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Post by southlondon413 on Jun 16, 2024 17:20:07 GMT
Wonder if they'll ever pop onto the 157 now that's another electric route at AL. Would love that for the Saint Helier Avenue thrash and that climb up Anerley Hill Sadly the St Helier Avenue thrash is no more, now down to 30mph and soon to be 20mph.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Jun 16, 2024 17:34:02 GMT
From what I could tell it was a mixture of things - heard the driver saying to another passenger that they were testing them ahead of bringing them back in a number of weeks, but then I heard him say to the other driver that took over iBus wasn’t working on the Me - as I say it was fine from a passenger POV but might explain why it was tracking erratically Either way it’s good news I think! Depends what your perspective of good news is, I see it as 17 turds going back on the road 🤣 can’t stand the things! If we don't want to ride a turd, we could ride a frogface instead
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se10
Conductor
Posts: 50
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Post by se10 on Jun 16, 2024 17:58:18 GMT
😂 what can I say - I think it’s clear from my posts I’m quite fond of them. I think though to be fair there is some good news for you too - with Me12 likely a complete write off, from your perspective it’ll only be 16 turds back on the road 😂 Would love EL1 to be the seventeenth bus if need be, somewhat then the WDL1 of Merton's electrics Think GAL need a solution relatively sharpish to the late night buses - from what I remember they were covered by diesels/hybrids which is fine while there’s an abundance of WHVs, WVNs, and Es but when e.g. the 131/280 convert to their new electrics, this complicates things since IIRC there are issues getting an Ee around Copse Hill. Only solution I can think of from the peanut gallery is something like using the hybrid part allocation from 57 in the morning on 57, then refuelling and using at night on 200 or something like that
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Post by londonbuses on Jun 16, 2024 18:02:48 GMT
Would love EL1 to be the seventeenth bus if need be, somewhat then the WDL1 of Merton's electrics Think GAL need a solution relatively sharpish to the late night buses - from what I remember they were covered by diesels/hybrids which is fine while there’s an abundance of WHVs, WVNs, and Es but when e.g. the 131/280 convert to their new electrics, this complicates things since IIRC there are issues getting an Ee around Copse Hill. Only solution I can think of from the peanut gallery is something like using the hybrid part allocation from 57 in the morning on 57, then refuelling and using at night on 200 or something like that I can't see GAL not ordering new buses for the route when it is retendered in early 2026, so it shouldn't be an issue for too long. In the meantime, the 57's part hybrid allocation, 163s school bus and the odd single decker working from the 493's allocation (which is up for tender around the same time as the 200) should cover the evening service.
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Post by DE20106 on Jun 16, 2024 18:34:55 GMT
Depends what your perspective of good news is, I see it as 17 turds going back on the road 🤣 can’t stand the things! 😂 what can I say - I think it’s clear from my posts I’m quite fond of them. I think though to be fair there is some good news for you too - with Me12 likely a complete write off, from your perspective it’ll only be 16 turds back on the road 😂 😂 what can I say - I think it’s clear from my posts I’m quite fond of them. I think though to be fair there is some good news for you too - with Me12 likely a complete write off, from your perspective it’ll only be 16 turds back on the road 😂 Would love EL1 to be the seventeenth bus if need be, somewhat then the WDL1 of Merton's electrics Ahhh that’s a good point. When the OP replied to me I was thinking yes Me12 is likely a write off, but it will need replacing to ensure sufficient spares. GAL doesn’t have a single existing electric double decker in its fleet that could replace it, due to length restrictions, so the options could be either Optare may send them a fresh one under warranty (but unlikely), or a spare replacement bus will have to by hybrid or diesel. But of course EL1 could replace it if GAL could purchase it and isn’t needed for trial purposes anymore
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Post by DE20106 on Jun 16, 2024 18:37:06 GMT
Think GAL need a solution relatively sharpish to the late night buses - from what I remember they were covered by diesels/hybrids which is fine while there’s an abundance of WHVs, WVNs, and Es but when e.g. the 131/280 convert to their new electrics, this complicates things since IIRC there are issues getting an Ee around Copse Hill. Only solution I can think of from the peanut gallery is something like using the hybrid part allocation from 57 in the morning on 57, then refuelling and using at night on 200 or something like that I can't see GAL not ordering new buses for the route when it is retendered in early 2026, so it shouldn't be an issue for too long. In the meantime, the 57's part hybrid allocation, 163s school bus and the odd single decker working from the 493's allocation (which is up for tender around the same time as the 200) should cover the evening service. I think GAL would be stupid not to tender an existing vehicle bid for the 200, it could leave it wide open for someone else to grab the route if they don’t submit that cheaper option, but I agree their preferred option will probably be to ditch them if the opportunity arises And given the current trend of routes being thrown back in the face of astronomical price rises from 2022 onwards, I can’t see GAL wanting to take an extension on the 200 either. I could be wrong though
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Jun 16, 2024 18:43:17 GMT
I can't see GAL not ordering new buses for the route when it is retendered in early 2026, so it shouldn't be an issue for too long. In the meantime, the 57's part hybrid allocation, 163s school bus and the odd single decker working from the 493's allocation (which is up for tender around the same time as the 200) should cover the evening service. I think GAL would be stupid not to tender an existing vehicle bid for the 200, it could leave it wide open for someone else to grab the route if they don’t submit that cheaper option, but I agree their preferred option will probably be to ditch them if the opportunity arises And given the current trend of routes being thrown back in the face of astronomical price rises from 2022 onwards, I can’t see GAL wanting to take an extension on the 200 either. I could be wrong though Bids usually have to include a fully costed new bus bid, with existing being put in at alternate prices. I'd imagine during negotiations if GAL want to take up the new option as it worked out cheaper overall that it'd be one that they take. Although the next question is who foot the bill for all the work done on the MetroCitys up until now. If GAL have used their own pocket for at least a portion they're very well likely to want to see the returns.
