Metro Fleet News 2014

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08/12/14 - B10BLE 2783 has received and allover stone livery for use as an engineering float bus with either company. 2781 and 2922 should follow.

07/12/14 - New B5TL 2198 has received a promotional livery ofr the new Dundonald Park and Ride.

04/12/14 - Solos 1959/60 (TFZ 9959/60 - B28F+9) entered serice at Short Strand on 13th November, and the remaining 5 B5TLs 2196-2200 also at Short Strand on 1st December. A number of B10BLEs have been taken out of use at the end of November: 2774/5/6 (GVS), 2781/2/8 (Falls), 2791/2 (Short Strand), along with B7TLs 2921/32 (Short Strand). Also detaxed with yet another engine fire is B9TL 2334. B7TL 2935 has been reactivated and has gone to Ulsterbus Newcastle. On the move are 1913/4/5/2383/4 (Short Strand - GVS), 739 (GVS - Falls), 2177/8/9 (Newtownabbey - Short Strand), 2190/2388/9/2969 (Short Strand - Newtownabbey), 2185/6/7/2943/5 (Falls - Short Strand), 2385/6/8/2895/6 (Short Strand - Falls), 2393/4 (GVS - Short Strand). B9TL 2202 has received another stylish Christmas advert for Phoenix Gas. New route 4X commenced on 1st December, running from the City Centre to Dundonald Park and Ride, with the first stop being Ballyhackamore.

13/11/14 - Solos 1832/3 (Short Strand) have been taken out of use at the end of October and are now in Reserve, as is B10BLE 2773 (Falls). Similar 2808/9 have moved from Falls to Short Strand and 2811 from GVS to Short Strand. B7TL 2931 has gone to Ulsterbus at Coleraine, replacing 2925, whilst B10BLE 2783 is now in Active Reserve status, unusually allocated to Duncrue Street. It is the first of a small number of buses to be repainted allover stone for use as an engineering float pool with either company. 2922 should be reactivated to this pool also and possibly 2929. B10M 1641 has been sold to Carolan Coaches, Co Meath. News of subsequent disposals sees Leyland Lynx 3009 (HXI 3009) go to Boddice, Burton upon Trent by 7/13 for preservation, ex Midland Classic, Burton upon Trent.

17/10/14 - Versa's 1801-10 (TFZ 8801, B43F+14 ) are now in use at Falls (1801-5) and GVS (1806/7 and green P&R liveried 1808-10). B10BLE's 2801/16/7 are now withdrawn, all with engine failure, as is the first of the B9s, 2209, which will have it's fire damage repaired. B10BLE 2771 is now in Active Reserve at Short Strand, whilst B7TLs 2923/5/8/30/3/4/8/40 have gone to Ulsterbus. B9TL 2359 has been painted in a striking Corporate Commuter Initiaive advertising scheme, unusually covering the front of the bus also.

16/09/14 - B5TL's entering service on 1st September are 2177-81 (SFZ 9177, Newtownabbey), 2182-4 (GVS), 2185-9 (Falls) and 2190-5/2385/98-2400 (Short Strand). Detaxed at the end of August were the remaining Plaxtons 1641/7/8/9/51/3 (Short Strand), with 1654 being withdrawn completely, although subsequently 1648 was returned to use at Short Strand on 4th September to cover for ex Ulsterbus Irizars being repainted. Also detaxed are a number of the HCZ batch of B7TLS 2922/3/4/5/6/8 (SS) 2930/3/4 (Falls) 2938/9/40 (Newtownabbey) and a solitary B10BLE 2762 (Short Strand). Received from Ulsterbus are Irizars 1713/20/2/9 (Short Strand) and B10BLE 2775 (GVS), with B7s 2881/2/9-94 and B9s 2219/20 going the other way. On the move are 788/9 (GVS - Newtownabbey) 2208/2789 (Falls - Short Strand), 2343/4/2816/9 (GVS - Short Strand), 2774 (Newtownabbey - GVS), 2776 (Short Strand - GVS), 2805/6/8/9/18 (GVS - Falls), 2954/5/6/7/8 (Newtownabbey - GVS).

10/08/14 - Ulsterbus B7TLs 2881/2 were returned to use at Newtownabbey on 7th July to help cover the shortfall of buses away at the Commonwealth Games. Also returned to use is Scania 741 (Falls) after completion of repairs. B10M/Plaxton 1646 has been sold to Carolan Coaches, Spiddal, Co. Meath. Curiously Solos 1920/2 have swapped registrations with the former becoming VOI 205 and the latter VOI 200. New Volvo B5TL 2196 has appeared at Dennisons and is the first of 5 in the green Park and Ride livery for use when the new facility at Dunlady Road opens later in the year.

 

14/07/14 - Volvo B9 2353 has now joined 2331 in the Metro summer promotional livery.

14/07/14 - Volvo B9 2331 has lost it's Giro promotional vinyls and instead has been turned out with Metro promotional messages. In doing so it shows how much better the new B5's could look with some form of relief from the overall magenta.

 

01/07/14 - New Volvo B5TL/Wrightbus H74F are 2383/4/6-92/7 (SFZ 9383 etc - Short Strand) and 2393-6 (GVS). Scania 741 (Falls) has been detaxed after an electrical fire, with B10BLE 2769 going back to Ulsterbus (Reserve). Also in Reserve are B10Ms 1646/52 (Short Strand), replaced by Ulsterbus Scania/Irizars 1725/30 (Craigavon Active Reserve). Vehicles detaxed for the school holidays are 2922-6/35 (Short Strand), 2100/2/4/5/2816 (GVS), 2764/73/83/2929/31/5 (Falls) and 2774 (Newtownabbey). On the move are 2343/4/2899/2900/1 (GVS - Falls), 2347 (GVS - Newtownabbey), 2805/6/8/9 (Falls - GVS), 2932 (Falls - Short Strand), 2943/5 (Short Strand - Falls) and 2965/7/8/9 (Short Strand - Newtownabbey). B9TLs 2355-82 are Glasgow bound for the Commonwealth Games from 9th July, with 2355-76 for hire to FirstGroup, with 2377/8 spare.

