First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)

[cnjb8]

There is a report on Facebook that 39005, the Wright Hybrid, is now in Badgerline colours.

Is it still actually a hybrid? Was it converted to diesel when it's York counterparts were sent to Wright for it?

 

[AB93]

Is it still actually a hybrid? Was it converted to diesel when it's York counterparts were sent to Wright for it?

The York ones are still hybrids, they were just re-worked.

 

[Whiteway215]

They were swapped over on a weekday last week. I believe to cover the fact Coaster branded vehicles are not being used and instead a lot of the time Badgerline Darts.

However yesterday it was all Urban with the 2 Urban E400s 33569 & 33685 and B7TL 32333, 32335 and 32338 and and today it is a mixture of Urban and Badgerline with Urban 33569 and Badgerline B7TL 32357 doing the honours.

Dart 42901 sustained front end damage last week. I wonder if that will be repaired.

Perhaps the intention is to convert some newer open tops when something becomes availabe as the current ALX400s are getting on and leak like a sieve. Or have a ‘Badgerline Coast Rider’ brand like there used to be.

Was 42901 badly damaged? I presume 42965 has been brought back into service to replace 42901?

 

[cnjb8]

The York ones are still hybrids, they were just re-worked.

Oh ok thank you

 

[D2007wsm]

Was 42901 badly damaged? I presume 42965 has been brought back into service to replace 42901?

42901 had a completely cracked n/s front pillar underneath the windscreen with damage under the windscreen up to the radiator grill. The n/s windscreen is also gone and the door is hanging off. I do not know about 42965, don’t really here a lot about allocations these days.

 

[Mr_c]

They were swapped over on a weekday last week. I believe to cover the fact Coaster branded vehicles are not being used and instead a lot of the time Badgerline Darts.

However yesterday it was all Urban with the 2 Urban E400s 33569 & 33685 and B7TL 32333, 32335 and 32338 and and today it is a mixture of Urban and Badgerline with Urban 33569 and Badgerline B7TL 32357 doing the honours.

Dart 42901 sustained front end damage last week. I wonder if that will be repaired.

Perhaps the intention is to convert some newer open tops when something becomes availabe as the current ALX400s are getting on and leak like a sieve. Or have a ‘Badgerline Coast Rider’ brand like there used to be.

I also noticed they have put up badgerline bus stops on both sides of the road even though the 20 does a one way loop around Burnham on sea. Something going on we don't know about?

 

[Whiteway215]

42901 had a completely cracked n/s front pillar underneath the windscreen with damage under the windscreen up to the radiator grill. The n/s windscreen is also gone and the door is hanging off. I do not know about 42965, don’t really here a lot about allocations these days.

Many thanks for the damage report. I'm no expert but it sounds serious enough to not warrant repairing. We will have to see.
42965 has been reported on another website as being back in use and if you can trust the tracker it is shown as operating on the 20 today.

 

[Mr_c]

There is a report on Facebook that 39005, the Wright Hybrid, is now in Badgerline colours.

If you type '39005 badgerline' into Google and look at the images you will see a picture of 39005 in green and yellow.

 

[Whiteway215]

If you type '39005 badgerline' into Google and look at the images you will see a picture of 39005 in green and yellow.

39005 and 32007 were seen at Press Engineering, Avonmouth on 5th March. 39005 was still in Bath Park & Ride livery at that time so was still awaiting repaint into Badgerline.

 

[swifty]

Surprisingly red fronted 32098 was seen out of retirement and was in use on the 70 yesterday.

32093 is tracking on the 8 today, although I'm not sure if its a ticket machine swap because of the canopy at Temple Meads.

 

[Markk1990]

Surprisingly red fronted 32098 was seen out of retirement and was in use on the 70 yesterday.

32093 is tracking on the 8 today, although I'm not sure if its a ticket machine swap because of the canopy at Temple Meads.

I believe 32098 was also on the 75/76 today. It looks freshly painted, or could just be clean. Is there any reason this is back out?

 

[Whiteway215]

Has Wessex Water 44904 departed from Bath yet?

I read 39005 entered service on Weston 7 today but was swapped over after its first trip.
When I was young (!) drivers would say they ‘ran a bus in‘ when they swapped it for a replacement vehicle but I don’t think that term is used these days.

 

[cnjb8]

Has Wessex Water 44904 departed from Bath yet?

I read 39005 entered service on Weston 7 today but was swapped over after its first trip.
When I was young (!) drivers would say they ‘ran a bus in‘ when they swapped it for a replacement vehicle but I don’t think that term is used these days.

I believe all three have been sold on now

 

[D2007wsm]

Has Wessex Water 44904 departed from Bath yet?

I read 39005 entered service on Weston 7 today but was swapped over after its first trip.

It was trialled ‘Not in Service’ last week on the 1 and apparently it wasn’t a success. Word is, it took 3 attempts to get up the hill by ‘The Owl’s Nest’ in Kewstoke.

With that in mind would it make it up the cutting on the A370 near Weston General? If not it would have to live on the 7. That is the only route without a hill, other than the 3.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

When I was young (!) drivers would say they ‘ran a bus in‘ when they swapped it for a replacement vehicle but I don’t think that term is used these days.

