Meaning there is nowhere too put reviews on diamond vehicles, thought it was a good idea to start a topic for diamond vehicles
30813- this bus reminds me of 30832 before it got branded for the 301 and haven't seen it since
30813 has a very loud roar and is very quick at picking up speed, also nice looking interior, however I do prefer the ex midland classic interiors, and the top of the bus needs a repaint as it is red, looking very odd indeed
8/10
20913 - The Smoking Bandit. Engine so loud you can hear it and see the smoke a mile away. Ride quality is terrible with massive squeals when doing under 10Mph (and that's most of the time!). legroom is ok if you're a dwarf
0/10
Quote from: the trainbasher on March 19, 2015, 06:58:34 PM
20913 - The Smoking Bandit. Engine so loud you can hear it and see the smoke a mile away. Ride quality is terrible with massive squeals when doing under 10Mph (and that's most of the time!). legroom is ok if you're a dwarf
0/10
You really don't like solos do you? From what I recall 20913 was one of the better solos, certainly better than 2053* series. However I have not been on an optare solo recently unfortunately so not very up to date with solos
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 19, 2015, 07:02:38 PM
You really don't like solos do you? From what I recall 20913 was one of the better solos, certainly better than 2053* series. However I have not been on an optare solo recently unfortunately so not very up to date with solos
I like SR solos...but not solos which are as terrible as 20533x/4x or 20913!
30408 - Best Optare in the Tividale fleet! Had it once or twice when on Canterbury Park and Ride and a few times at diamond. needs a bit of a clean where the stickers were but it's a powerful bus, and makes me esteemed to ride it everytime i do!
10/10
(yes, I'm praising a diamond bus...am I ill or something? hopefully normal service will resume soon...)
Totally agree with 30408 a bit weird looking and weird setup but great bus, however I used to like the noice it produced when it first started service at diamond as it was very loud. I like to sit at the second from back seat as it has acres of legroom.
20852 - a credit to the diamond fleet. An absolute gem. Can't fault it!
Rating is off the scale
:)
The Solo SRs:
20014 YJ10MFY - Odd bus - cooling fan usually running, and is not great at getting up hills. Rattling is minimal, but interior panels need a clean - probably blackened after smoke got in there! Suspension is variable - after being attended to it is very good - it can be poor however if the tyres need inflating. Externally still looks smart. 7/10
20015 YJ10MFX - Performance of this bus getting worse and worse - can't get up hills - drivers having to resort to using the manual gears to try and get up now most of the time. This can cause a horrible jolt at times. Interior and exterior still in good condition - although the rear lights now have a pink background as they've replaced the old set. Not too much rattling inside in terms of Solos - suspension is not too bad. 7/10
20016 YJ10MFV - Well when this one was out and running it was a good bus - engine was good and the suspension good as well. Not much rattling either. Except at the moment it has been out of service for ages, which is a shame. Was 9/10
20027 YJ10MFZ - Currently the best SR running, depending on how MFV is after its return. Suspension and engine are decent - engine actually sounds like it should. Not much rattling, although the two panels on the rear bulkhead are now - they need tightening up. Not too bad at getting up the hills in comparison to MFY and MFX. Interior and exterior in good condition. 8/10
The reliability of these buses is not great, and certainly MFY and MFX struggle to get up any sort of incline. After the tyres have been inflated the suspension is good and smooth. The engines/gearbox on MFZ and MFV sound like they should, and run fairly smooth. I always compare these to the equivalent age NX Scanias - and I have to say the Scanias have performed much better over the last 5 years in comparison.
30861- where do I start? It used to be one of my favourite ex redditch ones, however yesterday it was an absolute disgrace. There were cigarette burns on the seat backs and some yellow stuff, which didn't look to nice. Exterior needs a paint, fairly quick off the mark.
5/10
Why te have to get redditch cast offs I'm not quite sure, redditch seem to be the garage that get the best buses which is a shame
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 22, 2015, 08:43:22 AM
30861- where do I start? It used to be one of my favourite ex redditch ones, however yesterday it was an absolute disgrace. There were cigarette burns on the seat backs and some yellow stuff, which didn't look to nice. Exterior needs a paint, fairly quick off the mark.
5/10
Why te have to get redditch cast offs I'm not quite sure, redditch seem to be the garage that get the best buses which is a shame
Cigarette burns are the fault of your fellow passengers, not Diamond!
20849 - well where do I start its appauling to say the least!! It has no power whatsoever it struggles to get up any hill especially Station Hill and the hill out of Hagley towards Halesowen it also struggles to pull out of junctions near enough all of the Kidderminster drivers hate driving it because of the issues it has they don't bother writing on the VCR card about the lack of power as nothing gets done about it by the engineers other than that the seats aren't in too bad of condition unfortunately that's the only good thing that can be said about it!
Quote from: Will on March 22, 2015, 05:32:53 PM
20849 - well where do I start its appauling to say the least!! It has no power whatsoever it struggles to get up any hill especially Station Hill and the hill out of Hagley towards Halesowen it also struggles to pull out of junctions near enough all of the Kidderminster drivers hate driving it because of the issues it has they don't bother writing on the VCR card about the lack of power as nothing gets done about it by the engineers other than that the seats aren't in too bad of condition unfortunately that's the only good thing that can be said about it!
It was the same at Tividale when it was there, just before the 202 was passed over to Kidderminster it was allocated to the 202 daily at Tividale, 8mph going up Rose Hill and it was doing well. To be honest though from what I remember from a drivers point of view it wasn't actually a bad bus to drive apart from the lack of power on hills. Sounds like it's acquired more issues since being a Kidderminster?
Quote from: the trainbasher on March 19, 2015, 06:58:34 PM
20913 - The Smoking Bandit. Engine so loud you can hear it and see the smoke a mile away. Ride quality is terrible with massive squeals when doing under 10Mph (and that's most of the time!). legroom is ok if you're a dwarf
0/10
20913 really is a poor bus, I'm not into the habit of knocking Diamond for the hell of it but 0/10 is being generous. I passed it on Balmoral Road last week and the amount of thick black smoke it was kicking out was unreal. It's got a habit of burning through hub seals on a regular basis as well. It was always considered a poor bus by the drivers when I worked there.
30808 - At least it works now!! I remember this thing well before it had a whole year off in 2013 (I should know, it broke down just departing halesowen when I was in a major rush to get from Weoley to Russells Hall - But I won't go into that!)
It's better now than what it was and that can be down to diamonds wizards in the maintenance department (or some outside company).
back then I would have said 0/10 but now I can give it a better judgement of 8.3/10
Quote from: Metrorider on March 22, 2015, 06:19:35 PM
It was the same at Tividale when it was there, just before the 202 was passed over to Kidderminster it was allocated to the 202 daily at Tividale, 8mph going up Rose Hill and it was doing well. To be honest though from what I remember from a drivers point of view it wasn't actually a bad bus to drive apart from the lack of power on hills. Sounds like it's acquired more issues since being a Kidderminster?
Not to my knowledge no but by what you've said it sounds as if it's been like it for a long time well it's getting worse
Quote from: StourportSam on March 22, 2015, 05:16:46 PM
Cigarette burns are the fault of your fellow passengers, not Diamond!
I would disagree. As smoking is not allowed on a bus, if this is a problem Diamond are not following the regulations regarding smoking on their vehicles, although this could be down to drivers casting a blind eye. If the burns have occurred since the smoking ban was introduced, it is something the management need to resolve with the drivers to deal with the issue.
20535...Sir Squeakalot.
More squeaks than a mouse this must be a contender for pest control. The urban90 seating makes for a luxurious rest if you're a midget and it has a massive attack of the slows. Only redeeming feature is its a dart and not a solo so I'd score it 3.7/10
20841...An ok solo?
