For all those enthusiast ,s out there who appreicate a quality bus ride if driven properly look out for 4504 , from drivers point of view seriously good bus to drive hardly rattles around cab area.
Will keep an eyeball out for it. Cheers bud
Quote from: 2900 on July 13, 2014, 12:38:51 PM
For all those enthusiast ,s out there who appreicate a quality bus ride if driven properly look out for 4504 , from drivers point of view seriously good bus to drive hardly rattles around cab area.
Cheers for that :) Will bear that in mind when i next see it.
4518 one of the dogs in the batch , it's like driving a hair dryer with that hydraulic cooling fan constantly on the go. Seriously annoying after 5 hours , couldn't get out of the cab fast enough for me break. Must have been awfull from a passenger point view sat at the back.
Quote from: 2900 on July 15, 2014, 11:55:08 PM
4518 one of the dogs in the batch , it's like driving a hair dryer with that hydraulic cooling fan constantly on the go. Seriously annoying after 5 hours , couldn't get out of the cab fast enough for me break. Must have been awfull from a passenger point view sat at the back.
4518, 4534 and often 4504 constantly have their cooling fans on in my experience :(. That's probably the only thing really disappoints me about the Geminis, 4512 and 4526, however, are great, are two of my favourite Geminis. Any plans to fix 4518's cooling fan? Surely there are
I do report the buses with noisey fans , sometimes it's does feel like your comments are largely ignored , I guess it,ll be fixed when other work needs doing . The day I drove 4504 wasn't a hot day had plenty of running of time so no need to push it just cruising gently along probably why I didn't here the fan come on.
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 16, 2014, 12:56:03 AM
4518, 4534 and often 4504 constantly have their cooling fans on in my experience :(. That's probably the only thing really disappoints me about the Geminis, 4512 and 4526, however, are great, are two of my favourite Geminis. Any plans to fix 4518's cooling fan? Surely there are
4705 too
4635 general comments , on a smooth road all is good, different story on the rough surface saloon doors platform ramp rattles not good, pretty quick , during deceleration zf box howls not overly so, sounds good to me ,cooling fans do come on but it's not screaming, retarder bit on the pronounced side for my liking, grimy interior not helped with all manner of food stuffs on the floor and of course the obligoratry chicken bones, got potential to be an excellent bus this one. 6/10
General comments on this vehicle type. Start with 4227 recent refurb externally looks good, interior grimy with new seat cushions , the cab platform area what a joke it all moves on rough roads so not pleasant. Press the accelerator there's a massive delay before the wheels turn you could probably make a cup of tea in that delay. Did experience jolting from the gearbox it does seem to happen more with voith gearboxes than zf,s , engine was smooth enough only good thing I think. 4/10
Not a fan, but living and working in PB territory I have to put up with them. Can be kinda sluggish but maybe that's just down to the drivers
Some move like slugs, I hated 4278 at Hockley so infuriating to drive . I will post comments on each one I come across should have joined this forum years ago , it's good to vent my thoughts on vehicles.
I've always had a soft spot for the ALXs, but that's probably because I'm so used to them. While they're decent buses, they're not the best buses around
Hated them at BC, was so glad to see the back of them after almost 10 years.
Very slow pulling away, dangerously so at major islands like Five Ways etc.
As for the comment about it being down to drivers, I dont think Lewis Hamilton could make one move any quicker.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 19, 2014, 02:21:36 PM
Hated them at BC, was so glad to see the back of them after almost 10 years.
Very slow pulling away, dangerously so at major islands like Five Ways etc.
As for the comment about it being down to drivers, I dont think Lewis Hamilton could make one move any quicker.
I liked them. Very smooth. 4242 and 4247 from BC I recall as when I drove them were the better ones.
B'ham Central Driver, I can't remember if 4300/4301 etc was any good from Dundee, maybe you could share some light on it.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 19, 2014, 02:32:07 PM
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 19, 2014, 02:21:36 PM
Hated them at BC, was so glad to see the back of them after almost 10 years.
Very slow pulling away, dangerously so at major islands like Five Ways etc.
As for the comment about it being down to drivers, I dont think Lewis Hamilton could make one move any quicker.
I liked them. Very smooth. 4242 and 4247 from BC I recall as when I drove them were the better ones.
B'ham Central Driver, I can't remember if 4300/4301 etc was any good from Dundee, maybe you could share some light on it.
The Dundee ones were just as bad if not worse. 4242 and 4247 were just as bad as the others. As 2900 said, there was a delay between pressing the gas pedal and the bus moving, infuriating when you're running late.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 19, 2014, 02:44:47 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on July 19, 2014, 02:32:07 PM
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 19, 2014, 02:21:36 PM
Hated them at BC, was so glad to see the back of them after almost 10 years.
Very slow pulling away, dangerously so at major islands like Five Ways etc.
As for the comment about it being down to drivers, I dont think Lewis Hamilton could make one move any quicker.
I liked them. Very smooth. 4242 and 4247 from BC I recall as when I drove them were the better ones.
B'ham Central Driver, I can't remember if 4300/4301 etc was any good from Dundee, maybe you could share some light on it.
The Dundee ones were just as bad if not worse. 4242 and 4247 were just as bad as the others. As 2900 said, there was a delay between pressing the gas pedal and the bus moving, infuriating when you're running late.
I never had any issues to be honest mate.
Although for delay of everything, try the E200's. Even the horn takes a few seconds to realise it has been pressed.
Totally agree with you b,ham Central driver. Can't remember the fleet no there is one at west brom it flyes it's extremely rare to get it . Yes I agree they can be smooth , it's been a while since I,ve come across one that ticks most boxes.
Never driven any b10l,s I seriously doubt I ever will, remember them brand new on the hagley they seemed pleasant enough from a passenger point of view . I can recall comments from various drivers at the time some were faster than others. Few months back I,m travelling around darlo I boarded a b10l a refurbed example sat down back I thought to myself this sounds nothing like the hagley road examples. IMO this is a far better bus than those. Very nice example can't be to many left now . Did some arrive new with different specs?
I just remembered a few years back at Walsall training centre I drove an alexander b10l nice smooth drive. To any one who knows does alexander drive like a wrightbus example?
Must be the voith gearbox maybe it just doesn't suit Volvo engines? In Coventry drivers hate the Gemini's and say they're sluggish, and they are voith, but love the alx 400 b7tls, which are zf and say they're a lot faster! Must be Zf gearbox that's better because people say the Gemini's in Birmingham are a lot faster than the ones in Coventry.
Whilst not B7TLs, the Dennis Tridents at YW have voiths (although slightly different voith gearboxes as they sound more bass like). Soon of them are a bit sluggish pulling away - once they are going they can be pretty rapid but they seem to love over revving! Prefer the Scanias or Presidents when I am in rush coming back from school as they pick up speed much quicker (and actually can cope with the Stratford Road poor road surface - in Tridents it is just bang into any drain cover, pot hole etc. The Scanias and the good Presidents meanwhile glide over them)
@2900
There were some of the Volvo B10Ls built with a ZF gearbox -1431 to 1440. You may have ridden one of these, hence why it sounded different and better than the Voith examples. I don't think the ZFs were used on the Hagley Road services - they started off at Coventry, then got moved to YW, AG predominantly. I had these buses on the S2 and 40A/40C for over 7 years when they replaced the Leyland Lynxes on the 40A/40C (Solihull Circular). They were excellent buses on these routes - had some character to them and were reliable and comfortable to ride on. The ZFs at AG were always favourites of mine - 1435, 1431, 1440 and 1438 in particular were excellent buses being very fast and smooth. Certain voiths were very good such as 1441, 1442, 1423 and 1429. 1419 at YW is still excellent to this day. 1480 was also an interesting one, with a weird sounding diff, but fast. Some of the voiths sounded different to each other. 1421 for example sounds different to 1441 - 1453 being more raw sounding and slower. 1441 had a sound like the one in the video linked to - it had a turbo sound and was a real good ride on the dual carriageway near Solihull. The drivers I knew at AG never had a bad word to say about them - preferred them to the loud, bouncy Crusaders!
Shame they are nearing the end of their working lives at NX now, as they have been superb buses. I would do anything to have them back on my local route now - the Optares of Blue Diamond that replaced them are abysmal - break down constantly and rattly. The nearest replacements to the Liberators are the Scanias. The Scanias are proving to reliable as them, and having ridden them on the 27 along with a Liberator on the same day, they were both similar. The ZF gearbox on both, slight rattles but solid ride and dim interior décor!
Sorry this is such a long post, but they are essentially my child hood bus and have good memories of them - Enviros will never come close to the likes of these buses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf-R3PD00Pg more raw sounding - lack of turbo when accelerating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru9MAP2jr0g 1460 sounds the same as 1441 does - for example at around 0:37 there is turbo
sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ30l0J-2bk 1429 also has this turbo noise and good acceleration .
I forget which ones they were now, but there were one or two B10Ls at AG that sounded just like Metrobuses!
There certainly were - 1407 in this video sounds rather like a metrobus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y9bOwoskVg 1407
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C08wfvLDAJI Metrobus
1428 also sounded rather like a metrobus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW-wSdB2WrA
Two great bus types in my opinion - wish we still had the Metrobuses for the nostalgia.
Didn't the Alexandra Ultra B10s have a Voith gearbox
1450 used to really sound like a metrobus when it first arrived from Pensnett, it was gorgeous, not so much now it sounds a bit different but still great! The B10L is a bus I will be Very sad to see go, truth be told I will miss these a lot more than the mercs and b6.
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 19, 2014, 07:36:22 PM
Didn't the Alexandra Ultra B10s have a Voith gearbox
The Ultras are all ZF, don't think any were ever ordered by any op with a voith gearbox tbh.
Good ones I've drove are 4254, 4255, 4279 and 4286.
Bad ones are 4239 and 4301 (awful brakes), 4253 (so sluggish)
I do like them to drive, but they do seem a lot more sluggish pulling away than our Geminis
During my short time at Walsall garage on the 301 rota 2 of them spring to mind. 1401 smooth, quick and a warm cab always a pleasure to drive. Then 1470 our route branded bus, slow, awful gear changes and cold cab with very heavy steering, a truly horrible bus.
Appreciate the detailed posts helps to get some understanding of these b10ls , I think back now the hagley road b10s did have voith like whine quite distinctive , know you have guys have pointed it out very metrobus like the whine is.
4291 where do I start with this one , recent refurb still looks ok on the outside , oh the interior new cushions in in the last twm spec looks so much better than grey and it's all down hill from this seriously grimy very sticky floors upstairs simply awfull oh yes chicken bones completes the picture. Upper saloon front windscreen leaks badly, Cab rattles hopeless on rough roads , when turning left or right I could hear water swooshing side to side above my head this is normal after rain. slow to pull away fine once rolling , gearbox does jolt abit , 4.5 /10
4639 early repaint could do with freshening up though, interior every spec of twm cushions fitted looks bad. Floors dirty. Some rattle nothing bad, slight delay on accelerator once going very pleasant drive , interlocking brakes could release a bit smoother though slight jolt there, slowing down from 40mph brakes feel vague. With a proper refurb should make an excellent bus , 6/10
4707 early repaint will never understand why these were painted before the 51 plate volvos these were in good condition In toothpaste livery they looked excellent back then. This example still looks presentable externally, internally worn faded original dark blue twm cushions, dirty floors etc. Engine and box still smooth , couldn't hear any rattling cause the noise from cooling fan drowned out every other noise it felt like I,m driving a hair dryer not a bus. Cooling fan really let's this bus down big time. 5/10
4716 , refurbed a while back ,externally side panels replaced using flat panels missing the swage line half the price of the original panel I,m told. Internally grey cushions with one of the dp seats in lower saloon having both specs of twm cushions nice, dirty floors. Drives well nothing out of the ordinary some rattling , cooling fan does come on not overly loud. 6/10
I assume the Gemini is wrightbus first double decker body , from my observations the 4400-4500 series seem better built , they feel more robust solid than the later ones , I,m thinking cost cuttings or something has affected the later ones ,even these still million times better than alx400 body
I prefer the 46** Geminis, they tend to whine more, whereas the 45**s seem dull and I always see the 44**s with the cooling fans on. The Wright Genini body is far more robust than the ALX 400 body, although I find the ALX 400 more aesthetically appealing
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 21, 2014, 09:52:30 PM
I prefer the 46** Geminis, they tend to whine more, whereas the 45**s seem dull and I always see the 44**s with the cooling fans on. The Wright Genini body is far more robust than the ALX 400 body, although I find the ALX 400 more aesthetically appealing
Really? I think the ALX400 looks like something a kid might have drawn, and an unimaginative kid at that. And for me the Gemini body was light years ahead of its time and still looks striking and modern now. Each to their own though.
Quote from: Mike K on July 21, 2014, 10:17:57 PM
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 21, 2014, 09:52:30 PM
I prefer the 46** Geminis, they tend to whine more, whereas the 45**s seem dull and I always see the 44**s with the cooling fans on. The Wright Genini body is far more robust than the ALX 400 body, although I find the ALX 400 more aesthetically appealing
Really? I think the ALX400 looks like something a kid might have drawn, and an unimaginative kid at that. And for me the Gemini body was light years ahead of its time and still looks striking and modern now. Each to their own though.
I've just always preferred the ALX 400 in that respect to anything else, I find the boxy layout appeals to me, much more than the Gemini or President bodies, while were clearly much better built. Then again, the buses I like the most of all in the ALX 400 body (Trident and Voith B7TL)
4296 probably one the best ones at WB , recent refurb still looks fresh, interior grey cushions with the standard dirty floors etc, body cab area rattles but not overly so. Excellent chassis on this bus ,brakes retarder excellent , smooth engine and gearbox , not a slug like most picks speed easily , a joy to drive. 7/10
4085 rebuilt/refurbed a while back after arson attack was quite severe on the upper saloon. Twm seat cushions in late spec, new floors, Body does creak and groan a fair bit , cab vandal screens rattle a fair bit, small steering wheel fitted on this bus helps with cab space issues. Excellent chassis though brakes retarder spot on, suspension good as well, engine/box excellent , great to drive despite the body issues. 7/10
Quality buses. Nothing bad to say about them at all. It's just a shame they're so old, and that they're Euro 2 meaning they can't operate on any higher frequency routes that enter Birmingham
I'm not going into the details of the history, some members have already covered them. Right, where can I start with this? B10Ls are the great buses, probably the best single deck buses ever Wrightbus have made. Over the years, it seems that they have been very reliable until recently, some started to feel a bit weak. I'm glad they are still going strong! I'm surprised how well they aged despite that they are 17/18 years old. The interior and exterior aesthetics still look modern. If I was from Nottingham and visited in Walsall and see a B10L, I wouldn't even think it is a 17/18 year old bus.
I have many favourite B10Ls, it's difficult for me to pick one and talk about it. Ah! 1419 is one of my favourite B10Ls (hence my name! ;))! Perfect engine, fast, when it is stationary, the engine rhythms nicely, got a small suspension. The ZF B10Ls were a bit tricky for me, because I prefer B10Ls with Voith engine, so in the end after travelling on them, I found a couple of ZF favourites: 1434, 1436 and 1439. What I like about Wrightbus B6LEs and B10Ls is that they have this nice beep indicator sound. I don't think modern buses will ever use the sound. :(
I remember the good old days when the B10Ls were branded for such routes, 9/139/919, 33, the old 46 (X City), 50 (Travel Your Bus), 301 (Mark 1 and 2), 377, 966. Going back to when I was very young, I could just about remember the B10Ls used to serve in Wolverhampton, on my route, 544. I feel the Travel West Midlands livery suited the B10Ls better than the horrible, mediocre NXWM slap-on livery.
B10Ls have been a childhood bus for most of my life. I will certainly miss them. I had many great journeys on B10Ls over the years. I'm glad I get to experience them.
Quote from: P419 EJW on July 22, 2014, 05:54:41 PM
I'm not going into the details of the history, some members have already covered them. Right, where can I start with this? B10Ls are the great buses, probably the best single deck buses ever Wrightbus have made. Over the years, it seems that they have been very reliable until recently, some started to feel a bit weak. I'm glad they are still going strong! I'm surprised how well they aged despite that they are 17/18 years old. The interior and exterior aesthetics still look modern. If I was from Nottingham and visited in Walsall and see a B10L, I wouldn't even think it is a 17/18 year old bus.
I have many favourite B10Ls, it's difficult for me to pick one and talk about it. Ah! 1419 is one of my favourite B10Ls (hence my name! ;))! Perfect engine, fast, when it is stationary, the engine rhythms nicely, got a small suspension. The ZF B10Ls were a bit tricky for me, because I prefer B10Ls with Voith engine, so in the end after travelling on them, I found a couple of ZF favourites: 1434, 1436 and 1439. What I like about Wrightbus B6LEs and B10Ls is that they have this nice beep indicator sound. I don't think modern buses will ever use the sound. :(
I remember the good old days when the B10Ls were branded for such routes, 9/139/919, 33, the old 46 (X City), 50 (Travel Your Bus), 301 (Mark 1 and 2), 377, 966. Going back to when I was very young, I could just about remember the B10Ls used to serve in Wolverhampton, on my route, 544. I feel the Travel West Midlands livery suited the B10Ls better than the horrible, mediocre NXWM slap-on livery.
B10Ls have been a childhood bus for most of my life. I will certainly miss them. I had many great journeys on B10Ls over the years. I'm glad I get to experience them.
Well said @P419 EJW
I remember them on various routes along with the b6's as the first lowfloor buses in the WM. I agree they are still good looking-not the ultras though they were hideous! If you put a private plate, wheeltrims and a new livery on them they would fool most passengers they ride that well. Would be great to see one preserved, definitely over the horrendous rusty inflammable mercs-they have aged far less well than the b10l's and in fact, the b10b's looked equally modern despite being withdrawn sooner, made obsolete in virtue of their lack of low-floor access.
I have a lot of childhood memories of Volvo B10L. My first ride being on PB 1417 in
January 1997 on service 118 Erdington-Streetly now Central Buses 88 when I was 13. I'm now 31.
It was a great modern clean smooth engine sound also has character like Metrobuses.
At the time I had rides on them on Service 900 which was great seeing how fast they could go.
Then in Febuary 1997 they was on Line 33 a superb great livery which really stood out.
They didn't last long at Coventry and was replaced by Mercedes 0405N the following year.
The last batch coming to Travelyourbus.
In October 2007 8 refurbished for service 377 looked brand new LEd blinds toothpaste livery looking fab.
They have served the West Midlands well and still a great bus after 18 years prefer them to
Scania/B7RLE.
Quote from: lynx1103 on July 22, 2014, 09:42:09 PM
I have a lot of childhood memories of Volvo B10L. My first ride being on PB 1417 in
January 1997 on service 118 Erdington-Streetly now Central Buses 88 when I was 13. I'm now 31.
It was a great modern clean smooth engine sound also has character like Metrobuses.
At the time I had rides on them on Service 900 which was great seeing how fast they could go.
Then in Febuary 1997 they was on Line 33 a superb great livery which really stood out.
They didn't last long at Coventry and was replaced by Mercedes 0405N the following year.
The last batch coming to Travelyourbus.
In October 2007 8 refurbished for service 377 looked brand new LEd blinds toothpaste livery looking fab.
They have served the West Midlands well and still a great bus after 18 years prefer them to
Scania/B7RLE.
Same here.....
I remember when 1401 & 1404 were new to WA in Oct 1996 and used on the 302 alongside Scania L113/Access Ultralows 1398 & 1399. And also BC took deliver of 1443-1467 for use on the former Quinton Garage 19 / 19S services amongst others prior to the Hagley Road services being revamped & branding applied.
I also remember going to Coventry to see their new B10L's, which eventually were replaced by Merc 0405N's with the B10L's moving to YW for the 21 & 29.
I consider the B10L's to be far superior to the Dennis Lance & Scania N113CRL/Wright Pathfinders that London purchased in 1994. They have put in sterling service & the bodywork design hasn't aged half as much as the square Merc 0405N's
That's because the Mercs were fugly from the day they appeared Winston. And they're still ugly now. Like many Wrightbus designs over the last 20 years the Liberator body was ahead of its time. Did I mention I'm a fan of Wrightbus designs? Apart from perhaps the Gemini 3.
4044 quite simply a great bus, excellent driving charatistics engine/box smooth, gearbox does whine when slowing from speed sounds good, corners handles brilliantly , suspension good too, excellent chassis on this one, real pleasure to drive this one , superb flying down dual carriageways, 4048 quite similar . Body second refurb looking good still, interior grey cushions, floors pretty clean on this especially upper deck which is surprising to see. Some muppet has etched the tinted glass upstairs, otherwise it would be mint up there, Only downside large steering wheel fitted to this one, some rattling not to much, you,d never guess this is a 15 year old bus. 8/10
4508, probably a boring bus to an enthusiast nothing to pick up on, from drivers point of view great bus to drive excellent chassis engine/ box smooth picks speed nicely , excellent brakes, so is the suspension , takes corners well, buses like this helps to make light work of crap dutys. Feels as though the bus is doing the work not you many Alexander's b7s leave you feeling infuriated, Body refurbed still in good condition , interior grey cushions, not much rattling either. 8/10
Rumours around west brom garage 74 87 to become 24 hour service from sept/October time. Woopie oh what crap if it's true.
Expect the yobs to be out in force if it's true
Unless there are rumours going around other garages, seems a bit weird that the third and fourth real night route would both serve Dudley - surely it'd be better to spread out across the city, say Halesowen or Harborne way?
Quote from: Russ Smith on July 23, 2014, 12:24:51 PM
Unless there are rumours going around other garages, seems a bit weird that the third and fourth real night route would both serve Dudley - surely it'd be better to spread out across the city, say Halesowen or Harborne way?
If it's true it sounds as though there may be plans to rebuild a proper network of night buses again along core corridors. It may be that not all will run the full length of the daytime route. In the old days did the 87N run only as far as Oldbury or was it the full length of the route?
I hope they do have a core night bus services returning in the future. Thought they might link birmingham and Wolverhampton N126 and birmingham and stourbridge N9
Quote from: Chris2301 on July 23, 2014, 02:12:51 PM
I hope they do have a core night bus services returning in the future. Thought they might link birmingham and Wolverhampton N126 and birmingham and stourbridge N9
I did hear a rumour about a 24hr 126 operation although i don't know how true that is?
There has never been a 126N historically although that's not to say it won't happen. However if there were in time to be a 74N serving Dudley, an 87N serving Olbury and the surround, and say a 9N along the Hagley Road, you would question whether there was the scope for a 126. In the past the old night networks tended to be just a single route along main routes like the Hagley Rd, Bristol Rd, Stratford Rd etc and coverage of main districts and towns usually (not necessarily always) with a single service.
That would be fantastic news if it was true, and would be really helpful for me, with the 87 being 24/7. Running the 87 at night between Birmingham and Oldbury would still require 2 buses, as would running it the whole length of the route
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 23, 2014, 04:35:18 PM
That would be fantastic news if it was true, and would be really helpful for me, with the 87 being 24/7. Running the 87 at night between Birmingham and Oldbury would still require 2 buses, as would running it the whole length of the route
Am sure many years ago when the 86N existed, it ran between Birmingham & Oldbury and only was bus was required.
Just looked in my 1984 timetable book and the 86N ran out via West Bromwich to Oldbury and returned via Smethwick, the journey time being 52 minutes. Maybe they are going to reinstate the 86N
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on July 23, 2014, 04:38:41 PM
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 23, 2014, 04:35:18 PM
That would be fantastic news if it was true, and would be really helpful for me, with the 87 being 24/7. Running the 87 at night between Birmingham and Oldbury would still require 2 buses, as would running it the whole length of the route
Am sure many years ago when the 86N existed, it ran between Birmingham & Oldbury and only was bus was required.
Looking at the current timetable, the last bus of the day (87E) is a 36 minute journey.
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
Yes, of course. Did the 7 or 65 night have a night service as well?
Not sure about those, there was a 67N too and probably others I don't recall.
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
According to the timetable i have, the last buses were at 04:00 Mon to Fri with a journey at 05:00 with normal fares payable. On Sundays there were extra journeys at 06:00 & 07:00
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on July 23, 2014, 06:40:32 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
According to the timetable i have, the last buses were at 04:00 Mon to Fri with a journey at 05:00 with normal fares payable. On Sundays there were extra journeys at 06:00 & 07:00
When was that though? When Pete's Travel operated the 9N, the last one from Broad St was about 2.15am & ran Fri/Sat evenings only?
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 06:43:20 PM
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on July 23, 2014, 06:40:32 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
According to the timetable i have, the last buses were at 04:00 Mon to Fri with a journey at 05:00 with normal fares payable. On Sundays there were extra journeys at 06:00 & 07:00
When was that though? When Pete's Travel operated the 9N, the last one from Broad St was about 2.15am & ran Fri/Sat evenings only?
1984
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
The 7 definately had a night service, Don't remember a 94N. The Chelmsley Wood night service was the 962N
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 06:59:47 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
The 7 definately had a night service, Don't remember a 94N. The Chelmsley Wood night service was the 962N
Ah yes you're correct on the 962N. My memory's not what it was.
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
By Me There was a 58N & 60N but they withdrew the 58N and introduced a 60N around 1986-1990 2 buses operated the 58N between Colmore Row and the Old Airport on a half hour frequency but I'm not sure how many were needed for the 60N. :)
In 1988 West Midlands Travel changed their night services to operate at weekends only with a new weeknight network operated by Midland Red West, also at the same time the 962N was withdrawn, route 14N was extended from Tile Cross to Pine Square and 94N was introduced.
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:06:37 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
By Me There was a 58N & 60N but they withdrew the 58N and introduced a 60N around 1986-1990 2 buses operated the 58N between Colmore Row and the Old Airport on a half hour frequency but I'm not sure how many were needed for the 60N. :)
Don't think there was ever a 30 min frequency night service.
They were all deliberately times to depart at the same times from two adjacent roads so that one inspector could help with all loading.
They all left Birmingham from Colmore Row or Upper Bull Street and left City at 00:02; 01:02; 02:02; 03:02; 04:02
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 07:09:54 PM
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:06:37 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
By Me There was a 58N & 60N but they withdrew the 58N and introduced a 60N around 1986-1990 2 buses operated the 58N between Colmore Row and the Old Airport on a half hour frequency but I'm not sure how many were needed for the 60N. :)
Don't think there was ever a 30 min frequency night service.
They were all deliberately times to depart at the same times from two adjacent roads so that one inspector could help with all loading.
They all left Birmingham from Colmore Row or Upper Bull Street and left City at 00:02; 01:02; 02:02; 03:02; 04:02
and extra journeys on Sunday mornings
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 06:59:47 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
The 7 definately had a night service, Don't remember a 94N. The Chelmsley Wood night service was the 962N
7N did the normal 7 then up the Chester Rd to Streetley as well
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 07:09:54 PM
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:06:37 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
By Me There was a 58N & 60N but they withdrew the 58N and introduced a 60N around 1986-1990 2 buses operated the 58N between Colmore Row and the Old Airport on a half hour frequency but I'm not sure how many were needed for the 60N. :)
Don't think there was ever a 30 min frequency night service.
They were all deliberately times to depart at the same times from two adjacent roads so that one inspector could help with all loading.
They all left Birmingham from Colmore Row or Upper Bull Street and left City at 00:02; 01:02; 02:02; 03:02; 04:02
I'm not trying to cause an argument Tony but my Grandad was a regular user of the 58N and he used to get the half 1 from Birmingham back to Sheldon as he worked at the Royal Mail in Birmingham between 1971-1992 and he told me there was a half hour frequency on the 58N within that period :)
7 or 65 never. I can't believe you would forget the 94N and during the week used to combined with the 14 route to be the 914 which used to return via castle vale as well in the week. (Might not count as was Midland Red).
Also remember them trialing from LH garage the 94n or 96n which used to start from Smallbrook Queensway, didn't last long, back in the days when we used to go to the Dome on a Thursday night.
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:33:10 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 07:09:54 PM
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:06:37 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
By Me There was a 58N & 60N but they withdrew the 58N and introduced a 60N around 1986-1990 2 buses operated the 58N between Colmore Row and the Old Airport on a half hour frequency but I'm not sure how many were needed for the 60N. :)
Don't think there was ever a 30 min frequency night service.
They were all deliberately times to depart at the same times from two adjacent roads so that one inspector could help with all loading.
They all left Birmingham from Colmore Row or Upper Bull Street and left City at 00:02; 01:02; 02:02; 03:02; 04:02
I'm not trying to cause an argument Tony but my Grandad was a regular user of the 58N and he used to get the half 1 from Birmingham back to Sheldon as he worked at the Royal Mail in Birmingham between 1971-1992 and he told me there was a half hour frequency on the 58N within that period :)
From when I started work in 1978, through to when they went weekend only there was definately only a bus every hour on all routes. The 23:32 journey was done on the last journey on a daytime running board, then the night services came out to do the 00:02 journey onwards. Night service fares were charged from 23:32 journey. I have copies of timetables here from the 1980s and they were all the same.
My father was regularly one of the two night service Inspectors of the time as well. They both worked from the same car but at two minutes past each hour had to go to the city centre, one in Bull Street, the other to Colmore Row.
In 1991 the following services had night services
5, 7, 9, 14, 16, 22, 45, 50, 51, 58, 62, 67, 91, 94, 104
Tell a lie i do remember the 7n
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 07:48:58 PM
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:33:10 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 23, 2014, 07:09:54 PM
Quote from: Rob on July 23, 2014, 07:06:37 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:36:09 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Mike K on July 23, 2014, 05:20:10 PM
Night buses used to make up a bit of time on the inbound journeys as they often carried fresh air but you would think an 87 between city and Oldbury would still be tight for single bus operation.
Weren't the last buses on the original 'Night Services' traditionally around 2am from Birmingham though?
If I remember right, routes which traditionally had night services were the 6N, 9N, 16N, 45N, 50N, 51N, 63N, 74N, 87N, 91N, 104N & 916N. I'm sure there were more over the years
The 12N (Bartley Green, later the 22N), the 37N and the 94N were others.
By Me There was a 58N & 60N but they withdrew the 58N and introduced a 60N around 1986-1990 2 buses operated the 58N between Colmore Row and the Old Airport on a half hour frequency but I'm not sure how many were needed for the 60N. :)
Don't think there was ever a 30 min frequency night service.
They were all deliberately times to depart at the same times from two adjacent roads so that one inspector could help with all loading.
They all left Birmingham from Colmore Row or Upper Bull Street and left City at 00:02; 01:02; 02:02; 03:02; 04:02
I'm not trying to cause an argument Tony but my Grandad was a regular user of the 58N and he used to get the half 1 from Birmingham back to Sheldon as he worked at the Royal Mail in Birmingham between 1971-1992 and he told me there was a half hour frequency on the 58N within that period :)
From when I started work in 1978, through to when they went weekend only there was definately only a bus every hour on all routes. The 23:32 journey was done on the last journey on a daytime running board, then the night services came out to do the 00:02 journey onwards. Night service fares were charged from 23:32 journey. I have copies of timetables here from the 1980s and they were all the same.
My father was regularly one of the two night service Inspectors of the time as well. They both worked from the same car but at two minutes past each hour had to go to the city centre, one in Bull Street, the other to Colmore Row
Have to say in this respect, i agree with Tony, all departures for night buses were always coordinated to leave City around the hour mark.
Didn't they have a crack at Black Country night services too sometime late 80's / early 90's?
Remember seeing timetables for 404N & 529N & also 51N extended odd journey to Bloxwich, past the depot (surprise surprise!)!
Didn't last long obviously.
Quote from: Westy on July 23, 2014, 08:21:48 PM
Didn't they have a crack at Black Country night services too sometime late 80's / early 90's?
Remember seeing timetables for 404N & 529N & also 51N extended odd journey to Bloxwich, past the depot (surprise surprise!)!
Didn't last long obviously.
They introduced some night buses in Wolverhampton of a Fri/Sat Evening in co-operation with the night clubs for a while. They were approx 5 routes, each bus had a bouncer on board.
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 08:28:41 PM
Quote from: Westy on July 23, 2014, 08:21:48 PM
Didn't they have a crack at Black Country night services too sometime late 80's / early 90's?
Remember seeing timetables for 404N & 529N & also 51N extended odd journey to Bloxwich, past the depot (surprise surprise!)!
Didn't last long obviously.
They introduced some night buses in Wolverhampton of a Fri/Sat Evening in co-operation with the night clubs for a while. They were approx 5 routes, each bus had a bouncer on board.
I remember my parents telling me about that but i didn't believe them. The Wolverhampton-Wednesfield route was one of them. Apparantly they used single deckers. Do you know what the time period was for these? ie. In the 90's?
Quote from: Nathan on July 23, 2014, 08:51:11 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 08:28:41 PM
Quote from: Westy on July 23, 2014, 08:21:48 PM
Didn't they have a crack at Black Country night services too sometime late 80's / early 90's?
Remember seeing timetables for 404N & 529N & also 51N extended odd journey to Bloxwich, past the depot (surprise surprise!)!
Didn't last long obviously.
They introduced some night buses in Wolverhampton of a Fri/Sat Evening in co-operation with the night clubs for a while. They were approx 5 routes, each bus had a bouncer on board.
I remember my parents telling me about that but i didn't believe them. The Wolverhampton-Wednesfield route was one of them. Apparantly they used single deckers. Do you know what the time period was for these? ie. In the 90's?
They didn't use single deckers anytime I saw them, they were always Metrobus Mark 2A's. I always used to catch the equivalent of the 256N. It was around the mid to late 90's
Was there ever any trouble? I wouldnt fancy hanging around brum in the early hours or being on a bus in the ahem less desirable areas :P
Will walsalls X51 examples get a refurb at some point? Theyre still good buses though. Have to say I prefer the sound of a voith box though, I find the ZF ones sound a bit dull. ZF in a tridents a different matter though!
Quote from: Bob on July 23, 2014, 10:58:45 PM
Was there ever any trouble? I wouldnt fancy hanging around brum in the early hours or being on a bus in the ahem less desirable areas :P
I used to catch the 2.15am 9N (MRW & Pete's Travel) from Broad St frequently on a Fri or Sat night (which was generally standing loads/left people behind at times) & the 256N equivalent on occasions from Wolverhampton on a Fri night after the Civic. Never saw any trouble on the buses, if fact quite the opposite, everyone was in good spirits (i.e. Vodka) 8), more often than not the entire bus would be singing..... It probably wasn't so much fun if you were sober..... :-[ Wolverhampton bus station back then wasn't that nice if waiting for your bus
I get the 97 most days a week at either 2:03 or 3:03am and I've never had or seen any trouble on there. As a matter of fact, you can sometimes see full loadings and there's no noise or trouble or anything.
Quote from: JB93 on July 23, 2014, 11:11:45 PM
I get the 97 most days a week at either 2:03 or 3:03am and I've never had or seen any trouble on there. As a matter of fact, you can sometimes see full loadings and there's no noise or trouble or anything.
I take it from your comments, that some 97's during the night are doing pretty well
You know what, I reckon it's a marketing thing. They aren't really marketed as a "get you home from a night out" service, just as a "this bus route runs 24 hours", ie the night journeys are just a continuation of the day services, they dont start specially from broad st or anywhere, just exactly the sane route and prices etc. Ergo, not entirely populated with drunken idiots
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 11:14:44 PM
Quote from: JB93 on July 23, 2014, 11:11:45 PM
I get the 97 most days a week at either 2:03 or 3:03am and I've never had or seen any trouble on there. As a matter of fact, you can sometimes see full loadings and there's no noise or trouble or anything.
I take it from your comments, that some 97's during the night are doing pretty well
Definitely. Last Sunday (monday morning) I caught the 02:03 journey from Moor St., the downstairs was full by the time we left Digbeth, and only a small handful were people that had been out drinking.
Quote from: JB93 on July 24, 2014, 01:00:03 PM
Quote from: Winston on July 23, 2014, 11:14:44 PM
Quote from: JB93 on July 23, 2014, 11:11:45 PM
I get the 97 most days a week at either 2:03 or 3:03am and I've never had or seen any trouble on there. As a matter of fact, you can sometimes see full loadings and there's no noise or trouble or anything.
I take it from your comments, that some 97's during the night are doing pretty well
Definitely. Last Sunday (monday morning) I caught the 02:03 journey from Moor St., the downstairs was full by the time we left Digbeth, and only a small handful were people that had been out drinking.
Generally a 2am journey should only carry more people under the influence after a night out on Thurs / Fri / Sat nights etc
4708 dull dull dull , does every thing ok , it's all so very average. Gotta to be one of the most boring gemni,s to drive at west brom. Interior still has it's original trim faded looking worn. Exterior still presentable. 6/10
4641 nice to drive pretty smooth, not a good hill climber struggles abit, 0 to 40mph takes quite a while , once rolling all is good performs well. It's does feel different to the 4500 and 4700 series gemni,s , Cooling fans come on only when required even they are not loud unlike some. Cab I notice the heating controls same spec as 4700 series while dashboard is same spec as 4400 4500 series . Interior still original light blue cushions faded and worn. Exterior still ok. 7/10
4638 what a bus it's got character this one even tuneful one could say, zf box howls brilliantly on this. deceleration from speed sounds awesome, this sucker flies no problem with hills just keeps going and going no problem, really good fun to drive its so superior to 4716 which I had earlier it's unreal absolutely worlds apart these two , handles great, suspension rides really well , brand new small volvo steering wheel fitted feels good can't beat new ones. Excellent driver seat more than be said for 4716 seat might as well be seating on a milk crate. Interior mix of every twm seat cushion going half and half I,d say. Exterior still presentable. Worth looking out for this one probably the best 4600 series bus at west brom even though theres only a hand full here. Awesome IMO 9/10 for the way it drives.
These buses fast approaching there final days weeks months etc etc, will these buses find new homes when withdrawn from service or are they unreliable as people have stated on various posts I,ve read over the years of these breaking down a lot . 4001 4002 has any one expressed interest in preserving them given there history. Do see the optares at west brom bus station from time to time , I think they,ve aged well still look way better than the alx 400 design to me that looked dated from the time it was penned. I still think these optares best livery was its orignal one the current livery doesn't do it any favours, still remember them when they were brand new going past me at snow hill relief point, how years have flown by. I wonder with arrival of the e400mmc will that create the same kinda buzz these created back then.
Fairly sure 4001 is in line for preservation. I am in the preservation movement working on several old West Midlands buses and people I know are interested in it.
That's good to hear that there's interest in 4001 look forward to seeing it restored in the future. I suppose 4002 could end up in a museum in Scotland.
Quote from: 2900 on July 28, 2014, 09:56:45 AM
That's good to hear that there's interest in 4001 look forward to seeing it restored in the future. I suppose 4002 could end up in a museum in Scotland.
I don't believe the Dundee Museum of Transport have any interest in 4002
Quote from: filbus1 on July 28, 2014, 09:42:26 AM
Fairly sure 4001 is in line for preservation. I am in the preservation movement working on several old West Midlands buses and people I know are interested in it.
And not long before i read this 4001 departed Wolverhampton on my local route
To the optare experts which is the best example for a ride in.
Quote from: 2900 on July 28, 2014, 10:23:41 AM
To the optare experts which is the best example for a ride in.
4001,4002 (especially 4002 as it is a beast and others will agree!),4004 and 4008 are good ones too. I have a soft spot for 4019 too as it reminds me of a Metrobus (You can hear the Voith Whining sound)
Ok cheers , didn't realise the spectra,s had voith gearboxes. Do they all have daf engines or is it a cummins lump.
You can hear the voith whine on all spectras lol?
Quote from: Bob on July 28, 2014, 10:50:10 AM
You can hear the voith whine on all spectras lol?
Its hard to explain but some you can hear the whine more clearly/louder
@2900, I believe some Spectra's built (Not NX) have ZF gearboxes. I'm sure the ones Evergreen Coaches own have ZF gearboxes
Optare bought the rights to the Metrorider and Metrobus but when the Spectra appeared all that was left of the Metrobus design was the rear end layout with the gearbox at right angles to the engine, which is one of the Metrobus's whines. I must admit I thought that the ZF was too big to fit, but I may be wrong, though I've never been on one with the ZF. The DAF DB250 chassis that the Spectra was built on was also bodied by Alexander and Wright, mainly for Arriva, and I've never seen one of these with ZFs either.
Quote from: Stevo on July 28, 2014, 06:39:53 PM
Optare bought the rights to the Metrorider and Metrobus but when the Spectra appeared all that was left of the Metrobus design was the rear end layout with the gearbox at right angles to the engine, which is one of the Metrobus's whines. I must admit I thought that the ZF was too big to fit, but I may be wrong, though I've never been on one with the ZF. The DAF DB250 chassis that the Spectra was built on was also bodied by Alexander and Wright, mainly for Arriva, and I've never seen one of these with ZFs either.
The DB250 chassis was also available with East Lancs and Northern Counties bodywork
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 07:08:44 PM
Quote from: Stevo on July 28, 2014, 06:39:53 PM
Optare bought the rights to the Metrorider and Metrobus but when the Spectra appeared all that was left of the Metrobus design was the rear end layout with the gearbox at right angles to the engine, which is one of the Metrobus's whines. I must admit I thought that the ZF was too big to fit, but I may be wrong, though I've never been on one with the ZF. The DAF DB250 chassis that the Spectra was built on was also bodied by Alexander and Wright, mainly for Arriva, and I've never seen one of these with ZFs either.
The DB250 chassis is also available with East Lancs and Northern Counties bodywork
Being a bit pedantic I think you mean 'was' DAF/VDL don't currently offer a double deck chassis.
Quote from: Tony on July 28, 2014, 07:11:21 PM
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 07:08:44 PM
Quote from: Stevo on July 28, 2014, 06:39:53 PM
Optare bought the rights to the Metrorider and Metrobus but when the Spectra appeared all that was left of the Metrobus design was the rear end layout with the gearbox at right angles to the engine, which is one of the Metrobus's whines. I must admit I thought that the ZF was too big to fit, but I may be wrong, though I've never been on one with the ZF. The DAF DB250 chassis that the Spectra was built on was also bodied by Alexander and Wright, mainly for Arriva, and I've never seen one of these with ZFs either.
The DB250 chassis is also available with East Lancs and Northern Counties bodywork
Being a bit pedantic I think you mean 'was' DAF/VDL don't currently offer a double deck chassis.
Yes sorry that's precisely what i meant :) When did production stop? I thought i read it was around the 2005 mark but can't be 100%. If somebody could confirm that would be great :)
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 07:15:05 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 28, 2014, 07:11:21 PM
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 07:08:44 PM
Quote from: Stevo on July 28, 2014, 06:39:53 PM
Optare bought the rights to the Metrorider and Metrobus but when the Spectra appeared all that was left of the Metrobus design was the rear end layout with the gearbox at right angles to the engine, which is one of the Metrobus's whines. I must admit I thought that the ZF was too big to fit, but I may be wrong, though I've never been on one with the ZF. The DAF DB250 chassis that the Spectra was built on was also bodied by Alexander and Wright, mainly for Arriva, and I've never seen one of these with ZFs either.
The DB250 chassis is also available with East Lancs and Northern Counties bodywork
Being a bit pedantic I think you mean 'was' DAF/VDL don't currently offer a double deck chassis.
Yes sorry that's precisely what i meant :) When did production stop? I thought i read it was around the 2005 mark but can't be 100%. If somebody could confirm that would be great :)
Arriva at Maidstone have 4 57-plate DB250LFs. Were these built as stock vehicles and delivered much later than when they were built, or were they really 2007/8 vehicles?
Quote from: Cheese on July 28, 2014, 07:17:47 PM
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 07:15:05 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 28, 2014, 07:11:21 PM
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 07:08:44 PM
Quote from: Stevo on July 28, 2014, 06:39:53 PM
Optare bought the rights to the Metrorider and Metrobus but when the Spectra appeared all that was left of the Metrobus design was the rear end layout with the gearbox at right angles to the engine, which is one of the Metrobus's whines. I must admit I thought that the ZF was too big to fit, but I may be wrong, though I've never been on one with the ZF. The DAF DB250 chassis that the Spectra was built on was also bodied by Alexander and Wright, mainly for Arriva, and I've never seen one of these with ZFs either.
The DB250 chassis is also available with East Lancs and Northern Counties bodywork
Being a bit pedantic I think you mean 'was' DAF/VDL don't currently offer a double deck chassis.
Yes sorry that's precisely what i meant :) When did production stop? I thought i read it was around the 2005 mark but can't be 100%. If somebody could confirm that would be great :)
Arriva at Maidstone have 4 57-plate DB250LFs. Were these built as stock vehicles and delivered much later than when they were built, or were they really 2007/8 vehicles?
Those were first taxed in February 2008, but the VINs seem to indicate they were built approximately a year earlier. All surrounding chassis were first taxed around March 2007
I really need to get over to Wolverhampton and get my first ride on one before they're withdrawn! I missed my chance to ride on an Excel and don't wanna miss the Spectras too.
I hear you JB93. Should've screwed my Saturday plan and jumped on them when they were on the 33. I don't even know where Northwood Park is! Nathan, which routes are they most often allocated to? I know they've been lacking the 79 recently. Some on the 33, maybe. Any other routes that you could suggest?
Quote from: clayderman on July 28, 2014, 11:08:27 PM
I hear you JB93. Should've screwed my Saturday plan and jumped on them when they were on the 33. I don't even know where Northwood Park is! Nathan, which routes are they most often allocated to? I know they've been lacking the 79 recently. Some on the 33, maybe. Any other routes that you could suggest?
The 11,32 and 33 are your best bets and the 59 is seeing 2-3 most weekdays over the 6 weeks holidays(Spectra's stopped appearing on the 59 for a while)
Although i was surprised when 4002 turned up as my bus back into Wolverhampton from Tettenhall Wood on the 1 this afternoon
And Spectra's are no strangers to routes such as the 25A/C,255/256/7 and 529. Spectra's appear on these routes a fair bit too.
4509 excellent bus to drive this one , I remember catching this when it was at perry Barr on the 101 service remember thinking its a smooth bus this. Wasn't disappointed when it came to west brom I,ve always liked this bus. Its a relaxing drive, It's got pace when you need it , brakes ,suspension excellent, corners well. Refurbed a while ago Interior grey cushions , exterior still looks good. I think this bus was involved with disagreement with a megabus coach at small brook queens way as most near side have been replaced. 8/10
4084 another great placky volvo very hard fault this one, mechanicaly bang on, drives in a superb manner so nice. Engine/box smooth the way it should be, suspension rides out the rough stuff, corners well. Not much in way of rattling either. Here's the one fault the hugemongous steering fitted in the cab not good. Refurbed a while back exterior still looking good , interior late spec twm cushions, floors ,poles redone as well. 9/10
4530 don't like this one never felt comfortable at all in the whole time I had it ,felt like a chore driving this, most drivers would be fine driving this bus. I think it's a combination of things with this bus, suspension not very good didn't cope with speed bumps at all too bouncy for my like,ing, gearbox may be engine issue upon pressing gas pedal power would come in at first then a slight delay then normal delivery. May be I,m being picky just the way I am. Once going on smooth stuff all is ok. Early refurb interior late spec seat cushions, exterior needs tidying IMO half the large type connection bars missing why not remove the rest of them it would greatly improve the appearance. 6/10
Quote from: Nathan on July 28, 2014, 11:13:51 PM
Quote from: clayderman on July 28, 2014, 11:08:27 PM
I hear you JB93. Should've screwed my Saturday plan and jumped on them when they were on the 33. I don't even know where Northwood Park is! Nathan, which routes are they most often allocated to? I know they've been lacking the 79 recently. Some on the 33, maybe. Any other routes that you could suggest?
The 11,32 and 33 are your best bets and the 59 is seeing 2-3 most weekdays over the 6 weeks holidays(Spectra's stopped appearing on the 59 for a while)
Although i was surprised when 4002 turned up as my bus back into Wolverhampton from Tettenhall Wood on the 1 this afternoon
And Spectra's are no strangers to routes such as the 25A/C,255/256/7 and 529. Spectra's appear on these routes a fair bit too.
Irritatingly, a Spectra pulled off from the 79 stop just as I got to it last week when I visited West Brom. I didn't really want to hang around on the off chance that another one turned up so I managed to ride a Merc on the 5 instead. Practically flew down the Newton Road with all the windows rattling away :P
For those not in the Yahoo WM Buses group, 4025 and 4026 have been spotted on the M6 in Kendal this afternoon. New additions for Dundee maybe
Quote from: John on July 29, 2014, 06:27:09 PM
For those not in the Yahoo WM Buses group, 4025 and 4026 have been spotted on the M6 in Kendal this afternoon. New additions for Dundee maybe
B10L replacements presumably
Tell 'em to keep their grubby hands off our AG Presidents! There are plenty left at YW and WB!
Quote from: Stevo on July 29, 2014, 07:26:07 PM
Tell 'em to keep their grubby hands off our AG Presidents! There are plenty left at YW and WB!
Leave WB's alone as well!
And yes, there are being transferred to Dundee. no more for a bit.
Quote from: Tony on July 29, 2014, 10:10:04 PM
And yes, there are being transferred to Dundee. no more for a bit.
Sounds ominous.
I like the Presidents, as buses go i don't think they are bad at all.
I know some have been refurbished, but surely the time has come to take them off the 11A/C and give this prestige route newer buses. Am not saying they should be withdrawn, they are to good for that!
4026 must be quite good as it was towed out Dundee depot this morning...
4230 recent refurb so still looks good, grey nx spec seat cushions manky floors. To drive whilst in the most a decent bus to drive , gearbox lets the show down bad jolts when taking up drive very annoying problem only way round it with handbrake applied press the accelerator listen/feel the cog drop in let the handbrake go all is fine. Decent ride from suspension, brakes smooth as well, decent pace. 5/10
4295 recent refurb inside out still looking ok. Drives really well all smooth nothing out of ordinary, probably another boring bus for the enthusiast not much going on even the gearbox doesn't really whine enough , got some rattles but not overly so. Suspension, brakes all very good. Somebody has placed what appears to an external alexander badge above the vin tags never seen that before. 7/10
I have the pleasure every morning on the 74 of an alx. Bit sluggish but that's just a voith thing. I do like them alot compared to a fair few of our tridents. Its the scruffy interiors that bug me but that's just the routes pb and wb use them on
my personal favourites include 4232 4242 4258 and 4297, can't think of the others.
i owe thanks to the 71a for alot of this particular haulage
4272 recent refurb so still looks very good, decent bus to drive , mechanically all is good, some rattling going not bad for alexander I guess, decent on dual carriageways. A bit boring you could say. 7/10
4291 oh my god what a shed haven't driven a bus as appalling as this pile of crap in a while. I would gladly drive this to Pvs myself on my day off free of charge and thumb a lift back. Every thing rattles ,shakes and wobbles in the cab and platform area just awfull even worse on rough roads. So slow to pull away it's a joke. Pulling away on inclines feels like for ever for engine to get going so bad it's unreal. Can of petrol and some matches any one. Recent refurb as well so looks much better than it drives. 2/10
4714 early repaint, orignall trim, drives well for a 4700 series does every thing well, good ride on this vehicle, nothing to pick out mechanically , even the cab seat decent on this one most are mashed. A bit dull really. 7/10
4638 is a beast I agree there. Not as keen on the 45xx's as they're the ones that look the tattyest and have the most vandal damage although 4513 has abit of umph at times. I agree with the comments about 4518, not one I like. 4509 rattles a lot at the rear of the lower saloon. 4709 is my favourite of that batch, would be better if they'd given it a full repaint after its accident
2900 - I'll soon be compiling all your bus review threads. Bloody annoying all over the place.
C.
4710 very good all rounder, early repaint, still looks presentable, orignal interior trim, very dirty floors, suspension does good of soaking up the rough roads speed bumps no issues. Brakes smooth as well, it not the fastest Gemini here at west brom but for a 4700 pretty decent. Engine/Gearbox smooth , no whines or unusual noises from this bus so dull from this point view. Not much in the rattle department either. Does everything on the box. 7/10
Quote from: Ashley on August 04, 2014, 07:10:46 PM
4638 is a beast I agree there. Not as keen on the 45xx's as they're the ones that look the tattyest and have the most vandal damage although 4513 has abit of umph at times. I agree with the comments about 4518, not one I like. 4509 rattles a lot at the rear of the lower saloon. 4709 is my favourite of that batch, would be better if they'd given it a full repaint after its accident
Just missed 4638 on the Soho Rd yesterday. Got to the stop and he had departed. Instead i had a slow unrefurbed ALX400 bodied B7TL
4517 this would be an excellent gemni , gearbox lets the show down a bit temperamental , gear changes have surges during up changes, up on releasing the handbrake can sometimes jolt forwards. Suspension excellent even on pot holes soak,es it all up, very smooth on speed bumps probably one of the best in this department. Brakes excellent, engine smooth and rev happy, cab has a brand new small steering wheel nice. Driver seat very comfortable IMO the air cushion has been removed now has mechanical adjustment vast improvement. Early repaint still looks ok , interior orignal twm trim looking very tired. Do like this one even with the box complaints. 7/10
Shame you missed 4638 what a beast to drive, haven't come across an alx 400 b7 that even remotely comes close to this one
Had 4705 4708 4714 4716 4513 and 4273 on 87's this week. 4273 would have got some speed up if Dudley Road wasn't a car park most of the day, be very much improved after refurb. 4513 I think I've mentioned is a nice motor, be nicer also with a full refurb, 4714 either has noticeably better steering or we just had a skilled driver at the wheel this morning but I think as previously mentioned, a presentable vehicle and a decent enough journey, 4716 is just death by cooling fan and has some sheet metal on the downstairs ceiling, normally to be found upstairs, the new trim is fairing well after two years. 4705 and 4708, nippy vehicles at times from the spotters point of view, both could do with new trim at some point, the paintwork on this batch is better than most Gemini's, I think the 82/87 route branding in particular for some reason makes the vehicles just that bit smarter or maybe it's that time of night where i'm just chuntering rubbish. Any how, back to the 74's from friday so sticky feet, etched windows and some Voith ALX's before the new stuff arrives "sad face"
I like this compilation thread ;) some good info here.
Be glad you're not travelling on Optares - went on a 13 plate Versa the other day - talk about rattles and the whole thing had an air of flimsiness about it. Shame as they look great and fly along but I've travelled on less rattly 17 yr old Dart SLFs :-[
Versas are just rubbish in genrreal, ugly, rattly, dull and uncomfortable
4709 from last years incident at summer row last year
continued
4108 after some scum torched it then the engineers stirpped it of it's useable parts
4296 snapped a while back after coming freshly painted back from walsall
3604 after its disagreement with a rail guard it come off 2nd best
Quote from: 2900 on August 07, 2014, 07:13:31 PM
4108 after some scum torched it then the engineers stirpped it of it's useable parts
Was 4108 operating 451 (5)
4085 also suffered arson attack whilst working 451 now known as (5)
4108 was on the 451, happened just after 9am one morning
It's nice to see "Travel West Midlands" again. I miss seeing it on buses.
4290 recent refurb still in good condition, grey seat seat cushions, decent driver seat with brand new steering wheel, beginning to think there's a programme going on replacing battered steering wheels much welcomed if it's the case. This is one the better alx400 b7s very smooth to drive , engine/box as they should be nothing strange going on,brakes excellent smooth stop every time, suspension works well on this example, surprising thing is not overly rattley not the case with most. Good all rounder I say. 8/10
4521 really like the way this one drives, really excellent on dual carriageways turbo whistling away, would make an excellent limited stop bus for it's cruising ability. Engine bang on, gearbox slight whine on deceleration from 40mph sounds good. Brakes good too no drama, suspension all very good. Handles great too. Early repaint looks good from 10 feet away , various panels replaced,repaired and brush painted simply awful full of runs etc my youngest could do a better job, crying for a refurb. Interior orignal twm spec looking tired now. Cab another new steering wheel, decent driver seat , minimal rattling suits me sir very nicely indeed. 8/10 just the way it's drives.
4642 early repaint, orignal trim mixed various other spec cushions. Needs a refurb to be honest. Wasn't to keen on this one, brakes never felt comfortable with them at all, slowing from speed they felt vague IMO not reassuring at all, when coming to a stop they would then snatch on so you end up having bit of a jolt, do not like that. Cooling fan came on fair bit mind you it was warm day. Suspension gave a decent enough ride even on poor surfaces. Engine/box ok nothing strange going on. Not the fastest or smoothest example brakes really do let it down. 4/10
Quote from: 2900 on July 16, 2014, 11:11:47 AM
I do report the buses with noisey fans , sometimes it's does feel like your comments are largely ignored , I guess it,ll be fixed when other work needs doing . The day I drove 4504 wasn't a hot day had plenty of running of time so no need to push it just cruising gently along probably why I didn't here the fan come on.
You mean 'Mostly' ignored? :o
751 had a ride earlier rather quite impressed considering it's an adl minibus, nice smooth ride complemented by a smooth engine/box, rather surprising minimal rattle , vastly better than west broms 800 series adl,s . Well I wander if it's the same in 12 months something tells me it won't be.
4713 disappointing wrightbus Gemini plenty of rattling, squeaks, rumbling from various parts of the cab, ticket machine area. This proved to be very annoying bus to drive hard to relax in this kind of environment, suspension/ride average. Engine/box ok nothing out of the ordinary, not particularly fast. Early repaint , orignal twm interior dark blue cushions. Do not like 3/10.
4706 pretty much as above but less rattling otherwise it was all very average dull and uninspiring bus to drive. 4/10
Keep up the reviews and the photos as all very interesting.
Will put some on myself when I have learned how to size reduce!
Quote from: 2900 on August 09, 2014, 05:45:59 PM
751 had a ride earlier rather quite impressed considering it's an adl minibus, nice smooth ride complemented by a smooth engine/box, rather surprising minimal rattle , vastly better than west broms 800 series adl,s . Well I wander if it's the same in 12 months something tells me it won't be.
Slow pull off?
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 10, 2014, 04:37:54 PM
Quote from: 2900 on August 09, 2014, 05:45:59 PM
751 had a ride earlier rather quite impressed considering it's an adl minibus, nice smooth ride complemented by a smooth engine/box, rather surprising minimal rattle , vastly better than west broms 800 series adl,s . Well I wander if it's the same in 12 months something tells me it won't be.
Slow pull off?
Wrong forum LS, you're not on one of your webcam sites now.
Quote from: Mike K on August 11, 2014, 05:19:03 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on August 10, 2014, 04:37:54 PM
Quote from: 2900 on August 09, 2014, 05:45:59 PM
751 had a ride earlier rather quite impressed considering it's an adl minibus, nice smooth ride complemented by a smooth engine/box, rather surprising minimal rattle , vastly better than west broms 800 series adl,s . Well I wander if it's the same in 12 months something tells me it won't be.
Slow pull off?
Wrong forum LS, you're not on one of your webcam sites now.
(https://wmbusphotos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iltlaugh.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2Fimages.jpg&hash=cdf10ccc91cb248e3782d199d7c451f17ab4ddd4)
753 caught this on the 121 earlier all very smooth until it had to stop, I,m thinking harsh brakes/ retarder spoilt the ride to be honest. From what I could make the rattling came from cab door vandal screen.
4517 drives extremely well IMO, great ride from the suspension, brakes smooth , engine/ box pretty much spot on, cab has new steering wheel driver seat still in good shape, not much rattles around cab either, early repaint , orignal twm trim , various specs used to replace damaged seats , crying out for refurb.
4225 very good volvo chassis , engine/voith box works well in this, suspension gives a good ride,brakes smooth, shame it's been festooned with a shitty body it's only any good on newly resurfaced roads otherwise it's the usual crap body shaking ,rattling etc , cab good driver seat, steering wheel one degusting mess.
I saw a Gemini on the 83 turning onto Holly Lane from Devonshire Road earlier on in the day, then I realised the Gemini had its tree deflector removed, then I read the fleet number '4518' >:(. Starting to really dislike this bus, the noise from the cooling fan is so unpleasant, it seems so much louder than the cooling fans of any other Gemini, not to mention they're always on! I don't even think the Presidents are this bad, and the ALXs certainly aren't, apart from 4234, which also needs looking at.
Quote from: Sh4318 on August 12, 2014, 12:32:29 AM
I saw a Gemini on the 83 turning onto Holly Lane from Devonshire Road earlier on in the day, then I realised the Gemini had its tree deflector removed, then I read the fleet number '4518' >:(. Starting to really dislike this bus, the noise from the cooling fan is so unpleasant, it seems so much louder than the cooling fans of any other Gemini, not to mention they're always on! I don't even think the Presidents are this bad, and the ALXs certainly aren't, apart from 4234, which also needs looking at.
