Shabby First buses in Sheffield.

[puddinburner]

Like above the windscreen on this picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/transpennine47/4675710672/ ?

 

It's the batch of double deckers that we received from Leeds in about September 2012 that have them (they got "new" buses that were used on Olympic contracts down in London over the summer - once the Olympics were over these new buses moved to Leeds and the buses freed up in Leeds came to Sheffield).

 

I think that the gold star is something to do with where to park them in the depot in Leeds - we had something similar in Sheffield a while ago to indicate the buses that were to be parked where cleaners would give them priority treatment - First come up with these "initiatives" from time to time to try to give special treatment to buses on key routes - the idea being that they will then roll it out across the whole depot until it becomes "the norm".

 

(it could have been a star to identify the buses that were used on the Guided Busway in Leeds though - could be wrong)

 

In short, the stars are a Leeds thing - when the buses moved to Sheffield the stars were never taken off them - they get treated just the same as other Sheffield buses now they are here. Sorry it's nor a more interesting answer!

 

Gosh thanks for that real mystery that one, just told the kids. X

[Guest busdriver1]

Outside Portsmouth,off the island we call the area Hampshire so we dont confuse the two.Its like saying Sheffield is in Derbyshire.I trust you have a satnav on your bus given your geographical ability.

 

I dont need a satnav, I have a brain. The hills you refer to may be outside the city boundary but the buses do run there and that is the whole point of this discussion.

 

---------- Post added 21-01-2013 at 14:10 ----------

 

Sheffield is the steepest city in Britain, it's beyond me how such a big hilly city can have such old crap buses. I wait for the Stagecoach when I go for the 25 because the tickets are easier to read

 

the usual rubbish - keep it up:loopy:

 

---------- Post added 21-01-2013 at 14:18 ----------

 

As I remember it, Sheffield used to have vehicles with retarders on from the (late?) 70s due to the topography.

 

Not quite right, retarders were fitted from the late 70's on most buses in most areas as that is when they became available. They were introduced to prolong brake component life irrespective of the topography of the operating area.

I well remember when one of the woderful "built for Sheffield" buses was loaned out to the Tyne & Wear PTE to try out on their hilly routes. Its impact was such as it was restricted to the flatter routes it could cope with.

[hello1964]

There are some real bone-shakers on the 25A route, everything vibrates - plus some very old-looking double deckers on the 53 route, downstairs left-hand side just has single seats rather than the usual double seats, very strange arrangement!

And check out the slow or non opening doors at the front..jeez these look positively antique ..53 route again.

[Isabelle]

I got on a First single decker bus today, and the engine was really noisy, it didn't sound healthy

[tbtc]

Gosh thanks for that real mystery that one, just told the kids. X

 

There are some with purple stickers saying "elite" on them in a similar place (by the destination screen on double deckers) that are for the Leeds guided busway - why they never bothered to take the stickers off when they moved to Sheffield is another story!

[Pulsar]

First South Yorkshire have just got a new batch of Wright Streetlites. Leather seating. Interior is like the Leeds First Wright Gemini 2's.

[F1fan]

They seem to break down an awful lot, the ones that belong to First. The AXL400s (?) seem to break down an awful lot of times and also have trouble making it up some hills if I remember correctly from quite a few journeys.

The 120 seems to get a lot of these bad buses but then Stagecoach put on the clean and new hybrid buses which are a lot more reliable on the other half of the route.

[bus man]

First South Yorkshire have just got a new batch of Wright Streetlites. Leather seating. Interior is like the Leeds First Wright Gemini 2's.

 

Err no they havent there is one of them it is a test bed/ demo even though its in first colours , it will be on route 51 morning and evening peaks and other routes in the day I understand.