always enjoy catching vehicles based out of Southport as they always seem to be superior in quality and the way they are kept when compared to other garages. 3035 is no exception as it turned up spotless internally with a friendly female driver. One thing I enjoy about this route is the run down the Formby by-pass which really lets the driver push the vehicle and this lady was no exception. The vehicle was pushed up to the limiter in the inside lane overtaking numerous cars down the stretch. It really shows how powerful the Pulsars can be in the correct configuration with the correct driver. As with most of Southport's Pulsars, this also had a distinct lack of rattles making it an enjoyable ride. If only the slower sections of the route, sat in traffic were non-existent!

Merseyrail Class 507, 507024 (Southport to Bootle Strand)
After some time spent in Southport for lunch and some photographs, we jumped on one of Merseyrail's services back to Bootle to save on time. Whilst I have nothing against the 507s, whenever I've tried them, they've seemed to have notable jerking during initial acceleration. As I say though, I don't mind them but I wouldn't say I love them either. I'll still take a DMU over these EMUs personally!

58C - Cumfybus Optare Solo, YS02 UCD (Bootle Strand to Netherton Magdalene Square)
Just a quick stint on one of Cumfybus' Solos not having tried a huge number of them. This particular one looked tired inside but was still suitably comfortable. It featured an annoying, but not unbearable, squeaking at the front of the vehicle but other than that, there were no huge rattling or vibration issues. The gearbox was loud but to be honest, I found that quite nice. The engine wasn't up to much however and was sluggish through gears 1 and 2. Ride quality on the other hand, was excellent.

56 - Arriva North West Plaxton Pointer 2 2218, X218 ANC (Netherton Magdalene Square to Queen Square)
I had been looking for a Bootle X-ANC to see how bad they were however, it seems that whenever there are complaints about a certain vehicle allocation at a garage and I go out to try some of the worst, I end up with the best! This was an excellent vehicle with a great turn of speed with the driver at the wheel really pushing it. It has been fully treated under the P&P programme and I found the Urban 90s comfortable for the duration of the journey. No rattles, no vibrations and a strong engine - absolutely excellent. I'll have to try and see how bad these can be at some other stage!

Northern Rail Class 156, 156468 (Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway)
Then we went off for a quick stint to South Parkway to photograph some of the through workings from First Trans Pennine, London Midland and Northern. We also had the opportunity to photograph some of the bus service from HTL, Arriva and Stagecoach. Unfortunately for me, these were probably some of my worst photographs of the day - my own fault for messing around with settings non-educationally though! Back to the DMU though, this was a non-refurbished example and so looked considerably tired internally. It'd be great if Northern could increase the rate at which they refurbish these units because, once done, they look excellent. Ride quality was good and the engine was strong though.

Northern Rail Class 156, 156? (Liverpool South Parkway to Liverpool Lime Street)
Much the same as the above however the engine did not sound anywhere near as strong on this example and whined painfully the whole way.

10 - Arriva North West Pulsar 2 2967, MX09 OOV (Liverpool Queen Square to Home)
Having been a painfully slow example for a long time with no power coming from an engine which revved to high levels, 2967 finally had some work done at the start of the year to rectify its problems. Now, it's an excellent example with good power from the engine giving a quick ride. The driver was also excellent pushing the vehicle at every opportunity. Ride quality is good with minimal crashing and rattles over some of the worse roads down the route and no idle vibrations from the back shelf. A lovely ride to end the day on what was a surprisingly quiet 10 working.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Bus-Related Outings & Reviews

(11/07/2012 15:51)CX54 DKD Wrote:  58A - Cumfybus Optare Solo, YS02 UCD (Bootle Strand to Netherton Magdalene Square)
Just a quick stint on one of Cumfybus' Solos not having tried a huge number of them. This particular one looked tired inside but was still suitably comfortable. It featured an annoying, but not unbearable, squeaking at the front of the vehicle but other than that, there were no huge rattling or vibration issues. The gearbox was loud but to be honest, I found that quite nice. The engine wasn't up to much however and was sluggish through gears 1 and 2. Ride quality on the other hand, was excellent.

They operate the 58C!

(11/07/2012 15:51)CX54 DKD Wrote:  56 - Arriva North West Plaxton Pointer 2 2218, X218 ANC (Netherton Magdalene Square to Queen Square)
I had been looking for a Bootle X-ANC to see how bad they were however, it seems that whenever there are complaints about a certain vehicle allocation at a garage and I go out to try some of the worst, I end up with the best! This was an excellent vehicle with a great turn of speed with the driver at the wheel really pushing it. It has been fully treated under the P&P programme and I found the Urban 90s comfortable for the duration of the journey. No rattles, no vibrations and a strong engine - absolutely excellent. I'll have to try and see how bad these can be at some other stage!

2218 is a really nice bus now! It used to have a different gearbox to the rest, however it's been a fine bus since that was changed (coincidentally when it had its' "P&P" work completed). To be honest, it's not usually on Netherton-based services these days - it's usually on ex-Skelmersdale-based services (luckily for them - we get their rubbish!).

Regarding bad X-ANCs, most of Bootle's bad ones went to Green Lane with the 68! Unfortunately, though, we kept X224 ANC (2224) - one for you to sample if you want a bad bus...! X227 ANC (2227) and X232 ANC (2232) are two great buses, so if you ever get the chance to sample them...

That was an excellent post to read, anyway - put us regulars to shame...!