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Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 08:57 Thursday 6th April 2017
by TimBrown
AdamH wrote:
21:43 Wednesday 5th April 2017
I put the same question to him when I finished tonight, and yes, he expects to be busy when they arrive due to a short MOT. He also used a selection of 4-letter words to describe the engine type used in them. And the gearbox. And the kingpins...

You get the picture!

On the othe hand, these are the only Dats I have ever liked. All the other ones I have driven have been terrible to drive, but this batch were superb.
I never had the pleasure of driving these buses, but from a passenger's point of view they have good legroom, smooth gearbox and seemed to have progressive brakes no matter who was driving (unlike Enviro 300 and Volvo/Plaxton Centros!). On the down side, the diffs became very noisy with lots of excess backlash after about 18 months of continuous 303 working, so that may be another weakness of the type. Whilst acceptable at low speed, the noise levels increased as speed rose to the point where conversation with other passengers was nigh on impossible at top speed. I guess the bodywork will feel like a loose garden shed around the cab and entrance door areas - those transferred to Diamond certainly do!
Despite all the criticisms, in the past, I was always pleased when one of the class turned up on my next bus journey, rather than those horrible cramped Caetano bodied ex 'Park & Ride' and Jersey Darts!

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 20:28 Friday 7th April 2017
by bmmoboy
They were very nice vehicles to work on, like driving an S23 but with some power!!!

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 14:07 Saturday 8th April 2017
by MattW
I was disappointed to miss driving a proper Dart /Pointer as they are a really iconic vehicle of recent times. I remember when still with my buddy driver I did a couple of 30s in one of the ex P&R Caetano bodied vehicles (sunglasses required for the blue plastics inside!) and of course my 2nd favourite vehicle the 'Jersey' Darts on all kinds of routes. No I'm not going to come back though :lol:

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 15:45 Saturday 8th April 2017
by AdamH
The ex-Park+Ride Darts were not a good example of the type. Jersey Darts were better but a bit twitchy above walking pace. The ex-303 Darts, for want of a better name, were miles better.

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 19:46 Saturday 15th April 2017
by Mechwr26
DD12 wrote:
18:35 Wednesday 5th April 2017
Mechwr26 wrote:
16:14 Wednesday 5th April 2017


And most of us are not looking forward to their return 😃
- is that because you expect to have to do a lot of work on them, to bring them up-to-scratch ??

Well the first one has arrived ( 42893) and after an inspection it's now awaiting a load of repairs. I fitted an almost new engine to this bus before it left Worcester and in the time it's been away the engine has been replaced again with a Cummins Recon which itself is smoking and doesn't sound the best. After a service it's been noted that the camshaft or one of the followers is damaged or worn. That's a nice couple of days work in the future.

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 20:10 Saturday 15th April 2017
by AdamH
Mechwr26 wrote:
19:46 Saturday 15th April 2017
Well the first one has arrived ( 42893) and after an inspection it's now awaiting a load of repairs. I fitted an almost new engine to this bus before it left Worcester and in the time it's been away the engine has been replaced again with a Cummins Recon which itself is smoking and doesn't sound the best. After a service it's been noted that the camshaft or one of the followers is damaged or worn. That's a nice couple of days work in the future.
This was always the worry. I know MechWR26 doesn't rate these Darts much, but as I've said before they were great to drive and I believe they were in good condition when they left Worcester in October 2013.

I have made a wager with the admin clerk who decides the servicing schedule and MOT schedule etc... He thinks that all 3 Darts will arrive from Stoke under their own power with no problems, but at least one of the E300s from Worcester will fail on it's way north to Stoke. I have bet the other way round. I think the Worcester buses will get to Stoke without issue but at least one Dart from Stoke will have a problem on the way here.

He has based his bet on the fact that Stoke has a higher MOT pass rate than Worcester (98% v 92% I think he said), while I have based my bet on the fact that I've driven some of Stoke's buses... :shock:

There is a Cadburys Cream Egg at stake here :lol:

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 20:16 Saturday 15th April 2017
by DD12
(Brilliant posts above, from you guys !! ) ;)

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 06:21 Sunday 16th April 2017
by Mechwr26
A bus failing an Mot test on a loose seat belt or a wheelchair sticker missing is no indication of its ability to trundle 80 miles up the M6 reliably.

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 20:33 Tuesday 18th April 2017
by AdamH
Enviro300 67649 transferred to Potteries today, and in it's place Dart 42894 moved to Worcester.

Talking to our number one spanner man, it seems 42894 has had a new(ish) engine fitted recently so is in better condition than 42893, which could be off the road for a while yet.

Re: FMR Fleet Movements

Posted: 20:56 Tuesday 18th April 2017
by marck
I've noticed on some photos of 42894 I've seen it says free WiFi by the destination display does anyone know if it still has it?