27/06/14 - Solo 1914 has been repainted from green to Eastside Park and Ride livery.

12/06/14 - A launch for the new Volvo B5's was held at Titanic Quarter this afternoon with 2389-92 in attendance. 2383-92 will enter service on 1st July at Short Strand, along with 2393-6 at GVS. The remainder should enter service at the start of September. 2383/4 should be amongst the buses heading to the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow.

 

23/05/14 - On the move are 792 Short Strand - Newtownabbey, 2969 GVS - Short Strand, whilst B10BLE 2776 has been received from Ulsterbus at Short Strand. Solo 1855 is another sold to McGonagle, Buncrana.

21/05/14 - Ulsterbus B10BLE 2770 returned to use at GVS on 9th April, moving to Ulsterbus Foyle on the 28th, being replaced at GVS by another reactivated blue Renown, 2778. Also back in use in April was Mercedes 0.405 2100 on the 16th.

06/05/14 - The second Giro bus, 2353, has now hit the road.

05/05/14 - Metro Volvo B5TLs are now rolling off the production line with 2384 seen at Dennisons. Unfortunately this dull unrelieved allover pink colour scheme has been selected as a singularly charmless 'livery'.

30/04/14 - Volvo B9 2202 is the second of the current pair Airtricity aoa's.

15/04/14 - Two Volvo B9s are being painted pink for the Giro d'Italia Big Start, with 2331 being the first.

14/04/14 - Registrations SFZ 9177 - 9200 and SFZ 9383 - 9400 have been reserved for the forthcoming Volvo B5TL/Wright Gemini 3 double deckers 2177 - 2200 and 2383 - 2400. B9s 2331 (SEZ 2331) and 2352 (SEZ 2352) have been repainted allover Magenta with graphics applied for the Giro d Italia. Fire damaged 2944 (TCZ 9944) has gone to Hamill, Ahoghill for scrap.

10/04/14 - B9 2342 is the first of a pair of aoa's for Airtricity, to a much improved design over the previous two.

04/04/14 - New buses expected this year are 42 Volvo B5TL/Wrightbus, numbered 2383-2400 (without seatbelts) and 2177-2200 (with seatbelts). Also expected are 2 Optare Solo SRs (1959/60) and 10 Optare Versas (1801-10). 2203 is the final aoa for Phoenix Gas. B10BLE 2764 returned to use on 17th March at Short Strand, as did Mercedes O.405's 2102/4/5 at GVS on 14th March (still in blue livery). The other 3 rigid Mercedes should return to use shortly, and also possibly 2 of the artics for use during the Balmoral Show. Vehicles on the move are 792/3 (Newtownabbey - Short Strand), 806-8/2810 (GVS - Short Strand), 2764 (Short Strand - Falls), 2963/4 (Short Strand - Newtownabbey) and 2969 (Short Strand - GVS).

13/03/14 - Unexpected news is the Mercedes 0.405's 2102/4 plus one other are to return to use at GVS. Also surprising is the repaint of Solo 1869 back to blue colours.

05/03/14 - B10BLE 2771 has returned to use at Short Strand, along with blue 2774 received from Ulsterbus at Newtownabbey. Tiger 1475 has gone to Sandy Arthur, Limavady and 1476 to Hamill for scrap, leaving just 1478/9 to be disposed of.

02/03/14 - 2213 is the first of the Phoenix Gas overall adverts.

18/02/14 - 2 overall adverts for Phoenix Gas are due shortly.

15/02/14 - The first 25 buses fitted with illuminated T-shaped adverts is: 2206/8-10/8/20, 2332/7-9/41/5/7/50/5/70/3/9-82, 2911/3/6/62. A second group is being done also. B10BLE 2762 has returned to use at Short Strand, whilst 2769 has moved from Short Strand to Falls. Also in use as a promotional vehicle is Ulsterbus Scania 723 which has had a wrap advert applied for the Public Health Agency stop smoking. The seats have also been removed from the low floor section to allow use as a display area. Unusually the advert features a picture of former Western National Bristol Lodekka VDV 752.

31/01/14 - Volvo B7/ALX 2944 has been withdrawn after suffering fire damage on 4th January. Another vehicle awaiting a decision on its future is B9 2209 which also suffered serious fire damage last Saturday night last. 2944 has been replaced in the short term at least by B10BLE 2769 which has been transferred in from Ulsterbus Reserve. Similar 2834 has now returned to the Ulsterbus fleet and is allocated to the Active Reserve at Craigavon. A total of 25 vehicles have been fitted with offside illuminated advertising panels. Identified so far are 2339/41/5/70/9/82 and 2962. The 3 Ulster Bank adverts have now reverted to fleet livery (2898, 2926/52).

16/01/14 - Solo 1869 is now in Reserve, along with B10BLEs 2762 (Short Strand) and 2768 (returned to Ulsterbus). B9TL 2219 (Newtownabbey) is detaxed after and engine fire and the future of 2944 is also doubt after another fire.

01/01/14 - Seasons Greetings and a Merry New Year from Irish Transport Heritage.

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