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Post by DE20106 on Jun 16, 2024 19:02:34 GMT
I think GAL would be stupid not to tender an existing vehicle bid for the 200, it could leave it wide open for someone else to grab the route if they don’t submit that cheaper option, but I agree their preferred option will probably be to ditch them if the opportunity arises And given the current trend of routes being thrown back in the face of astronomical price rises from 2022 onwards, I can’t see GAL wanting to take an extension on the 200 either. I could be wrong though Bids usually have to include a fully costed new bus bid, with existing being put in at alternate prices. I'd imagine during negotiations if GAL want to take up the new option as it worked out cheaper overall that it'd be one that they take. Although the next question is who foot the bill for all the work done on the MetroCitys up until now. If GAL have used their own pocket for at least a portion they're very well likely to want to see the returns. The fault with the Me’s seems very much like a manufacturing fault so I’d be surprised if GAL had to foot any bill to the repairs to be honest
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 16, 2024 19:26:09 GMT
Bids usually have to include a fully costed new bus bid, with existing being put in at alternate prices. I'd imagine during negotiations if GAL want to take up the new option as it worked out cheaper overall that it'd be one that they take. Although the next question is who foot the bill for all the work done on the MetroCitys up until now. If GAL have used their own pocket for at least a portion they're very well likely to want to see the returns. The fault with the Me’s seems very much like a manufacturing fault so I’d be surprised if GAL had to foot any bill to the repairs to be honest I bet Go Ahead and TFL would love it if Optare just offered them a refund to take the buses off their hands and it just be accepted the WVLs on the 157 would move to the 200 till hybrids off the 22/88172/188 could be used till the next retender.
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Post by COBO on Jun 16, 2024 19:59:29 GMT
The MEs maybe coming back to full service from 17 June
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Post by ADH45258 on Jun 16, 2024 20:21:57 GMT
😂 what can I say - I think it’s clear from my posts I’m quite fond of them. I think though to be fair there is some good news for you too - with Me12 likely a complete write off, from your perspective it’ll only be 16 turds back on the road 😂 Would love EL1 to be the seventeenth bus if need be, somewhat then the WDL1 of Merton's electrics Ahhh that’s a good point. When the OP replied to me I was thinking yes Me12 is likely a write off, but it will need replacing to ensure sufficient spares. GAL doesn’t have a single existing electric double decker in its fleet that could replace it, due to length restrictions, so the options could be either Optare may send them a fresh one under warranty (but unlikely), or a spare replacement bus will have to by hybrid or diesel. But of course EL1 could replace it if GAL could purchase it and isn’t needed for trial purposes anymore Are there any Metrodecker demonstrators around still, which Go Ahead could acquire?
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Post by vjaska on Jun 16, 2024 21:19:02 GMT
From what I could tell it was a mixture of things - heard the driver saying to another passenger that they were testing them ahead of bringing them back in a number of weeks, but then I heard him say to the other driver that took over iBus wasn’t working on the Me - as I say it was fine from a passenger POV but might explain why it was tracking erratically Either way it’s good news I think! Depends what your perspective of good news is, I see it as 17 turds going back on the road 🤣 can’t stand the things! Granted, they aren't the best looking bus going but not sure they're turds either and they're perfectly fine to ride as a passenger. I'm sure the welcome restoration of an upper deck can't come soon enough for the 200's passengers.
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Post by vjaska on Jun 16, 2024 21:28:55 GMT
Ahhh that’s a good point. When the OP replied to me I was thinking yes Me12 is likely a write off, but it will need replacing to ensure sufficient spares. GAL doesn’t have a single existing electric double decker in its fleet that could replace it, due to length restrictions, so the options could be either Optare may send them a fresh one under warranty (but unlikely), or a spare replacement bus will have to by hybrid or diesel. But of course EL1 could replace it if GAL could purchase it and isn’t needed for trial purposes anymore Are there any Metrodecker demonstrators around still, which Go Ahead could acquire? There was one used by Go-Ahead on the 36 as MD1, a 17 plate electric Metrodecker - last pictures of it on Flickr shows it in 2021 at John Coopers Yard, Killamarsh on a trailer but was with Centaur on University of Greenwich shuttle work in London before that. TBH, we have no idea whether it will be written off or not - it's a relatively new electric bus so it depends how big the repair bill is in comparison to the cost of the vehicle
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 16, 2024 21:37:00 GMT
Depends what your perspective of good news is, I see it as 17 turds going back on the road 🤣 can’t stand the things! Granted, they aren't the best looking bus going but not sure they're turds either and they're perfectly fine to ride as a passenger. I'm sure the welcome restoration of an upper deck can't come soon enough for the 200's passengers. I have to admit I quite like them if only for the engine sounds they make.
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Post by london23 on Jun 16, 2024 21:39:37 GMT
Do you know if there is any news on the 321 Electric buses as I know it is now 8 months since it's new contract started.
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