4518 has never had a tree deflector
4253 chop shop special and 1850 new to west brom
"continued"
continued
4532 excellent to drive this one , getting up to 40mph takes no time at all just effortless driving, at these speeds turbo whistling along as well, zf box being vocal sounds good, chassis on this is very good steering,brakes, suspension in excellent order IMO. The body interior does let the show down vibrating rumbling panels here and there more than usual for a 4500 series. Cab seat comfortable, steering sticky mess just horrible. Early repaint, orignal twm trim which now boasts every other spec of cushion going. Begging for a refurb. 8/10 for the way it motors.
4230 update on my earlier post , the gearbox issue of jolting every time you pull away appears to have been addressed making it much easier to drive. The only jolt happened while coming down hill came off the accelerator the gearbox decides to change gear, it was an almighty kick in the backside. I do wander what passengers must think when this kinda thing happens. As driver I feel sheepish when it happens even though I know there's nothing I can do about it other than put down on the VCR .
4234 chop shop special from PB still looking good after it's refurb externally, I had look in the upper saloon to see what repairs were like, I noticed work had been to the front screen upper pillars it appears a section grp panel has been grafted in then painted blue, the panel above the side windows/roof has been painted light blue colour, down at the back the panel around emergency exit has been repainted, at some I think some one has graffiti,ed it and the solution used to clean it has fetched the paint off to reveal a much darker shade of blue just looks a mess now. It appears a lot was salvaged from the accident all the seat frames, window gaskets seem orignal. The cab area is a joke apart from the new steering wheel it's a mess all the switch gear is askew, bits of plastic broken off most of them, the panel next to the driver containing the gear switches/handbrake has really been botched badly it's awfull bits of fibreglass/ aluminium plate then painted a really badly in a shitty light blue colour.
On the the go it rattles along not pleasant at all, decent brakes, rides well, not particularly quick, engine sounds fine, gearbox gives you the odd jolt here and there. Not a fan of this one 4/10
I had presumed 4234 had a professional repair :o
Don, the upper deck has been reattached professionally it's just the finish I know what I,m looking for in a finish , your average joe wouldn't have a clue. It does the job. From the company's point of view what's point paying for really top notch finish, no one gona appreciate it really when it's only going to be trashed by yobs. From my experience in the motor trade the finish comes down to simple economics, you get what you pay for.
I don't like 4234 and I don't ever recall being on it. You can hear it from up the road!
Quote from: 2900 on August 17, 2014, 11:22:11 AM
4234 chop shop special from PB
On the the go it rattles along not pleasant at all, decent brakes, rides well, not particularly quick, engine sounds fine, gearbox gives you the odd jolt here and there. Not a fan of this one 4/10
Coincidentally it replaced 3034 at PB so not fond of it either.
4266: chassis simply excellent brakes,suspension, steering very good.
Drivetrain: engine smooth no issues, gearbox smooth aswell no slack or jolting.
Cab : newish steering wheel, good driver seat
Interior: tired orignal trim mixed with other twm spec cushions, most of the interior rattles,
Shakes, wobbles not good, body really let's this bus down shame really it drives so well.
Deserves a new body this chassis does instead of the crap it's lugging around. 7/10 for the
Way it drives.
some recent pics from around west brom garage. ( Back car park )
ALX100 DENNIS DART 3604
continued. ADL E400 ENVIRO E40D 4959
Fuel bay area of west brom garage
continued
2900, is there any chance you could add fleetnumbers as text to your photo posts? the photo's are too small to ID, Cheers, Winston
ADL E400 ENVIRO E40D 4955 and 4959
bus wash and fuell bay area
been having issues with uploading pictures having to down size considerably
No worries, just nice to know what what we are looking at ;) Winston
2900 - it could be better if you get yourself a flickr account or something similar. Saves our bandwidth and can see the images in full resolution.
4295 has been refurbed a while back now. N/s side skirt panels appear to have been repainted they seem creamier in color, internally cushions have been refurbed in the dark blue twm spec moquette looks good. Chassis IMO one of the decent ones good brakes/retarder, suspension does a good job of ironing out the rough stuff, engine/ gearbox in good order, gearbox whines along tunefully. Drives really well stress free driving. Body not bad considering it's an alexander not overly rattly . Like this one , 7/10
2900, you can have 4291 back! Awfully slow uphill and pulling away. Good brakes though. It leaks like a sieve though!
4263 - a perfect bus to have for a late night 94 duty. Nearly as quick as a Gemini pulling away, hardly any rattles. Only the heater was not working!
John , drivers here were overjoyed it has left west brom it's really that bad. One of twins at perry Barr had it last week the look on her face priceless.
4636: what a bus IMO as good as 4638 , excellent chassis pot holes rough roads delt with composure no bother at all, brakes spot on, suspension, steering top draw, engine, gearbox excellent plenty of power, really effortless to drive. Slowing down from 40mph transmission does howl not as loud as 4638 though but still sounds good. Body external early repaint still looks ok , internal original seat cushions featuring variety of other spec moquette fabrics to complete the look. Not much in the way of rattling cab is pretty solid, saloon doors give the odd rattle. Once re furbed this should make an excellent Volvo B7TL , will miss this one when it does finally go, I do wish the 4700s were built to the same standard any way 4636 9/10 for the way it drives.
4249: what a contrast to 4636 , body is just crap hopeless the cab shakes, wobbles,rattles along really appalling environment to drive in. Chassis engine / gearbox in good order it's not the slowest it's ok for pace. Suspension /brakes good too. Early repaint , original early twm trim. Needs a refurb but why bother needs a new body to be honest it's scrap. 4/10
4504 is another noisey one, when it wants to be. For some reason the front fleet numbers are highlighted in blue
4367 - Fast at pulling away. Warm heaters. Smooth. All in all a lovely bus to drive.
4086: Excellent volvo this is a beast IMO, Chassis bang on, engine / gearbox nice and smooth, brakes spot on, plenty of pace. suspension , handling/cornering excellent. Body internal early full refurb trim dark blue twm cushions, floors done, handles aswell, not much in the way of rattling either,some creaking now and then. External still looks ok. 9/10
1521: had a ride on this simply awfull bus, it went over a pot hole the whole bus shook violently not pleasant, gearbox is shot aswell banging jolting along , it's basically scrap only good thing seems to be the engine, externally plenty of rust good if your going for the rat look some how I think it's not what nxwm are into. Internally the powder coat has come off the seat handles and now you have rust simply crap. What a bag of shit. Needs to be put out of its misery.
4299: one of the decent all round alexander volvo,s here at west brom, chassis excellent I thought engine/gearbox smooth no issues ,sounds good in this bus, smooth brakes/retarder as well, suspension dealt with most road surfaces quite well, handles corners well no leaning,. Body refurbed a while a go still looking very good externally, interior grey nx spec cushions, cab area for an alexander not bad all pretty solid not to much rattling going on. such a sharp contrast to 4249/4291 it's bonkers. 8/10
Went on 4299 on the 48 this afternoon. There is something loose in the blind box which makes it rattle, slightly annoying for the upstairs passengers. But it was a nice ride otherwise.
Quote from: John on August 26, 2014, 12:57:22 AM
2900, you can have 4291 back! Awfully slow uphill and pulling away. Good brakes though. It leaks like a sieve though!
4263 - a perfect bus to have for a late night 94 duty. Nearly as quick as a Gemini pulling away, hardly any rattles. Only the heater was not working!
Quote from: 2900 on August 26, 2014, 10:20:30 AM
John , drivers here were overjoyed it has left west brom it's really that bad. One of twins at perry Barr had it last week the look on her face priceless.
4290 is slightly better, better at pulling off than 4291, apart from accelerating uphill. I was crawling around 20mph up Kingstanding Road this afternoon. Brakes were good, although I thought the retarder was a bit sharp kicking in at times, and it didn't rattle
4715 not a particularly good wrightbus b7tl, chassis: front suspension aw full, sinks while cruising along have to raise it using the kneeling switch , front wheels feels detached like there wandering about like the darts at west brom. Gearbox not good likes to thump you in the back every few minutes, engine has a delayed throttle response of two seconds very annoying. Body: early repaint could do with freshening up , internally original dark twm trim, degusting mess inside, cab various rattles here and there. Not a pleasant bus this. 3/10
May be out of place considering they are YW buses (I could set up separate YW fleet bus review) but I thought it would keep bus reviews in one thread, despite these two are passenger reviews.
4335 - First NX livery variation - unrefurbished inside although still in reasonably good condition, paint still presentable, but seats need replacing. No window etching and minimal scratches on seats. Rides very well and very few rattles. Bit slow pulling off but smooth once going. Once refurbished internally will make a good bus.
4372 - 2012 refurb - with vivid red and grey seats. Excellent looking bus externally and internally. Graffiti tag on floor and wall upstairs but nothing serious and no window etching. Suspension excellent and again minimal rattling, with a smooth running engine with reasonable acceleration.
814: had a ten minute ride on this on the 49 service must have been the most annoying ten minute journey ever I have experienced concerning a vehicle it is utter crap. Rattling, creaking coming from every where I couldn't believe how bad it was for a 62 plate vehicle, dread to think how it will be in ten years time. If this was my car that I bought brand new I would want my money back.
755: this bus is in complete contrast to 814 yes it's only been in service for 5 minutes, it was a pleasant experience , it only rattled on very rough surfaces otherwise nothing.
Still haven't driven any type of enviro yet.
4717: sadly another disappointing wrightbus B7TL ,
Externally early repaint looking tired now, internally still original dark twm cushions and it's grubby not nice in the least. The cooling fan is incredibly loud on this , driver seat is knackered simply awful,
Rattling from all over the cab, platform area annoying. Engine/box are ok bit slow to pull away though,once going its decent enough. I didn't enjoy driving this made the duty feel longer than it actually was. 4/10
4056: chassis all good nice brakes/retarder, suspension good as well, engine excellent plenty of go, gearbox when pulling away has quite a distinctive sound, sounds very old skool IMO,
Body internal early full proper refurb, dark twm seat cushions, still in decent condition. Cab area some rattles, cab window rattles bad rubber seals perished, big steering wheel not good.
Would be an excellent all rounder if it had the smaller steering wheel fitted and cab window fixed.
7/10
4113: not to keen on this example not as smooth as some of the other plackys at west brom.
Chassis, brakes/ retarder good, engine/ box average, suspension all over the place not good, riding high and low doing what ever it feels like.
Body:fair bit of rattling and creaking from body, cab window rattles bad.
Internal early full refurb dark twm cushions, needs a good clean, grubby. Big steering wheel not good.
External : still looks ok
5/10
4527: very good to drive this one very smooth gearbox does let it down with occasional jolt.
Chassis: brakes /retarder excellent, engine smooth and power full , gearbox jolts occasionally ,suspension excellent.
Body: internal still original trim mixed with various other specs, pretty cleanish,minimal rattle.
External: early repaint could do with refurb now.
7/10
Hope no one minds me hijacking this again to comment on YW buses -
4362 - Unrefurb TWM livery - looking fine outside and inside still actually. Few rattles, rides well, although the heating is poor. Pulls away well - will make an excellent one once refurbed.
4383 - Superb - rides very well, 2014 refurb so in excellent condition. No rattles, and engine/gearbox smooth. 4372 is similar.
4369 - Old NX liv + unrefurb inside. although in good condition. Rattling a fair bit, and doesn't ride out the potholes very well. Engine fine, gearbox at times jolty. Plus had problems with the cab door alarm going off.
4107 - Not the best President at YW - rattling, poor riding on rough surfaces and not in the best condition internally with etching.
4667 - Good riding - no rattles - just needs an internal and external refresh.
1909 - Excellent riding - smart looking with smooth engine. Some rattling but as long as there is no squeaking I don't mind. Heating superb.
1916 - Same as 1909, but virtually no rattles.
1923 - Another good Scania from YW - tons better than Enviro 200s.
Liberator9, I'd recommend a ride on 4718 if you're a fan of YW buses :P
Had a ride on it twice now and it is an excellent bus! No rattles, excellent engine and smooth ride. Hope it turns up on the 76 again some point soon. Thanks Trident 4370. 4722 is another good one by the way ;)
Quote from: Liberator9 on September 09, 2014, 08:26:01 PM
Had a ride on it twice now and it is an excellent bus! No rattles, excellent engine and smooth ride. Hope it turns up on the 76 again some point soon. Thanks Trident 4370. 4722 is another good one by the way ;)
Ah yes that is one of my stalkers!
I have certain Scanias that seem to stalk me - 1912, 1922, 1909 and 1916 certainly do. Until today I had never been on 1923 - Taken 4 years to ride it!
Ironically I see 1923 all the time, 1917 is another one of my stalker scanias. The best scania at YW by far is 1926, it is probably the only scania that has it's own distinctive sound, you can easily tell it apart from the rest.
Quote from: trident4370 on September 09, 2014, 08:16:34 PM
Liberator9, I'd recommend a ride on 4718 if you're a fan of YW buses :P
You won't get one for a couple of weeks at least - it is in Walsall for refurb
Thanks Tony - looking forward to seeing it in its new set of colours.
Haven't ridden 1926 for a while actually - shall have to track it down. 1914 is quite a distinctive one - last two times I've ridden it the cooling fans have been running which sounded good. The Scanias are excellent buses I find - ride well, comfortable (if you're not too tall!) and look smart. Only down side was the roof panel design - those panels do cause some rattling if they start to shake loose. Need the Citaro roof design.
Feels like an eternity since I've been on 4718, it seemed to be glued to the Longbridge-Redditch rail reps over the summer.
I agree about the Scanias, the roof design is a bit rubbish I've even noticed most now have warning stickers on them telling people to watch their heads! Another downside is that the legroom is appalling, I am reasonably tall and find most seats a struggle on them so usually just stick to the back or front. The chassis seems to be great it is just the bodies that let them down.
That is another reason why I like the Enviro 400 so much, no matter where you sit there always seems to be decent legroom!
Legroom is terrible on omnilinks at nx but I dont seem to struggle as much with arriva one's. Weirdly
Must admit my last Arriva Omnilink ride was a while ago now on the 112 so I dont remember it :(
1698 basically scrap, only good things were engine/box still strong otherwise it's battered, rattles like hell, suspension none existent, looks very tired indeed inside. These mercs didn't seem that bad five years ago, they,ve aged a lot in recent years. Time to put this one out of its misery.
4711 very good all rounder very solid good power delivery, probably one of best 4700,s to drive, brakes/ retarder all good, suspension decent as well. Not to much rattling either, could do with a good clean though. 7/10
4713 vey similar in most ways. 7/10
Quote from: 2900 on September 19, 2014, 01:46:16 PM
1698 basically scrap, only good things were engine/box still strong otherwise it's battered, rattles like hell, suspension none existent, looks very tired indeed inside. These mercs didn't seem that bad five years ago, they,ve aged a lot in recent years. Time to put this one out of its misery.
So is that.... A 7/10?
Quote from: 2900 on September 19, 2014, 01:57:34 PM
4711 very good all rounder very solid good power delivery, probably one of best 4700,s to drive, brakes/ retarder all good, suspension decent as well. Not to much rattling either, could do with a good clean though.
4713 vey similar in most ways.
I agree with you on both buses 4711 and 4713. I caught 4713 on WB 87 at 21:17 last night ex Moor Street. It was a nice ride, brakes were great and didn't hear a single rattle. Going through Smethwick, the bus went over the bumps nicely. Yes, it could have a clean. Still has TWM moquette which I like, suits well with the blue colour interior.
After reading your post this afternoon, I ventured to Birmingham and later in the evening, I was waiting for the 20:47 arrival, coincidentally, it was 4711! It was pretty much similar to 4713 but has the horrible dull grey moquette. The driver tonight was not very kind to the bus... He went over the bumps in Smethwick really harshly. Every time the bus went over, it felt like the front wheels were being hit very hard and the bus didn't have time to bounce. So, it was a pity 4711 had a shit driver tonight.
4713 - 9/10.
4711 - 8/10. Would grade it a 9 if I had a better driver.
4295 decent all rounder very good for an alexander b7tl volvo,
Chassis, brakes/ retarder well set up, suspension comfortable , engine/ box smooth
Body, Recent refurb so in good condition , interior grey nx spec seats , a good mop out
Wouldn't hurt. Cab has a new small steering wheel, some rattle ing going on not overly
So. 7/10
4264: another alexander volvo that drives well twice in one day must be a one off. Very similar to 4295 to drive. Chassis set up as 4295 but that's where it stops.
Body, original TWM spec livery looking very tired now, interior all original light blue moquette seat backs have faded, most base cushions look fairly fresh on lower saloon.
Cab steering wheel one sticky horrible thing it is.
7/10 for the way it drives
2/10 for appearance
Thought I'd add two more YWs in -
1928 - Best Scania I've ever ridden - no rattles at all, very smooth suspension and excellent heating system. Very smart externally and internally still. Exactly why I love having a ride on YW Scanias on the 6.
4676 - Good Gemini - yet to encounter a poor one really. No rattles, good suspension although needs a refurb inside.
4358 - Good as a Trident can be - Smart inside and out - recent refurb. Suspension bouncy and dealt well with the pot holes. Very few rattles upstairs, although round by driver's cab is rattly.
Quote from: Liberator9 on October 06, 2014, 09:08:35 PM
Thought I'd add two more YWs in -
1928 - Best Scania I've ever ridden - no rattles at all, very smooth suspension and excellent heating system. Very smart externally and internally still. Exactly why I love having a ride on YW Scanias on the 6.
4676 - Good Gemini - yet to encounter a poor one really. No rattles, good suspension although needs a refurb inside.
4358 - Good as a Trident can be - Smart inside and out - recent refurb. Suspension bouncy and dealt well with the pot holes. Very few rattles upstairs, although round by driver's cab is rattly.
Went on 4358 today, the indicator sound is different and it's really good. It was on the 76.
Quote from: Liberator9 on September 09, 2014, 09:14:17 PM
Thanks Tony - looking forward to seeing it in its new set of colours.
Haven't ridden 1926 for a while actually - shall have to track it down. 1914 is quite a distinctive one - last two times I've ridden it the cooling fans have been running which sounded good. The Scanias are excellent buses I find - ride well, comfortable (if you're not too tall!) and look smart. Only down side was the roof panel design - those panels do cause some rattling if they start to shake loose. Need the Citaro roof design.
Try searching the 3 for 1914. I see it mostly on that since I first saw it.
I had it on the 76 as well. Indicator sound is different - sounds better actually! It was a really good Trident actually - really fast one as well 8)
Found 1914 and 1926 a few days ago - 1914's fan was off this time and 1926 was good as 1928. Noticed 1914 on the 2 on Friday - likes to get off the 6 seemingly ;)
Would be nice to have just 2900 comments, his thread and his thoughts are of interest as he as driven the buses he his commenting on. Very different from the passengers seat.
Sorry to hijack ur thread 2900
4440 - Gotta be BCs worst bus. Unable to pull away quickly due to very slow closing doors. Gears slow at changing up, sticks at 30mph and eventually drops into the next gear after an eternity.
A very frustrating bus to drive if you're running late. >:(
I'll stop adding my ride reviews - it is hijacking the thread's purpose. Sorry about that :)
I have no objections for others to add there views, may be two threads could be started one from a drivers point of view and another from a passengers point of view, I,ve been quiet lately cause I keep getting buses that I,ve reviewed.
One thing I have noticed with the return of the 4600,s to acocks green been getting a lot more alexander b7tl,s to drive.
Quote from: 2900 on October 07, 2014, 10:33:43 PM
I have no objections for others to add there views, may be two threads could be started one from a drivers point of view and another from a passengers point of view, I,ve been quiet lately cause I keep getting buses that I,ve reviewed.
One thing I have noticed with the return of the 4600,s to acocks green been getting a lot more alexander b7tl,s to drive.
I've noticed there's a more equal balance of ALXs to Geminis on the 127-9, often more ALX than Geminis recently, and there's more ALXs on the 83/89 too, there were at least two on there today, 4232, 4233. From a passenger point of view, 4233 is quite slow up hills
That's a good idea actually 2900 about starting up a passenger ride thread as well. Might do that today at some point. Thanks.
I don't know if 2900 has said a few words about 4269, but what a lovely one to drive. Even the heater works. It seems too have inherited the dash out of 4273 as the fleetnumber 4273 is wrote above the dials. Hardly any rattles and good up Hamstead Hill, just the suspension seemed very soft
Along with 4284, 4302 and 4262, 4269 is one of the best of these buses I have drove
Lol how things change, 4302 was one of the worst buses when it was at BC - very sluggish.
Any views on the E20's?
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on October 10, 2014, 09:37:28 PM
Lol how things change, 4302 was one of the worst buses when it was at BC - very sluggish.
It wasn't the fastest B7, but nothing as bad as 4253. I can put up with them been sluggish to an extent, but if the brakes are rubbish (4239 and 4301 are 2 naff ones) then it makes driving them so much harder to try to avoid braking heavily
4267: recent reburb so looks good from outside, inside grey moquette covered seats, not to grubby
either.
Volvo chassis very good decent ride from suspension dept, brakes and retarder well balanced,
Gearbox on the whole decent occasional jolt, engine smooth no drama, it's not too bad on
Speed not a complete slug like some.
Body alexander alx 400 not bad at all on the smooth stuff hardly any rattles at all, on the rough
It's does start getting a bit vocal but no where near as bad as some of the others in this
batch. Cab does feature a new small steering wheel all good I say. 7/10
4513: Early repaint looking a bit tired now, original light blue twm moquette seats looking tired.
Volvo b7tl chassis, decent ride from suspension, brakes not good at all, all ways stops harsh,ly
With a jolt from the gearbox, very annoying problem. The more effort you put in to stop smoothly the worse it got. Engine all good no issues.
Body, no problems pretty solid, no excessive rattling going on. 5/10
819: first drive of an enviro 200, to be brutally honest what crap compared to a merc 0405n
Smooth engine and gearbox, bit slow on pick up, not much power either.
Suspension hopeless front axle already feels detached on rough roads speed bumps quite
Alarming the impression I got.
Brakes pretty decent.
Cab: most things rattle, cab door various panels not good. Cab seat nice comfortable as with
Steering wheel, cab quite roomy.
Salloon still in good condition and clean.
Body still tidy.
3/10 for this example
Sunday 26th every bus on 83/89 was the enviro 200 I,m thinking this will be the norm for Sunday operations.
Well they sound pretty poor to drive - yet to hear much good about the Enviro 200s. Really wish NX had gone with Wrights - they make pretty good buses.
2900 - have you ever driven any of the Scanias? - most drivers I have spoken to like them in terms of driving.
Quote from: 2900 on October 27, 2014, 08:58:45 PM
Sunday 26th every bus on 83/89 was the enviro 200 I,m thinking this will be the norm for Sunday operations.
Hope not. Whenever I've got the 89 to Birmingham on a Sunday the loadings justified deckers
Liberator9, back when the 404 upgraded I think 09 I was given a branded scania to use on the 88E service with no running card, which had been robbed off the 404E in oldbury by the inspector, city had become gridlocked if I remember rite, I do recall it being a smooth drive spacious cab, nice heaters, the used ticket bin rattled away annoyingly,the saloon doors were incredibly slow absolutely use less on the 88E with its fast running time I was never on time the whole duty, running 20 mins down all evening. Passengers did enjoy the posh bus as they put it, I told them make the most of it you won't see it again on this service.
Thanks 2900 - wish they'd remove the used ticket bin on them now actually. No one I see actually uses the thing (the bus floor is a more preferred method of disposal) - on 1912 it used to squeak like mad - fortunately YW engineers fixed it - doesn't rattle nearly as much now. Do like the Scanias (except 7023 - absolutely shed of a bus) - although as you say, the doors on some of them are very, very slow. Useless if you are running late. I'm sure most drivers would love to see the door interlock removed! Why can't they get a setting where you can move off with the doors open, but they automatically close above 5mph.
It's all about health safety very annoying at first like every thing once you,ve adapted you don't notice any more. When I had 819 I thought doors would be really slow they weren't at all, i was told during type training they were and it would make you late.
1695, it's like meeting an old friend Remember these delivered brand new to Hockley, re furbed a while back now paint work all faded now, interior cushions retrimed to dark blue twm spec moquette. Salloon could do with a clean looking manky.
It's been a while since I last drove a bus with a proper big engine it feels could knowing when you press the gas pedal it's gona shift, good solid engine in this one. No substitute for capacity.
Gearbox on the whole smooth occasional jolt.
Brakes nice and smooth no issues, suspension merc,s weak spot, mercs have a tendency to sink while driving along, what really helps is pressing the red platform lowering switch to raise it, makes a huge difference, even though on really rough roads no where as good as a Volvo b7 tl.
There was the usual merc rattle from around the cab and platform but no worse than new enviro 200,not bad considering it's 15 years old. 7/10 one of the few better ones that remain.
753: oh dear what crap to drive seriously annoying piece of shite, so disappointing
Engine/ gearbox nice and smooth but got no guts not too different to volvo b7tl/voith combo
Thinking the voith box saps power.
Rear suspension seems ok, front oh dear feels exactly like a dart bouncing about, feels detached
making the steering feel all weird on rough roads, on even roads steering is sharp so need to go
easy with it. I wonder if zf axles are used I doubt it.
Brakes requires effort to be put in stop smoothly so constantly thinking about how much
pressure to apply so not good.
Cab some rattling from behind driver seat, very good heaters, it's a comfortable place shame it's
all let down by the way it drives.
IMO this bus will be utter crap in every dept in a few short years, oh what joy for us drivers.
3/10 think I,m being generous
Quote from: 2900 on November 12, 2014, 10:49:19 AM
753: oh dear what crap to drive seriously annoying piece of shite, so disappointing
Engine/ gearbox nice and smooth but got no guts not too different to volvo b7tl/voith combo
Thinking the voith box saps power.
Rear suspension seems ok, front oh dear feels exactly like a dart bouncing about, feels detached
making the steering feel all weird on rough roads, on even roads steering is sharp so need to go
easy with it. I wonder if zf axles are used I doubt it.
Brakes requires effort to be put in stop smoothly so constantly thinking about how much
pressure to apply so not good.
Cab some rattling from behind driver seat, very good heaters, it's a comfortable place shame it's
all let down by the way it drives.
IMO this bus will be utter crap in every dept in a few short years, oh what joy for us drivers.
3/10 think I,m being generous
Should be 0/10. They're the worst incarnation of a Dart yet.
Quote from: Liberator9 on October 27, 2014, 09:04:31 PM
Well they sound pretty poor to drive - yet to hear much good about the Enviro 200s. Really wish NX had gone with Wrights - they make pretty good buses.
2900 - have you ever driven any of the Scanias? - most drivers I have spoken to like them in terms of driving.
I think the Walsall drivers would be chuffed if they lost their Scanias tomorrow. I would be too
Quote from: Ashley on November 13, 2014, 04:11:30 PM
Quote from: Liberator9 on October 27, 2014, 09:04:31 PM
Well they sound pretty poor to drive - yet to hear much good about the Enviro 200s. Really wish NX had gone with Wrights - they make pretty good buses.
2900 - have you ever driven any of the Scanias? - most drivers I have spoken to like them in terms of driving.
I think the Walsall drivers would be chuffed if they lost their Scanias tomorrow. I would be too
Scanias are actually really nice vehicles to drive. The main critisism they get is the doors which can be slower than other makes, but also they were the first big batch of buses with the interlock on that meant they had to be shut before you pulled away which made them seem even slower. Now every bus has the interlock the slow doors do not seem as bad
4229 recent rebfurb still very shiny, seats retrimmed in grey moquette, Floors manky
Body, cab rattles squeaks away on poor road surfaces not too loudly as to piss you off.
Chassis, probably one of the best b7 volvo/voith combos this sucker goes , flyes up hill, got the ability
to accelerate as well, strong smooth engine/ box all good, brakes/retarder well balanced and smooth,
suspension all good. Enjoyed driving this about entertaining , 8/10 for the it drives and I also got a green light from data log.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on November 12, 2014, 11:07:20 AM
Quote from: 2900 on November 12, 2014, 10:49:19 AM
753: oh dear what crap to drive seriously annoying piece of shite, so disappointing
Engine/ gearbox nice and smooth but got no guts not too different to volvo b7tl/voith combo
Thinking the voith box saps power.
Rear suspension seems ok, front oh dear feels exactly like a dart bouncing about, feels detached
making the steering feel all weird on rough roads, on even roads steering is sharp so need to go
easy with it. I wonder if zf axles are used I doubt it.
Brakes requires effort to be put in stop smoothly so constantly thinking about how much
pressure to apply so not good.
Cab some rattling from behind driver seat, very good heaters, it's a comfortable place shame it's
all let down by the way it drives.
IMO this bus will be utter crap in every dept in a few short years, oh what joy for us drivers.
3/10 think I,m being generous
Should be 0/10. They're the worst incarnation of a Dart yet.
I'm surprised about this - I sometimes travel on single door didi E200s in the London suburbs and from a passenger's viewpoint they zip around at some pace and have the feeling of being solid and reasonably rattle free (that said they carry very little cash as nearly all journeys made are pre-paid so no rattles from that source). Similar for 06 registered Arriva didi Darts.
4958 first drive of an ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
Body : I do like the enviro 400 vast improvement on the ALX400 feels more robust, one thing I did notice it rattles far less than enviro 200, I do like all the grey fitted to the interior it,ll still look good in years to come, you only have have to look at the t and v reg mercs they still look modern, plus dirt won't show up as much, the buses with blue interiors haven't aged well at all IMO, the gemni,s with blue floors always look manky. Nice cab,spacious, good seat, excellent heaters, foot control for doors not in good location, not to keen on the touch switch gear.
Chassis: I don't rate it at all volvo b7tl vastly better IMO
Suspension: ok on smooth roads, not good at all on speed bumps, damping poor on uneven roads.
Brakes: requires effort to stop smoothly so not good
Engine/ gearbox: both units are smooth and quiet, the problem I found with this bus while on level road surface the gearbox races through the gears to keep rpm down and not in the power band it's feels like the engine is labouring in high gears which is not good, on inclines it changes it wakes up it,ll hold a lower gear for longer the engine gets going, feels like it's got power.
On the whole disappointing.
Body 9/10 chassis 2/10
Quote from: 2900 on November 17, 2014, 11:46:45 AM
4958 first drive of an ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
Body : I do like the enviro 400 vast improvement on the ALX400 feels more robust, one thing I did notice it rattles far less than enviro 200, I do like all the grey fitted to the interior it,ll still look good in years to come, you only have have to look at the t and v reg mercs they still look modern, plus dirt won't show up as much, the buses with blue interiors haven't aged well at all IMO, the gemni,s with blue floors always look manky. Nice cab,spacious, good seat, excellent heaters, foot control for doors not in good location, not to keen on the touch switch gear.
Chassis: I don't rate it at all volvo b7tl vastly better IMO
Suspension: ok on smooth roads, not good at all on speed bumps, damping poor on uneven roads.
Brakes: requires effort to stop smoothly so not good
Engine/ gearbox: both units are smooth and quiet, the problem I found with this bus while on level road surface the gearbox races through the gears to keep rpm down and not in the power band it's feels like the engine is labouring in high gears which is not good, on inclines it changes it wakes up it,ll hold a lower gear for longer the engine gets going, feels like it's got power.
On the whole disappointing.
Body 9/10 chassis 2/10
I feel the ALX400 is 1 billion times better then the Enviro body.
Does any one know the chassis specs on these NX spec ADL E40D engine, gearbox, axles, steering etc
One big difference I,ve noticed the engine sits on the left now as opposed to the right on trident2 I wonder what was gained by this move.
Oh dear more gemini,s have left west brom how deflating, it seems all the ones that have gone require refurb ing, as some of lower 4500,s were refurbed here I guess these will stay.
On the whole the drivers based in Oldbury aren't fans of the enviro 400 cheap rubbish most will say but good heating though. I get the feeling when next years new orders arrive west brom will lose the remaining 4500,s to cascaded enviro 400s, who knows may be the 4700,s as well cut out a whole vehicle type.
Quote from: 2900 on November 17, 2014, 11:46:45 AM
4958 first drive of an ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
Body : I do like the enviro 400 vast improvement on the ALX400 feels more robust, one thing I did notice it rattles far less than enviro 200, I do like all the grey fitted to the interior it,ll still look good in years to come, you only have have to look at the t and v reg mercs they still look modern, plus dirt won't show up as much, the buses with blue interiors haven't aged well at all IMO, the gemni,s with blue floors always look manky. Nice cab,spacious, good seat, excellent heaters, foot control for doors not in good location, not to keen on the touch switch gear.
Chassis: I don't rate it at all volvo b7tl vastly better IMO
Suspension: ok on smooth roads, not good at all on speed bumps, damping poor on uneven roads.
Brakes: requires effort to stop smoothly so not good
Engine/ gearbox: both units are smooth and quiet, the problem I found with this bus while on level road surface the gearbox races through the gears to keep rpm down and not in the power band it's feels like the engine is labouring in high gears which is not good, on inclines it changes it wakes up it,ll hold a lower gear for longer the engine gets going, feels like it's got power.
On the whole disappointing.
Body 9/10 chassis 2/10
The engine/gearbox setup like you described is the definition of the problem of these, yet its deliberately done for fuel consumption!!!!
822 62 reg example of these cattle sheds, just a pile of crap to be honest, simply appaling to drive.
Bodywork still in good shape as is the interior I suppose this is what matters to Mr and Mrs joe public.
Engine,smooth but gutless no torque at all.
Gearbox smooth no issues does what it suppose to.
Suspension, simply hopeless front feels like it's wandering about, can't deal with speed bumps or rough roads, speed bumps best taken at 15 mph or less imo.
Brakes not bad at all to be honest.
Steering feels sharp nice and tight no slack.
Cab its a rattle fest in here seriously infuriating, I put this down to serious lack of build quality from ADL , man they must be proud up there.
I drove leyland Lynx,es back in the day they suffered from poor build quality but the engine/box more than made up for its short comings.
822 0/10
Quote from: 2900 on December 05, 2014, 10:59:37 AM
822 62 reg example of these cattle sheds, just a pile of crap to be honest, simply appaling to drive.
Bodywork still in good shape as is the interior I suppose this is what matters to Mr and Mrs joe public.
Engine,smooth but gutless no torque at all.
Gearbox smooth no issues does what it suppose to.
Suspension, simply hopeless front feels like it's wandering about, can't deal with speed bumps or rough roads, speed bumps best taken at 15 mph or less imo.
Brakes not bad at all to be honest.
Steering feels sharp nice and tight no slack.
Cab its a rattle fest in here seriously infuriating, I put this down to serious lack of build quality from ADL , man they must be proud up there.
I drove leyland Lynx,es back in the day they suffered from poor build quality but the engine/box more than made up for its short comings.
822 0/10
You don't mind the headaches from a Lynx as your guaranteed not to come off late if you had one of those rockets. E200's on the other hand...
Liverpool St, so true I had special deal with my pharmacist for pain killers, 1313 at Hockley was fitted with experimental rattle free cab windows just brilliant they were very similar to the merc item shame more didn't get the same treatment it made a vast difference.
Quote from: 2900 on December 04, 2014, 03:19:30 PM
Oh dear more gemini,s have left west brom how deflating, it seems all the ones that have gone require refurb ing, as some of lower 4500,s were refurbed here I guess these will stay.
On the whole the drivers based in Oldbury aren't fans of the enviro 400 cheap rubbish most will say but good heating though. I get the feeling when next years new orders arrive west brom will lose the remaining 4500,s to cascaded enviro 400s, who knows may be the 4700,s as well cut out a whole vehicle type.
I agree with those drivers, they have a brain!
756 had ride on this the other sat in middle from a passenger point of view it was a nice warm comfortable ride very little in terms of rattling really surprised me. May be the journey had some thing to do with it as it was mostly on dual carriage ways, as opposed to housing estates being the norm for one of these. I bet it's the complete opposite from the drivers seat. 7/10
Not sure if any one has mentioned this before the 64 plate enviro 400s at west brom have there radio pedal switch located on the right side of the cab under the driver seat, basically you have to stop the bus to communicate over the radio system. Apparently a safety measure, so now you have situation with a general call going out to the soho rd drivers for example, the radio announcer constantly repeating a message waiting for a response. Ah the nanny state medaling again I think.
Quote from: 2900 on December 11, 2014, 10:09:34 AM
Not sure if any one has mentioned this before the 64 plate enviro 400s at west brom have there radio pedal switch located on the right side of the cab under the driver seat, basically you have to stop the bus to communicate over the radio system. Apparently a safety measure, so now you have situation with a general call going out to the soho rd drivers for example, the radio announcer constantly repeating a message waiting for a response. Ah the nanny state medaling again I think.
Right so if they radio you and you don't answer straight away and cut off you gotta press the button again and stay stationary.
I bet some driver will have an accident cause of this, taking his right foot off the brake to talk. Safety? Seems like accident causing.
You know some one is gona try it, accident waiting to happen, while stationery I tried using the speech pedal I found it awkward and unnatural to do. If it's a non urgent message won't bother responding. I guess it,ll stop the larking about on the radio. From my experience when this female with a thick polish accent comes on the radio system goes nuts, there's a lot of asian drivers at west brom who simply don't under stand a thing she is saying not good , cause of her accent. Man I do chuckle when she comes on it makes my day.
Quote from: 2900 on December 11, 2014, 10:38:21 AM
You know some one is gona try it, accident waiting to happen, while stationery I tried using the speech pedal I found it awkward and unnatural to do. If it's a non urgent message won't bother responding. I guess it,ll stop the larking about on the radio. From my experience when this female with a thick polish accent comes on the radio system goes nuts, there's a lot of asian drivers at west brom who simply don't under stand a thing she is saying not good , cause of her accent. Man I do chuckle when she comes on it makes my day.
I think that's Lizzy. So funny. She's great.
From experience I find staff from AVL seriously well mannered and polite on the radio it takes some getting use to, its in sharp contrast to local call from garages not saying they are rude it's all straight to the point.
4232: recently refurbed so body still in good shape, seats recovered in grey moquette.
Chassis volvo b7tl voith gearbox, good solid chassis every thing works as it should, decent pace, very good up hills as well a bonus. The E40d chassis from Dennis can't match this in its dreams.
Body: alexander alx400 shame really to festoon a great chassis with ones of these really but to be fair this isone of the better ones other than the leaking windscreen, it seemed decent not much in the way of rattles. cab has a new steering wheel and many new switches,cab heater Luke warm, Salloon heating very poor.
Engine:smooth and solid no issues
Gearbox:smooth no issues
Suspension:good all round no drama deals with speed bumps rough roads properly
Steering:good positive steering no slack
On the whole a solid bus would scor higher if heating was better. 7/10
4084: I have reviewed this in past, but I,ve had it fair few times recently it's seriously excellent bus to drive , it makes my duty, it's the beast of west brom imO, should fetch good money on the second hand market I think, once new sheds start arriving , mind you most probably will, if I had space I wouldnt mind this one for myself it's that good.
4706:Early repaint done many years back not a good job I thought back then so very disappointing I remember thinking at the time. Interior still the original dark blue seats fading here and there, upstairs various seat bases are light blue specs so miss mash.
Chassis: Drives really well for 4700 series gem , chassis still all solid no issues from drive train, decent pace, suspension works well so comfortable ride. Not bad for a bus that's pounded up and down dudley rd for the last 8 years.
Body:on the whole pretty good minimal rattling from front saloon door area, cab:driver seat replaced hated those air cushion seats, cab sliding windows do rattle not good.
Engine:smooth plenty of power no issues
Gearbox:smooth no jolts all good
Retarder: smooth and effective
Brakes: smooth all good
Suspension:all good
7/10
2094: just a general observation, yesterday while parked on colmore waiting for my departure time, I,m staring at the the bus in front bored shitless at this point, I noticed how shiny the paint work I thought they haven't started repainting 2.5 year buses have they, the rear indicators were flashing which drew my attention the n/s is of the led variety and o/s of the the standard bulb type. As the bus pulled I noticed just the back had been re sprayed must say a very decent job all decals placed back correctly, no overspray evident. I assume it's had a rear end shunt at some point.
4951: one of the 14 plate enviros that did the common wealth games last summer. This does seem a little faster than 64 plate examples, flies up hills 25mph on tame road that is very good going. The one thing I,ve have learnt you can't drive these enviros as you would a volvo b7, with volvo you just feather the trottle pedal and it goes. I find with the enviro pedal to the metal err I mean plastic seems to work.
Engine: decent lump in this bus, beginning come round to these engines
Gearbox: party pooper obviously programmed to keep rpm down
Retarder: not bad, but no where near as good as the ones fitted to the alx400 b7tl voith box combo
Suspension: front axle hopeless on speed bumps
Body: some rattles from cab door and platform area , general grubbyness here and there
5/10 I am awarding such an high score purely for the way it eats up hills. The route I was has more than its fair share of hills.
Can some one help, I think Tony mentioned it , subject re,engined buses. Some where in the country a volvo b7tl has received a cummins b series 6.7 litre, has any one here experienced it.
4504: another good solid gemni recent refurb still looking good, to drive quite nippy this one holds gears in the power band allowing for good acceleration when needed, hardly any rattles from cab area all good with me that. Annoyingly the fan was busy droning away out back even though its freezing weather.
Driver seat doesn't go back far enough for my liking. It still has the hugemongous passenger rear view mirror not a fan of this.
Engine: all good no issues
Gearbox: as above
Retarder: nicely balanced pleasure to use
Brakes: all good nice smooth
Suspension: delt with most roads really well, smooth ride, pot holes only thing to knock the bus about
Body: overall still very solid
Chassis: overall still excellent
Even with its few flaws a deserved 8/10 still a million times better than a ADL E400 E40D crap
I don't need to see the video I do my analysis from the drivers seat, as for squeaks I can't make out every one that might happen down the back or upstairs. Please do remember it is 12 years old which is the remarkable thing and still way better than a brand new ADL bus.
I did mention the cooling fan was running constantly.
As for it being slow that's down to the driver input or the vehicle itself there could be a multiple reasons for this, the day I had it I was driving around in service at 15 to 20mph max because it was quite and the running time is excessive on the route I was on. When I run it back to garage after service believe me 4504 does shift.
Update on 4513, after driving a lot of alexander VOLVOS recently I got this, first thing I notice while driving is how solid the body is on this on normal roads it's quite , Portland road is a test for any bus this road is destroyed extremely harsh around rainbow casino its a joke, most buses will rattle on this road, on 4513 you hear things shaking but in a muted way, got to be one best in body terms, chassis excellent as well, still don't like the brakes. Even though I,ll compare it to the new crap at west brom I say 9/10 is well deserved. Wrightbus I salute you for this one. Oh it's 12 years old bloody amazing to be honest.
1450: training vehicle, first drive of a wrightbus B10L first impressions cab what's left of it seems very similar to B6LE imo, I only got to drive this bus up to 30mph, all seemed very smooth except brakes which required effort to stop smoothly. Some rattling here and there from saloon door area.
Engine: all good not sluggish
Gearbox: all good
Retarder: not bad
Suspension: ok on normal roads, humps becomes very unsettled
Brakes: not good
Overall it's better than most ADL vehicles I,ve recently come across which are 18/19 years newer
7/10
I saw 4511 in the garage yesterday, it does look the business after its refurb very tidy indeed almost as new. Alexander's at west brom which have been done have come back looking very good too but the gems do look that much better Imo. There can't be to many 4500,s left at west brom now, I,ve only had two last week.
Hope you don't mind me gatecrashing your thread 2900!
4141 - BCs oldest bus, but one of our best.
Warm heaters (always good at this time of year). Doors fairly quick to close. Good at pulling away. Suspension good. Steering not too heavy and not too light - perfect. A few minor rattles from cab area, but nothing to write home about. Nice to drive.
9/10
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on February 02, 2015, 12:11:45 PM
Hope you don't mind me gatecrashing your thread 2900!
4141 - BCs oldest bus, but one of our best.
Warm heaters (always good at this time of year). Doors fairly quick to close. Good at pulling away. Suspension good. Steering not too heavy and not too light - perfect. A few minor rattles from cab area, but nothing to write home about. Nice to drive.
9/10
How's the brakes though? Your knee wrecked?
Update 4264 I,ve had this a number of times now since refurb, excellent job on the bodywork, re spray very good, small details really help eg rather than paint over the rubber seal above the engine cover door it's been replaced looks so much better, interior seats now covered NX grey moquette, new steering wheel nice, still drives really well, overall it's worth 9/10
4513 I saw recently in Oldbury really looking the business almost as new in appearance. ImO the gems do look better than alx 400 after refurbs.
I had 4962 recently on walk round check I noticed in the seat area under the stairs was plastered in graffiti and some of the upper salloon windows been etched aswell so business as usual.
Recently there have been revenue checks at tesco spring hill, some of passengers do quickly exit bus one young woman was stopped, she replied I,m late for work , she crossed the island and boarded my bus again at the next stop with her out of date day saver.
A group of teenagers sat at the back gave the revenue inspectors some grief as they were asked to leave. If there had been police presence they wouldn't say shit.
It's time do away with paper tickets etc, I accept you will never stop the hard core fare Dodgers, I think fraudulent travel is on the rise on dudley Road.
There is this one chap who uses Dudley road regularly he shows drivers a picture of a day saver on his smart phone, I just laugh at him, it's incredulous wot some show drivers
@2900Sounds a right old day there 2900 - bunch of idiots who decide to do this and then give revenue inspectors doing their job a load of grief. Dudley Road sounds like a nightmare, and shame to hear the Enviros have already been vandalised - the PB/BC ones are still in a good condition. Had someone on the 67 try and get on without paying today - driver having none of it and he soon hopped off. Some person behind me said "why can't the driver just let him on - it's public transport." With an attitude like that no wonder there's problems with fare collection at times.
Quote from: Liberator9 on February 19, 2015, 10:23:33 PM
@2900
Sounds a right old day there 2900 - bunch of idiots who decide to do this and then give revenue inspectors doing their job a load of grief. Dudley Road sounds like a nightmare, and shame to hear the Enviros have already been vandalised - the PB/BC ones are still in a good condition. Had someone on the 67 try and get on without paying today - driver having none of it and he soon hopped off. Some person behind me said "why can't the driver just let him on - it's public transport." With an attitude like that no wonder there's problems with fare collection at times.
What the heck? Since when was public transportation free? In certain respects people like that are worse then the fare dodgerthemselves!!
You won't find many drivers on the dudley road questioning fares etc it's just not safe anymore, you have no idea what people may be carrying, long time a go I stopped a teenager as he didn't pay he produced a steel rod and tried to insert through speech holes in the vandal screen. It was only the actions of passengers that scared him off. I have a little motto DUDLEY ROAD KEEP GOB SHUT.
End of the day I want to go home in one piece. I do make full use of wayfarer to record what I see and smell. Eastern European and somalian teenagers becoming a problem at certain points on the dudley mainly Cape hill and summer field park.
I remember a little midget that used to get on near grove lane who always had an out of date ticket,is he still around?
For many drivers Dudley road services have been forced on to them by merging Rota,s 83,89,127,128,129 with 82 87 most of these services were on one rota at Hockley garage up on transfer to west brom they were split for nearly 12 years , when I transferred I was placed on the Dudley rota it wasn't bad in the early stages along with 87 you had 88 120 140 services, 120 140 transferred to pennsnet 88 got chopped up and placed with Portland rd services, by this time I,ve had enough of the 87 around 04 /05 I transferred to the Portland road services it's so much more pleasant place to be, we drivers did successfully stop the merger of the Rota,s twice if I recall but last year it got pushed through to the dismay of the majority, God we do hate the 87,s
Yeah I know which midget your on about yes he still uses Dudley road services I haven't seen him for a number of months now though.
4269 alexander alx 400 b7tl voith gearbox, recent refurb inside out so looks excellent ,very good bus to drive excellent chassis all works as it should, even on Portland Rd edgbaston a very rough road all is composed and stable, great cab heater, the panel behind drivers seat a little squeaky probably needs relocating, some rattles in plat form area but not in a bad way like others.
Engine:excellent smooth no issues, has plenty of power good uphill
Gearbox: smooth changes no jolts all good
Retarder: smooth all good
Brakes: smooth easy to use
Suspension: all good nice smooth ride, deals with rough surfaces excellently
For an alx400 volvo this bus is excellent shame There are so few like this one 8/10
Quote from: 2900 on March 17, 2015, 10:26:13 PM
4269 alexander alx 400 b7tl voith gearbox, recent refurb inside out so looks excellent ,very good bus to drive excellent chassis all works as it should, even on Portland Rd edgbaston a very rough road all is composed and stable, great cab heater, the panel behind drivers seat a little squeaky probably needs relocating, some rattles in plat form area but not in a bad way like others.
Engine:excellent smooth no issues, has plenty of power good uphill
Gearbox: smooth changes no jolts all good
Retarder: smooth all good
Brakes: smooth easy to use
Shuspension: all good nice smooth ride, deals with rough surfaces excellently
For an alx400 volvo this bus is excellent shame There are so few like this one 8/10
I do remember 4269 been excellent to drive the day last year I had it on the 16 when we had it on loan. The few on par with it are 4262, 4284 and 4300
757 - 3 hours on the 44 the other day. not a single rattle from it, compared to other E200s (822 rattles so much, feels like it's falling apart lol)
quick acceleration, good interlock system and very comfortable.
751 and 760 are the same also.
834 is terrible. interlock system too slow, suspension terrible and slow.
1661 recently transferred to WB, i broke it..... suspension gave up the ghost in Charlemont Farm but it was a decent bus to drive before the problem.
1582 - one of the best mercs in my opinion. good quick acceleration, good kickdown when needed and not many rattles for a 15 or so year old bus.
755 swb ADL enviro 200 basically an update, recent journey from west brom to Oldbury along bromford lane, not good sat near the front plenty of rattles from cab and platform so not good, ride from suspension still ok, engine box still sounded smooth, these only arrived last August, many of the drivers I talk too just say cheap crap. In terms of appearance all looks excellent , I do wander why west broms enviro single deckers get special treatment most are regularly mopped on the nite.
Sorry to hijack 2900s thread, but had my first taste of the ex-Pensnett Enviro400s today, and I say how good they are.
4812, near enough perfect to drive, quicker off the mark than an ADL Enviro4000 4830 onwards. Retarder perfect on this one. I'd rather have these than either B7TL
Then I had 4815, which was even faster off the mark than 4812, 0-30 in around 5 seconds. You get to the top of the first gear, and then you get a massive burst of speed. The only down side to this one was that the retarder seemed too strong, so it felt like I was lurching on the brakes and when you are nearly at a stop, it goes off and you lurch forward again.
Most of our ex-Pensnett buses are very tatty though, inside and out, and would benefit with a refurb soon
Plus the cab heaters on them are ferocious
Quote from: John on April 01, 2015, 07:14:40 PM
Sorry to hijack 2900s thread, but had my first taste of the ex-Pensnett Enviro400s today, and I say how good they are.
4812, near enough perfect to drive, quicker off the mark than an ADL Enviro4000 4830 onwards. Retarder perfect on this one. I'd rather have these than either B7TL
Then I had 4815, which was even faster off the mark than 4812, 0-30 in around 5 seconds. You get to the top of the first gear, and then you get a massive burst of speed. The only down side to this one was that the retarder seemed too strong, so it felt like I was lurching on the brakes and when you are nearly at a stop, it goes off and you lurch forward again.
Most of our ex-Pensnett buses are very tatty though, inside and out, and would benefit with a refurb soon
Plus the cab heaters on them are ferocious
I had 4808 for 5 hours 15 straight through duty this afternoon on the 7. Again, a lovely bus, and been a repaint, looks very smart (a lot smarter than some of the others we have). Brakes/retarder perfect and great bursts of acceleration when you need it (Aston 6 Ways Island). Its a shame that I won't enjoy them for much longer, as I am coming off the Perry Commons in a few weeks
One strange thing I noticed were that the indicator stalk was on the right hand side. All other Enviro400s I have driven have it on the left. Quite strange to get used to. I was even reaching for it with my left hand a few times realizing that it was on the right!
Rumour mill in full swing at west brom with drivers talking that the training office and management saying the ex 50 route enviros will be refurbed into the latest livery Crimson.
From my understanding from what i,ve read on this website that won't be case, the new livery is to high light the next generation of buses on key corridors.
The enviros that I,ve seen from yardley look battle hardened other than the MERCS which are going they must be the roughest looking buses at west brom now.
There's also talk of the gems not going after all, who knows time will tell to what transpires.
ImO routes such as dudley road should only get refurbed buses, customers passengers call them what you will i,ll restrain myself from other descriptions, don't deserve new buses from the way they treated. I get regular complaints that something should be done about the trash.
Sorry to hijack
Had ex Yw 4354 today it was there showbus for bus rally's new repaint engine and gearbox perfect passed mot yesterday fast bus good brakes hot cab heaters 10/10 for its age
The rumours around west brom garage that the ex 50 route enviros will be refurbed in Crimson are true confirmed by da management, that does surprise me a Little baffled to be honest to the decision behind it. I assume then in time all the key corridors will be Crimson and secondary routes red and white.
Quote from: 2900 on April 18, 2015, 10:10:02 AM
The rumours around west brom garage that the ex 50 route enviros will be refurbed in Crimson are true confirmed by da management, that does surprise me a Little baffled to be honest to the decision behind it. I assume then in time all the key corridors will be Crimson and secondary routes red and white.
I wonder if it will fool that dumb councillor into thinking the 82 has new buses on it
Good one Tony
If a merc could be repainted into Crimson and driven up and down bearwood high St I,m sure he wouldn't know it's 15 years old other than number plate giving the game away, mind you he's probably to thick to even notice.
4952 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D, my face dropped when this turned up for me, it's been a long time since I last drove one of these quite fortunate I say. Slow to get away engine labouring away while the gearbox races through its collection of gears, gearbox on this does jolt the bus harshly at times, does have the ability to fly up hills though, front suspension hopeless, some rattling from cab platform area not overly so. Drivers seat makes your arse ache after a couple of hours. From what I,ve heard around the garage these seats don't suit everyone.
Engine nice smooth lump no issues
Gearbox just crap big PHATT ZERO for being useless
Retarder rather effective at scrubbing off speed well
Brakes smooth most times just at the end before its you get the little jolt
Suspension just crap to be honest BIG PHATT ZERO
I,m not a fan of these E40D chassis buses 3/10 and I,m being generous I think
One of yardley woods ex 4700s enviro mk1 parked near west broms traffic office thought I,d take a closer look, cab instrument pod is different and plenty of shiny blue glass reinforced plastic every where, now here's my point these 4700s enviros getting the Crimson treatment together with blue plastic trim interior and I assume grey moquette with red spots for the seats , hmm I wander how odd is going to look. From talking to various drivers that have had a chance to drive these vastly better to drive than the 4900s, are these mk1 enviro 400s euro 4 spec?
Quote from: 2900 on April 21, 2015, 11:56:33 AM
One of yardley woods ex 4700s enviro mk1 parked near west broms traffic office thought I,d take a closer look, cab instrument pod is different and plenty of shiny blue glass reinforced plastic every where, now here's my point these 4700s enviros getting the Crimson treatment together with blue plastic trim interior and I assume grey moquette with red spots for the seats , hmm I wander how odd is going to look. From talking to various drivers that have had a chance to drive these vastly better to drive than the 4900s, are these mk1 enviro 400s euro 4 spec?
Yeah, they're Euro 4
@2900 Yeah the ex YW E400s are pretty good buses - have them most mornings and still in good condition. Pretty good at pulling away, suspension is pretty good and don't rattle that much.
@2900 The older Enviro400s are a lot better to drive than the ADL versions. I don't know if there is any differences from your ex-Yardley Wood ones to our ex-Pensnett ones, but they accelerate far better and the cab heaters are really intense. They also don't seem to rattle as much over bumps. The dashboard is also better laid out with bigger buttons too
Plus if your 49**s are anything like our Sutton buses with the remapped gearboxes then you know how slow they are. Off the mark, they are not so bad, but they change up too early and you are struggling to accelerate fast enough whilst moving. I don't know if the Enviro400s on the 33 have also been done as I haven't been on there for months now
Quote from: John on April 21, 2015, 04:22:29 PM
@2900 The older Enviro400s are a lot better to drive than the ADL versions. I don't know if there is any differences from your ex-Yardley Wood ones to our ex-Pensnett ones, but they accelerate far better and the cab heaters are really intense. They also don't seem to rattle as much over bumps. The dashboard is also better laid out with bigger buttons too
Plus if your 49**s are anything like our Sutton buses with the remapped gearboxes then you know how slow they are. Off the mark, they are not so bad, but they change up too early and you are struggling to accelerate fast enough whilst moving. I don't know if the Enviro400s on the 33 have also been done as I haven't been on there for months now
Ours are shocking, especially climbing up beacon road your waiting for it to drop a gear but it never comes!
On a personal note, I would love to see a metrobus painted in Crimson it should look the business, like the metrobus that West Midlands Fire brigade had painted in nxwm red and white livery it's does look good imO.
4743 ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2 chassis, thank you yardley wood and chief bus allocator these will do very nicely indeed, could have quite easily ended up with more E40D,s hard to believe these two bus chassis come from the same company.
Engine smooth and powerful sounds good too.
Gearbox excellent spot on surprised that it's got kick down function love it.
Retarder excellent well balanced.
Steering good at speed does become a bit heavy at crawling speeds.
Brakes excellent too.
Suspension front axle lets the chassis down it's similar to the E40D, this is where B7TL wipes the floor.
Body not bad at all does,nt rattle any more than a decent ALX400 B7TL, for a 7 year I say the interior is in good condition, not keen on those seats at the rear of the lower saloon very cheap looking.
Cab nice and spacious, driver seat lot better than the E40D, dash is different mix of old and new switch gear no Rev counter either, radio speech pedal located to close the foot mounted door opener.
Cab heater very impressive on these I guess come the cold months that's all that matters.
I did take a look at the engine compartment I noticed the engine is mounted on the right hand side, it's on the left on the E40D same as B7TL, red in colour I assume it's a B series cummins lump, very tidy setup plenty of space.
It's worth 8/10 for the way it goes, I still think WRIGHTBUS B7TL is the better overall package, but I can understand now why ADL shifted so many mk1 ENVIRO 400s
More rumours I hear a handfull of scanias will replace the mercs
I've driven 9355, 9384 & 9385. First few buses I've ever driven and it feels so bizarre on how different they are to drive. 9355 feels like a quick pull and slow to change gear, brakes screech although rattles less, whereas 9385 feels more consistent in gear changes, but rattles like hell, with the brakes seeking like all or nothing
All in all a good and enjoyable experience driving the B10Bs so far though. Not really driven 9384 enough to be accurate.
Hopefully I'll be contributing here a little now, as I get more experience I think :)
Quote from: Michael on April 29, 2015, 06:55:45 PM
I've driven 9355, 9384 & 9385. First few buses I've ever driven and it feels so bizarre on how different they are to drive. 9355 feels like a quick pull and slow to change gear, brakes screech although rattles less, whereas 9385 feels more consistent in gear changes, but rattles like hell, with the brakes seeking like all or nothing
All in all a good and enjoyable experience driving the B10Bs so far though. Not really driven 9384 enough to be accurate.
Hopefully I'll be contributing here a little now, as I get more experience I think :)
I was lucky I had 9501 for a week solid and also had my test in it :) the ultras are nice to drive
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 29, 2015, 06:59:05 PM
I was lucky I had 9501 for a week solid and also had my test in it :) the ultras are nice to drive
Did you drive the Blobs at all? There a couple of feet shorter than the Ultras apparently. We should be getting them next week (towards test date) so for now Blobs it is. Did get to start up and Rev the life out of a Metrobus (not the one in the far corner).
We might be taking one of the coaches at some point next week apparently so that would be interesting.
Quote from: Michael on April 29, 2015, 07:02:28 PM
Did you drive the Blobs at all? There a couple of feet shorter than the Ultras apparently. We should be getting them next week (towards test date) so for now Blobs it is. Did get to start up and Rev the life out of a Metrobus (not the one in the far corner).
We might be taking one of the coaches at some point next week apparently so that would be interesting.
yeah had a quick go then the demisters packed up and we had to take it back! drove 9959 after I passed which was really nice, felt almost new!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 29, 2015, 07:10:39 PM
yeah had a quick go then the demisters packed up and we had to take it back! drove 9959 after I passed which was really nice, felt almost new!
9959 that was the one I think. The Ultras are okay then? What's the reversing manoeuvre like. Bit worried about that!
Quote from: Michael on April 29, 2015, 07:14:27 PM
9959 that was the one I think. The Ultras are okay then? What's the reversing manoeuvre like. Bit worried about that!
