Why the Difference in Allocations? (Read 358 times)

[r2ro]

I was wondering why do allocators change the buses on routes every day even though it is the same type of bus everyday?

I'll make this clearer with an example:

27 Crystal Peaks - Rotherham at Swallownest at 08.04.
This is always a Rotherham Olympian so why isn't it always the same one? It would surely make allocators jobs easier as opposed to changing them around everyday and would also avoid dodgy allocations. In this particular example you know you're going to get an Olympian due to passenger demand but I really can't see what difference it makes if one of the N--- CMP are on or its a S--- LLO.

Seems strange to constantly change them.

[22438]

Don't have a clue really, as it has always confused me how exactly allocating buses works. I too have noticed that the Olympians on the 27/30 seem to change often, normally various S-LLOs are on but today it was N241CMP on the working that I see. Although what confuses me more is why OG allocate specific types of B10M to certain services, e.g. G-NWAs to the school 1 and the 3/4, J-XAKs usually on the 1/2 etc, but mix around the newer B7Ls?

I'm sure there are people on here who can enlighten us as to how this works!

[Tom B]

But in the end, an Olympian is an Olympian. It would just complicate things if it were the same one every day for a large group like First - more sensible to say "let's put an Olympian on route x" and tell the driver to select a bus accordingly depending on what's parked where.

Smaller companies on the other hand often allocate specific buses to specific duties where things are specialised, Leon always had P877PWW on the 29, however the 89/195/196/174/173 "minibus routes" had anything from a selection of Metroriders and Drats. Similarly Wilfreda seem to put specific buses on specific routes (330 on the 200, 320+544 on the 450, OAV on the Adwick route) and then pick any Solo (it seems) to put on the service work.

[r2ro]

Firstly apologies for double posting the thread.

tombeevers said:

But in the end, an Olympian is an Olympian. It would just complicate things if it were the same one every day for a large group like First - more sensible to say "let's put an Olympian on route x" and tell the driver to select a bus accordingly depending on what's parked where.

I'd have thought that the drivers had no input in what they went on as in they wouldn't just pull out the Olympian closest to the exit. I would have also expected allocations to be done days, if not weeks in advance, so it would be quite evident what's going out where (not just waiting to see which one the driver chooses).

[22438]

Tom B, I see what you mean about the smaller companies, Hulleys 272 is usually always their Excel, but although Hulleys seem to have fallen victim to the mysterious "Disappearing Excel Syndrome" that has afflicted a certain other company, the replacement is always N360VRC. Similarly TM Travel always used to put W444TMT on the morning 65 run even though they have numerous other Varios. But larger companies seem not to do this.

[donnytom]

tombeevers said:

Similarly Wilfreda seem to put specific buses on specific routes (330 on the 200, 320+544 on the 450, OAV on the Adwick route) and then pick any Solo (it seems) to put on the service work.

Not forgetting the Tempo on the 707!

[yorks06]

As well as the above firms it seems Powells have a similar practise especailly with their Sheffield area work as the 82 will have the same plaxton bodied dart everyday along with the same metrobus and what ever works the 3rd board, like wise with their 13/M13 its usually the same dart (13) Merc (M13), likewise in the days of the 767 it was usually always the same Dart. Stagecoach/Terrier do a similar thing with the bradfield/rivelin buses the bus that starts at 7am and is out until midnight is usually always their cummins engined solo with any solo being thrown on the board that runs in at 8pm, with the cummins engined solo very rarely if ever appearing on that board or on the 201.

[yorks06]

cjm said:

Tom B, I see what you mean about the smaller companies, Hulleys 272 is usually always their Excel, but although Hulleys seem to have fallen victim to the mysterious "Disappearing Excel Syndrome" that has afflicted a certain other company, the replacement is always N360VRC. Similarly TM Travel always used to put W444TMT on the morning 65 run even though they have numerous other Varios. But larger companies seem not to do this.

I believe the Hulleys 272 is rarely out and about as its very unreliable and constantly breaking down, dont know if its the same with Mass's Excels though.

[asourdirective]

Well Powells buses come off school work, for which tenders agree a minimum number of seats on a bus, so you might as well provide the same bus each day. That is why you have the same buses.

Similarly, MASS have the same Titans out on most of their routes - because they're driven by the same driver each day; plus it makes sense not having to move the destination boards from one bus to another!

[admin]

I have also noticed this, espeicially now with the x78, youst to only ever be 741/2/3/4/5/6/247/8/9/50/1/2/3/4/5/6/7 on the x78, but now can be anything ranging from spd darts, to non low floor darts, to g/h/j/k/m/n reg b10m's.

Allthough i keep seeing the same buses on service 4 in rotherham now, as this route does not interwork anymore, so the same buses stay on the route all day, ie today it was L227 VHU and N232 KAE.

[donnytom]

yorks06 said:

I believe the Hulleys 272 is rarely out and about as its very unreliable and constantly breaking down, dont know if its the same with Mass's Excels though.

You may well be right- I think it's been mentioned on here before that Excels aren't the most reliable of buses...!

Mass also tends to keep their Trident pair on the 191; in fact, apart from possibly that odd 192 thing on Tuesdays, they may never have operated another route...

[Tom B]

During the Leon era, a double decker was a double decker, there was very little care taken in placing them. So for example one of the schools duties used to do a school run, then a bit of Warmsworth, then cover the 89 for part of the afternoon to allow the metrorider drivers to have a break, before going back on the evening school trip. This could vary from an Atlantean one day, an Olympian the next and Tridents after that.

However in the what I refer to as the 'late Leon' era - 2002 to 2004ish - there was a little more order, in that the 191 was usually W598GCW/W599GCW/D43RWC (the most presentable Olympian). The then-192 (extension of the 191 to Misson) was always F101RTR or G473PGE the Lynxes.

As for drivers and the parking arrangement, when you have a depot layout where buses can be 'boxed in' it seems sensible to not select one right in the middle for an early duty for example, as it's much more difficult to extract. In the cramped confines of a busy yard it can also result in scrapes... "Ah yes boss, well I just had to move that £250,000 coach out the way so I could get to the VR, and I didn't notice the telegraph pole, that's why the back window's missing and there's a telegraph-pole shaped dint in it".

I know that WBH allocate their buses the day before, but these are sometimes revised in the morning should when things break.

[busman3]

Varios reasons first not all buses are available every day due to engineering or other uses.

Some boards (or digrams ) are higher mileage than others so if you keep the same bus on the same diagram then you get one bus doing a lot of miles and one doing a little.

On some routes you need diferante types of buses on differante days ie footballs, sports fixtures, market days schools etc. A warm sunny day increases traffic on certain routes but a wet day increases traffic on others .

I suspect there are others

Indeed in STD days it was standard practice to rotate buses on route 52 so they could have a rest hence the surprise when they did the route 52 dedicated buses.

[greenbus]

donnytom said:

yorks06 said:

I believe the Hulleys 272 is rarely out and about as its very unreliable and constantly breaking down, dont know if its the same with Mass's Excels though.

You may well be right- I think it's been mentioned on here before that Excels aren't the most reliable of buses...!

Hulleys has a few ex-EYMS Excels that were buggers back then, let alone now. The ones Hulleys bought were the ones we didn't re-engine, too, and the re-engined ones are crap, but 10 times better to drive and maintain. I almost feel sorry for the Hulleys drivers and engineers. Only almost, though.