Nice legroom and seats, bit jolty and Jerky. Needs more power in it as it was like a snail on one hill. Breaks are ok (A send you through the window type!). Some aspects could do better...
its ok but could be better
3.4/10
30878 - Wow!!! I've never been on a Diamond Bus that's so fast!!!! 😃😃😃😃 I was on it last week my mate was at the wheel driving it to Ludlow on the 2L going down into Hopton Wafers from Cleobury Mortimer I actually thought we was going to TAKE OFF!!! the power was incredible it'll do a whopping 62 mph down hill and 60 mph on the flat its currently the fastest bus at Kidderminster Depot just a shame that's it's a loan and not ours indefinitely
20855 - similar write up (as above) my mate was again driving this on the 2L a month or so ago and I have to say considering it was a Tividale cast off she certainly goes well down Angel Bank and on that flat
Quote from: Will on March 24, 2015, 08:38:37 PM
On that basis you can have
30704; KX57 OVS
30801; WX58 FRU
30806; WX58 FRV
With pleasure 30806 was ours to start with anyway. Is it just me who thinks rh have the best fleet through the whole of diAmond
None of the above multiple waste of messages are Diamond Bus revues so have been deleted - as will this message when it has had chance to be read!
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 24, 2015, 08:41:35 PM
With pleasure 30806 was ours to start with anyway. Is it just me who thinks rh have the best fleet through the whole of diAmond
Yes as a regular user in Redditch. The Presidents are worn out the MPDs are on the same blink and aren't the right buses for the 55H or 56H 57 58 57A 58A, the VDLs can be a tad underpowered at times and a wee bit too small one some routes at some points during the day. The MANs are to say the least unquie they are the same as the VDLs apart from breaking down or covered in oil.
What's needed is money and investing into the fleet. To be honest the 10 plate E300s are good and more of the same would help. But moving buses around won't help and saying one depot has the best fleet and another doesn't isn't true. Collectively the whole fleet is ok but it needs properly looking at and investing in.
30002 - New Ear drums please...
just been on this Volvo and every time it breaked...it screamed in pain everytime the driver applied the anchors! Requires PPE!
6.3/10
Review: 30931
Route: X3
Yesterday I was on 30931 VX54MUO 'Mock the Week!' as I call it due its number plate. Anyway I was on it on the X3 between Redditch Bus Station and Kidderminster General Hospital with
@Will it was
SHOCKINGLY BAD! it needs a new gearbox
IMMEDIATELY! it struggled to get up any sort of hill/bank. On one very steep hill leaving Redditch it was barely touching 12mph and we had queue of 20 cars behind us even the 143 stuck overtook us on the hill. Then we turned onto the
Fearsome!! A38 Dual Carriageway this was particularly terrifying as we joined the A38 because we were crawling along at a slow speed. It took twice as long to do this section because of how long it took 30931 to climb through the gears to get up to some sort of good speed that was not exactly smooth neither and the engine sounded like an
APOCALYPSE!!!!! :o :o
When we we're talking to the driver he told us that there was no mechanic at the Kidderminster depot on a Saturday so they could not sent a replacement vehicle. There was also no chance of a spare driver driving a bus up due to the current driver situation at the Kidderminster depot. On the hills on the Kidderminster ring road it was barely moving a Reliant Robin or Mobility Scooter could of easily overtook us!! I also wished the driver the best of luck getting it to Stourport! ::)
This is Officially the Worst Bus I Have Ever Been on in My Whole Life!!!!!
Quote from: Reece on March 29, 2015, 02:22:26 PM
Review: 30931
Route: X3
Yesterday I was on 30931 VX54MUO 'Mock the Week!' as I call it due its number plate. Anyway I was on it on the X3 between Redditch Bus Station and Kidderminster General Hospital with @Will it was SHOCKINGLY BAD! it needs a new gearbox IMMEDIATELY! it struggled to get up any sort of hill/bank. On one very steep hill leaving Redditch it was barely touching 12mph and we had queue of 20 cars behind us even the 143 stuck overtook us on the hill. Then we turned onto the Fearsome!! A38 Dual Carriageway this was particularly terrifying as we joined the A38 because we were crawling along at a slow speed. It took twice as long to do this section because of how long it took 30931 to climb through the gears to get up to some sort of good speed that was not exactly smooth neither and the engine sounded like an APOCALYPSE!!!!! :o :o
When we we're talking to the driver he told us that there was no mechanic at the Kidderminster depot on a Saturday so they could not sent a replacement vehicle. There was also no chance of a spare driver driving a bus up due to the current driver situation at the Kidderminster depot. On the hills on the Kidderminster ring road it was barely moving a Reliant Robin or Mobility Scooter could of easily overtook us!! I also wished the driver the best of luck getting it to Stourport! ::)
This is Officially the Worst Bus I Have Ever Been on in My Whole Life!!!!!
Yeah I have to agree with the above it's a shame that those First Darts have gone to near enough rack & ruin :( I'm actually amazed
@StourportSam hasn't commented yet as he got on MUO at the Town Hall and would of seen what myself and
@Reece had to put up with from Redditch!
Quote from: Will on March 24, 2015, 07:24:22 PM
30878 - Wow!!! I've never been on a Diamond Bus that's so fast!!!! 😃😃😃😃 I was on it last week my mate was at the wheel driving it to Ludlow on the 2L going down into Hopton Wafers from Cleobury Mortimer I actually thought we was going to TAKE OFF!!! the power was incredible it'll do a whopping 62 mph down hill and 60 mph on the flat its currently the fastest bus at Kidderminster Depot just a shame that's it's a loan and not ours indefinitely
20855 - similar write up (as above) my mate was again driving this on the 2L a month or so ago and I have to say considering it was a Tividale cast off she certainly goes well down Angel Bank and on that flat
Will
do not know if you realise that putting the bus was reaching those speeds . you could get you mate in trouble for breaking speed limit if simon sees this as do not think services bus are supposed to go at that speed .
Quote from: Cedric on March 29, 2015, 03:15:11 PM
Will
do not know if you realise that putting the bus was reaching those speeds . you could get you mate in trouble for breaking speed limit if simon sees this as do not think services bus are supposed to go at that speed .
ALL BUSES ARE LIMITED TO 62MPH!! If you don't believe me ask
@Tony
Quote from: Cedric on March 29, 2015, 03:15:11 PM
Will
do not know if you realise that putting the bus was reaching those speeds . you could get you mate in trouble for breaking speed limit if simon sees this as do not think services bus are supposed to go at that speed .
Buses (and coaches) are breaking the law travelling at anything over 50mph on a single carriageway, 60mph on a dual carriageway, or 62mph on a motorway
Quote from: Reece on March 29, 2015, 02:22:26 PM
Review: 30931
Route: X3
Yesterday I was on 30931 VX54MUO 'Mock the Week!' as I call it due its number plate. Anyway I was on it on the X3 between Redditch Bus Station and Kidderminster General Hospital with @Will it was SHOCKINGLY BAD! it needs a new gearbox IMMEDIATELY! it struggled to get up any sort of hill/bank. On one very steep hill leaving Redditch it was barely touching 12mph and we had queue of 20 cars behind us even the 143 stuck overtook us on the hill. Then we turned onto the Fearsome!! A38 Dual Carriageway this was particularly terrifying as we joined the A38 because we were crawling along at a slow speed. It took twice as long to do this section because of how long it took 30931 to climb through the gears to get up to some sort of good speed that was not exactly smooth neither and the engine sounded like an APOCALYPSE!!!!! :o :o
When we we're talking to the driver he told us that there was no mechanic at the Kidderminster depot on a Saturday so they could not sent a replacement vehicle. There was also no chance of a spare driver driving a bus up due to the current driver situation at the Kidderminster depot. On the hills on the Kidderminster ring road it was barely moving a Reliant Robin or Mobility Scooter could of easily overtook us!! I also wished the driver the best of luck getting it to Stourport! ::)
This is Officially the Worst Bus I Have Ever Been on in My Whole Life!!!!!
