"Refreshed 144" !
Posted: 22:03 Saturday 7th October 2017
Thanks Adam for posting us the picture of the green Volvo bus in the thread "Repaints&Refurbs".
I had been pondering what the best way would be to introduce these very different looking buses into service, - bearing in mind that it could take until after Xmas for all 12 to be ready for the 144. -
- I think the "strip" above the side windows proclaiming "I'm only half-dressed ...... (etc)" - is very clever -
and I bet the idea came from Ray Stenning of Best Impressions design (?)
- Ray appeared in at least one advert (for his business) in just his under-pants
(in Buses magazine, at least)
On the practical side, I will be interested to see how the 144 and 144A will be worked to give the maximum possible reliability to prevent decline in passenger numbers and get growth instead :-
IF it is intended to become 100% green BRANDED single-deckers -
- what will happen when the buses are late or very late, returning on the southbound section to Worcester ? -
- I cannot imagine First having even one spare green bus on stand-by at Crowngate, ready to plug the gap in the northbound service.
Therefore I guess that people in Birmingham and Bromsgrove who are wanting the 144, will still have to look-out for purply-pink fronted buses (and dirty-old "Barbies").
UNLESS ......
unless there were to be some spare green buses on another WR service that could be "easily borrowed" at Crowngate -
the only suitable service in my opinion, would be the 35 ( - "Very high frequency" - AND often "bunched").
- How about some (non seat-belted) members of the very useful 66691-99 batch of Volvos being painted in the green livery, and being put on the 35 ?
(I would also like to see the setting - down route of the loop-ended 35 changed so it reaches a terminus, where, because of bunching, a bus could be sent onto almost any route - subject to drivers hours and breaks, and needing radio-control or modern equivalents).
Some of you will be able to correct my brain and logic disorders above, but I cannot help but think that I am missing something, and that something else will change when all 12 Volvos are in service -
a Bromsgrove or Droitwich outstation perhaps ??
I had been pondering what the best way would be to introduce these very different looking buses into service, - bearing in mind that it could take until after Xmas for all 12 to be ready for the 144. -
- I think the "strip" above the side windows proclaiming "I'm only half-dressed ...... (etc)" - is very clever -
and I bet the idea came from Ray Stenning of Best Impressions design (?)
- Ray appeared in at least one advert (for his business) in just his under-pants
(in Buses magazine, at least)
On the practical side, I will be interested to see how the 144 and 144A will be worked to give the maximum possible reliability to prevent decline in passenger numbers and get growth instead :-
IF it is intended to become 100% green BRANDED single-deckers -
- what will happen when the buses are late or very late, returning on the southbound section to Worcester ? -
- I cannot imagine First having even one spare green bus on stand-by at Crowngate, ready to plug the gap in the northbound service.
Therefore I guess that people in Birmingham and Bromsgrove who are wanting the 144, will still have to look-out for purply-pink fronted buses (and dirty-old "Barbies").
UNLESS ......
unless there were to be some spare green buses on another WR service that could be "easily borrowed" at Crowngate -
the only suitable service in my opinion, would be the 35 ( - "Very high frequency" - AND often "bunched").
- How about some (non seat-belted) members of the very useful 66691-99 batch of Volvos being painted in the green livery, and being put on the 35 ?
(I would also like to see the setting - down route of the loop-ended 35 changed so it reaches a terminus, where, because of bunching, a bus could be sent onto almost any route - subject to drivers hours and breaks, and needing radio-control or modern equivalents).
Some of you will be able to correct my brain and logic disorders above, but I cannot help but think that I am missing something, and that something else will change when all 12 Volvos are in service -
a Bromsgrove or Droitwich outstation perhaps ??