53brown
Inspector
53 Brown Line
Posts: 709
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Post by 53brown on Apr 30, 2011 16:36:52 GMT
Best place for a Solo, the scrapyard! Be interesting to see if it is actually getting scrapped or is back in Barnsley for spare parts or onward sale. |
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Post by rich on May 1, 2011 13:17:02 GMT
Best place for a Solo, the scrapyard! Be interesting to see if it is actually getting scrapped or is back in Barnsley for spare parts or onward sale. They needed scrapping when Stagecoach lost the 61/62 the were never on the road with the amount of problems they had. Stephenson fountain was the one off the most not sure if this is it? |
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Post by barrycygnetbus on May 1, 2011 13:25:47 GMT
Interesting Huddersfield Bus Company (centrebus) has just purchased a 51 plate solo, wonder if they might purchase this one as well?.
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Post by wbc on May 1, 2011 14:53:11 GMT
Best place for a Solo, the scrapyard! Be interesting to see if it is actually getting scrapped or is back in Barnsley for spare parts or onward sale. They needed scrapping when Stagecoach lost the 61/62 the were never on the road with the amount of problems they had. Stephenson fountain was the one off the most not sure if this is it? Both were terrible from the start as I'm sure you'll recall for the first year and a half the allocation was almost always 2 x East Lancs LF Darts, the appearance of both was exceptionally rare (hence the Cummings 53 reg one been purchased). I think towards the end they were more reliable (presumably due to alot of work and getting used to their faults etc), although they seemed to be allocated to the 201 as opposed to 61/2s. Nasty buses! |
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Post by wbc on May 1, 2011 15:06:32 GMT
Interesting Huddersfield Bus Company (centrebus) has just purchased a 51 plate solo, wonder if they might purchase this one as well?. Good luck if they have done! On the subject of 51 reg Solo's what happened to the one Powells leased? Anyone know who (if anyone) has got it now? |
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Post by 22438 on May 1, 2011 16:06:01 GMT
I think towards the end they were more reliable (presumably due to alot of work and getting used to their faults etc), although they seemed to be allocated to the 201 as opposed to 61/2s. Wasn't this because the 201 needed SQP compliant buses when that came in, which the W-EYGs weren't so they were swapped to the 61/62? |
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Post by 22438 on May 1, 2011 16:06:50 GMT
Interesting Huddersfield Bus Company (centrebus) has just purchased a 51 plate solo, wonder if they might purchase this one as well?. Good luck if they have done! On the subject of 51 reg Solo's what happened to the one Powells leased? Anyone know who (if anyone) has got it now? Sure I read on one of the Yahoo groups that they have indeed purchased this one under its new Irish-reg guise? |
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Post by jimmy on May 1, 2011 17:17:27 GMT
Best place for a Solo, the scrapyard!. Strange. some operators have no problems with solos and others hate them. The common point where operators hate them seems to be that they operate large fleets of Volvo's. It would appear that the ability of Volvo operators to get their heads round other technology is the main problem here not the vehicles. As an example, First PMT have a large fleet of solos and get good service from them, They also have a large fleet of darts and (for a First fleet) relatively few Volvo's. Go-Northeast seem to fare quite well with them as do TM more locally. TrentBartons numerous breakdowns rarely seem to involve their large fleet of solos. |
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Post by The Captain on May 1, 2011 18:38:32 GMT
Best place for a Solo, the scrapyard!. Strange. some operators have no problems with solos and others hate them. The common point where operators hate them seems to be that they operate large fleets of Volvo's. It would appear that the ability of Volvo operators to get their heads round other technology is the main problem here not the vehicles. As an example, First PMT have a large fleet of solos and get good service from them, They also have a large fleet of darts and (for a First fleet) relatively few Volvo's. Go-Northeast seem to fare quite well with them as do TM more locally. TrentBartons numerous breakdowns rarely seem to involve their large fleet of solos. Large fleets of Volvos: Heavy duty buses that dont need constant tinkering with or performance which compromises scheduling. If you want technology check out Volvo products like B7RLEs or B9s that need various lap tops and diagnostic programs to rectify or alter performance. In my experience of running Solos they were no better from an operators point of view than the Mercedes 709/811 and Varios that they worked alongside and replaced. Choice of engine(Mercedes) proved unreliable and underpowered, and as with other operators Solos, shedding wheels and rear axles was not something one wishes to see. On the plus side they were the first realistic low floor mini/midibus and ticked many boxes from a passenger point of view. Either you love them or hate them. I loathe them. |
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Post by barrycygnetbus on May 1, 2011 18:48:11 GMT
Good luck if they have done! On the subject of 51 reg Solo's what happened to the one Powells leased? Anyone know who (if anyone) has got it now? Sure I read on one of the Yahoo groups that they have indeed purchased this one under its new Irish-reg guise? The one Huddersfield Bus co has just purchased is ex Horsburgh Pumpherston YJ51 XSO and is at Waterloo at the Moment. |
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Post by barrycygnetbus on May 1, 2011 18:52:25 GMT
Just look at Norfolk Green, their fleet is nearly all made up of Optare products and a lot of solo's both new and second hand and they don't seem to moan. There is good and bad about everything. A company i know loves Optare Excels and can get a full days work out of them, while other companies hate them. The same is said about just about any make or model.
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Post by dougie on May 1, 2011 19:03:34 GMT
On the plus side they were the first realistic low floor mini/midibus and ticked many boxes from a passenger point of view. Either you love them or hate them. I loathe them. I think of the (early) Solos as the minibus equivalent of the SPDs or B10Ls (etc), since they were the first generation of that size of low floor bus (see also the problem with some AXL400s, around the earliest low floor double deckers). Later Solos seem better built, as the design has improved, but the teething problems associated with them seem to be what you'd expect from a "new" design. As I've said before on here, it makes me feel old to think that those first low floor buses are reaching "retirement" age |
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Post by maltaboy on May 1, 2011 19:32:34 GMT
I think of the (early) Solos as the minibus equivalent of the SPDs or B10Ls (etc), since they were the first generation of that size of low floor bus (see also the problem with some AXL400s, around the earliest low floor double deckers). What was the problem with the ALX400? I know the chassis (mainly Tridents) were poor but I didn't know there was a problem with the bodies too. |
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Post by 22438 on May 1, 2011 19:40:51 GMT
Sure I read on one of the Yahoo groups that they have indeed purchased this one under its new Irish-reg guise? The one Huddersfield Bus co has just purchased is ex Horsburgh Pumpherston YJ51 XSO and is at Waterloo at the Moment. I meant Centrebus have bought PJZ9452 which is ex YC51GZX, as reported on UK-Bus-Eastmids. |
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Post by barrycygnetbus on May 1, 2011 23:08:07 GMT
The one Huddersfield Bus co has just purchased is ex Horsburgh Pumpherston YJ51 XSO and is at Waterloo at the Moment. I meant Centrebus have bought PJZ9452 which is ex YC51GZX, as reported on UK-Bus-Eastmids. Sorry did not know about that one, will add it to my list. |
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