Yeah the ultras are nice, I thinki they said 1508 and 1501 are the best two.
The reversing was easy once they show you how to do it, I was worried before too!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 29, 2015, 07:18:16 PM
Yeah the ultras are nice, I thinki they said 1508 and 1501 are the best two.
The reversing was easy once they show you how to do it, I was worried before too!
I'll take your word for the reversing then! And the Ultras lol.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 29, 2015, 06:59:05 PM
I was lucky I had 9501 for a week solid and also had my test in it :) the ultras are nice to drive
I did the defensive driving course last Sunday as part of my next 35 hours CPC and had 9501. It does drive really nice, but if you look at the body it is falling apart inside, good job those Ultras aren't still in passenger use!
Quote from: Tony on April 29, 2015, 07:36:54 PM
I did the defensive driving course last Sunday as part of my next 35 hours CPC and had 9501. It does drive really nice, but if you look at the body it is falling apart inside, good job those Ultras aren't still in passenger use!
I thought it was quite respectable though the seats needed a good clean! And some of the flooring was peeling up!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 29, 2015, 07:40:09 PM
I thought it was quite respectable though the seats needed a good clean! And some of the flooring was peeling up!
Most of the coving panels are held in place with Duck Tape, The is lots of internal rust and some of the windows rattle annoyingly
I know that it leaked quite bad when it rained over the pull down seats and one frosty morning there was a thin layer of ice lnside!
I do enjoy driving ALX400s recently came to Walsall. loads of cab space smooth
Suspension and pulling away some are sluggish 4293 4301 comes to mind.
Best ones are 4260 4292 4294 4299
Overall grade 9/10
Quote from: lynx1103 on April 29, 2015, 08:00:34 PM
I do enjoy driving ALX400s recently came to Walsall. loads of cab space smooth
Suspension and pulling away some are sluggish 4293 4301 comes to mind.
Best ones are 4260 4292 4294 4299
Overall grade 9/10
I'm still waiting for a go on one :( all I ever get are euro 5 enviros :(
4262 and 4300 are also good ones
Managed to break 9355 today.
Air bags exploded, and consequently leaking air.
Just about got it back to WA. Suspension felt absolutely terrible juddering everywhere.
It'll be parked in the training line of buses nose in.
Might be getting a Metro or a Merc tomorrow as a replacement however :)
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 29, 2015, 09:18:28 PM
I'm still waiting for a go on one :( all I ever get are euro 5 enviros :(
Work brownhills or wilenhall rotas you'll get them regular then
Quote from: lynx1103 on April 30, 2015, 04:51:50 PM
Work brownhills or wilenhall rotas you'll get them regular then
Id love to swap to Brownhills, but been new they've stuck me on streetly :(
Quote from: Michael on April 30, 2015, 04:45:24 PM
Managed to break 9355 today.
Air bags exploded, and consequently leaking air.
Just about got it back to WA. Suspension felt absolutely terrible juddering everywhere.
It'll be parked in the training line of buses nose in.
Might be getting a Metro or a Merc tomorrow as a replacement however :)
How you finding it?
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 30, 2015, 05:27:03 PM
How you finding it?
Enjoyable to say the least. Curbed it about 5 times since day one, but I think I'm doing okay. Done loads of tight turns today driving around Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, Dudley and West Brom.
But yeah I'm finding it good. Panicked a bit when the bus went bang and the air was lost, but hey, lol.
Not sure if you've seen the other garages, but Walsall doesn't seem to be good facility wise. The Birmingham ones have proper restaurants/canteens and snooker tables!
Quote from: Michael on April 30, 2015, 05:59:22 PM
Enjoyable to say the least. Curbed it about 5 times since day one, but I think I'm doing okay. Done loads of tight turns today driving around Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, Dudley and West Brom.
But yeah I'm finding it good. Panicked a bit when the bus went bang and the air was lost, but hey, lol.
Not sure if you've seen the other garages, but Walsall doesn't seem to be good facility wise. The Birmingham ones have proper restaurants/canteens and snooker tables!
Walsall has a proper canteen. They have pool tables in the town centre facility though, not the garage
Quote from: Michael on April 30, 2015, 05:59:22 PM
Enjoyable to say the least. Curbed it about 5 times since day one, but I think I'm doing okay. Done loads of tight turns today driving around Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, Dudley and West Brom.
But yeah I'm finding it good. Panicked a bit when the bus went bang and the air was lost, but hey, lol.
Not sure if you've seen the other garages, but Walsall doesn't seem to be good facility wise. The Birmingham ones have proper restaurants/canteens and snooker tables!
Yeah tbh I only ever go to the garage if im starting or finishing there or to look at my rota!
I chose Perry Barr or Walsall because I live in pheasey so theres not a lot in it . I just said ill go with whatever is needed and it was Walsall!
The good thing is how all the changeovers are in the bus station.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on April 30, 2015, 06:21:49 PM
Yeah tbh I only ever go to the garage if im starting or finishing there or to look at my rota!
I chose Perry Barr or Walsall because I live in pheasey so theres not a lot in it . I just said ill go with whatever is needed and it was Walsall!
The good thing is how all the changeovers are in the bus station.
Th changeovers seem like a pro at Walsall. At AG you could be changing over at Perry Barr apparently, with the 11, which seems like a bit of a pain. Solihull is bearable I suppose!
I think the new starters are to be put on the 1/71/72 or the 11 rota at AG, unfortunately and apparently. Would like the City routes ideally (5/31/37)
Quote from: Michael on April 30, 2015, 06:26:50 PM
Th changeovers seem like a pro at Walsall. At AG you could be changing over at Perry Barr apparently, with the 11, which seems like a bit of a pain. Solihull is bearable I suppose!
I think the new starters are to be put on the 1/71/72 or the 11 rota at AG, unfortunately and apparently. Would like the City routes ideally (5/31/37)
All Outer Circle reliefs are done outside the garage, you wouldn't do it at Perry Barr!
The 16 changes drivers in handsworth wood most of the time
Quote from: Michael on April 30, 2015, 06:26:50 PM
Th changeovers seem like a pro at Walsall. At AG you could be changing over at Perry Barr apparently, with the 11, which seems like a bit of a pain. Solihull is bearable I suppose!
I think the new starters are to be put on the 1/71/72 or the 11 rota at AG, unfortunately and apparently. Would like the City routes ideally (5/31/37)
Quote from: Tony on April 30, 2015, 06:29:26 PM
All Outer Circle reliefs are done outside the garage, you wouldn't do it at Perry Barr!
The 31, and I presume also the 1, change duties outside the garage.
37 duty change is in Acocks Green village.
5 duty change is at Sarehole Mill (last time I observed this anyway - presumably drivers then get the 11 back to garage)
I guess the other services duty changes are in Solihull.
Interesting 2900's reviews on the past two pages. I didn't realise 2900 hasn't passed his PCV test yet? And was driving B10's for the last few days?
To save the messing around, this thread will now be "Drivers - Bus Reviews & Opinions"
Quote from: Tony on April 30, 2015, 06:29:26 PM
All Outer Circle reliefs are done outside the garage, you wouldn't do it at Perry Barr!
That's what I thought! The instructors at seem to think otherwise! Glad to here that anyway, it's a relief (pardon the pun)
Quote from: Michael on April 30, 2015, 08:11:29 PM
That's what I thought! The instructors at seem to think otherwise! Glad to here that anyway, it's a relief (pardon the pun)
I think the instructor would be referring to some running boards starting at Perry Barr, not reliefs. The instructors know better than that
Quote from: Tony on April 30, 2015, 08:13:56 PM
I think the instructor would be referring to some running boards starting at Perry Barr, not reliefs. The instructors know better than that
Turns out he was referring to many years ago it did, must be when PB ran the 11C.
Had 1689 today! Much much better than the B10Bs!! Very responsive, spot on brakes and the power was there. Was on the limiter for ages, down A roads to get down to Coventry Garage. Also slows down a lot when releasing the accelerator (is this the retarder?) unlike the B10Bs.
All in all an excellent vehicle in my limited experience. Should be moving to the Ultras next week. I'll have to see what they're like.
The retarder in on the brake pedal (slight pressure on the pedal), not when releasing the accelerator (unless the Mercedes are different). Thats just engine braking
The mercedes 0405N is different with regards to the retarder, it could be used in the normal manner through the brake pedal, but also by pressing a switch on the dashboard it allowed the retarder to come into effect by releasing the accelerator pedal great when giving it the beanz but watch the gearbox temp gauge rocket up, about 6 plus years ago this function had been deleted by the engineers because it led to premature wear on the gearbox. I think a few fell through the net though. That's what I read on the memo at west broms drivers mess room at the time. I really do miss driving MERCS such fun.
No my rota had mercs taken off a while back, in the last 12 months I ,ve driven one 1698 which is a shed now.
I do hope I,ll get chance to drive the scanias I,ve only driven two back in 09/10, mind you with only 7 coming to west brom from what I,m hearing probably not much chance of that either.
Quote from: 2900 on May 02, 2015, 10:01:46 AM
I do hope I,ll get chance to drive the scanias I,ve only driven two back in 09/10, mind you with only 7 coming to west brom from what I,m hearing probably not much chance of that either.
Little hope for you if they do come as they will probably go on the 48/49 Unless you get one as a change over vehicle at Oldbury, these vehicles are a lot bigger and will struggle to get round most of the local WB routes.
I can only hope it's nice to have something different once in a while.
4084 still a beast to drive so free flowing just effortless makes short work of long journeys.
4511 good all round gemini in every dept, nice drive
4504 pain in the arse this bus at moment,really crap brakes,driver seat won't adjust properly,fans on
4708 one of the better examples in this batch of 4700s, good all rounder I say, nice drive
Only 7 - not many - thought if they wanted to convert the 48/49 to Scania operation they may as well transfer all 11 of 7019-7029 from AG to WB. Would cover the 9 needed for the 48/49. Hope you do get to drive them
@2900 as they are nice buses - better than the ADLs!
@Liberator9 I hope they don't put Omnilinks on the 48, the 48 needs doubles!
@Sh4318 Not too familiar with the route, but by the sounds of it they'd better not! Other route they could possibly put Scanias on is the 45? That needs 7 buses in the day.
49 doesn't get as busy as the 48, also the 4M deserves deckers
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 03, 2015, 07:50:36 PM
@Sh4318
Not too familiar with the route, but by the sounds of it they'd better not! Other route they could possibly put Scanias on is the 45? That needs 7 buses in the day.
A bit of a struggle through Milton St.
Yeah - is a bit narrow through there - although if Mercs can fit down it, Scanias could probably get down there as well.
4753 ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2, on Portland road services, excellent routes to test a bus on.
To drive simply excellent , effort less ability to get up hills, on Portland rd itself which is shocking state of disrepair the suspension coped rather well I thought, it didn't rattle itself to death either which was the really surprising it was all muted in a way not clattering. Speed bumps different issue all together front axle can't deal them at all I tried all manner of speeds to what suits it 5-8 mph seems to about rite no horrible bouncing or thudding. Cab heater superb.
Engine - excellent smooth real power house this one
Gearbox - excellent most of the time occasional jolt
Retarder - well ballanced smooth
Brakes - excellent smooth
Suspension - on the level pretty good, speed bumps can't deal with them
It's worth an excellent 8.5/10 these vehicles would be 10/10 if it weren't for the front axle then again still 23 4700s to be driven who knows one might be exceptional
The other 23 should be similar - not really had a shed of an Enviro 400 when they were at YW - 4741 and 4740 should be a good to drive. 4743 was always very good at YW.
Coming to the end of my training at Walsall passed my PCV test today.
So far I've driven the following.
1355
1384
1385
1501
1509
1689
By far, 1689 has been the best to drive. Most responsive in terms of acceleration and brakes. Best brakes by far than the B10s.
Then it's 1501. This is the better B10. Like the other B10s, the brakes take a while to warm up and perform at it's peak. But the brakes are really good on it. No excessive rattling (nothing even comes to mind, excessive or not). Only thing odd/wrong with it is that the self levelling suspension is constantly going up and down when stationary.
1509. This ones not very good. It judders around a lot! When you go over bad roads, all the warning lights keep flickering on and off. It did startle me the first time I took it. Also the drivers seat is not fitted securely, it literally moves side to side slightly, as if one of the slider things are loose. Steering adjustment lever for the reach is faulty, sometimes the wheel moves in and out if you don't click it in correctly.
1355. This was probably the better B10B before the air tanks or piping blew up. Dont get me wrong, the brakes were bad like the other B10Bs, but they weren't quite all or nothing!
1384/1385, I can't really remember now but I did mention them a few comments up somewhere.
So yeah the Merc is miles better that the Volvos in my opinion. Hopefully I'll get to drive one of the Metros over the course of my final days at Walsall, and will report back.
4758 ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2
First thing that hits you when your in the cab is super shiny super smooth steering wheel just plain nasty, to drive doesn't feel as fast as 4743,4753 or as composed, does rattle a little more.
Accelerator has kick down function bonus in my book. I did have a wonder about in the saloons not bad overall some window etchings upstairs, Paintwork and seats looking some what tired though.
Engine - all good smooth powerful uphill
Gearbox - all good no issues
Retarder - well balanced
Brakes - all good
Suspension - same as every other enviro 400 front axle on the firm side hopeless on bumps
Still way better than any 4900 E40D, worth 7/10
Sorry about my lack of knowledge and stupidity of this question but what is kickdown? Is it a switch where it makes the bus accelerate faster or the pedal being pushed down harder?
4742 ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2
Very similar to 4743,4753 in the way the chassis behaves see my post regarding those vehicles.
Bodywork paint all faded odd dents scratches etc which will be taken care of by August I believe
Interior other than good clean and etched windows upstairs not that bad, I still don't understand the thinking behind those ugly cheap looking seating arrangement at the back of the lower saloon, while on the upper saloon it's fully cushioned along the rear.
May be somebody could answer this one for me, the ticket machine attached to the cab door is an after thought from what I can see with wiring coming to it from a box section in the cab which has had a hole drilled in it I can potential issues in the future here as the outer flexi insulation has broken down exposing the wiring inside with the cab constantly opening closing only a matter of time before chaffing exposes the core there you have it a short circuit, why aren't these enviros using wayfarers that diamond use with the printer built in its close enough to the vandal screen, it would help the driver if tickets are issued incorrectly you wouldn't have step outside to retrieve it.
I,ve sum what digressed a bit from 4742 a bit.
A rubber grommet around the drilled hole would help.
Engine - excellent plenty of balls
Gearbox - all good no issues
Retarder - excellent well balanced real pleasure to use so effective in scrubbing of speed properly like
Metrobuses use too.
Brakes - all good
Suspension - usual ENVIRO 400 traits , firm I,m no fan of it
Cab - on rubbish roads can get vocal at times
Worth a 7.5/10 in my book
In all the years I,ve been driving I have never known a route to have so many major road works going on at one time. The 87 has works at M5 flyover at oldbury down to one lane either way and closed at night, next up Heath St before city hosiptal then just after western road after city hospital, next up springhill Island and finally summer row paradise.
Truely unbelievable it's gone to pot in of matter days.
Springhill Island to new temnius in Albert St 11 minutes very tight, with the city loop a nice leisurely cruise around all calm no bother, how things have changed overnight.
I hope once the road re routing takes place at paradise the Dudley rd services will go back that way it really does make so much sense the loop it was doing. Over the years I,ve done so many variations of the 82/87 into city, this current one is the worst yet.
Quote from: 2900 on May 14, 2015, 12:24:36 PM
In all the years I,ve been driving I have never known a route to have so many major road works going on at one time. The 87 has works at M5 flyover at oldbury down to one lane either way and closed at night, next up Heath St before city hosiptal then just after western road after city hospital, next up springhill Island and finally summer row paradise.
Truely unbelievable it's gone to pot in of matter days.
Springhill Island to new temnius in Albert St 11 minutes very tight, with the city loop a nice leisurely cruise around all calm no bother, how things have changed overnight.
I hope once the road re routing takes place at paradise the Dudley rd services will go back that way it really does make so much sense the loop it was doing. Over the years I,ve done so many variations of the 82/87 into city, this current one is the worst yet.
So the Albert St isn't permanent?
Liverpool St , as I understand it the current route into city via every back road to terminus at Albert St will last roughly 12 months while recon construction of paradise circus into two traffic takes place.
The set up planned won't be a million miles away from the current constitution hill junction by St chads.
Not much has changed at dale end since I last drove the 128/129 service into that part of city which must have been at least 15 years a go. Still got that dark and dingy feel to it.
I can now see how tight it all is it wouldn't take much to grid lock that area.
4044 PLAXTON PRESIDENT B7TL
Quite simply an outstanding bus to drive, chassis simply excellent the way it deals with speed bumps rough roads just brilliant , engine gearbox spot on,plenty of power, only down side cab had the large diameter steering wheel fitted, hard to believe it's 16 years old. Interior very good condition I thought as is bodywork,
On a second refurb grey moquette seats , paint still bright and shiny. While the engine was idling I went for walk about upstairs some panels vibrating but nothing that couldn't be sorted by tighting a few screws here and there.
IMO one of the very best at west brom garage its that good.
If I had space and time I would use my own hard earned cash to restore this back to the day it left the factory.
I know where to send it as well to the guys that built it in the first place who now run there own bus refurb shop after the PLAXTON Wigan plant closed down.
These guys done the transdev refurbs up north outstanding workmanship.
4044 9.5/10 I repeat 16 years old and going strong amazing, have to give credit to nxwm engineering dept for maintaining it. Before anyone jumps down my throat I,m not saying other vehicles aren't maintained to.
Quote from: 2900 on May 17, 2015, 12:14:20 PM
4044 PLAXTON PRESIDENT B7TL
Quite simply an outstanding bus to drive, chassis simply excellent the way it deals with speed bumps rough roads just brilliant , engine gearbox spot on,plenty of power, only down side cab had the large diameter steering wheel fitted, hard to believe it's 16 years old. Interior very good condition I thought as is bodywork,
On a second refurb grey moquette seats , paint still bright and shiny. While the engine was idling I went for walk about upstairs some panels vibrating but nothing that couldn't be sorted by tighting a few screws here and there.
IMO one of the very best at west brom garage its that good.
If I had space and time I would use my own hard earned cash to restore this back to the day it left the factory.
I know where to send it as well to the guys that built it in the first place who now run there own bus refurb shop after the PLAXTON Wigan plant closed down.
These guys done the transdev refurbs up north outstanding workmanship.
4044 9.5/10 I repeat 16 years old and going strong amazing, have to give credit to nxwm engineering dept for maintaining it. Before anyone jumps down my throat I,m not saying other vehicles aren't maintained to.
WB keep their Plaxton's in the top condition. Simply good for any driver. By the way have you drove 4249? It is in one of the worst conditions but it does accelerate fast.
I am wondering if the Enviro400s (the ADL ones, not the older Trident ones) at other garages have had their gearboxes remapped like ours, I guess for better fuel economy. I have been told that the 48** 33 Enviro400s have now also had this remapping
They top out at around 1500 rpm before changing up, way too early, and it can get as low as 800 rpm in a gear, and you can hear and feel the engine struggling to pick up speed. It sounds like it is about to stall
Kickdown also takes a while to kick in.
The most dangerous part of this is that there is a delay of around 1 second after putting your foot down on the accelerator to actually pulling away. Not good for Erdington 6 Ways/Bagot Islands, where you have to hold the bus on the handbrake and rev at a standstill to get it to move off straight away and with decent speed
Re. 4044.
Recently, I made a rare visit back to the West Midlands to check out, amongst other vehicles, E400 MMCs on the 9. The impression was good; smart inside, great new livery, "tight" bodywork, no rattles or squeaks, obviously lots of sound-deadening, but, growing up with BMMO D9 and S17, I thought, isn't the suspension rather poor? A lot of sharp bumps and jiggles were getting through, and my neck was hurting. Am I just getting old?
Making my way home next day, I boarded 4044 at West Bromwich for Sutton Coldfield, and got my answer. This superb vehicle ironed out everything possible, and my age has nothing to do with anything. I had one of those silly "bus enthusiast" smiles on my face for the whole journey. The flashy new livery, branding, wifi, and publicity photos are really just a smokescreen. What is the use of all this if the suspension is hard and you alight aching and frowning?
In another part of the country, I have heard older members of the public saying, about the E200, why have disabled facilities on a bus when they are too rough to travel on? I understand this is being addressed on the E200 MMC. I sincerely hope similar development will soon occur on the E400 MMC.
Quote from: John on May 17, 2015, 02:38:55 PM
I am wondering if the Enviro400s (the ADL ones, not the older Trident ones) at other garages have had their gearboxes remapped like ours, I guess for better fuel economy. I have been told that the 48** 33 Enviro400s have now also had this remapping
They top out at around 1500 rpm before changing up, way too early, and it can get as low as 800 rpm in a gear, and you can hear and feel the engine struggling to pick up speed. It sounds like it is about to stall
Kickdown also takes a while to kick in.
The most dangerous part of this is that there is a delay of around 1 second after putting your foot down on the accelerator to actually pulling away. Not good for Erdington 6 Ways/Bagot Islands, where you have to hold the bus on the handbrake and rev at a standstill to get it to move off straight away and with decent speed
Some of ours are decent - 4875 is quick as is 4862 but most are terrible and can barely hit 30 up beacon road
Quote from: John on May 17, 2015, 02:38:55 PM
I am wondering if the Enviro400s (the ADL ones, not the older Trident ones) at other garages have had their gearboxes remapped like ours, I guess for better fuel economy. I have been told that the 48** 33 Enviro400s have now also had this remapping
They top out at around 1500 rpm before changing up, way too early, and it can get as low as 800 rpm in a gear, and you can hear and feel the engine struggling to pick up speed. It sounds like it is about to stall
Kickdown also takes a while to kick in.
The most dangerous part of this is that there is a delay of around 1 second after putting your foot down on the accelerator to actually pulling away. Not good for Erdington 6 Ways/Bagot Islands, where you have to hold the bus on the handbrake and rev at a standstill to get it to move off straight away and with decent speed
My sources assure me all BC ones are just as bad as yours. Except 4896. Terrible and dangerous set up. But at least its not costing as much on diesel bills.
@Tiptonian Your very right regarding the suspension - Alexander Dennis have always seemed to have had fairly basic, firm suspension. Even the MMCs, whilst better than its predecessors, have a fairly firm ride. Whilst Wrights, Mercedes and Scanias have self levelling suspension (visible when idle), the Tridents and E400s don't.
Best I know for suspension are Mercedes Citaros, both the new mach 2 version and older versions - by far the best buses in the UK in terms of ride quality and build quality. Next best for suspension would probably be a tie between the Wright Geminis and Scania Omnilinks (the Euro 5 batch at YW are very good) - iron out most bumps very well and do well on rough roads. Plaxton Presidents have always been pretty good buses for suspension as well due to their Volvo chassis - always preferred them to the Tridents really for speed and ride quality. Had 4094 the other day and for a relatively old bus in NX terms, was very fast and smooth.
I hope the E200MMCs are decent buses - suspension and build quality needs to be a step up on previous versions - the small tyres on the E200s don't help on rough roads.
Took my first Gemini out today. Easily the best vehicle type at AG, yes I know there's only four types. At the bottom of the accelerator, if you push it harder it clicks and kicks down. 4668 was the one I drove. I can't remember the Presidents having that feature. I love how the engine just screams! It changed gear around 2500rpm so you can imagine it screaming. But yeah 4668 was bang on. If they're all like it or better, then I'll be a happy chap. I wonder if the 45** batch drive any different, or if the remaining 46** batch do for that matter!
@MW Sounds as good to drive as they are from a passenger perspective - had 4652 on the 37 today (quite a number out on it today which was good to see) and apart from the fact it will benefit greatly from its upcoming refurb, really good bus. Suspension was good, didn't really rattle, and smooth running. The Scanias have that click when you kickdown I believe - hopefully you'll get a chance to drive them with the shoddy E200MMCs being delayed. Hope the driving goes well and will be interesting to hear!
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 26, 2015, 09:01:24 PM
@MW
Sounds as good to drive as they are from a passenger perspective - had 4652 on the 37 today (quite a number out on it today which was good to see) and apart from the fact it will benefit greatly from its upcoming refurb, really good bus. Suspension was good, didn't really rattle, and smooth running. The Scanias have that click when you kickdown I believe - hopefully you'll get a chance to drive them with the shoddy E200MMCs being delayed. Hope the driving goes well and will be interesting to hear!
Yeah I had a Scania today as well. They are pretty quick. Was an ex Dundee one. I don't really like them personally. The one I had juddered a lot when braking and accelerating. It's the gear changes. The driving position isn't very good for me, due to the cab door restricting the view to the near side mirror, it's very awkward. The Presidents have impressed me the most, very nice to drive along with the Geminis.
@MW Yeah I've never been struck on the ex Dundee ones either - 7023 I warn you is a shed. Favourite Scanias are the ones at YW (1909-1931) - really smooth running and well built. Like 1940 and 1941 at AG though - sounds a pain though regarding the cab door. Presidents are really good - the Volvo chassis on them have been really robust over the years - had 4095 on the 49 the other day and lightning fast still.
Quote from: MW on May 26, 2015, 08:56:02 PM
Took my first Gemini out today. Easily the best vehicle type at AG, yes I know there's only four types. At the bottom of the accelerator, if you push it harder it clicks and kicks down. 4668 was the one I drove. I can't remember the Presidents having that feature. I love how the engine just screams! It changed gear around 2500rpm so you can imagine it screaming. But yeah 4668 was bang on. If they're all like it or better, then I'll be a happy chap. I wonder if the 45** batch drive any different, or if the remaining 46** batch do for that matter!
I've drove a few ex 997 geminis and 4534 twice. To be honest they both seem the same to drive
Quote from: MW on May 26, 2015, 09:05:55 PM
Yeah I had a Scania today as well. They are pretty quick. Was an ex Dundee one. I don't really like them personally. The one I had juddered a lot when braking and accelerating. It's the gear changes. The driving position isn't very good for me, due to the cab door restricting the view to the near side mirror, it's very awkward. The Presidents have impressed me the most, very nice to drive along with the Geminis.
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 26, 2015, 09:11:39 PM
@MW
Yeah I've never been struck on the ex Dundee ones either - 7023 I warn you is a shed. Favourite Scanias are the ones at YW (1909-1931) - really smooth running and well built. Like 1940 and 1941 at AG though - sounds a pain though regarding the cab door. Presidents are really good - the Volvo chassis on them have been really robust over the years - had 4095 on the 49 the other day and lightning fast still.
7027 is a shed as well. But it was the first bus I drove in service
@John I think I remember you saying about the brakes on that one being too sharp - haven't been on many of the ex Dundee Scanias but like 7022 and 7030.
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 27, 2015, 08:00:30 AM
@John
I think I remember you saying about the brakes on that one being too sharp - haven't been on many of the ex Dundee Scanias but like 7022 and 7030.
@Liberator9 I find the brakes on 7027 sharp yes. You would press the pedal down a tiny bit and they would apply a lot more than the other OmniLinks, therefore jolting the bus to a stop trying to use the right amount of braking, but they are good well built, solid buses and I enjoy driving them (I only really drive the OmniCitys regularly now). The best ones we have I think are 1837 and 7032 driving wise. The ex-Coventry ones are ok but are in desperate need of refurbs both inside and out
The OmniCitys are even better (apart from 4697), which is entirely different cab wise. It also feels different to drive too, it feels more sluggish than 4777-81
@John I really like the Scanias - yeah I've never been struck on the ex Cov ones either; very odd how when they transferred from CV how just the red was repainted and that was it. Always look far worse in comparison to the refurbished Scanias at BY/PB. I'm hoping the YW examples get into crimson soon as they need a refurb now - some good ones at YW - 1910, 1917 and 1927 are particular favourites.
Yet to go on an Omnicity - will have to over the next few weeks!
4229 ALX 400, good all rounder, very quick Volvo B7TL voith combo 7/10
4748 ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2, good all rounder , nice cruiser as well, 8/10
4761 ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2, good all rounder except for cab shield rattled badly seriously annoying after 4 hours 6/10
4113 gave me a shocking freight the other day coming down Dudley rd towards spring hill island the engine without warning cut out taking the power steering, gearbox and retarder with it, the brakes without retarder are shit, not far in front was an 82 I managed to stop about a foot away from its back window with passengers standing who were none the wiser cause I had space to come to a controlled stop, Just goes to show leaving a space cushion from the vehicle in front is important for situations like this. Walsalls training proved to be very effective here.
MW, IMO the all the batches of gemni,s 44,45,46,47 have a different feel to the way they drive, to me any way the 4700 batch is the worst they rattle more, not as fast , suspension not to the same standard as earlier batches mind you could be just they need a overhaul, they were great band new but haven't aged as well the others.
4638 was a real belter while here at West Bromwich
Quote from: 2900 on May 28, 2015, 03:44:01 PM
MW, IMO the all the batches of gemni,s 44,45,46,47 have a different feel to the way they drive, to me any way the 4700 batch is the worst they rattle more, not as fast , suspension not to the same standard as earlier batches mind you could be just they need a overhaul, they were great band new but haven't aged as well the others.
4638 was a real belter while here at West Bromwich
I'll hopefully get 4638 at some point then. I'm quite keen to drive the 45** batch, we've got quite a few BU53's now so hopefully soon! I'm on the 37s tomorrow, ideally I'll get a Gemini, if not an Eclipse2. Not a fan of the Scanias! I've only driven one I suppose, the original WM ones might not be as bad maybe.
I wonder if AG is getting the 47**s from WB at some point... That'd be interesting.
Quote from: Matt on May 28, 2015, 08:13:32 PM
Congratulations on making it into service Michael, best of luck!
Next week should be interesting, schools back on!
Quote from: MW on May 28, 2015, 08:12:19 PM
I'll hopefully get 4638 at some point then. I'm quite keen to drive the 45** batch, we've got quite a few BU53's now so hopefully soon! I'm on the 37s tomorrow, ideally I'll get a Gemini, if not an Eclipse2. Not a fan of the Scanias! I've only driven one I suppose, the original WM ones might not be as bad maybe.
I wonder if AG is getting the 47**s from WB at some point... That'd be interesting.
Good luck on your service michael.
Mw, between March till early September best time of year to be a bus driver not so mental so make the most of it, come September to January it just goes nuts that's been my experience over the years.
I hope mw enjoys bus racing, as he's going to find lots on the outer circle
Quote from: 2900 on May 29, 2015, 09:28:19 AM
Mw, between March till early September best time of year to be a bus driver not so mental so make the most of it, come September to January it just goes nuts that's been my experience over the years.
oh great! I onl;y started march!
Quote from: 2900 on May 29, 2015, 09:28:19 AM
Mw, between March till early September best time of year to be a bus driver not so mental so make the most of it, come September to January it just goes nuts that's been my experience over the years.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on May 29, 2015, 11:55:23 AM
oh great! I onl;y started march!
Wait until the week before Christmas!
It is a nice relief this week with Half Term, services nowhere as busy as usual. Makes a nice change to finish on time with the early shifts
Quote from: Trident 4194 on May 29, 2015, 09:37:59 AM
I hope mw enjoys bus racing, as he's going to find lots on the outer circle
I have to know, whats bus racing !
And also since this is a thread were drivers are on (I'm not 1 sadly) may I ask how do you drivers drive ?! I mean do you drive slow or fast.
Quote from: John on May 29, 2015, 02:22:19 PM
Wait until the week before Christmas!
It is a nice relief this week with Half Term, service nowhere as busy as usual. Makes a nice change to finish on time with the early shifts
I thought today was dead on the 37, upper deck has at most 6 passengers on both boards!
@MW Hope the driving goes well for you - good to hear you had two Geminis - love having the upper deck so empty at the moment on the daytime 37s!
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 29, 2015, 02:26:47 PM
@MW
Hope the driving goes well for you - good to hear you had two Geminis - love having the upper deck so empty at the moment on the daytime 37s!
I'm actually looking forward to next week. School back on & afternoon peak on the 31. That'll be interesting!
Should be fun - the 11 always turns interesting during the school times if you drive that!
Nice - think the two routes that I'd be awful at trying to learn the 966 and 72 - just so many turns on them!
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 02:34:03 PM
Yeah the 11 is the rota I'm on. I'm just getting some other routes learned and signed off at the moment.
Have you gone straight onto a rota then
@MW ?
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 29, 2015, 02:35:11 PM
Nice - think the two routes that I'd be awful at trying to learn the 966 and 72 - just so many turns on them!
I thought that about some of our routes when I was learning them (The 101 is the one I remember for this, haven't been on there for the best part of 6 months, but I can still remember it in my head) but you soon pick them up and remember them
I want to learn some more routes, getting bored of the same ones! Mainly do 934/5/6 but do 51,x51 and 997 too
Quote from: John on May 29, 2015, 02:35:36 PM
Have you gone straight onto a rota then @MW ?
I thought that about some of our routes but you soon pick them up and remember them
@John yeah, well I'm not technically on it until I've signed off the other routes I'm doing (5/31/37), so presumably late next week I'll be on the rota. I did PM you once or twice, not sure if you received it.
@Liberator9 yeah I could have gone on the Moseley rota (1/71/72) but when I found out the relief points are in Solihull, I thought forget that. Lol, I don't like the 71, 72, 966 anyway so it suits me.
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 02:40:27 PM
@John yeah, well I'm not technically on it until I've signed off the other routes I'm doing (5/31/37), so presumably late next week I'll be on the rota. I did PM you once or twice, not sure if you received it.
Yes I did receive your messages, sorry. How are you finding the job anyway? Are you learning all of AGs routes?
Quote from: John on May 29, 2015, 02:44:38 PM
Yes I did receive your messages, sorry. How are you finding the job anyway? Are you learning all of AGs routes?
They just teach you your rota, if you're a quick learner they'll encourage you to learn some more to vary your work and overtime etc. i think you can learn later on but it's difficult to get buddied up.
I must admit I'm learning well from you drivers discussing the routes and rotas ! I hope if I get a job there, it goes well for me
@John Yeah - I'd find it quite daunting at first to try and remember it all! ;) But as you say once you've practised the route a few times becomes something you can easily remember.
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 02:48:04 PM
They just teach you your rota, if you're a quick learner they'll encourage you to learn some more to vary your work and overtime etc. i think you can learn later on but it's difficult to get buddied up.
When's your training review Michael?
Quote from: Tony on May 29, 2015, 03:06:03 PM
When's your training review Michael?
No idea, how come?
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 03:07:51 PM
No idea, how come?
Just a bit baffled, you see, you posted you were on 1384 on the 18th May, so still at the training school, but anyone still at the training school on that date would not be driving in service yet
Quote from: Tony on May 29, 2015, 03:15:50 PM
Just a bit baffled, you see, you posted you were on 1384 on the 18th May, so still at the training school, but anyone still at the training school on that date would not be driving in service yet
Right...
So is that you suggesting I'm making things up? That's kinda insulting that you'd sit down and work things out.
18th May would have been either Phase 4/5 or DD. Currently buddy driving.
Edit: it might have been NX assessment actually, one of the driving tasks after Mod 4 anyway.
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 03:19:40 PM
Right...
So is that you suggesting I'm making things up? That's kinda insulting that you'd sit down and work things out.
18th May would have been either Phase 4/5 or DD. Currently buddy driving.
Edit: it might have been NX assessment actually, one of the driving tasks after Mod 4 anyway.
You see I am not the only one from NX that reads this forum and there isn't a Michael arrived at AG for several weeks, neither of the two people currently buddy driving at AG had the instructor in that photo, and phase 5 to buddy driving normally tales longer than that at AG
Quote from: Tony on May 29, 2015, 03:29:34 PM
You see I am not the only one from NX that reads this forum and there isn't a Michael arrived at AG for several weeks, neither of the two people currently buddy driving at AG had the instructor in that photo, and phase 5 to buddy driving normally tales longer than that at AG
Lol I have no idea on where this has come from Tony...
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 03:32:00 PM
Lol I have no idea on where this has come from Tony...
OK Then PM me your roll number, or tell me your garage based instructor's name
Quote from: Tony on May 29, 2015, 03:33:13 PM
OK Then PM me your roll number, or tell me your garage based instructor's name
I'm not obliged into sending you my roll number or garage based instructor, I'm not here to prove myself to you Tony and neither are you here to detect who's an employee on your forum and who isn't.
I understand ether I damaged your ego by posting something relating to the Crimson livery in another thread, to which I accept you deleted, probably due to being commercially sensitive, to which wasn't my intention but bloooooody hell relax mate.
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 03:40:28 PM
I'm not obliged into sending you my roll number or garage based instructor, I'm not here to prove myself to you Tony and neither are you here to detect who's an employee on your forum and who isn't.
I understand ether I damaged your ego by posting something relating to the Crimson livery in another thread, to which I accept you deleted, probably due to being commercially sensitive, to which wasn't my intention but bloooooody hell relax mate.
Doesn't that come under DPA anyway as you could be identified by your roll number, especially as IIRC DPA prohibits people who don't need to know knowing.
Quote from: the trainbasher on May 29, 2015, 03:42:42 PM
Doesn't that come under DPA anyway?
Yep it does, and it also does that he's eliminate any Michael starting at AG in the last few weeks. All against DPA.
Quote from: MW on May 29, 2015, 03:44:21 PM
Yep it does, and it also does that he's eliminate any Michael starting at AG in the last few weeks. All against DPA.
Wrong, because neither myself or anyone else has checked any personal records.
As a new employee there's certain things management don't like being posted on public forums or social media. All I have done is ask someone at AG to advise new driver Michael on the general rules. Only trouble is they can't find him to advise him
Quote from: Tony on May 29, 2015, 04:38:32 PM
Wrong, because neither myself or anyone else has checked any personal records.
As a new employee there's certain things management don't like being posted on public forums or social media. All I have done is ask someone at AG to advise new driver Michael on the general rules. Only trouble is they can't find him to advise him
Right, in fairness I wasn't aware of those rules, I'll stick to them now. Why didn't you just PM me and tell me?
Last few posts I'm reading sounds heavy, any way I,ll post a bus review.
4745 A BEAST OF A BUS
I had this bus for nearly five hours and what a bus this, the engine has got some serious power flies uphill makes seriously short work of them, grinning ear to ear. Really beginning to appreciate cummins diesel engined buses again last type for me was the Lynx , It cruises along effortlessly, retarder on this is excellently balanced with smooth brakes. Gearbox excellent too no jerking or jolting of any kind. Cab seemed liked it had been given a once over with a new steering wheel,nice I thought, not very much rattling either until your going over very rough roads.
Suspension too firm for my liking,usual shortcomings.
Engine - excellent
Gearbox - excellent
Retarder - excellent
Brakes - excellent
Suspension - I,m no fan of it real shame
Steering - good for the most part can become a little heavy at times
Overall the drive train makes this bus, it's just that bit better in all areas than the other trident2,s I,ve driven, 9/10
@2900 4745 was always a great one when I rode it at YW - must say the 2007/8 batch of E400s are far better than the later ones and seems YW certainly do look after their vehicles.
Quote from: 2900 on May 30, 2015, 10:13:24 AM
Last few posts I'm reading sounds heavy, any way I,ll post a bus review.
4745 A BEAST OF A BUS
I had this bus for nearly five hours and what a bus this, the engine has got some serious power flies uphill makes seriously short work of them, grinning ear to ear. Really beginning to appreciate cummins diesel engined buses again last type for me was the Lynx , It cruises along effortlessly, retarder on this is excellently balanced with smooth brakes. Gearbox excellent too no jerking or jolting of any kind. Cab seemed liked it had been given a once over with a new steering wheel,nice I thought, not very much rattling either until your going over very rough roads.
Suspension too firm for my liking,usual shortcomings.
Engine - excellent
Gearbox - excellent
Retarder - excellent
Brakes - excellent
Suspension - I,m no fan of it real shame
Steering - good for the most part can become a little heavy at times
Overall the drive train makes this bus, it's just that bit better in all areas than the other trident2,s I,ve driven, 9/10
If 4740 does come to WB then you would hate it, so much rattling and vibration, less power and the engine sounds like those Metrobus'.
4740 will go to WB - just gone straight to paint from YW. 4740 was fine - bit rattly at the front in particular, but never found it lacking in power from a passenger's perspective.
I do get the impression that yardley wood vehicles seem better cared for, you only have to look at the 4700 gems they look terrible inside cabs are dirty so not good. I would like to see more cleaning on cabs done , I mean the office staff wouldn't put up with the grime and general dirtiness in there work space so why should drivers in there space, granted some of my colleagues really don't help the situation.
Yeah YW do look after their vehicles well I must say - usually well presented. Exactly - very true - office workers wouldn't put up with that. Hopefully the 4700 Gems will be refurbed at some point - the AG Scanias will need a Crimson repaint and retrim over the next year as the seats have worn after heavy use and the poor quality 2010 paint exteriors.
Quote from: Liberator9 on May 30, 2015, 10:49:48 AM
4740 will go to WB - just gone straight to paint from YW. 4740 was fine - bit rattly at the front in particular, but never found it lacking in power from a passenger's perspective.
When I went on it, which was around April, it was completely horrible. Hopefully they fix a few things in there.
4677. Drives much better than the 45**s I've had recently. The brakes were spot on, they felt more responsive. The retarder seemed to actually be doing something, sounds better aswell! Acceleration was ever so slightly better up Bradford Street in the City and up Widney Manor Road. Managed about 20mph up Widney Manor as opposed to 15-16 in the 4525, probably down to the fact that it knocked down a gear in 4677, and 4525 refused to go down! Suspension was better aswell. Speed bumps on Shelley Crescent/Road/Avenue were more bearable.
Theory from staff in garage is WB wrecked the 45**s up lol, obviously that's not true, just age/wear and tear probably.
Made quite a stupid blunder today! I took my bus out of garage at around 4.30 NIS to Bearwood to start a trip to Acocks Green. The whole time I had the "Warning, apply parking brake", not knowing how to turn the bloody thing off. Opened and closed doors, switched bus on and off, in and out of gear and it just wouldn't go off.
Then by the time I got to Kings Heath, I was going mad so I stopped a 11 going the other way and the driver said open the cab door and close it really hard. The loud noise/buzzer stopped.
Well that was an experience...
Also had the pleasure of having a Gemini today with constant cooler fans on, I used to think they sound all beastly, but my god is it irritating!!
Another two cents worth from me.
Quote from: MW on June 06, 2015, 12:53:32 AM
Made quite a stupid blunder today! I took my bus out of garage at around 4.30 NIS to Bearwood to start a trip to Acocks Green. The whole time I had the "Warning, apply parking brake", not knowing how to turn the bloody thing off. Opened and closed doors, switched bus on and off, in and out of gear and it just wouldn't go off.
Then by the time I got to Kings Heath, I was going mad so I stopped a 11 going the other way and the driver said open the cab door and close it really hard. The loud noise/buzzer stopped.
Well that was an experience...
Also had the pleasure of having a Gemini today with constant cooler fans on, I used to think they sound all beastly, but my god is it irritating!!
Another two cents worth from me.
Was it 4518?
Quote from: MW on June 06, 2015, 12:53:32 AM
Made quite a stupid blunder today! I took my bus out of garage at around 4.30 NIS to Bearwood to start a trip to Acocks Green. The whole time I had the "Warning, apply parking brake", not knowing how to turn the bloody thing off. Opened and closed doors, switched bus on and off, in and out of gear and it just wouldn't go off.
Then by the time I got to Kings Heath, I was going mad so I stopped a 11 going the other way and the driver said open the cab door and close it really hard. The loud noise/buzzer stopped.
Well that was an experience...
Also had the pleasure of having a Gemini today with constant cooler fans on, I used to think they sound all beastly, but my god is it irritating!!
Another two cents worth from me.
You learn something new every day !
4170 - One of my favoriets, have drove this a few times, but not for a while - forgot how good it is!
Good acceleration, warm heaters, fast door brake release, only minor rattles in cab - some newer buses are worse.
Still looking smart inside and out. Could drive this bus every day. 9.5/10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4944 - Drove this for the first time the other day as these are now creeping onto the 45 and 47.
The first thing you notice is the cab area seems larger, smooth enough to drive, hardly any rattles, but I'm not a great
fan, they are sluggish at pulling away when you need the speed like at Belgrave island, you see a gap, put your foot
down and the next thing a car is on top of you (well not literally!). The two seats at the front - you're always aware
when passengers sit there, you can see them out of the corner of your eye and feel like you're being watched which is
a bit uncomftable.
They are fiddly to start up too, unlike the Trident.
The indicators dont make the bleeping noise a second or so after you have put them on, annoying when you want to
pull out fast.
The door open button sometimes doesnt open on the first attempt and feels fiddly.
I suppose I will have to get used to these buses, but give me an early trident any day! 7/10
Quote from: ronnoc1k8 on June 06, 2015, 08:05:02 AM
Was it 4518?
Nah, 4518 is probably the loudest one, mine was a 46**
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on June 06, 2015, 10:33:19 AM
4944 - Drove this for the first time the other day as these are now creeping onto the 45 and 47.
The first thing you notice is the cab area seems larger, smooth enough to drive, hardly any rattles, but I'm not a great
fan, they are sluggish at pulling away when you need the speed like at Belgrave island, you see a gap, put your foot
down and the next thing a car is on top of you (well not literally!). The two seats at the front - you're always aware
when passengers sit there, you can see them out of the corner of your eye and feel like you're being watched which is
a bit uncomftable.
They are fiddly to start up too, unlike the Trident.
The indicators dont make the bleeping noise a second or so after you have put them on, annoying when you want to
pull out fast.
The door open button sometimes doesnt open on the first attempt and feels fiddly.
I suppose I will have to get used to these buses, but give me an early trident any day! 7/10
I have the misfortune of driving them every day! The 13 plate ones seem very slightly better to the 61's. On the BX61 enviros you cant lower the step until the doors are fully open which gets you a few funny looks from people haha
i thought that was normal bus lowering system only operates when saloon doors open, only last year with arrival of ADL,s fleet of crap at west brom, the system operates while doors are closed.
4703 Wrightbus Gemini B7TL
In what seems like ages since last drove one from this batch, nice to have a bus with suspension.
Straight away you notice the cab feels claustrophobic compared to the enviro 400 but soon resides,
Platform, cab nearly all solid not much rattling, to drive chassis suspension, brakes/retarder very good but that's as far as it goes, gearbox jolts time to time not good, hydraulic driven cooling fan on constantly (bloody loud) this must sap a lot of power from the engine 0-30mph really struggles, must use extra diesel I would have thought.
4/10 mainly for that f*****g loud fan after 5 hrs 15 one is not amused.
4271 ALX400 Volvo B 7TL
What can I say about this bus other than its complete bag of shite except for one thing which it excels at, it's got to be one of fastest in this combo, acceleration of this thing quite something I kept thinking. 3/10
4272 complete opposite very good in every dept but doesn't have speed of 4171, I,d rather have this for 5 hours and be relaxed rather than the above shed and be rattled to death. 7/10
Real Jekyll and Hyde buses here.
4751 fully refurbed ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2
Body work does look business on this vehicle
Interior seats re trimmed in the new moquette grey with red dots with the sea of blue plastic I,m not so sure about the combination, I bet it's rather more suited to the 4800s with its grey plastics.
To drive it's ok nothing special unlike some in this batch.
Engine nice and smooth
Gearbox all good
Retarder all good
Brakes all good
Suspension useless
Cab lot of rattles from this one hate it to be honest I,m glad I didn't have it for 5 hrs plus, what a difference a clean windscreen makes haven't seen one of those in years.
Appearance dept 10/10
To drive dept. 6/10
4962 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
Most of you probably I,m no fan of these, it doesn't have the same engine character trident2 is way more superior in this dept
To drive this was different to other E40D,s I,ve driven on most occasions the gears would change at between 1400-1600 rpm where it should be, there times it would change around 1000/1100 rpm then it would just bog down seriously annoying crap. Uphill this one really goes some 26 mph up tame rd 2000rpm very impressive to be fair.
Cab fair amount of rattling so not good
Engine smooth no issues
Gearbox load crap jolts about a fair bit
Retarder all good
Brakes all good
Suspension useless
Overall 5/10 still no fan
5/10
4665.
Had a President for 2 circles on the 11, a break and then this.
Bloody hell this was the complete opposite of said President.
Very responsive bus this, I'm really struggling to fault it. It's that good. It doesn't judder as much as other Geminis, the brakes are consistent, the acceleration is spot on. Was pulling away from 4037 (i think it was 4037), (which was in convoy with me on the 11), with such ease. I even went to overtake 4037 up Marsh Hill! And at the Tyburn Road lights, both buses were lined up, one in the second lane. Off the line the power is instant in the Geminis! Kickdown helps, it revs to about 2200-2300 rpm in each gear if required!
It wasn't long before the cooling fans roared, but they weren't constant, just on and off as and when required. The suspension was spot on too, there wasn't any rattling that I can remember. Was running slightly late towards the end of the Circle, so hit the pedal to the metal. Actually had a compliment from a passenger lol, saying it's a fast bus this, haha.
Also, exterior wise, it's looking mint, recently repainted. Cannot remember what the interior trim is, or anything about the interior tbh. Also in contrast to the President I had in the earlier portion, the kneeling system was so much better! It actually goes down to the Kassell Kerb, obviously a fault with the President!
But yeah, to conclude, it's an excellent vehicle, really made my working day lol.
Quote from: MW on June 11, 2015, 07:03:53 PM
4665.
Had a President for 2 circles on the 11, a break and then this.
Bloody hell this was the complete opposite of said President.
Very responsive bus this, I'm really struggling to fault it. It's that good. It doesn't judder as much as other Geminis, the brakes are consistent, the acceleration is spot on. Was pulling away from 4037 (i think it was 4037), (which was in convoy with me on the 11), with such ease. I even went to overtake 4037 up Marsh Hill! And at the Tyburn Road lights, both buses were lined up, one in the second lane. Off the line the power is instant in the Geminis! Kickdown helps, it revs to about 2200-2300 rpm in each gear if required!
It wasn't long before the cooling fans roared, but they weren't constant, just on and off as and when required. The suspension was spot on too, there wasn't any rattling that I can remember. Was running slightly late towards the end of the Circle, so hit the pedal to the metal. Actually had a compliment from a passenger lol, saying it's a fast bus this, haha.
Also, exterior wise, it's looking mint, recently repainted. Cannot remember what the interior trim is, or anything about the interior tbh. Also in contrast to the President I had in the earlier portion, the kneeling system was so much better! It actually goes down to the Kassell Kerb, obviously a fault with the President!
But yeah, to conclude, it's an excellent vehicle, really made my working day lol.
Yeah wait until they start complaining about you and you'll be called in the office. Wouldn't be so fun then.
When I first started driving buses in my very early 20s I was hot headed , pedal to mettle, swearing gesturing to other motorists , passengers included if they verbally abused me. But over years with experience I,ve learnt that kind of behaviour doesn't get you very far, you find your self stressed out all the time. I practically lived in hockley garages offices for summat or other, so many final warnings etc etc. I just woke up one day things have to change I went on a mad self analyses, I questioned every part of my driving if a situation arises I haven't experienced before I would think next time I deal with it in a different way, problem solved.
From my experience a steady constant speed drive is more effective than mashing the pedal it's less stressful, plus you have time to deal with the other other toe rag motorists who treat with complete contempt, yesterday was a rough day so many youngsters in there cars with mates giving it large, I was on the 83/89 so many shitty back roads these routes serve, these kids haven't a clue, double parked vehicles with a bus coming up these pricks won't wait in the side road they,ll come down towards you till they become stuck then abuse you for being there.
So what if your running late it's better than filling those blue forms when summat happens.
I tell passengers I don't make the timetables I,m only a DRIVER if your not happy with the service please contact national express.
Had a few frosty ones after work to wash off the shitty day.
To any newly qualified driver of any vehicle you don't know shit, the day you pass your test is the day you start learning really, you can't buy experience, I,m still learning if any one says different then there being arrogant Morons
4261
Had my first drive on a B7 ALX this morning, was really quite impressed. The brakes took a trip to get used to, I slightly overshot a few bus stops because I didn't want to brake too harshly whilst I was getting the hang of it but soon figured them out.
Acceleration was quite respectable and only really struggled up hill, but there was quite a bit of soot when pulling away from the exhaust.
seemed in good condition with its refurb although the cab could do with a good clean!
7/10
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 12, 2015, 12:56:30 PM
4261
Had my first drive on a B7 ALX this morning, was really quite impressed. The brakes took a trip to get used to, I slightly overshot a few bus stops because I didn't want to brake too harshly whilst I was getting the hang of it but soon figured them out.
Acceleration was quite respectable and only really struggled up hill, but there was quite a bit of soot when pulling away from the exhaust.
seemed in good condition with its refurb although the cab could do with a good clean!
7/10
Isn't that the one with the loose accelerator pedal? All of the others 42**s pedals are firmer. I know it was one I didn't like that much. 4262 looks very smart when I saw it on the 934 just, and 4260 also on the X51/997
Quote from: John on June 12, 2015, 01:08:24 PM
Isn't that the one with the loose accelerator pedal? All of the others 42**s pedals are firmer. I know it was one I didn't like that much. 4262 looks very smart when I saw it on the 934 just, and 4260 also on the X51/997
The accelerator pedal seemed okay, but its had a cctv monitor retro fitted I think, so its got the periscope and the monitor in the cab!
The blue plastic behind the drivers seat had turned black it was that dirty though!
I had it on the 997 / x51
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 12, 2015, 01:14:10 PM
its had a cctv monitor retro fitted I think, so its got the periscope and the monitor in the cab!
Most of the ex-Central examples do have the CCTV screen in the cabs as well as the periscope. I think they were installed with the bridgeclear device after 4253s de-roofing. A lot better to see upstairs with! There are a couple that slipped through the net (4246 may be one) and don't have them. Some have also had them removed too
Quote from: John on June 12, 2015, 01:17:33 PM
Most of the ex-Central examples do have the CCTV screen in the cabs as well as the periscope. I think they were installed with the bridgeclear device after 4253s de-roofing. A lot better to see upstairs with! There are a couple that slipped through the net (4246 may be one) and don't have them. Some have also had them removed too
yes, It did have the bridge clear. I was expecting it to go off when I went under the Lichfield road bridge in rushall but it didn't
Had 4674 & 4526.
4526 also didn't have kickdown, like 4525.
The 46**s seem in a lot better condition than the 45**s, in the cab from a drivers point of view. Only thing is the 46**s tend to have the cooling fans on more regularly (as in my experience they rev higher.)
There are a handful of quick Presidents around too. 4062 being one, and apparently 4051 too (which I've not driven yet).
I had 4879 yesterday, it was sooo slow. Going up Beacon Road I was flat out doing 25mph!
4880 is probably my favourite of our mk2's as its got a nice whistle when pulling off
Quote from: MW on June 14, 2015, 06:31:05 PM
Had 4674 & 4526.
4526 also didn't have kickdown, like 4525.
The 46**s seem in a lot better condition than the 45**s, in the cab from a drivers point of view. Only thing is the 46**s tend to have the cooling fans on more regularly (as in my experience they rev higher.)
There are a handful of quick Presidents around too. 4062 being one, and apparently 4051 too (which I've not driven yet).
Most of the 46XX batch don't really have their coolers on, some of the 45XX batch had their coolers on whilst at WB, like 4507 and 4523. What route were you on?
Quote from: ronnoc1k8 on June 14, 2015, 09:17:30 PM
Most of the 46XX batch don't really have their coolers on, some of the 45XX batch had their coolers on whilst at WB, like 4507 and 4523. What route were you on?
Only 4504 and 4518 on a regular basis.
Quote from: ronnoc1k8 on June 14, 2015, 09:17:30 PM
Most of the 46XX batch don't really have their coolers on, some of the 45XX batch had their coolers on whilst at WB, like 4507 and 4523. What route were you on?
I was in convoy with 4507 today, whilst I was driving 4526. No coolers on.
What I'm trying to say is the 46**s are much more prone to cooler fans coming on because they rev higher should the driver push the pedal flat. The 45**s (most of them) don't have the full flat pedal, I.e there's no click at the bottom of the accelerator allowing higher revs or kick down into lower gear. There are a few 45**s that kick down, I did have one, I can't remember the fleet number though. It's on one of my previous posts.
There are some Geminis, like 4518, that are constant coolers, but that's just a fault not corrected.
I've yet to drive 4518 however.
I hope all this makes sense as I'm confusing myself now lol
Whenever I have any 46**, the coolers come on at some point.
An interesting day today.
Got my first set of "noteworthy" passenger abuse, my first weed smokers, my first "idiots playing music", my first "kids messing about with bells and emergency exits" and my first full to the brim bus. There was more things but I can't remember.
A very interesting day. Happily I was at most 13 mins late at one point on the Circle and didn't have to be adjusted :D
4679, much better than the last Gem I drove (4526) and 4063 (a decent Plaxton)
Quote from: MW on June 15, 2015, 08:43:33 PM
An interesting day today.
Got my first set of "noteworthy" passenger abuse, my first weed smokers, my first "idiots playing music", my first "kids messing about with bells and emergency exits" and my first full to the brim bus. There was more things but I can't remember.
A very interesting day. Happily I was at most 13 mins late at one point on the Circle and didn't have to be adjusted :D
4679, much better than the last Gem I drove (4526) and 4063 (a decent Plaxton)
What was your abuse?
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 15, 2015, 09:56:49 PM
What was your abuse?
Someone pressed bell to get off between Villa Ground and The cemetery where the 7 crosses the 11. I came to the bus stop rolling coming almost to a stop, nobody stood up, nobody at the stop, nobody upstairs, then I carried on driving when a big Jamaican woman came towards me swearing every swear in the bleeding book, slamming the assault screen etc. Usually it's the occasional swear or WHY ARE YOU F------ LATE etc but this was on another level lol. Anyway I just smiled and said bye as she got off which pissed her off even more lmao.
Personally I feel that I was in the right here. Bear in mind the 11, the bell is always going off with nobody even getting off!
Quote from: MW on June 15, 2015, 10:04:44 PM
Someone pressed bell to get off between Villa Ground and The cemetery where the 7 crosses the 11. I came to the bus stop rolling coming almost to a stop, nobody stood up, nobody at the stop, nobody upstairs, then I carried on driving when a big Jamaican woman came towards me swearing every swear in the bleeding book, slamming the assault screen etc. Usually it's the occasional swear or WHY ARE YOU F------ LATE etc but this was on another level lol. Anyway I just smiled and said bye as she got off which pissed her off even more lmao.
Personally I feel that I was in the right here. Bear in mind the 11, the bell is always going off with nobody even getting off!
I've only been abused once and it was by an old lady. She pressed the bell as I right upon the stop so I carried onto the next one and she was shouting "are you ****** deaf you stupid ****!" and banging her walking stick on the cab door!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 15, 2015, 10:07:57 PM
I've only been abused once and it was by an old lady. She pressed the bell as I right upon the stop so I carried onto the next one and she was shouting "are you ****** deaf you stupid ****!" and banging her walking stick on the cab door!
Yeah, old people are the worst in my opinion, the kids don't seem as bad. They take six years to get on the platform, another six to scan the pass, and even more to sit down.
The ones who try to hustle the 9.30 rule, when it's around 9 make me laugh. They say, "oh driver don't worry, I'll scan it once it gets to 9.30."
Quote from: MW on June 15, 2015, 10:13:08 PM
Yeah, old people are the worst in my opinion, the kids don't seem as bad. They take six years to get on the platform, another six to scan the pass, and even more to sit down.
The ones who try to hustle the 9.30 rule, when it's around 9 make me laugh. They say, "oh driver don't worry, I'll scan it once it gets to 9.30."
I had one try to get on at 6:50! He held it up like it was a normal pass, I said you need to scan that pass mate and he just turned back and got off without trying it!
Quote from: MW on June 15, 2015, 10:13:08 PM
Yeah, old people are the worst in my opinion, the kids don't seem as bad. They take six years to get on the platform, another six to scan the pass, and even more to sit down.
The ones who try to hustle the 9.30 rule, when it's around 9 make me laugh. They say, "oh driver don't worry, I'll scan it once it gets to 9.30."
What is the 930 rule
Quote from: Rhys S on June 15, 2015, 10:21:59 PM
What is the 930 rule
Senior Citizen passes are not valid before 09:30 therefore do not scan.
Quote from: MW on June 15, 2015, 10:13:08 PM
Yeah, old people are the worst in my opinion, the kids don't seem as bad. They take six years to get on the platform, another six to scan the pass, and even more to sit down.
The ones who try to hustle the 9.30 rule, when it's around 9 make me laugh. They say, "oh driver don't worry, I'll scan it once it gets to 9.30."
