I meant to post this yesterday but I have just noticed it sitting it the editor waiting for me to hit the Publish button! 
Just a quick note to wish you all a Happy Easter. I am taking a few days break from the blog for the Easter Holiday. I feel I need it after the scare of the last couple of weeks!
I am never off duty completely so will still be looking out for stories and also hope to be out on Saturday taking pictures as the bus scene in Plymouth has suddenly changed. Its not a case of looking out for the one bus you need to update your records - there are loads of them now I have to catch!
See you all Tuesday - and be good!
Creme Egg photo by Suitov
Elsewhere on the net
- It was unfortunate to hear that Riverlink (Rail River Link) Leyland Olympian OFS 702Y came to the end of her working life last week after many a year of hard graft working across pretty much the whole country! PTOTPA
- A number of blog commentators have implied that fbb doesn't ask the right questions, so doesn't get the right answers. Sadly, fbb asks the questions that he wants answered, not those insisited upon by non public transport program purveyors. Public Transport Experience
- The interesting thing about Nottingham City Transport’s bus map is not what it shows but what it doesn’t. Or what it no longer shows. The tram’s gone. It does not exist. There’s no trace of it. Omnibuses
- I haven't done a post on blog facts and thanks for a while, so I thought today I could let you know how the blog is doing. Southern England Bus Scene
From what I saw on Thursday, these are the 'bus on route' changes:
ReplyDelete5/A - 54-reg Alexander Dennis Darts
8/9 - 56-reg Citaros
16 - 51/54-reg Darts, no double-decks
27 - N/R-reg Darts, (didn't see any of the Oxford dual-door Darts)
29/43B - Enviros; saw 135 and an 08-reg Enviro, aswell as a Y-reg SPD.
42 - 03-reg Transbus SPDs, a big change from the N/R/S-reg ones previously used!
43 - (obviously) the new Volvo Wright buses
43A - This route also had the new buses on it, I saw at least 2 B7RLEs on it
Have a good easter Graham!
The Oxford dual-door darts have now been withdrawn from service
ReplyDeletehttp://www.volvobuses.com/bus/uk/en-gb/_layouts/CWP.Internet.VolvoCom/NewsItem.aspx?News.ItemId=121209&News.Language=en-gb
ReplyDeleteFor completion, here is what seems to be the allocations to other parts of the network
ReplyDelete20 - 52 plate darts
21 - 55/56 citaros
22 - 03 darts
61/62 - been a bit of mix this week, citaro, double deckers and 51 darts and the odd R
23/24 - x-reg mini darts and R/S darts
36 - O8 enviros
25 - mini dart usually
34 - double deckers
50 - double deckers and y reg darts
44 - T reg darts
40/41 - N/R darts and 08 enviros
49 - a dart of sometype, have seen a 54, a R and a S on it this week.
For the record, one of the new Volvo wright buses was on a bank holiday afternoon run on the 41 yesterday (fri 6th), couldnt see which one it was.
The 3 spare Volvos will be used on the 43A. Although I thought I saw one on the 41 today as we had 100, 102 & 133 43A today.
ReplyDeleteThe 50/61/62 all 'change into eachother'. I've seen a Citaro on the 62 before heading to Derriford, this would then change to a City Centre-bound 50.
ReplyDeleteThe 20 and 22 have similar buses, usually Mon-Fri it's 60,61,62,63 on the 22, then 64,65,66 on the 20, and vice versa on Saturdays; 60,61,62 on the 20 and 63-66 on 22.
67 though seems to be very popular on the 22! I saw 3 '03'-reg Transbus Darts on the 42 on Saturday, and 71 on the 40/41. These tend to get used on the 28B/29/34 evenings and Sundays.
I've never seen a B7 leave Royal Parade on the 50; though I frequently see one on the 62 during the week to Transit Way. This bus then pulled into Derriford not in service; surely this should've changed into a City Centre 61/50?
Tom, I think it's in high demand for a proper list to be created online, along with fleetlists for Citybus & First in Plymouth, I can't find them anywhere!
ReplyDeletePlease do one :)
I'm onto it! I fonud a fleetlist for Citybus which I've updated; I just need to check with the original author whether it's okay for it to be uploaded. I never use First services due to living in Plympton, so I barely know anything about FDC unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI know 183, 188, 132, 214, 215, 216 have all be withdrawn from use.
ReplyDeleteI know 183, 188, 132, 214, 215, 216 have all be withdrawn from use.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know that about 183/188 and 132! I'm hoping that I'll get a ride on a B10M on the 16th! Citybus have confirmed in an email to me they will still use the B10Ms after the Easter break.
ReplyDeleteAm almost there now, just updating the liveries.
ReplyDeleteShould be ready very soon.
DONE!
