Another two Volvo B7TL Plaxtons have been reported as having arrived at Milehouse for further service:
PVL63 W463WGH 
Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by EastleighBusMan 4 January 2010
PVL83 W483WGH 
Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by EastleighBusMan 21 July 2012
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It would be nice to have some of the Scania Omnideckers seen behind the Volvo!
ReplyDeleteAny ideas when the first of these will hit the road? Something I've picked up on, in the ThisIsPlymouth story about Citybus investing in new double deckers, which 'will go into service alongside seven refurbished buses on the 21/21A and 26 routes.' - does the 21/A/26 need 15 buses?!
ReplyDeleteI guess they will enter service as and when they are refurbished. I dont suppose they will wait until they are all ready. I had heard that new buses would be in April but have not had that confirmed by anyone in the company. As for 15 buses needed - well it wouldnt suprise me if it was close to that!
DeleteSuppose so thinking about it - the last batch of PVLs entered service as each one was completed. I've also not heard any official launch date for the new Enviro 400s though going back to a few weeks ago a few drivers were talking about a 'big change' in April when discussing duties/running boards, though this could just be an internal update to drivers duties more than anything else. The B7RLEs were launched last April with a news story about them at around the same time so that could be another 'piece of evidence'.
DeleteAs for the 21s, it used to require 8 buses (though was reduced to 7 in March 2012), the 22 required 4, while the 26 must've required at least 7, so it must be around 15 come to think of it. The 20/42/A requires 7 - the 20 used to require 3 and the 42 needed 4, the 42D/46/152 (they all change with eachother throughout the day) require at least six possibly more. I do wonder if the 21/A/26 will see DDs on Sundays - my guess is unlikely as on Sundays the 26 stays as a 26 throughout the day, one 21 changes with the 34 once reached town, then a 29 from Derriford, then a 43 and so on, one changes to a 43A and I also I think with the 5/5As, possibly the 28s too, while at least one 21A changes with the 8/9s. I have seen buses that have been on the 21 changing with the 43B too.
If they were to deploy Enviro 400s onto the 21/A/26 on Sundays they'd need to massively re-think/redo a load of running boards (I could go on and on about all the various changeovers on Sundays; put simply, as far as I know, the 26 is the only route I know stays as that same route for the whole day - one 'group' typically follow this pattern
27 to Derriford changes to a 28, 28 into a 61 from town, 61 into a 62, 62 changes to a 29, 29 changes to a 34 from Derriford, 34 into a 42A, 42 from Tamerton changes to a 20, 20 changes to a 27, 27 changes to a 28, 28 into a 61 and so on.) A simpler changeover pattern is the 45 on Sundays changes to a 42 when reaching town, that changes to a 42A from Tamerton, which changes to a 41 from town, 41 upon reaching town changes to a 45 then back to a 42 etc. There's loads more I could go on about though I am getting a bit carried away!!
I guess if they wanted to assign the DDs on the 21/26s on Sunday's they'll have enough time to figure out how!
Wasn't it late 2011 that PCB made an announcement about the B7RLE's? There was also a prwss statement on Volvo's website.
DeleteSeems to have been kept fairly low key with the Enviro's.
Funny you mention duty changes in April Tom, amongst the ridiculous complaints on their Facebook page, some passengers have enquired about services changes in April. Apparently rumours going around.
I thought under VOSA terms, a service couldn't be changed for six months?
Im not sure about the side door conversion, but 436 looked nearly ready in the spray shop before the weekend. It had fleet number 436 on, but no number plate
ReplyDeleteI wish I stayed on the bus longer that time! Two drivers were chatting about their duties, e.g. 'on an early Monday and Tuesday', Wednesday I'm on a late' and so on, then discussed the routes shown on that running board, and just as I was literally stepping off the bus one said to the other 'and April's when the big change is' - it could as I said be something as small as a drivers duty update or a major timetable overhaul - I have no idea!!
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard that a route can't be altered for 6 months; take the 'old' 21 for example - in March it was withdrawn from Steer Park and rather inconveniently terminated at the District Centre (by the Chaddlewood Inn). It was returned to Steer Park in the middle of May - just over 2 months. Personally I'd love to see the return of the 22 - it was such a great service! I can't ever recall it ever being late and gave the passengers in Hillcrest Drive etc a direct link into town along Plymouth Road as opposed to going through Woodford first with the 20. If they're looking for ways to increase passenger numbers for the 45 then perhaps merge it with the 42D - I can remember a while ago a 'campaign' from Ivybridge residents for a 'proper' link to Derriford - possibly merging these together may solve the problem, and the 46 and 152 can operate with a vehicle allocation of 1 each remaining on that route throughout the day like the 152 used to.
Obviously take the deckers off the 42Ds, continue to use the 08 Enviros and place the deckers on the 27/28 so all 27/28s are DDs, as only two are at the moment which were moved from the 29/34s, with two SLFs on the 29/34, so perhaps aim to make all 27/28 and 29/34 DDs, which could see off some of the older Darts.
i have heard that the n and r reg slf's are here for another 3 years.
ReplyDeletethe yellow deckers 12-18 months.