NX Hybrids

[Westy]

What gets me is if they know the problem routes, why put decent buses on?

I suppose they get the complaints in the local press saying , why has so & so got new buses and we aint!

Guess gone are the days you could stick an aging Metrobus on and not worry to a point!

[Mike K]

Disappointing that the PL ones are already being vandalised. The BC ones have fared quite well considering they're over a year old now. I've seen the odd bit of etching or marker pen to seat backs but generally they're still in excellent order. These do seem to be given priority by BC in terms of removing damage when it occurs and keeping them clean and tidy, but the fact they almost never stray from the 22/23/24 helps. Not perfect routes by any means but I don't think the buses receive quite the level of abuse that those on say the Bristol Road, 97s etc do.

[Trident 4609]

The only areas in wolverhampton where buses have less chance of being vandelised is Places like perton,Finchfield etc. It seems the better areas are on the south west of wolverhampton and the worst areas for new buses for being vandelised like Heath town, Wednesfield,East park and Bilston Rd.

Although you can never say what routes are Bad routes unless you use the route regually and trouble occurs.I live near the 59 route and the amount of times there have been fare dodgers, Weed being smoked etc

One day a few weeks ago a driver on WN 59 route had to have a go at a passenger for smoking weed and the bad thing was it was a single decker!

[Trident 4609]

If they are being vandelised on the 1 i don't know what it will be like when the spare hybrids are used on the 59!

[Andrew1991]

I wouldn't necessarily say that the number 1 is a bad route. I think its just the fact it stops by 3 job centres and the wrens nest, where inhabitants have decided to use the back seats as foot rests and sit on the back of the bus and use it as a rapping stage.

[Kevin]

My abiding memory of the 59 will be a month or so back when getting it in the evening, pulled up at the bus stop with two of the locals hanging out of a window they'd presumably just smashed in, suppose it at least cleared the smell of weed quickly, god help the hybrids if they do end up on there

No way of stopping the chavs & general scum sadly - not that I can instantly think of anyway

Well there is but apparently it's illegal.....

[Dylan4579]

My abiding memory of the 59 will be a month or so back when getting it in the evening, pulled up at the bus stop with two of the locals hanging out of a window they'd presumably just smashed in, suppose it at least cleared the smell of weed quickly, god help the hybrids if they do end up on there

No way of stopping the chavs & general scum sadly - not that I can instantly think of anyway

Well there is but apparently it's illegal.....

No it's not cigirattes aren't legal on buses and weed isn't legal anywhere

[Sh4318]

Got on a B5 the other day, definitely the best hybrids in my opinion. You tend to get used to the seating layout

[nitromatt1]

Got on a B5 the other day, definitely the best hybrids in my opinion. You tend to get used to the seating layout

I often sit upstairs on a B5 because the downstairs seating layout is stupid.

I still fail to see what appeals to people about the B5s compared to the Enviros! They are slow (most ZF tridents will outaccelerate them), the engine sound is boring, they don't look as nice as the Enviro and they have less seats.

If I'm waiting for a 22/23/24 and a B5 turns up I will usually wait for the next one.

[winston]

Got on a B5 the other day, definitely the best hybrids in my opinion. You tend to get used to the seating layout

I often sit upstairs on a B5 because the downstairs seating layout is stupid.

I still fail to see what appeals to people about the B5s compared to the Enviros! They are slow (most ZF tridents will outaccelerate them), the engine sound is boring, they don't look as nice as the Enviro and they have less seats.

If I'm waiting for a 22/23/24 and a B5 turns up I will usually wait for the next one.

For operators at least, I believe the Volvo B5/Wright combination is delivering better fuel consumption figures/high mpg and also they have fewer reliability issues compared with the E400H. It was also noticeable that a larger proportion of the Green Bus Fund 3 hybrid double deck orders were placed with Volvo/Wright, Oxford Bus Company was one which had switched from the E400H used on park & ride to Volvo B5LH for its latest orders

[nitromatt1]

Got on a B5 the other day, definitely the best hybrids in my opinion. You tend to get used to the seating layout

I often sit upstairs on a B5 because the downstairs seating layout is stupid.

I still fail to see what appeals to people about the B5s compared to the Enviros! They are slow (most ZF tridents will outaccelerate them), the engine sound is boring, they don't look as nice as the Enviro and they have less seats.

If I'm waiting for a 22/23/24 and a B5 turns up I will usually wait for the next one.

For operators at least, I believe the Volvo B5/Wright combination is delivering better fuel consumption figures/high mpg and also they have fewer reliability issues compared with the E400H. It was also noticeable that a larger proportion of the Green Bus Fund 3 hybrid double deck orders were placed with Volvo/Wright, Oxford Bus Company was one which had switched from the E400H used on park & ride to Volvo B5LH for its latest orders

Doesn't surprise me that the B5 has a better mpg, with the stop/starting which the E400H doesn't seem to do, so I can see why operators choose them, but I would expect most enthusiasts to prefer the E400H.

