Buses you'd like NX to have

[winston]

Does any one know why the wrightbus volvo B9TL was never bought by TWM it has always struck me as very strange considering how good the B7TL is, I would have thought it was natural progression to move on to the successor. I have only ever seen ARRIVA examples they did look the business brand new.

Did NXWM not fall out with Wrightbus after the 56 plate B7RLE & 06 plate Gemini's were delivered for some reason? Obviously Wrightbus were the only ones to body the B9TL initially.

[DavieDD2]

Wright Gemini 3 anyone?
NX Dundee Wright Gemini 3 by DD02 BUS, on Flickr

[DavieDD2]

Does any one know why the wrightbus volvo B9TL was never bought by TWM it has always struck me as very strange considering how good the B7TL is, I would have thought it was natural progression to move on to the successor. I have only ever seen ARRIVA examples they did look the business brand new.

Did NXWM not fall out with Wrightbus after the 56 plate B7RLE & 06 plate Gemini's were delivered for some reason? Obviously Wrightbus were the only ones to body the B9TL initially.

ADL also bodied an early batch of B9TL's for East Yorkshire.

[winston]

Wright Gemini 3 anyone?

I'd personally like to see some of those, but not with that horrid glass staircase, the joints in the stair glass look awful. If we must have a glass staircase, the raking glass as per the Borismaster is much better on the eye, but does T-advert would be out of the question

Does any one know why the wrightbus volvo B9TL was never bought by TWM it has always struck me as very strange considering how good the B7TL is, I would have thought it was natural progression to move on to the successor. I have only ever seen ARRIVA examples they did look the business brand new.

Did NXWM not fall out with Wrightbus after the 56 plate B7RLE & 06 plate Gemini's were delivered for some reason? Obviously Wrightbus were the only ones to body the B9TL initially.

ADL also bodied an early batch of B9TL's for East Yorkshire.

Yes, you're correct EYMS had 5 x 57 plate B9TL/E400's but then reverted back to Gemini's for deliveries that followed those

[PM]

Wright Gemini 3 anyone?

I'd personally like to see some of those, but not with that horrid glass staircase, the joints in the stair glass look awful. If we must have a glass staircase, the raking glass as per the Borismaster is much better on the eye, but does T-advert would be out of the question

Does any one know why the wrightbus volvo B9TL was never bought by TWM it has always struck me as very strange considering how good the B7TL is, I would have thought it was natural progression to move on to the successor. I have only ever seen ARRIVA examples they did look the business brand new.

Did NXWM not fall out with Wrightbus after the 56 plate B7RLE & 06 plate Gemini's were delivered for some reason? Obviously Wrightbus were the only ones to body the B9TL initially.

ADL also bodied an early batch of B9TL's for East Yorkshire.

Yes, you're correct EYMS had 5 x 57 plate B9TL/E400's but then reverted back to Gemini's for deliveries that followed those

Solent Blue Line/Bluestar/Go South Coast even had a 56 plate b7tl with e400 body! Hopefully the build quality of the e400MMC will be on a par with Wrightbus...

[Liberator9]

Does any one know why the wrightbus volvo B9TL was never bought by TWM it has always struck me as very strange considering how good the B7TL is, I would have thought it was natural progression to move on to the successor. I have only ever seen ARRIVA examples they did look the business brand new.

Did NXWM not fall out with Wrightbus after the 56 plate B7RLE & 06 plate Gemini's were delivered for some reason? Obviously Wrightbus were the only ones to body the B9TL initially.

NXWM fell out with another manufacturer - wow, they're pretty good at that considering they fell out with Scania as well. Although if they did fall out how come they went back and bought a sizeable batch in 2011-2013.

[Tony]

Wright Gemini 3 anyone?
NX Dundee Wright Gemini 3 by DD02 BUS, on Flickr

The chance of seeing one in that livery is nil! If NX did order any they would be in the new livery or a variation of it!

[Stuharris 6360]

Another vote for the NB4L here.  I try to sample a couple every working day, I just love the retro ambience and attention to detail.  Yes, I know they are bespoke to London and therefore expensive.

It's a shame we couldn't have had our local authority specify a 'New Birmingham Standard' in terms of livery, detail colours and finishes when tendering services.  Okay, I recognise it would be all ADL, but with a nod to Birmingham's heritage, with a modern twist like the NB4Ls, such a colour scheme and details could have conveyed a really classy retro kudos for us to be proud of.  Instead of asymmetric sheep-dip colours.