That's not very customer focused!!
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on June 15, 2015, 10:25:53 PM
That's not very customer focused!!
It does get frustrating when they wave the pass around and wonder why it wont scan! and your waiting for them to sit down and they mess about getting free newspapers and then decide to go upstairs! But suppose they pay the wages! :)
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 15, 2015, 10:37:04 PM
It does get frustrating when they wave the pass around and wonder why it wont scan! and your waiting for them to sit down and they mess about getting free newspapers and then decide to go upstairs! But suppose they pay the wages! :)
True, i think a lot of the problem with OAP passes have come from drivers themselves letting them break the rules and scan the pass when they get off after 09:30. As for OAPs being slow and holding the bus up, while they find a seat, get a free newspaper etc, as Esther Rantzen used to say "That's Life"
I have to express some disappointment at the slightly ageist slant of some of these posts by drivers. Sounds like some drivers need to go back to customer focus school!! And I agree that you shouldn't have to put up with school kids hanging out the emergency exit - pity they don't hang the weed smokers out there!!
As a not as young as I used to be person I never cease to be amazed at the rudeness of one or two bus drivers (not all). I recently travelled on a full to standing London something or other E400 in the outer London suburbs. I got up to get off and made the cardinal sin of trying to get off by the front door - my confusion was possibly caused by three factors - firstly the occasional London buses I use have one door usually and secondly, the Middle door was largely invisible owing to the volume of standing passengers (I'd sat near the front of the lower deck), and thirdly my brain doesn't compute double door double deckers since they were run off the streets almost everywhere as downright dangerous and slower to load by 1969 - except London (though to be fair they only really started dabbling with rear engine double deckers in a big way as late as 1971 so could be excused for attempting to reinvent the rear engined double decker). After pressing the bell and standing waiting some time for the door to open after the bus stopped and the driver making absolutely no attempt to communicate whatsoever, a friendly passenger had to point out the error of my ways and I got off at the centre door. I have to say I felt rather pleased in some cantankerous way Id made that driver more late than she already was.
And guys, if an elderly person presses the bell slightly too late for you to stop exactly in the bus stop box and decide to run on to the next stop, you should feel thoroughly ashamed you've caused an elderly customer to either have to catch a bus back in the other direction or worse still have to walk ..........
Quote from: don on June 15, 2015, 11:39:43 PM
I have to express some disappointment at the slightly ageist slant of some of these posts by drivers. Sounds like some drivers need to go back to customer focus school!! And I agree that you shouldn't have to put up with school kids hanging out the emergency exit - pity they don't hang the weed smokers out there!!
As a not as young as I used to be person I never cease to be amazed at the rudeness of one or two bus drivers (not all). I recently travelled on a full to standing London something or other E400 in the outer London suburbs. I got up to get off and made the cardinal sin of trying to get off by the front door - my confusion was possibly caused by three factors - firstly the occasional London buses I use have one door usually and secondly, the Middle door was largely invisible owing to the volume of standing passengers (I'd sat near the front of the lower deck), and thirdly my brain doesn't compute double door double deckers since they were run off the streets almost everywhere as downright dangerous and slower to load by 1969 - except London (though to be fair they only really started dabbling with rear engine double deckers in a big way as late as 1971 so could be excused for attempting to reinvent the rear engined double decker). After pressing the bell and standing waiting some time for the door to open after the bus stopped and the driver making absolutely no attempt to communicate whatsoever, a friendly passenger had to point out the error of my ways and I got off at the centre door. I have to say I felt rather pleased in some cantankerous way Id made that driver more late than she already was.
And guys, if an elderly person presses the bell slightly too late for you to stop exactly in the bus stop box and decide to run on to the next stop, you should feel thoroughly ashamed you've caused an elderly customer to either have to catch a bus back in the other direction or worse still have to walk ..........
But on the other hand, once you've passed a bus stop, legally you cannot load/unload until you are at the
registered next stop (unless it's a hail and ride section).
Plus exercise could help some of these OAPs...like they can wait til 0930
(or whatever the local council specifies for them - bring back OAP passes only allowed in the issuing county!)
Quote from: don on June 15, 2015, 11:39:43 PM
And guys, if an elderly person presses the bell slightly too late for you to stop exactly in the bus stop box and decide to run on to the next stop, you should feel thoroughly ashamed you've caused an elderly customer to either have to catch a bus back in the other direction or worse still have to walk ..........
I have nothing against elderly passengers, I have a few regulars and we always say hello to each other and goodbye. i would have apologised had she not verbally abused me.
Pensioners: like Bertie bassetts you get ALL SORTS some are jolly nice people while others are down rite evil, forunatly for me most days I see the same pensioners going for there evening drinks and back again dwindling bunch nowadays, 20 years ago they would fill the last bus home from blackheath songs would break out some really can sing, the banter all to funny, sadly only handful left, one regular pensioner was run over in bearwood and left for dead about 18 months ago, every evening he boarded from abbey rd to blackheath town centre without fail when he went missing for a week I thought may he had become ill then I was told by his mates he'd been run down , it knocked me for six.
And guys, if an elderly person presses the bell slightly too late for you to stop exactly in the bus stop box and decide to run on to the next stop, you should feel thoroughly ashamed you've caused an elderly customer to either have to catch a bus back in the other direction or worse still have to walk ..........
[/quote]
I can fully understand if somebody is new to the area, but even then they can't expect you to stop at the bus stop if they have pressed the bell when you're almost on top of the stop. You either have to brake hard or travel further past the stop - stopping where there is no kerb for example and then of course if the person falls over getting off the bus you then have to explain why you didnt stop at the bus stop.
A lot of cases people arnt paying attention, or expect other people to be getting off at their stop. There are numerous bell buttons around the bus, most seats are within easy reach of the bell.
If you take them to the next stop they may think of pressing the bell in good time in future.
I've had many arguements over this, I simply say "You should have pressed the bell earlier" and try not to get in an arguement with them, in fact say nothing more and just get to the next stop, open the doors and wait for them to get off.
Quote from: the trainbasher on June 15, 2015, 11:45:57 PM
But on the other hand, once you've passed a bus stop, legally you cannot load/unload until you are at the registered next stop (unless it's a hail and ride section).
True - but then again shouldn't the driver be monitoring his internal mirrors to predict requirement to stop - in a similar way to defensive driving - predicting pedestrians walking off the kerb etc etc? Would he pass a test if he didn't? And I do know some old people are cantankerous. I had one run backwards (on foot) into me yesterday and shouted at me 'you should watch where you're going'!!!!
Quote from: the trainbasher on June 15, 2015, 11:45:57 PM
Plus exercise could help some of these OAPs...like they can wait til 0930 (or whatever the local council specifies for them - bring back OAP passes only allowed in the issuing county!)
You're avin a larf aren't you - you'd lose half of your customers!! I've seen bus drivers who could do with a bit of exercise - indeed the lady driver of the London bus I referred to barely fitted in the cab - I'm sure there are others!! Seriously, people in public service should have a little more respect for fellow human beans even if they're old, disabled or fall into any other popular stereotype of the day.
The 1000 am train rule in London is quite an eye opener if you want to see overloaded trains - the first arrival on each route after 1000 am is usually full to the rafters of people using cheap day returns (often students and the less well off), cheap travelcards or OAP passes - and guess what - if you're on South Eastern it's four coaches rather than 8 or 12 earlier as it's classed as off peak and the train sets are split to allow greater frequencies. As I don't fit into any of these categories I rarely see this problem!
Nearly all NX drivers I've ever had have been considerate in their driving to passengers - most remain stationary till someone who can't walk well has sat down. It is very easy to go past a stop when the passenger fails to ring the bell. There's a reason why there is a bell, yet some passengers still fail to use it! Quite what the size of a driver in London has to do with this I don't know - no relevance at all!
Most NX drivers I've experienced have been polite and well trained - other day for example a relief failed to turn up but the driver despite the situation, remained very calm and explained it well to us, keeping us informed and apologising. The drivers have a tough time driving at times, so perhaps you should show a little more respect to them and stop generalising about their habits/driving skills. They're clued up thanks to training and I fully agree with the fact that if a passengers sneaks up on you about a metre from a stop, it's safer for everyone to just continue to the next one.
I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.
I like the term 'creeper'. I recall some years back, when bell buttons were much fewer and further between on buses, that the bell was not used so often, and people would go and stand on the platform when they wanted to get off. That must have made life a bit more tricky for drivers. Which were the buses that had a bell 'strip' almost the length of the ceiling of the bus (it never worked half the time you pressed it)?
Quote from: MW on June 16, 2015, 06:44:30 PM
I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.
An old adage - the customer is always right - occasionally annoying etc etc though.
Quote from: Liberator9 on June 16, 2015, 05:54:54 PM
Nearly all NX drivers I've ever had have been considerate in their driving to passengers - most remain stationary till someone who can't walk well has sat down. It is very easy to go past a stop when the passenger fails to ring the bell. There's a reason why there is a bell, yet some passengers still fail to use it! Quite what the size of a driver in London has to do with this I don't know - no relevance at all!
Most NX drivers I've experienced have been polite and well trained - other day for example a relief failed to turn up but the driver despite the situation, remained very calm and explained it well to us, keeping us informed and apologising. The drivers have a tough time driving at times, so perhaps you should show a little more respect to them and stop generalising about their habits/driving skills. They're clued up thanks to training and I fully agree with the fact that if a passengers sneaks up on you about a metre from a stop, it's safer for everyone to just continue to the next one.
You're presuming a bus driver never makes a mistake and it is always the passenger's fault. This is far from the truth in my experience.
I rather liked the comment made by the experienced driver who posted on here that every day for him is a learning experience - this is rather more positive than labelling and stereotyping customers.
The reference to some bus drivers needing exercise as much as the OAPs The Trainbasher was referring to (or perhaps bashing) is as valid in the West Midlands as anywhere else - I have seen for myself such drivers - it was intended to be a humorous response to the allegation OAPs could do with some exercise!
As you say, many if not most bus drivers are excellent and have to put up with a lot generally. However no one's perfect and everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
I remember chatting to an AG driver who told me "Theirs a lot of a s*** with the job" and the more I think of it, I can see why.
Over the 12 years I've been travelling on buses, I've seen drivers treated badly, sworn at by people who have "The customer is always right" mentality.The worst regular occurance I find is during driver changeovers. I understand the drill, so I'm happy to wait and it's never really long but I usually tend to hear "This driver is taking the piss" or "This driver is a ****" amongst other things. I've noted 1 thing and it's that people who have jobs are usually more respect full and they get the drill.
Having said that, some drivers I've seen can be blantantly disrespectful. Back in the day when BC used to operate OmniLinks on the 97, I remember getting on at Bus Mall, and the driver proceeded to drive fairly fast as if he was racing, he even over took 2 buses which were somewhat ahead by some good distance (Quite admirable I must say, I look at Omnilinks differently now !) but you get the idea. OAPs on the bus were holding on for dear life and I even i was left somewhat shaken. Having said all that, this was an isolated incudent and nothing really close has happened since (Well to me anyway).
Moral of my story is, lets all be respectful of each other and do good ! No one's perfect
Quote from: MW on June 16, 2015, 06:44:30 PM
I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.
As far as I have always been aware, if a passenger wants the driver to stop at the next stop, then they should press the bell button. That, of course, is what they are installed for. I don't expect drivers to have psychic mind powers. There is more cause for concern if someone presses the bell and the driver doesn't stop. But then again, with the number of people who just randomly press the stop button 'for fun', it does help if you try to make your way to the front of the bus (safely of course) if you've pressed the button and want to get off.
Quote from: Mike K on June 16, 2015, 06:52:15 PM
Which were the buses that had a bell 'strip' almost the length of the ceiling of the bus (it never worked half the time you pressed it)?
I remember the Metrobuses having them, but if you were short you couldn't reach it, as it was on the ceiling!
Quote from: MW on June 16, 2015, 06:44:30 PM
I just had a creeper on my 31. Didn't press the bell, and I passed the stop. Is that my fault or hers? She was standing in the aisle along with other standees or for some reason didn't sit.
known as coffin dodgers over here
One thing that makes my blood boil is the bell ringers. A trend that has increased more and more over the last 10 years or so.
I'm talking about the ones who press the bell constantly when you are parked up to wait your time as if to say - "get moving".
Once I was origionally only going to wait 2 minutes, but after somebody constantly rang the bell I stayed there for 4 minutes. And I said to the person "thanks to you ringing the bell, I stayed there even longer". That didnt go down to well.
By the way the old 32xx scanias had something where the bell would only press once, untill the doors opened - modern bus designers take note!
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on June 16, 2015, 09:43:40 PM
One thing that makes my blood boil is the bell ringers. A trend that has increased more and more over the last 10 years or so.
I'm talking about the ones who press the bell constantly when you are parked up to wait your time as if to say - "get moving".
Once I was origionally only going to wait 2 minutes, but after somebody constantly rang the bell I stayed there for 4 minutes. And I said to the person "thanks to you ringing the bell, I stayed there even longer". That didnt go down to well.
By the way the old 32xx scanias had something where the bell would only press once, untill the doors opened - modern bus designers take note!
A majority of the mercs did the same
@MW Passenger's fault there - need to press the bell. Hope your driving is going well!
@Bham Central Driver Yeah really annoying when some decide to ring the bell continuously thinking it will get the bus moving. They seem to lack the care or idea that buses have to wait at stops to wait time occasionally... Think ADL have something like that on the MMCs, at least on the lower deck. One driver I knew when some schoolkids kept ranging the bell stopped the bus and threatened to take the bus out of service - that worked well :D Didn't ring the bell but then later got into argument with another set of schoolkids...
I think the omnilinks have a button to disable the bell iirc
Just came off late night 31s, I had an interesting one.
Was a Eclipse2, and I was driving along when the gentleman got up from the back and walked towards the front. He was stood in the pushchair area. I slowed down thinking he wants the next stop. As I got around 6 feet from it, I came to the conclusion that he didn't want that one so carried on. He pressed the bell as I pushed the accelerator, and then walked towards the front swearing and saying he wanted that one. I said to him sorry, you pressed it too late, to which he threw a tantrum, called me some stuff and got off the next stop.
Also, I errr spotted this on my travels :P
@BU07 LGO Yeah they do - I think if you hold it down it disables it.
@MWVery odd - that's some passengers for you!
Haha - nice one ;) How are the Eclipse 2s to drive by the way?
Quote from: Liberator9 on June 17, 2015, 09:51:12 AM
@BU07 LGO
Yeah they do - I think if you hold it down it disables it.
@MW
Very odd - that's some passengers for you!
Haha - nice one ;) How are the Eclipse 2s to drive by the way?
To drive, they're incredibly easy, the steering is very smooth. It took getting used to the brakes however. You have to really push the pedal down when coming to a stop. The noise they make is incredibly boring though. They rev to around 1300rpm. I did manage to get it to rev upto 1600rpm where the engine sounded more alive, but that was uphill on Bradford Street in the City.
I'm on the 37s today and tomorrow so hopefully I'll get a Scania at one point as I've not driven them in service before either.
Yesterday was my first day in an Eclipse2.
@MWSound good - yeah the sound on them is lifeless - now if they had the ZF the 56 versions have then that'd be much better. The Scanias I've heard are good to drive - just can be a bit difficult with the brakes on some and the low speed smoothness. Although the batch AG/YW had delivered from new are pretty good; better than the Dundees.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 16, 2015, 11:34:41 PM
I think the omnilinks have a button to disable the bell iirc
Quote from: Liberator9 on June 17, 2015, 09:51:12 AM
@BU07 LGO
Yeah they do - I think if you hold it down it disables it.
Yes, it's the button next to the door open/close button. Just hold it down and it will stop the bell from ringing.
Great for the 28 at timing points!
@John Useful feature - shame not more of the fleet could have it fitted! Save drivers a headache
Quote from: Stu on June 16, 2015, 08:07:24 PM
As far as I have always been aware, if a passenger wants the driver to stop at the next stop, then they should press the bell button. That, of course, is what they are installed for. I don't expect drivers to have psychic mind powers. There is more cause for concern if someone presses the bell and the driver doesn't stop. But then again, with the number of people who just randomly press the stop button 'for fun', it does help if you try to make your way to the front of the bus (safely of course) if you've pressed the button and want to get off.
I remember the Metrobuses having them, but if you were short you couldn't reach it, as it was on the ceiling!
I believe the Fleetlines also had the bell strip on the ceiling as well
One my favourites not ,someone presses bell you stop look in the mirror people gawping at each other no one moves occasionally someone might aplogise .
For the morons who press the bell continuely hoping the bus will move I just switch the engine off add another minute or two then crawl on.
Another one of hates is the passenger who,ll just stand by the cab you stop then they say next one, you stop and again next stop this kinda shit is seriously testing, back in the day I would have gone ape shit now you think person could be lost or has issues.
Quote from: Squiz1971 on June 17, 2015, 10:30:06 AM
I believe the Fleetlines also had the bell strip on the ceiling as well
And the BCT Fleetlines - they often didn't work and were rarely used but it didn't really matter because the bus always stopped if people either walked down the gangway on either deck or walked down and stood just next to the back of the driver's cab - come to think of it, how on earth did drivers cope in those far off days!!!
Never knew eclipse 2s had voith gearboxes coupled with euro 5 engine no wonder they seem so dull and underpowered.
Quote from: don on June 17, 2015, 10:48:41 AM
And the BCT Fleetlines - they often didn't work and were rarely used but it didn't really matter because the bus always stopped if people either walked down the gangway on either deck or walked down and stood just next to the back of the driver's cab - come to think of it, how on earth did drivers cope in those far off days!!!
Without the screen it was far easier to sense when someone was stood there
The worst one is the x51! Virtually every trip you get past alexander stadium and are waiting for the bell to ring, the enxt stop isn't until town so usually people just casually sit back down looking confused! The drivers laugh and call alexander stadium the last chance saloon haha
@2900 I think the Eclipse 2s NX have actually have a ZF gearbox installed - rather ironically I think it's called the ZF Ecolife!
Quote from: 2900 on June 17, 2015, 10:50:10 AM
Never knew eclipse 2s had voith gearboxes coupled with euro 5 engine no wonder they seem so dull and underpowered.
They're not voith, they're ZF, but ZF without a soul.
Quote from: MW on June 17, 2015, 11:14:00 AM
They're not voith, they're ZF, but ZF without a soul.
Decent buses from a passenger perspective. You'll be sorry when you've got E200s instead ;)
Quote from: Mike K on June 17, 2015, 11:18:52 AM
Decent buses from a passenger perspective. You'll be sorry when you've got E200s instead ;)
I quite enjoyed my day on 857! Seemed pretty nippy
@BU07 LGO They are nippy actually - I actually quite like them - had two Stagecoach ones a few months ago and they really could move, and were smooth as well. The later batches built at Falkirk don't rattle too badly either and suspension is fine. Just Scarborough examples seem worse - as the delay in the delivery of the 200MMCs is proving.
The subject of bells has always been a strange one. Nowadays, when a passenger does not ring a bell, I feel it is someone who is self-centred, who thinks you should know what I want without me telling you. However, going back to the 60's, I remember there was an attitude from some conductors, both Midland Red and Corporation, of "leave the bell alone, only I press that!". Consequently when conductors disappeared, passengers rarely used the bell for fear of being told off, preferring instead to stand at the front in silence.
Regarding passengers pressing the bell during a timing stop, I once witnessed a driver lean out of the cab of a single decker and ask if anyone was accidentally holding or leaning on a bell push button because the bell keeps ringing. Diplomatic or what?!
Quote from: Liberator9 on June 17, 2015, 11:31:19 AM
@BU07 LGO
They are nippy actually - I actually quite like them - had two Stagecoach ones a few months ago and they really could move, and were smooth as well. The later batches built at Falkirk don't rattle too badly either and suspension is fine. Just Scarborough examples seem worse - as the delay in the delivery of the 200MMCs is proving.
One MMC has arrived for type training, it was announced today.
All that seems to be in the depot is 6148 however...
Edit: seems to be 6148 we're training on.
Two 200s to arrive tomorrow with two the next day. That should be interesting.
Well let's hope they're well built and any issues solved now - will be interesting what gearbox they have and how they ride.
Quote from: MW on June 17, 2015, 04:28:30 PM
One MMC has arrived for type training, it was announced today.
All that seems to be in the depot is 6148 however...
Edit: seems to be 6148 we're training on.
Two 200s to arrive tomorrow with two the next day. That should be interesting.
And returned to ADL next week ;) ;) ;)
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on June 17, 2015, 07:10:41 PM
And returned to ADL next week ;) ;) ;)
Or another way to look at it is, get your last rides.photos of the soon to be scrapped stock. The end is nigh. Although I am looking forward to E200MMC's. I might even become an OmniStink fan :P
4293
Soon as I saw this turn up for my 5 hour stint I was excited, ive only driven one other b7 alx and was grateful of the variety.
4293 was nice enough and made a welcome change from the sea of mk2 enviro's but my god was it slow up hill! On the 936 we was down to 20mph climbing barr beacon and again on the 51 up Walsall RD by the Clifton.
It was nice and smooth and nice to drive just a bit gutless!
5/10
Quote from: MW on June 17, 2015, 04:28:30 PM
Two 200s to arrive tomorrow with two the next day. That should be interesting.
Hmmmmmmmmmm, unfortunately not!
Quote from: Tony on June 17, 2015, 09:57:31 PM
Hmmmmmmmmmm, unfortunately not!
Surely not rejected again
@Tony?
Quote from: Tony on June 17, 2015, 09:57:31 PM
Hmmmmmmmmmm, unfortunately not!
I was looking forward to taking it for a spin as well!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on June 17, 2015, 09:48:38 PM
4293
Soon as I saw this turn up for my 5 hour stint I was excited, ive only driven one other b7 alx and was grateful of the variety.
4293 was nice enough and made a welcome change from the sea of mk2 enviro's but my god was it slow up hill! On the 936 we was down to 20mph climbing barr beacon and again on the 51 up Walsall RD by the Clifton.
It was nice and smooth and nice to drive just a bit gutless!
5/10
Just had 2 hours 30 minutes on 4278 on 907s this morning. Exactly the same as 4293 it sounds. A lovely bus, although god it is slow at pulling off and uphill. I joined the A34 underpasses after stopping in Perry Barr and got down to around 25mph by the time I got to the top by Trinity Road Church, and then it was lovely to get back up to 40mph on the downhill section
Quote from: Tony on June 18, 2015, 03:12:18 PM
No
Then it appears that I have incorrect information.
Quote from: MW on June 18, 2015, 03:29:08 PM
Then it appears that I have incorrect information.
Yes, unfortunately garage gossip isn't always accurate, as you put in your original post 2201/2 were expected today, but I posted last night they wouldn't be arriving, so hadn't left & broken down.
4735
Had this for a trip on the 935 today, was expecting it to be as great as all the other 47xx mk1 enviros I'd driven have been but how wrong was I!
I'm not sure if it had been modified to save fuel or there was an issue with it, but it seemed reluctant to rev, was slow and the engine quiet. It maintained 40 on the flyover but seemed to hesitate when pulling away
the other ex pb ones ive driven 4733,4,7 have all been great like the leather ones
4035
A complete shed. The pull on it is so slow! It managed around 18mph (indicated) up Marsh Hill but felt like 10! The interlocking system has an annoying delay unlike other Plaxtons. It kept cutting off when moving away from a stop too quickly (as the doors shut), you have to wait a couple of seconds. The engine noise was quite weird aswell. There were times it was rattling like mad and times it sounded near silent! Very weird Plaxton. Probably has the most character in one but just horribly slow, intrastate to 4102 I had earlier (another rattle one) but it kept up to a YW 47** (which was full and mine was empty but hey lol)
I can't wait to see the back of these! Those days were I get a Gemini for at least one portion of a duty is a good day!
When I get two, well it'll just be magic! (Only on the 5/31 I get that!)
Quote from: MW on June 27, 2015, 11:20:03 PM
4035
A complete shed. The pull on it is so slow! It managed around 18mph (indicated) up Marsh Hill but felt like 10! The interlocking system has an annoying delay unlike other Plaxtons. It kept cutting off when moving away from a stop too quickly (as the doors shut), you have to wait a couple of seconds. The engine noise was quite weird aswell. There were times it was rattling like mad and times it sounded near silent! Very weird Plaxton. Probably has the most character in one but just horribly slow, intrastate to 4102 I had earlier (another rattle one) but it kept up to a YW 47** (which was full and mine was empty but hey lol)
I can't wait to see the back of these! Those days were I get a Gemini for at least one portion of a duty is a good day!
When I get two, well it'll just be magic! (Only on the 5/31 I get that!)
When I went on this a few weeks ago, the coolers went on and off constantly and didn't look to be in good condition.
Shame AG placky Volvo never got the same treatment the west brom plackys have had, most are in excellent order and some of the very best to drive here.
I saw 4201 at Dudley bus station the other day what an eye sore it's rough and then some, it reminds of the old days when metrobuses went into decline during the late 90s
Talking of air con in another thread reminded me of the brand new ALX400 Volvo delivered to hockley had excellent drivers cab air con units you could sit in the cab with thick TWM jumper not the crap we get now on a hot day and you would be nicely chilled, you had to be careful with it couple of times I got air con flu by over using it.
4266, 4269 ALEXANDER ALX400 B7TL VOLVO
Excellent all rounders, very pleasant to drive these two, not much rattling quite an achievement considering who built the bodies. Chassis are most excellent Volvo units everything works as it should.
4738 ALEXANDER ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2
First drive of this bus fully re furbed looking the business , interior the red dot moquette goes well with the red poles otherwise I personally don't like it with the blue.
To drive its nicest one I,ve driven so far it's not the fastest but an excellent cruiser, every aspect on this particular bus is that bit better in all areas even suspension seemed a bit more compliant.
Come into Brum I needed to change the binds I looked up I noticed in the overhead panel the Hanover blind control panel missing in its place was a black box which appeared to have two slots for some sort of SD cards, screen reading no cards, no idea what this unit is for may be some one can enlighten me. Now I am looking all over for the Hanover switch panel found it placed on the right hand side towards the back of cab seat.
Engine - excellent nice and smooth
Gearbox - as above, has the kick down function
Retarder- excellent well balanced very easy to use
Brakes- all good
Suspension- better than most enviros
Excellent all round bus 9/10
Re
@2900 4738 was always a nice ride at YW - had it a lot in a morning on the 76. That might be a digital tachograph - did it look like this?
http://www.timtach.co.uk/images/Digitaltachos.jpg
Quote from: 2900 on June 29, 2015, 11:09:47 AM
4266, 4269 ALEXANDER ALX400 B7TL VOLVO
Excellent all rounders, very pleasant to drive these two, not much rattling quite an achievement considering who built the bodies. Chassis are most excellent Volvo units everything works as it should.
4738 ALEXANDER ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2
First drive of this bus fully re furbed looking the business , interior the red dot moquette goes well with the red poles otherwise I personally don't like it with the blue.
To drive its nicest one I,ve driven so far it's not the fastest but an excellent cruiser, every aspect on this particular bus is that bit better in all areas even suspension seemed a bit more compliant.
Come into Brum I needed to change the binds I looked up I noticed in the overhead panel the Hanover blind control panel missing in its place was a black box which appeared to have two slots for some sort of SD cards, screen reading no cards, no idea what this unit is for may be some one can enlighten me. Now I am looking all over for the Hanover switch panel found it placed on the right hand side towards the back of cab seat.
Engine - excellent nice and smooth
Gearbox - as above, has the kick down function
Retarder- excellent well balanced very easy to use
Brakes- all good
Suspension- better than most enviros
Excellent all round bus 9/10
Re
Sounds like it could be tachograph as already mentioned. Our 4737 is like that with the hanover screen on the side
Yes it looks like the unit at the top of the picture thanks for clearing that up. Heard all about these digital tachographs never seen one until yesterday.
No problem - Must be intended for some Private Hire work if it has that fitted.
Quote from: Liberator9 on June 29, 2015, 02:46:45 PM
No problem - Must be intended for some Private Hire work if it has that fitted.
It was fitted from new, but is currently unusable because it is not currently calibrated
Quote from: Tony on June 29, 2015, 03:33:44 PM
It was fitted from new, but is currently unusable because it is not currently calibrated
4042 recently, not especially quick nor slow for a Plaxton, but my god when the YW E400 in front of me moved off, it rapidly accelerated away while I was struggling to get the bloody thing to 30mph!
4952 ADL ENVIRO400 E40D
OMG this has got to be one of very slowest annoying,infuriating bag of shit I have ever had the misfortune of driving, gutless piece of crap, engine labouring at 700 RPM , even going uphill there was no go usually these things wake up on inclines, 0-30 in service impossible not enough distance between stops. This must have the extreme fuel efficient mapping programme, must be just getting enough fuel for tick over, honestly you might as well throw the accelerator pedal out of the window you don't need it does f--k all. It feels as though the computers dictate how you drive this piece of turd.
Score a big fat emphatic f,ing ZERO with brass knobs on it as well
@2900 Sounds infuriating to drive - I assume you mean 4952 as opposed to the Scania - the latter I hope would be a far better bus as they can actually move!
Quote from: 2900 on July 01, 2015, 09:10:57 AM
1952 ADL ENVIRO400 E40D
OMG this has got to be one of very slowest annoying,infuriating bag of shit I have ever had the misfortune of driving, gutless piece of crap, engine labouring at 700 RPM , even going uphill there was no go usually these things wake up on inclines, 0-30 in service impossible not enough distance between stops. This must have the extreme fuel efficient mapping programme, must be just getting enough fuel for tick over, honestly you might as well throw the accelerator pedal out of the window you don't need it does f--k all. It feels as though the computers dictate how you drive this piece of turd.
Score a big fat emphatic f,ing ZERO with brass knobs on it as well
I have to put up with these day in day out! There are 3 or 4 decent ones
4661,
Literally an animal! Compared to 4639, it's completely different! Out dragged at least 3 Presidents and ate up the hill outside Cadbury World. Absolutely spot on bus! Took it out the garage middayish so it wasn't fuly warned up but as soon as it hit around 90 degrees, the fans were non stop glaring! Made mince meat of The City Road stretch too!
4654, not too happy with this one, the brakes seem to be close to gone! Slowing from 30 to 0 took a while! Had an annoying rattle near the Hanover unit which I "repaired" with some ticket paper!
Always nice to get a good Gemini - for a 10-11 year old bus they are still great - the only thing I don't like about them is the noise emitted when they idle - sometimes makes a horrible noise that goes right through my ears.
Can never go wrong with paper to fix rattling - Reminds me of how Metros were used to stop squeaking from Scanias cab doors when they were newer - Drivers used to shove metros in the areas to stop it! When YW and AG first got their Scanias some used to squeak very badly - one of the Omnilink downsides - rather poorly designed and built cab partition, as well as the ticket bin. A few have had the ticket bins removed now due to the rattling they made.
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/1750-1953/1848.html - photos 4 and 5 shows an example of that
Quote from: Liberator9 on July 01, 2015, 07:05:39 PM
Always nice to get a good Gemini - for a 10-11 year old bus they are still great - the only thing I don't like about them is the noise emitted when they idle - sometimes makes a horrible noise that goes right through my ears.
Can never go wrong with paper to fix rattling - Reminds me of how Metros were used to stop squeaking from Scanias cab doors when they were newer - Drivers used to shove metros in the areas to stop it! When YW and AG first got their Scanias some used to squeak very badly - one of the Omnilink downsides - rather poorly designed and built cab partition, as well as the ticket bin. A few have had the ticket bins removed now due to the rattling they made.
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/1750-1953/1848.html - photos 4 and 5 shows an example of that
Those newspapers were nothing to do with rattles. When new, that batch of scanias interior mirrors that were almost impossible to see anything in. The mirrors have been moved now, but the best cure a driver could do was put the metro behind it
Never knew that - just assumed it was something to with rattling. I have still seen the odd Metro stuffed behind the ticket bin on a few to stop it rattling.
4506 WRIGHTBUS GEMNI VOLVO B7TL
It seems the n/s side panels around and behind the wheel are from another GEMNI as the company logo now reads National Express WesMidlands and the white painted area don't match. Maybe they ran out of letter T,s and thought that,ll do.
Let's just hope the Crimson livery buses get maintained much better in terms of appearance. The old NX livery has always been subject to various colour shades and ever changing locations of the logo.
4801. Had this for 2 trips on the 65 as a change bus for 4291 with a leak from the engine compartment
A brilliant example of an early Enviro400.
Immaculate inside and out (apart from some of the seatbacks, I guess not replaced at refurb as a few upstairs were vandalised, two of the high backed seats downstairs had blue seat backs)
Driving wise, spot on, the brakes were not jolting like some other Enviro400s of both types, it didn't seem as pokey as a couple of the others at pulling away, but still pretty brisk. Hardly any rattles from the interior, unlike some newer examples. The only thing I find strange and pointless are the intermittent wipers. They do 2 cycles, then stop for a bit, unlike the 49**s with just have one cycle
I also love the engine sound that these make especially when pulling away. The newer Enviro400s just don't sound the same
Now I just hope I get another one on the 16 this afternoon :D
@John Sounds perfect! Shame the newer E400s aren't like those 2009 versions - at least the latter have a good bit of power and sound good as well.
Just surprised that during refurb vandalism isn't removed on seat backs - had that on 4362 (I think, could've been 4362) - decorative graffiti tag on the side panel upstairs on the front left before refurb. Still there afterwards! Thought a refurb would mean those blue ones would go as well.
Fingers crossed you'll get another one!
@Liberator9 They are nearly perfect to drive. In my opinion, they are the best buses we have, closely followed by the Geminis
@John Sounds good - the Geminis have always been decent buses - only thing I'm not keen on is the sound when some are idling - bit of a vibration sound that goes through my ears!
Quote from: Liberator9 on July 02, 2015, 01:02:18 PM
@John
Sounds perfect! Shame the newer E400s aren't like those 2009 versions - at least the latter have a good bit of power and sound good as well.
Just surprised that during refurb vandalism isn't removed on seat backs - had that on 4362 (I think, could've been 4362) - decorative graffiti tag on the side panel upstairs on the front left before refurb. Still there afterwards! Thought a refurb would mean those blue ones would go as well.
Fingers crossed you'll get another one!
My lucks in! 4802
A lot brisker acceleration than 4801, but the brakes seem sharper
Nice - have a good drive!
Quote from: Liberator9 on July 02, 2015, 03:00:31 PM
Nice - have a good drive!
I haven't done the 16 for nearly 6 months now, I am enjoying it. I'm currently parked at the Markets. Its a nice route to do with good buses.
Quote from: Tony on July 01, 2015, 07:12:55 PM
Those newspapers were nothing to do with rattles. When new, that batch of scanias interior mirrors that were almost impossible to see anything in. The mirrors have been moved now, but the best cure a driver could do was put the metro behind it
Was it to stop reflections?
Quote from: Liberator9 on July 02, 2015, 01:02:18 PM
@John
Sounds perfect! Shame the newer E400s aren't like those 2009 versions - at least the latter have a good bit of power and sound good as well.
Just surprised that during refurb vandalism isn't removed on seat backs - had that on 4362 (I think, could've been 4362) - decorative graffiti tag on the side panel upstairs on the front left before refurb. Still there afterwards! Thought a refurb would mean those blue ones would go as well.
Fingers crossed you'll get another one!
4348 had a YW area tag just before going to PE, still there two years later. 1643 has had it's graffiti on the side and ceiling panels since 2011 when it was a PL bus. Sorry for going off topic but surely they should get a bit of Cillet Bang on them or Dulux.
Quote from: John on July 02, 2015, 12:54:41 PM
A brilliant example of an early Enviro400.
I also love the engine sound that these make especially when pulling away. The newer Enviro400s just don't sound the same.
I'm not a driver but I totally agree.
2206,
Well this was interesting this morning.
It is quite nippy, it did hesitate until around 1200rpm then it shot off, was quicker than a YW 43** from the lights.
The retarder sounds good, makes a classic voith sound. It's a 4 speed voith (well i got into 4th gear anyway, might be another but didn't get fast enough!)
The steering is good, it's quick from lock to lock, like a car!
Only thing annoying is the nearside mirror, which I was watching like a hawk so it doesn't hit the stops!
@MW Really liked 2201 - fast running buses - smooth as well and the voith gearbox works well on them. Very glad NX selected Voith as opposed to the ZF option
4264
Had this for 2 997s and was in love! The fans was on constantly and it could actually reach 40 on the flyover! Brakes were nice and smooth and like the low drivers side wing mirror . Of the 3 b7 alx ive driven this was defibateky the best
Quote from: John on July 02, 2015, 12:54:41 PM
4801. Had this for 2 trips on the 65 as a change bus for 4291 with a leak from the engine compartment
A brilliant example of an early Enviro400.
Immaculate inside and out (apart from some of the seatbacks, I guess not replaced at refurb as a few upstairs were vandalised, two of the high backed seats downstairs had blue seat backs)
Driving wise, spot on, the brakes were not jolting like some other Enviro400s of both types, it didn't seem as pokey as a couple of the others at pulling away, but still pretty brisk. Hardly any rattles from the interior, unlike some newer examples. The only thing I find strange and pointless are the intermittent wipers. They do 2 cycles, then stop for a bit, unlike the 49**s with just have one cycle
I also love the engine sound that these make especially when pulling away. The newer Enviro400s just don't sound the same
Now I just hope I get another one on the 16 this afternoon :D
I was quite amazed to get 4801 again this afternoon!
It was lovely on the Expressway at speed. It seemed a lot smoother than the 49**s, and less rattling, plus the better acceleration meant that I could exploit a gap in the traffic without the delay in power like in the Sutton Enviro400s
Had 4806 on a 914/115 trip this afternoon. Nice puling away, but I felt the brakes were not as good as the others. Also the gearbox jerked when changing down from 2nd to 1st when braking, causing a jerk. Other than that, another nice Enviro400
Exterior and interior great, like the other Crimsons
4961-4962 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
Very similar to my earlier post on 4952 utter F,ING crap simply woeful compared to the 4700s I,ve nothing positive to say about these things other than a can of petrol and some matches would be a good idea, I detest them utterly.
Score a BIG PHAT ZERO WITH SHIT ON TOP FOR GOOD MEASURE
My oh my, 4102 and 4038 today. How much of a world apart, yet so similar these are!
4102 (probably the most common bus I've driven at my time with NX). It's broken down on me twice, it has an annoying rattle at times, and the steering wheel feels funny. The gearbox jerks a lot, especially when just closing doors and moving off. But acceleration and braking are acceptable. It doesn't fall to far back to Geminis, and it bearably and nobely takes on Marsh Hill. It has its faults, I don't particular like or dislike it anymore, because I've had worse today, instead of a Gemini.
4038; by far the slowest Plaxton I've driven. Don't get me wrong, it's smooth, but seriously slow. I'd rather have 4639 (slowest Gemini I've driven which has no power till around 12-1500rpm) than this heap of rubbish. The brakes aren't very good either, it feels like they are on there way out. It seems to accelerate quicker than it brakes, and it doesn't go anywhere!
On my first lap of the Circle I was annoyed with how it tackled certain inclines in just first gear, changing to second and back to first. Like the Bournville Hill, Pershore Road bridge and of course Marsh Hill. And then I remembered that I had another Circle.
As some of you may have seen in the news, there's was an RTC with a car and a police car in Stechford/Yardley. The bus in front of me got stuck within it and I was behind it, after 3 cars. So I was able to get diverted onto Blakesley Road and around it all. Then a hell of a lot of 11s (already late due to traffic in Perry Barr/Witton/Bromford, got stuck.
So I was the first 11, with around a 35-40min gap behind me. When my bus got full to the brim, literally turning massive crowds of passengers away, it was the most awful thing to drive. Painfully slow, the Bournville hill, couldn't go greater than 14mph, if that. The braking, even worse, what with the approx 5 tonnes of extra weight.
It was a nightmare, I admit any bus would struggle, but coupled to the fact that it already had virtually no power, it's a bus I would/will be glad to see the back off!
I wonder how this would compare to the last of Enviro400 49** batch power wise. I can't imagine them being slower!
Also the door interlock had an annoying delay which felt like forever, and the dodgy kneeling switch which was quite frustrating.
I used to hate 4102, but this ordeal has made me think, bloody hell it could be worse!
I'll be glad to have no Plaxtons tomorrow. I'm on a Warwick (37) duty :)
Anyway, yeah avoid 4038 unless you've got hours to kill!
Well most PLAXTON PRESIDENT B7 TL and the turds aka (4900)s are 15 years apart in age most plackys are either excellent or average may be a few lemons but I,m sorry the ADL E40D,s are not good at all from new and in 15 years time oh dear.
@2900 @John @BU07 LGO which bus, out of the fleet, is your favourite MK2 Enviro 400?
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 12, 2015, 02:32:09 PM
@2900 @John @BU07 LGO which bus, out of the fleet, is your favourite MK2 Enviro 400?
The mk2 enviros are all quite poor really but 3 that stand out are 4863, 4875 and 4880 as been fairly quick when needed
Quote from: Sh4318 on July 12, 2015, 02:32:09 PM
@2900 @John @BU07 LGO which bus, out of the fleet, is your favourite MK2 Enviro 400?
To be honest they are all the same to me. I think they are still too young to feel different, if you understand what I mean (One does not stand out as being better than the others). There are a couple that have a lovely turbo whine when pulling away or accelerating though, but I can't remember which these are
Quote from: BU07 LGO on July 12, 2015, 02:38:59 PM
The mk2 enviros are all quite poor really but 3 that stand out are 4863, 4875 and 4880 as been fairly quick when needed
Had a ride on 4873 noticed the gears were changing very quickly and
Several occasions sounded like it was gonna stall high gear for slow speed.
Similar alteration to PB 49xx vechiles.
Quote from: lynx1103 on July 13, 2015, 11:43:53 AM
Had a ride on 4873 noticed the gears were changing very quickly and
Several occasions sounded like it was gonna stall high gear for slow speed.
Similar alteration to PB 49xx vechiles.
Yeah they change far too early! All to save fuel I guess! A lot of drivers say the fuel lines are clamped to restrict fuel but I think they've just been remapped to change gear at lower revs!
I,be been some reading up on the ECU,s fitted to most euro 4/5 buses they can incorporate quite a few different settings eg economy/ normal/ dynamic these digital ecu,s very sofisicated and very clever bit of kit , while reading up on demonstrator vehicles the reviews seem to be all very positive indeed , then the penny dropped as one bus being tested was in dynamic mode a wrightbus steetdeck on long term evaluation with first, out in the real world we everyday drivers won't get the pleasure of the dynamic mode no way we,ll get the limp lettice mode.
I,d love to get me laptop out and play about with these settings. It's no different to modern cars really you can flash the ecu and place in 5 different modes if you know what your doing.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on July 14, 2015, 08:08:53 AM
Yeah they change far too early! All to save fuel I guess! A lot of drivers say the fuel lines are clamped to restrict fuel but I think they've just been remapped to change gear at lower revs!
Ever since Sunday, I have noticed that while braking at low speeds, just before you come to a complete stop, the retarder kicks off and the ABS light comes on, then the retarder reapplies and the light goes out. It only seems to happen once or twice not long after starting the bus. I thought it was a problem with the first bus I had (4915), but it is the same with every Enviro400 I've had
Quote from: John on July 14, 2015, 10:11:01 AM
Ever since Sunday, I have noticed that while braking at low speeds, just before you come to a complete stop, the retarder kicks off and the ABS light comes on, then the retarder reapplies and the light goes out. It only seems to happen once or twice not long after starting the bus. I thought it was a problem with the first bus I had (4915), but it is the same with every Enviro400 I've had
Ill have to look out for that have just got home from Greece so haven't drove for over a week !
I've driven 4061 recently on the 11C, and I have to say, it is a very nice vehicle to drive, surprisingly! Everything felt so smooth on it. The drive, the steering, the brakes. It wasn't a slow one. Kept up with 4673 at the Drews Lane lights in Bromford (one in each lane, proper drag!)
I think the 406* series are definitely better, though logically it doesn't make sense as they would have been the same from new! Maybe they've been maintained better lol.
The engine at idle was especially quiet which is a good thing, and the door interlock was perfect. Activated after the doors have been opened, and deactivates as soon as you hit the close button! Perfect, no delay!
Also have had 4652 & 4656 recently. No complaints, lovely vehicles. Actually wait, 4656's drivers seat didn't seem to have as much play in the adjustment, but that's minor!
4524 is another good one, I've had that a good few times recently. The cooling fans love to roar on this one, especially when it echoes on tighter roads with tall buildings! (Bradford Street).
I haven't really had any nails. The only two that I actively do not like at the moment are 4038 & 4639.
Out of pure curiosity MW have you had either 4039, 4059 or 4063 yet? They are probably my favourites of the AG bunch and I just wondered if they were as nice to drive as they are for an enthusiast!
Quote from: trident4370 on July 15, 2015, 12:28:42 AM
Out of pure curiosity MW have you had either 4039, 4059 or 4063 yet? They are probably my favourites of the AG bunch and I just wondered if they were as nice to drive as they are for an enthusiast!
I've been on 4063 and it was best Plaxton I've had the pleasure of riding ! I could have sworn I was on a Gemini many a time I was on it.
Yeah 4089 and 4063 are probably the best two in the entire WM fleet from an enthusiasts point of view, I sometimes wish 4089 was at AG just so I could have it on the 11 :P
Quote from: trident4370 on July 15, 2015, 12:28:42 AM
Out of pure curiosity MW have you had either 4039, 4059 or 4063 yet? They are probably my favourites of the AG bunch and I just wondered if they were as nice to drive as they are for an enthusiast!
Yep I've had 4063. That ones bang on aswell.
4060 is another good one. They just feel quicker and more "alive" than the others!
Doesn't surprise me somehow, will be a great shame when the decent lot are all gone :(
Quote from: MW on July 15, 2015, 10:00:39 AM
Yep I've had 4063. That ones bang on aswell.
4060 is another good one. They just feel quicker and more "alive" than the others!
I had 4060 yesterday on the 1 from acocks green to broad street and it felt like it was going quicker than other presidents.
4495 wrightbus Gemini B7TL Volvo
A loan bus from perrybarr garage
Recent refurb still looking good exterior wise, cab had a new steering wheel all ways a good idea, the cab seat oh dear trimmed in nasty vinyl trim simply awful, you become glued to it in hot weather so not pleasant, please change for drivers sake honestly.
To drive the chassis was excellent very smooth in all areas for the first 20mins soon as the coolers came on that kind of spoilt a nice drive with it blaring away, to me personally I find the engine loses power with those fans cause it doesn't feel as responsive after that. The gearbox would be jerky on occasions. The ride from suspension very good indeed. Brakes did require a bit of effort to stop without jerking.
Body wise the saloon doors rattled a fair bit annoyingly otherwise ok
Engine all good smooth
Gearbox can be jerky at times
Retarder good
Brakes required some effort to stop smoothly
Suspension all good
Overall it's got the makings to be an excellent bus if the mentioned issues were to be sorted
5/10
Engine: all good smooth
4740 ADL enviro 400 trident 2
This bus is very similar to my earlier post on 4738 only differences it rattles more from above drivers cab.
4739 this bus no way as good as 4738 to drive most areas had issues, so not a fan of this trident2
4662, not sure if I've commented on this one before, but it's up there as one of my favourites. It feels like one of the more quicker Geminis, with pretty much everything spot on for me!
4511 however. This is one I've always wanted to drive, well for years I've wanted to anyway. This Gemini is not very good unfortunately. It rattles so much, that I had to accelerate slightly when still, just to reduce the vibration! It's also another one without kickdown, and doesn't seem to shoot off like 4662. I'm not sure why so many 45**s don't have kickdown, when others do. The brakes on 4511 are pretty sharp too! It's also got a new steering wheel.
So far, the best Gemini out of the 45**s is by far 4523. Then probably 4512 seeing as it's heaters actually blow hot hair when needed!
I photoed 4511 this morning at around 9:55 in Stirchley... On the off chance, was it you driving then?
4327 - this was the best bus ive drove so far!
Absolutely loved every minute of it, was quick and the brakes felt smooth compared to the other tridents ive driven which have an excessively sharp retarder!
Soundrd good too, doors were quick to open and shut and door brake released quick!
Only downfall was that the cab could have done with a good clean!
9/10
Quote from: trident4370 on July 21, 2015, 03:31:55 PM
I photoed 4511 this morning at around 9:55 in Stirchley... On the off chance, was it you driving then?
Nope, I took over when it got to Acocks Green.
Quote from: MW on July 21, 2015, 07:59:08 PM
Nope, I took over when it got to Acocks Green.
Ahh, nevermind!
Quote from: trident4370 on July 21, 2015, 11:33:51 PM
Ahh, nevermind!
I've got 4667 on the 31 for pretty much till it goes back to garage around 6pm. With a short break in between, if anyone spots it. Leaving City now.
I was going to write how I've got an excellent 4512, but it's just broken down... Lol
@MW Oh dear! 4512 was going too well obviously - by the way - how are you finding the Enviro 200 MMCs? Saw you found 2217 impressive the other day - must say I like them from a passenger's perspective.
Quote from: Liberator9 on July 25, 2015, 06:58:49 PM
@MW
Oh dear! 4512 was going too well obviously - by the way - how are you finding the Enviro 200 MMCs? Saw you found 2217 impressive the other day - must say I like them from a passenger's perspective.
After leaving it parked for half an hour whilst waiting for engineers, I tried starting 4512 again, and it fired up. Wasn't starting before due to a bad battery I presume. Isolated everything and waited. Reason it went is I switched off the bus for 10 mins whilst in service, and the saloon lights killed the battery.
The MMCs, I'm really liking them. It's just the turning is quite terrible. They are pretty quicker however. Especially from stand still to 15mph. I'm confident in saying as quick as some cars!
Glad you got it back then - when the bus is isolated is that just short for the electrics switch being switched off?
Yeah they are fast - thinking the same today - out did a few cars today off the mark! Good thing is that they have good kickdown thanks to the Voith - shame the double decks aren't voith. At least the turning isn't too much of an issue on the 37 aside from Olton station, although 2205/2218 managed it fine.
4523 & 4062 today.
Found out something new today. They switch off the taps for the bus heaters in the summer months, every year. Due to passenger complaints on hot buses when ever we get that one day of warm weather each year!
Took out 4523 from the garage early this morning and it was bloody freezing. I was literally shivering in the cab. After my first lap the engineers came out and turned on the heating for me, and then it became the most comfortable to drive again! I think 4512 has taken 4523's position as my favourite 45** however. Simply because 4523 has a bigger steering wheel (same as the Plaxton type).
Oddly however, I had 4062 later on today, and it had a smaller (Gemini) steering wheel, and it makes a big difference! It just feels easier to drive and manoeveur. 4062 is among my favourite Plaxtons aswell, so all in all, I had some decent buses today.
Quote from: MW on July 29, 2015, 10:04:39 PM
4523 & 4062 today.
Found out something new today. They switch off the taps for the bus heaters in the summer months, every year. Due to passenger complaints on hot buses when ever we get that one day of warm weather each year!
Took out 4523 from the garage early this morning and it was bloody freezing. I was literally shivering in the cab. After my first lap the engineers came out and turned on the heating for me, and then it became the most comfortable to drive again! I think 4512 has taken 4523's position as my favourite 45** however. Simply because 4523 has a bigger steering wheel (same as the Plaxton type).
Oddly however, I had 4062 later on today, and it had a smaller (Gemini) steering wheel, and it makes a big difference! It just feels easier to drive and manoeveur. 4062 is among my favourite Plaxtons aswell, so all in all, I had some decent buses today.
4062 is also one of my fav plaxtons too, sounds awesome, when the coolers were on I loved the bus even more.
The heating and cooling systems fitted to the ADL ENVIRO400 mk1 probably the best I,ve come across any bus I,ve ever driven , the cool air setting is truely excellent at keeping my feet and legs cool on warm,hot days.
While on moor St yesterday I got a chance to see a crimson Scania up close very nice indeed, the livery IMO has the appearance of making the omnilink smaller to me any way.
The platinum livery would look excellent on these scanias with all that black/glass.
Three Plaxtons I had today, one being 4023. 4023 is bloody quick. Quicker than 4062 it seems! Was quicker than one of the 46** Geminis! It is now without a doubt the best Plaxton I've driven. It revs really high aswell and when you push the pedal hard down, it drops gear (no click) like a automatic car. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The other two Plaxtons I had today were also bang on for what they are.
I'm getting to drive all of these decent ones now weirdly. Before it was all the terrible ones. I've seen a few of the bangers in garage, they look like they are just dumped there. I reckon 4082 is one that is due out since its been in the same spot, and in the corner of the garage for a few days. 4023 is allegedly part of the next lot due out of AG too, so that's unfortunate!
Having a day off the Sutton's today and doing a Pheaaey duty today for day off work. Was hoping for a Crimson OmniLink on either the 66 or 952. Or failing that , a recent transfer 702* from Acocks Green.
1876 which I had this morning not one of the best. One door took longer than the other to open and the door took forever to open. Which meant that he platform would take an age before it would lower. The acceleration was also slow for a Scania. Bodywork and interior very tired, hopefully will get treated to Crimson soon. These ex-Coventry OmniLinks seem the most tired out of all of the others Perry Barr have had. The 183* batch we had did not seem this bad.
7025, on the otherhand, which I'm on at the moment is the complete opposite. Very quick acceleration, this is one where the ramp will lower before the doors are completly open, and that makes a good difference. I'm going along now at 40mph (with a buddy driver at the wheel!) and no rattles at all, very unusual for an OmniLink. Granted, again both the interior and bodywork are tired and does need a refurb, but a lot better than the unrefurbisbed ex-Coventry examples. This has overtook 1837 as my favourite (plus as we no longer have 1837). Thanks Acocks Green for sending us this one.
I had 4533 today, only my 4th gemini ive drove (usually get 4534!) on the 997/X51 and it was probably one of my favourite buses ive driven. Engine was quite whiney and smooth and steering really light and easy to manoeuvre. Was also quick for a b7tl and easily hit 40 up hill on walsall road!
The fans only came on when needed and soon went off again!
The downstairs interior seems to have been retrimmed in the original moquette the geminis had from new! Upstairs let it down as virtually every windiw was badly etched
8/10
Quote from: BU07 LGO on August 01, 2015, 06:10:35 PM
I had 4533 today, only my 4th gemini ive drove (usually get 4534!) on the 997/X51 and it was probably one of my favourite buses ive driven. Engine was quite whiney and smooth and steering really light and easy to manoeuvre. Was also quick for a b7tl and easily hit 40 up hill on walsall road!
The fans only came on when needed and soon went off again!
Sounds like 4653 & 4654 (what I had today!)
You've probably not driven a President but the transition of having a Gemini for a first portion and a President for second is almost suicidal!
Quote from: MW on August 01, 2015, 07:10:13 PM
Sounds like 4653 & 4654 (what I had today!)
You've probably not driven a President but the transition of having a Gemini for a first portion and a President for second is almost suicidal!
The Presidents sound similar to the 42** B7 ALX400s. Very leisurely in pulling away!
I would probably want to drive a Volvo b7tl ( Alx 400, president and Gemini) the most. Unfortunately I want to be a bus driver as my retirement job, where the buses will probably drive themselves!
Quote from: MW on August 01, 2015, 07:10:13 PM
Sounds like 4653 & 4654 (what I had today!)
You've probably not driven a President but the transition of having a Gemini for a first portion and a President for second is almost suicidal!
I wouldn't be surprised if AG got the remaining WA geminis in due course
Quote from: Trident 4194 on August 01, 2015, 07:31:44 PM
I would probably want to drive a Volvo b7tl ( Alx 400, president and Gemini) the most. Unfortunately I want to be a bus driver as my retirement job, where the buses will probably drive themselves!
Nah do it when you can, I'm only doing it for a year, and then making a decision on whether to leave or not.
It's definately worry taking a year out if your planning on going on to uni and working in an office somewhere.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on August 01, 2015, 07:46:46 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if AG got the remaining WA geminis in due course
Personally I've got a theory that they'll be refurbished and repainted for a certain route, either them or the Cov ones. Only a theory and partly based on rumours but yeah.
4533/4534 were a pair I always liked back in the day, catching them on the 31! Hopefully they'll soon arrive, although in starting to want a new vehicle type at AG in terms of decker. The Gem/Plaxton combo is getting quite boring!
I'd like to drive a Trident, ideally a 43** and a 4425+.
One day maybe!
Would be great to have a Trident or two at AG ;D The 43XXs at YW on the whole are pretty good and the WN Voith versions.
Quote from: MW on August 01, 2015, 08:38:17 PM
Personally I've got a theory that they'll be refurbished and repainted for a certain route, either them or the Cov ones. Only a theory and partly based on rumours but yeah.
4533/4534 were a pair I always liked back in the day, catching them on the 31! Hopefully they'll soon arrive, although in starting to want a new vehicle type at AG in terms of decker. The Gem/Plaxton combo is getting quite boring!
I'd like to drive a Trident, ideally a 43** and a 4425+.
One day maybe!
I have had a couple ride on 44** tridents that came to Pensnett and they are pretty fast at accerlerating, have that little whine that most of the later trdients have, they seem to pull off faster too. But i think its the way its driven. Some drivers are gentle with them but some know how to make them shift
The zf tridents are the best I would say.
Quote from: MW on August 01, 2015, 08:38:17 PM
Personally I've got a theory that they'll be refurbished and repainted for a certain route, either them or the Cov ones. Only a theory and partly based on rumours but yeah.
4533/4534 were a pair I always liked back in the day, catching them on the 31! Hopefully they'll soon arrive, although in starting to want a new vehicle type at AG in terms of decker. The Gem/Plaxton combo is getting quite boring!
I'd like to drive a Trident, ideally a 43** and a 4425+.
One day maybe!
They will need a new type of double decker for May 2017 when the new emission rules come in for Birmingham City Centre.
Quote from: MW on August 01, 2015, 08:38:17 PM
Personally I've got a theory that they'll be refurbished and repainted for a certain route, either them or the Cov ones. Only a theory and partly based on rumours but yeah.
4533/4534 were a pair I always liked back in the day, catching them on the 31! Hopefully they'll soon arrive, although in starting to want a new vehicle type at AG in terms of decker. The Gem/Plaxton combo is getting quite boring!
I'd like to drive a Trident, ideally a 43** and a 4425+.
One day maybe!
As sad as it sounds variety was part of the reason I chose walsall! But will only have mmc's from the 10th on my routes :(
Yeah tridents are amazing but the brakes take a bit of getting used to, the retarder is tooo sharp and then when the retarder stops working around last 10mph you lose your breaking power so have to really squeeze the pedal!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on August 01, 2015, 09:16:12 PM
As sad as it sounds variety was part of the reason I chose walsall! But will only have mmc's from the 10th on my routes :(
Yeah tridents are amazing but the brakes take a bit of getting used to, the retarder is tooo sharp and then when the retarder stops working around last 10mph you lose your breaking power so have to really squeeze the pedal!
Ahh yeah, WA & PB have got a decent mix. My list was AG, YW & BC. All of which have 4 vehicle types so...
I could probably take one of the YW ones for literally a couple of minutes to Fox Hollies and back, when they are in AG here and there, but I don't want to go out of my way lol
Quote from: 2206 on August 01, 2015, 09:09:31 PM
They will need a new type of double decker for May 2017 when the new emission rules come in for Birmingham City Centre.
Not necessarily. A Gemini with a particulate trap on the exhaust would meet the new standards
Quote from: Tony on August 02, 2015, 11:24:09 AM
Not necessarily. A Gemini with a particulate trap on the exhaust would meet the new standards
And we know how unreliable these are! The mk2 enviros always have the light on as does my car which is why I'm having the dpf removed next week!
They need consistently high revs during the regen or clog up, which buses struggle with due to the stop/startinh
Removing the dpf will now fail the mot, any vehicle that had dpf from new must have it on when presenting a vehicle for mot, emission regs. Or remove it after the mot but you,ll need refit for next mot.
Quote from: 2900 on August 02, 2015, 04:41:54 PM
Removing the dpf will now fail the mot, any vehicle that had dpf from new must have it on when presenting a vehicle for mot, emission regs. Or remove it after the mot but you,ll need refit for next mot.
I'm having it gutted and rewelded :)
Quote from: 2900 on August 02, 2015, 04:41:54 PM
Removing the dpf will now fail the mot, any vehicle that had dpf from new must have it on when presenting a vehicle for mot, emission regs. Or remove it after the mot but you,ll need refit for next mot.
