Powells Latest Buses (Read 27,198 times)

[metromadman]

Reported further on the YTC Yahoo Group news that Powells have rejected Olpympian-N326HGK due to chassis rot and have taken Olympian-L246SDY in replacement.

Thanks.

[captaincool]

Jun 10, 2011 21:18:53 GMT Luke said:

Will be interesting to see which style of livery the 'new' Olympians will get. As Powells seem to paint them in a different livery.

N137AET is currently in Stagecoach livery from the bottom deck windows upwards, whilst everything below is solid blue.

[b10ble]

N137AET is back? thats good i now dont have to go all the way to northamptonshire to photograph it. Things are looking up for powells. 2 years ago they were running shed likes like wright handybuses crappy lances now look. Only thing they need to sort out is the blinds. Suprises that the PTE has had a pop at them yet.

[captaincool]

Jun 16, 2011 10:47:03 GMT b10ble said:

N137AET is back? thats good i now dont have to go all the way to northamptonshire to photograph it. Things are looking up for powells. 2 years ago they were running shed likes like wright handybuses crappy lances now look. Only thing they need to sort out is the blinds. Suprises that the PTE has had a pop at them yet.

They still need to smarten up a bit though. Drivers don't have a uniform, buses are in different liveries and as you say, allot have boards for destinations.

[Deleted]

Powells Bus:
What is a blind.
What is a standard livery.
What is a uniform.

Whay do they keep buying step entrance double deckers when there are enough low floor deckers available, either out of London or other operators. Look at M Travel in Castleford, gone from a virtually all high floor fleet to a virtually all low floor fleet using ex NCT & London deckers.

[captaincool]

Funding is probably the key.

The operator seems to rely mostly on tendered runs and school services, it probably doesn't get enough cash income to invest.

I suppose Olympians are cheaper to maintain than a more modern Trident for example, especially when most are used on school runs 90% of the time.

[tyresmoke]

Olympians (and B10M's) are also solid, reliable buses that will stay out all day most days.

[moonraker79]

Optare Excel 28, P330 NHJ is now at Carlton:
www.flickr.com/photos/bens_transport_photos/5839880709/in/set-72157626853027983/

[Deleted]

I saw an Olympian this morning running in Stagecoach livery on the 87 about 08:45. I think it was L242SDY.

[30563]

Jun 16, 2011 20:04:09 GMT @moonraker79 said:

Optare Excel 28, P330 NHJ is now at Carlton:
www.flickr.com/photos/bens_transport_photos/5839880709/in/set-72157626853027983/

Best place for those vehicles! Sames goes for all Volvo B6 variants.

[srw]

Jun 16, 2011 20:04:09 GMT @moonraker79 said:

Optare Excel 28, P330 NHJ is now at Carlton:
www.flickr.com/photos/bens_transport_photos/5839880709/in/set-72157626853027983/

Not surprising, it wasn't great performance wise and presumably unreliable? Has anything replaced it as yet?

I wonder how long the R reg ones have got left? These early Excels dont appear to have been the best of purchases!

[srw]

Jun 17, 2011 15:10:27 GMT @2101 said:

I saw an Olympian this morning running in Stagecoach livery on the 87 about 08:45. I think it was L242SDY.

Nice to see standards of presentation Decker wise is remaining high!! Hopefully they'll actually repaint them as opposed to let them run round in Stagecoach livery, from this start the synic in me thinks we're going to have yet another decker livery soon!

Is a consistant livery that hard?

[b10ble]

I dont think that optare excel will get broken up looks like its for sale as its not been touched yet. Powells bus have got the fastest excels on the planet.

[srw]

Jun 16, 2011 17:33:17 GMT @jasem said:

Powells Bus:
What is a blind.
What is a standard livery.
What is a uniform.

Whay do they keep buying step entrance double deckers when there are enough low floor deckers available, either out of London or other operators. Look at M Travel in Castleford, gone from a virtually all high floor fleet to a virtually all low floor fleet using ex NCT & London deckers.

In regards to the points made:

Blind - Most of them are ancient, some I suspect are from the 90s, I.E old Bristol VR's, many haven't been updated for years, the V reg ones have got newish ones though.

Standard Livery - they managed it for many years but now it seems so hard, not sure why? Different management these days?

Uniform - One ive always found strange, some drivers dress smartly in shirt & tie, yet others uniform appears to be a dark polo shirt & Hi Vis vest.

Step entrance decker wise the answer is simple there cheap and arguably why should they waste a fair bit more when the tender doesn't require such vehicles and they will be for the core of their life with Powells restricted to school work? Coudln't you say the same for MASS and WBH?

The key difference with M Travel is that most of their LF deckers between school runs and at weekends/ after school runs operate on routes 134/183 amongst others so are spending the core of most days on the road, Powells aren't most of them do just school work (I.E. Eckington runs), so not really a fair comparrison unless Powells were to start running buses between school runs again.

I think investment wise the single deck fleet should be looked at, the R reg Darts and R reg Excels could do with replacement with something newer, V reg Excels are ok and perform well and the T reg MPD's are ok, although a repaint into 'new' livery and new destination blinds would be an improvement. The coaching op could do with investment as well, although recent purchases suggest cash may be an issue (i.e. cheap excels).

[srw]

Jun 18, 2011 18:23:47 GMT b10ble said:

I dont think that optare excel will get broken up looks like its for sale as its not been touched yet. Powells bus have got the fastest excels on the planet.

I think they'll have a job selling it on especially considering dealers are struggling to get rid of such buses, I suspect it will end up getting scrapped unless somebody is after a real cheap bus.

Considering that the Powells Excels came from a larger batch, I think they may have quite a few rivals for fastest Excel on the planet!!