First Manchester

[Polo Mint]

RE: First Manchester
Oh no...Just as I thought we would see the end of the Darts some Marshall sheds turn up and now some Plaxtons...

(02/12/2013 20:10)P528LND Wrote:  Just to sort out all confusion, Plaxton are still going, even though the name was removed for a short time.

The buses in question, if they are 56 reg, will indeed be ADL Dart SLFs. However if they'd have been built between 2001 and May 2004 they would have been Transbus Darts, as in May 2004 Transbus was sold to its management and was rebranded Alexander Dennis Ltd.

When Transbus took on the Dart in 2001, they changed the engine from the Cummins 6BT to be a Cummins ISBe 4-cylinder power pack which explains the different engine.

These will be amongst the last classic style Darts before the ADL Enviro200 went on to supercede it.

The name Plaxton was never readopted to describe the bodywork worn by the ADL Dart SLFs, and they stuck with just that, the ADL Dart SLF, as by that point, the three companies Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton were well and truly merged. To add, Transbus Coaches were sold before the Buses, subsequently being renamed Plaxton. Plaxton is now a subsidy of ADL and offers Coaches and alternate bus bodyworks to the Enviro range (whether this is true to date or not about the buses I cannot confirm.)

Thanks for your explanation. I get more confused with the whole Optare/East Lancs situation. It is a shame there is a duopoly though, I'd like to see more diversity in the fleet.

(03/12/2013 15:09)YSV-205 Wrote:  

(09/11/2013 22:48)Metroline1511 Wrote:  I caught an 18 from Middleton to Shudehill just before midnight last night. In the opposite direction I saw a 17, an 18 and a 163 all together! Nothing like spreading them out to help passengers....

Apparently the OFT will report on the First takeover of EYMS Finglands on December 3rd http://www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/mergers/Mergers_Cases/

I see that fairly often, I saw 5 in a row the other day. I know the 17 has had chronic reliability issues due to the Rochdale town centre tram work, but that should be over soon.

I didn't think it would take this long to be approved, there is little route overlap and First is a lot smaller in the North West than Stagecoach and Arriva.

Well it's 3rd December. Does this mean a decision will be made today on the proposed take over? Or is it that they sit down & discuss it today & tell the public sometime 'soon'?

(03/12/2013 16:42)Wright Eclipse Wrote:  Think the adl darts comming here is because cornwall are due more wright eclipses

(03/12/2013 18:45)37554BY Wrote:  

(03/12/2013 16:45)mic Wrote:  

(03/12/2013 16:42)Wright Eclipse Wrote:  Think the adl darts comming here is because cornwall are due more wright eclipses

do you know how many only seen 2 so far they could see of these X reg darts seen 49244/45 so far been told 46 is here as well any news welcome

6 are due in exchange for OM b7s 69207 gone so far

Where are Cornwall getting their Eclipses from? I certainly hope Oldham aren't doing a direct swap with Cornwall for these Plaxton things.

Not that I have anything against Plaxtons, I have good memories of them operating many routes in Bury. The 474/472 were operated by them for quite a while if I believe. Also not to mention those cool Optare Prisma that operated the 137/93 until only a few years back. The Eclipses are just significantly better than any other bus on the road at the moment, by far.