Reece
I was on one of the ex first darts Saturday 21/3/15 it was on the 2L service and it was playing up a bit. the driver stopped by the hospital and rang the depot. I was only going to bewdley and the engine cut out there but by the time I had been in a shop the bus was pulling off and there was a engineers van at the back. the sort time it was. he must have come from Kidderminster .
Quote from: Cedric on March 29, 2015, 04:31:10 PM
Reece
I was on one of the ex first darts Saturday 21/3/15 it was on the 2L service and it was playing up a bit. the driver stopped by the hospital and rang the depot. I was only going to bewdley and the engine cut out there but by the time I had been in a shop the bus was pulling off and there was a engineers van at the back. the sort time it was. he must have come from Kidderminster .
Cedric was the engineers van a 58 reg or 05 reg Ford Transit?
Quote from: Reece on March 29, 2015, 04:45:53 PM
Cedric was the engineers van a 58 reg or 05 reg Ford Transit?
was a transit type did not see the reg as it was hidden by a car
Quote from: Will on March 29, 2015, 03:18:38 PM
ALL BUSES ARE LIMITED TO 62MPH!! If you don't believe me ask @Tony
No they are not Will. They are limited to a maximum of 62mph. All NXWM bar a couple, and I suspect most of Rotalas are limited to 50mph
Quote from: Cedric on March 29, 2015, 04:48:27 PM
was a transit type did not see the reg as it was hidden by a car
Well I guess we will never know if it was the Kidderminster or Redditch Transit but it could of easily been that the mechanic had a day off in the week and had to work that Saturday to make up for it.
Trent Bartons coaches last time I checked were limited to 62
Quote from: the trainbasher on March 29, 2015, 04:55:51 PM
Trent Bartons coaches last time I checked were limited to 62
I would be very surprised if any modern
coaches weren't! Being pedantic it is actually 62.5 mph which equates to 100kph
Quote from: Reece on March 29, 2015, 04:54:13 PM
Well I guess we will never know if it was the Kidderminster or Redditch Transit but it could of easily been that the mechanic had a day off in the week and had to work that Saturday to make up for it.
Reece I was told ages ago that the engineers where at Kidderminster till round about 4pm/4.30pm
it would be the Kidderminster as the sort time frame the Redditch one would not have had time to get
of the reddicth ring road
Quote from: Cedric on March 29, 2015, 05:00:09 PM
Reece I was told ages ago that the engineers where at Kidderminster till round about 4pm/4.30pm
On Saturday? Diamond have more than likey cut the hours of the engineer at Kidderminster since then and that explains why he does not work Saturdays unless he's had a day off in the week.
Quote from: Tony on March 29, 2015, 04:52:24 PM
No they are not Will. They are limited to a maximum of 62mph. All NXWM bar a couple, and I suspect most of Rotalas are limited to 50mph
First Worcester E300's are limited to 50mph also.
Quote from: Will on March 29, 2015, 02:56:35 PM
Yeah I have to agree with the above it's a shame that those First Darts have gone to near enough rack & ruin :( I'm actually amazed @StourportSam hasn't commented yet as he got on MUO at the Town Hall and would of seen what myself and @Reece had to put up with from Redditch!
Yes it was awful, just what I needed after a very busy 10 hour shift at work! What would be a 20 minute journey took 45 from Kidderminster to Areley Kings.
That definitely confirms it was you then Will, was not 100% certain but now I know.
I also wished the driver luck on getting back to Kidderminster and he said he hoped it was one of the ones going to Tividale!
This must be a new/short term issue - 30931 has been a bit slow changing gears for some time but all three First darts seem in good nick generally. I hope it is easy/cheap to rectify, would be a shame to see it withdrawn.
Quote from: StourportSam on March 29, 2015, 06:55:22 PM
Yes it was awful, just what I needed after a very busy 10 hour shift at work! What would be a 20 minute journey took 45 from Kidderminster to Areley Kings.
That definitely confirms it was you then Will, was not 100% certain but now I know.
I also wished the driver luck on getting back to Kidderminster and he said he hoped it was one of the ones going to Tividale!
This must be a new/short term issue - 30931 has been a bit slow changing gears for some time but all three First darts seem in good nick generally. I hope it is easy/cheap to rectify, would be a shame to see it withdrawn.
@StourportSam I know what you mean it would a shame if the gearbox problem with 30931 was to costly I hope it is cheap to fix as well. Because Kidderminster will lose one of its best buses. Just to say that was me who got off outside Kidderminster Hospital with the orange bag on my back. It's lucky that the X3 does not up Bewdley Hill because I would have felt very sorry for the driver going from a standing start!
Quote from: StourportSam on March 29, 2015, 06:55:22 PM
Yes it was awful, just what I needed after a very busy 10 hour shift at work! What would be a 20 minute journey took 45 from Kidderminster to Areley Kings.
That definitely confirms it was you then Will, was not 100% certain but now I know.
I also wished the driver luck on getting back to Kidderminster and he said he hoped it was one of the ones going to Tividale!
This must be a new/short term issue - 30931 has been a bit slow changing gears for some time but all three First darts seem in good nick generally. I hope it is easy/cheap to rectify, would be a shame to see it withdrawn.
Haha! Yes it was me am I that recognisable 😛 it must be the blue backpack & Rotala coat I think 😀
20202- absolutely fantastic dart, one of Tividales finest, fast and very loud engine. Exterior and interior very good. Great bus. 9/10
Quote from: Tony on March 29, 2015, 04:52:24 PM
No they are not Will. They are limited to a maximum of 62mph. All NXWM bar a couple, and I suspect most of Rotalas are limited to 50mph
There was one of Diamonds a while back (Volvo B7) that would do a fair bit more than 62mph. Diamonds Volvos in general are limited to 52, the older darts generally aren't limited but you'd be brave to do more than 50mph in a dart (most wont even get to 50mph). One
very noticeable exception was 20505, I'm not going to post on a public forum what speeds that thing could do given a decent run (dual carriageway, m/way ect) but I'll say it was a fair bit more than 50mph ;)
From what I remember 20519 was a nice motor to drive, 20518 was nice as well but very sluggish pulling away. And Urban90 seating is horrible, it's far from exclusive to Diamond though, far too many darts have that seating fitted.
Urban 90s aren't any good for someone of my proportions...now bench seats:)
Quote from: the trainbasher on April 02, 2015, 11:07:47 PM
Urban 90s aren't any good for someone of my proportions...now bench seats:)
I second that 😁
Quote from: the trainbasher on April 02, 2015, 11:07:47 PM
Urban 90s aren't any good for someone of my proportions...now bench seats:)
I know them Urban 90 seat are like seating on rocks!
Quote from: Metrorider on April 02, 2015, 10:48:15 PM
There was one of Diamonds a while back (Volvo B7) that would do a fair bit more than 62mph. Diamonds Volvos in general are limited to 52, the older darts generally aren't limited but you'd be brave to do more than 50mph in a dart (most wont even get to 50mph). One very noticeable exception was 20505, I'm not going to post on a public forum what speeds that thing could do given a decent run (dual carriageway, m/way ect) but I'll say it was a fair bit more than 50mph ;)
I hope your not saying your employer of the time didn't have speed limiters on vehicles capable of more than 62mph (eg the B7) as that is an instant PG9 and could also invoke a PI?
To be fair once it was discovered there was a problem it was sorted out straight away. I'm pretty sure it would of had a speed limiter as the rest of the fleet did, I'm guessing it had a temporary problem at the time?
