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I checked the manufacturers plate on 6873 this morning. It showed the engine as the 6.7 litre 6 cylinder.

It should be possible to see whether they are 4 or 6 cylinder engines on the manufacturers plate, I haven't managed to travel on one yet. I was a mechanical design engineer fro 25 years, although not in the bus industry, and what puzzles me is that we haven't seen a prototype. This appears to be a completely new concept and I would not have expected to have 38 buses built without one.

4256, 4276 and 4277 all on the 73 today.

With the Warwick University term ending and the trams to start running through to Wolverhampton at the end of the week the end of the Bendies may be close.

6014 the only bendy out on the 4 today, together with 7 Tridents including red and white liveried 4142.

I am sure it is safe to assume these buses will have Cummins engines, but are they 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder?

A very interesting article, I hope the new vehicles have the six cylinder engines, the super capacitors will only add power while starting off and won't help on long hills. The Diamond Optare Versa hybrids were very slow up Meriden Hill when used on the 82 and if they had super capacitors that was probably the reason. The best new vehicles I have travelled on recently were the Alexander bodied Volvo hybrids of Stagecoach in Dundee, the seating layout on the lower deck was far better than that on the NXWM Gemini hybrids.

4180 on the 889 this afternoon. They are certainly making use of it.

Thanks 2206, I will stop looking for it coming back through Yardley. 4183 was on the 889 again today.

4183 has been on the 889 for the last three days. I have also seen an X61 branded Platinum going in the direction of Kingshurst Academy two afternoons this week, it was 6836 on Tuesday, but it doesn't appear to come back on the 889. Is there another route from there which does not come through Yardley?

The 17, travelling out of city was being diverted via Cattell Road, Bordesley Green and Victoria Road today. This was causing long delays and also affecting the 97 because of the extra traffic at the Bordesley Green traffic lights.

The B7RLE on the 59S was 2140. I think one of the 889's was an X61 branded Enviro.

Thanks Tony, I will stop looking for 5409. I always found it an interesting bus. I remember when it was at BC and the Harborne services changed drivers at Snow Hill, I was on it a  couple of times when it started off up the hill without the engine running and as it was on full power, being a series hybrid, it accelerated very quickly, reminiscent of a trolleybus.
I wonder if it will be used as a test bed for the new Platinums, which are due soon.

5409 please Tony.

Travel Express were operating the following yesterday;
    SK51AYD
    Y864TGH
    Y131CBO
    X312KRX
    RX51FNU
    Y854TGH
    Y244FJN
    Y248FJN
When I saw them late morning 7 of the 8 were running on time.