Single deckers: new Merc saloons, like Arriva uses on the 116.

Sorry missed this when it was posted.

The NB4L would be cost prohibitive for NE, TFL are paying £334,000 per bus for the first 1000 buses, although at this stage only 800 are on order.

In order for NB4L to be effective within the West Midlands, you would either need the smartcard scheme to be up and running and be working effectively, or employ conductors!!

You don't have to have the rear door open all the time, as has been seen in London, although in my opinion and from observation, they seem to encourage fare evasion (passengers jumping on and not swiping Oyster card)

[Tiptonian]

Another vote for the NB4L here.  I try to sample a couple every working day, I just love the retro ambience and attention to detail.  Yes, I know they are bespoke to London and therefore expensive.

It's a shame we couldn't have had our local authority specify a 'New Birmingham Standard' in terms of livery, detail colours and finishes when tendering services.  Okay, I recognise it would be all ADL, but with a nod to Birmingham's heritage, with a modern twist like the NB4Ls, such a colour scheme and details could have conveyed a really classy retro kudos for us to be proud of.  Instead of asymmetric sheep-dip colours.

Single deckers: new Merc saloons, like Arriva uses on the 116.

Sorry missed this when it was posted.

The NB4L would be cost prohibitive for NE, TFL are paying £334,000 per bus for the first 1000 buses, although at this stage only 800 are on order.

In order for NB4L to be effective within the West Midlands, you would either need the smartcard scheme to be up and running and be working effectively, or employ conductors!!

You don't have to have the rear door open all the time, as has been seen in London, although in my opinion and from observation, they seem to encourage fare evasion (passengers jumping on and not swiping Oyster card)

I like the NB4L. After years out of the loop, this bus re-lit my enthusiasm for buses. I feel it to be thoroughly modern outside as everything else in recent years has just seemed like a re-work of the Van-Hool Ailsa. The retro ambiance, as I see, it is the interior. The colouring, however,  is not London. The red seats and white ceiling is far more reminiscent of an early BMMO D9. The suspension even rocks from side to side like a D9, and I love 'em!

A NXWM version would, of course, have a single door and staircase with seats filling the spaces, one bay less in length and, for now, conventional transmission with micro-hybrid. That should make them nearer the price of other double deckers; as you say, £334,000 is too much for NXWM, even if you can get six of them for one tram.

Talking of retro ambiance, can someone remind me what the new NXWM livery will be, and how is First Miland Red Trident 33404 currently painted? I'm just asking.

Next, they will be putting little notices inside saying "Have You Forgotten Anything?"   

[winston]

@Tiptonian

New NXWM liveries:
http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/media/1976/bus-investment.jpg

Prototypes:
New standard livery - http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/4700-4879/4718.html
Platinum livery - http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/4700-4879/4723.html

http://wmbusphotos.com/FirstMidlandRed/33404.html

All photos are on the main site under specific operators fleetlists
http://wmbusphotos.com/default-old.html

[Tiptonian]

Many thanks, Winston. I have to admit to being just a little devilish with my last post! When I first saw a Spectra with a full red front coming straight towards me, I thought "Midland Red is back".

I liked the red and white livery. The blue with white always seemed to drag the image down to "workers contract bus" level.

The new red, in my opinion, looks superb. The grey and black is another matter, I'm sorry to say. Black never works, needing to be immaculate. It would need a stylish bus with a high gloss varnish and washing at least twice a day to look any good.

Thanks again, Winston , for the pictures. I haven't found my way around the site yet, and with my computer skills it may take some time!

[winston]

Many thanks, Winston. I have to admit to being just a little devilish with my last post! When I first saw a Spectra with a full red front coming straight towards me, I thought "Midland Red is back".

I liked the red and white livery. The blue with white always seemed to drag the image down to "workers contract bus" level.

The new red, in my opinion, looks superb. The grey and black is another matter, I'm sorry to say. Black never works, needing to be immaculate. It would need a stylish bus with a high gloss varnish and washing at least twice a day to look any good.

Thanks again, Winston , for the pictures. I haven't found my way around the site yet, and with my computer skills it may take some time!

No worries Tiptonian, if you need any other pointers, please ask!