"Refreshed 144" !

Bus and Coach operations, new or changed services and timetables for First Midland Red Buses Limited or its predecessor, Midland Red West Limited.
DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by DD12 » 21:45 Sunday 22nd October 2017

willr7 wrote:
08:14 Wednesday 11th October 2017
Quick question, is the PVR for the 144 more than 12?
I too have wanted to know that for a long time !

- Working it out can be very difficult for an enthusiast because of various complications, and in a place like Worcester where services or groups of services are "inter-worked" and vehicles swopped off and on, - - the only useful/ valid PVR figure MAY be for the whole WR network (?)

Regarding the new network,
I did a "mini-survey" of the 144/A on Friday, between c.08.55 and c.13.30 (school-day timetable).
I "got lucky" in-that most of the vehicles returning southbound to Crowngate on the 144 and 144A, - subsequently re-issued northwards onto the 144 and 144A -
IE: mainly the same vehicles on each service - NOT interworked.

(This makes it easier to try and work-out "what the heck" is going-on, and will allow Euro 6 vehicles to be allocated to the 144 for Birmingham, and NON-Euro6 vehicles to the 144A.

What I saw was :-

9 different Enviro 300s allocated throughout the period - (67651/53/55/56/57/61/62/63/99).
Plus:
1 StreetLite (47520);

1 DD arriving Crowngate on a short 144, but then "off and away" - I believe this would have been from Bromsgrove (and previously on the S45).

1 DD arriving on a short 144 at Crowngate, probably from Droitwich, and possibly having previously been on one of S1- S4 - -
( - In recent years, one or two DDs off the S1-S4 have progressed southwards along the London Road, - then east and north via "Sixways" to enter the southbound 144 at Droitwich or Bromsgrove).
- This DD then remained on the 144A throughout my survey period.

1 DD arriving on the 144A at Crowngate (presumably having originated on the S1-S4 as per above); - - this was then "sent away", and a further Enviro 300 (67664) was put onto the 144A ( - but not necessarily at the same time :D )

SO ! - I would say that the PVR for the 144/A could be 13 vehicles.

(There is a chance that it MIGHT be 14, because 67659 was also in use on the 144 around the start and finish of my "survey", but I think it may have been removed just before the start of my survey period, and put back on just after - ??? )

IF I was to do a similar "survey" covering a different part of the day, I would be very surprised if the 144/A needed more than 13 vehicles !

When WR gets it's 12 green Volvo single deckers, I see no reason why
the 3 double-deckers shouldn't continue to be used as above/currently.

Note that there were NO double-deckers to or from Brum, during my survey on Friday, BUT there were at least two, (NON-Euro 6), on Saturday on the 144.

willr7
Posts: 527
Joined: 21:53 Friday 11th August 2017

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by willr7 » 10:50 Monday 23rd October 2017

Nice work... Looks like the 144 is the only service that would work without inter-working buses then! As it is 13 buses altogether for both 144/144A perhaps they wont need a spare green bus depending on how it is worked...

Funnily enough I have been doing a little survey of my own to work out how the 51/52/53 are worked and how reliable they are! I have found out that the services are inter-worked ALOT more than the 551 used to be (The 551 only ever needed a max of 6 different buses throughout a normal school day although occasionally a few more buses appeared in the afternoon if there was a swap at Crowngate) So far the 51/52/53 has had above 12 different buses during a normal school day! All variations of the fleet have been used already including Plaxton's, Enviro 300's, Enviro 200's, Dennis Darts and normally 1 Streetlite a day on the first journey from Pinvin to Worcester and even a few Optare's have been used all in the matter of one day! (Like you said a PVR of the whole network...Almost... :lol: )

As for the 144 green Volvo's. Here is the first glimpse I have seen of one (Well it can be seen slightly in the background anyway...
Attachments
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.jpg

DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by DD12 » 12:52 Monday 23rd October 2017

willr7 wrote:
10:50 Monday 23rd October 2017
So far the 51/52/53 has had above 12 different buses during a normal school day!
That's very interesting and unexpected ! :)

DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by DD12 » 17:20 Tuesday 24th October 2017

On this week's Route-One online magazine, is a link to a video showing engineers upgrading the exhuast-cleaning/control system of a NXWM double decker.
- for anyone that's interested ! ;)
- it might be a Volvo B7TL (?)

bmmoboy
Posts: 549
Joined: 20:02 Tuesday 5th July 2016

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by bmmoboy » 11:36 Wednesday 25th October 2017

At last!!!!
Attachments
first volvo.jpg

willr7
Posts: 527
Joined: 21:53 Friday 11th August 2017

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by willr7 » 13:10 Wednesday 25th October 2017

bmmoboy wrote:
11:36 Wednesday 25th October 2017
At last!!!!
Nooo, they painted over the black headlamp covers! :(

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AdamH
Posts: 2044
Joined: 12:17 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Worcester
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Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by AdamH » 14:31 Wednesday 25th October 2017

I'm not at work today but I needed to call in the office on another matter so I took the camera along and got the two shots that I've now published in the main website library. The sun was out when I arrived and it looks absolutely stunning.

Tim Brown sent me a few photos of these in service in Bristol, taken in 2011, so I'll get those on the site too at some point.

Black lights or green lights? I'm undecided at the moment so I'll sit on the fence!

ANDREW
Posts: 765
Joined: 00:38 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by ANDREW » 20:14 Wednesday 25th October 2017

AdamH wrote:
14:31 Wednesday 25th October 2017
The sun was out when I arrived and it looks absolutely stunning.
Similarities to Nottingham City Transport ?? :? Still impressive though.

AlanM
Posts: 3
Joined: 08:07 Thursday 14th July 2016

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by AlanM » 09:30 Thursday 26th October 2017

Wonder how long before one appears on the X50!?

Reece S
Posts: 77
Joined: 14:09 Friday 8th July 2016

Re: "Refreshed 144" !

Post by Reece S » 10:40 Thursday 26th October 2017

They look amazing shame they have gone for only half leather seats rather than lets say full leather seats with quilted leather centres like Transdev CityZap B7 which were being refurbished at Thornton’s at the same time. But other than that they look lush. Do we know if they have WiFi and USB/Plugs fitted?

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