ReplyDeleteFull XLS fleetlist:
https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=279c2d2ab1db259f&resid=279C2D2AB1DB259F!115&parid=279C2D2AB1DB259F!113
Basic PDF fleetlist:
https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=279c2d2ab1db259f&resid=279C2D2AB1DB259F!114&parid=279C2D2AB1DB259F!113
Please download the spreadsheet file, it makes it much easier to read and more importantly you can see the disclaimer.
Any mistakes/corrections please let me know!
Says the files font exist?
ReplyDeleteSLF 2, 214, 215, 216
ReplyDeleteStep Dart 132 and
Volvo deckers 183,188 were all withdrawn last week.
More Slf's will be withdrawn at some point no doubt.
Strange as I only saw 188 on the 16 about a month ago.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask where you got the information from? (I'm not saying I don't believe you; I'm just wondering!)
I was told the same from several Citybus drivers who are also good friends :)
ReplyDeleteDammit! That makes it even less likely I'll have a ride on a B10M. I've now got 181,182,184,185,166 and 187 listed being in service. (If that's wrong please correct it!) I heard a driver I get on with talking to another driver about it, and I definitely remember them saying the 3 dual-door Oxford Darts are gone. (The driver in question is pictured in these photos)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/6341143427/sizes/o/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/5643518378/sizes/o/in/photostream/
What's everyone's opinions on the fleetlist then? I would be really grateful for any feedback; good or bad.
Yes, fantastic work on the fleetlist, just what was needed, I'm sure many of us will keep you informed on whats going on.
ReplyDeleteStrong rumours suggest that Citybus will be reducing the amount of buses on the roads between 10am & 2pm.
That got me thinking; should there be a little 'box' or something on the homepage for people to post fleet updates/buses spotted etc? Similar to the 'PTOTPA Live' box.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, do you think this will be the end of the N-reg darts?
Great work Tom, but do City Bus still own VJY137V, Leyland Atlantean
ReplyDeleteEast Lancs? and if so for what purpose do they use it?
I doubt they do; well spotted!
ReplyDeleteThey still own 201 Leyland Titan though, available for private hire such as weddings etc.
Someone said 2 had gone but I'm not too sure. They are all due to go soon.
ReplyDeleteI can almost guarantee all B10Ms will be withdrawn at the end of the academic year, since Citybus is scrapping all school buses, except the contract buses, which will more than likely be operated by B7s that used to do the other school runs.
ReplyDeleteI have added my own fleet listing which is available by clicking the link on the header or
ReplyDeletehttp://t.co/aIv93QH3
Excellent fleetlisting; much clearer and more easy to read.
ReplyDeleteno problem
ReplyDeletewill try and sort out a First fleetlist soon!
Graham, great list, a couple of notes for you
ReplyDelete176 - is this not in preservation?
175 - was seen in a little depot off Newnham Road, Plympton, last week, I can't remember the company based there
29 – still in Art show livery, lets hope for not too long, as it is not out of date!
189 – was F606 GVO and has been withdrawn
Do the list of Optares , 210-213 need to be added in the list?
Thanks Tom. I have no idea why the advert for 29 was not on my list - just seem to have missed it!
ReplyDeleteThe others have all been sold on so are not included in this list. The Optare Solos have all gone to Go Ahead South Coast (or at least they should have gone by now? are any still sitting at Milehouse?)
All 4 Optares, 210-213 have all left Plymouth and did so late last year.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the name of that company at Newnham Road in Plympton, but in October 3x ex-Citybus 709Ds were there.
176 is indeed in preservation with the PCTPG, and F606GVO was withdrawn and sold a long time ago, it carried an all-over ad' for 'Down2Business'.
http://www.plymothiantransit.com/2011/01/life-after-plymouth-f606gvo.html
From when I last saw 29, it did indeed still carry the British Art Show advert. Maybe this bus is due a repaint into the new Go-Ahead livery, since the front's been done?
re 29 bus si still out an about in this livery. As for the front - its now pretty much standard practice to have the front in the current livery for advert buses. It does not signify that the bus will soon loose the advert. Clearly when it does though it will pretty much have to be repainted in the new livery - or have another wrap.
ReplyDeleteGreat goods from you, man. I've be aware your stuff
ReplyDeleteprevious to and you're simply extremely fantastic.
I actually like what you've got right here,
really like what you're saying and the best way in which you assert it.
You are making
it enjoyable and you still take care of to stay it smart.
I cant wait to read much more from you. This is actually a
tremendous web site.
Visit my web blog :: tattoos.punbb-hosting.com
I was just searching for this information for a while. After
ReplyDeletesix hours of
continuous Googleing, finally I got it in your website.
I wonder what's the lack of
Google strategy that don't rank this kind of informative sites in top
of the list.
Normally the top web sites are full of garbage.
Visit my web blog - http://kfc1973-stock.blogspot.com/2012/09/f-compromise-has-been-reached-between.html