20505 could get up to about 58mph which for a dart is going some 8)
30409- absolutely shocking, whilst it's been on the 301/302 it has been vandalised heavily, black tape along the leather seat heads, they generally lack power, got to be the worst buses at tividale, can't believe the state of them
2/10
Review: 20519
Route: 142
I had the joy of having a ride on 20519 on the 142 twice in one day yesterday but the return journey between Halesowen Bus Station and Stourbridge Junction was the worst. It started with a crawl up the bank leaving Halesowen I could of got off and walked faster! Then later in the journey 20519 turned off beecher road onto beecher street which the 142 only surveys in the Stourbridge direction. Basically beecher street is like a smaller version of a very steep bank called sion hill in Kidderminster. As soon as the 142 turned onto beecher street it started to struggle then began the very long crawl up the hill jerking in and out of gear. It did make it to the top in the end.
3/10
Quote from: Reece on April 05, 2015, 11:53:46 AM
Review: 20519
Route: 142
I had the joy of having a ride on 20519 on the 142 twice in one day yesterday but the return journey between Halesowen Bus Station and Stourbridge Junction was the worst. It started with a crawl up the bank leaving Halesowen I could of got off and walked faster! Then later in the journey 20519 turned off beecher road onto beecher street which the 142 only surveys in the Stourbridge direction. Basically beecher street is like a smaller version of a very steep bank called sion hill in Kidderminster. As soon as the 142 turned onto beecher street it started to struggle then began the very long crawl up the hill jerking in and out of gear. It did make it to the top in the end.
3/10
Let's hope it never gets to Kidderminster!! #awful
Quote from: Trident 4194 on April 04, 2015, 06:27:47 PM
30409- absolutely shocking, whilst it's been on the 301/302 it has been vandalised heavily, black tape along the leather seat heads, they generally lack power, got to be the worst buses at tividale, can't believe the state of them
2/10
While I could probably understand this for a evening service, surely there's no way they couldve been vandalised on the Bloxwich routes during the daytime?
There is enough passengers on those during the day as potential witnesses!
20573- on 142 today- absolutely terrible bus. The amount of vibrations coming from this thing, was worse than NX 99 branded e200. It was slow as it was euro 2 engined.
3/10
30825- great bus, has an aeroplane sounding engine, is comfortable. Diamonds best buses by far. Sometimes there on 4H
Quote from: Matt on May 13, 2015, 05:27:39 PM
30828 wants mechanical attention.
I've been up the hill faster on my bike!!!
Review: 20654
Route: 4A
I had the joy of having a ride on 20654 V654 HEC on Wednesday evening on the last 4A of the day in Kidderminster. Absolutely shocking this bus has a serious electrical fault/problem ever time the doors open only one door will open and then when the one door is shut. A very loud whining noise is coming from the electrical power box and the internally lights don't work as well. And the seats desperately need re-padding and re-trimming because the actual metal parts of the seat we're sticking into my back OUCH!! >:(
1/10
Quote from: Reece on July 26, 2015, 07:36:31 PM
Review: 20654
Route: 4A
I had the joy of having a ride on 20654 V654 HEC on Wednesday evening on the last 4A of the day in Kidderminster. Absolutely shocking this bus has a serious electrical fault/problem ever time the doors open only one door will open and then when the one door is shut. A very loud whining noise is coming from the electrical power box and the internally lights don't work as well. And the seats desperately need re-padding and re-trimming because the actual metal parts of the seat we're sticking into my back OUCH!! >:(
I remember when they used to be on the 142, they were actually really quick and I actually enjoyed them. 20658 was my favourite.
Anyway 30858-
Route: 4H
These are so slow at pulling away and really seem to struggle uphill.
30455- caught on 142 never been on a long dart as fast as this. It has a good pickup speed and was happy with the bench seats, although I don't mind urban 90
Review 30214
Route 4H
Good bus all round but the seats were vandalised somewhat and when we left a bus stop the doors didnt close straight away and driver nearley hit a black audi on way into walsall so was a bit dangerous and was very rude to woman who got off
Bus 7/10
Suspension 2/10
Brakes 0/10
Review : 20869
Route : 226
Had this and it was terrible
Bus 0/10
Thought I should add some Versas to the list, and review my opinion on MFZ, MFX and MFV!
MFX - The best Solo SR now - had new turbos fitted so is very good at accelerating now. Engine/gearbox smooth, suspension very good and not much rattling. Still smart outside and inside, although black gaffer tape wrapped round one seat on the rear penultimate row to hide vandal damage. 9/10
MFZ - Getting ever slower - needs new turbos badly. Now struggling badly up the hills. Annoying rattle developed at the back from the rear panel fittings on the rear wall partition. Needs the screws tightening. Suspension good/engine and gearbox good too - just needs to be faster 7/10
MFV - With its "new" engine fitted from an older Solo, it's going along well. Sounds more like MFY now. Not too much rattling, and pretty smooth. Although the gearbox did jolt the other day at one point when starting off. 8/10
MFY - Still pretty much the same - smooth running, but noisy due to the cooling fan still going. Still not the fastest up hills, but goes along well on flatter roads! 8/10
61CHH - Versa - First time in a while ridden this - fairly good - bit rattly, and cooling fan was on. However smooth running, and decent suspension. 7/10
YJ12GUF - Sounded awful - sounds more like a failing jet engine at the minute. Suspension was jolting and rough - fairly rattly as a result. Not especially smooth either engine wise. 5/10
YJ12GTY - Excellent one - suspension spot on, runs along nicely and is smart. 9/10
YJ12GTZ - Pretty good Versa - suspension is fine, and not too rattly. Eye catching with the vinyls, although it seems some windows have been windows and no new vinyl applied, so looks a bit odd.
Review: 30302
Depot: KD
Route: 133 (Kidderminster - Chaddesley Corbett - Droitwich Spa)
Rating: 10/10
This bus although it's a MAN is absolutely HELLFIRE!!! going down the country lanes from Chaddesley Corbett to Droitwich I did at one point think we were going to take off I throughly enjoyed my ride on it I was absolutely amazed before I used to think that MAN Centro's were terrible but this one has made me think the opposite 😃😃😃
Sorry for dragging an old topic up but is relevant to the following post
Bus :30944
Registration: MX55 NWL
Route X3 Redditch - Bromsgrove - Kidderminster - Stourport - Arley Kings
Depot :KD
Rating : 8/10
Considering this bus is 11 years old it has quite a bit of power in it going around some roads in Kidderminster Town proved testing but it coped and when climbing hills has a load of kickdown with it
Interior 2/10
The only bad thing is the threadbare seating
Bus : 30804
Reg: KV57 OVV
Route : 303 Kidderminster > Ombersley > Worcester
Depot KD
Rating 0/10
One Word for this and one only : POWERLESS
Bus 30120
REG B14 WTS
Route 303
Rating 10/10
Only thing to stay is great bus and extremley helpful driver and freindly and didnt quite know the route so i helped him back to Kiddy from Worcester
30030/BF60OFA.
The definition of 'Perfect bus'. Sounds amazing, looks amazing, goes like stink, faultless. 10 out of 10.
Anyone have opinions on tividale streetlites? The 16 plate ones?
The tividale streetlites aren't bad buses they have very comfortable seats and don't rattle that much it's barely noticeable
They are a bit powerless up hills but in general very smooth buses
30814- beast of a b7
30885- what a bus that thing is. Got plenty of go and cruises up hills with ease. The interior is a bit mismatched but I actually prefer these to the WA B7RLES equivalent. The indicating noice is good.