Had mine removed 3-4 years ago, Was drilled out with a long drill bit and re-mapped so it passes the emissions regs.( no need for welding as this will be a sign its been removed )
I've had 4522 recently on the 11C. I couldn't help but notice how smooth it is! The suspension felt smoother than some cars I've driven! Also how the power delivery is so consistent, felt effortless and again smooth! Few niggles I noticed were the nearside mirror seems to be one of those mirrors that's zoomed in a bit, which I didn't like as the offside mirror is normal! Also the large centre mirror was a bit annoying. The drivers seat adjustment was pretty bad in terms off I couldn't lower the seat to my usual height aswell as push it back, so it was slightly uncomfortable. The tracking was also quite bad, this is something that I find so annoying on certain vehicles!
Something I've noticed on the 4500 batch is that they have an extra indicator repeater on the outside above the rear wheels, the 4600s and I think the 4700s don't have this.
2116, my second Eclipse2 I've had in service. This was actually a request I made to have. Evening board on the 5 a couple of weeks ago, was given a choice on what bus to take out of garage (Gemini/Scania/Eclipse2). I wanted to get a better feel for the Eclipse2 as I'm probably unlikely to drive one again! They feel so modern to the Geminis for example. I don't like how they've got those rev limiters so they change gears before you can hear a proper engine note, and then when you rev in neutral it just goes to around 1500rpm. Sometimes, on hills or just after a hill, I got it to 2000rpm, which reminds me off the exAG 1700 batch. They sound exactly like them, but just have their soul ripped out at the moment! To drive they are very nice. The suspension on both I've had has been quite terrible. They rattle so much over potholes, at the end of Bradford Street when coming into City, they rattle so much! The doors operate a lot quicker than the Scanias which is good. You've got to manually increase the kneeling suspension before moving off, it's not automatic unfortunately. All in all though, I think I prefer these to the new MMCs, and I'm gutted I never got to experience them a little more. I may sound like I'm contradicting myself now, but out of the single deckers, I think the Scanias are better than the other two. The Volvos are no doubt the slowest of the trio, but at least they feel more consistent, whereas in the Scanias, what time you gain in speed pickup etc, you lose in the doors! I really do want to drive some modern deckers to feel what they're like to drive.
? While passing a enviro 400mmc 6732 on lower bull street yesterday afternoon I noticed a microphone attached to the front windscreen post like they would do when fitted to coaches is this a new mounting point on platinum vehicles , few minutes later I passed one of the farms mmc it didn't have a mic mounted on the post.
Lot of gems have been coming my way lately , I will say from a drivers point of view 4700, 4701,4703,4709 are decent drives in most aspects , they don't have the power of the mk 1 enviros
Shame really, 4749 excellent all rounder nearly as fast as 4745.
Quote from: 2900 on August 11, 2015, 10:02:00 AM
? While passing a enviro 400mmc 6732 on lower bull street yesterday afternoon I noticed a microphone attached to the front windscreen post like they would do when fitted to coaches is this a new mounting point on platinum vehicles , few minutes later I passed one of the farms mmc it didn't have a mic mounted on the post.
That is a seperate microphone for the driver to do on bus announcements
Quote from: 2900 on August 11, 2015, 10:10:39 AM
Lot of gems have been coming my way lately , I will say from a drivers point of view 4700, 4701,4703,4709 are decent drives in most aspects , they don't have the power of the mk 1 enviros
Shame really, 4749 excellent all rounder nearly as fast as 4745.
I really appreciate the Gems especially when I've had a shed load of Plaxtons recently! 4042/52/70/78 & 4100 from the top of my head. 4070 probably the quickest one out of those, I think if they had the smaller steering wheel from the Geminis (like one of them (poss. 4042?)) has, they'd be better to drive!
Edit: 4062 is the one with a Gemini steering wheel.
Quote from: MW on August 12, 2015, 10:54:59 PM
I really appreciate the Gems especially when I've had a shed load of Plaxtons recently! 4042/52/70/78 & 4100 from the top of my head. 4070 probably the quickest one out of those, I think if they had the smaller steering wheel from the Geminis (like one of them (poss. 4042?)) has, they'd be better to drive!
Edit: 4062 is the one with a Gemini steering wheel.
Heres me thinking they both had the same steering wheel ! Does the B7TL ALX400 have the same size steering wheel as the Gemini or Plaxton ?!
Quote from: GeminiFan1991 on August 12, 2015, 11:55:57 PM
Heres me thinking they both had the same steering wheel ! Does the B7TL ALX400 have the same size steering wheel as the Gemini or Plaxton ?!
You'll have to speak to a WB driver for that comparison as I have no idea.
Quote from: GeminiFan1991 on August 12, 2015, 11:55:57 PM
Heres me thinking they both had the same steering wheel ! Does the B7TL ALX400 have the same size steering wheel as the Gemini or Plaxton ?!
Slightly different design.
Smaller, more 'smooth' in design.
From recollection, from new the Alexander alx400 b7tl,s at hockley all had the small steering wheels, the plaxtons that were new 4072/4082 I can't recall, I think that batch is at AG now or what's left of it , the 4700 gems new to west brom had small steering wheels and all still do, there is one alx 400 b7tl at west brom with a large steering may be transferred now seriously annoying to use, the plaxtons at west brom have mix of both types of wheels, IMO plaxtons should not be fitted with larger wheel as space is a premium in the cab. With modern power steering systems we no longer need wheels that are more at home on a sailing ship.
Quote from: 2900 on August 13, 2015, 11:24:23 AM
From recollection, from new the Alexander alx400 b7tl,s at hockley all had the small steering wheels, the plaxtons that were new 4072/4082 I can't recall, I think that batch is at AG now or what's left of it , the 4700 gems new to west brom had small steering wheels and all still do, there is one alx 400 b7tl at west brom with a large steering may be transferred now seriously annoying to use, the plaxtons at west brom have mix of both types of wheels, IMO plaxtons should not be fitted with larger wheel as space is a premium in the cab. With modern power steering systems we no longer need wheels that are more at home on a sailing ship.
Some are at AG 4072 - 4082 batch 4077, 4078,, 4080, 4081, 4082 and the others are now in reserve from the 4074 - 4082 batch. 4074 is in Dundee
4717 I can't help thinking of late this bus feels better to drive it's seems defiantly more faster than others in the batch , I wander if it's had work done it , few months back it was becoming unreliable breaking down quite often. Coolers work when needed to as well all good, the interior of this bus is disgusting to say the least, sticky floors,built up grime nasty.
From a drivers point of view 7.5/10
Passengers point of view a big phatt zero
Quote from: 2900 on August 13, 2015, 11:24:23 AM
From recollection, from new the Alexander alx400 b7tl,s at hockley all had the small steering wheels, the plaxtons that were new 4072/4082 I can't recall, I think that batch is at AG now or what's left of it , the 4700 gems new to west brom had small steering wheels and all still do, there is one alx 400 b7tl at west brom with a large steering may be transferred now seriously annoying to use, the plaxtons at west brom have mix of both types of wheels, IMO plaxtons should not be fitted with larger wheel as space is a premium in the cab. With modern power steering systems we no longer need wheels that are more at home on a sailing ship.
Do the 4700s have the newer Volvo steering wheel (like the 1700 Eclipse batch)
I've always thought they have, while the older Geminis have the older design small steering wheel.
From what I,ve seen while at Dudley bus station the cab layout of the 1700 b7rle,s are identical to the 4700 b7tl,s
Quote from: 2900 on August 13, 2015, 02:38:08 PM
From what I,ve seen while at Dudley bus station the cab layout of the 1700 b7rle,s are identical to the 4700 b7tl,s
I hate the indicator noise on the b7rles (56 reg)
Driven recently 4229/ 4265/4275 excellent Volvo b7TL voith gearbox chassis, excellent buses to drive very smooth , excellent suspension,brakes,retarder, gearbox, mechanically top draw I say. 8/10
4231 would be as good as the above buses but has gearbox issues jolts when taking up drive to compensate you apply some revs feel the cog engage then release handbrake , all very annoying trying to keep get ways smooth. 5/10
1944
Wow, this is without a doubt the best single decker I've driven. I didn't like the Scanias before, when a passenger, and initially I didn't like them to drive as the brakes were quite odd. As I've said before, I've definitely warmed to the Scanias, at the wrong time admittedly. After driving the MMCs since they've entered service on the 37, the Scanias are miles better. Before I didn't like the seating postion in the Scanias but I've definately gotten used to it and now like it. The MMCs is too high, and the actual seat isn't very comfortable, particularly in the heat. The pull on 1944 was excellent, the brakes were excellent, the gearbox was excellent, with its working kickdown that is actually quite quick in kicking down! I was desperately looking for a fault, until I came to a bus stop! The doors take absolutely forever to open and close. After not driving one in a while I forgot how slow the doors are! And then when I was having my layover at the Station, seeing a Signature vehicle driving away from a stop with the doors still closing, I thought how lucky those Rotala drivers are in terms of the interlock we have! This will really make me miss the Scanias. It's probably my last drive on one, unless I get one on the 31 on Sunday. Even talking to some drivers, 1944 is known to be one of the better ones at AG. This is my favourite single decker at AG, and no doubt the garage it'll go to, the drivers will love it!
4513
Wow this is a good one. Very smooth. Had it on the 11C. 4639 arrived with 4513 following behind. (Both running late). I wasn't hanging around with 4639 to get even more late (the slowest Gemini by far, no power when moving off!) 4513, very quick as soon as I accelerated away! The brakes and retarder had so much feel in it. Gear changes were pretty smooth too. By Hall Green Church, I was in front of 4639 up until Kings Heath, where he went in front and picked up until Selly Oak. Personally I find it frustrating stuck behind another bus, some drivers prefer it as it means less stopping, but I find it boring. Coming to Selly Oak, I took the second lane at the Bristol Road/11C lights. That would have made a good picture! Lights went green and I didn't see 4639 again till Acocks Green. Anyway, 4513. The sound this thing makes, it bloody screams! Cooling fans came on when needed, although by the time I got to City Road, they were pretty much constant all the way back to AG. One thing that's really starting to bug me on the Geminis is the nearside mirror arm being too short and therefore restricting the view, although this one was bang on. 4638 I think is one where it's too short.
4642
Briefly this one was jerking a lot annoyingly. Once the cooling fans came on, they were on for the next 3 hours, which got annoying. Main issue with this one if the gear changes. Not smooth. And the braking, the downshifts are pretty jerky too.
4506 wrightbus Gemini B7TL Volvo
This bus has gone down hill recently cooling fans on constantly, not very good at picking up speed, driving through Brums financial district with these all its tall building was fun , winding up the old 7 litre pig iron to hear how loud I could make the fans go while driving past the movers and shakers in there designer clobber/beards sipping there posh wine or some exotic larger from Europe , yes one is not amused with the dyson blasting by.
4710 wrightbus gemni B7TL Volvo
Not very good this particular example lots of vibrations when idling , rumbling from the front axle, ride quality not upto volvos usual high standards, very soft squishy front end, driver seat not very comfortable either, interior not very pleasant at all , some toe rag decided to urinate upstairs most of it went into a maccys cup and the rest on the floor simply no need, all he had to do is ask to stop the bus for a leak. These early repainted gems crying out for refurbs.
Engine/ gearbox worked as they should , not particularly punchy takes a while to get to 40mph
IMO the whole bus feels tired and well used Dudley road has killed this one.
3/10
4518
Was a nice surprise when this turned up instead of originally allocated 4066! Finally got to drive this Hoover after many years waiting! It's insane how loud this one is. Easily the loudest one I've driven, especially when around buildings on narrow roads (like Bearwood High St) probably because the cooling fans are set on to full speed. It's actually not that bad to drive apart from that. At idle, it's very quiet. No noticeable rattles at all when idle. The brakes take a little getting used to, the pedal is very sensitive, like a B10B but not as much. The kickdown function works too, I didn't expect it to. After a bit it did get really annoying though, gave me an earache! Not especially quick but not especially slow. This and 4040 up the Highcroft Hopsital hill were even speed wise.
4649
This is simply a howling rocket. This is really up there as one of my favourites. Quite possibly joint favourite with 4637. It feels so powerful this, even when carrying a full load with standees! Made mince meat of Marsh Hill, and the Bournville Hill. Got to 30 on both no problem! It even sounds fantastic. It's a real screamer. Cooling fans are very minimal on this one. When cruising it's smooth and quiet. The brakes aren't as juddery as others, and the suspension glides better than others.
Geminis remaining to drive are:
4508
4515
4516
4526
4636
4641
4650
4658
4664
4667
4676
Managed to get 2 new OmniLinks today (Was hoping for a Crimson but hey ho), 1937 and 7020. Also had 1874 too
Both very nice, with a good turn of speed when needed. With 7020 (alike 7019), the ramp lowers before the doors open fully which is handy for boarding and alighting (Not with 1937). Brakes were good also (which can take getting used to on a Scania), although I did find 7020 was jolting at low speeds when slowing for a stop
These newer models seem a lot faster than the 18** OmniLinks, both the '57' and '58' plates.
I don't know if it is the air lines in the drivers seat, but they seem softer on bumps and rough road. The Enviro400s take bumps better.
Both not in bad condition inside, but are tired externally, and will looks a million times better after the Crimson treatment
1874 was an average Omnilink, nothing special, but the driver side sun blind was missing, and I couldn't shield the sun when it was out today. A few of the ex-Coventry OmniLinks have had them missing for as long as I can remember, and haven't been replaced. Again like the remaining red/white ex-Coventry buses, tired both inside and out
@John The newer models probably are a bit faster as they have a larger engine and newer type (EEV Euro 5) than the 57/58 reg Omnilinks. Engine is bassier as well. Funny enough I find the suspension on the late 2009 models better as well - having a mixture of the ex WA Omnilinks and YW 2009/10 Omnilinks on the 6 you do tend to notice minor differences. One random one is the design of the emergency exit door at the rear - a curved frame is fitted on the 57/58 plate ones whilst the later models have a more boxed frame fitting in with the rest of the panelling.
The YW 2009/10 Scanias have pretty good suspension - the only thing that can unsettle them is a sustained stretch of potholes. Highters Heath Road near Maypole was a nightmare for that. Other than that those are some of the best Scanias I've been on - 1917 and 1927 are two particularly good ones. Not so struck on the ex WA ones - gearbox joltier at lower speeds.
They seem to have removed the air seating on some of them which removes that "bobbing" effect! Will be pleased to see more in the Crimson - looks great on the Scanias.
4515 can be crossed of the list.
This is another one I really like. The cab is in very good condition. It's looked clean and fresh. Newish steering wheel, all the dash lights working properly and the buttons. No rattles at all from the bus. Very very minimal cooling fans too. Drives like it's on good condition. Brakes screech a lot, although I won't hold that against it, seeing that everything else makes up. Suspension seems very good, seemed to glide across many roads, unlike a very very bumpy and rattly 4071!
Edit: So can 4666 be crossed of the list. I forgot to add it to the recent list a couple posts above. But yeah, finally got the '666' bus!
2 more Ex-Pensnett Enviro400s crossed off the list today, 4814 and 4827. I do love having these buses
I do find these are not like our Sutton Enviro400s over potholes and bad road surfaces, they seem to rattle a lot more and don't seem as solid. Maybe it comes with age
4814 was a great bus, an immense burst of power when I needed it, 0-30 in about 4 seconds and easily reached 30mph up Hamstead hill but it did change gear a few times, not bad for a bus and the brakes were spot on. Upper deck badly etched and the bodywork tired as its still original from 2009, but can not fault its drive, a shame I only had tihs one for my shorter portion of my duty
4827 seemed very tired, the brakes were hard to get just right, I found myself jolting them just before coming to a stop trying to get the braking smooth. Seemed to lack the power of most of the others I driven (topped out at 25mph up Hamstead hill but it remained in one gear, still better than a B7 struggling at 15mph up there, the B7s keep changing up and down gear), still a bit better than the newer Enviro400s.The interior and exterior were in better nick though due to its refurb/repaint, but really rough steering wheel
Just a question for
@MW @John and
@2900. Do you, as drivers, usually give your buses some good kickdown? Apologies if this is a stupid question.
Quote from: ronnoc1k8 on September 29, 2015, 09:56:12 PM
Just a question for @MW @John and @2900. Do you, as drivers, usually give your buses some good kickdown? Apologies if this is a stupid question.
Yes it is a very stupid question, as I have explained before 'kickdown' is just asking the bus to change to a lower gear earlier than it would normally, you can't do it whenever you feel like it. It will do it only slightly earlier anyway. There is no such thing as a 'good kickdown' and I have heard people think I am using it when the bus is just naturally changing gear anyway because it is so close to the natural change anyway it is difficult for a passenger to tell
Quote from: ronnoc1k8 on September 29, 2015, 09:56:12 PM
Just a question for @MW @John and @2900. Do you, as drivers, usually give your buses some good kickdown? Apologies if this is a stupid question.
When you need to use it, yes I use it. It's not very good on the Sutton Enviro400s because of the gearbox setup, and on the ex-Pensnet buses, it can be quite ferocious and give you really good acceleration
I always do it. I love doing it! 46** and certain 45** require you to push the pedal down a little harder, it clicks and knocks down. 4525/26/4511 off the top of my head don't have that function unfortunately. The Scanias also have it I believe. The MMCs don't have it.
Using the kick down on the mercs used to be great back in the day they sounded awesome and delivery of power just excellent, then they were deactivated not so good.
Leyland lynx were great for this to with its zf gearbox loved that whine sound it used to make.
Majority of the b7tl,s don't have this feature.
Mk 1 enviro 400 the kick down delivers real surge in power fine for up hill requirements but otherwise not needed, my 2 enviro 400 don't have it.
Quote from: 2900 on September 30, 2015, 11:29:50 AM
Using the kick down on the mercs used to be great back in the day they sounded awesome and delivery of power just excellent, then they were deactivated not so good.
Leyland lynx were great for this to with its zf gearbox loved that whine sound it used to make.
Majority of the b7tl,s don't have this feature.
Mk 1 enviro 400 the kick down delivers real surge in power fine for up hill requirements but otherwise not needed, my 2 enviro 400 don't have it.
I don't know why certain 45xx don't gave it. 4511/20/21/22/25/26 definately don't have it whilst others like 4507/9/10/12-15/17-19/23/24 do. All the 46xx have it.
Quote from: Tony on September 29, 2015, 10:11:30 PM
Yes it is a very stupid question, as I have explained before 'kickdown' is just asking the bus to change to a lower gear earlier than it would normally, you can't do it whenever you feel like it. It will do it only slightly earlier anyway. There is no such thing as a 'good kickdown' and I have heard people think I am using it when the bus is just naturally changing gear anyway because it is so close to the natural change anyway it is difficult for a passenger to tell
I was quite expecting that response from you lol.
Quote from: ronnoc1k8 on September 30, 2015, 03:36:47 PM
I was quite expecting that response from you lol.
What an accurate one? In the good old days when drivers could control the gears then there was actually a chance to 'drive' a bus. Even on B6s if you wanted to you could use the button to hold the revs properly to get extra power up hills. With just a 'drive' button and the chance to do a very short hold on the gears by having the pedal on the floor it makes very little difference in reality.
Only modern vehicles in the fleet you still can have full control of the gears is the Levantes
4734 is my favourite to drive, that bus can move! It flies through the gears!
4735 however seems to have been modified and will not kick down or rev as freely!
4965 ADL MK2 ENVIRO 400
I wasn't best pleased when this pulled into oldbury for relief ,after making myself at home I got under way I soon realised how quiet this bus is the body on this very solid indeed absolute minimum rattling most would argue that wouldn't count as rattling, Suspension good to, Portland rd will shake your fillings out this bus past with flying colours , retarder decent to, brakes required effort to stop without a jolt , gearbox not very clever jolting the bus about , engine excellent no issues on slight inclines or hills it's does shift I got 25 mph going up tame rd bloody good that is, I did notice by playing with accelerator pedal rather than just mashing it to the floor you can make good progress . I do hope there more like this in the fleet. coming down hill got the engine screaming at 2400 rpm the only way that will happen, normal driving max 1600 rpm before gear changes.
Bodywork 9/10
Engine 8/10
Gearbox 3/10
Retarder 7/10
Brakes 5/10
After driving this bus for 5 hrs I got on 821 for home oh my god the contrast is quite simply unbelievable shaken and stirred all the way home , for laugh I might mark this one up for PVS
4752 ADL ENVIRO 400 MK1
A real smooth operator this one is, excellent cruiser ,minimum of rattling, very enjoyable to drive nice and chilled. It's not as fast as 4745 but doesn't need to be it would be boring if they were all that powerful I guess you wouldn't notice either cause it would be the norm.
Engine excellent
Gearbox excellent
Retarder excellent
Brakes excellent
Suspension good
Body pretty solid from cab can't say about else where I.e upper deck
9/10 for this cruiser
Just a general observation on the 47** E400s. Bloody hell they are quick! I've not been on one in years, probably around 5 years when on the 50. Came across one on the 35 recently, whilst I was on the 11C. I had a quick Gemini too. We were both late. I kept up with him just, but he was blatantly accelerating away at traffic lights by a surprising amount.
@2900 and
@John ? Gemini vs E400 Mk1?
Quote from: MW on October 17, 2015, 12:54:29 AM
Just a general observation on the 47** E400s. Bloody hell they are quick! I've not been on one in years, probably around 5 years when on the 50. Came across one on the 35 recently, whilst I was on the 11C. I had a quick Gemini too. We were both late. I kept up with him just, but he was blatantly accelerating away at traffic lights by a surprising amount. @2900 and @John ? Gemini vs E400 Mk1?
The mk1's absolutely fly! 4734 is a beast to drive and is at 30 as quick as the cars when pulling away from traffic lights!
Much quicker than any Gemini I've driven though I've only drove 4533,4534,4680,4682,4686
ADL mk1 enviro 400 trident2 vs Volvo B7TL
On the whole I would definitely say the batch of 4700s mk1 enviro 400s are faster buses, some are just beasts , merc like, non of the 4700 batch of b7tl,s gemni,s even come close. 4638 I think was a rapid gemni, 4500s gems are decent but can't think of one that really went like shit off a shovel.
4271 is the fastest ALX400 Volvo B7TL I,ve come across, 4044, 4048 decent turn of speed as well .
Quote from: 2900 on October 17, 2015, 08:58:53 AM
ADL mk1 enviro 400 trident2 vs Volvo B7TL
On the whole I would definitely say the batch of 4700s mk1 enviro 400s are faster buses, some are just beasts , merc like, non of the 4700 batch of b7tl,s gemni,s even come close. 4638 I think was a rapid gemni, 4500s gems are decent but can't think of one that really went like shit off a shovel.
4271 is the fastest ALX400 Volvo B7TL I,ve come across, 4044, 4048 decent turn of speed as well .
I would say MK1 Enviro400 too. The Geminis that we have are great (Most of them), but the Enviro400s seem better to drive. I find the controls on Gemini very sensitive, a small push of the accelerator or brakes and the bus judders and jerks, as in the change in speed is not very smooth I find. I have not had a Gemini for an age now, as they are rarely on the 907 anymore
4703 Wrightbus gemni b7tl
This bus has become a little unique amongst it's batch, it has recently received a new instrument pod it appears to be same spec as those fitted to the mk2 b7rle, to me a very good improvement it's very clear and informative. Throw in a new steering,seat and a very thorough clean be almost good as new wishful thinking.
Out of all the 4700 gems this is probably the best overall.
Plenty of smashed windows last nite , I had my windscreen put in by concrete jungle, a rock the size of a house brick sending shards of glass half way up the bus, brainless twats. The dozen teenagers I just picked up came down stairs telling me to keep driving your taking the piss, so I switched the engine off opened the bus doors every one legged it good riddance.
Talking to a colleague who was on the 127 had a side window put in on bleakhouse rd.
Your a professional driver yeah rite, with recent events I can see myself parking the bus somewhere and walking away to nice long blue sky holiday. Come back to a civilised job.
Quote from: 2900 on November 01, 2015, 10:47:16 AM
Plenty of smashed windows last nite , I had my windscreen put in by concrete jungle, a rock the size of a house brick sending shards of glass half way up the bus, brainless twats. The dozen teenagers I just picked up came down stairs telling me to keep driving your taking the piss, so I switched the engine off opened the bus doors every one legged it good riddance.
Talking to a colleague who was on the 127 had a side window put in on bleakhouse rd.
Your a professional driver yeah rite, with recent events I can see myself parking the bus somewhere and walking away to nice long blue sky holiday. Come back to a civilised job.
And the 255 i was last night had something thrown at it by the 'Wall Heath massive'....
Quote from: 2900 on November 01, 2015, 10:47:16 AM
Plenty of smashed windows last nite , I had my windscreen put in by concrete jungle, a rock the size of a house brick sending shards of glass half way up the bus, brainless twats. The dozen teenagers I just picked up came down stairs telling me to keep driving your taking the piss, so I switched the engine off opened the bus doors every one legged it good riddance.
Talking to a colleague who was on the 127 had a side window put in on bleakhouse rd.
Your a professional driver yeah rite, with recent events I can see myself parking the bus somewhere and walking away to nice long blue sky holiday. Come back to a civilised job.
I was on the 997 last night and somebody egged me! (well the bus not me)
@2900 Plain idiots - could've injured you doing that sort of thing (hope you were ok after that) - can see why you'd just want to walk away on holiday! Things you have to put up with at times from some is mad by the sounds of it.
We had a callout on Friday night. Was quite funny. Some kids on Bradford Street were throwing eggs at drivers with the cab window open.
Quote from: MW on November 01, 2015, 11:11:51 PM
We had a callout on Friday night. Was quite funny. Some kids on Bradford Street were throwing eggs at drivers with the cab window open.
Scum
Quote from: MW on November 01, 2015, 11:11:51 PM
We had a callout on Friday night. Was quite funny. Some kids on Bradford Street were throwing eggs at drivers with the cab window open.
I don't know what part of that is funny. Especially if a driver got hit by an egg while driving and got some in his eye, over his face and clothes. Not to mention the inconvenience to passengers as the bus would have to park up.
I would have thought as a fellow driver, the last thing you would think of this is 'quite funny'.
It's idiots like this who need to be identified and their pictures published in the press together with Transport Leaders standing up for their staffs safety.
Next up, snow balls...!
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on November 02, 2015, 11:59:43 AM
I don't know what part of that is funny. Especially if a driver got hit by an egg while driving and got some in his eye, over his face and clothes. Not to mention the inconvenience to passengers as the bus would have to park up.
I would have thought as a fellow driver, the last thing you would think of this is 'quite funny'.
Not to mention the degrading feeling of which the driver goes through.. Explaining it to the passengers, radioing the garage, the stink of the egg, the poisoning of the foodstuff if any was, possibly, to go in your mouth. Also not forgetting eggs cause skin trouble if you don't wash it off asap
4051 - This one is a beast. Only driven it a couple times before, and had it recently. Gets to 30 pretty quick. Out did some Pershore Road Enviros, although I was late and getting a move on. The steering wheel felt alright, might have been the fact that its worn a bit, and I find steering wheels that a worn in a bit to be easy to maneuverer, rather than the fresh ones. Brakes are also pretty good on it. The power delivery is smooth, unlike 4023 which sometimes revs high, then judders into the next gear. The cab felt very small as usual, after having my first portion in a Gemini. A lot of drivers prefer the Plaxtons to anything else here. (I say anything else, but there's not much choice is there!) All in all though, one of the best Plaxtons here.
4510 - This ones a bit crap to be honest. It revs to the higher 2300ish RPM like most the others, but feels like theres something straining it, and thus lacking power.
4511 - This one is pretty smooth. Doesn't rev as high as 4510 (doesn't have click on bottom of pedal), but it feels more powerful and quicker.
One thing that p*sses me off when I've got a 45** is the damn heating controls. Some of them are hard to adjust. The 46**s are so much better designed.
Quote from: MW on November 08, 2015, 12:54:15 AM
4051 - This one is a beast. Only driven it a couple times before, and had it recently. Gets to 30 pretty quick. Out did some Pershore Road Enviros, although I was late and getting a move on. The steering wheel felt alright, might have been the fact that its worn a bit, and I find steering wheels that a worn in a bit to be easy to maneuverer, rather than the fresh ones. Brakes are also pretty good on it. The power delivery is smooth, unlike 4023 which sometimes revs high, then judders into the next gear. The cab felt very small as usual, after having my first portion in a Gemini. A lot of drivers prefer the Plaxtons to anything else here. (I say anything else, but there's not much choice is there!) All in all though, one of the best Plaxtons here.
4510 - This ones a bit crap to be honest. It revs to the higher 2300ish RPM like most the others, but feels like theres something straining it, and thus lacking power.
4511 - This one is pretty smooth. Doesn't rev as high as 4510 (doesn't have click on bottom of pedal), but it feels more powerful and quicker.
One thing that p*sses me off when I've got a 45** is the damn heating controls. Some of them are hard to adjust. The 46**s are so much better designed.
Is 4061 any good
Quote from: MW on November 08, 2015, 12:54:15 AM
One thing that p*sses me off when I've got a 45** is the damn heating controls. Some of them are hard to adjust. The 46**s are so much better designed.
Ours are that worn its pot luck and I usually just turn the knobs until I get it how I want!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on November 08, 2015, 10:26:21 AM
Ours are that worn its pot luck and I usually just turn the knobs until I get it how I want!
Oooooh matron no!
4053 plaxton president b7tl second refurb grey moquette, bus still very presentable
Lovely bus to drive IMO effortless good power delivery and gear changes, suspension very good to,
Bad points the redicously large steering wheel , idling not good vibrations/ rumbling from engine compartment
It's a better bus than 4705 I had earlier with its rattling saloon doors
It's a Saturday evening it's wet windy and dark I,m sheltering in draughty bus shelter in west brom thinking I so don't want to be here when 813 pulls in on the 129 service, oh my god what's this piece of crap doing on here begrudgingly I take over. I,m hating this the door pedal is the wrong place , the wayfarer is to far away for comfort, leaving west brom now what complete utter crap this vehicle is,front axle feels detached , Rev counter bobbing up and down with no sense of power from the washing machine motor outback. I didn't like the balance of brakes either not the best. Plenty of rattles to, there's no charm or character to these you can't say that about a merc where you love or loath them. As far as I am concerned these so called buses are scrap.
At least I got some funny remarks off joe public, where have you left the top deck behind drive etc etc.
813 a bigg phatt zero on all counts
Quote from: 2900 on November 16, 2015, 12:01:47 PM
It's a Saturday evening it's wet windy and dark I,m sheltering in draughty bus shelter in west brom thinking I so don't want to be here when 813 pulls in on the 129 service, oh my god what's this piece of crap doing on here begrudgingly I take over. I,m hating this the door pedal is the wrong place , the wayfarer is to far away for comfort, leaving west brom now what complete utter crap this vehicle is,front axle feels detached , Rev counter bobbing up and down with no sense of power from the washing machine motor outback. I didn't like the balance of brakes either not the best. Plenty of rattles to, there's no charm or character to these you can't say that about a merc where you love or loath them. As far as I am concerned these so called buses are scrap.
At least I got some funny remarks off joe public, where have you left the top deck behind drive etc etc.
813 a bigg phatt zero on all counts
You do make me laugh
@2900. Have you been able to drive a Scania yet?
Sh4318 I haven't driven a Scania yet I,ve seen them dotted about on most of west broms routes they stick out like sore thumb on the 87s
Quote from: 2900 on November 16, 2015, 12:31:02 PM
Sh4318 I haven't driven a Scania yet I,ve seen them dotted about on most of west broms routes they stick out like sore thumb on the 87s
Now 8 of them are required for the 48 they should very rarely appear in strange places. There aren't actually enough there for the three routes they should be on (45/48/49)
I did hear a rumour that the 48 service is to single deck operated , I suppose in a way it's an upgrade probably feel more like it after refurb.
@2900 It will be good to see them get into Crimson as well; they look good in the new livery. That E200 sounded useless - the MMC versions are excellent in comparison. Don't rattle any where near as much and have a good turn of speed on them.
Quote from: 2900 on November 16, 2015, 12:46:01 PM
I did hear a rumour that the 48 service is to single deck operated , I suppose in a way it's an upgrade probably feel more like it after refurb.
48 'must' be single decks because of low trees
Quote from: 2900 on November 16, 2015, 12:46:01 PM
I did hear a rumour that the 48 service is to single deck operated , I suppose in a way it's an upgrade probably feel more like it after refurb.
Upgrade?
From 4 double decker buses per hour (between the 48 and 129) to 3 singles?
Quote from: Kevin on November 16, 2015, 04:38:17 PM
Upgrade?
From 4 double decker buses per hour (between the 48 and 129) to 3 singles?
Now 3 buses per hour to the QE instead of two.
Any figures can be massaged to how people see fit
Quote from: uniquicity on November 16, 2015, 06:36:47 PM
Now 3 buses per hour to the QE instead of two.
Any figures can be massaged to how people see fit
Yeah the route has been upgraded ain't disputing that.
Just the idea that an Omnilink can be considered an upgrade *shudders*
Omnilinks are good buses - refurbished in Crimson they are far better than the old Tridents or some tatty Geminis or Mercs. Beat E200 rattles.
Quote from: Liberator9 on November 16, 2015, 06:50:58 PM
Omnilinks are good buses - refurbished in Crimson they are far better than the old Tridents or some tatty Geminis or Mercs. Beat E200 rattles.
More a case that the 48 has been said to stuggle with single deckers by several members.
Sorry - interpreted that wrong. However the frequency has increased to every 20 minutes so that should help to offset the issue of capacity.
Quote from: Nathan on November 16, 2015, 07:21:54 PM
More a case that the 48 has been said to stuggle with single deckers by several members.
Up until recently, when more double-decks started to appear, the 48 had been coping well in recent years with Mercs being a permanent fixture, with the 48 (and previously 448) operating half-hourly.
Now with the increased frequency of the route, we may find that single-decks will cope just fine; it's a bit early to be assuming that the route will struggle with single-decks now.
Quote from: Stu on November 16, 2015, 07:36:21 PM
Up until recently, when more double-decks started to appear, the 48 had been coping well in recent years with Mercs being a permanent fixture, with the 48 (and previously 448) operating half-hourly.
Now with the increased frequency of the route, we may find that single-decks will cope just fine; it's a bit early to be assuming that the route will struggle with single-decks now.
As i said. Not my words.
I really don't get the Scania bashing, they are better built buses than any ADL ENVIRO 200, MERCEDES 0405N , MK 2 WRIGHTBUS B7RLE , IMO
Yes there's is lot of plastic but it's of a better quality than mercs and enviro 200s , the fit and finish in most areas is better. The bin is an after thought as usual.
From passenger point of view they,ve always been smooth and quiet, as for rear seating the seats facing forwards is no worse than merc.
Quote from: 2900 on November 17, 2015, 08:59:28 AM
I really don't get the Scania bashing, they are better built buses than any ADL ENVIRO 200, MERCEDES 0405N , MK 2 WRIGHTBUS B7RLE , IMO
Yes there's is lot of plastic but it's of a better quality than mercs and enviro 200s , the fit and finish in most areas is better. The bin is an after thought as usual.
From passenger point of view they,ve always been smooth and quiet, as for rear seating the seats facing forwards is no worse than merc.
The only things I don't like about the Scania buses is; as mentioned above, there's a lot of bulky plastic on the inside. Also, there's a lot of bulkiness on the outer body.
The bus - in my eyes - is basically a very bulky bus, seems more suited to the United States than the UK :D
Although, you can't fault the smoothness, very smooth ride, I can't say anything against that.
Bulky and yet somehow feel cramped inside. None of the seats have enough leg room
Quote from: 2900 on November 17, 2015, 08:59:28 AM
I really don't get the Scania bashing, they are better built buses than any ADL ENVIRO 200, MERCEDES 0405N , MK 2 WRIGHTBUS B7RLE , IMO
Yes there's is lot of plastic but it's of a better quality than mercs and enviro 200s , the fit and finish in most areas is better. The bin is an after thought as usual.
From passenger point of view they,ve always been smooth and quiet, as for rear seating the seats facing forwards is no worse than merc.
@2900 Exactly - my preferred single deck at NX now - although I do like the E200MMCs. Scania did address the rather dreary interior colours in the last Omnilink versions - if you get a chance try one of Johnsons 13/63 reg versions - seat design and layout is far better and the interior has a nice beige colour, with the plastics better. At NX best ones I find are the AG/YW ones - having the EEV 5 engine they are far smoother (also have a bassier sound) than the ones delivered to BY/WA and suspension as well I find better.
Scania are renowned for excellence in the truck industry, they've applied a similar approach to the design and manufacture of PCV products.
Nothing wrong with Scania, they just need more customer feedback to really perfect thier buses, as like they've done with their HGV sector, working closely with purchasers to give an unrivaled service and guarantee.
Scania buses in my opinion, do have a whiff of expense about them, and they are wonderfully designed with large saloon tinted windows and a very comfortable cab.
They still look modern and better compared to E200MMC, given they are many years older.
Quote from: Liverpool Street on November 19, 2015, 12:33:27 PM
Scania are renowned for excellence in the truck industry, they've applied a similar approach to the design and manufacture of PCV products.
Nothing wrong with Scania, they just need more customer feedback to really perfect thier buses, as like they've done with their HGV sector, working closely with purchasers to give an unrivaled service and guarantee.
I'm not sure those who operate OmniCitys and the Polish-built double-deck variant would agree with your first paragraph but there we are.
Diesel-wise, Scania is in the unfortunate position that it (a)has no lightweight single-decker and (b)the double-deck chassis with an Enviro400 body on it is sufficiently more expensive than an 'integral' E400 that the latter is a no-brainer in most applications. The Irizar i3-bodied K230UB comes in at not far off 13tonnes empty (!!), which is way, way more than it should be.
Scania's big strength is in gas. MAN also offers gas, but has a reputation which is in tatters following various problems with earlier buses and Euro 5 engines in other manufacturers' coaches, and the likelihood of it gaining significant orders is minimal. Scania's gas product is exceptionally strong: it is reliable, clearly descended from diesel buses, and cost effective. The gas 'decker might take a while to get off the ground but it should be very good for Scania.
I had not drove 4777 for a good while, but just guess what turned up for my second portion, thankfully for only one trip on the 902! It was a change bus for 4919 earlier this morning
This one is absolutely awful. First off all the r/h door (from inside) wouldn't open at the same time as the l/h door, people were looking as to think I was doing it! Then the doors took an age to open so I could not lower the ramp for ages (most of the time, if you press the ramp lower button just after applying the handbrake, the ramp would start to lower as the doors were opening) after all of the people had got off. Then the doors would shut, but nearly 5 seconds before the door interlock would release. It is nice to have a bus with a decent turn of speed rather than an Enviro400 remaped gearbox, but I felt that the brakes were not as good as the other OmniCitys as they seemed to be off one minute and on the next
Recently I have had the pleasure of mk1 enviro 400s on the 127/8 they absolutely make short work of portway hill towards Dudley bus station, 25-28 mph on this stretch uphill astonishing for a decker, only Lynx,s and mercs could do that, when I used to drive metrobuses up hear omg it was hard work for them, I could have left the cab gone home for cup of tea and biscuits and be back to meet it at the top of the hill.
I do hope we get YW remainder of mk1 enviros we all love them down here cab heating best I,ve ever come across , I,ve yet to hear a driver here complain about them with exception of speed bumps.
Most of us hate the MK2s please we don't want any more of those.
Quote from: 2900 on November 24, 2015, 11:10:43 AM
Recently I have had the pleasure of mk1 enviro 400s on the 127/8 they absolutely make short work of portway hill towards Dudley bus station, 25-28 mph on this stretch uphill astonishing for a decker, only Lynx,s and mercs could do that, when I used to drive metrobuses up hear omg it was hard work for them, I could have left the cab gone home for cup of tea and biscuits and be back to meet it at the top of the hill.
I do hope we get YW remainder of mk1 enviros we all love them down here cab heating best I,ve ever come across , I,ve yet to hear a driver here complain about them with exception of speed bumps.
Most of us hate the MK2s please we don't want any more of those.
I agree they're beats! Im sad Coventry took most of ours
Finally got 4927 first on Saturday and again this afternoon, completing my list of Perry Barr's Enviro400 MK2 to drive. It is like the others with the awful gearbox setup, but it seemed to have a better turn of speed than some of the others. It has a good 30,000 miles less than some of the other Sutton buses. The majority of the branded buses are at around 110,000 miles, with some of the ticket branded buses a bit less around the 100,000 mark. 4927 only has 76,000 miles on it
Spotless inside and out, apart from the flap over the emergency door button is still black on the inside, from the smoke damage. The CCTV cameras are black instead of having a chrome bezel, and the front upper deck one (the one you see on the screen in the cab) is in a different position. It is nearer the position of the '61' plates camera, where you can not see the front row of seats on either side. It also seems to have a slight burnt smell, but this seems to be slowly going
It has also gained a 'Crimson' seat, downstairs rear N/S seat at the back. I guess it must have had a full retrim with the grey moquette as it would have been drenched and smoke damaged but this one must have being replaced soon after re-entering service. I still remember looking at it on the night it was burnt out and still hours later, water was still dripping out of the upper deck
Quote from: John on November 25, 2015, 06:20:03 PM
Finally got 4927 first on Saturday and again this afternoon, completing my list of Perry Barr's Enviro400 MK2 to drive. It is like the others with the awful gearbox setup, but it seemed to have a better turn of speed than some of the others. It has a good 30,000 miles less than some of the other Sutton buses. The majority of the branded buses are at around 110,000 miles, with some of the ticket branded buses a bit less around the 100,000 mark. 4927 only has 76,000 miles on it
Spotless inside and out, apart from the flap over the emergency door button is still black on the inside, from the smoke damage. The CCTV cameras are black instead of having a chrome bezel, and the front upper deck one (the one you see on the screen in the cab) is in a different position. It is nearer the position of the '61' plates camera, where you can not see the front row of seats on either side. It also seems to have a slight burnt smell, but this seems to be slowly going
It has also gained a 'Crimson' seat, downstairs rear N/S seat at the back. I guess it must have had a full retrim with the grey moquette as it would have been drenched and smoke damaged but this one must have being replaced soon after re-entering service. I still remember looking at it on the night it was burnt out and still hours later, water was still dripping out of the upper deck
Should've stayed burnt.
Hateful things.
Yesterday evening I got a ride on 4975 as it was being shunted to the top yard the shunter wasn't hanging about , I thought to myself hes getting this bus to really move I was rather impressed. It's a soho rd branded bus very slim of driving it myself to see what it can do.
Yesterday evening not the most pleasant on Dudley rd I stopped just after the jet petrol station to pick up some teenagers about 4 in number they stood on the platform waiting for there mates who were in the shop ,they kept apologising for holding up the bus I didn't say a word what's the point I sat there patiently 3 minutes had passed now passengers sat downstairs starting to get frustrated, after another minute or so 6/7 of there mates turned up and on my way I went 5 minutes down and little annoyed but ok.
Coming into city near great Charles st somebody lites up a fag I carry on as usual nothing new smoking on a Dudley rd bus no ones complaining I get to moor st a couple getting off said there smoking upstairs you gona let everything go on your bus , I replied nobody's got my back I,m on my own no real time help, police don't want to know its low level to them, also I find it rich that people who have completed there journeys choose complain then and expect some thing to be done, so it's ok then to inconvenience every one else, selfish tossers, it's extremely rare especially at night for someone to come to the driver and ask for something to be done about anti social behaviour ,end of the day people just want that bus to be rolling along.
Quote from: 2900 on November 26, 2015, 11:25:37 AM
*snip*
It's a vicious circle.
You're bound by the P45 hanging over your head
@2900 if you make the wrong decision in situations like that.
Those bunch of scumbags, or 'pieces of shit' as I call them, were clearly taking the piss. Of course back in my day a bit of "offensive" driving would get them off the bus no problem with a tap on the back from the legit passengers and 'ask no questions' from everyone else!
Not nowadays, you're just lucky each passenger didn't spit over you instead of the old-fashioned 'thank you'.
Bit bitter this evening , apologies lads.
6757 - enviro mmc
I had the misfortune of this thing today for over 4 hours! It was quite honestly the worst bus ive driven, don't get me wrong it was smooth and ok once it got moving but it had no character or anything going for it! It was soo sluggish pulling away it was almost danagerous especially at kingstanding circle! The doors took ages to fully close and the door interlock to release and the assault screen rattled! It seemed to be a gearbox issue with it keep selecting the wrong gear, when I went to pull away then had to stop due to traffic lights changing the bus juddered and I was fighting it to get it to stop!
One thing ive noticed with the later platinums is that the led on the staircase is purple instead of blue!?
Quote from: BU07 LGO on November 28, 2015, 07:38:14 PM
6757 - enviro mmc
I had the misfortune of this thing today for over 4 hours! It was quite honestly the worst bus ive driven, don't get me wrong it was smooth and ok once it got moving but it had no character or anything going for it! It was soo sluggish pulling away it was almost danagerous especially at kingstanding circle! The doors took ages to fully close and the door interlock to release and the assault screen rattled! It seemed to be a gearbox issue with it keep selecting the wrong gear, when I went to pull away then had to stop due to traffic lights changing the bus juddered and I was fighting it to get it to stop!
One thing ive noticed with the later platinums is that the led on the staircase is purple instead of blue!?
You could always express your disgust in the cab.....
Quote from: Liverpool Street on November 28, 2015, 09:31:24 PM
You could always express your disgust in the cab.....
There's so much to complain about in newer ADL vehicles. The last 'best' thing in ADL vehicles was the older Enviro 400's which were actually fast, nowadays they're slow as hell.
Quote from: Ronnoc on November 28, 2015, 09:52:28 PM
There's so much to complain about in newer ADL vehicles. The last 'best' thing in ADL vehicles was the older Enviro 400's which were actually fast, nowadays they're slow as hell.
Just say something in the cab, they record everything you say so....
Quote from: Liverpool Street on November 28, 2015, 09:58:36 PM
Just say something in the cab, they record everything you say so....
Love it
Quote from: Ronnoc on November 28, 2015, 09:52:28 PM
There's so much to complain about in newer ADL vehicles. The last 'best' thing in ADL vehicles was the older Enviro 400's which were actually fast, nowadays they're slow as hell.
It's not the buses themselves, just how the gearboxes have been set up since within the past year (saving fuel and wear on parts I guess).
When I first started driving nearly 2 years ago, the MK2 Enviro400s were a lot better than they are now. But now, the gearboxes have been altered to change up a gear at around 1500rpm. This is too low as you can not pick up enough speed in a gear before the box changes up, then you can feel the engine struggling to pick up speed because it is in too high a gear for the road speed. There is also a delay sometimes in pressing the accelerator and the bus moving off, about a second, but sometimes this can make the difference between re-entering traffic in a gap or not (again they were not like this before the changes were made)
Quote from: BU07 LGO on November 28, 2015, 07:38:14 PM
6757 - enviro mmc
I had the misfortune of this thing today for over 4 hours! It was quite honestly the worst bus ive driven, don't get me wrong it was smooth and ok once it got moving but it had no character or anything going for it! It was soo sluggish pulling away it was almost danagerous especially at kingstanding circle! The doors took ages to fully close and the door interlock to release and the assault screen rattled! It seemed to be a gearbox issue with it keep selecting the wrong gear, when I went to pull away then had to stop due to traffic lights changing the bus juddered and I was fighting it to get it to stop!
One thing ive noticed with the later platinums is that the led on the staircase is purple instead of blue!?
The most character you'd get in an E400 MMC is probably a hoover or a little growl from the engine, like 6142. I know it isn't a 100 percent guarantee that it will be absolutely reliable but after all that promotional work by ADL, I'm quite ashamed.
Quote from: Ronnoc on November 28, 2015, 10:07:10 PM
The most character you'd get in an E400 MMC is probably a hoover or a little growl from the engine, like 6142. I know it isn't a 100 percent guarantee that it will be absolutely reliable but after all that promotional work by ADL, I'm quite ashamed.
The one thing I do like about them is the turbo whine in some of the Mk2s when accelerating, happens more when the engine is cold after just leaving garage in the morning.
The Mk1 Enviro400's engine is a lot more meatier sounding though, and these do have some power. A shame I very rarely get one any more
I really want to know the answer this question and so here it is, which is the fastest bus ! I.e if their was a drag between a Plaxton, Gemini, E400 etc.... who'd win ?! I know a single deck would win due to lower weight but which !
Quote from: GeminiFan1991 on November 28, 2015, 10:23:28 PM
I really want to know the answer this question and so here it is, which is the fastest bus ! I.e if their was a drag between a Plaxton, Gemini, E400 etc.... who'd win ?! I know a single deck would win due to lower weight but which !
It depends really. Different buses are faster/slower then others, that also goes for buses with the same engine.
Really with refercne to drag racing buses, the pull-off is differnt per bus but once they get to 20mph~ the acellerstion is about the same.
Unless its 4942.. Then you might as well walk.
Bloody E400's...
Quote from: Liverpool Street on November 28, 2015, 10:39:28 PM
Really with refercne to drag racing buses, the pull-off is differnt per bus but once they get to 20mph~ the acellerstion is about the same.
Unless its 4942.. Then you might as well walk.
Bloody E400's...
If it were a race, kickdown will definitely be involved. But unless it's a turd on wheels, like an E40D, or those Urban 2's, then you may as well walk lol.
Quote from: Ronnoc on November 28, 2015, 10:50:57 PM
If it were a race, kickdown will definitely be involved. But unless it's a turd on wheels, like an E40D, or those Urban 2's, then you may as well walk lol.
Yeah. Well we must assume the poster was referring to REAL machines, not EU-strangled, company governed "buses".
Just the inner boy in me wanted to know ! As of late and due to my workplace I'm used to NX buses hitting nice speeds for a sustained period so it's a natural thought to have !
I'd put a bet on one of the 56 reg B7RLEs - they can shift I've found. The E200MMCs can pull off pretty good as well, and the later Scanias at YW. Can depend on the individual bus though - such variation at times even when they're the exact same type of bus.
The E200 MMCs are rapid to 50mph.
I would put my money on an E200.
As bus drivers do you only drive your local routes or is it optional?
Quote from: Trident4590 on November 29, 2015, 01:07:00 AM
I would put my money on an E200.
As bus drivers do you only drive your local routes or is it optional?
From what I understand, routes are grouped onto rotas which drivers can choose to drive.
Quote from: GeminiFan1991 on November 29, 2015, 01:10:28 AM
From what I understand, routes are grouped onto rotas which drivers can choose to drive.
I'm on spares so I get every route (that I know) at AG. Most often I get Outer Circle duties.
There's a rota here called the Fox Hollies rota. It's got every route on it.
For those that think the mk2 enviros are bad wait until you get mmc's they're terrible! I recently had a mk2 on the 51 and it absolutely flew after been used to the mmc's! The sad thing is there's a rumour going around that WA are to get 4 more platinums?
@Tony Fastest bus I've driven is definately the mk1 enviro (4734) - 4735 was the worst but strangely I haven't seen it for ages?! That one seems reluctant to rev or kick down like the rest of them?
Someone mentioned the b7rle, I personally found them to be quite average at pull off but have only drove them on the 29 and 301 so have barely got above 25mph!
I would put up mk1 enviro 4745/47 and few others in this batch against any bus including single deckers , these are just a different class. Love to take these to a drag strip and take on any bus in a straight line.
MW before you move on you need to experience these buses , to me they is totally unrestricted big box of fun, for a responsible driver it's good to know under your right foot you have the power when required and not constantly hoping for a big gap or relying on other motorists to help you out.
From past experiences 4586 (WN) was the first bus to get the Euro 4 prototype engine and to this day it's easily the quickest I've driven.
I agree with the other guys/girls the 4800-4822 Enviros have a great turn of speed.
Just interested to hear off NXWM drivers about what their Enviro 200s are like to drive. I'm a driver with First in Worcester and drove one of our 3 enviro 200s a few days ago. I hadn't driven one since they returned from Hereford but I really didn't like it, the acceleration was jerky and going down hill it felt like it was about to take off despite having my foot on the brake! Are yours the same?
Quote from: j789 on November 29, 2015, 02:07:24 PM
Just interested to hear off NXWM drivers about what their Enviro 200s are like to drive. I'm a driver with First in Worcester and drove one of our 3 enviro 200s a few days ago. I hadn't driven one since they returned from Hereford but I really didn't like it, the acceleration was jerky and going down hill it felt like it was about to take off despite having my foot on the brake! Are yours the same?
The MMCs are quite smooth to be honest. The brakes are weird though, compared to Volvo B7TLs, which I'm more used to.When you tap them slightly, they seem to be very sharp for like a second, and then you have to adjust your foot, to get the balance right. It's like whenever I press the brake, the amount of pressure required changes. Weird.
Acceleration wise, they are smooth though. Up Bradford Street on the 31, they really scream.
Also, the steering is heavy on all of them.
Only have MMCs at the garage I'm at, so not driven any older ones.
Quote from: MW on November 29, 2015, 02:48:28 PM
The MMCs are quite smooth to be honest. The brakes are weird though, compared to Volvo B7TLs, which I'm more used to.When you tap them slightly, they seem to be very sharp for like a second, and then you have to adjust your foot, to get the balance right. It's like whenever I press the brake, the amount of pressure required changes. Weird.
Acceleration wise, they are smooth though. Up Bradford Street on the 31, they really scream.
Also, the steering is heavy on all of them.
Only have MMCs at the garage I'm at, so not driven any older ones.
@MW your lucky for the E200 MMCS your the only garage that has them
J789 most people on this forum know I hate ADL enviro 200s ,quite simply complete and utter crap I,ve nothing good to say to be honest , I can't understand how a company that produced the mk1 enviro 400 trident2 came with up this pile of shite. West brom garage 62 plates are horrendous turds.ADL hang your heads in shame for festooning these contraptions on the uk bus driving force. If this was a car I would have returned it to the dealer and asked for me money back plus compensation to boot.
Quote from: 2900 on November 29, 2015, 03:34:48 PM
J789 most people on this forum know I hate ADL enviro 200s ,quite simply complete and utter crap I,ve nothing good to say to be honest , I can't understand how a company that produced the mk1 enviro 400 trident2 came with up this pile of shite. West brom garage 62 plates are horrendous turds.ADL hang your heads in shame for festooning these contraptions on the uk bus driving force. If this was a car I would have returned it to the dealer and asked for me money back plus compensation to boot.
Sounds like 6757! I've driven 2 of the WA ones they was bad but not that bad, the brakes are stupidly sharp though
The most sluggish buses I've driven are some of the Presidents, and the B7RLEs (mk2's). The B7RLEs, whilst low revvers, weren't slow tbh. On the 5, up the Hill at Widney Manor towards Solihull Sixth Form, they'd rev very high however. You could actually hear the sound of the Mk1 B7RLEs.
4072 - Plaxton President
This one was my first president and I was expecting bad things after hearing
@MW 's reviews! I was actually really impressed by it, the steering wheel seemed the same as a Gemini (not the big ship one ive heard all about :p) the brakes were nice and smooth and it had a decent turn of speed on flat ground! It was a bit sluggish uphill but not as bad as some of the B7 ALX I've driven!
The mirror took some getting used to because it was through the doors instead of the windscreen like every other bus!
I was surprised how smooth it was, with a b7 alx the braking took a bit of getting used to but the president was really nice!
A good president is hard to beat fortunately for us here at west brom we don't have any real sheds.
On the 87 yesterday towards Dudley kids messing about on the upper deck didn't think any thing of it on arrival Dudley bus station a chap told me the kids had destroyed every single bell switch upstairs with a lighter exposing the bell switch workings, the bus had to be removed from service right in the middle of the peak so not good on a busy service like the 87 , felt sorry for the driver behind he must of got hammered to cape hill.
Quote from: 2900 on December 17, 2015, 10:15:16 AM
A good president is hard to beat fortunately for us here at west brom we don't have any real sheds.
On the 87 yesterday towards Dudley kids messing about on the upper deck didn't think any thing of it on arrival Dudley bus station a chap told me the kids had destroyed every single bell switch upstairs with a lighter exposing the bell switch workings, the bus had to be removed from service right in the middle of the peak so not good on a busy service like the 87 , felt sorry for the driver behind he must of got hammered to cape hill.
I cannot believe this! Kids should not be allowed lighters, these kids should be reported to the school.
Quote from: 2900 on December 17, 2015, 10:15:16 AM
A good president is hard to beat fortunately for us here at west brom we don't have any real sheds.
On the 87 yesterday towards Dudley kids messing about on the upper deck didn't think any thing of it on arrival Dudley bus station a chap told me the kids had destroyed every single bell switch upstairs with a lighter exposing the bell switch workings, the bus had to be removed from service right in the middle of the peak so not good on a busy service like the 87 , felt sorry for the driver behind he must of got hammered to cape hill.
Gone are the days where they used to just pile the old metrobus bench seats into a little fort at the back.
That, or throw them out the emergency exit whilst you're driving along.
'The good old days'
Quote from: BU07 LGO on December 16, 2015, 06:03:53 PM
4072 - Plaxton President
This one was my first president and I was expecting bad things after hearing @MW 's reviews! I was actually really impressed by it, the steering wheel seemed the same as a Gemini (not the big ship one ive heard all about :p) the brakes were nice and smooth and it had a decent turn of speed on flat ground! It was a bit sluggish uphill but not as bad as some of the B7 ALX I've driven!
The mirror took some getting used to because it was through the doors instead of the windscreen like every other bus!
I was surprised how smooth it was, with a b7 alx the braking took a bit of getting used to but the president was really nice!
When we had them at BC, they were a bit quicker pulling away than the 42xx Volvos, the heaters were always warm and they were pretty good, only niggling thing a lot seemed to have lower than usual platforms and would often scrape loudly across the cassel curbs often resulting in shocked looking passengers!
Quote from: Liverpool Street on December 17, 2015, 12:42:09 PM
Gone are the days where they used to just pile the old metrobus bench seats into a little fort at the back.
That, or throw them out the emergency exit whilst you're driving along.
'The good old days'
you,ve just brought back memories of what kids did to metrobuses, I remember driving down hagley rd towards brum and coming across blue seat benches thinking they look familiar.
I recall one time teenage school girls on Dudley rd threw a load of seats into the stairs I left them there the girls had to jump over them to get through the dumb bitches.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on December 17, 2015, 01:14:49 PM
When we had them at BC, they were a bit quicker pulling away than the 42xx Volvos, the heaters were always warm and they were pretty good, only niggling thing a lot seemed to have lower than usual platforms and would often scrape loudly across the cassel curbs often resulting in shocked looking passengers!
yes I can recall some presidents catching the humps on the entrance to new st brum when traffic use to go down, now I find some ride really high up.
Quote from: 2900 on December 17, 2015, 02:13:41 PM
yes I can recall some presidents catching the humps on the entrance to new st brum when traffic use to go down, now I find some ride really high up.
There's a couple of kassel kerbs that the Presidents scrape off on the 11 route. On approach to the stop, I use the tail lift and then lower the platform when stationary. The door often gets stuck open when the platform is lowered so I manually raise the platform with the switch.
Quote from: MW on December 17, 2015, 03:27:29 PM
There's a couple of kassel kerbs that the Presidents scrape off on the 11 route. On approach to the stop, I use the tail lift and then lower the platform when stationary. The door often gets stuck open when the platform is lowered so I manually raise the platform with the switch.
That happens a lot on certain stops where the road has sunk!
Interestingly when I drove 4820 on the 935 (whilst on loan) I noticed it scraped badly on the speedbumps on the crescent in Walsall but our 57 plate ones have no trouble!
Quote from: MW on December 17, 2015, 03:27:29 PM
There's a couple of kassel kerbs that the Presidents scrape off on the 11 route. On approach to the stop, I use the tail lift and then lower the platform when stationary. The door often gets stuck open when the platform is lowered so I manually raise the platform with the switch.
Kings Heath Vicarage road (11A)?
Quote from: Ronnoc on December 17, 2015, 07:28:57 PM
Kings Heath Vicarage road (11A)?
Yeah that's one, and the one further down where the 35 turns off. Pineapple cross is it? That ones really bad because of the slope in the road, the Geminis hit it as well. Always use tail lift at that stop.
4053 I have just driven to Dundee was just about perfect. Shame about the top speed of 43mph, speedo read 45, but was able to drive flat out for a full hour to check how far I travelled
Quote from: Tony on December 17, 2015, 09:57:48 PM
4053 I have just driven to Dundee was just about perfect. Shame about the top speed of 43mph, speedo read 45, but was able to drive flat out for a full hour to check how far I travelled
How bored were you beating up that motorway doing that sedentary speed?