Also I've heard that the B5 has a higher top speed than the E400H, but I've been on E400Hs being thrashed and they seem to reach very high speeds, I don't see why top speed is an issue on local bus services

[winston]

Got on a B5 the other day, definitely the best hybrids in my opinion. You tend to get used to the seating layout

I often sit upstairs on a B5 because the downstairs seating layout is stupid.

I still fail to see what appeals to people about the B5s compared to the Enviros! They are slow (most ZF tridents will outaccelerate them), the engine sound is boring, they don't look as nice as the Enviro and they have less seats.

If I'm waiting for a 22/23/24 and a B5 turns up I will usually wait for the next one.

For operators at least, I believe the Volvo B5/Wright combination is delivering better fuel consumption figures/high mpg and also they have fewer reliability issues compared with the E400H. It was also noticeable that a larger proportion of the Green Bus Fund 3 hybrid double deck orders were placed with Volvo/Wright, Oxford Bus Company was one which had switched from the E400H used on park & ride to Volvo B5LH for its latest orders

Doesn't surprise me that the B5 has a better mpg, with the stop/starting which the E400H doesn't seem to do, so I can see why operators choose them, but I would expect most enthusiasts to prefer the E400H.

Also I've heard that the B5 has a higher top speed than the E400H, but I've been on E400Hs being thrashed and they seem to reach very high speeds, I don't see why top speed is an issue on local bus services

I believe the new Enviro 400H for WN do have the stop/start, hasn't one of BC's from original batch also been modified?

Stagecoach are loyal to the E400H, but that may more be down to the fact that Brian Souter privately owns a stake in ADL

[nitromatt1]

Got on a B5 the other day, definitely the best hybrids in my opinion. You tend to get used to the seating layout

I often sit upstairs on a B5 because the downstairs seating layout is stupid.

I still fail to see what appeals to people about the B5s compared to the Enviros! They are slow (most ZF tridents will outaccelerate them), the engine sound is boring, they don't look as nice as the Enviro and they have less seats.

If I'm waiting for a 22/23/24 and a B5 turns up I will usually wait for the next one.

For operators at least, I believe the Volvo B5/Wright combination is delivering better fuel consumption figures/high mpg and also they have fewer reliability issues compared with the E400H. It was also noticeable that a larger proportion of the Green Bus Fund 3 hybrid double deck orders were placed with Volvo/Wright, Oxford Bus Company was one which had switched from the E400H used on park & ride to Volvo B5LH for its latest orders

Doesn't surprise me that the B5 has a better mpg, with the stop/starting which the E400H doesn't seem to do, so I can see why operators choose them, but I would expect most enthusiasts to prefer the E400H.

Also I've heard that the B5 has a higher top speed than the E400H, but I've been on E400Hs being thrashed and they seem to reach very high speeds, I don't see why top speed is an issue on local bus services

I believe the new Enviro 400H for WN do have the stop/start, hasn't one of BC's from original batch also been modified?

Stagecoach are loyal to the E400H, but that may more be down to the fact that Brian Souter privately owns a stake in ADL

I did hear that 5409 has had stop/start added, but it's not one I've ridden yet.

It also seems like NX are showing a preference towards the E400H too as more have been ordered than of the B5LH, including the 9 for Dundee

[winston]

[quote author=nitromatt1 link=topic=139.msg33698#msg33698 date=1365114786
It also seems like NX are showing a preference towards the E400H too as more have been ordered than of the B5LH, including the 9 for Dundee
[/quote]

I'd have thought that the Volvo/Wright combination would have fitted in better with Dundee's Volvo based fleet, that siad the Hybrids are completely different to a standard Volvo/Wright decker so I don't suppose it matters either way

[tank90]

[quote author=nitromatt1 link=topic=139.msg33698#msg33698 date=1365114786
It also seems like NX are showing a preference towards the E400H too as more have been ordered than of the B5LH, including the 9 for Dundee

I'd have thought that the Volvo/Wright combination would have fitted in better with Dundee's Volvo based fleet, that siad the Hybrids are completely different to a standard Volvo/Wright decker so I don't suppose it matters either way
[/quote]
Would this not explain why "Registered in Scotland, No. SC268016, Registered Office: 16 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DF" from ADLs website. Maybe the people of Dundee were getting feed up with Volvos being in the fleet and very few if any ADLs. But ADL can be cheaper than Volvo just look at FMR they Bought the E300's because they got more for the money than they would have for a batch of Volvos.