20535 - Dennis Dart
Caught this on the 401E. Probably Diamonds best Dart. Paintwork looks exceptional (not been in Blue for that long, I remember this been branded for the 226). Interior a little bit of mess, suspension great some squeaky breaks but not that loud = 10/10
30879 - E300 (MK2)
Caught this on the 50 from City to Maypole. The interior in this is extremely smart and the paintwork doesn't look that bad. I've ridden this before on the 301 and it wasn't bad and it's not changed one bit. Great suspension, brakes good and a nice engine. 30878 is just as good! 10/10
But E300 MK1's are way better (30488-30492). Redditch 30933 (former First 67644) is a beast!
It's safe to say all the 002 branded centros need serious attention. Limp mode is awful
Quote from: Trident 4194 on November 26, 2017, 08:08:44 PM
It's safe to say all the 002 branded centros need serious attention. Limp mode is awful
I caught 30825 a few weeks back on the 4 and that is stuck in limp mode. The Royale Centros are just as bad.
Quote from: Jack on November 26, 2017, 09:03:52 PM
I caught 30825 a few weeks back on the 4 and that is stuck in limp mode. The Royale Centros are just as bad.
It does seem to be a common problem on the plaxton centros. Probably not helped by lack of maintenance. The value branded b7rlebuses were once slow- but are now excellent buses
Quote from: Trident 4194 on November 26, 2017, 09:42:15 PM
It does seem to be a common problem on the plaxton centros. Probably not helped by lack of maintenance. The value branded b7rlebuses were once slow- but are now excellent buses
So was 30201 - when Diamond acquired it in 2012 it was extremely unreliable, broke down a lot and was slow, but since March 2013 it seems to have been given a transplant!
The 'KS03' Solos are awful.
Quote from: Jack on November 26, 2017, 10:10:27 PM
So was 30201 - when Diamond acquired it in 2012 it was extremely unreliable, broke down a lot and was slow, but since March 2013 it seems to have been given a transplant!
The 'KS03' Solos are awful.
The Ks03 reg solos were never fast to start with though, the centros were
Quote from: Trident 4194 on November 27, 2017, 06:54:11 AM
The Ks03 reg solos were never fast to start with though, the centros were
They were a few years ago but Diamond have slowly declined on keeping them healthy.
The Ex Arriva Darts are better than the standard Diamond ones, more GO in them in. Same for the Ex Hansons Darts, but Hansons and Arriva kept them in good standard.
Quote from: Jack on November 27, 2017, 03:38:46 PM
They were a few years ago but Diamond have slowly declined on keeping them healthy.
The Ex Arriva Darts are better than the standard Diamond ones, more GO in them in. Same for the Ex Hansons Darts, but Hansons and Arriva kept them in good standard.
Ummm arriva didn't really look after their darts. Hansons maintained theirs very well
Quote from: Trident 4194 on November 27, 2017, 05:42:31 PM
Ummm arriva didn't really look after their darts. Hansons maintained theirs very well
They did, 21001 and 21007 are the best ones. Even 30215 was well looked after with Wednesfield and was better than Diamond's original Cadets.
20007 - Plaxton Primo
Caught this on the 41A. Great bus. The only Primo I know that is not slow and and sluggish. 10/10
30490 - E300
Caught this on the 40 yesterday. Ridden this loads before. Fast bus, suspension great, brakes great. The interior is a rainbow, as is 30488/9/92. Exterior smart. Loud ass bell. Tividale' best E300. 8/10
30942 - Urban 2 B7RLE
Caught this on the 4H. Probably Tividale's fastest Urban 2. Managed Gorsty Hill Road great compared to the earlier Urban 1's. Speedy and thrash down Churchbridge. Suspension great, brakes good, interior smart. Tividale's Urban 2's are better than their Urban 1's. Diamond's wifi is crap. 9/10
Quote from: Jack on December 25, 2017, 03:04:58 PM
20007 - Plaxton Primo
Caught this on the 41A. Great bus. The only Primo I know that is not slow and and sluggish. 10/10
30490 - E300
Caught this on the 40 yesterday. Ridden this loads before. Fast bus, suspension great, brakes great. The interior is a rainbow, as is 30488/9/92. Exterior smart. Loud ass bell. Tividale' best E300. 8/10
30942 - Urban 2 B7RLE
Caught this on the 4H. Probably Tividale's fastest Urban 2. Managed Gorsty Hill Road great compared to the earlier Urban 1's. Speedy and thrash down Churchbridge. Suspension great, brakes good, interior smart. Tividale's Urban 2's are better than their Urban 1's. Diamond's wifi is crap. 9/10
Diamonds wifi is much better than nx.
20104- quite a good dart. Seemed quite powerful up hills for a dart. Although as expected vibrating seats and poor suspension ruins the ride.
20001 - 5hours sat on this was torture! Hope I never have the displeasure again.
30201 - Cadet
Caught this on the 40 on Saturday. Beast, flew down roads. Shame Diamond only have two left in service now, doubt 30211 will last long. 7/10
30929 - Dart/E200 (the 07 plate)
Caught this on Saturday on the 16W. Horrible shed. Stuck in limp mode. Crawled down the 50MPH section of Newton Road. Horrible thing - 1/10
20002 - Dart
Caught this on the 29 from Blakenall to Walsall. Horrible Dart, bouncy suspension, very loud and squeaky breaks. Seats very uncomfortable and the bus then went into limp mode going down Stafford Street. Paint, Black Diamond livery fading.
30885 - Volvo B7RLE (SJ04 plate)
Caught this on the 43 from Bilston to Great Bridge. These 04 plate B7RLE's Diamond have are way better than NX's Urban 1's. Great suspension, clean interior, exterior smart and breaks good.
20828 - Solo
The '04' plate Solo. Had a little ride on this on the 25. One of the best Solos I've ridden, everything about this is great. 10/10
30828 - Plaxton 'Royale' Centro
Caught this on the 40. The Royales are so horrible now, leather seats taped up, crappy suspension and loud breaks. I presume many of the standard Centros are like this now. Shame as they use to be good buses on the long gone 56. 1/10
Quote from: Jack on February 10, 2018, 04:22:57 PM
20828 - Solo
The '04' plate Solo. Had a little ride on this on the 25. One of the best Solos I've ridden, everything about this is great. 10/10
30828 - Plaxton 'Royale' Centro
Caught this on the 40. The Royales are so horrible now, leather seats taped up, crappy suspension and loud breaks. I presume many of the standard Centros are like this now. Shame as they use to be good buses on the long gone 56. 1/10
That's just the awful maintenance team. The standard centros are most the time in limp mode. 30822 used to be a beast haven't seen it for a whilst though. The 07 plate B7RLES are better than these now- the only bad thing about them is the dangerously jerky brakes.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 10, 2018, 06:36:43 PM
That's just the awful maintenance team. The standard centros are most the time in limp mode. 30822 used to be a beast haven't seen it for a whilst though. The 07 plate B7RLES are better than these now- the only bad thing about them is the dangerously jerky brakes.
Sorry if I seem rude, but I don't think you should criticise any maintenence team if you haven't seen them work or even set foot in their depot. :)
Quote from: DJ98 on February 10, 2018, 06:44:55 PM
Sorry if I seem rude, but I don't think you should criticise any maintenence team if you haven't seen them work or even set foot in their depot. :)
It's a common issue ask anyone on the forum. The only fault I have against diamond. Drivers also will tell you the buses are broken.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 10, 2018, 06:53:11 PM
It's a common issue ask anyone on the forum. The only fault I have against diamond. Drivers also will tell you the buses are broken.
You can't take other people's opinions as 100% fact, though. I wouldn't criticise them unless I've seen something bad first hand.
Quote from: DJ98 on February 10, 2018, 07:27:50 PM
You can't take other people's opinions as 100% fact, though. I wouldn't criticise them unless I've seen something bad first hand.