Quote from: Tony on December 17, 2015, 09:57:48 PM
4053 I have just driven to Dundee was just about perfect. Shame about the top speed of 43mph, speedo read 45, but was able to drive flat out for a full hour to check how far I travelled
Not bad considering you left WB at 08:20 and took 10 1/2 hours to get there, although you did very briefly manage to hit a top speed of 51mph at 15:53hrs. LOL!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on December 16, 2015, 06:03:53 PM
4072 - Plaxton President
This one was my first president and I was expecting bad things after hearing @MW 's reviews! I was actually really impressed by it, the steering wheel seemed the same as a Gemini (not the big ship one ive heard all about :p) the brakes were nice and smooth and it had a decent turn of speed on flat ground! It was a bit sluggish uphill but not as bad as some of the B7 ALX I've driven!
The mirror took some getting used to because it was through the doors instead of the windscreen like every other bus!
I was surprised how smooth it was, with a b7 alx the braking took a bit of getting used to but the president was really nice!
Lol. I think it depends on what sort of route they are on. On the 1, they aren't bad at all, because it's not exactly a busy route. When it's full to the brim on the 11, you really really notice. Vast of them are very slow, and the brakes go from good to bad because of the extra load. On the Geminis, the difference isn't nearly as bad.
Also, they seem to be transferring the ones in better nick to other garages. 4051-4078ish (minus some) seem to be better, especially the 406* lot. The bad ones that spring to mind are the 403*-4041 lot. The gearing on a lot of them is different too. Some rev a lot higher. I can't remember which one it is now, possibly 4069. This one revs like a 46** Gemini, all the way to around 2250rpm, rather than around 1900 on flat roads. Some of them really jerk around when your slowing down, then go again. They get confused as to which gear they should be in, and then you get a sudden jolt.
I think what also contributes to it for is again with the route. On the 11, there isn't a terminus, and sometimes you find yourself not getting out of the cab for 5hrs:30, and then the cab gets uncomfortable (for me anyway) due to the lack of legroom. That metal thing on the floor is annoying too.
If you get the Plaxtons regularly, you'll begin to see how often people smack there heads of the mirror, as I'm sure
@2900 will know. That's another irritating thing with them. On calmer routes, and Sundays, they're okay, but in the peaks, they're not so good for me.
Quote from: MW on December 18, 2015, 02:52:24 AM
Lol. I think it depends on what sort of route they are on. On the 1, they aren't bad at all, because it's not exactly a busy route. When it's full to the brim on the 11, you really really notice. Vast of them are very slow, and the brakes go from good to bad because of the extra load. On the Geminis, the difference isn't nearly as bad.
Also, they seem to be transferring the ones in better nick to other garages. 4051-4078ish (minus some) seem to be better, especially the 406* lot. The bad ones that spring to mind are the 403*-4041 lot. The gearing on a lot of them is different too. Some rev a lot higher. I can't remember which one it is now, possibly 4069. This one revs like a 46** Gemini, all the way to around 2250rpm, rather than around 1900 on flat roads. Some of them really jerk around when your slowing down, then go again. They get confused as to which gear they should be in, and then you get a sudden jolt.
I think what also contributes to it for is again with the route. On the 11, there isn't a terminus, and sometimes you find yourself not getting out of the cab for 5hrs:30, and then the cab gets uncomfortable (for me anyway) due to the lack of legroom. That metal thing on the floor is annoying too.
If you get the Plaxtons regularly, you'll begin to see how often people smack there heads of the mirror, as I'm sure @2900 will know. That's another irritating thing with them. On calmer routes, and Sundays, they're okay, but in the peaks, they're not so good for me.
yeah I agree with the last paragraph when the plaxtons were on the 87,s they did struggle fully loaded it became entirely different bus to drive. These days they are on 83/89 or other lesser used services at west brom far more enjoyable to drive, Sunday evenings with good one doesn't feel like work more like cruising and getting paid to do it.
From drivers point of the £4 daysaver has been hit , people's faces light up, smiles even a joke or two when you tell them it's only £4 not the £4.40 they were expecting pay. People paying the max single look miserable , just my observations.
Quote from: 2900 on January 10, 2016, 11:29:43 AM
From drivers point of the £4 daysaver has been hit , people's faces light up, smiles even a joke or two when you tell them it's only £4 not the £4.40 they were expecting pay. People paying the max single look miserable , just my observations.
The kids trying the quid trick aren't best pleased too lol
@BU07 LGO what did you think of 6726 yesterday, felt like it was struggling abit on X51
Quote from: Chris on January 10, 2016, 07:00:21 PM
@BU07 LGO what did you think of 6726 yesterday, felt like it was struggling abit on X51
Wasn't the worst platinum but not the best either, they're all sluggish on pull off and don't kick down when you want them to!
? How does an Enviro 400 MMC compare to the Mk2 Enviro 400 in terms of performance etc
Quote from: 2900 on January 11, 2016, 11:21:36 AM
? How does an Enviro 400 MMC compare to the Mk2 Enviro 400 in terms of performance etc
its hard to say when I first drove one it felt loads quicker than a mk2 but now when I drive a mk2 on the 51 that feels quicker! I think it just depends what one your used to and the other feels quicker! Pull off is definitely slower when pulling away side by side on the mmc
Quote from: Tony on December 17, 2015, 09:57:48 PM
4053 I have just driven to Dundee was just about perfect. Shame about the top speed of 43mph, speedo read 45, but was able to drive flat out for a full hour to check how far I travelled
@Tony How do you get back from Dundee?
Quote from: Tony on January 11, 2016, 08:25:47 PM
On the train
Bet that was a long journey with bus services between Scotland & Carlisle
@Tony ?
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on January 11, 2016, 08:37:10 PM
Bet that was a long journey with bus services between Scotland & Carlisle @Tony ?
Not on December the 17th.
The direct train from Dundee to Birmingham comes via Newcastle anyway
Mk 1 ADL ENVIRO 400 comments
The novelty of these fast powerful buses wearing very thin now reason being when your sat in the cab for five and hours the crap drivers seat and the crap front suspension really takes it toll , I sometimes come off with my Arse in agony and a tight lower back also in foul mood cause of it.
Driving fair few Volvo b7tl,s lately I really appreciate the chassis is way more superior than the trident2 , 4706/4711 I,ve driven lately it's so more comfortable for long periods it may be no way as fast as the trident2 but in the long term for ones well being us drivers need to be as comfortable as possible. I wonder how the enviro 400mmc,s compare to trident2 for long term driver comfort.
I do hope management ask drivers of there opinions on the streetdeck after they,ve done long stints behind the wheel on how they feel. After all they go on about customer care well that eh gona happen if a driver is in discomfort/pain. Some thing to think about, after all its we the drivers are stuck with them for 15/20 years. So come on pennsnet crew let your views be known.
I never felt this bad when I drove metro-buses a design from the 70s
Incident recently in bearwood. As I approached the bearwood rd junction with Anderson rd a right turn I noticed the mouth of the rd blocked by cars, i informed traffic the advice I got pap your horn to raise awareness it certainly did it a youth opened the doors from outside and boarded the bus he asked what's the problem I explained to him the situation he replied stop being a dick head, I asked him to leave he then became abusive and then produces a shiny metal object from his pocket and proceeds to try and punch me through the hole in the vandal screen above the cash Shute , I called it a nite then cause I was absolutely seething with rage cause company policy is driver remain welded to your f,ing seat at all f,ing times. I,m thinking of getting a heavy duty clip board to smash any one with who puts there grubby mitts through the cab,not unreasonable I think.
Design flaw on enviro 400s the hole around the cash Shute to big , management needs to address this me thinks.
Incident windmill lane smethwick.
While driving down windmill lane some toerag throws an object through the left side side window showering a pensioner in glass fortunately for her she was tough as old boots she just dusted herself down, she thanked God she wasn't sat directly next to the glass , I phoned for an ambulance this turned into a 15/20 minute Q and A session testing mine and the pensioner patience after all that ambulance service determined an ambulance wasn't required by this time all she wanted to do is go home, she walked the half mile or so in the rain, I watched on as walked home on how wrong it was , I wished I had taxi number I would have gladly paid to her get home.
Far to many of these types of incidents going on these toerags don't see the consequences of there actions.
@2900A comprehensive failure of government and strangulation of our rights - thank 1997 labour!
Master, Elite driver
Another new fad it,ll soon fade away like every other scheme I,ve seen over the years , I won't be wasting my time with it got better things to do with my spare time. Still won't save you come getting chop time. Company dithering over pay negotiations but got plenty of time for these schemes though, rather have the extra pay don't want a new shirt or tie.
Quote from: 2900 on February 06, 2016, 10:46:38 AM
Master, Elite driver
Another new fad it,ll soon fade away like every other scheme I,ve seen over the years , I won't be wasting my time with it got better things to do with my spare time. Still won't save you come getting chop time. Company dithering over pay negotiations but got plenty of time for these schemes though, rather have the extra pay don't want a new shirt or tie.
The Master Driver scheme is the company paying for, and putting you through, the Institute of Advanced Motoring, advanced driving test to make you a better driver of both a bus and your car.
Not really a waste of time
Quote from: Tony on February 06, 2016, 05:24:21 PM
The Master Driver scheme is the company paying for, and putting you through, the Institute of Advanced Motoring, advanced driving test to make you a better driver of both a bus and your car.
Not really a waste of time
My thoughts exactly. If they don't invest in staff they are in the wrong, when they do invest in staff they are wrong. Can't really please some!
Quote from: Driver03 on February 06, 2016, 06:47:05 PM
My thoughts exactly. If they don't invest in staff they are in the wrong, when they do invest in staff they are wrong. Can't really please some!
Nah you can please everyone, just pay the drivers the money instead of wasting it on these qualifications.
Quote from: MW on February 06, 2016, 07:02:10 PM
Nah you can please everyone, just pay the drivers the money instead of wasting it on these qualifications.
Try talking to the people that have done it. They have a far different opinion to you
Politics, men
Quote from: MW on February 06, 2016, 07:02:10 PM
Nah you can please everyone, just pay the drivers the money instead of wasting it on these qualifications.
You will save money on you private car insurance too, therefor more money in your pocket.
Quote from: Driver03 on February 06, 2016, 09:00:38 PM
You will save money on you private car insurance too, therefor more money in your pocket.
Do a quote and come back to me on that
Just did a test quote and there was no difference
The nvq in bus driving still haven't done it never will not worth the paper it's written on, if it was important company would have put every driver through it like the bullshit cpc card which is bureaucratic nonsense any way,to create jobs. i,ll see how the pay deal pans out and then as usual something comes out of the blue , I,m expecting west broms duty compass to come into line with the Birmingham garages from 8hrs 45mins to 9hrs 30mins . I,ve done nearly 20 years of Dudley rd I,ve had enough of it , Portland rd was good while it lasted , I,ve seen plenty of good people go over the years may be its time to move on. The job is,nt the same it's worse than ever, those sat in traffic offices should come out on the road and see what we have to put up with let's face it they,ve forgotten the bullshit. There's no morale what so ever with circle of drivers I mix with.
I only wish I,d done the class one licence back in the day when the dole office,labour exchange what ever it's called these days use to pay for it.
Quote from: Driver03 on February 06, 2016, 06:47:05 PM
My thoughts exactly. If they don't invest in staff they are in the wrong, when they do invest in staff they are wrong. Can't really please some!
invest in staff don't make me laugh, when somebody tried to re arrange my face with a metal object , nobody inquired if I was ok and you know what f##k management.
When somebody put a house brick through the windscreen I never heard f##k all then.
Recently I had window put through guess what I haven't heard any thing either. To be honest no one is bothered that's the way I see it.
This is the ugly side of bus driving , kids welcome to the real world , school make the most of it they are the best days of your life for most ,care free for the most part only exams to worry about. If I could I,d do skool again no problem.
Quote from: 2900 on February 07, 2016, 02:01:53 AM
invest in staff don't make me laugh, when somebody tried to re arrange my face with a metal object , nobody inquired if I was ok and you know what f##k management.
When somebody put a house brick through the windscreen I never heard f##k all then.
Recently I had window put through guess what I haven't heard any thing either. To be honest no one is bothered that's the way I see it.
This is the ugly side of bus driving , kids welcome to the real world , school make the most of it they are the best days of your life for most ,care free for the most part only exams to worry about. If I could I,d do skool again no problem.
@2900 school days were the best - going home via the chippy with the penny your dad gave you for tuck money
Honestly we never had it so good
now it's just roof repairs and bills until we die
Quote from: Liverpool Street on February 07, 2016, 02:10:02 AM
@2900 school days were the best - going home via the chippy with the penny your dad gave you for tuck money
Honestly we never had it so good
now it's just roof repairs and bills until we die
chips, crisps ,chocolates and biscuits tasted so much back then now it's all reduced sugar ,salt bullshit
A bus driver friend once said to me:
Bus driving is "Taking lousy people to lousy places in lousy vehicles at lousy times of the day.
Mind you NXWMs 957 is nowadays considered to be "Taking Posh people to a posh place in a posh vehicle."!
Dudley road
I and my colleagues would like to thank Sandwell for the splendid job they are doing in cape hill, 3 speed humps, several extended pavement points, relocation of bus stops.
Thank you Sandwell council you have succeeded in adding to the misery it's now a f##king nightmare to negotiate a bus through there , inconsiderate parking , people even park on top of the extended pavements blocking the road, they just aren't bothered as long as the can park right opposite the shop they wish to visit, I haven't seen any traffic wardens for months down there either who can blame them I have a mate who is a warden he told me straight some of his colleagues are frightened to show there faces in cape hill, fear of being assaulted. Drivers constantly being harassed by arsehole passengers can you let me off here the stop is miles I don't want to wait in the traffic, I no longer say any thing to them I just ignore them , tired of there bullshit sucking of teeth and blood claat this blood claat that.
Sandwell council I salute you, the mother of all f##kups
Quote from: JoNi on February 07, 2016, 10:12:19 AM
A bus driver friend once said to me:
Bus driving is "Taking lousy people to lousy places in lousy vehicles at lousy times of the day.
Mind you NXWMs 957 is nowadays considered to be "Taking Posh people to a posh place in a posh vehicle."!
i like it, hits the nail on the head
Quote from: 2900 on February 07, 2016, 02:01:53 AM
invest in staff don't make me laugh, when somebody tried to re arrange my face with a metal object , nobody inquired if I was ok and you know what f##k management.
When somebody put a house brick through the windscreen I never heard f##k all then.
Recently I had window put through guess what I haven't heard any thing either. To be honest no one is bothered that's the way I see it.
This is the ugly side of bus driving , kids welcome to the real world , school make the most of it they are the best days of your life for most ,care free for the most part only exams to worry about. If I could I,d do skool again no problem.
I don't want to start an off-topic war 2900, my point is simply this.
What you experienced was awful, it shouldn't of happened end of story. The problem arises that no matter what NX do/don't do as a company there is no support from the Police. CCTV may be download and viewed but who's saying that the Police have the resources to deal with it.
It's an unfortunate fact of life that there are idiots out there and yes as a driver you'll see that more than others, its the same with every other job involving the public. Doctors and Nurses are all to frequently assaulted verbally and physically too.
Yes it's all politics, but until we can get the support from the Police as drivers and as a company what else can be done, other than to try and lower the risks?
The main thing is your ok.
Regarding Master Driver scheme;
I agree with everything 2900 has said. And with all due respect to Tony, he is going to take the companys side. I don't want to do this course, I dont want a blue tie (I actually like the red one). I would much rather have a decent pay rise. When you compare bus drivers pay to HGV and train drivers pay, it's shocking. Ok, a train driver has to control a train at high speed and is responsable for a lot more people than us, but he doesnt deal with his passengers face to face, gets abuse, sarcastic comments, have other road users cut him up, breath in cigarette smoke or cannabis smoke or both, have to wake up drunks. The other day I had someone smoking weed upstairs on my last trip and I went home with a headache and was in a bad mood to my girlfriend.
Another thing, at least reward long serving drivers with an extra days holiday.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on February 07, 2016, 12:18:56 PM
Regarding Master Driver scheme;
I agree with everything 2900 has said. And with all due respect to Tony, he is going to take the companys side. I don't want to do this course, I dont want a blue tie (I actually like the red one). I would much rather have a decent pay rise. When you compare bus drivers pay to HGV and train drivers pay, it's shocking. Ok, a train driver has to control a train at high speed and is responsable for a lot more people than us, but he doesnt deal with his passengers face to face, gets abuse, sarcastic comments, have other road users cut him up, breath in cigarette smoke or cannabis smoke or both, have to wake up drunks. The other day I had someone smoking weed upstairs on my last trip and I went home with a headache and was in a bad mood to my girlfriend.
Another thing, at least reward long serving drivers with an extra days holiday.
No, it's not taking the management side. It's listening to the PB drivers that have done it.
They're not proud of the blue tie. They're proud of what they have achieved.
Try talking to any of them I don't know of one with a bad word for it
@2900 have you thought about moving to a different company where they don't get so bad customers ie: central, diamond, hansons? I have all thought that nx have the horrible customers. Look at the clientele on the diamond 4 and nxwm 4. Nxwm 4 you will be lucky to stay alive( slight exaggeration). I know the pay is worse but the drivers are all very friendly and they focus on customer service rather than crappy timetables
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 07, 2016, 01:57:17 PM
@2900 have you thought about moving to a different company where they don't get so bad customers ie: central, diamond, hansons? I have all thought that nx have the horrible customers. Look at the clientele on the diamond 4 and nxwm 4. Nxwm 4 you will be lucky to stay alive( slight exaggeration). I know the pay is worse but the drivers are all very friendly and they focus on customer service rather than crappy timetables
Considering you told me you were 'an 'A' grade student not so long ago, posts like this don't give that impression!
I think you will find the drivers employed by Central Buses, Diamond & Hansons are told to adhere to the 'crappy timetables' as you call them or they would soon find themselves in the same position as Travel Express etc
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 07, 2016, 01:57:17 PM
the drivers are all very friendly and they focus on customer service rather than crappy timetables
I'm calling bullshit on that!
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 07, 2016, 01:57:17 PM
@2900 have you thought about moving to a different company where they don't get so bad customers ie: central, diamond, hansons? I have all thought that nx have the horrible customers. Look at the clientele on the diamond 4 and nxwm 4. Nxwm 4 you will be lucky to stay alive( slight exaggeration). I know the pay is worse but the drivers are all very friendly and they focus on customer service rather than crappy timetables
Which planet are you on ??
Seriously ??
I wish I could go there for just 5 minutes, then I might understand your mindset.............
Quote from: Trident 4194 on February 07, 2016, 01:57:17 PM
@2900 have you thought about moving to a different company where they don't get so bad customers ie: central, diamond, hansons? I have all thought that nx have the horrible customers. Look at the clientele on the diamond 4 and nxwm 4. Nxwm 4 you will be lucky to stay alive( slight exaggeration). I know the pay is worse but the drivers are all very friendly and they focus on customer service rather than crappy timetables
Perhaps you might like to visit Redditch and see how much support you have for that statement from passengers!!!!
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on February 07, 2016, 12:18:56 PM
I would much rather have a decent pay rise. When you compare bus drivers pay to HGV and train drivers pay, it's shocking. Ok, a train driver has to control a train at high speed and is responsable for a lot more people than us, but he doesnt deal with his passengers face to face, gets abuse, sarcastic comments, have other road users cut him up, breath in cigarette smoke or cannabis smoke or both, have to wake up drunks. The other day I had someone smoking weed upstairs on my last trip and I went home with a headache and was in a bad mood to my girlfriend.
Another thing, at least reward long serving drivers with an extra days holiday.
@Bham Central Driver Very true - always thought that bus drivers deserve more decent pay. Considering the hassle you have to put up with at times on some routes (the weed issues and abusive passengers), the hours and the high level of responsibility and safety involved, pay should certainly as a whole for bus drivers be higher. Not a bad idea with your 'extra days holiday' - something along those lines would certainly be valued - even just listening to the drivers and respecting their welfare more. Transdev (and First in some areas I use now) certainly do the latter and it reflects in the drivers' higher morale and approach towards passengers.
Really drivers' morale could be far better if the pay was better, and staff turnover potentially lower as well.
Driving for Johnsons, Silverline, Central as examples on the quieter routes is far more pleasant, and less pressured than driving for NX. There is more chance for interaction with passengers and the smaller size of the company perhaps also means more interaction with management, who may be more willing to listen and respond.
Quote from: Tony on February 07, 2016, 02:10:18 PM
Considering you told me you were 'an 'A' grade student not so long ago, posts like this don't give that impression!
I think you will find the drivers employed by Central Buses, Diamond & Hansons are told to adhere to the 'crappy timetables' as you call them or they would soon find themselves in the same position as Travel Express etc
Hi Tony
Diamond Bus 29 is not a crappy schedule, what causes their 2 bus bunching and most times 3 is that some of their buses the Solo's are powerless crap and cant even make the hills, and most time of the day its in and out of Brackenall Heath with 1 min stand time, they only run 3 buses on it, which from my point of view is shtty, as their is not a consistent level of service, it can go from a bus 5 mins apart to 15 mins apart then 20 mins apart, they need a 4 th bus on that route just to level out the service and frequency, Ive told Simon 100s of times, it needs sorting out and I cant explain more simply than I have to him. They need a little bit more running time from the bit from Bloxich road into Walsall town Centre, that is the issue.
They have a facebook page, which hardly even gets answered by them. its just a mess the operational side of things.
Their schedules and duties is designed for Lewis Hamilton..
Police don't want to know about bus related incidents unless it's extremely serious, yes I understand the police service has suffered budget cuts and all other politics that goes with it.
I won't say no to pay increases but it doesn't really compensate for the complete and utter contempt you face daily, in the back of my mind is that when the next object that comes crashing through a window will it be me I,ve had many very close calls , snowball/iceball straight in my eye while taking over a bus in Oldbury, thankfully I still have my eyesight. I just think I,ve had more than my fair share of crap over the years. I used to be able to go into my local have a few pints wash the day away by chatting to me mates and go home in a far better mood but my local has been closed since November.
I,ve thought of changing rota let's face it Dudley rd is the pits.
To get on the 47/49 rota 2 year waiting list I,m told.
The advanced driver course if company paying for it, it's not all bad then.
Winning the lottery has become harder than ever before ,I guess I,ll be grinding that wheel a wee bit longer.
Quote from: 2900 on February 07, 2016, 04:27:32 PM
Police don't want to know about bus related incidents unless it's extremely serious, yes I understand the police service has suffered budget cuts and all other politics that goes with it.
I won't say no to pay increases but it doesn't really compensate for the complete and utter contempt you face daily, in the back of my mind is that when the next object that comes crashing through a window will it be me I,ve had many very close calls , snowball/iceball straight in my eye while taking over a bus in Oldbury, thankfully I still have my eyesight. I just think I,ve had more than my fair share of crap over the years. I used to be able to go into my local have a few pints wash the day away by chatting to me mates and go home in a far better mood but my local has been closed since November.
I,ve thought of changing rota let's face it Dudley rd is the pits.
To get on the 47/49 rota 2 year waiting list I,m told.
The advanced driver course if company paying for it, it's not all bad then.
Winning the lottery has become harder than ever before ,I guess I,ll be grinding that wheel a wee bit longer.
The one thing the company is doing to help with a couple of the incidents you have had is all windows including cab and door windows are to have a thick plastic coating applied to the inside of the glass so that any missile while still braking the glass won't shatter the glass over the person inside and in the majority of cases should physically stop the missile as well.
4532 was the first vehicle done when it was in refurb and the entire fleet is now to be done
Bus Glass does not smash? Ive seen bus accidents and the glass does not smash it sort of shatters but all in tact still.
I have noticed one of the 4700 Geminis sliding cab Windows has been fitted with laminated glass which is considerably thicker than the standard safety glass items , it does give you that bit more assured feeling. Good to hear about the thick plastic being applied to the vehicles Windows, I can recall a good while go a branded Dudley rd merc had its rear window smashed the vinyl used on that window held the window together , I remember thinking that's not bad at all having that vinyl on it.
Quote from: Tomf1993 on February 07, 2016, 04:57:04 PM
Bus Glass does not smash? Ive seen bus accidents and the glass does not smash it sort of shatters but all in tact still.
windscreens are laminated which shatters still glass goes every where and any where.
Side windows is toughened safety glass which shatters into millions of tiny pieces.
Quote from: Tomf1993 on February 07, 2016, 04:22:01 PM
Hi Tony
Diamond Bus 29 is not a crappy schedule, what causes their 2 bus bunching and most times 3 is that some of their buses the Solo's are powerless crap and cant even make the hills, and most time of the day its in and out of Brackenall Heath with 1 min stand time, they only run 3 buses on it, which from my point of view is shtty, as their is not a consistent level of service, it can go from a bus 5 mins apart to 15 mins apart then 20 mins apart, they need a 4 th bus on that route just to level out the service and frequency, Ive told Simon 100s of times, it needs sorting out and I cant explain more simply than I have to him. They need a little bit more running time from the bit from Bloxich road into Walsall town Centre, that is the issue.
They have a facebook page, which hardly even gets answered by them. its just a mess the operational side of things.
Their schedules and duties is designed for Lewis Hamilton..
I don't think that is quite true -
When the 636 had solos, darts and B6's struggle like hell Tibet any speed and yet they stayed on time
Remember that diamond and other independents have a small pool of drivers so each driver has to do more mileage in the time at work
Yes - Indeed Diamond schedules and duties are complicated, like TWM, drivers do all sorts of routes and at Diamond like one ex driver has said openly on the forum drivers are doing 12 plus hours a day which Ive seen for my self, a 29 driver seen at 8am and again at 7pm in the evening..
Quote from: Tomf1993 on February 07, 2016, 05:24:19 PM
Yes - Indeed Diamond schedules and duties are complicated, like TWM, drivers do all sorts of routes and at Diamond like one ex driver has said openly on the forum drivers are doing 12 plus hours a day which Ive seen for my self, a 29 driver seen at 8am and again at 7pm in the evening..
as long as they don't exceed 10 hours driving that's ok
Quote from: Liverpool Street on February 07, 2016, 05:16:23 PM
I don't think that is quite true -
When the 636 had solos, darts and B6's struggle like hell Tibet any speed and yet they stayed on time
Remember that diamond and other independents have a small pool of drivers so each driver has to do more mileage in the time at work
Doesnt the law/ legislation that governs how long a driver can continuously drive not apply to these smaller operators ?!
5 and a half hours driving before a min 30 mins break is required.
Quote from: Tomf1993 on February 07, 2016, 05:54:38 PM
5 and a half hours driving before a min 30 mins break is required.
Not always, you can drive up to 8h30m with out a 30 min break as long as the smaller breaks total 45m
No way this cant be right, as I've tried telling a few London United schedules this and he said no 5 and half hours then a break must be taken. But Its messed up as depending on EU rules
file:///C:/Users/Imran/Downloads/103661-rmt-bus-workers-handbookalwc-lo-res.pdf
Quote from: Tomf1993 on February 07, 2016, 06:26:08 PM
No way this cant be right, as I've tried telling a few London United schedules this and he said no 5 and half hours then a break must be taken. But Its messed up as depending on EU rules
file:///C:/Users/Imran/Downloads/103661-rmt-bus-workers-handbookalwc-lo-res.pdf
Nothing to do with EU rules
Domestic rules clearly state that you can drive for 8h30min using an accumulative break of 45 minutes
Instead of looking at what a Union thinks should be the rules, have a look at what they actually are, you will need to scroll down to page 24
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/208095/rules-on-drivers-hours-and-tachographs-psvs-in-gb-and-europe.pdf
I'm not saying this is right morally and the union don't have a case, but at the moment you can work for 8h30m without a break as long as actual driving in that time is a maximum of 7h45m
It's Blakenall Heath, not b**dy Blakenhall Heath or Brackenall Heath!
Cheers Westy
Im a local.
It annoys me!
Quote from: Tony on February 07, 2016, 06:51:48 PM
Nothing to do with EU rules
Domestic rules clearly state that you can drive for 8h30min using an accumulative break of 45 minutes
Instead of looking at what a Union thinks should be the rules, have a look at what they actually are, you will need to scroll down to page 24
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/208095/rules-on-drivers-hours-and-tachographs-psvs-in-gb-and-europe.pdf
I'm not saying this is right morally and the union don't have a case, but at the moment you can work for 8h30m without a break as long as actual driving in that time is a maximum of 7h45m
most of the duties at Hockley garage and west brom were up to about 7/8 years a go were based on the acumaltive break method the majority of us just on with it. A few drivers started moaning they needed proper breaks these toerags left not long after the breaks were put in , now we have dutys with massive compasses averaging 8.45 to 9.30 to earn the 7.36 , this is why now we,ll fight for any pay rise , I have and always do my workings out on the compass not time on the bus , eg today my compass is 8hrs 36 any way I,ve digressed, back to the hours back in the 90s early noughties I don't remember drivers yapping about the5hrs 30 mins break rule. Looking at the dutys now there are very few dutys where the first portion is 5.30 it's more like 4.30 to avoid rta break issues where possible, the other thing is the gap between duty portions keeps growing it use to be 30 mins it's now 60 mins plus to avoid rta issues
The difference between Eu and domestic driving hours is horrific. I work in the coach tour industry and I firmly belive the difference between the two is totally unjust and unfair. Would be interesting to see how bus companies coped if domestic hours were brought in to line with Eu rules which is something I belive they should have to do..
While waiting for the staff bus thought I,d read the waffle on the staff notice boards, some time this year new wayfarers and scanners are to be introduced , let's hope it's much faster at reading cards, current system is just hopeless creating a bottle neck when boarding the cattle sorry I mean customers.
Apparently yardley wood garage has a female driver whos a Facebook hit, she very bubbly and lively with the travelling public, just an idea may be yardley wood could send this jovial character to West Bromwich may her joviality could rub off on us Dudley road drivers or may be the reverse could happen she,ll end up going back to yardley wood demoralised, when Dudley rd customers/cattle tell her shut your blood claat mouth drive da damn bus maan. Sucking teeth.
@2900 Yardley Wood does have some great drivers from personal experience. Could be down to management (although did once hear one or two moaning over petty dismissals at some point last year) or the routes/clientele. Most of the routes are ok - never had any major problems myself from regularly travelling on them; the majority of routes just have the occasional idiot smoking/mouthing off but on the whole aren't bad. E.g Had a few on the 50/49/6/76 who've tried to fare evade, then got back off after mouthing off over it. And there has been a handful of smokers. Probably the only time I'd find such a thing funny was when a group got on in Sparkbrook, sat in the middle of a Scania; then one got a cigerette out and lighted it. His mates told him he couldn't do that and he put it back out. Good job considering it was a single deck, in the middle of it, and so obvious!
Dudley Road sounds a right pain - don't think I could put up with it from the sounds of it - all the threats and abuse you get coupled with the long duties. 2 year waiting list for the 47/49 sounds bad... hopefully you might strike lucky and get on another set of better routes at some point.
Quote from: 2900 on February 09, 2016, 10:58:44 AM
Apparently yardley wood garage has a female driver whos a Facebook hit, she very bubbly and lively with the travelling public, just an idea may be yardley wood could send this jovial character to West Bromwich may her joviality could rub off on us Dudley road drivers or may be the reverse could happen she,ll end up going back to yardley wood demoralised, when Dudley rd customers/cattle tell her shut your blood claat mouth drive da damn bus maan. Sucking teeth.
Rules of the (Bristol) road:
1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days
on rough roads it's best to just mind your own business just not worth even acknowledging these lowlifes - don't like them drag you down to thier level
The highlight of thier day is smoking weed on your bus and getting on for free - my highlight is 2 cars, paid for house, sucessful family, nice pension, and had a cushy job for years
its hard to rise above it but its totally worth it
and when you don't rise to these pieces of shit it annoys them more
as that fat chav would say 'I ain't bovvered'
I think it's fair to say that most of the routes you guys mention have their brief spell in a decent/not so bad area. Think about the Outer Circle! Dump after dump, well Bournville's alright, but the rest of it!
Quote from: Liverpool Street on February 09, 2016, 02:33:01 PM
Rules of the (Bristol) road:
1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days
on rough roads it's best to just mind your own business just not worth even acknowledging these lowlifes - don't like them drag you down to thier level
The highlight of thier day is smoking weed on your bus and getting on for free - my highlight is 2 cars, paid for house, sucessful family, nice pension, and had a cushy job for years
its hard to rise above it but its totally worth it
and when you don't rise to these pieces of shit it annoys them more
as that fat chav would say 'I ain't bovvered'
i do all the above I don't say shit to no one just keep the bus moving on Dudley rd best policy, it all the other things having missiles thrown at you , people trying to assault you for asking them to leave you alone, you've done the job and got through it and left at the right time , I,m not holding my breath over the company work save pension scheme even though there's a fair amount in it, I,ve made my own provisions else where, bricks and mortar. I,m going to help myself this year no one else is gona do it for me. One thing I will say it's getting mentally more taxing the job is.
There are those who think company is ace the sun shines out of its Arse ,I will say this come down to west brom and try out Dudley rd and soho rd not for a week or two a year minimum let's see what kind of attitude you have afterwards.
Quote from: 2900 on February 09, 2016, 03:21:09 PM
i do all the above I don't say shit to no one just keep the bus moving on Dudley rd best policy, it all the other things having missiles thrown at you , people trying to assault you for asking them to leave you alone, you've done the job and got through it and left at the right time , I,m not holding my breath over the company work save pension scheme even though there's a fair amount in it, I,ve made my own provisions else where, bricks and mortar. I,m going to help myself this year no one else is gona do it for me. One thing I will say it's getting mentally more taxing the job is.
There are those who think company is ace the sun shines out of its Arse ,I will say this come down to west brom and try out Dudley rd and soho rd not for a week or two a year minimum let's see what kind of attitude you have afterwards.
@2900 - or even just one bad trip
A friend left shortly after joining after having a bad trip on the BR
Spitting, spliffs and abuse
i must stay neutral due to my position here but just let you know I'm nodding my head and this and that
Quote from: MW on February 09, 2016, 03:09:43 PM
I think it's fair to say that most of the routes you guys mention have their brief spell in a decent/not so bad area. Think about the Outer Circle! Dump after dump, well Bournville's alright, but the rest of it!
I'm not so familiar with the northern half of the city but I'd say much of the outer circle from Acocks Green through to Bearwood is pleasant enough, with some nice leafy suburbs passed through. Not to say the more pleasant areas don't have their share of anti-social behaviour though.
Sadly, in any job where you are face to face with the general public, you will come face to face with plenty of low life.
Quote from: Mike K on February 09, 2016, 07:09:48 PM
I'm not so familiar with the northern half of the city but I'd say much of the outer circle from Acocks Green through to Bearwood is pleasant enough, with some nice leafy suburbs passed through. Not to say the more pleasant areas don't have their share of anti-social behaviour though.
I think Acocks Green to Erdington part of the 11 which I use is also pleasant enough.
Quote from: 2206 on February 09, 2016, 07:21:36 PM
I think Acocks Green to Erdington part of the 11 which I use is also pleasant enough.
Lol no it's not. Bromford, Stechford, Tyburn Road, Erdington. At the Erdington stop on the 11A, two passengers started a fist fight right on the platform. One of them had a can of beer and some of it ended up on my uniform through the holes in the cab. I then proceeded to kicking every single b*stard of that vehicle, went back to garage and went home to get changed/showered, and then came back and got adjusted on my second trip. NIS to Handsworth then in service back to Acocks Green it was. But yeah, it's not pleasant. Depends on the time of course. In Kings Heath, I had some moron run in front of the bus whilst I was moving and demanded I let him and his pushchair on and decided to make a scene, one he approached the side of the vehicle, I floored it and splashed water from the puddles on the knob. Then seen him the next day, that was interesting lol
Cotteridge/Stirchley is full of chavs aswell to my surprise. Bournville is the nicest bit of the whole route in my experience. Then as someone else said, once you cross Hagley Road into Bearwood, all bets are off.
Quote from: 2900 on February 09, 2016, 10:58:44 AM
Apparently yardley wood garage has a female driver whos a Facebook hit, she very bubbly and lively with the travelling public, just an idea may be yardley wood could send this jovial character to West Bromwich may her joviality could rub off on us Dudley road drivers or may be the reverse could happen she,ll end up going back to yardley wood demoralised, when Dudley rd customers/cattle tell her shut your blood claat mouth drive da damn bus maan. Sucking teeth.
I did my training with this lady she's an older woman and used to be a teacher which probably explains her patience!
Quote from: Liverpool Street on February 09, 2016, 02:33:01 PM
Rules of the (Bristol) road:
1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days
I look at every one that gets on, in fact I'm looking at them BEFORE they get on, sometimes even BEFORE I've pulled up and stopped at the stop! I can get a good idea what they are like through body language etc and although I don't make a habit of checking passes, I find that on a lot of occasions they give it away by the look on their face, by the way they are looking at you before they've even got on, trying to suss you out. Genuine passengers don't do this. I'm sure
@Tony knows what I mean.
I find by NOT looking at them gives them the impression you can't be bothered, and they are more inclined to smoke. Apart from the fact that not looking at them is kind of rude.
I speak to them when spoken to, but when they get on complaining they have been waiting half an hour etc, I try to keep the conversation to a minimum as I know how arguing back at them can escalate.
If a passenger is new to Bham I try to help them and give them directions as I try and put myself in their shoes as I have travelled to other citys a know it can be confusing.
I issue what they ask for.... as long as they pay the correct fare :)
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on February 09, 2016, 08:32:33 PM
Quote from: Liverpool Street on February 09, 2016, 02:33:01 PM
Rules of the (Bristol) road:
1. Don't look at the passengers
2. Don't speak to the passengers
3. Just issue what they ask for
4. Happy days
I look at every one that gets on, in fact I'm looking at them BEFORE they get on, sometimes even BEFORE I've pulled up and stopped at the stop! I can get a good idea what they are like through body language etc and although I don't make a habit of checking passes, I find that on a lot of occasions they give it away by the look on their face, by the way they are looking at you before they've even got on, trying to suss you out. Genuine passengers don't do this. I'm sure @Tony knows what I mean.
I find by NOT looking at them gives them the impression you can't be bothered, and they are more inclined to smoke. Apart from the fact that not looking at them is kind of rude.
I speak to them when spoken to, but when they get on complaining they have been waiting half an hour etc, I try to keep the conversation to a minimum as I know how arguing back at them can escalate.
If a passenger is new to Bham I try to help them and give them directions as I try and put myself in their shoes as I have travelled to other citys a know it can be confusing.
I issue what they ask for.... as long as they pay the correct fare :)
I take exactly the same approach as you, you can tell as you approach the stop the ones with the 'washed' daysaver they're the ones that keep looking at you and are fidgety. You tell them it's out of date and they just say how do you know....... I had a gentleman get on yesterday must have been at least 25 and he put £1.15 in walked off up the bus, I called him back and he wanted to know why I said 'whats this ?' his reply was child fare. I asked do you have a 16 - 18 photo card he replied no I'm 15 and sat down, he didn't get a ticket and fraud/anomaly button was pressed. It's not worth putting myself or my passengers through the trouble
Reading some of these stories makes me grateful I'm on decent routes, even if the duties are terrible!
There's a lot of us drivers on the smethwick rota who would rather do a longer duty on the 127/128 than short one on 82/87 that says it all, but the problem is there are vastly more running cards on the Dudley rd than the Portland rd services , some rota lines are pure Dudley rd.
I know one driver who tried every thing he could to get the sack cause he grew to detest the Dudley rd I don't think he tried hard enough ,he ended up going part time.
Even some soho rd drivers refuse to do overtime on Dudley rd because it's not worth it.
We have about 40% of our duties as splits but touch wood in the year I've been there the only trouble I've had was a kid put his hand through and try to steal a ticket (but failed!) and people getting a bit verbal when they realise the x51 doesn't stop in Newtown!
4052 plaxton president b7tl Volvo
Up on getting into the cab you are greeted with the huge steering wheel which I hate,visual impression on its first full refurb looking tired now, to drive the suspension is comfortable typical Volvo all good in this dept, driving along engine revs up to 2000 rpm for no reason when it decides to, otherwise it performed well enough, gearbox IMO requires attention plenty of slamming of gears going on could be low on fluid who knows.
Brakes/retarder nicely balanced too.
If these faults were addressed it would be pretty much spot on from the chassis point view.
Still I,ll give it a 5/10 over all cause it didn't leave me agony when I left the cab.
Visual impression 5/10
Suspension 8/10
Brakes/retarder. 8/10
Gearbox. 2/10
Engine. 5/10
Quote from: 2900 on February 17, 2016, 10:55:35 AM
4052 plaxton president b7tl Volvo
Up on getting into the cab you are greeted with the huge steering wheel which I hate,visual impression on its first full refurb looking tired now, to drive the suspension is comfortable typical Volvo all good in this dept, driving along engine revs up to 2000 rpm for no reason when it decides to, otherwise it performed well enough, gearbox IMO requires attention plenty of slamming of gears going on could be low on fluid who knows.
Brakes/retarder nicely balanced too.
If these faults were addressed it would be pretty much spot on from the chassis point view.
Still I,ll give it a 5/10 over all cause it didn't leave me agony when I left the cab.
Visual impression 5/10
Suspension 8/10
Brakes/retarder. 8/10
Gearbox. 2/10
Engine. 5/10
From what I remember, I quite liked 4052, I can't remember it individually though, although it sounds like it drives like 4023 now. 4051 was one that got up to speed quite quickly.
4709 Wrightbus Gemini Volvo B7 TL
I had this the other day it feels as though it's gone under some mechanical refurb absolutely brilliant to drive the suspension so compliant and smooth piss on any enviro model, engine/ gearbox working superbly , retarder brakes excellent feeling through the pedal. It has had new instrument pod fitted, cctv monitors look new as well and they work too. New steering wheel and seat would be nice.
Driving up portway hill doing 22-24 mph quite some going for a b7tl I tell you .
I hope some of others 4700-4717 receive the same treatment they need it they,ve been worked hard on Dudley rd.
I really did enjoy driving this bus on my favourite route Rare bonus
I ,ll rate this 9/10 for the way it drives
Interior very tired still original moquette on seats 10 years on
Exterior average looking, the pop rivet covering strip missing above saloon doors has been since its front rebuild.
3/10 on looks
The other nite while on the Dudley rd services I noticed a rooky driver running 8/9 minutes early I looked on in amazement , only a minute is allowed for disceprency in clocks ,may be his wayfarer was way out, I have had issues with wayfarer clocks being 3/6 minutes slow ,if deliberate I thought you is gona get dicked by management when they check traffic logs, I thought to my self all of that training that drivers go through now a days is more intense than the garage based training I received , I mean now when a driver learns a route you are shown the fare stages and timing points and when you have understood it you sign for it.
Quote from: 2900 on March 11, 2016, 03:33:30 PM
The other nite while on the Dudley rd services I noticed a rooky driver running 8/9 minutes early I looked on in amazement , only a minute is allowed for disceprency in clocks ,may be his wayfarer was way out, I have had issues with wayfarer clocks being 3/6 minutes slow ,if deliberate I thought you is gona get dicked by management when they check traffic logs, I thought to my self all of that training that drivers go through now a days is more intense than the garage based training I received , I mean now when a driver learns a route you are shown the fare stages and timing points and when you have understood it you sign for it.
ha ha ha good lad he reminds me of those late nights back in '97 haha
I wasn't going to post this but why the hell not.
Yet another driver assaulted at Oldbury bus interchange, driver comes into Oldbury for relief a prick starts to give grief to the driver, driver leaves the bus this prick follows the the driver who then shoves him from behind, driver turns round and shoves him back prick loses his balance and hits his head on the pavement, blood everywhere, now we have 3 cop cars and an ambulance , driver is arrested and spends nite at cop shop, fortunately the bus cctv caught the whole episode on film.
That 4 incidents I can recall now , the worst one was when a driver was hit in the eye with a glass hammer he lost his eye and his job the perpetrator never caught either.
You gotta love this job good grief
? Driver how much is a four pound daysaver, err duh , dude they is £6 each wtf
Quote from: 2900 on April 12, 2016, 01:14:58 PM
? Driver how much is a four pound daysaver, err duh , dude they is £6 each wtf
@2900 Classic one there :D
Awful with those incidents you mentioned in your last post - sounds like bedlam up round there. No better word than scum to sum up those who attack drivers, particularly causing one of them to lose his eye and hence his job. At the rate it's going you're going to need steel armoured cab doors. Either that or have a trained Rottweiler to hand - soon scare 'em off.
Well today I had a passenger moaning that I didn't didbt try to squeeze my way through on wrong side of road past a long line of parked cars (without a gap to get back in) whilst there was oncoming cars! I heard her say "for god sakes you could of got through there", I said "yeah and then get stuck and block the road" and she got off tutting lol
Dudley rd services,
The other day I received my 83 15 minutes late at west brom station no bother just carry on take it steady fair few pensioners on man they scare me how fragile some are , made it to city late still around 15-17 mins down fair few got on 82/87s running late I thought got away now I,m at city hospital stop skools out mommies kids every where it took time to load up then I waited for two pensioners that's when the scummy mummy's started the ones that got on earlier, driver hurry up , drive the bus you jobs worth, your holding up every one there are 4 buses behind now, we are late picking up our kids we is gona get fined , I told them to stop harassing me all I,ll park the bus, I was seething inside at the treatment , I explained I can't while we have pensioners on the platform, one scummy mommy saying get out I,ll slap you, you small man you is, bring it on I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, I came very close to parking that bus and walking away from this job. The one pensioner turned to me, son ignore them they are not worth it. After that shower of shite got off , I got thank you from most of other passengers, Bad day at the office some say I handed that bus over 30 minutes late I just wanted to get off in one piece. My 2nd part was a joke as well.
Just to put into context we have had several incidents involving drivers being assaulted over a period of time From 2002 till now at Oldbury bus interchange.
Thats why the pensioner was going mad at me for not forcing my way through a gap saying she had to pick her grandson up from school!
You're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't!
I had a classic the other day, driving the 45 / 47. Coming out of town I saw an asian man outside a shop begging someone for money.
Coming back the other way I saw the same man waiting at the bus stop for my bus. He gets on and says "Do you go into town?" Yes I said.
"How long does it take to get into town?" About 25 minutes I replied.
"Where abouts in town do you stop" By the side of Marks and Spencer I said.
I know from experience, asking a lot of questions is a ploy to try to distract you from an out of date ticket / pass.
So now he showed me his daysaver, so it was time to ask HIM a question...
"Why is the date rubbed out?"
"It was like that when I bought it, it's not my fault if it's like that!"
I'm thinking the rest of the ticket is perfect, but just the date is obscured, hmmmm.
I said "Show me again"
This time I clocked the time the ticket was issued - 16:17 and the time at that precise moment was 13:52!
I explained this to him, at the same time a lady shouted down the bus
"GET OFF THE BUS YOU IDIOT. GET OFF THE BUS!!"
He turned round and got off, hanging his head in shame.
Quote from: 2900 on April 14, 2016, 10:52:15 AM
Dudley rd services,
The other day I received my 83 15 minutes late at west brom station no bother just carry on take it steady fair few pensioners on man they scare me how fragile some are , made it to city late still around 15-17 mins down fair few got on 82/87s running late I thought got away now I,m at city hospital stop skools out mommies kids every where it took time to load up then I waited for two pensioners that's when the scummy mummy's started the ones that got on earlier, driver hurry up , drive the bus you jobs worth, your holding up every one there are 4 buses behind now, we are late picking up our kids we is gona get fined , I told them to stop harassing me all I,ll park the bus, I was seething inside at the treatment , I explained I can't while we have pensioners on the platform, one scummy mommy saying get out I,ll slap you, you small man you is, bring it on I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, I came very close to parking that bus and walking away from this job. The one pensioner turned to me, son ignore them they are not worth it. After that shower of shite got off , I got thank you from most of other passengers, Bad day at the office some say I handed that bus over 30 minutes late I just wanted to get off in one piece. My 2nd part was a joke as well.
I'm honestly surprised you put up with this! If I was driving, I wouldn't want to be abused every day! I wouldn't blame you if you quit.
And yet the driver is still in the wrong
Go figure
Yesterday evening a group of Black teenagers boarded from Oldbury bus interchange to Dudley , before they got on they were smoking a funny cigarette, naturally they sat on top deck at the back, there were others on the top deck who all came down,a woman from this group came to me complaining about the smoking , I said to her are you willing to stand by your complaint because I,ll be calling the police, she replied aren't you in charge, I stopped the bus switched off the engine and placed a call on the radio, within 30 seconds this very woman who made the complaint, driver forget it carry on to which I obliged , within 3 minutes I,m now in Dudley.
Sepperately,I hate it when passengers complain about incidents when they are getting off after completing there journey it's ok then to disrupt service for others still to complete there journeys, I find this very selfish, as far as I'm concerned there is no complaint unless your willing to stand by it.
In all the years I,ve done this job I can recall on one hand how many times that someone has made complaint at the start of a journey, these people from my experience tend to be health care professionals.
Quote from: 2900 on April 16, 2016, 12:18:59 PM
Yesterday evening a group of Black teenagers boarded from Oldbury bus interchange to Dudley , before they got on they were smoking a funny cigarette, naturally they sat on top deck at the back, there were others on the top deck who all came down,a woman from this group came to me complaining about the smoking , I said to her are you willing to stand by your complaint because I,ll be calling the police, she replied aren't you in charge, I stopped the bus switched off the engine and placed a call on the radio, within 30 seconds this very woman who made the complaint, driver forget it carry on to which I obliged , within 3 minutes I,m now in Dudley.
People who smoke weed or cigarettes on a bus are so disrespectful. Do they think the smoke just stays around the back seat upstairs? The smell lingers ALL over the bus, the driver is inhaling it, a new born baby in the buggy area is inhaling it, one ignorant person and 70 other innocent people are inhaling it.
The frustrating thing is not knowing who the culprit it. I find the E400s cctv in the cab very poor, sometimes the u/s rear seat isnt even visable.
There should be an extra camera in the cab zoomed in to the back of the upper saloon.
Sepperately,I hate it when passengers complain about incidents when they are getting off after completing there journey it's ok then to disrupt service for others still to complete there journeys, I find this very selfish, as far as I'm concerned there is no complaint unless your willing to stand by it.
In all the years I,ve done this job I can recall on one hand how many times that someone has made complaint at the start of a journey, these people from my experience tend to be health care professionals.
Weed is a big problem on the Circle. I used to just pretty much lean next to the cab window to take in the fresh air. Once, some guys were smoking weed upstairs, so at the next timing point I waited extra time, jumped out and smoked a ciggy. By the time I was done, so we're they and I carried on.
Quote from: MW on April 16, 2016, 03:20:06 PM
Weed is a big problem on the Circle. I used to just pretty much lean next to the cab window to take in the fresh air. Once, some guys were smoking weed upstairs, so at the next timing point I waited extra time, jumped out and smoked a ciggy. By the time I was done, so we're they and I carried on.
I remember someone smoked 1 joint infront of me in a casual manner once !
Greetings, I notice the majority of stops along moor st have been pulled out and placed in large buckets, the ones heading towards the tunnel, rotunda. I assume route changes coming into play soon then.
This week I,ve noticed some Crimson omnilinks on the Portland rd services they do suite the route, it's gone very quiet on the changes front as well , i thought by now west brom would have gotten the 120 route back and in exchange the 127/8 would go the other way.
Quote from: 2900 on April 30, 2016, 09:18:59 AM
This week I,ve noticed some Crimson omnilinks on the Portland rd services they do suite the route, it's gone very quiet on the changes front as well , i thought by now west brom would have gotten the 120 route back and in exchange the 127/8 would go the other way.
120 staying at Pensnett, rumor is only Sunday 120's will be operated by West Brom to relieve Dudley rota drivers of working every other Sunday
can i make a suggestion about drugs on buses we do have them on the 97 now and then could a picture or still be taken of these people doing it from a device in the cab which would catch them at it
Quote from: iansdavies on May 08, 2016, 07:30:23 PM
can i make a suggestion about drugs on buses we do have them on the 97 now and then could a picture or still be taken of these people doing it from a device in the cab which would catch them at it
If you notice "dodgy" on the bus, try to keep a note of time, date, route, (ideally fleet number) and report it.
Quote from: iansdavies on May 08, 2016, 07:30:23 PM
can i make a suggestion about drugs on buses we do have them on the 97 now and then could a picture or still be taken of these people doing it from a device in the cab which would catch them at it
A picture is taken of them, all buses have CCTV recording as people board buses
Quote from: 2900 on February 17, 2016, 10:55:35 AM
4052 plaxton president b7tl Volvo
Up on getting into the cab you are greeted with the huge steering wheel which I hate,visual impression on its first full refurb looking tired now, to drive the suspension is comfortable typical Volvo all good in this dept, driving along engine revs up to 2000 rpm for no reason when it decides to, otherwise it performed well enough, gearbox IMO requires attention plenty of slamming of gears going on could be low on fluid who knows.
Brakes/retarder nicely balanced too.
If these faults were addressed it would be pretty much spot on from the chassis point view.
Still I,ll give it a 5/10 over all cause it didn't leave me agony when I left the cab.
Visual impression 5/10
Suspension 8/10
Brakes/retarder. 8/10
Gearbox. 2/10
Engine. 5/10
I got this on the 87 yesterday it brought a smile to my face a bus to which management say has no place on key corridors , I enjoyed driving this on the 87 something different to the norm,it's got character sadly lacking in most new buses these days, suspension that actually works is nice to have, gearbox still doing strange things dropping a gear for no reason , the slamming of gears has reduced to what feels like surges, 0-30 is very quick work in this.
Appearance overall it's still looking very tired , I,ll miss these soon to be part of wm bus history.
AVL my recent experiences
On the 82 service to bearwood bus interchange 7 minutes late on arriving got regulated to run private to city hospital, serious head scratching with this one .
Incident on new hall street brum late afternoon around 1730ish yesterday taxi pulls out from side road into a bus result this part of city becomes a car park for 30 minutes , once this has cleared I had the joy of picking up vast number of Dudley rd passengers from around the city, by the time I,m approaching smethwick there's 4 87s together 5th one not to far behind.
AVL response zero, AVL is considered to be a joke at west brom can't speak for other garages, please send us what ever drugs you guys are taking up there we could do with them.
Quote from: 2900 on May 13, 2016, 09:24:09 AM
AVL my recent experiences
On the 82 service to bearwood bus interchange 7 minutes late on arriving got regulated to run private to city hospital, serious head scratching with this one .
Incident on new hall street brum late afternoon around 1730ish yesterday taxi pulls out from side road into a bus result this part of city becomes a car park for 30 minutes , once this has cleared I had the joy of picking up vast number of Dudley rd passengers from around the city, by the time I,m approaching smethwick there's 4 87s together 5th one not to far behind.
AVL response zero, AVL is considered to be a joke at west brom can't speak for other garages, please send us what ever drugs you guys are taking up there we could do with them.
Seeing as I've just applied to be a part of AVL, this is quite something to hear ! Assuming my application becomes successful, I hope to make your life somewhat easier !
That's the good thing about the Outer Circle, AVL don't deal with it. It's all in garage.
74/75 soho road services garage controlled.
I read notice do not call AVL on land lines use radio only, landline was the most effective way of solving issues quickly.
Just my view, but back in the day you had experienced bus people one could say in key operational positions these people have either retired or moved on its just not the same any more,now you have muppets to put it politely.
I wonder how effective AVL is ? How much mileage was lost under garage control compared to the introduction of AVL
My understanding is AVL stands for AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATOR please feel free to correct me.
Just for laugh what could it stand for.
Quote from: 2900 on May 13, 2016, 02:16:14 PM
74/75 soho road services garage controlled.
I read notice do not call AVL on land lines use radio only, landline was the most effective way of solving issues quickly.
Just my view, but back in the day you had experienced bus people one could say in key operational positions these people have either retired or moved on its just not the same any more,now you have muppets to put it politely.
I wonder how effective AVL is ? How much mileage was lost under garage control compared to the introduction of AVL
My understanding is AVL stands for AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATOR please feel free to correct me.
Just for laugh what could it stand for.
Always Very Clumsy perhaps lol
We use to have inspectors down here at Oldbury bus interchange they vanished a few years back , I heard from other drivers one has been allocated to Oldbury now, still not much use after 6pm when things are pear shaped.
Quote from: 2900 on May 13, 2016, 02:16:14 PM
74/75 soho road services garage controlled.
I read notice do not call AVL on land lines use radio only, landline was the most effective way of solving issues quickly.
Just my view, but back in the day you had experienced bus people one could say in key operational positions these people have either retired or moved on its just not the same any more,now you have muppets to put it politely.
I wonder how effective AVL is ? How much mileage was lost under garage control compared to the introduction of AVL
My understanding is AVL stands for AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATOR please feel free to correct me.
Just for laugh what could it stand for.
Adjusting Vehicles Lazily
Adjustment (not) Very Likely
@Liverpool Street you could also have
Agitation Very Likely
A Vault (of) Lunatics
Agitatious Vexatious Liars
Adjustment Very (un)Likely
Plus various variations thereof
@2900 calling them muppets offensive to Miss Piggy and company... :-)
The other day I received a letter in the post from west broms management on how the garage has become one the worst performing garages after being the best for a couple of years, IMO could be just coincidence but when good experienced drivers have gone in the last 12 months and you replace them with rookies what do you expect. You can't have your cake and eat it one might say.
I have heard on the grapevine that drivers who are based at Oldbury bus interchange will never get a canteen/restroom even after several assaults, thank you NATIONAL EXPRESS and our toothless Union for nothing since 2002, well this works both ways if I,m taking my first bus back to oak road then I,ll take my rta break at west brom bus station then travel to Oldbury if things are pear shaped usually results in lost mileage. Sometimes the 4s go missing etc etc, west brom traffic have taken the piss by telling drivers to go straight to Oldbury and travelling is part of your break, I,m sorry traveling between places of work is exactly that work part of the job it's not break time.
Quote from: 2900 on May 22, 2016, 11:00:56 AM
The other day I received a letter in the post from west broms management on how the garage has become one the worst performing garages after being the best for a couple of years, IMO could be just coincidence but when good experienced drivers have gone in the last 12 months and you replace them with rookies what do you expect. You can't have your cake and eat it one might say.
I have heard on the grapevine that drivers who are based at Oldbury bus interchange will never get a canteen/restroom even after several assaults, thank you NATIONAL EXPRESS and our toothless Union for nothing since 2002, well this works both ways if I,m taking my first bus back to oak road then I,ll take my rta break at west brom bus station then travel to Oldbury if things are pear shaped usually results in lost mileage. Sometimes the 4s go missing etc etc, west brom traffic have taken the piss by telling drivers to go straight to Oldbury and travelling is part of your break, I,m sorry traveling between places of work is exactly that work part of the job it's not break time.
Couldn't agree more.
They need to understand TRAVELLING to a take-over point is NOT part of your break.
Last nite I had the pleasure of being egged straight in my face, raw egg in my eyes and right ear, some of it trickled into my mouth , worst part is I was driving down Dudley rd when this happened a teenage scum bag threw it in through a open cab window open , any thing could of happened fortunately I was able to stop the bus with out incident.
I called it a night there and then still had two more city's left, should have been the last 82 from bearwood and city.
So far this year I,ve had a house brick, stones, and an egg thrown at me , threatened with metal object, what's next I wonder dog shit
I,m still expected to deliver a service with a smile.
While sat with traffic clerk doing paperwork of incident a question cropped up how can this situation be rectified my joke answer bond the cab windows shut. I now fully expect that to happen soon.
You seem to have it rough over there!
@2900 you mention how AVL don't answer. I think AVL should stand for Always Very Late, especially in their response time ;)
and I thought working in retail was tough !
Dudley Road is sounding out of control - glad you were ok and managed to get the bus safely stopped - not a nice situation. :(
4027 plaxton president B7TL Volvo
Finally got me hands on it, up on getting into cab you,re greeted with steering wheel that would be more at home on a pirate ship, it's bloody huge in a tiny cab. Plenty of vibrations when idling, on the move plenty of rattles from around cab. On the move suspension still does a decent job of soaking up bumps, brakes and retarder are decent as well nice smooth stops, gearbox is well messed up yo yo,ing up and down the box very annoying issue , you can wind up the engine to 2000 rpm no problem.
Interior in average condition, bodywork average
Engine - vibrates, enough grunt though 5/10
Gearbox- gears yo yo,ing up and down the box 2/10
Retarder - brakes all good 7/10
Suspension- good ride quality 7/10
While hanging about in the dump that is West Bromwich I met a rookie driver struggling to come to terms with soho road , he couldn't believe how rough the people are towards drivers, he was saying the job doesn't live up to how Walsall training centre depiction of the job, I told him forget Walsall they live in cloud cuckoo land nothing to do with the real world, they are only there to show you how to drive to national express standards, so when you mess up they,ll beat you over head with it.
