FMR Fleet Movements

Vehicle and Fleet discussions for First Midland Red Buses Limited or its predecessor, Midland Red West Limited.
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Red Midland
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Joined: 16:43 Sunday 10th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by Red Midland » 10:29 Monday 5th June 2017

We're apparently having 12 B7 Volvos from Leicester... These are the 59 plate ones originally from Bristol.
This was also my educated guess. 69435-6, 69449-56 and 69459-60.
All examples of this batch sport the Wrightbus Eclipse Urban 2 body.

As much of a spectacle as it would have been to have witnessed deckers dedicated to the operation of Service 144, the reallocation of single-decks makes much better sense for a garage like Worcester where most access routes are hindered by some form of low-hanging obstruction. (Shame really as the rumour initially circulated involved a fleet of Leicester's Enviro400's... :D )

Just holding out hope now that these won't be displacing my beloved Enviro300's seeing as how we've lost enough of them over the last eighteen months to those wretched StreetLite things.

Hopefully these Volvo's won't replicate the same overheating issues initially plagued by their older counterparts we received back from Leicester Citybus in 2009. Otherwise expect to see two to three at a time sat off the A38 slip road in Rubery waiting to cool down. :lol:

DD12
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by DD12 » 23:13 Monday 5th June 2017

Red Midland wrote:
10:29 Monday 5th June 2017
We're apparently having 12 B7 Volvos from Leicester... These are the 59 plate ones originally from Bristol.

Just holding out hope now that these won't be displacing my beloved Enviro300's seeing as how we've lost enough of them over the last eighteen months to those wretched StreetLite things.
I am one of those First Bus enthusiasts, who at this time of year, is interested by the new vehicle orders ( - announcement next week is my guess), - NOT because I think that FMR will get any NEW ones, but because of the possible "cascades" and transfers between Leicester, Stoke, and Worcester.

I'm afraid, RED MIDLAND, that if the 12 Volvo single-deckers above are realised, it will be inevitable that a similar number of E300s will leave Worcester.

MY fear, - from piecing together bits of various rumours, and applying the equation 2+2 =5, is that there might be an intention to convert the 144/A to 100% Volvo - including the DDs (?)
OR that at least 5 StreetDecks could come from Leicester -

- and thereby REPLACING my "beloved" VX54 Tridents 33401-5 !!

Perhaps Adam might ask the MD for clarification (pretty-please ! )
or perhaps I should email Theresa May ?? :D

PS: The 12 Volvos apparently expected, have coach seats according to BBPs Fleet Book.

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AdamH
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by AdamH » 08:23 Tuesday 6th June 2017

It's all about emissions. As mentioned elsewhere on this forum, Birmingham is clamping down on emissions in the City and it wont be long before the Enviro300s are banned as they only have Euro4 (I think) engines.

I'm told the Enviro300s can be modified to meet the forthcoming standards, but remember these vehicles are already 13 years old so they don't have much more life in them. Meanwhile, the "WX59" ex-Bristol Volvos are five years younger and already meet the new standards. Moving the Volvos to Worcester is a logical solution to the Birmingham problem.

DD12
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by DD12 » 14:53 Tuesday 6th June 2017

Thanks Adam for that info / clarification.

ANDREW
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by ANDREW » 11:31 Saturday 10th June 2017

Mechwr26 wrote:
22:25 Sunday 4th June 2017
We're apparently having 12 B7 Volvos from Leicester...
Which could replace all the "54" plate vehicles + two older d/d's ?? :cry:

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AdamH
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by AdamH » 16:20 Saturday 10th June 2017

ANDREW wrote:
11:31 Saturday 10th June 2017
Mechwr26 wrote:
22:25 Sunday 4th June 2017
We're apparently having 12 B7 Volvos from Leicester...
Which could replace all the "54" plate vehicles + two older d/d's ?? :cry:
There are 15 of the 54-reg Enviros at Worcester at the moment... 67650-67664 inc.

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marck
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by marck » 09:34 Sunday 11th June 2017

When is this supposed to be happening?

ANDREW
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by ANDREW » 11:55 Sunday 11th June 2017

AdamH wrote:
16:20 Saturday 10th June 2017
ANDREW wrote:
11:31 Saturday 10th June 2017


Which could replace all the "54" plate vehicles + two older d/d's ?? :cry:
There are 15 of the 54-reg Enviros at Worcester at the moment... 67650-67664 inc.
Maths never was my strong point !! :roll: In my defence, I included the "54" Darts but not the "05" Enviro's. :oops:

ANDREW
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by ANDREW » 11:57 Sunday 11th June 2017

Any news on the "new" coaches yet ?? :)

TimBrown
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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Post by TimBrown » 12:34 Sunday 11th June 2017

AdamH wrote:
16:20 Saturday 10th June 2017
ANDREW wrote:
11:31 Saturday 10th June 2017


Which could replace all the "54" plate vehicles + two older d/d's ?? :cry:
There are 15 of the 54-reg Enviros at Worcester at the moment... 67650-67664 inc.
Will the 59 reg B7L single-decks be replaced at Leicester by new buses, or will there be a further 'merry-go-round' of old and new buses moving between various Firstbus garages?

I ask this because the four brand new Wright StreetDeck buses came from Leicester in exchange for four Wright StreetLite Max single deckers when the company received a substantial government grant to trial double deckers on the Malvern services for two years. The two years will be up in November this year, so there might be a case to send the StreetDecks back to Leicester and put the currently unmarked StreetLite Max on the 44.

I could speculate that the 3 Darts, 3 Enviro 200 plus two other buses move elsewhere leaving the Solos for the 31 service with it's bridge weight restrictions and higher capacity single-decks for remaining non-double-deck work!

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