(17/04/2019 17:26)Mrboo Wrote:  I see lots of ex London buses making there way to Manchester

(17/04/2019 23:26)gilesbus1 Wrote:  I think bringing in ex London stuff wouldn't help much as they would immediately need to be converted to Euro 6 regs if they are staying long term, the stuff coming out of London is 06-12 reg so nothing that is post the 2012 deadline.

(18/04/2019 06:03)M60lad Wrote:  Regarding the upcoming service changes one thing that has sprung to mind is that after these changes it might mean an end to Solo operation at Oldham Depot as they won't actually need them anymore as the only routes that do actually need them at the moment are evening 415s and daytime 353/354s, no other routes actually need them although they do turn up every now and again on other routes, infact last week I had 53146 on 18:09 182 Manchester-Shaw service home from work (the bus on this duty spends its day on 6 Kirkholt Circular before heading dead to Shaw in the afternoon to do 182).

(10/04/2019 21:54)gilesbus1 Wrote:  Is there some hint that there is no buyer for Bolton or Oldham, I know Julian Peddle stated that everything wasn't worth more than £1 in buses magazine, and it seems strange no announcement has been made on anything else, although Rotala yesterday refused to say anything on anything specific, but stated to expect a larger purchase to be made by them later in the year, is that also linked to the situation at Bolton and or Oldham? or have they something else in mind?

The bidders after all seem to be diminishing/vanishing, or can we expect an announcement to say that TfGM is taking it over in some kind of caretaker role?, or is it to be closed and other operators register across the lot and then Stagecoach would compensate in other area's by De-registering competing routes elsewhere in Scotland, South Yorkshire or Southern England? Which First possibly need in South Yorkshire or Central Scotland in order to return those subsidiaries to profit also? When I say this, I mean gradually withdraw the odd competing service here and there or pass on the odd linking service between territories onward, such as Perth - Stirling, or Barnsley - Leeds and then First register it?

I am sure if this did happen then Stagecoach could acquire assets separately such as Bolton depot and various vehicles on the secondhand market, as presumably they couldn't get enough stock internally quickly enough?

Or perhaps we have all misunderstood the situation with First and the sale only applies to Queens Road and the rest remains indefinitely with FirstGroup as the £11.2 Million alters the Manchester situation to profit allowing them to continue till that money has been exhausted? which would be approx two years.

(17/04/2019 13:14)gilesbus1 Wrote:  Its not that, that I am arguing, that bit is fair enough, but if they were in discussions with Go Ahead at that time and its likely they were, then why if you knew they were being sold with Queens Road depot, would you then move them to Bolton and Oldham rather than straight into Queens Road, that bit makes no sense, thats why I don't think the story is correct, but we will wait and see.