There is a lot of Diamond Darts that have defects, just take 20002 for an example, stuck in limp mode.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 10, 2018, 06:36:43 PM
That's just the awful maintenance team. The standard centros are most the time in limp mode. 30822 used to be a beast haven't seen it for a whilst though. The 07 plate B7RLES are better than these now- the only bad thing about them is the dangerously jerky brakes.
30880 and 30881 are decent Centro's. 30881 has a loud turbo too.
Quote from: Jack on February 10, 2018, 07:36:52 PM
There is a lot of Diamond Darts that have defects, just take 20002 for an example, stuck in limp mode.
30880 and 30881 are decent Centro's. 30881 has a loud turbo too.
Loud Turbo = decent Bus? Seriously!? 😂
Quote from: Straightlines on February 10, 2018, 10:16:31 PM
Loud Turbo = decent Bus? Seriously!? 😂
It's whiny and loud. Howls too. It actually moves as well compared to 30826...
Quote from: Jack on February 10, 2018, 07:36:52 PM
There is a lot of Diamond Darts that have defects, just take 20002 for an example, stuck in limp mode.
30880 and 30881 are decent Centro's. 30881 has a loud turbo too.
Do darts have a limp mode?
I've never come across an Alexander Dennis vehicle in limp mode. Serious question as I genuinely don't know. Perhaps someone who has maintained darts can answer
@BN
Quote from: Tony on February 11, 2018, 05:34:49 AM
Do darts have a limp mode?
I've never come across an Alexander Dennis vehicle in limp mode. Serious question as I genuinely don't know. Perhaps someone who has maintained darts can answer @BN
They definitely do, but even so - I can't see how the Bus is 'permanently stuck' in Limp Mode as it virtually renders them undrivable.
Quote from: Tony on February 11, 2018, 05:34:49 AM
Do darts have a limp mode?
I've never come across an Alexander Dennis vehicle in limp mode. Serious question as I genuinely don't know. Perhaps someone who has maintained darts can answer @BN
Yes they do, anything from 2002 onwards in the Dart with the Cummins 3.9lt isbe4 engine is electronically controlled. Limp mode is the way the ECU behaves which saves itself from causing mechanical damage to the block. In this day and age, it's normally fuel or Adblue related.
I had the pleasure of 30807 today on 4H. What a brilliant bus. Certainly plenty of power accelerating and maintained speed well. Being driven quite fast. This is how all the centros should be!
10/10
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 14, 2018, 05:21:33 PM
I had the pleasure of 30807 today on 4H. What a brilliant bus. Certainly plenty of power accelerating and maintained speed well. Being driven quite fast. This is how all the centros should be!
10/10
30881 is the one of the last good ones going. Most of the others are stuck in limp mode.
One of the Royale Centro's is letting plumes of black smoke out, think it's 30823.
Quote from: Jack on February 14, 2018, 07:49:54 PM
30881 is the one of the last good ones going. Most of the others are stuck in limp mode.
One of the Royale Centro's is letting plumes of black smoke out, think it's 30823.
Still struggling to understand how Buses are permanently stuck in limp mode!
Quote from: Straightlines on February 14, 2018, 08:39:27 PM
Still struggling to understand how Buses are permanently stuck in limp mode!
Try sampling an 002 branded one or a royale according to others
Quote from: Straightlines on February 14, 2018, 08:39:27 PM
Still struggling to understand how Buses are permanently stuck in limp mode!
I agree, if a bus is in limp mode it should not be out in service, it should be receiving maintenance to resolve the fault.
It is called 'limp mode' because it is designed to get the vehicle to 'limp' to a garage or repair centre for maintenance without causing any harm or damage to the engine.
The buses people believe are 'stuck' in limp mode are probably just being driven slowly. ;)
30922-4H- there's something I like about these despite them being possibily one of the most uncomfortable buses to travel. Suspension was very bouncy and this one seemed quite underpowered, but it's a bus I don't get to travel on often which is probably why I like these and they have plenty of engine noice which adds to character.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 15, 2018, 08:00:01 PM
30922-4H- there's something I like about these despite them being possibily one of the most uncomfortable buses to travel. Suspension was very bouncy and this one seemed quite underpowered, but it's a bus I don't get to travel on often which is probably why I like these and they have plenty of engine noice which adds to character.
30952 is like that too. This one has very loud breaks.
30502 - Plaxton B7RLE (Wessex Livery)
Had a ride on this on the 50. Way better than many of the other Plaxton's Diamond own. Flew down Alcester Road. The livery is very smart and the interior is relatively clean. I doubt it will last like this for long though. 8/10
I had the absolute priviledge of 20540 on 231. Some say these are slow and horrible, but I have to disagree. Firstly I love the howling of the engines, brought back the memories of nx solos on the 654 as they do sound very similar. The interior all in the same moquette, and the fact that there painted in blue suggests that they think that they are worthy buses. On flat and coming down mucklows hill it certainly wasn't sluggish. Up mucklows hill it may have been a different matter. This is a vehicle type that I very rarely get to go on- in fact the last time was when they operated on the 142. Ideally would have liked 20538/20539 as these were the two branded originally for the Stourbridge shuttle, but this one was adequately as good
30211 - Cadet
Diamond's last '02' plate Cadet left. The howling engine reminded me of the 30206 and 30209. Interior a little messy, will probably be withdrawn soon. Shame this the last 02 plate. 6/10
30933 - Ex-First E300
Beast!! Can't beat this bus. Way better than the other E300's at Tividale. The E300's that First currently operate are the best ones going. 10/10
Quote from: Jack on February 21, 2018, 05:48:19 PM
30211 - Cadet
Diamond's last '02' plate Cadet left. The howling engine reminded me of the 30206 and 30209. Interior a little messy, will probably be withdrawn soon. Shame this the last 02 plate. 6/10
30933 - Ex-First E300
Beast!! Can't beat this bus. Way better than the other E300's at Tividale. The E300's that First currently operate are the best ones going. 10/10
30206 and 30209 had different gearboxes did they not to 30211, 30212 etc? Certainly sounded different from what I recall. My favourite cadet was 30218- what a bus that was being ex ludlows made it even more special.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 21, 2018, 08:47:34 PM
30206 and 30209 had different gearboxes did they not to 30211, 30212 etc? Certainly sounded different from what I recall. My favourite cadet was 30218- what a bus that was being ex ludlows made it even more special.
They sounded similar. Ex-Arriva 30215 sounded abit similar to 30206/9, but was better than the Diamond ones by a mile. Especially catching 30215 on a good route, the 40 and 229 I recall were good routes to catch it on.
30407 and 20730 in Convoy on 4H. Bet the solos the faster one there
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 22, 2018, 06:50:20 PM
30407 and 20730 in Convoy on 4H. Bet the solos the faster one there
Diamonds B7RLE's can fly down roads. I'd like to see the fastest up Gorsty Hill.
Quote from: Jack on February 22, 2018, 06:58:14 PM
Diamonds B7RLE's can fly down roads. I'd like to see the fastest up Gorsty Hill.
There both incredibly fast vehicles. Would say the solo has the better acceleration, I would say the solos going to be the faster one up gorsty hill. B7RLE probably better at maintaining high speeds though
30881 Is as bad as the rest of the 002 centros.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 15, 2018, 04:55:27 PM
30881 Is as bad as the rest of the 002 centros.
That one use to be a favourite of mine, have you tried 30952? That's a good one.
Quote from: Jack on March 15, 2018, 08:02:56 PM
That one use to be a favourite of mine, have you tried 30952? That's a good one.
Through my recollection there all quite awful. 30807 is a good one- surprisingly not allocated to the 002 anymore. Coincidence?
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 15, 2018, 08:26:35 PM
Through my recollection there all quite awful. 30807 is a good one- surprisingly not allocated to the 002 anymore. Coincidence?
30952 is a good one. Not sure on 30807. 30002/3, 30120, 30302, 30922 and 30952 are better Plaxton Centro's all of them bat 30952 are allocated to the 40, notice the good ones are kept on the 40?
