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Post by driver6540 on Feb 5, 2012 23:17:31 GMT 1
The first of the ex- Bus Vannin (IOM Transport) Dennis Trident/ELC Lolyne's entered service in december. It carries fleet no 343 and has been issued cherished reg no H1 FBT. (Formally carried on a long since scrapped Optare Delta). The next two 344/5 are ready for dispatch from Bus & Coach world and it is expected they will be registered H2/3 FBT. What will be 346 is now being refurbished inside B&CW and should be ready before long. Unfortunately, 365. UWW 5X our ex-WYPTE Roe/Olympian has now been withdrawn again and is highly unlikely to see service with BT again. Once the delivery of the eleven Trident's from the IOM is complete, BT will then purchase ten DAF DB250/ELC Lowlander's from the same source. With an additional twenty-one refurbed DDA compliant deckers, This will mean every Leyland/Volvo Olympian will be withdrawn.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2012 21:07:12 GMT 1
Hiya,
Do Blackpool Transport still have the Ex-Reading Buses Optare Excels in operation?
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 7, 2012 21:59:27 GMT 1
Yes, Ex-Reading Excels 222/3/4/5/6 are all still in operation and will be for some time yet. All of BT's Excel fleet has undergone or about to undergo a major engine refurbishment programme, undertaken by Cummins.
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Post by sconehead85 on Feb 12, 2012 9:08:04 GMT 1
The proposed acquisitions from Bus Vannin will not eliminate all Olympians. If the Tridents become 343-353, and the DAFs 354-363, that will only be enough to see off the LEYLAND Olympians. The Volvo Olympians look set to go on until 2016 as they have been given major overhauls recently. 374-379 will become school buses exclusively. The urgency has occurred because Lancashire CC have brought in a 25 year age limit for school buses which means none of the Leyland Olympians will qualify after 2013/14 (368-373).
Once upon a time old buses from England used to go to the Isle of Man, now the Manx buses are being sold to England!
sconehead85
P.S Ive changed the intended fleet numbers as the first batch is of eleven not ten, and 343-363 is a batch of 21.
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 12, 2012 21:36:17 GMT 1
Yes, This is correct, What i should have put was withdrawal of all Olympians in "Normal" service. As you say, The Volvo's have recently been refurbished at Bus & Coach world and fitted with seatbelt's in readiness for their new role as dedicated school buses. However there seems to be a bit of controversy over LCC's 25 year age rule. Technically this rule only applies to vehicle's operating outside Blackpool's Borough on school service's. As Blackpool is a "Unitary" Authority it set's it's own criteria regarding school bus spec etc. At present BT do operate school service's outside the Borough, hence they will have to adhere to LCC's ruling. But the school runs within the Borough can be operated (In Theory) with any vehicle. Which may prolong the lifespan of 368-373.
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Post by lbaspotter on Feb 14, 2012 14:46:06 GMT 1
How long will the old East Lancs Olympians continue on for. I remember them being refurbished in 2002 alongside the trams and seem in pretty good nick.
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 14, 2012 23:19:16 GMT 1
Two of them 368/9 have been repainted into the latest livery and all the rest of the batch can be found operating on any board requiring a decker. How long they have left is anyones guess, But all the indications are, they'll be required for at least till the DDA comes into force.
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Post by lbaspotter on Feb 25, 2012 15:31:09 GMT 1
They are step entrance so will need replacing in the near future. Maybe Blackpool could order some Geminis ?
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Post by mollman on Feb 26, 2012 16:12:51 GMT 1
Not sure if they could afford any
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 27, 2012 22:07:10 GMT 1
Not sure if they could afford any BT have suffered financially in recent year's. Hence the dis-banding of the "Metro Coastline's" network and reverting back to one standard livery, supposedly reflecting the new streamlined/shrunken batch of service's they now operate. There has been proven a need to replace a substantial batch of Decker's before the DDA come's into force, And due to the tight financial constraint's, It was felt the most cost-effective way to do this, Was to purchase used mid-life Low floor vehicle's which, Subject to major refurbishment should last a long time to come. To this end they have acquired 11 Dennis Trident/ELC Lolyne and 10 DAF DB250/ELC Lowlander's from Bus Vannin (IOM). So far only about 8 of the Dennis have arrived, With just (Up to press) one in service. The entire 21 should, (According to report's) be in service within 12 month's. The reported cost of the purchase and refurb of the Dennis's has been put at £45-50k per bus, Which include's the fitting of the newer "Myllenium" front end's. As you can see, this represent's a massive saving over the cost of a brand new decker, And given the fact that BT keep their fleet a long time, You can see the economic sense this make's. Once the 21 have joined the existing 43 Low-floor decker's (All Trident's), And the Leyland Olympian's have been withdrawn, The fleet should remain pretty static for quite a while.
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Matty
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Post by Matty on Feb 27, 2012 22:19:03 GMT 1
Why are they getting rid of Solo's that are fairly decent?