I asked him what his previous job was, he told me traffic warden in London, far less grief and stress than soho road ,his words. I was speechless for a bit, IMO drivers who stick it out on these much less desirable routes to put it politely should given credit. Soho/ Dudley rd is no place for rookies IMO
Bring back starter rotas, may be people might stick around.
To work on a bad run you need to be able to switch off. It should not be allowed really to have scum like that. I can remember the old Wolverhampton starter rota, 598, 698, 511 all good for broken windows and idiots. 641, 574 and a treat on 504/5 and 126. 79 on sundays or overtime.
Bloody hell, at AG you get thrown straight into the 11A/C, or the 1/71/72. Not sure how the 71/72 routes are. Would expect them to be a pain in Chelmsley Wood but nobody has really mentioned it in conparison to the incidents that happen on the 11A/C.
All the other stuff (5/31/37/966) is very hard to get onto. 37 rota being the "easiest" out of these four to get on to but that route is incredibly boring. Doing around 8 journeys on the 37 a day, every day is terribly boring.
Quote from: 2900 on July 12, 2016, 01:01:12 AM
4027 plaxton president B7TL Volvo
Finally got me hands on it, up on getting into cab you,re greeted with steering wheel that would be more at home on a pirate ship, it's bloody huge in a tiny cab. Plenty of vibrations when idling, on the move plenty of rattles from around cab. On the move suspension still does a decent job of soaking up bumps, brakes and retarder are decent as well nice smooth stops, gearbox is well messed up yo yo,ing up and down the box very annoying issue , you can wind up the engine to 2000 rpm no problem.
Interior in average condition, bodywork average
Engine - vibrates, enough grunt though 5/10
Gearbox- gears yo yo,ing up and down the box 2/10
Retarder - brakes all good 7/10
Suspension- good ride quality 7/10
I miss 4027 at Walsall was the highest Revving president we had.
We got a few dead ones though lol, some of them are in good nick
Quote from: Busman Jamie on July 12, 2016, 08:43:08 PM
We got a few dead ones though lol, some of them are in good nick
The dead ones are dead because they are not in good nick, have a look at them sometime, you will see holes in the floors and various other problems, every one of those has come off at the request of the engineers for various reasons, the good ones escape to live elsewhere! (4027 & 4076)
Ah didn't realise interior wise was so bad, I was reffering to to the exterior
Yeah quite a few of them have got holes by the windscreen apparently. They were made because the front window sill would get a build up of water. Never seen it myself but that's what I was told.
I have driven some where you get feel a breeze in the cab coming from underneath (the pedals area).
Quote from: MW on July 12, 2016, 11:55:39 PM
Yeah quite a few of them have got holes by the windscreen apparently. They were made because the front window sill would get a build up of water. Never seen it myself but that's what I was told.
I have driven some where you get feel a breeze in the cab coming from underneath (the pedals area).
i remember the breeze from the pedals from when they were brand new , badly fitted panels Is my theory.
Holes in the floor, corrosion issues or fat barstewards falling through.
Which presidents are dead now awaiting a lift from sir Trevor himself
Quote from: MW on July 12, 2016, 11:55:39 PM
Yeah quite a few of them have got holes by the windscreen apparently. They were made because the front window sill would get a build up of water. Never seen it myself but that's what I was told.
I have driven some where you get feel a breeze in the cab coming from underneath (the pedals area).
One of the WA platinums have a breeze blowing from under the drivers seat!
Quote from: BU07 LGO on July 13, 2016, 11:37:05 AM
One of the WA platinums have a breeze blowing from under the drivers seat!
I've drove quite a few BC Tridents and had a breeze under the drivers seat........ but this is usually after a chicken vindaloo.
Quote from: BU07 LGO on July 13, 2016, 11:37:05 AM
One of the WA platinums have a breeze blowing from under the drivers seat!
From the dawn of driving there has always been a problem with "wind" in the cab :D :D
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on July 13, 2016, 11:41:17 AM
I've drove quite a few BC Tridents and had a breeze under the drivers seat........ but this is usually after a chicken vindaloo.
Love it :D
I would like congratulate Sandwell council for the hundreds of thousands they spent on traffic calming measures in cape hill things are worse than ever you bunch of f##king muppets, what drugs are you taking up there at the council house , if you got any to spare pass them my way I could sure use them. We poor drivers now have to deal with the shit you built thanks for making unbearable route even more of nitemare than it was, I salute you , you f##king morons. 😡😡
Car accidents still happening, illegal u turns without warning my favourite
People still walking out into traffic even though there is a new crossing
Bus stops relocations has added to driver stress, now we wait in ques upto the lights with muppets asking driver let me off man.
Vehicles double parked on yellows, bus stop outside the bank, even on the crossing
Where have the traffic wardens gone
I say reroute the 87 from McDonald's island cape hill continue along the dual carriageway to high st smethrock , no one gona mind 😀
4109 Plaxton President
recent transfer to West Brom. took it out this morning on the 5. all i can say is.....
WHAT A BUS! nice and quick, absloutly flew up the Newton Road. very comfortable cab seat with an old ALX 400 wheel instead of a massive one.
The only problem is it looks a bit old and tatty bodywork wise.
@2900 you will love this bus. keep an eye out for it.
Quote from: wbdriver on August 01, 2016, 08:09:39 PM
4109 Plaxton President
recent transfer to West Brom. took it out this morning on the 5. all i can say is.....
WHAT A BUS! nice and quick, absloutly flew up the Newton Road. very comfortable cab seat with an old ALX 400 wheel instead of a massive one.
The only problem is it looks a bit old and tatty bodywork wise.
@2900 you will love this bus. keep an eye out for it.
yeah I,m looking forward to getting me hands on the new recruits, really gona miss buses that have decent suspension , some of these enviro 400 tridents are just horrific
4226 Alexander alx400 volvo b7tl voith gearbox
To drive very good all rounder
To look at very scruffy indeed, lot s of bubbling aluminium, dents , seriously dull paintwork,
Still got its original seat moquette very faded indeed
Never seen a refurb, I have always felt these Alexander volvos have always been overlooked the ugly kid treatment in away.
I bet this has low book value potential bargain for someone if it's still solid underneath.
Tony do know why 4083 has been withdrawn, did it suffer major mechanical issue
Whoa didn't realise Tony has a picture of a bus with me at the wheel. Just spotted it haha. 4031.
4707 wrightbus gemni b7tl
When I got my hands on this it seems to be an age since I last drove one, this example drove superb in every department, very solid body from the cab you only heard rattles on very rough roads otherwise quiet from cab. I got a chance to give it some beans as I received it 20 minutes late real joy to drive. Definitely one of the better ones.
Suspension nice and compliant may be slightly spongy excellent on humps, million times better than any trident2 or E40D
Brakes nicely balanced as to is the retarder
Engine all good and smooth build up speed nicely
Interior very tired as to is the external bodywork soon to be sorted
Now having drove Enviro200 761 in service, I can agree with others that the retarder is awful. Either on or off, and you lurch to a stop. Might be because I'm not used to them. Its quite nippy though, but very bouncy. Either to do with the short wheelbase or small wheels. I have found also the steering is very twitchy, you hold on tight to the wheel when going at speed. Not a too bad bus though, apart from the awfully sensitive trafficlog
Quote from: John on September 05, 2016, 09:11:38 AM
Now having drove Enviro200 761 in service, I can agree with others that the retarder is awful. Either on or off, and you lurch to a stop. Might be because I'm not used to them. Its quite nippy though, but very bouncy. Either to do with the short wheelbase or small wheels. I have found also the steering is very twitchy, you hold on tight to the wheel when going at speed. Not a too bad bus though, apart from the awfully sensitive trafficlog
What route did you have it on
@John
Quote from: John on September 05, 2016, 09:11:38 AM
Now having drove Enviro200 761 in service, I can agree with others that the retarder is awful. Either on or off, and you lurch to a stop. Might be because I'm not used to them. Its quite nippy though, but very bouncy. Either to do with the short wheelbase or small wheels. I have found also the steering is very twitchy, you hold on tight to the wheel when going at speed. Not a too bad bus though, apart from the awfully sensitive trafficlog
The slightly larger ones we have at BC (801 - 809) are truely horrific! Only drove one once - 808 on the 63, which was not for the faint hearted! I felt every bump in the road, the cab area rattled like a bag of nails in a washing machine, bearing in mind when I drove it this was about 2 or 3 years ago so it was pretty new then.
Quote from: Bham Central Driver on September 05, 2016, 11:17:24 AM
The slightly larger ones we have at BC (801 - 809) are truely horrific! Only drove one once - 808 on the 63, which was not for the faint hearted! I felt every bump in the road, the cab area rattled like a bag of nails in a washing machine, bearing in mind when I drove it this was about 2 or 3 years ago so it was pretty new then.
;D
Yes, i felt all the bumps and mini roundabouts going around Castle Vale. At lest its a 20mph limit round there
Quote from: John on September 05, 2016, 01:21:08 PM
;D
Yes, i felt all the bumps and mini roundabouts going around Castle Vale. At lest its a 20mph limit round there
Lucky it was only 20mph, imagine driving one at 40 mph + over a pot hole... and wearing faulse teeth!
I have heard the drivers a wn complaining about a manhole on the a449 in Dunston. theres a place coming from Stafford where those that no steer out towards the white lines of the carriageway to avoid it.
Quote from: wbdriver on August 01, 2016, 08:09:39 PM
4109 Plaxton President
recent transfer to West Brom. took it out this morning on the 5. all i can say is.....
WHAT A BUS! nice and quick, absloutly flew up the Newton Road. very comfortable cab seat with an old ALX 400 wheel instead of a massive one.
The only problem is it looks a bit old and tatty bodywork wise.
@2900 you will love this bus. keep an eye out for it.
Totally agree, I would gladly buy this for my collection if I had space no problem, exceptional bus to drive, chassis is very tight no slack any where, love the whistle from the turbo adds character, getting to 30 mph no effort at all, pulls very hard up hills, great to have the power, from the cab it still has the correct small steering wheel which makes a lot of difference to the driving experience, decent drivers seat too a lot of movement to get comfortable, most of the cab still in decent condition making it a nice place to be.
Engine: pulls hard plenty of power revs willingly, sounds in good shape
Gearbox: in great shape no clonking of gears all smooth
Retarder: all good nicely balanced no drama
Suspension: great ride quality sadly lacking in modern buses
Body : pretty quite considering its age quite easily embrass some of these new buses only creaking on very bad roads.
17 years old and going strong somebody will get a bargain with this one when the time comes to move on.
Could some one photo shop this into Crimson or platinum livery I think it would look great.
Quote from: 2900 on September 11, 2016, 11:00:37 AM
Totally agree, I would gladly buy this for my collection if I had space no problem, exceptional bus to drive, chassis is very tight no slack any where, love the whistle from the turbo adds character, getting to 30 mph no effort at all, pulls very hard up hills, great to have the power, from the cab it still has the correct small steering wheel which makes a lot of difference to the driving experience, decent drivers seat too a lot of movement to get comfortable, most of the cab still in decent condition making it a nice place to be.
Engine: pulls hard plenty of power revs willingly, sounds in good shape
Gearbox: in great shape no clonking of gears all smooth
Retarder: all good nicely balanced no drama
Suspension: great ride quality sadly lacking in modern buses
Body : pretty quite considering its age quite easily embrass some of these new buses only creaking on very bad roads.
17 years old and going strong somebody will get a bargain with this one when the time comes to move on.
Could some one photo shop this into Crimson or platinum livery I think it would look great.
Was always a good un even when it was at BC
Quote from: 2900 on July 23, 2014, 10:50:48 AM
4508, probably a boring bus to an enthusiast nothing to pick up on, from drivers point of view great bus to drive excellent chassis engine/ box smooth picks speed nicely , excellent brakes, so is the suspension , takes corners well, buses like this helps to make light work of crap dutys. Feels as though the bus is doing the work not you many Alexander's b7s leave you feeling infuriated, Body refurbed still in good condition , interior grey cushions, not much rattling either. 8/10
Was just reading through this thread. This review is very accurate of 4508. It doesn't feel like a chore to drive.
Had my first spin in an ex Coventry Gemini yesterday, 4687 on a School and 907 afternoon board. Nicer to drive than the other Geminis, seemed smoother, but a bit more sluggish like the ALX400s. Lovely paintjob except for the remains of Coventry blue around the battery flap and the doors. Hardly rattles over bumps, a pleasure to drive.
1941 scania single deck
Well what can i say about these, this is the first one I,ve driven since 09/10 , well in the cab is spacious the quality of materials is much better than most buses I,ve driven, it's completely alien when compared to any double decker I,m use to the pedals that are floor mounted not suspended type takes some getting use to, brakes are incredibly sharp if you apply the same force as I would in a decker, you have to be very subtle with them , the handbrake mounted to far away I have reach over to use it just a pain hate it. acceleration or should I say the lack of it not good at all takes for ever to get to 30mph , i guess it's fitted with the zf Eco box feels very similar to one used on the ADL E40D deckers, basically horrible box,hate it. Suspension not bad quite comfortable can be spongy bouncy on the rough stuff. The radio, destination controls mounted on the ceiling so I have to stand to make changes just crap, the cctv monitor that's a joke no point in trying look at it in that position high in the heavens. There is some rattling going not as bad the e200s. It's safe to say I,m not a fan of these they are crap IMO , Mercedes 0405n would murder these scanias in most departments, so would a leyland Lynx with the cummins/zf combo.
ADL e200 top on my list of all time crap bus list , scania not far behind.
Overall score 3/10 think I,m being generous here
Dudley rd timetable changes.
Tony could you send a message to the powers that be who are responsible for making timetable amendments,I don't know them. I and the rest of the late night crew would like to thank you for the new timing points square peg, colmore row, springhill tesco island,grove lane, and for taking the slack out of the journey times from city, it's speeded up the journey no end, now punters are looking at me with smile and saying thank you, city to cape hill less than 20 minutes the way it use to be, before we were waiting at new hall st and summer field park 2/3 minutes dawdling getting grief/ hassle from passengers constant bell ringing. Certain rds you need keep the bus rolling, people on these routes not interested timing points and the fact you have to wait. You don't get these issues on the 127/8/9 clientele seem appreciate driver is operating to the timetable. Where as on Dudley rd its like driver you taking the piss bredrin you making me late etc etc
First impressions of the Enviro400MMCs are very good
6797 didn't rattle anything like the old Enviro400s, and it was a lot better over bumps in the road
The cab and the seat are very comfortable
The only bad point I can find if pulling away, the bus seemed to think about wanting to accelerate and then picks up speed a second or two later. Acceleration is a lot better once up to speed, after the bus gets into either 2nd or 3rd gear, better than the old buses
The brakes seemed more spongey though, but I don't know if this is because the buses are new still. Soon got used to them though
Ex PB Sutton lines enviro 400s 63 plates, on the whole they seem faster than WB 14/64 plates
4925 great fun when empty fly,s up hills 28 mph up portway hill that's insane you,re grinning ear to ear, 4921 gearbox all over the shop, brakes not pleasant too, rattles a fair bit.
I,ve been told I think it's fleet numbers 4916/17 or 18 are well rapid look forward to these coming my way.
Quote from: 2900 on December 21, 2016, 05:00:54 PM
Ex PB Sutton lines enviro 400s 63 plates, on the whole they seem faster than WB 14/64 plates
4925 great fun when empty fly,s up hills 28 mph up portway hill that's insane you,re grinning ear to ear, 4921 gearbox all over the shop, brakes not pleasant too, rattles a fair bit.
I,ve been told I think it's fleet numbers 4916/17 or 18 are well rapid look forward to these coming my way.
I'm glad you like them
@2900!
The £1.50 short hop is well and truly misused, quite a few travel blackheath to Dudley with it, don't know why but when someone pays the short hop £1.50 you remember the face, when it was £1.90 I don't remember who payed what, strange that. I do feel like I should say something but do I need the verbal not really ,silence is golden. Any way revenue squad made £700.000 last year in standard fares issued, that,ll pay for 2 and half platinum spec buses.
4919 quite simply a terrible bus to drive the gearbox is all over shop, rattles a fair bit to 2/10 overall bag of shite
4231 terrible from the cab it rattles,shakes ,noisey, just awful, real bad body, the chassis is the complete opposite engine,gearbox,suspension,brakes retarder all in good order. Has been refurbed at some point stills looks tidy, 1/10 for body , 7/10 chassis
4257 this bus has never seen a refurb looks terrible inside ,looks well tired from outside too, but to drive it's very good in all departments no complaints a nice drive in all fairness, this will be bargain for some one when it's released for sale , 7/10 for the way it drives
4926 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
This bus does drive very well indeed very similar to 4925 in most areas , no issues with gearbox nicely balanced with the engine , it seems to me these Rev a little higher 200-300rpm extra upto 1500-1600 rpm before changing gear depending on how much gas is applied makes all the difference none of that annoying labouring in gear which can't be good, I wonder then does 4925/4926 have different gearbox ecu programme,mapping etc. If so may be the rest of the E40D,s should get the same treatment, 4919 shockingly bad by comparison.
Engine all good plenty of power
Gearbox all good nicely balanced
Brakes/ retarder nicely balanced
Suspension still it's week point still better than some trident2 examples
Body few general rattles here and there nothing like 4919, overall still a tidy bus
8.5/10
4273 ADL ALX400 B7TL
Still drives great for a 15 year old bus, engine,gearbox,brakes,retarder, suspension all working as they should nice and smoothly, body not to many rattles from cab either bonus for one these ALX400s, has been refurbed at some point still looking tidy overall, very nice cruiser I,d say most definitely.
Probably a very boring bus to the enthusiasts
Engine all good
Gearbox smooth changes all good
Brakes/retarder nice and smooth
Suspension very Volvo all very good and comfortable
Body all good
8/10
Drivers rumours, April changes to certain Sandwell Dudley bus routes no specific routes mentioned, there were plans/changes for October/Nov 2016 nothing materialised.
Quote from: 2900 on January 17, 2017, 10:29:10 AM
Drivers rumours, April changes to certain Sandwell Dudley bus routes no specific routes mentioned, there were plans/changes for October/Nov 2016 nothing materialised.
rumours, gossip call it what you will, 83/89 moving to Liverpool st BC and 120 moving back to West Bromwich in the spring, if it materialises then all good I won't miss the 83/89 good riddance.
May be pensnett will get the 99 from BC
Quote from: 2900 on January 19, 2017, 10:37:05 AM
rumours, gossip call it what you will, 83/89 moving to Liverpool st BC and 120 moving back to West Bromwich in the spring, if it materialises then all good I won't miss the 83/89 good riddance.
May be pensnett will get the 99 from BC
I can see the 99 going to PN but cant see the 83/89 coming to BC somehow.
4965 what a great bus.. comes close to being as good as a 47** E400 to drive.
Great news concerning my smethwick rota we,re losing the awful 83/89 services less Dudley rd work good riddance whoopee, the new Oldbury rota will do the following services 82/87 unfortunately ,120A 127 128 , I was hoping management would separate 82/87 from 120A/127/128 can't win them all. This should mean no unpaid traveling to and from west brom/Oldbury to do second portions.
Quote from: B.C Driver on January 19, 2017, 01:10:02 PM
I can see the 99 going to PN but cant see the 83/89 coming to BC somehow.
The rumours here at west brom BC might get the 80 and the revised 83 which might be renumbered 81 as these two services will be interworked to create a 10 minute service between city and cape hill, these services will serve the markets new st etc so relief points could be either of those for BC drivers
Quote from: 2900 on February 16, 2017, 10:54:13 AM
The rumours here at west brom BC might get the 80 and the revised 83 which might be renumbered 81 as these two services will be interworked to create a 10 minute service between city and cape hill, these services will serve the markets new st etc so relief points could be either of those for BC drivers
What routes would WB gain in exchange if the 80 & 83 are to.move to BC?
Quote from: Winston on February 16, 2017, 12:02:57 PM
What routes would WB gain in exchange if the 80 & 83 are to.move to BC?
Their not going, 121 going to PN though.
Quote from: 979 on February 16, 2017, 01:00:14 PM
Their not going, 121 going to PN though.
Thanks for the confirmation. Is the 99 still moving to PN in some form or another?
Just heard on the BAT phone, West Bromwich rota I guess will have the following 48/48A 80/81 89 121 to the farm nothing going to BC , this isn't gospel plenty of changes still could be made.
Quote from: Winston on February 16, 2017, 01:08:14 PM
Thanks for the confirmation. Is the 99 still moving to PN in some form or another?
YES
I would like an answer from da management for the reason of sending buses back down broad st, last nite was the usual end of month blow out, 25 minutes From ICC to sheapcote st , I only picked up 2 people for me troubles, I also claimed the compulsory overtime should get a couple pints.
First of all most drivers on the Oldbury rota glad to have the 120A service its million times better than the awful 83/89 no one misses that pile of crap, even the 82/87 doesn't seem that bad now even though its full of shite,
Fares: I personally have seen the rise of use of the £1.50 fare massively needless to say it's abused massively too.
Scanias: driven most by now I think, yes the engine gearbox is very smooth almost car like, they do feel slow but when do look at the speedo you doing 30mph which feels like 20mph, the initial get away is slow on all of them, they vary a lot on hills. The most annoying thing is the how weak the dashboard is where the wayfarer is mounted they wobble vibrate really badly, really annoying, some have had aluminium plates bonded to the dash where they have cracked.
Front suspension not the best gets very bouncy on poor roads.
These have generally been unreliable too, I ,ve had to park up on quite few occasions recently , the deckers all types it's kind of rare to have so many issues.
Overall I would say good buses to cruise about in, the Mercedes 0405N no comparison
757 ADL enviro 200
Got this as a change bus one Saturday nite on the 127/128 from Dudley side I laughed at first oh shit, to my surprise I really enjoyed driving this feather weight bus about it feels go cart gets to 30mph sharpish , this bus made so much sense to use on the 127 between Dudley and bearwood navigating through all those back streets a doddle. Because I waited an age for this change bus i was running 30 /40 minutes late I let the 128 clear city side to brum and back to bearwood which was a decker.
All good . Probably one of the better enviro 200s
Quick question, why have certain Volvo ALX400s received the add blue and exhaust traps, surely they are way too old, I hear the conversion costs is 20k a bus?
Probably because there's not enough buses that meet the regulations
At WB
There's 25 47xx E400 for 24 87 Running Boards and there's at least one parked I garage
And 47 49xx E400 for 29 74 Running Boards, 14 80 Boards that leaves two Spare for other routes.
Quote from: WB Driver on June 28, 2017, 08:19:57 PM
Probably because there's not enough buses that meet the regulations
At WB
There's 25 47xx E400 for 24 87 Running Boards and there's at least one parked I garage
And 47 49xx E400 for 29 74 Running Boards, 14 80 Boards that leaves two Spare for other routes.
There was a 49** on 87 today, which I believe is a regular occurrence?
Quote from: Trident 4194 on June 28, 2017, 08:34:16 PM
There was a 49** on 87 today, which I believe is a regular occurrence?
Yes it is usual. Always has been since 4950 - 4982 were new to WB.
1953 scania omnilink
Well I have had a number of months to drive most of westbroms fleet of scanias, 1953 does stand out from a drivers point of view, very smooth to drive all aspects engine gearbox suspension brakes retarder work with perfect balance, I think this had a new gearbox fitted not long back it was either this or 1949 it was on axle stands for ages bits of its Inerds all over the floor. Only let down ticket rattling way spoils the cab environment.
Engine: all good very smooth
Gearbox: as above
Retarder/brakes: as above
Suspension: all good on most roads except the very worst pot holed shit
Cab: all good only let down wayfarer might fly off at any time
Worth an 8/10
Drivers rumour mill in full flow at the moment, early next year 128 will revert to serving blackheath, 129 service withdrawn low patronage , 120A terminates in Oldbury, 120 to be operated by west brom garage with new electric single deckers , the farm will get the 74E Dudley to West Bromwich.
This is just drivers talking not gospel , thought I,d just put it out there summat to chew on if you like.
ALX400 B7TL VOLVO
Having driven various number of these upgraded add blue conversion examples , I have noticed a remarkable turnaround in performance some absolutely fly now getting to 30mph very sharpish ,4275 was always a slug from new but now it goes , i,m thinking has the ecu,s been reprogrammed or replaced to work with the new exhaust traps and add blue system . Real shame the interiors are a joke on most of these vehicles.
Quote from: 2900 on November 15, 2017, 09:34:28 AM
ALX400 B7TL VOLVO
Having driven various number of these upgraded add blue conversion examples , I have noticed a remarkable turnaround in performance some absolutely fly now getting to 30mph very sharpish ,4275 was always a slug from new but now it goes , i,m thinking has the ecu,s been reprogrammed or replaced to work with the new exhaust traps and add blue system . Real shame the interiors are a joke on most of these vehicles.
4277 is due MoT and all the bad seats have come to Miller Street for a retrim in the original moquette, so that one should be looking a bit better inside
Quote from: Tony on November 15, 2017, 09:45:57 AM
4277 is due MoT and all the bad seats have come to Miller Street for a retrim in the original moquette, so that one should be looking a bit better inside
I guess it's better than dirty thread bare moquette.
Tony how much do these euro 6 exhaust trap conversions cost, I assume it's raised the market value of these vehicles considerably thus extending there service life here.
Quote from: 2900 on November 15, 2017, 01:15:13 PM
I guess it's better than dirty thread bare moquette.
Tony how much do these euro 6 exhaust trap conversions cost, I assume it's raised the market value of these vehicles considerably thus extending there service life here.
To be honest I imagine they'll come in handy when the Solihull emissions zone comes in later in the year and when the Wolverhampton zone comes in next year.
Quote from: 2900 on November 15, 2017, 01:15:13 PM
I guess it's better than dirty thread bare moquette.
Tony how much do these euro 6 exhaust trap conversions cost, I assume it's raised the market value of these vehicles considerably thus extending there service life here.
4249 needs one. Especially at the rear downstairs.
I thought Solihull emission zone is Euro3 from November, so no issue yet and Euro4 from next July?
Clearly some shuffling round is needed for YW and AG at some stage to cope with that.
Quote from: cardew on November 15, 2017, 03:21:14 PM
I thought Solihull emission zone is Euro3 from November, so no issue yet and Euro4 from next July?
Clearly some shuffling round is needed for YW and AG at some stage to cope with that.
What about Sunny?
Quote from: Jack on November 15, 2017, 04:49:58 PM
What about Sunny?
What about Sunny?
They have had exactly the same amount of notice as all the other operators that run into Solihull.
All operators have to provide TfWM with a fleetlist showing the euro rating of all their vehicles as proof under normal circumstances they have enough compliant vehicles to meet the rules. If Sunny haven't by the start date then the TC can cancel the service registration.
Quote from: 2900 on November 15, 2017, 09:25:21 AM
Drivers rumour mill in full flow at the moment, early next year 128 will revert to serving blackheath, 129 service withdrawn low patronage , 120A terminates in Oldbury, 120 to be operated by west brom garage with new electric single deckers , the farm will get the 74E Dudley to West Bromwich.
This is just drivers talking not gospel , thought I,d just put it out there summat to chew on if you like.
To be honest, I don't know why they didn't just extend the 128 to Blackheath instead of introducing the 120A in the first place - I believe that's what I suggested during the consultation at the time.
Quote from: Tony on November 15, 2017, 05:41:57 PM
What about Sunny?
They have had exactly the same amount of notice as all the other operators that run into Solihull.
All operators have to provide TfWM with a fleetlist showing the euro rating of all their vehicles as proof under normal circumstances they have enough compliant vehicles to meet the rules. If Sunny haven't by the start date then the TC can cancel the service registration.
Most of there buses are Euro 3 aren't they?
The only one I think isn't compliant is the W reg?
The W reg isn't compliant is it?
Quote from: 2206 on November 15, 2017, 07:49:52 PM
Most of there buses are Euro 3 aren't they?
The only one I think isn't compliant is the W reg?
The W reg isn't compliant is it?
Not sure on the W reg one as that was around the changeover from Euro 2 to Euro 3, and their fleet is OK until the middle of next year.
That is when they will need to modify them, replace them or move from Solihull
Quote from: Tony on November 15, 2017, 08:10:10 PM
Not sure on the W reg one as that was around the changeover from Euro 2 to Euro 3, and their fleet is OK until the middle of next year.
That is when they will need to modify them, replace them or move from Solihull
Thanks for the info.
Quote from: Stu on November 15, 2017, 06:43:09 PM
To be honest, I don't know why they didn't just extend the 128 to Blackheath instead of introducing the 120A in the first place - I believe that's what I suggested during the consultation at the time.
Most of us drivers were thinking that at the time why not send the 128 back to blackheath, the powers that be must know summat we mere mortals don't
Quote from: 2900 on November 15, 2017, 09:25:21 AM
Drivers rumour mill in full flow at the moment, early next year 128 will revert to serving blackheath, 129 service withdrawn low patronage , 120A terminates in Oldbury, 120 to be operated by west brom garage with new electric single deckers , the farm will get the 74E Dudley to West Bromwich.
This is just drivers talking not gospel , thought I,d just put it out there summat to chew on if you like.
I'm still hoping the old variant of the 129 (Birmingham - West Brom) will be brought back. Kills 2 birds with one stone, maintains 4 buses an hour between the Plough & Birmingham, and connects Warley to Londonderry & West Bromwich
More rumours X87 to be operated by THE FARM ,the route from Galton bridge straight on to expressway to Heath street Dudley rd , best of luck with that one during the peak it's bumper to bumper.
I do stress it's just talk not fact
Quote from: 2900 on November 19, 2017, 10:26:47 AM
More rumours X87 to be operated by THE FARM ,the route from Galton bridge straight on to expressway to Heath street Dudley rd , best of luck with that one during the peak it's bumper to bumper.
I do stress it's just talk not fact
doubt it we got no room
Only rumour is 120 to west brom or where ever new garage goes
And 74 Dudley to west brom at pn
4936 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
This bus is good in every department except one the woeful gearbox it is quite simply the worst ZF Eco box I,ve come across its bloody awful , it trudges along with engine labouring at 800 rpm , it jerks for added bonus , it has kick down doesn't really add great deal of speed , takes forever to get to 40mph , please please remap the gearbox ecu it needs one ASAP.
So so infuriating to drive in its current setup
BIG PHAT ZERO
Gona have me a moan on ere and y the f,ing not, been on the 12E(120E) city to Oldbury, the 13 (128) and 13A (127) , the duty I had 5 city's in it bloody nuts , use to be an average of 3 city's in a duty, 3 minute lay overs in Oldbury for 12E and 13 it takes more than 3 minutes to turn the bus around. 13A gets a useful 14/15 minutes in blackheath. So now down to 4 buses in the evening providing an hourly service on the above services, plus 2 buses from the farm for the 12 to Dudley hourly, how things have changed it use to be 8 buses 120 /128/129 .
Bloody gazillions of questions from punters where have 120/127/128,s gone , I hate repeating myself so bloody tiring.
From what I could see all scanias this evening on the 3/12E/13/13A rather than the 4200s no bad thing really.
Punters in blackheath were telling me x8 rubbish service doesn't stop on half the stops on hagley rd
having to walk back miles.
I noticed fair few no 9 branded buses on the 12/126 not good.
Monday should be fun for all concerned.
From city great Charles st just after the crossing the road markings were being changed to bus gate , I assume hagley rd buses will run behind the library from Monday onwards.
X7 vs 87 from Dudley to Oldbury then Oldbury to smethwick
as I left Dudley bus station I noticed an X7 behind me I thought let's see which is faster its late afternoon I got to Oldbury no sign of the X7 even after the 4 minute layover , so I carry on when I approached spon craft the X7 is behind me, now from Galton bridge the X7 chooses to use smethwick bypass , I on the 87 smethwick high st still got to smethwick job centre before the X7.
From passenger point of view from Dudley to smethwick the only advantage is the nicer bus on the x7
82/87 since septembers closure of paradise circus Dudley rd now terminates in colmore row as most of you know, on the evening boards we now get a useful 7 minutes drop back in colmore row, these 7 minutes makes a big difference knowing you have them , it just makes getting the bus up Dudley rd so much easier, most of us drivers feel more relaxed being on there plus it's nice to start journeys on time. Some of the slack has been taken out by removing spring hill tesco as a timing point thank you very much to the powers that be and further minute taken off grove lane timing point which all equates to very happy punters at cape hill because bus hasn't Stopped at timing points dragging out the journey, I get a lot of thank you driver at capehill from vast majority on the bus which is a huge difference from being constantly hassled at timing points.
We drivers hope that NX leaves the Dudley rd at colmore row rather than dragging it all over the city especially carrs lane ,dale end of brum which is far to congested .
I haven't heard any complaints from customers that these services no longer serve moor st or new st directly.
Quote from: 2900 on November 26, 2018, 09:58:22 AM
82/87 since septembers closure of paradise circus Dudley rd now terminates in colmore row as most of you know, on the evening boards we now get a useful 7 minutes drop back in colmore row, these 7 minutes makes a big difference knowing you have them , it just makes getting the bus up Dudley rd so much easier, most of us drivers feel more relaxed being on there plus it's nice to start journeys on time. Some of the slack has been taken out by removing spring hill tesco as a timing point thank you very much to the powers that be and further minute taken off grove lane timing point which all equates to very happy punters at cape hill because bus hasn't Stopped at timing points dragging out the journey, I get a lot of thank you driver at capehill from vast majority on the bus which is a huge difference from being constantly hassled at timing points.
We drivers hope that NX leaves the Dudley rd at colmore row rather than dragging it all over the city especially carrs lane ,dale end of brum which is far to congested .
I haven't heard any complaints from customers that these services no longer serve moor st or new st directly.
It was handy to have the 82/87 stopping outside Spoons rather than having to walk to Colmore Row, but then again it does make sense to have it stop there alongside the X7/X8 and the 12/126 towards Dudley. It'd be nice if the 74 could be changed to stop there too so that the Dudley routes all stop in the same area, but that would probably cause issues overall.
Quote from: StourValley98 on November 26, 2018, 12:05:01 PM
It was handy to have the 82/87 stopping outside Spoons rather than having to walk to Colmore Row, but then again it does make sense to have it stop there alongside the X7/X8 and the 12/126 towards Dudley. It'd be nice if the 74 could be changed to stop there too so that the Dudley routes all stop in the same area, but that would probably cause issues overall.
Why?
Not everyone on that route is going to Dudley.
It makes more sence having the Hockley routes together 16 and 74).
The 126, X7 and X8 are quicker, it's hardly like the 74 takes the most direct route, 1 hour 20 minutes to Dudley.
The X7, 82/7 and 89 should all stop together in my opinion, like they do now, since they serve the same areas.
Quote from: 2900 on November 26, 2018, 09:58:22 AM
82/87 since septembers closure of paradise circus Dudley rd now terminates in colmore row as most of you know, on the evening boards we now get a useful 7 minutes drop back in colmore row, these 7 minutes makes a big difference knowing you have them , it just makes getting the bus up Dudley rd so much easier, most of us drivers feel more relaxed being on there plus it's nice to start journeys on time. Some of the slack has been taken out by removing spring hill tesco as a timing point thank you very much to the powers that be and further minute taken off grove lane timing point which all equates to very happy punters at cape hill because bus hasn't Stopped at timing points dragging out the journey, I get a lot of thank you driver at capehill from vast majority on the bus which is a huge difference from being constantly hassled at timing points.
We drivers hope that NX leaves the Dudley rd at colmore row rather than dragging it all over the city especially carrs lane ,dale end of brum which is far to congested .
I haven't heard any complaints from customers that these services no longer serve moor st or new st directly.
Yes us Dudley Rd drivers do love it no more getting slaughtered with passenger loadings or bottles and cans rolling around but there's only one clear winner and that's the X7 drivers with posh busses wizzing around empty not having to stop at bus stops.
No point in running a bus if it ain't gonna stop at stops leave that for the coaches, someone got the two mixed up me think.
Quote from: 979 on November 26, 2018, 01:28:24 PM
Yes us Dudley Rd drivers do love it no more getting slaughtered with passenger loadings or bottles and cans rolling around but there's only one clear winner and that's the X7 drivers with posh busses wizzing around empty not having to stop at bus stops.
No point in running a bus if it ain't gonna stop at stops leave that for the coaches, someone got the two mixed up me think.
Wasn't the 979 itself a limited stop route, though?
Quote from: StourValley98 on November 26, 2018, 02:23:04 PM
Wasn't the 979 itself a limited stop route, though?
Yeap and it never worked eventually towards the end it stopped at every stop.
Also there's added environmental benefits from what I,m told with Dudley rd buses terminating at colmore row it reduces the PVR by 2 buses thus lowering the carbon foot print around the city also helping with congestion too, win win situation IMO
Received one of ADL,s finest the other day 810 Enviro 200
Being a recent refurb it looks smart in its new Crimson scheme , seats retrimmed in red dot moquette which adds a splash of colour to the interior.
Cab badly worn steering wheel greets you just nasty only 7 years old I don't recall metro bus steering wheels being that bad even at 20 plus years old, seat and steering position ok but scania is way more superior
To drive very quick to 30mph bonus , engine gearbox in great shape smooth in all areas , comedy suspension and steering lets the whole show down front wheels feels detached from the steering , hopeless on rough roads really off putting.
Some rattling from interior plastics mainly due to the crap suspension.
These things feel so cheap compared to the scania bus, those just glide round by comparison ,in car terms the enviro 200 is a Austin metro and the scania Mercedes Benz E class ,the scania just a relaxing bus to drive IMO
810 overall score 5/10 I am being generous over the festive season.
IMO these enviro 200 should be taken back to Scotland and driven into the Clyde , I will do it for free and before any one posts they weren't built in Falkirk I know 😀
4677 B7TL wrightbus gemni
Got my hands on this finally oh what a piece of crap it was, first of all the cab seat wouldn't go back far enough , the dashboard only really moved up or down really, the cab feels small compared to the enviro 400s, upon firing the engine there was vibrations and rattling from various places in the lower saloon , driving along its quick to 30 mph, gear changes were good ,but the retarder not good jolts every time you use the brake pedal aweful, suspension wasn't to bad bit of floaty feeling up front , interior not great the floor is nailed down in places. It's got the feel of of well and truly used motor
4273/4275 knocks spots off this shed
Overall 3/10 probably the worst gemni I,ve driven
@2900 I do love your bus reviews 😂
Might aswell restart this! ;D ;D
Volvo B5 Hybrids 5501-5518
Why didn't anyone tell me that these were horrible to drive? First of all, they are soo slow to move off! You hate it when you have to stop half way on the hill or just before because you are never going to get up ;D
Second of all, the brakes! They are so shocking. You need to press the brake half a mile down the road to get a smooth decrease in speed or you will be shooting everyone forward!
Third of all, the hybrid system constantly fails! You get a delay switching from hybrid to diesel, making you lose speed!
Overall, worst buses the company has bought
Quote from: mrboshell on January 05, 2019, 07:41:10 PM
Might aswell restart this! ;D ;D
Volvo B7 Hybrids 5501-5518
Why didn't anyone tell me that these were horrible to drive? First of all, they are soo slow to move off! You hate it when you have to stop half way on the hill or just before because you are never going to get up ;D
Second of all, the brakes! They are so shocking. You need to press the brake half a mile down the road to get a smooth decrease in speed or you will be shooting everyone forward!
Third of all, the hybrid system constantly fails! You get a delay switching from hybrid to diesel, making you lose speed!
Overall, worst buses the company has bought
I hate to be pedantic but they are B5 hybrids. Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B5LH's.
Quote from: Nathan on January 05, 2019, 07:43:50 PM
I hate to be pedantic but they are B5 hybrids. Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B5LH's.
my bad, it was a typo! I was thinking of b7s when I was typing this
Quote from: mrboshell on January 05, 2019, 07:41:10 PM
Might aswell restart this! ;D ;D
Volvo B5 Hybrids 5501-5518
Why didn't anyone tell me that these were horrible to drive? First of all, they are soo slow to move off! You hate it when you have to stop half way on the hill or just before because you are never going to get up ;D
Second of all, the brakes! They are so shocking. You need to press the brake half a mile down the road to get a smooth decrease in speed or you will be shooting everyone forward!
Third of all, the hybrid system constantly fails! You get a delay switching from hybrid to diesel, making you lose speed!
Overall, worst buses the company has bought
I'm no expert on this but having travelled on them over many years when they were on the 22/23, I dong think it's the hybrid system failing. There's quite a bit of lag from when moving off in electric mode to the Diesel engine kicking in - it's the same on all of them. They can certainly shift once the Diesel engine has fired up.
These seem to be very much a 'marmite' bus with drivers - some hate them but there have also been positive comments on here. From a passenger perspective they are one of the better bus types in the fleet to travel on, awkward downstairs layout aside.
Re - The Hybrids 5501 - 18
My views...
Yes, the change over from electric to diesel is a pain and causes a momentary loss of power, drivers complained about this when they were on the Harborne routes, particually on Five Ways island. Luckily on the Bristol Rd routes theres no busy islands like Five Ways.
The change over aside, from 10 mph to 30 mph they are quite rapid and would beat any 49xx Enviro at this speed.
They are very smooth at slow speeds in traffic, no jerking at all, it is possible to pull up to a complete stop with no jerking at all, unlike the Enviros or 46xx Tridents.
I can stretch my left leg fully in the cab which is good, the cab windows however tend to rattle, but I can live with that.
A few of them the heaters arnt very warm which I dont like especially at this time of year, and the heater controls have broken on some.
I dont like the lower saloon layout and some have that really annoying 'Self test performed succesfully' announcement when started up, I wish they could take that off.
I know drivers that like them and drivers that dont.
I personally like them.
Quote from: B.C Driver on January 06, 2019, 11:28:47 AM
Re - The Hybrids 5501 - 18
My views...
Yes, the change over from electric to diesel is a pain and causes a momentary loss of power, drivers complained about this when they were on the Harborne routes, particually on Five Ways island. Luckily on the Bristol Rd routes theres no busy islands like Five Ways.
The change over aside, from 10 mph to 30 mph they are quite rapid and would beat any 49xx Enviro at this speed.
They are very smooth at slow speeds in traffic, no jerking at all, it is possible to pull up to a complete stop with no jerking at all, unlike the Enviros or 46xx Tridents.
I can stretch my left leg fully in the cab which is good, the cab windows however tend to rattle, but I can live with that.
A few of them the heaters arnt very warm which I dont like especially at this time of year, and the heater controls have broken on some.
I dont like the lower saloon layout and some have that really annoying 'Self test performed succesfully' announcement when started up, I wish they could take that off.
I know drivers that like them and drivers that dont.
I personally like them.
I've found that Wright bodied buses tend to have better cabs in terms of space. I'm 6ft2 and I can stretch my left leg fully in Gemini's, Eclipse Urbans and Streetlites. Optares are the worst for legroom and ADL aren't that good either. ADL wise I've only driven Plaxton Pointer darts, Enviro 200s and one ALX400.
Meant to say - the other things I like about the BC Hybrids are the fact that the two front passenger seats are positioned further back, unlike the Enviros and Platinums where you feel people sat in them are peering over your shoulder, also no seat directly behind the driver like the Enviros which seems to echo every conversation, burp, cough, sneeze that people make sat in them.
Since Jan 1st on the Dudley rd services there's been a huge rise in fraudulent travel it's unreal some evenings i,m thinking what's the point of this bus being on the road to only serve thieves , by that I mean any one using a service which they have not paid for is THEFT.
The smart fone has become a joke screen resolution turned down, battery died, cracked screen , screen shot tickets etc etc , swift card expired big red warning light on, oh driver card says valid till 2021 I explain photo I.d valid till then but the ticket on your card has expired.
ITS ONE BIG JOKE, we drivers like every law abiding citizen pay our way in the world , it's very frustrating to see every day the mis use.
Short hop fare over riding is a joke too, you can't challenge this level of mis use otherwise you would never complete a journey.
Rant over
Quote from: 2900 on January 08, 2019, 09:59:07 AM
Since Jan 1st on the Dudley rd services there's been a huge rise in fraudulent travel it's unreal some evenings i,m thinking what's the point of this bus being on the road to only serve thieves , by that I mean any one using a service which they have not paid for is THEFT.
The smart fone has become a joke screen resolution turned down, battery died, cracked screen , screen shot tickets etc etc , swift card expired big red warning light on, oh driver card says valid till 2021 I explain photo I.d valid till then but the ticket on your card has expired.
ITS ONE BIG JOKE, we drivers like every law abiding citizen pay our way in the world , it's very frustrating to see every day the mis use.
Short hop fare over riding is a joke too, you can't challenge this level of mis use otherwise you would never complete a journey.
Rant over
Why can not the app have screenshots disabled?
I recently brought the 26-30 railcard annd that is on an app on the phone. Tried to screenshot it to show a friend and screenshotting was disabled
I don't bother anymore with fraud. Let them get in with it. I'm paid the same each week wether they pay or not. And it's not worth getting yourself worked up over it. I go to work, drive the bus feeling chilled and go home happy
Quote from: John on January 08, 2019, 10:11:51 AM
Why can not the app have screenshots disabled?
I recently brought the 26-30 railcard annd that is on an app on the phone. Tried to screenshot it to show a friend and screenshotting was disabled
I don't bother anymore with fraud. Let them get in with it. I'm paid the same each week wether they pay or not. And it's not worth getting yourself worked up over it. I go to work, drive the bus feeling chilled and go home happy
Yeah I agree with what your saying, as long your still getting paid end of week so what.
I don't get involved it's not worth the stress, it's just unfair on those that do pay.
Quote from: 2900 on January 08, 2019, 10:22:05 AM
Yeah I agree with what your saying, as long your still getting paid end of week so what.
I don't get involved it's not worth the stress, it's just unfair on those that do pay.
Put a written report in to your AOM on worst times and locations and ask him to forward it to the Revenue Protection Manager
Regarding fraud, I often turn a blind eye, but what makes my blood boil is seeing somebody get on with an out of date pass, turning a blind eye, seeing the same person pick up a complimentary newspaper, then watch them go upstairs and smoke.
Quote from: 2900 on January 08, 2019, 09:59:07 AM
Since Jan 1st on the Dudley rd services there's been a huge rise in fraudulent travel it's unreal some evenings i,m thinking what's the point of this bus being on the road to only serve thieves , by that I mean any one using a service which they have not paid for is THEFT.
The smart fone has become a joke screen resolution turned down, battery died, cracked screen , screen shot tickets etc etc , swift card expired big red warning light on, oh driver card says valid till 2021 I explain photo I.d valid till then but the ticket on your card has expired.
ITS ONE BIG JOKE, we drivers like every law abiding citizen pay our way in the world , it's very frustrating to see every day the mis use.
Short hop fare over riding is a joke too, you can't challenge this level of mis use otherwise you would never complete a journey.
Rant over
What about concessionairy passholders? IMO they're worse than the fare evading passengers and are also thieves then. The biggest ones of them all.
4148 - First time I've drove this for a good while.
Hardly any rattles, smooth, fairly good acceleration, warm heaters. Hard to fault. Soon to be withdrawn, but a lot more life in it yet in my opinion.
Quote from: lauren1993 on January 08, 2019, 10:10:16 PM
What about concessionairy passholders? IMO they're worse than the fare evading passengers and are also thieves then. The biggest ones of them all.
At least they don't go up to the back of the top deck and simply start smoking or being a nuicance for everyone else onboard... Its not a free service, the majority of other people onboard have payed the fare, so I personally don't see any reason why these idiots, who try to get a free ride, should be any different, if you can't pay the fare then you are not being forced to get on the bus and you can walk.
I'd disagree to be honest. The company still get paid when they are scanned as well I believe.
Quote from: 2206 on January 08, 2019, 10:13:26 PM
At least they don't go up to the back of the top deck and simply start being a nuicance for everyone else onboard...
I'd disagree to be honest. The company still get paid when they are scanned as well I believe.
Yes but he clearly said which THEY have not paid for, which they haven't. It's paid for by the taxpayer and albeit a lot less reinbursement which consequently means the company suffers due to this as they get paid far less than they would've by a fare paying passenger that could've had that seat!
And how would you know they don't cause trouble and sit at the back of the top deck?
Quote from: lauren1993 on January 08, 2019, 10:10:16 PM
What about concessionairy passholders? IMO they're worse than the fare evading passengers and are also thieves then. The biggest ones of them all.
What a disgusting thing to say, so somebody who cannot drive because they are blind is just after the free travel? Have a word with yourself...
Quote from: V89MOA on January 08, 2019, 10:19:55 PM
What a disgusting thing to say, so somebody who cannot drive because they are blind is just after the free travel? Have a word with yourself...
I agree.
Its hardly comparable with these idiots in my opinion.
Quote from: V89MOA on January 08, 2019, 10:19:55 PM
What a disgusting thing to say, so somebody who cannot drive because they are blind is just after the free travel? Have a word with yourself...
Someone that can't drive should still pay and someone that can drive but doesn't still has to pay, and people that are blind get plenty of money to live off anyway, and people that drive have to pay for fuel, tax, MOT, and you can't just choose not to drive to get free travel. So why should a blind person be treated any differently as afferall equality act and all that! Completely contradictory.
Quote from: lauren1993 on January 08, 2019, 10:22:18 PM
Someone that can't drive should still pay and someone that can drive but doesn't still has to pay, and people that are blind get plenty of money to live off anyway, and people that drive have to pay for fuel, tax, MOT, and you can't just choose not to drive to get free travel. So why should a blind person be treated any differently as afferall equality act and all that! Completely contradictory.
So you have the same attitude to the blind as your disgusting attitude to someone with cancer, I don't want that type of person on here so you will be removed
Quote from: lauren1993 on January 08, 2019, 10:22:18 PM
Someone that can't drive should still pay and someone that can drive but doesn't still has to pay, and people that are blind get plenty of money to live off anyway, and people that drive have to pay for fuel, tax, MOT, and you can't just choose not to drive to get free travel. So why should a blind person be treated any differently as afferall equality act and all that! Completely contradictory.
Most OAPs give more than enough in taxes throughout their life anyway. And to say they go and smoke upstairs, wow!
Quote from: lauren1993 on January 08, 2019, 10:22:18 PM
Someone that can't drive should still pay and someone that can drive but doesn't still has to pay, and people that are blind get plenty of money to live off anyway, and people that drive have to pay for fuel, tax, MOT, and you can't just choose not to drive to get free travel. So why should a blind person be treated any differently as afferall equality act and all that! Completely contradictory.
OAPs have most likely worked all their lives and been left with a small pension to live off, do you really think they should be paying for the bus, despite that? Try and show some respect, your views are disgusting. What's wrong with having more people getting free or cheaper travel compared to a car anyway? Cars are inefficient and worse for the environment than a bus overall, it'd be a lot better if even more people were to use public transport. I don't see why you should care what anyone else has paid anyway, it's not like it's affecting you.
Quote from: lauren1993 on January 08, 2019, 10:10:16 PM
What about concessionairy passholders? IMO they're worse than the fare evading passengers and are also thieves then. The biggest ones of them all.
Oh wow,re you really attacking the pensioners and disabled for having a free pass , I would say vast majority have worked all there lives paid national insurance contributions and various other taxes and now have the right to have that concessionairy pass ,many fought in wars for this country have you forgotten, we live in a civilised society while not 100% perfect takes care of the disabled and the vulnerable , by giving the elderly free travel it's making the roads safer we,ve all seen and read those stories of the pensioner driving the wrong way down a road etc.
Lauren1993 come 65 you won't be wanting your free pass then I take it. It strikes me you have a very narrow minded view of the world I could be wrong.
Another thing with OAPs is that when they scan, the company is guaranteed money, unlike some other passengers...
4967 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
This particular 4900 surprised me greatly in every department except one front suspension can't deal with bumps. To drive its just great smooth and quick to 30mph flies up hills makes very short work of the steepest hills around Warley, hardly any rattling to.
Engine : great shape pulls strong and hard
Gearbox: all good smooth up and down the gears
Retarder: nicely balanced
Suspension: usual front suspension issues
Body/interior: mostly still in decent condition
Overall it's worth 9/10
All 4900s should be like this , Tony good candiate for heritage livery 😀😄
1933 scania omnilink
Seriously nice bus to drive one of nicest at west brom, it's got pace and grace as they say, really helped my duty just fly by, hard to fault this from drivers point of view. IMO it stands out from the others at west brom it's just better in every dept.
Engine: all good smooth pulls strongly
Gearbox: all good smooth up and down the box
Retarder: nicely balanced
Brakes: as above
Bodywork/interior: still in decent condition
Overall I give it 9/10
4525 wrightbus gemni VOLVO B7TL refurbed Crimson euro 6 conversion
Real mixed bag this one engine still good and strong flies to 30mph, gearbox is just hopeless it surges up the gearbox and jerks on the way down , not to much rattling or heavy vibrations unlike 4677
Despite the gearbox issues still good to drive the small steering wheel helps
Engine: all good pulls strong
Gearbox: hopeless
Retarder: could be better
Brakes: generally ok could be better feels vague to me
Bodywork/interior : still in decent condition
Overall it's worth 5/10 Gearbox big let down
4306. My bus on the 8! Today
What a nice bus for its age
Again 4308 today on the 2/2A good bus for its age
Second bus was 6932 we'll all I can say everything worked and did what it was supposed to do
1844, had it today, twice, on the 952.
Great bus tbh, first Scania I've driven in service, slow door and interlock release can be a pain. Good getting upto speed and decent brakes aswell.
Overall, can't complain!
West brom rumour mill in full swing , 82/87 to be rerouted again in the city from snow hill it will follow the number 16 route around the city oh what joy serving the markets.
I did the 80 a few weeks back stuck in traffic jams galore down those sides.
82/87 currently the most reliable it's ever been IMO if we,re late the drop backs cover it.
Quote from: 2900 on February 11, 2019, 01:08:05 PM
West brom rumour mill in full swing , 82/87 to be rerouted again in the city from snow hill it will follow the number 16 route around the city oh what joy serving the markets.
I did the 80 a few weeks back stuck in traffic jams galore down those sides.
82/87 currently the most reliable it's ever been IMO if we,re late the drop backs cover it.
Does that mean they'll no longer be going to Colmore Row?
If so will the 89/X7 be rerouted as well? It makes more sence to have the 82/87/89/X7 on the same stand on Calmore Row to me and its better for passengers to have them all stopping together as they go the same way out of Birmingham.
I don't see why its needed either to be honest, with so many buses per hour on the 82/87. The 16 seems to sufficiently cover the loop.
Quote from: 2900 on February 11, 2019, 01:08:05 PM
West brom rumour mill in full swing , 82/87 to be rerouted again in the city from snow hill it will follow the number 16 route around the city oh what joy serving the markets.
I did the 80 a few weeks back stuck in traffic jams galore down those sides.
82/87 currently the most reliable it's ever been IMO if we,re late the drop backs cover it.
It's always struck why the 89 has never followed the 82/87 on the City loop. I'd leave the X7 at Colmore being the express service of the 87.
Quote from: Jack on February 11, 2019, 03:35:49 PM
It's always struck why the 89 has never followed the 82/87 on the City loop. I'd leave the X7 at Colmore being the express service of the 87.
On several occasions after serving the key areas of the City loop we had to drive straight through Colmore Row without picking up passengers as the vehicles were already exceeding the maximum capacity. Passengers with suitcases,pushchairs,shopping trolleys,4-5 primark bags it was chaos not to forget the weekends with the large groups of Balaji temple customers on the 87 from New street station purchasing family tickets. The current route does work well 15-20 passengers out of Colmore Row no pushing, shoving, squabbling just a bit of weed smoking.
Quote from: 2206 on February 11, 2019, 01:28:17 PM
Does that mean they'll no longer be going to Colmore Row?
If so will the 89/X7 be rerouted as well? It makes more sence to have the 82/87/89/X7 on the same stand on Calmore Row to me and its better for passengers to have them all stopping together as they go the same way out of Birmingham.
I don't see why its needed either to be honest, with so many buses per hour on the 82/87. The 16 seems to sufficiently cover the loop.
I would assume from city the 82/87 will follow the 16 route till colmore circus traffic lights where the 16 turns right onto snow hill 82/87 would carry on ahead onto colmore row.
I can't see the merits of the 89/ X7 doing the the same route into town the COSTS would RISE by quite a bit I would imagine, to send the 82/87 back around the city that's an extra 2 buses minimum
Training bus 1432 for its age can still put a days work in even doing a steady 50mph no problem
Greetings all,
Rumour going around Westbrom garage is the 122 service is coming , I assume 2 700 series enviro 200s will be required ,maybe route no change as well, I wonder err maybe it could become the 12B,C,D, F,G or some other bullshit concoction the pen pushers come up with , still scratching my head with 126 debacle, the 12A on alx400's looks like 128,
To drivers who end up doing it good luck with farm rd Langley it's used as a rat run nowadays me being one just quicker and safer than hen&chicks junction.
Quote from: 2900 on February 28, 2019, 09:51:21 AM
Greetings all,
Rumour going around Westbrom garage is the 122 service is coming , I assume 2 700 series enviro 200s will be required ,maybe route no change as well, I wonder err maybe it could become the 12B,C,D, F,G or some other bullshit concoction the pen pushers come up with , still scratching my head with 126 debacle, the 12A on alx400's looks like 128,
To drivers who end up doing it good luck with farm rd Langley it's used as a rat run nowadays me being one just quicker and safer than hen&chicks junction.
Yes 122 coming to WB
Quote from: Dom on February 28, 2019, 11:10:29 AM
What is the 122?
Oldbury to Bearwood via Langley Green. Tendered service currently operated by Diamond, to be run by NX from end of April.
Quote from: 2900 on February 28, 2019, 09:51:21 AM
Greetings all,
Rumour going around Westbrom garage is the 122 service is coming , I assume 2 700 series enviro 200s will be required ,maybe route no change as well, I wonder err maybe it could become the 12B,C,D, F,G or some other bullshit concoction the pen pushers come up with , still scratching my head with 126 debacle, the 12A on alx400's looks like 128,
To drivers who end up doing it good luck with farm rd Langley it's used as a rat run nowadays me being one just quicker and safer than hen&chicks junction.
Currently, hourly service between 0930 and 1700 with a PVR of 1. Came to Diamond with the acquisition of Hanson's
There are also routes 20/1 which also operate between Bearwood and Oldbury which I believe were also up for tender but won by Diamond.
Finally got to drive a Trident ALX400 4168 Y Reg Trainer vehicle
In great all round condition , while sat in the back waiting my turn to drive I thought it was a very comfortable from a passenger point of view, suspension did a good job of soaking bumps at the rear hardly any rattles to, I did notice the engine compartment is less instrusive than the Volvo B7TL version of this bus.
The drive on the whole I was disappointed with the driving position, brake pedal location and feel was poor IMO, handbrake location not great either, I assumed it would go like the 4700 series Tridents but no it just didn't have that kick I,ve heard about over years.
The Volvo B7tl,s with add blue conversions would knock spots off this trident , the Volvo chassis is just so much better in every way possible.
Quote from: 2900 on April 30, 2019, 11:11:27 AM
Finally got to drive a Trident ALX400 4168 Y Reg Trainer vehicle
In great all round condition , while sat in the back waiting my turn to drive I thought it was a very comfortable from a passenger point of view, suspension did a good job of soaking bumps at the rear hardly any rattles to, I did notice the engine compartment is less instrusive than the Volvo B7TL version of this bus.
The drive on the whole I was disappointed with the driving position, brake pedal location and feel was poor IMO, handbrake location not great either, I assumed it would go like the 4700 series Tridents but no it just didn't have that kick I,ve heard about over years.
The Volvo B7tl,s with add blue conversions would knock spots off this trident , the Volvo chassis is just so much better in every way possible.
I drove that on CPC a month back, fantastic bus, one of the better tridents imo. Never had the chance of driving a B7TL though so can't compare unfortunately!
Quote from: Dom on April 30, 2019, 03:11:25 PM
I drove that on CPC a month back, fantastic bus, one of the better tridents imo. Never had the chance of driving a B7TL though so can't compare unfortunately!
Volvo B7TL/B7RLE w/ Wright bodywork. Best modern bus to drive by far!
Quote from: MW on April 30, 2019, 06:28:45 PM
Volvo B7TL/B7RLE w/ Wright bodywork. Best modern bus to drive by far!