30878 - MK2 E300
Caught this earlier on the 16W from West Bromwich to Hamstead Village. Loud beast, I've always had a soft spot for this bus. Fast, warm, good brakes, smart interior like 30879, loud and whiny gearbox. Faster than 30879 and louder than 30879 too. Beast, one of my favourite Tividale buses.
10/10
30489 - MK1 E300
Good bus, fast and no bouncy suspension like 30488. Squeaky breaks, worn out interior.
6/10
30816 - Plaxton Centro
Great bus, very similar to 30502, fast, not stuck in limo mode and has nice fast doors. Whiny gearbox too. Interior smart and clean.
10/10
@Trident 4194 isn't this one an ex 002 branded?
Quote from: Jack on March 24, 2018, 04:00:21 PM
@Trident 4194 isn't this one an ex 002 branded?
No 30816 has never been branded for the 002. Motive that 30952 is now 002 branded?
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 24, 2018, 04:17:03 PM
No 30816 has never been branded for the 002. Motive that 30952 is now 002 branded?
Correct, 30816 has never been 002 branded, something popped into my head it was branded. Yes 30952 is 002 branded. Isn't it 30810/11 and 30952 left with 002 branding?
30807/8/9, 30880/1 use to branded for 002, wasn't there a few more that had it? The current 002 branding is horrible as was the previous yet short lived version, the overall green was the best 002 branding.
Quote from: Jack on March 24, 2018, 04:22:00 PM
Isn't it 30810/11 and 30952 left with 002 branding?
30808 has it too.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 24, 2018, 04:17:03 PM
No 30816 has never been branded for the 002. Motive that 30952 is now 002 branded?
Quote from: V89MOA on March 26, 2018, 03:06:18 PM
30808 has it too.
Looking at photos it's turns out that four Centro's have 002 branding : 30808/810/811 and 30952. 30808 missing a lot of it.
Quote from: Jack on April 01, 2018, 06:08:44 PM
Looking at photos it's turns out three Centro's have 002 branding : 30808/810, 30952. 30808 missing a lot of it.
It's four, 30811 is also branded (you mentioned it yourself 3 posts above).
Quote from: V89MOA on April 01, 2018, 06:23:52 PM
It's four, 30811 is also branded (you mentioned it yourself 3 posts above).
Corrected it, it literally skipped my mind that 30811 is branded.
Quote from: Jack on March 24, 2018, 04:22:00 PMThe current 002 branding is horrible as was the previous yet short lived version, the overall green was the best 002 branding.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/101550299@N05/16340577532
I have to say, I don't remember that one! When were they changed?
I do agree though, much better branding.
https://flic.kr/p/24nSLEn
Good bus. Fast. Weird brakes. Takes getting used to. Pulls all the way to 60. To the point that I don't believe that it's actually 60, it's that quick!
Apparently a posh bus according to passengers lol
Glad I didn't get my allocated former Central Bus 21107 now!
Quote from: MasterPlan on April 02, 2018, 12:28:59 PM
https://www.flickr.com/photos/101550299@N05/16340577532
I have to say, I don't remember that one! When were they changed?
March/April 2015 was when the All-Over green was being phased out. 30806 then moved to KR. 30807-30811, 30880/1 then had the green 002 branding, not the one that's going now. Then they all got debranded in late 2016/early 2017 and had the branding that currently is going round on the 002. Only 30808/810/11 got rebranded, it was 30952's first ever 002 branding. 30807/9 and 30880/1 never got rebranded. Hopefully you understand, I've put it into a confusing way of explaining!
The allover green was the best 002 branding there is. The current and the previous version aren't as good.
Quote from: Jack on April 02, 2018, 12:37:41 PM
March/April 2015 was when the All-Over green was being phased out. 30806 then moved to KR. 30807-30811, 30880/1 then had the green 002 branding, not the one that's going now. Then they all got debranded in late 2016/early 2017 and had the branding that currently is going round on the 002. Only 30808/810/11 got rebranded, it was 30952's first ever 002 branding. 30807/9 and 30880/1 never got rebranded. Hopefully you understand, I've put it into a confusing way of explaining!
The allover green was the best 002 branding there is. The current and the previous version aren't as good.
Yeah, I remember the previous branding to this one, which also included the 'Every 15 mins', which is not mentioned anymore for some reason. Just a big 7 for 7 days a week...
21107 - E200
Horrible Stumpy E200. Only good thing is it has warm heating and comfy seats = 2/10
20974 - Streetlite WF
Horrible Streetshite. WF examples are as bad as a Stumpy E200. Bouncy suspension, was pretty much jumping over the speed bumps on Bromford Drive. Comfy seats and warm heating = 2/10
30404 - Versa
Hate this and 30405. Fairly fast down the long roads on the 82, dodgy leather seats, makes a loud screeching sound. Brakes loud, suspension bouncy and an awful gearbox. The Citaro's and 16 plate Streetlites are better buses = 4/10
Quote from: Jack on April 28, 2018, 04:42:07 PM
21107 - E200
Horrible Stumpy E200. Only good thing is it has warm heating and comfy seats = 2/10
20974 - Streetlite WF
Horrible Streetshite. WF examples are as bad as a Stumpy E200. Bouncy suspension, was pretty much jumping over the speed bumps on Bromford Drive. Comfy seats and warm heating = 2/10
30404 - Versa
Hate this and 30405. Fairly fast down the long roads on the 82, dodgy leather seats, makes a loud screeching sound. Brakes loud, suspension bouncy and an awful gearbox. The Citaro's and 16 plate Streetlites are better buses = 4/10
Do you like anything?
Go back a few pages and you'll see I've praised Diamond vehicles - mainly Tividale surprisingly.
I was on one of the Diamond Solos on the 13 heading towards Merry Hill this morning. It struggled going up Beecher Road East. All 4 passengers on board commented they thought it would stop completely. Unfortunately didn't note down the fleet number.
30889 - Big Dart
Had a ride on this vile ex Hanson 52 plate big Dart on the 55. Squeaks like mad, awful suspension, brakes make a racket. Doors take a decade to open and the bus was very sluggish. Thing wreaked of diesel and rattled over the slightest bump. I hope I never the pleasure again. Central Buses Darts are better motors than this shed.
0/10
Quote from: Jack on June 30, 2018, 10:24:31 PM
30889 - Big Dart
Had a ride on this vile ex Hanson 52 plate big Dart on the 55. Squeaks like mad, awful suspension, brakes make a racket. Doors take a decade to open and the bus was very sluggish. Thing wreaked of diesel and rattled over the slightest bump. I hope I never the pleasure again. Central Buses Darts are better motors than this shed.
0/10
I wouldn't be so sure. Central's darts will soon be like that once those mechanics have got their hands on it!! Maintenance is a major issue with this company. Most buses have a different fault with them
Quote from: Trident 4194 on June 30, 2018, 10:27:35 PM
I wouldn't be so sure. Central's darts will soon be like that once those mechanics have got their hands on it!! Maintenance is a major issue with this company. Most buses have a different fault with them
Oh yes I know, apart from the Centro's in limp mode, this is one of the worst conditioned Diamond bus I've ridden in a while. Shame they don't scrap most of their fleet, I'd start with the KS03 Slowlo's.
30808 - Plaxton Centro/B7RLE (002 branded)
I deceided to hop on this when it appeared on Moor Street, it's been a while since I've ridden a 002 Centro baring in mind. Comfy seats like ex-Redditch B7's. Few missing pieces of branding. By the time we got to Bradford Street it cut out but the driver did get it going. Then an alarm wouldn't stop beeping. This reminded how crap most of the Centro's are now. The brakes were good, the suspension was bouncy, the engine sounded all over the shop and the gearbox made weird sounds when it was idling.