The antidote to which is the "punishment bus" - an unpopular vehicle parked out front in case you were tempted to book a vehicle off for nefarious reasons

It was trialled ‘Not in Service’ last week on the 1 and apparently it wasn’t a success. Word is, it took 3 attempts to get up the hill by ‘The Owl’s Nest’ in Kewstoke.

With that in mind would it make it up the cutting on the A370 near Weston General? If not it would have to live on the 7. That is the only route without a hill, other than the 3.

Not a surprise. When in Bath, when it was actually out on the road, it was confined to the 21 to Newbridge rather than either of the other P&Rs so it avoided Wells Road/Lansdowne!

 

[Citistar]

It was trialled ‘Not in Service’ last week on the 1 and apparently it wasn’t a success. Word is, it took 3 attempts to get up the hill by ‘The Owl’s Nest’ in Kewstoke.

Given how quickly one pilot got it to pull away from rest in the coach park last Tuesday, thats quite a surprise.

 

[swifty]

For anyone interested former West of England (and briefly Kernow) plates RKZ 4760 and WYY 752 have been applied to 32033 and 32036 respectively in Weymouth.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

For anyone interested former West of England (and briefly Kernow) plates RKZ 4760 and WYY 752 have been applied to 32033 and 32036 respectively in Weymouth.

RKZ4760 wasn't on a Kernow machine; it was on 32002 that has headed off to Cymru; not certain why they didn't send 32011-3 to Wales and keep the two with the private plates, or removed the plate to then put in on a Dorset example. I know enthusiasts like things to be logical, and some things that don't seem logical do have some unseen reasoning, but it's seems an odd one.

WYY752 was on 32015 which is still with Kernow under its old plate.

 

[83G/84D]

66993, at the time white, operated from the Eden Project for a short while. It had a cherished / private registration, that was RKZ 4760 (just checked photo's). Reported on the Kernow / South West thread that some deckers are heading to Cornwall from West of England fleet tomorrow (Saturday).

 

[Whiteway215]

RUMOUR ALERT I’m told that 44526 which received serious fire damage has been repaired and is at Press Engineering for painting.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

66993, at the time white, operated from the Eden Project for a short while. It had a cherished / private registration, that was RKZ 4760 (just checked photo's). Reported on the Kernow / South West thread that some deckers are heading to Cornwall from West of England fleet tomorrow (Saturday).

Fair point (and apologies to Swifty) as I was thinking of the B7 and not the plate. Nearly forgot about the short sojourn in Eden for those ex Dublin machines

 

[83G/84D]

Fair point (and apologies to Swifty) as I was thinking of the B7 and not the plate. Nearly forgot about the short sojourn in Eden for those ex Dublin machines

I don't think it was very long from memory and I only saw one in service.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I don't think it was very long from memory and I only saw one in service.

Judging on Flickr, 66993 was in Plymouth at the end of June 2013, appeared at Eden in July/Aug, and was back in Bath by September. Not certain if sister 66992 went down?

Two things though... never noticed that 66992/3 were registered back to front RKZ4761/0, and that RKZ4761 didn't reappear (or at least on a First bus).

 

[83G/84D]

Judging on Flickr, 66993 was in Plymouth at the end of June 2013, appeared at Eden in July/Aug, and was back in Bath by September. Not certain if sister 66992 went down?

Two things though... never noticed that 66992/3 were registered back to front RKZ4761/0, and that RKZ4761 didn't reappear (or at least on a First bus).

Interesting, I am pretty sure that only 66993 came down.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Interesting, I am pretty sure that only 66993 came down.

I think you're probably right

 

[Whiteway215]

Interesting, I am pretty sure that only 66993 came down.

According to Steve White’s website for 2013 66993 went Bath to Plymouth in June 2013 (and presumably then on to Eden) and returned to Bath in September 2013.
There was no mention of 66992 going to Cornwall.

(Puts on anorak-in fact according to my record 66992 was seen in service in Bath continuously between June and Sept 2013-takes off anorak!!)

 

[83G/84D]

According to Steve White’s website for 2013 66993 went Bath to Plymouth in June 2013 (and presumably then on to Eden) and returned to Bath in September 2013.
There was no mention of 66992 going to Cornwall.

(Puts on anorak-in fact according to my record 66992 was seen in service in Bath continuously between June and Sept 2013-takes off anorak!!)

Thanks for your research, you might want to keep your anorak on, given the weather at the moment!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

According to Steve White’s website for 2013 66993 went Bath to Plymouth in June 2013 (and presumably then on to Eden) and returned to Bath in September 2013.
There was no mention of 66992 going to Cornwall.

(Puts on anorak-in fact according to my record 66992 was seen in service in Bath continuously between June and Sept 2013-takes off anorak!!)

That backs up the Flickrsphere then!

 

[Private Baxter]

66942 passed me earlier along Fishponds Road. Now a training bus, first time I have seen it in a very long time.

 

[Whiteway215]

66942 passed me earlier along Fishponds Road. Now a training bus, first time I have seen it in a very long time.

Steve White reported 66942 had been on loan to Weymouth but obviously back now.
I believe at one time as a training bus it was based in Bath but not sure where it’s allocated now.