@MW May I ask what you think of Allison MMC200s ? seeing as your a driver for Landflight of them now, presumably. Every other driver I've spoken to has said they are much better than the older ones
Quote from: Dylanbusboy45 on April 30, 2019, 08:11:21 PM
@MW May I ask what you think of Allison MMC200s ? seeing as your a driver for Landflight of them now, presumably. Every other driver I've spoken to has said they are much better than the older ones
They're much better than the old E200s yes. Like absolute worlds apart from the old E200s. I can't believe it's the same manufacturer to be honest. The older ones feel ridiculously unstable at higher speeds. They don't feel planted to the road at all! The short 8.9M (I'm thinking of BU12LJV, as that's one I've driven plenty) have terrible suspension. Like a seesaw, those buses. The longer 10.8m ones have much better suspension but are still nowhere near as good as an MMC.
They're also much better than the Voith E200MMCs at NXWM, which I've driven on the 31/37 when new. I can compare them directly to Diamonds latest batch of Streetlites too. The turning circle is still not all that but better than the NXWM ones although that's probably due to the wheelbase. NXWMs are 11.3m I think. Landflight ones are 10.8m. I've noticed that there's a bit of a concern with the brakes on these new ones, well specifically the retarder. I've spoken to some Johnson's drivers who also say that their MMCs have the same "fault" or niggle. I've noticed it more when braking from a higher speed, but if you're braking from 40/50MPH, the retarder (which is very smooth unlike juddery Voith ones!) kicks in as normal and if you happen to be on a bumpy road, as you depress the brake pedal you lose the retarder as you drive into a bump for some reason and you're just relying on the actual brake discs, which scares the f**k outta you at times. I hated the drivers seat in the NXWM versions, which may well be the same seat that you get in the Platinums. Irritating to adjust because of the two windy handles, and it was a leather seat, which are rubbish in the heat. The Landflight ones have a much better drivers seat, which actually makes a difference.
Streetlites have a better turning circle. I'd choose an Allison MMC over any form of Streetlite to drive though. I think a Cummins engined Streetlite with an Allison gearbox would be a very good combination. The problem with Cummins Streetlires is that the way they're set up. The power is top end on them, and the gearbox changes up gear before the engine gets to its peak power band and isn't intelligent enough to drop down when you need the power/going up an incline etc. I wonder if there are any Daimler engines Streetlites around with the Daimler gearbox. That's be an interesting comparison to the Voith. The Voith Daimler versions have a lot more low down grunt and as a result aren't as sluggish as the Cummins ones. If the Cummins ones actually revved out, they'd be so so much better. Top end in a Cummins Streetlite from 40mph to 60mph seems quicker to get to than 10-30MPH, because it's forced to rev out as it's in its highest gear!
These MMCs certainly rattle a lot less than Streetlites. Some of the ones on the 50 were starting to rattle when I left Diamond, and these MMCs at Landflight are the same age. Not a single MMC rattles.
But yeah, they're definitely much better than the older ones.
Quote from: MW on April 30, 2019, 09:00:18 PM
They're much better than the old E200s yes. Like absolute worlds apart from the old E200s. I can't believe it's the same manufacturer to be honest. The older ones feel ridiculously unstable at higher speeds. They don't feel planted to the road at all! The short 8.9M (I'm thinking of BU12LJV, as that's one I've driven plenty) have terrible suspension. Like a seesaw, those buses. The longer 10.8m ones have much better suspension but are still nowhere near as good as an MMC.
They're also much better than the Voith E200MMCs at NXWM, which I've driven on the 31/37 when new. I can compare them directly to Diamonds latest batch of Streetlites too. The turning circle is still not all that but better than the NXWM ones although that's probably due to the wheelbase. NXWMs are 11.3m I think. Landflight ones are 10.8m. I've noticed that there's a bit of a concern with the brakes on these new ones, well specifically the retarder. I've spoken to some Johnson's drivers who also say that their MMCs have the same "fault" or niggle. I've noticed it more when braking from a higher speed, but if you're braking from 40/50MPH, the retarder (which is very smooth unlike juddery Voith ones!) kicks in as normal and if you happen to be on a bumpy road, as you depress the brake pedal you lose the retarder as you drive into a bump for some reason and you're just relying on the actual brake discs, which scares the f**k outta you at times. I hated the drivers seat in the NXWM versions, which may well be the same seat that you get in the Platinums. Irritating to adjust because of the two windy handles, and it was a leather seat, which are rubbish in the heat. The Landflight ones have a much better drivers seat, which actually makes a difference.
Streetlites have a better turning circle. I'd choose an Allison MMC over any form of Streetlite to drive though. I think a Cummins engined Streetlite with an Allison gearbox would be a very good combination. The problem with Cummins Streetlires is that the way they're set up. The power is top end on them, and the gearbox changes up gear before the engine gets to its peak power band and isn't intelligent enough to drop down when you need the power/going up an incline etc. I wonder if there are any Daimler engines Streetlites around with the Daimler gearbox. That's be an interesting comparison to the Voith. The Voith Daimler versions have a lot more low down grunt and as a result aren't as sluggish as the Cummins ones. If the Cummins ones actually revved out, they'd be so so much better. Top end in a Cummins Streetlite from 40mph to 60mph seems quicker to get to than 10-30MPH, because it's forced to rev out as it's in its highest gear!
These MMCs certainly rattle a lot less than Streetlites. Some of the ones on the 50 were starting to rattle when I left Diamond, and these MMCs at Landflight are the same age. Not a single MMC rattles.
But yeah, they're definitely much better than the older ones.
Very interesting read thanks. It seems that in these modern single deckers, the gearbox really makes all the difference in the power delivery. When I first rode an Allison MMC last year, the main difference I noticed was the higher revving, not only does it sound better from an enthusiasts pov, but performs better, especially on higher speed, longer distance sort runs. I guess that's why the big operators go for Voith as theirs are just tottering up busy main roads, whereas the smaller ones are going down country lanes where they can get some speed up easier
ADL ENVIRO 400 MMC 6971
Up on receiving my first platinum bus in Oldbury I got myself into cab took a deep breath of that new bus smell always very satisfying soon to be replaced by super skunk weed etc.
First impressions of the cab its is a very nice place to be only downside the cab seat is PVC covered which I hate you become sweaty as it doesn't breathe like cloth does.
All the controls,re well laid out , the use of proper switch gear is very good as opposed to the previous models touch button panel.
The build quality and materials does definitely seem to of a higher standard compared to previous model. Driving along its all very civilised, this does seem get up and go when required, ride quality is much improved over the previous bus, there are some rattles squeaks on poor road surfaces, otherwise not much else.
The biggest problem I have is the Stop/Start at every bus stop I absolutely hate it , i just couldn't get into my stride/rythem/groove call it what you will, I found it incredibly irritating it totally spoils what appears to be a very decent bus, I did notice the startStop didn't activate in traffic situations, possible low battery charge. At one point I was running 10 minutes late on a normal bus I usually recover that but this start/stop tech hell no chance of that I just gave up.
It really does feel like the bus is dictating on how it should be driven, constantly pressing the brake pedal before moving off very annoying quirk.
The voith gearbox/retarder is a vast improvement over the hopeless zf ecomatic box.
I do wonder how many starter motors flywheels will be replaced before the start/stop is deactivated, I,m sure the cost of parts labour will out way any fuel cost savings, we shall see.
Quote from: 2900 on May 05, 2019, 11:19:12 AM
ADL ENVIRO 400 MMC 6971
Up on receiving my first platinum bus in Oldbury I got myself into cab took a deep breath of that new bus smell always very satisfying soon to be replaced by super skunk weed etc.
First impressions of the cab its is a very nice place to be only downside the cab seat is PVC covered which I hate you become sweaty as it doesn't breathe like cloth does.
All the controls,re well laid out , the use of proper switch gear is very good as opposed to the previous models touch button panel.
The build quality and materials does definitely seem to of a higher standard compared to previous model. Driving along its all very civilised, this does seem get up and go when required, ride quality is much improved over the previous bus, there are some rattles squeaks on poor road surfaces, otherwise not much else.
The biggest problem I have is the Stop/Start at every bus stop I absolutely hate it , i just couldn't get into my stride/rythem/groove call it what you will, I found it incredibly irritating it totally spoils what appears to be a very decent bus, I did notice the startStop didn't activate in traffic situations, possible low battery charge. At one point I was running 10 minutes late on a normal bus I usually recover that but this start/stop tech hell no chance of that I just gave up.
It really does feel like the bus is dictating on how it should be driven, constantly pressing the brake pedal before moving off very annoying quirk.
The voith gearbox/retarder is a vast improvement over the hopeless zf ecomatic box.
I do wonder how many starter motors flywheels will be replaced before the start/stop is deactivated, I,m sure the cost of parts labour will out way any fuel cost savings, we shall see.
The stop start is activated by the doors, that's why it wasn't doing it in traffic.
Quote from: 2900 on May 05, 2019, 11:19:12 AM
ADL ENVIRO 400 MMC 6971
Up on receiving my first platinum bus in Oldbury I got myself into cab took a deep breath of that new bus smell always very satisfying soon to be replaced by super skunk weed etc.
First impressions of the cab its is a very nice place to be only downside the cab seat is PVC covered which I hate you become sweaty as it doesn't breathe like cloth does.
All the controls,re well laid out , the use of proper switch gear is very good as opposed to the previous models touch button panel.
The build quality and materials does definitely seem to of a higher standard compared to previous model. Driving along its all very civilised, this does seem get up and go when required, ride quality is much improved over the previous bus, there are some rattles squeaks on poor road surfaces, otherwise not much else.
The biggest problem I have is the Stop/Start at every bus stop I absolutely hate it , i just couldn't get into my stride/rythem/groove call it what you will, I found it incredibly irritating it totally spoils what appears to be a very decent bus, I did notice the startStop didn't activate in traffic situations, possible low battery charge. At one point I was running 10 minutes late on a normal bus I usually recover that but this start/stop tech hell no chance of that I just gave up.
It really does feel like the bus is dictating on how it should be driven, constantly pressing the brake pedal before moving off very annoying quirk.
The voith gearbox/retarder is a vast improvement over the hopeless zf ecomatic box.
I do wonder how many starter motors flywheels will be replaced before the start/stop is deactivated, I,m sure the cost of parts labour will out way any fuel cost savings, we shall see.
Another driver on Oldbury Rota said something very similar. He was late and usually on the 47XX's as open/close door situation is quite fast as well as pull off speed, he can bring it back on time if conditions allow, but with platinums he also gave up.
WB 4925.
Drives as smooth and fast as a Trident. Usually when doing 30mph on E40D you can sort of feel it where as in a good Trident bus you can be doing 30mph but actually feels like 20mph.
Quote from: aSingh on May 05, 2019, 11:53:57 AM
Another driver on Oldbury Rota said something very similar. He was late and usually on the 47XX's as open/close door situation is quite fast as well as pull off speed, he can bring it back on time if conditions allow, but with platinums he also gave up.
I've got no issue with the Platinums we have at Pensnett, having had them on the X10 and last night on the 126, I've personally not struggled for time at all. I find them quite quick in pulling away and getting upto speed. I don't find the stop start causing any issue at all.
I did notice on 6791 while the doors were open the engine would restart itself is this normal
Quote from: aSingh on May 05, 2019, 12:11:13 PM
WB 4925.
Drives as smooth and fast as a Trident. Usually when doing 30mph on E40D you can sort of feel it where as in a good Trident bus you can be doing 30mph but actually feels like 20mph.
A handful of the 4900s at westbrom are very good buses quick too, but still the 4700s on the whole just better , I think 4742 is the slug in that batch
Quote from: 2900 on May 05, 2019, 03:46:26 PM
I did notice on 6791 while the doors were open the engine would restart itself is this normal
yes bus will restart itself when battery power starts to drop
I am hearing on the grape vine westbrom to gain two service 12 boards from The farm in June,
Also hearing 13A/B could potentially be scrapped and a version of 126 to serve brandhall and blackheath.
I do stress it's all very fluid, it's not gospel , just rumours at the moment.
6976 enviro 400mmc
This one same as 6971 but stop/start engages when handbrake is on any where , been told this will be modified to door open only stop/ start, on occasions it would go ape shit hazards would come on and refuse to restart , to correct issue go through manual start process.
At westbrom most drivers do agree these platinums,re nice to drive but ruined by stop/ start, when have fast running times it's really difficult to stay on time , I now understand why when the farm use platinums in the evenings on the 12 it's hardly ever on time.
Quote from: 2900 on May 21, 2019, 09:51:05 AM
6976 enviro 400mmc
This one same as 6971 but stop/start engages when handbrake is on any where , been told this will be modified to door open only stop/ start, on occasions it would go ape shit hazards would come on and refuse to restart , to correct issue go through manual start process.
At westbrom most drivers do agree these platinums,re nice to drive but ruined by stop/ start, when have fast running times it's really difficult to stay on time , I now understand why when the farm use platinums in the evenings on the 12 it's hardly ever on time.
thats funny I can keep my platinum buses on time on fast running time on evenings and Sunday's
@Dom @pndriver
Quote from: karl724223 on May 21, 2019, 10:25:42 PM
thats funny I can keep my platinum buses on time on fast running time on evenings and Sunday's @Dom @pndriver
And me, with considerate ease aswell.
Quote from: Dom on May 21, 2019, 11:17:56 PM
And me, with considerate ease aswell.
Karl, Dom may be you can but I,ve seen plenty that can't any way until I get one on the 12s and 13s on the evenings I can't really comment personally. My only experience is the 82/87 fast running time,
82 you need to be on the ball so to speak.
Most of the permanent late night drivers don't want platinums on a evening board.
The other evening I had one the 4700s it's just so effortless no bullshit does wot it says on the tin it's redicolous.
Just out of interest does The Farms 12 service interwork during the evenings.
Enviro 400MMC platinums westbrom
Designed by the industry for the industry , REALLY
having now driven probably every one at westbrom over the last 6 to 8 weeks i can safely say these things are the dullest most boring buses i,ve ever driven, there are so many electrical gremlins with this batch build quality issues, rubber trim coming away from opening passenger windows, flooring coming away from the rear seat housing.
They are currently all very similar to drive no real great variances yet.
Majority of the drivers hate the shite viynl cab seat just great in hot weather with no aircon what moron thaught these were great idea, hot days you become soaked in sweat your trousers stick to you just horrible, many of us are getting leg pains from these seats espeically after 5 hour spells , i get pins and needles pain in my left ankle constantly having to move it about. The electric steering is heavier than normal hydraulic setup. The constant pressing of the brake pedal also very tiresome too.The constant engine stop/start at every stop is just so annoying, passengers are comnenting to me they hate it , overall i find these platinums mentally and physically tiring on long stints.
In there current form just a hateful place to be thanks NX for making dudley rd even more taxing place to be.
Oh and my score for these bags of shite a BIG PHAT ZERO
4515 wrightbus gemni volvo B7Tl
In what feels like for ever since i last drove a gemni this was a most welcomed change. Looking at it yes its a little rough around the edges but nothing rough about the way it drives
Its every thing that a enviro e400mmc isnt
Its responsive, quick, commnuitive in every department just joyful vehicle to drive 5 hours flew by in this its just so effortless relaxing bus to drive.
Only one downside i will now consider very minor having now experiened the platinum crap was the down shift in gear s bit of surge one could say .
This bus i,ll give 8/10 for the way it drives
Pensnetts 4308 still got life in it does 30 with ease and engine sounds good with smooth gear changes
And most important very warm cab heaters easy 9/10
Dudley rd platinums, I've had plenty of grief off passengers this week, driver turn on damn aircon too hot man. I,ve had people get off early and walk the rest of there journey.
While we poor drivers after to suffer for 5 hours plus welded to the crap viynl seat , the blowers and the poxy cheap Chinese made fan stuck on the ceiling next to useless , the ones on the 4700s so much better.
I think the platinums dark colours don't help with heat either, where as white is reflective against heat one to think about .
To top it all off the new westbromwich garage scheduler has ruined all the rotas and dutys with 3 part dutys some lates start at 1500 from garage till midnight , I've done lates for over 20 years I will now quit doing them they simply not worth it.
The Oldbury rota drivers can't believe how aweful the dutys have become plus hammering you get on Dudley rd cause there are now 3 less buses running in the peak. 12/13s busy now less buses.
Pn open day Dudley shuttle
2957 picked it up from wolves once out of the dump of the ring roads and traffic lights on the penn rd it was a blast down to himley engine gears and brakes all performed perfect reached the speed limits with ease no problem at all for a bus this old a credit to all that have worked on it to get it to this standard once on the shuttles again it was faultless going up and down the Dudley hills
But A warning light came on the dashboard and as the bus was not a pensnett bus the decision was taken to park it up to be on the safe side great shame was really enjoying driving this bus
But
Bus number two wolves livery 4535 again another nice bus to drive very smooth and fast
Again giving it a blast from kingswinford up to himley to penn rd island back to wolves garage this bus moved
Driving both buses in the livery they are in did there job and turned car drivers and pedestrians heads
I would give 10 plus to both of these buses
Really glad I was allowed to drive both of them on something different
Quote from: karl724223 on July 29, 2019, 08:43:11 PM
Pn open day Dudley shuttle
2957 picked it up from wolves once out of the dump of the ring roads and traffic lights on the penn rd it was a blast down to himley engine gears and brakes all performed perfect reached the speed limits with ease no problem at all for a bus this old a credit to all that have worked on it to get it to this standard once on the shuttles again it was faultless going up and down the Dudley hills
But A warning light came on the dashboard and as the bus was not a pensnett bus the decision was taken to park it up to be on the safe side great shame was really enjoying driving this bus
But
Bus number two wolves livery 4535 again another nice bus to drive very smooth and fast
Again giving it a blast from kingswinford up to himley to penn rd island back to wolves garage this bus moved
Driving both buses in the livery they are in did there job and turned car drivers and pedestrians heads
I would give 10 plus to both of these buses
Really glad I was allowed to drive both of them on something different
And having followed you from Park Lane in my car, you did a fantastic job driving it too! Pleasure to meet you on Saturday bud.
4306 oh the joys
It's a nail and its knocking on deaths door please knock harder
I would gladly paint the wheels red and lead it into death row
@pndriver
4953/4944 ADL E40D E400 Enviro 400 ZF ecomatic
What utter bags of shit these two buses really are to drive, complete and utter misery just f,ing useless , all the appeal of a wet lettuce , utter garbage , I would gladly drive these to PVS For free just to get rid. They trudge about , engine constantly labouring away , absolutely crap going up hills 10/155mph at best. I couldn't even get comfortable the cab seats have aged badly.
Big PHAT ZERO and being generous
4916 ADL E40D ENVIRO 400 ecomatic
This wasn't to bad overall, biggest let down the crap ZF gearbox occasionally the gears jolted on changes etc, not to bad on hills ,recent refurb so interior and exterior in excellent order .
Still I,d rather not drive if I could.
BIG PHAT my lovelies 4/10
4746 ADL Trident, Enviro 400
One of the better 4700s at w/b drives great in all departments, just nice to drive a bus that responds to your inputs as a driver.
Interior could do with deep clean IMO
7/10
The one thing these enviro 400s have is space in the cab for your bag even the platinums aren't great for this.
Quote from: 2900 on December 20, 2019, 01:20:04 PM
The one thing these enviro 400s have is space in the cab for your bag even the platinums aren't great for this.
Do the MMCs not have the drivers compartment, where you can put a bag. It's located next to your left leg in the cab, at the bottom. I'm not sure if the NX ones would have this compartment, as they've got vaults fitted. I can't remember if the NX E200MMCs have this or not. I know they have the bottle holder and running board/VCR holder in the cab door.
If this compartment isn't available on NX examples due to the vault, that's a shame. It's really useful for drivers with bags.
Quote from: MW on December 20, 2019, 01:25:04 PM
Do the MMCs not have the drivers compartment, where you can put a bag. It's located next to your left leg in the cab, at the bottom. I'm not sure if the NX ones would have this compartment, as they've got vaults fitted. I can't remember if the NX E200MMCs have this or not. I know they have the bottle holder and running board/VCR holder in the cab door.
If this compartment isn't available on NX examples due to the vault, that's a shame. It's really useful for drivers with bags.
It's tiny just enough room for a water bottle
Quote from: 2900 on December 19, 2019, 02:41:19 PM
4916 ADL E40D ENVIRO 400 ecomatic
This wasn't to bad overall, biggest let down the crap ZF gearbox occasionally the gears jolted on changes etc, not to bad on hills ,recent refurb so interior and exterior in excellent order .
Still I,d rather not drive if I could.
BIG PHAT my lovelies 4/10
E40D's are frustrating because of the gearbox. But there are some that drive lovely (like 4967, 4979)
Quote from: aSingh on December 20, 2019, 03:11:51 PM
E40D's are frustrating because of the gearbox. But there are some that drive lovely (like 4967, 4979)
I'm no driver but I'd probably be right in saying that you'd find the Topodyn software equipped ones much better. I've not come across any at WB but there's a fair few at BC which rev higher than normal. Really makes the difference on the hills anyway
Quote from: Dylanbusboy45 on December 20, 2019, 07:05:21 PM
I'm no driver but I'd probably be right in saying that you'd find the Topodyn software equipped ones much better. I've not come across any at WB but there's a fair few at BC which rev higher than normal. Really makes the difference on the hills anyway
The 61 plates will always be the best ones. A high number of them rev a lot higher than the newer batches!
WB 6989 - excellent bus just 2 problems. 4 times when coming to a stop at bus stop, bus turns off as usual but then wouldn't start up (I swear I followed the normal preceadure) so then had to manually start it up. Then later when coming to the end of City Road, all the cab lights and above door light start flickering on and off for about 10 seconds, then same thing happened again when I got into city. Strange bus.
Quote from: aSingh on December 23, 2019, 12:57:00 AM
WB 6989 - excellent bus just 2 problems. 4 times when coming to a stop at bus stop, bus turns off as usual but then wouldn't start up (I swear I followed the normal preceadure) so then had to manually start it up. Then later when coming to the end of City Road, all the cab lights and above door light start flickering on and off for about 10 seconds, then same thing happened again when I got into city. Strange bus.
Both those issues have happened before on a BC platinum x22.
Quote from: Trident 4194 on December 23, 2019, 09:08:41 AM
Both those issues have happened before on a BC platinum x22.
Happens on a lot of ours
Quote from: aSingh on December 23, 2019, 12:57:00 AM
WB 6989 - excellent bus just 2 problems. 4 times when coming to a stop at bus stop, bus turns off as usual but then wouldn't start up (I swear I followed the normal preceadure) so then had to manually start it up. Then later when coming to the end of City Road, all the cab lights and above door light start flickering on and off for about 10 seconds, then same thing happened again when I got into city. Strange bus.
Some of westbroms platinums do strange things I don't even notice any more just restart them and carry on. I really do wonder how much fuel is saved at bus stops when you literally just open and shut the doors in seconds.
The platinum experience when I,m not thinking about what I,m driving the journeys just past by very unremarkablely, I still hate the door/handbrake /brake pedal setup, when you get the timing wrong it's a pain to start over again, so annoying.
4757 ADL enviro 400 Trident chassis
One the better ones at west brom a great all rounder lots of power and the kick down still works bonus, brakes retarder very well balanced , gear changes with no drama.
Suspension is appalling on the hagley rd really can't damp out any of numerous problems on this road.
Only one annoying problem the salloon doors sticks on closing then you get the thump at times you think what the hell.
Interior could with a deep clean.
Yeah well worth 8/10 for the way it drives.
Drunks in Oldbury relief point.
This has started to become an issue over the past recent months we have one Irish chap when he is sober great guy after one to many just an arsehole, many months a go he pushed driver then knocked his hat off , next he slapped a female passenger she didn't create a fuss just wanted to get home, driver called for police , I was the bus behind I came off for relief I clocked the drunk he tried to board I said no chance you boarding this bus, he swung for me I just put him down , I told the relief driver shut the doors and go.
I had another drunk who got cross with me the other week because I had no relief driver , he refused to board the next bus , he wanted my bus to continue he shoved me I threw him into the bus shelter he made lots of racist remarks few moments later Sandwell civic officers turn up then 4 pcso officers and finally 2 police officers, a young female and her young son made the call , she made a complaint and statement about the drunk, officer turned to me we would like a statement from you as well, I said is it worth my time you are gona do anything, officer said we,ve arrested the drunk and charged him I think, me ok let's go.
Oldbury pcso,s really took good care of me put in there mess room put the tv on, gave me a drink, even a plate of chips, all good.
The officers were saying you drivers got no safety it's appalling. We have stab vests body cams.
Oldbury bus shelter is our safety, thanks NX
Then we have another persistent drunk who goes mad when buses run late on the 13 from Oldbury to moat farm junior school 1846 departure time, he,ll come over to the non assigned stop and start his rant I,ve been waiting an hour etc which is all lies , I try my best to ignore him but when trying to get to McDonald's to use toilet facilities its most annoying.
Time and time again certain Joe public thinks it's ok to harrass drivers.
Quote from: 2900 on December 23, 2019, 11:14:08 AM
Drunks in Oldbury relief point.
This has started to become an issue over the past recent months we have one Irish chap when he is sober great guy after one to many just an arsehole, many months a go he pushed driver then knocked his hat off , next he slapped a female passenger she didn't create a fuss just wanted to get home, driver called for police , I was the bus behind I came off for relief I clocked the drunk he tried to board I said no chance you boarding this bus, he swung for me I just put him down , I told the relief driver shut the doors and go.
I had another drunk who got cross with me the other week because I had no relief driver , he refused to board the next bus , he wanted my bus to continue he shoved me I threw him into the bus shelter he made lots of racist remarks few moments later Sandwell civic officers turn up then 4 pcso officers and finally 2 police officers, a young female and her young son made the call , she made a complaint and statement about the drunk, officer turned to me we would like a statement from you as well, I said is it worth my time you are gona do anything, officer said we,ve arrested the drunk and charged him I think, me ok let's go.
Oldbury pcso,s really took good care of me put in there mess room put the tv on, gave me a drink, even a plate of chips, all good.
The officers were saying you drivers got no safety it's appalling. We have stab vests body cams.
Oldbury bus shelter is our safety, thanks NX
Then we have another persistent drunk who goes mad when buses run late on the 13 from Oldbury to moat farm junior school 1846 departure time, he,ll come over to the non assigned stop and start his rant I,ve been waiting an hour etc which is all lies , I try my best to ignore him but when trying to get to McDonald's to use toilet facilities its most annoying.
Time and time again certain Joe public thinks it's ok to harrass drivers.
Really the Union ought to be raising it with NX as well as at the end of the day, it's you and your fellow drivers who are at the business end of it all. Even if it means a bus strike until NX can negotiate access to a secure place for drivers to spend their breaks.
Of course NX care more about the profits than the safety/employment of their staff after reading your post.
Quote from: the trainbasher on December 23, 2019, 12:39:34 PM
Really the Union ought to be raising it with NX as well as at the end of the day, it's you and your fellow drivers who are at the business end of it all. Even if it means a bus strike until NX can negotiate access to a secure place for drivers to spend their breaks.
Of course NX care more about the profits than the safety/employment of their staff after reading your post.
[/quote
Omg UNITE THE UNION IS USELESS, we at west brom label them the useless Union the chuckle brothers at west brom got voted in on promises that oldbury relief point would be getting a restroom etc etc, they delivered sod all.
The chairman can't even answer basic SSP questions
I and good deal of other drivers quit the UNITE Union and joined RMT I have had more useful advice in 5 minutes from them than in 20 years of unite.
Quote from: the trainbasher on December 23, 2019, 12:39:34 PM
Really the Union ought to be raising it with NX as well as at the end of the day, it's you and your fellow drivers who are at the business end of it all. Even if it means a bus strike until NX can negotiate access to a secure place for drivers to spend their breaks.
Of course NX care more about the profits than the safety/employment of their staff after reading your post.
Omg UNITE THE UNION IS USELESS, we at west brom label them the useless Union the chuckle brothers at west brom got voted in on promises that oldbury relief point would be getting a restroom etc etc, they delivered sod all.
The chairman can't even answer basic SSP questions
I and good deal of other drivers quit the UNITE Union and joined RMT I have had more useful advice in 5 minutes from them than in 20 years of unite.
Imo private companies shouldn't be running public services , big multinationals have dividends and share holders to satisfy, may be tram going back into public hands is the start of things.
Quote from: 2900 on December 23, 2019, 03:01:54 PM
Omg UNITE THE UNION IS USELESS, we at west brom label them the useless Union the chuckle brothers at west brom got voted in on promises that oldbury relief point would be getting a restroom etc etc, they delivered sod all.
The chairman can't even answer basic SSP questions
I and good deal of other drivers quit the UNITE Union and joined RMT I have had more useful advice in 5 minutes from them than in 20 years of unite.
I know how it feels with the uselessness of Unite. They took over my union a couple of years ago and the Unite rep who replaced my previous union rep doesn't even respond to emails. I was tempted to move to Unison (but their rep for my section is next to useless at his main job, let alone his union work.).
At least you've got a decent general secretary and reps who ain't afraid to ballot now.
I've noticed quite a few bus drivers have moved to RMT from Unite on various forums and they've said the reps were better.
Anyway, on with the struggle comrade.
Quote from: 2900 on December 23, 2019, 03:07:44 PM
Imo private companies shouldn't be running public services , big multinationals have dividends and share holders to satisfy, may be tram going back into public hands is the start of things.
.
My thoughts exactly!
PB 4490, had this today and was easily one of the best Geminis I've driven, good brakes (retarder isn't to hard like on some of this batch) and picks up speed nice, would happily take these over a platinum anyday
Former garages local agreements one for the old skool i would interested in any information regarding dudley, oldbury, hartshill, depots.
I know at dudley garage part of the local agreement was monday to friday work and sat/sunday was overtime,
Bloody awesome that.
4974 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D
This 74 branded bus was on 87s a few weeks back i have to say it was a joy to drive this 4900 , it moved nearly as good as a well sorted 4700, very little rattling, suspension not bad either , brakes retarder all good so effortless to drive probably one of best i,ve driven .
Interior wise consdering its been on soho rd for 6 years plus you wouldnt know it if was,nt for the branding i thought was in very good order. I dont think platinums would be treated any worse.
Well worth 9/10 bacause my duty just flew by
WB 4270 - one of the best 42XX's I've driven.
- Light steering, reacts to very little steer.
- Amazingly agile
- Excellent acceleration and can hold its speed up hills
- Very good suspension
- Opens and closes doors at a good and safe speed
- Heater works well so nice and warm in cab
- windscreen wipers do not screech
Thoroughly enjoyed it while doing the 47, 49 at night.
The full horror of the city loop 82/87 came screaming back to me the other night. it's tight through the works near broad st junction, snobs Athens stop not ready yet, the traffic that Alexnder theatre creates is bad bus lane open to everyone , Holloway circus yes what fun, next up the battle to get past coaches and taxis to new st station what joy that is, next moor st love how the 16s block you in nice one, the rest is ok.
Quite a few changes on my way round pavilions now a primark from what I can see , hotel latour some serious work going on, and more new apartments near the bus mall . Brum ever evolving
Quote from: 2900 on January 12, 2020, 11:26:34 AM
Former garages local agreements one for the old skool i would interested in any information regarding dudley, oldbury, hartshill, depots.
I know at dudley garage part of the local agreement was monday to friday work and sat/sunday was overtime,
Bloody awesome that.
Based on general Midland Red practice of the time prior to takeover I believe. Would have included Sutton Coldfield and Sheepcote St and Moseley Road - the offshoot of WMPTE called 'Metro' Division was the way these staff conditions were incorporated into WMPTE.
Quote from: don on January 29, 2020, 10:53:22 AM
Based on general Midland Red practice of the time prior to takeover I believe. Would have included Sutton Coldfield and Sheepcote St and Moseley Road - the offshoot of WMPTE called 'Metro' Division was the way these staff conditions were incorporated into WMPTE.
Time prior to takeover would that be traveling time
Hello all
I need some help with information regarding Dudley bus garage/bus station from the 70s 80s 90s up to closure of the garage, services that ran from there etc websites, links would appreciated stuff I can print off to produce a history file etc some sites won't let me print stuff off.
Greetings all been a while.
I have been turning up for work as usual no problem, with everything shut in Oldbury other than sainsburys , drivers through out the system now have basically no access to toilets or hand washing facilities, some will travel to garage by bus and get back when they can ,some drivers now travel around on buses in there break to pass the time, surely a driver shuttle should been have arranged but no it's sod the driver as usual.
Dudley rd is a joke huge numbers of none essential journeys being made by people just want to ride about, people are just walking on and off the busses as they please.
Rise in drunks and druggies too.
So I,m risking my health for bums and dossers it really makes me furious.
In the last week I have picked up 4 NHS workers.
U fortunately your going to get selfish people who are entitled and think the rules do not apply to them and these cockroaches will be the people who will pass this disease on... I have tj travel to work as it is in appropriate for me to work from home, so would like to take the opitunity to thank you
@2900 a d all the other drivers for your hard work and commitment keeping people like me, NHS staff and other key workers able to do our jobs contributing to the running of this country 👏👏👏
Quote from: danny on April 07, 2020, 08:28:06 PM
U fortunately your going to get selfish people who are entitled and think the rules do not apply to them and these cockroaches will be the people who will pass this disease on... I have tj travel to work as it is in appropriate for me to work from home, so would like to take the opitunity to thank you @2900 a d all the other drivers for your hard work and commitment keeping people like me, NHS staff and other key workers able to do our jobs contributing to the running of this country 👏👏👏
Thanks Danny, I don't turn up for national express West Midlands , I turn up for those who don't drive or have other means of transport ,there are many care homes on the 12/13 routes so there are staff who use the bus to get to work etc, I agree the genuine folks are grateful for those who turn up.
Management at west brom not happy with drivers leaving newspapers, empty wrappers, tissues in the cab, management will be checking cctv footage of drivers doing this and said drivers will be robustly dealt with. Really what's new every cab I ever get in there's always stuff lying around has been since I started . Mangement why not tackle the crap that's left by valuable dosser clientele, instead of hounding drivers that turn up in the current climate.
Lol
@2900 I've probably travelled with you and not known it the 12 is my regular bus route, and agreed would seem more appropriate to deal with the none essential passanger then giving off at employees, not good for moral.
Quote from: 2900 on April 08, 2020, 10:41:10 AM
Management at west brom not happy with drivers leaving newspapers, empty wrappers, tissues in the cab, management will be checking cctv footage of drivers doing this and said drivers will be robustly dealt with. Really what's new every cab I ever get in there's always stuff lying around has been since I started . Mangement why not tackle the crap that's left by valuable dosser clientele, instead of hounding drivers that turn up in the current climate.
To be fair, there isn't a great deal that NX can do with regards to passengers being filthy animals and leaving rubbish and litter everywhere.
But drivers should at least set a good example and take their own rubbish with them from the cab, if only for the benefit of their fellow drivers who take over after their shift ends.
That's my opinion anyway. But I wouldn't want anyone losing their job over this.
Quote from: Stu on April 08, 2020, 07:13:59 PM
To be fair, there isn't a great deal that NX can do with regards to passengers being filthy animals and leaving rubbish and litter everywhere.
But drivers should at least set a good example and take their own rubbish with them from the cab, if only for the benefit of their fellow drivers who take over after their shift ends.
That's my opinion anyway. But I wouldn't want anyone losing their job over this.
This is an industry problem; drivers leaving cabs in a mess.
At Diamond, I'd call the previous driver back and tell them to clean their mess. There's plenty of unhygienic drivers out there. Lots of drivers carry anti bacterial wipes with them and wipe down the entire cab area. By this point, passengers are usually complaining about delays, but what can we do?
This is before Corona times.
Quote from: MW on April 08, 2020, 09:55:48 PM
This is an industry problem; drivers leaving cabs in a mess.
At Diamond, I'd call the previous driver back and tell them to clean their mess. There's plenty of unhygienic drivers out there. Lots of drivers carry anti bacterial wipes with them and wipe down the entire cab area. By this point, passengers are usually complaining about delays, but what can we do?
This is before Corona times.
Yes I agree some are just messy, if it bothers me too much I,ll usually clean it on next available drop back. Currently not touching anything I don't have too , I,ll use a newspaper to shut Windows and walk through the bus holding my hands together so I dont t touch the handrails .
What happened to the garage threads .
Just seen a NX letter saying bordsley green garage to close in October due to high costs etc
No 8 to Perry Barr 17/55 to central
Quote from: 2900 on July 03, 2020, 10:36:37 AM
What happened to the garage threads .
Just seen a NX letter saying bordsley green garage to close in October due to high costs etc
No 8 to Perry Barr 17/55 to central
Garage thread still exists
@2900 http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=100.msg280745#new
It was said 17 to Acocks Green in the Bordesley Thread? Is it not going to AG then?
Quote from: 2206 on July 03, 2020, 10:41:51 AM
Garage thread still exists @2900
http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=100.msg280745#new
It was said 17 to Acocks Green in the Bordesley Thread? Is it not going to AG then?
17 is to Acocks Green yes
Quote from: John on July 03, 2020, 10:53:44 AM
17 is to Acocks Green yes
My bad yes 17 to AG just re,read the letter
I do wonder in these very uncertain times if certain plans laid out for the future will be accelerated now, rumours going around westbrom and central garages could be closed sooner than planned.
Government grants won't last for ever. I can see more parents turning to cars to drop children off to school etc. With so many adults on Dudley/soho from choosing not to wear masks etc etc,
I have only experienced once at the start of July police clearing my bus of people not wearing masks.
Quote from: 2900 on July 28, 2020, 03:24:27 PM
I do wonder in these very uncertain times if certain plans laid out for the future will be accelerated now, rumours going around westbrom and central garages could be closed sooner than planned.
Government grants won't last for ever. I can see more parents turning to cars to drop children off to school etc. With so many adults on Dudley/soho from choosing not to wear masks etc etc,
I have only experienced once at the start of July police clearing my bus of people not wearing masks.
West Brom closing?? Is this the move to Great Bridge?
6976.
What in the world happened to this bus. Absolute slug when pulling away from a stop. A nightmare at fast roundabouts (Galton Bridge). Can hardly reach 15mph when going up hill thats just up Cape Hill, don't get me started when I had it on the 13A going up Tame Road
Blue interior light not working. Steering wheel missing ADL logo. All other 82/87 platinums can reach 40mph quite easily although not needed to. Hard piece of work this bus is. Feels like a 74 49XX.
Seasons greetings all, been a while since I had mooch around this forum.
Still stood outside during breaks in bus shelters, no McDonald's, sainsburys cafe etc.
I would like to know how come Birmingham garages have a staff bus running around all day while westbroms has been taken off. I have to bring my car to keep warm during breaks my walking to work has nose dived this year.
oldbury is strategically important to management for great building blocks for duties not important enough to provide facilities though.
The man who assaulted and racially abused me last Christmas in Oldbury was found guilty at Walsall magistrates court recently thankfully all witnesses turned up to give evidence, the most annoying part nothing from national express, platinum bus with video and sound recording no help to me in court.
The court awarded me compensation which I will donate to Birmingham children's hospital.
Haven't seen a streetdeck in ages have they gone up north to one Barnsleys finest bus busters.
Bordsley green and now Scottish operations being moved on too who's next for the chop.
Coventry expanded in a way I guess taking on decourcey work .
Quote from: 2900 on December 23, 2020, 12:33:28 PM
Seasons greetings all, been a while since I had mooch around this forum.
Still stood outside during breaks in bus shelters, no McDonald's, sainsburys cafe etc.
I would like to know how come Birmingham garages have a staff bus running around all day while westbroms has been taken off. I have to bring my car to keep warm during breaks my walking to work has nose dived this year.
oldbury is strategically important to management for great building blocks for duties not important enough to provide facilities though.
The man who assaulted and racially abused me last Christmas in Oldbury was found guilty at Walsall magistrates court recently thankfully all witnesses turned up to give evidence, the most annoying part nothing from national express, platinum bus with video and sound recording no help to me in court.
The court awarded me compensation which I will donate to Birmingham children's hospital.
welcome to pensnetts world where we don't get nothing
Greetings all been ages since my last post.
Rumours floating around westbrom garage 12/13 service levels to be reduced with the 12 serving Portland rd to maintain 10 minute frequency between bearwood and city centre I can see the logic in that plus all boards to be operated by the The Farm.
Westbrom to gain some number 4 service boards from Walsall garage makes sense I see a few 4s running private to and from blackheath.
I do stress just driver gossip nothing official from nx management, just thought i,d share see what folks opinions are.
Quote from: 2900 on June 28, 2021, 09:49:25 AM
Greetings all been ages since my last post.
Rumours floating around westbrom garage 12/13 service levels to be reduced with the 12 serving Portland rd to maintain 10 minute frequency between bearwood and city centre I can see the logic in that plus all boards to be operated by the The Farm.
Westbrom to gain some number 4 service boards from Walsall garage makes sense I see a few 4s running private to and from blackheath.
I do stress just driver gossip nothing official from nx management, just thought i,d share see what folks opinions are.
Surely the minimum frequency has to stay as it is every 30 minutes per route, with A routes combining to make a 15 minute frequency.
I got on an Omnlink on the 12A to other day and it was standing room only
If anything, more deckers are required, specifically in peaks
Greetings all, just thought I,d share some goings on, driver shortage a real problem now many colleagues have with HGV class 1 licences have gone, DPD very welcoming right now with very very attractive pay offers and bonuses that NX can't even hope to compete with.
Every day at 3 to 5 87s are run into garage with no drivers to complete running board , today alone I heard there 10 running boards in garage . IMO the recently accepted pay deal is a joke , current duties and dutie compasses are a joke. With gaps in services will just make problem worse for those that remain, traffic office clerks do all they can to cover duties on overtime but many of us not interested for normal pay its no incentive. I want 3hrs 48 on top of a duty payment before I will come in. There are things going on at management level we wait and see the fall out from that.
Quote from: 2900 on September 14, 2021, 08:24:50 PM
Greetings all, just thought I,d share some goings on, driver shortage a real problem now many colleagues have with HGV class 1 licences have gone, DPD very welcoming right now with very very attractive pay offers and bonuses that NX can't even hope to compete with.
Every day at 3 to 5 87s are run into garage with no drivers to complete running board , today alone I heard there 10 running boards in garage . IMO the recently accepted pay deal is a joke , current duties and dutie compasses are a joke. With gaps in services will just make problem worse for those that remain, traffic office clerks do all they can to cover duties on overtime but many of us not interested for normal pay its no incentive. I want 3hrs 48 on top of a duty payment before I will come in. There are things going on at management level we wait and see the fall out from that.
Appreciate your comments, though there are differences between the key skills required between HGV and PCV drivers. As a former HGV assessor, the majority (not all) HGV drivers can jump in a cab after a load briefing and drive off with the load. With PCV driving, it's more of a service environment with a host of additional customer service skills required to interact with the public. The bus industry has become more about customers than just passengers, though I've always said that bus drivers are carrying the most precious load of all - humans - and they do deserve better pay.
Both are highly skilled in their field, t
Quote from: 2900 on September 14, 2021, 08:24:50 PM
Greetings all, just thought I,d share some goings on, driver shortage a real problem now many colleagues have with HGV class 1 licences have gone, DPD very welcoming right now with very very attractive pay offers and bonuses that NX can't even hope to compete with.
Every day at 3 to 5 87s are run into garage with no drivers to complete running board , today alone I heard there 10 running boards in garage . IMO the recently accepted pay deal is a joke , current duties and dutie compasses are a joke. With gaps in services will just make problem worse for those that remain, traffic office clerks do all they can to cover duties on overtime but many of us not interested for normal pay its no incentive. I want 3hrs 48 on top of a duty payment before I will come in. There are things going on at management level we wait and see the fall out from that.
The media seems focused on the HGV driver shortage and the empty supermarket shelves.
What about the bus driver shortage which results in people being late for work - nurses for example...
And as you said those who stay are left with buses missing in front of them and hightened stress.
What gets me is yes, there's a shortage of drivers in the industry, yes, pay is terrible at some operators, yet we're still in a pandemic, companies are having to tighten their belts wherever possible, so maybe the fact they can't pay time and half for overtime is because the bus op can't afford to as it means that that individual route/depot ends up loss making, meaning that even more belt tightening needs to be done.
Plus, to be fair, the UK never really managed to recover from the 2008 financial problems.
The lost mileage costs will be far higher, inconvenience to customers , poor service reputation etc etc
So your saying NXWM haven't got £30 to £40 per day off duty o/t to keep a bus on the road something very wrong then, Several drivers went from WB to pennsnet for 2 months to help out each one got £40 a day extra pay.
Just got the new dutys for 82/87s peak vehicle requirements now 21 buses from October, currently 24 buses required in the peak. Soho rd colleagues mentioning the same peak bus levels reduced, passengers number won't be reduced we,ll have more on fewer buses, good way of driving more drivers out the job.
4861 what a shed, drivers cab seat well and truely battered just horrible so uncomfortable, radio worked one way, cash shute did'nt work, init tablet was'nt calibrated either every thing on manual. clearly which ever garage it came from were.nt bothered.
4691 has gotta to be the worst Gemni i have ever driven. struggled to 25 mph, 1st and 2nd gear was painfully slow to get out of, drivers keep reporting it but engineers keep sending it out, it finally broke last night it would'nt stay in gear so well done West Bromwich engineers nice one missing bus folks with no bus nice one.
I think theres a mission at west brom to kill the volvos knowing soon coventry garages cast offs are coming
Hello all, looking for some help i need detailed maps of bus routes to learn, i have tried TFWM website yes plenty of details there but having great problems with the sensitivity of the zoom in and zoom out function, i have tried various devices same issue any ideas would be appreciated.
Quote from: 2900 on November 04, 2022, 09:24:09 AMHello all, looking for some help i need detailed maps of bus routes to learn, i have tried TFWM website yes plenty of details there but having great problems with the sensitivity of the zoom in and zoom out function, i have tried various devices same issue any ideas would be appreciated.
The maps on the TfWM website (https://www.tfwm.org.uk/plan-your-journey/discover-the-west-midlands/local-area-maps/) are downloadable, so you can use whatever .pdf programme you wish to zoom in them. I would use them in conjunction with an actual map of the area for the roads that they don't name properly.
Other than that, both the TfWM website and Traveline (https://www.traveline.info/) give you the option to look at detailed timetables which list every stop. You could plot out the route that way, as the days where timetables used to list the route in it seem to have long gone.
When I was younger, I literally would just ride the route over and over to learn it. I can still remember the mid 90s 98 route from Sheldon to Hay Mills via [everywhere] through the sheer number of times I travelled on it.
Quote from: 2900 on November 04, 2022, 09:24:09 AMHello all, looking for some help i need detailed maps of bus routes to learn, i have tried TFWM website yes plenty of details there but having great problems with the sensitivity of the zoom in and zoom out function, i have tried various devices same issue any ideas would be appreciated.
Bus Times has a map for every NX service as well
https://bustimes.org/services/95-birmingham-city-centre-saltley-washwood-heath-w#map
Or NX website gives option to see the stops an a map.
The Traveline South West site is still working and has the West Midlands data within in, so use the route map link and you should be able to put in any service and get the route, in both directions if different. Road names seem to show up pretty well in their mapping and you can zoom in and out.
http://nationaljourneyplanner.travelinesw.com/swe/XSLT_SELTT_REQUEST?itdLPxx_page=rop&language=en
One of the major issues WB drivers highlighted to MD/DB was how dirty the cabs and saloons have got in the last several months, he was shown around buses in the garage that day and agreed not acceptable, MD DB said he would be chasing up Bidvest the cleaning contractors.
yesterday i had 6977 i got in the cab windscreen was spotless ,dashboard cab area had a good going over, saloon looked good too, the biggest thing for me the steering wheel wasn't grime'y, it really made a world of difference to me a clean cab after all its our work space.
i have never understood why the smaller buses currently Enviro 200s got the full cleaning treatment regularly and the deckers not bothered with, is it cleaning staff being crafty etc, its been going on for years at WB, ONE would think the buses that bring in the revenue main corridor stalwarts would be cleaned more often.
Quote from: 2900 on March 27, 2023, 09:38:53 AMOne of the major issues WB drivers highlighted to MD/DB was how dirty the cabs and saloons have got in the last several months, he was shown around buses in the garage that day and agreed not acceptable, MD DB said he would be chasing up Bidvest the cleaning contractors.
yesterday i had 6977 i got in the cab windscreen was spotless ,dashboard cab area had a good going over, saloon looked good too, the biggest thing for me the steering wheel wasn't grime'y, it really made a world of difference to me a clean cab after all its our work space.
COVID is still about so making sure the vehicle is clean is a good idea
4875 is a shed, struggled to get up the Coventry road out of small heath up the hill. Had to rev the nuts off it to get it past 25mph was soo slow and the drivers seat was proper uncomfortable
Quote from: dw1308 on March 30, 2023, 09:46:10 PM4875 is a shed, struggled to get up the Coventry road out of small heath up the hill. Had to rev the nuts off it to get it past 25mph was soo slow and the drivers seat was proper uncomfortable
i know that feeling Westbrom has a 4900 i forget which one but OMG its so annoying to drive won't do 30 mph totally gutless hopeless on hills, truely miserable experience
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/business/2023/05/10/change-of-name-for-national-express/
Not effecting UK
4763/4773 both have very tired engines, city rd/tower rd Tividale these really struggle up, ok on the level stuff, good cab chillers though rather be late and cool than baking hot and on time.
I really cant understand how ADL got the hvac system so wrong on the Enviro 400mmc compared to its predecessor , THE SLOGAN, DESIGNED BY THE INDUSTRY FOR THE INDUSTRY, Yeah right wot a joke marketing gimics more like
Quote from: 2900 on September 11, 2023, 10:34:09 AM4763/4773 both have very tired engines, city rd/tower rd Tividale these really struggle up, ok on the level stuff, good cab chillers though rather be late and cool than baking hot and on time.
I really cant understand how ADL got the hvac system so wrong on the Enviro 400mmc compared to its predecessor , THE SLOGAN, DESIGNED BY THE INDUSTRY FOR THE INDUSTRY, Yeah right wot a joke marketing gimics more like
4763 ?? That's been off rd for since march
Possible typo error for 4765 which is another dying duck.
Quote from: 979 on September 11, 2023, 04:26:03 PMPossible typo error for 4765 which is another dying duck.
4765 is proper bad rattles crazy aswell
4888 is an absolute nail, refuses to go with any sort of pace and really struggles up hills however the blowers are blowing cold(ish) air which is nice
Some of these E40Ds have their power modes enabled and still slug up hills.
Quote from: Ronnoc on September 11, 2023, 07:29:13 PMSome of these E40Ds have their power modes enabled and still slug up hills.
There's no such thing as a 'power mode'
Quote from: Tony on September 11, 2023, 07:46:30 PMThere's no such thing as a 'power mode'
Four kick downs 😂
Quote from: Tony on September 11, 2023, 07:46:30 PMThere's no such thing as a 'power mode'
The topodyn system or whatever the hell has been tweaked to make them rev higher.
Quote from: Ronnoc on September 11, 2023, 08:07:48 PMThe topodyn system or whatever the hell has been tweaked to make them rev higher.
No NX buses have the system tweaked to make them rev higher, and I have no idea what a topodyn system is
Ah well, either way some E400s are quite sluggish unfortunately.
Quote from: Tony on September 11, 2023, 08:14:58 PMNo NX buses have the system tweaked to make them rev higher, and I have no idea what a topodyn system is
Bus nuts call them that don't know why
Is it not the name of the software used in ZF Ecolife gearboxes?
There are a few 4900s at Westbrom that absolutely go like stink brilliant uphills too same as a good 4700s, could be ECU mapping this alone can transform a vehicle.
Quote from: 2900 on September 12, 2023, 11:48:15 AMThere are a few 4900s at Westbrom that absolutely go like stink brilliant uphills too same as a good 4700s, could be ECU mapping this alone can transform a vehicle.
I have noticed when the little Amber light with the smoke and exclamation point through it is on the E400s are snails but when it's out they can go like stink, I think its something to do with the DPF
Quote from: dw1308 on September 12, 2023, 08:22:55 PMI have noticed when the little Amber light with the smoke and exclamation point through it is on the E400s are snails but when it's out they can go like stink, I think its something to do with the DPF
yeah i have noticed that on mmc's a lot, will keep an eye out on other types.
i have noticed while following mmc at times they release big cloud of tailpipe crap then clears, is this the re'gen process
Pn buses are in brill working order thanks to the good engineering team we work with
@BN
Ex Coventry platinum 6966, this is nicest ADL E400 MMC i,ve driven lovely and smooth decent turn of speed to, hardly rattles around cab area, its miles better than any WB MMC, I feel WB 6970/6993 were probably built on a friday afternoon, or after a heavy nite out in Scotland
have you driven the 5?
Drivers rumours , i heard the other day the 11 A/C could be rerouted from Bearwood to Dudley Rd using the currrent 82 route, so the 11 can serve the New Midland hospital on Grove lane, the 87 will also be rerouted towards the hospital as well, services will actually be going on hospital grounds. The 82 could be rerouted down the 11 route section sandon rd city rd to summerfield park. We shall see what transpires
Quote from: 2900 on January 09, 2024, 06:08:04 PMDrivers rumours , i heard the other day the 11 A/C could be rerouted from Bearwood to Dudley Rd using the currrent 82 route, so the 11 can serve the New Midland hospital on Grove lane, the 87 will also be rerouted towards the hospital as well, services will actually be going on hospital grounds. The 82 could be rerouted down the 11 route section sandon rd city rd to summerfield park. We shall see what transpires
... they've finally finished the hospital???
4477 WRIGHT BUS GEMINI VOLVO B7TL
Its been ages since i last drove a gemni , this bus was a complete pleasure to drive the whole drive train worked properly the doors were smooth, bare minimum of rattling around cab, lovely compliant suspension dealt with humps with ease, hard to believe its 21 years old, way better than any platinum rubbish, the interior is in good order too, imo it should be preserved its that good, i cant say what condition the chassis is in i have told by engineers they do rot.
It reminded of the metrobus'es, some were just true'ly exceptional examples about.
I do hope i get to drive a few more 03 plate 44 Gemnis before they go.
Quote from: ellspurs on January 09, 2024, 06:26:39 PM... they've finally finished the hospital???
No idea but it does look complete from the outside though, the powers that be must be well into planning stages of service alterations to serve it.
Quote from: 2900 on January 09, 2024, 06:08:04 PMDrivers rumours , i heard the other day the 11 A/C could be rerouted from Bearwood to Dudley Rd using the currrent 82 route, so the 11 can serve the New Midland hospital on Grove lane, the 87 will also be rerouted towards the hospital as well, services will actually be going on hospital grounds. The 82 could be rerouted down the 11 route section sandon rd city rd to summerfield park. We shall see what transpires
Any possibility of an 89 rerouting? It wouldn't be too difficult, from Cape Hill to Windmill Lane to Grove Lane to Cape Hill (by McDonalds) then left onto Shireland Road.
Quote from: 2900 on January 09, 2024, 06:08:04 PMDrivers rumours , i heard the other day the 11 A/C could be rerouted from Bearwood to Dudley Rd using the currrent 82 route, so the 11 can serve the New Midland hospital on Grove lane, the 87 will also be rerouted towards the hospital as well, services will actually be going on hospital grounds. The 82 could be rerouted down the 11 route section sandon rd city rd to summerfield park. We shall see what transpires
Wait, that would leave the burden solely on the 87 between the Hospital and Birmingham :shocked:
Quote from: Sh4318 on January 11, 2024, 11:05:01 PMWait, that would leave the burden solely on the 87 between the Hospital and Birmingham :shocked:
My guess would be if it happened is 87 would be increased in frequency.
Possibly 82 slightly decreased in frequency with buses being put into strengthening the 87 as that part of the 11 also has the 12/13 and 80 to the City?
Quote from: 2900 on January 09, 2024, 06:32:46 PM4477 WRIGHT BUS GEMINI VOLVO B7TL
Its been ages since i last drove a gemni , this bus was a complete pleasure to drive the whole drive train worked properly the doors were smooth, bare minimum of rattling around cab, lovely compliant suspension dealt with humps with ease, hard to believe its 21 years old, way better than any platinum rubbish, the interior is in good order too, imo it should be preserved its that good, i cant say what condition the chassis is in i have told by engineers they do rot.
It reminded of the metrobus'es, some were just true'ly exceptional examples about.
I do hope i get to drive a few more 03 plate 44 Gemnis before they go.
Handful of the AG Geminis feel ancient now, compared to E400MMCs anyway. Suspension is the thing that definitely stands out in the Geminis. Far superior than any ADL.
The early Platinums (15 plate) are better than the later ones IMO. Later Platinums; there's too much faffing about at stops (opening & closing doors / stop start etc).
Quote from: MW on January 11, 2024, 11:28:35 PMHandful of the AG Geminis feel ancient now, compared to E400MMCs anyway. Suspension is the thing that definitely stands out in the Geminis. Far superior than any ADL.
The early Platinums (15 plate) are better than the later ones IMO. Later Platinums; there's too much faffing about at stops (opening & closing doors / stop start etc).
I think I definitely prefer the older type of platinums the 67** batch, and the 61** batch of enviro 400 MMCs, they have better sound to them in my opinion.
The 69** batch and 7*** batch are nice too but I think as you say a lot off faff with the stop start system, and sometimes when the doors are closed the engine don't start back up, and I've noticed with some when the hand break is applied it activates the stop start system, and sometimes again issues with the engine coming back on.
Please. This is for driver's reviews
6856 - Had this little gem on the X12 earlier this morning, yeah in typical ADL fashion there was a bit of rattling coming from the cab area but she had a decent turn of pace when needed
7529 - completely different kettle of fish, yeah she could get a shift on when needed. Usual rattles and squeaks from the cab but the doors seemed to take an age to open and close
Quote from: Tony on January 12, 2024, 09:20:04 PMPlease. This is for driver's reviews
Sorry Tony i honestly didn't realise i appologise
Dudley stops err what can one say other than complete shambles imo, they TFWM have had years to sort this out properly how did they think they could operate an entire bus station of routes on 2 streets its a joke.
Today i,m glad traffic ate up my all my dropback/layover time resulting in straight in and out there sharpish
Quote from: 2900 on January 18, 2024, 03:07:44 PMDudley stops err what can one say other than complete shambles imo, they TFWM have had years to sort this out properly how did they think they could operate an entire bus station of routes on 2 streets its a joke.
Today i,m glad traffic ate up my all my dropback/layover time resulting in straight in and out there sharpish
100% agree.
4960, regarding indicator stalks, in my case every modern bus since the 4000s have had indicator stalks mounted on the left side of the steering column, at WB 2 4900s i believe have had new indicator stalks mounted on the right most annoying i spent the whole time on that bus looking for the phamtom stalk, my left hand just constantly reaching out for the stalk that simply wasn't there. It just done my nut in. I assume shortage of correct parts supply. It makes you understand why bus makers build cabs that are universal across different model ranges. Something as simple as stalk being moved to the opposite side just throws you off nuts.
Quote from: 2900 on April 04, 2024, 08:27:54 AM4960, regarding indicator stalks, in my case every modern bus since the 4000s have had indicator stalks mounted on the left side of the steering column, at WB 2 4900s i believe have had new indicator stalks mounted on the right most annoying i spent the whole time on that bus looking for the phamtom stalk, my left hand just constantly reaching out for the stalk that simply wasn't there. It just done my nut in. I assume shortage of correct parts supply. It makes you understand why bus makers build cabs that are universal across different model ranges. Something as simple as stalk being moved to the opposite side just throws you off nuts.
Completely agree! The multifunction stalks that operate all of the indicators/lights/wipers used to drive me nuts - spent ages going for phantom indicators and the wiper knob on the dashboard that wasn't there!
Same when I bought a Kia Sedona and the stalks are on the opposite sides - wiping when indicating and indicating when it's raining LOL!
4747 - Ok on flats but it absolutely despises hills. Struggles to reach 10mph on steep ones, worse than your average painfully slow 4900s
4722 on the 9 today what a bostin fast bus now pn engineers have fixed it
@BN
Quote from: ZF B7 on April 12, 2024, 12:25:24 PM4747 - Ok on flats but it absolutely despises hills. Struggles to reach 10mph on steep ones, worse than your average painfully slow 4900s
Are you a bus driver then?
WB's 4700s are going down hill, tired engines etc , the ex premier fleet at WB worst of the lot imo
Some of them are still absolute rockets, particularly the ex YW ones like 4739 and 4746. Night and day difference between them and most of the ex Coventry ones
1887 - Cannot be withdrawn any sooner. Struggles very badly for power, likes to take its time when opening the doors, and can get incredibly smokey at times, particularly when climbing hills. All the other numerous uncomfortable aspects of driving the Scanias makes it a painful drive