3/10
Quote from: Jack on July 21, 2018, 09:16:52 PM
30808 - Plaxton Centro/B7RLE (002 branded)
I deceided to hop on this when it appeared on Moor Street, it's been a while since I've ridden a 002 Centro baring in mind. Comfy seats like ex-Redditch B7's. Few missing pieces of branding. By the time we got to Bradford Street it cut out but the driver did get it going. Then an alarm wouldn't stop beeping. This reminded how crap most of the Centro's are now. The brakes were good, the suspension was bouncy, the engine sounded all over the shop and the gearbox made weird sounds when it was idling.
3/10
The beeping is an eco sensor. Let's them know how well they're driving. And of course you already know about the stop start retrofit programme.
Quote from: MW on July 21, 2018, 09:29:18 PM
The beeping is an eco sensor. Let's them know how well they're driving. And of course you already know about the stop start retrofit programme.
Oh yes their stop start retrofit, presume all buses will have it :P
I had 30880 on the 4H yesterday. No faults it seemed, plenty of acceleration and power and made good time. It seems these Volvos are very temperamental as the other day I caught 30808 and that was also a good bus not struggling in the slightest, yet if I get them this week they are probably ruined again.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on July 22, 2018, 09:12:30 PM
I had 30880 on the 4H yesterday. No faults it seemed, plenty of acceleration and power and made good time. It seems these Volvos are very temperamental as the other day I caught 30808 and that was also a good bus not struggling in the slightest, yet if I get them this week they are probably ruined again.
I had 30808 yesterday and if you read my review I had an awful ride.
Have you ridden 30952?
@Trident 4194
Quote from: Jack on July 22, 2018, 09:21:18 PM
I had 30808 yesterday and if you read my review I had an awful ride.
Have you ridden 30952? @Trident 4194
I've ridden all of them, 30952 is one of the better ones from what I recall. 30413 is the the best b7rle in the fleet for acceleration
Quote from: Trident 4194 on July 22, 2018, 09:38:42 PM
I've ridden all of them, 30952 is one of the better ones from what I recall. 30413 is the the best b7rle in the fleet for acceleration
Yes, 30952 is a good one. Never ridden 30413. 30502 and 30816 are fast ones and better than the Royales.
30509 is the best B7RLE Tividale have for acceleration. 30508, 30813/4/5 were also very good at Tividale.
30856 is the worst for acceleration.
20050 - Baby Solo
Stupid idea to put this on the 4. When I got on it was half full and by the the time we was at Stone Cross there was a standing load! Smart little baby bus, good suspension, brakes a little naff, not very good acceleration. Was struggling with a full load right to Walsall. Not a bad bus but is suited to quieter routes - 4/10
30886 - Big Dart
I deceided to get on this as I've not ridden it since it was 29 branded, it's also recently returned to service after being off for a while awaiting a new engine. This thing can fly now, it use to be an awful bus after its new engine it seems like they've fixed up. Only issue was the slow doors. Just as good as the Ex-Central big Dart's! - 9/10
30030 - Mercedes Citaro
Had this all day yesterday on the 50. ( https://flic.kr/p/29wjZbb )
It's a very relaxing bus to drive. I thought it'd be a bit of a handful as it was inner city as oppose to its usual home of the country lanes between Solihull & Coventry.
Very powerful. Pulling up Bradford Street. Actually had a bit of a, I won't use the word race, but yeah whatever you call it with a BY Scania on the 17 and smoked it lol.
It's not fast off the line but when it's going, the power is there and it's not gutless. For it to accelerate as forceful yet smooth as it was on an incline up Bradford Street where Streetlites struggle, yeah it's definitely got power. The suspension is also very smooth. Handles bumps in the road well.
It is too big for the 50 though. There's a lot of street furniture on the route close to the road, and I had to be very careful with the rear overhang. Felt very tight at times. The front nearside mirror was one to watch too. Almost hit a bent phonebox leaning into the road with it, as I pulled up to the bus stop.
Had a lot of positive comments though. Mainly people shocked that it's a Diamond Bus.
But yeah, good bus. Nice drive. I think I prefer these to Scania Omnilinks now. Oh and it's the first bus I've ever driven with an electric front drivers window, and proper cup holder like you'd get in a van.
20733-229 what a Great route if you get a fast bus. Sounds feisty on tickover, and the acceleration on that thing is tremendous. The engine sound is nice and loud. Maintains speed well and all interior matching. What a machine. Go as far as to say that's diamonds finest bus.
20511 - A bit tatty inside and very rattly but the engine sounds great and it's flying up hills on the 287. I certainly approve of it. ;)
20745 well can I start with this bus
1. I think it needs a gearbox as it's rattly and going very slow
2. Doors won't open driver tried roughly about 7 times just to get the doors open as they were stuck
3.considering it goes on the manor hospital route after and for a person who might come out of work or visiting someone certainly doesn't want to hear this bus
4.brakes are really squeaky and noisy
@Simon Dunn could u do anything about this
Quote from: I love Walsall buses on February 04, 2019, 08:44:17 PM
20745 well can I start with this bus
1. I think it needs a gearbox as it's rattly and going very slow
2. Doors won't open driver tried roughly about 7 times just to get the doors open as they were stuck
3.considering it goes on the manor hospital route after and for a person who might come out of work or visiting someone certainly doesn't want to hear this bus
4.brakes are really squeaky and noisy
@Simon Dunn could u do anything about this
I don't think the company have a maintenance team.
Quote from: I love Walsall buses on February 04, 2019, 08:44:17 PM
4.brakes are really squeaky and noisy
20735 has also got the squeaky brakes. It's very loud and screechy.
Must say the optare products have a great heating system for the cold weather. Often like saunas! The igo solo SR have a terrific heating system.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 04, 2019, 09:40:55 PM
Must say the optare products have a great heating system for the cold weather. Often like saunas! The igo solo SR have a terrific heating system.
Some of them Igo SRs were previously in Malta so wouldn't have needed much heating there, that's why they have air conditioning pods on the roof ;)
Quote from: P419 EJW on February 04, 2019, 09:16:30 PM
20735 has also got the squeaky brakes. It's very loud and screechy.
So does 20736!
Quote from: I love Walsall buses on February 04, 2019, 08:44:17 PM
20745 well can I start with this bus
1. I think it needs a gearbox as it's rattly and going very slow
2. Doors won't open driver tried roughly about 7 times just to get the doors open as they were stuck
3.considering it goes on the manor hospital route after and for a person who might come out of work or visiting someone certainly doesn't want to hear this bus
4.brakes are really squeaky and noisy
@Simon Dunn could u do anything about this
I went on this bus today, was quite a fast solo imo and the brakes weren't squeaky st all. The doors are body though
Quote from: Trident 4194 on March 24, 2019, 08:00:48 PM
I went on this bus today, was quite a fast solo imo and the brakes weren't squeaky st all. The doors are body though
Must of done something about it then
My overall opinion on the Mellor's...
Firstly, I have to say that the suspension on these vehicles is quite firm. It makes for an uncomfortable ride over speed humps.
The seats are rather hard and are quite uncomfortable. Also, there aren't many seats on the lower level which can make it difficult for the elderly or disabled to access the seating at the back.
These buses are quite noisy, especially when accelerating.
The doors take too long to close and make a rather annoying buzzing sound when closing.
Overall, I dislike these buses. I'd have an E300 over these any day!!!
Travelled on KX06LXO/21021 on a 145a yesterday. Vehicle still in a fairly smart Hansons livery , went well [with the usual rattles when ticking over]. Very tidy inside. Not sure what the long term plans are for this bus but I suppose if it is on the list for repainting it will see further service. :D
A short trip on 30001 this afternoon - a flyer !! 8)