Friday 16 November 2012

More New Hybrids For Sheffield

The New ADL Enviro 400 Hybrids for route 52 (Hillsborough-Sheffield-Handsworth-Woodhouse). These are 12161-79 (YN62BBE/X/CY/EY/FP/SU/TV/VR/S/XA/O/S/X/YA/S/U/ZG/K/T). They are expected to enter service in early next year. The new Hybrids will be in the Hybrid Green veriant of Beachball. Its Just a green beachball really isn't it :/
One of the orringal Hybrids operating route 52 in Handsworth
in July 2012.
Overall they will lead to improve reliablity on route 52 for Stagecoach, Those DAFs can't keep to time. They will also push Firsts faces in it yet again after something simaler happend on Route 120 (Halfway-Crystal Peaks-Sheffield-Hallamshire Hospital). This will give Stagecoach an excerlant avrage vehicle age in Sheffield compaired to other operaters. Only Sheffield Community Transport come anywhere close. The vehicles should lead to the withdrawal of DAF SB220 East Lancs Myllennium 26100-10 and some Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Spyrte. I expect the DAF SB220 Wright Commander will stay at Holbrook depot allong with MAN ADL Enviro 300 22560-3 leading to 22633-9 been reallocated to Ecclesfield depot and been branded/ maybe for Route 79/A. 22612-7/29/30 have allready been branded for the route. The above fleet movements are not confirmed so don't hold me up on them. For now all i can say is ADL have started building them with delivery expected next month and over the Christmas/ New Year period to Holbrook Depot.

3 comments:

  1. Good news, for a key route it's in need of an upgrade in running stock, First's 10 year old B7Ls are going to look pretty substandard in comparison.

    I doubt First are bothered they can't even agree on a fleet name for the SHEFFIELD branded buses, some being Sheffield, some South Yorkshire and some plan First. The Leeds cast offs haven't even got branding yet weeks in.

    Their answer to the hybrids on the 120 seems to consist frequently of battered dirty B7TL's in old colours. "We believe in improving your buses" indeed.

    Will be sad to see the dafs go, they are terrier originals and also have a feel of the leyland national about them. I was hopeful remaining darts and earlier mans would take the hit first

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  2. Certainly Not, The DAFS are unstandard and they are quite slow compaired to the early MANs and yes i know the early MANs are sluggish. Firsts problem is lack of money because they have them selfs in debt. B7TLs are ok but most use Stagecoach anyway.

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  3. In fairness most of the buses First use on the 120 are B9TLs with Gemini bodywork. These buses are far superior to the Enviros, ADL build quality is dreadful. Although, I would much rather an Enviro to the clapped out B7TLs that also appear regularly on this route. The B7TLs are too underpowered for the work they're doing, you should hear them going up Glossop Road when fully laden, it's not a pretty sight! Stagecoach really are putting it up to First on the 52 though, I certainly agree with that! I like the B7Ls as it happens, but for such a well used route, I agree that it could do with some upgrading. The MAN/Enviro 300s on the 123 are brutal, with dire seat spacing and are even more underpowered than a Volvo B7TL, that's some achievement.

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