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Post by westyorkshirebus on Feb 27, 2012 23:32:26 GMT 1
Why are they getting rid of Solo's that are fairly decent? Surplus small buses following service cuts. You can't replace an Olympian with a Solo! |
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Post by mollman on Feb 28, 2012 19:28:16 GMT 1
Why are they getting rid of Solo's that are fairly decent? Surplus small buses following service cuts. You can't replace an Olympian with a Solo! Unless you up the service frequency like NCT have just done. |
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Post by lbaspotter on Feb 28, 2012 19:57:51 GMT 1
Any up to date fleetlist ?
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 28, 2012 20:09:26 GMT 1
The remaining three Bus Vannin Trident's are now reported to be in Lancashire, thus completing the first batch of purchase's. 344/5/6 are reported to be at Rigby Rd, awaiting entry into service. These are registered E11/12/13 BTS. As far as i'm aware all the recent service change's (Cutback's) have now been completed, Therefore it is unlikely any more Solo's will be subject to withdrawal. (For the time being). I am visiting Blackpool on friday, meeting up with a mate who work's on the admin side at Rigby Rd. All being well, He'll give me a quick tour round the depot. I will post anything interesting afterward's.
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 28, 2012 21:08:47 GMT 1
Any up to date fleetlist ? Click on "Fylde Bus Blog". This is Paul Turner's excellent site which include's an up to date fleet list for BT. |
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Post by driver6540 on Feb 29, 2012 20:51:04 GMT 1
Thank's to Paul's blog , He inform's that Trident's 344/5/6 E11/2/3 BTS hit the road tomorrow, 1st March.
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Post by sconehead85 on Mar 3, 2012 0:27:49 GMT 1
In reply to LJX 198 (BTW AEC Regent V's are my favourite buses of the past) Some of the Blackpool Solos are V-reg and are reaching the end of the lifespan for small buses) and Blackpool may want to reduce the Solo content with something larger.
sconehead85
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Matty
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Post by Matty on Mar 3, 2012 0:41:24 GMT 1
In reply to LJX 198 (BTW AEC Regent V's are my favourite buses of the past) Some of the Blackpool Solos are V-reg and are reaching the end of the lifespan for small buses) and Blackpool may want to reduce the Solo content with something larger. sconehead85 The V reg Solos are spiffing buses (Apart from the bench seats that are fitted), they are a lot better to drive than the R/S reg ones. |
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Post by driver6540 on Mar 8, 2012 23:12:49 GMT 1
In reply to LJX 198 (BTW AEC Regent V's are my favourite buses of the past) Some of the Blackpool Solos are V-reg and are reaching the end of the lifespan for small buses) and Blackpool may want to reduce the Solo content with something larger. sconehead85 Nothing whatsoever to do with the lifespan of smaller buses, Simply surplus to requirement's following service reduction's. BT unfortunately have had to reduce their fleet, Therefore will not be replacing Solo's with anything larger. |
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Mar 11, 2012 0:16:02 GMT 1
I am planning to go to Blackpool in October to ride the new trams and see the Illuminations. The bus fleet could be quite exotic by then! This will be my first visit to the area for 10 years.
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Post by driver6540 on Mar 12, 2012 0:25:39 GMT 1
I am planning to go to Blackpool in October to ride the new trams and see the Illuminations. The bus fleet could be quite exotic by then! This will be my first visit to the area for 10 years. Well i for one, hope you thoroughly enjoy it, But at illumination time's the heritage tram fleet will run as well, So dont deny yourself a bash on the old "Balloon's", if you get the chance. Far more interesting than the new Flexicity's. As for the buses, all the ex-IOM Trident's will be in service, Plus hopefully some of the Lowlander's. The down side being, many of the "Classic" Olympian's will have been withdrawn by then. |
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Post by siy2009 on Mar 15, 2012 21:18:22 GMT 1
I had a trip to bus and coach world in Blackburn yesterday and there was at least 2 Lowlanders fully painted up and looking ready for delivery at least 2 more in various states of repaint/refurb inside too.
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Post by driver6540 on Mar 16, 2012 21:45:40 GMT 1
I had a trip to bus and coach world in Blackburn yesterday and there was at least 2 Lowlanders fully painted up and looking ready for delivery at least 2 more in various states of repaint/refurb inside too. Thanks for posting that, I was unaware that any Lowlanders had yet left the IOM, But it just goes to show that the target BT set, Of having all 21 ex-IOM buses in service within 12 month's could well now be acheived. I have to ask though, With all due respect, Could it have been the last of the Lolyne's you saw?. As i know for a fact that 347/8/9 are still at Blackburn awaiting outshopping, and the final 3 Lolyne's 350/1/2 are reportedly still undergoing refurbishment within the works. |
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Post by siy2009 on Mar 16, 2012 22:36:10 GMT 1
Pretty sure they were Lowlanders.
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