Pandemic -- DD usage

Bus and Coach operations, new or changed services and timetables for First Midland Red Buses Limited or its predecessor, Midland Red West Limited.
DD12
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Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by DD12 » 11:01 Thursday 21st May 2020

I see from the tracker, that today there are two DDs on the 144 to / from Brum ( - as well as one on the 30), and I HOPE that with government money they will "break-even" !!

ANDREW
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Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by ANDREW » 12:42 Friday 22nd May 2020

I just had to check this out so , observed in Bromsgrove earlier [just after I had been shopping at Asda], on the 12.16 to Brum was 35157 , looked to have picked up a few passengers too. :)

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SEVERNLINK
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by SEVERNLINK » 16:58 Saturday 23rd May 2020

Saw a StreetDeck earlier today on a 144 but in the excitement forget to see which one.Couldn't see anybody on the bottom deck though :shock:

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SEVERNLINK
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by SEVERNLINK » 12:30 Sunday 24th May 2020

Also being used on Sunday.Just saw 35157 working the 11.25 Brum to Worcester :shock:

DD12
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by DD12 » 13:24 Monday 25th May 2020

FIVE in use today apparently, - 33402, 03, 35157, 58, 59.

The three StreetDecks on the 144, the others on the 30 and 44.

Apart from rail replacements and rugby services, this must be a record for "normal" services / routes, on a bank holiday Monday !!

However, it would be interesting to be able to turn the clock back to the heyday of MIDLAND RED ( - the early 1960s, say) to see how many DDs were running through Worcester on Whitsun bank holiday back then (?)

The 144 was likely to have DDs operating from Malvern, Worcester, Bromsgrove, and Digbeth, - and I believe it has been mentioned on here that the X72/ X73 were likely to use DDs.

There would have been the possibility of Stourbridge and Kidderminster using DDs on the 315 etc to Worcester, and it's conceivable that 'deckers from other garages might have been seen here on bank holiday specials.

bmmoboy
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by bmmoboy » 13:39 Monday 25th May 2020

There would also be deckers from Sheepcote Street used on Bank Holiday services

chason
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by chason » 14:23 Monday 25th May 2020

On Bank Holidays of old, single deckers as well as doubles were used on the 144. In fact, it was quite usual for Hereford garage to run on Malvern local services to release their single deckers and crews for the 144.

Oldbury, Hartshill, Dudley, Sutton Coldfield and Bearwood also provided double deckers for 144 duplicates in addition to Sheepcote St and the regular garages. 144s used to arrive in Malvern literally every few minutes. Some would return for more but most of the duplicates would park up for the day, mostly in a couple of car parks at Link Top and Newtown Road.

As I have mentioned before the X91 would have up to 5 or 6 duplicates, usually from Sandacre St., Hinckley, Nuneaton, Leamington and/or Evesham as well as on at least one memorable occasion a Stratford Blue single decker. It was just a question of all hands to the pump.

DD12
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by DD12 » 18:16 Monday 25th May 2020

WoW !! - - Thanks for that info bmmoboy and chason !!

It makes me drool, just to think of those scenes -- -- it's a shame there aren't more photos of them, -- if someone will lend me a time machine, I'll go back and get them !!

Mind you, I've been told that a greater proportion of pubs served only second-rate beer back then (?) and my Uncle Bill took me into a pub when I was about 6 or 7, and it was so smoky, I reckon I breathed-in the equivalent of several cigarettes !! ( - it would have been pretty smoky on the top decks too !!)

:)

chason
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by chason » 22:23 Monday 25th May 2020

DD12 wrote:
18:16 Monday 25th May 2020
WoW !! - - Thanks for that info bmmoboy and chason !!

It makes me drool, just to think of those scenes -- -- it's a shame there aren't more photos of them, -- if someone will lend me a time machine, I'll go back and get them !!

Mind you, I've been told that a greater proportion of pubs served only second-rate beer back then (?) and my Uncle Bill took me into a pub when I was about 6 or 7, and it was so smoky, I reckon I breathed-in the equivalent of several cigarettes !! ( - it would have been pretty smoky on the top decks too!!,.
Wish I had that time machine! The Bank Holidays I described, were in the mid to late 1950s I guess when I only had a not very good second hand box Brownie camera. Buying a film and getting it developed would have cost several weeks pocket money and I had several other priorities. To spend it on 8 not very good black and white exposures, at the time, didn't really seem worth it then.

ANDREW
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Re: Pandemic -- DD usage

Post by ANDREW » 10:52 Tuesday 26th May 2020

DD12 wrote:
13:24 Monday 25th May 2020
FIVE in use today apparently, - 33402, 03, 35157, 58, 59.

The three StreetDecks on the 144, the others on the 30.
Noted two StreetDecks in the bus station in Bromsgrove at the same time yesterday -around 13.15. Rare to see two at the same time even on a "normal" day !! :roll: :roll:

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