NX Hybrids

[Eric Shaw]

I was in Dundee on Monday 8th April. 5422 to 5429 were lined up in the garage yard in numerical order, all branded for the 5.
The route needs 7 buses on the main route plus 4 on the short workings from the city centre to Balgillo. They do not appear to interwork. I wondered if 5430 was out driver training but a mechanic said that it had not been delivered. One of the drivers said that they had not started driver training yet.
4123 and 4124 were working on route 5 and 295, now 0295 was on the 137. 296 was in the yard missing a few parts and 299 was also there but apparently complete. 301 waswell stripped for spares.
Tony, I have a few photos from that date, if there is a way I can get them to you let me know.

[Typhoon2000]

Well I was on E400h's yesterday for about 2 hours on the 1 and not a single stop-start, maybe too cold? Maybe not setup yet

Look out for 5409 and, apparently, anything on a 62 'plate.

[Kiewii]

I was in Dundee on Monday 8th April. 5422 to 5429 were lined up in the garage yard in numerical order, all branded for the 5.
The route needs 7 buses on the main route plus 4 on the short workings from the city centre to Balgillo. They do not appear to interwork. I wondered if 5430 was out driver training but a mechanic said that it had not been delivered. One of the drivers said that they had not started driver training yet.
4123 and 4124 were working on route 5 and 295, now 0295 was on the 137. 296 was in the yard missing a few parts and 299 was also there but apparently complete. 301 waswell stripped for spares.
Tony, I have a few photos from that date, if there is a way I can get them to you let me know.

Driver training began yesterday in Dundee

[Typhoon2000]

Personally, from a passenger point of view and from one of an engineer's interest the E400h is the one I'd go for but looking at it from a drivers point of view, I chose the B5- it's like a bloody Ferrari!

If they were able to raise the maximum speed to the legal limit on the E400h and tweak the performance without affecting fuel consumption too much then you might find that the E400h might be more nicer to drive. It's certainly much smoother in traffic but as with most series hybrids, lacks some top end punch.

[nitromatt1]

The E400H is certainly faster off the blocks than any B5. However I must say the WN E400Hs do feel a lot less fast than the BC ones!

[4484]

Whats the possibility of NXWM trialing a hybrid single decker like the MAN Ecocity which is in service in East Anglia and Runcorn ?

[winston]

Whats the possibility of NXWM trialing a hybrid single decker like the MAN Ecocity which is in service in East Anglia and Runcorn ?

The MAN Ecocity isn't a hybrid bus, they run on compressed natural gas (CNG), these have the big pods on the roof which house the gas cylinders.

TWM trialled 14 x Volvo B10L/Alexander Ultra back in 1997 on the 529 which ran on CNG, they were converted back to run on diesel eventually

[BCMobile]

Having driven both, the E400h wins hands down. Smoother and faster. The Volvo is easier to maneuver with a shorter wheelbase but on 5-Ways island you would, without a shadow of doubt, be better off with an Enviro. Just get used to the automatic retarder as the brakes can be a little sharp if you drive the thing like a Trident. Nice to see 5501 back on the road after a severe RTC after a robbed car took it off the road for a few months.

The issue with the B5's the gear change ratio is so long you can fit another gear in between them! Personally, I don't like them, but at least the brakes are better then them damn B7rle's!!!

Regards,

BC Mobile

[Mike K]

Interesting to hear a driver's perspective on the Hybrids BC Mobile. Which rota(s) are you on at BC?

[BCMobile]

I'm on the Bristol Road now, but I know all the routes. I have to say to go on the HB after months of BR is such a pleasure, with a generous amount of running time and nice buses, its very hard to get these duties on day off. Duty 2 is the best iirc, 3 trips, 23, 22, 23. Shame there's about a 10year waiting list for the road.

5504 has stop/start technology, but it must be in its beta stages as sometimes it wouldn't restart and it would have to be isolated.

As with all our buses now, I dislike the N/S mirror arm, some of them can be a decent 6 or so inches from the bus, which can be a pain on Stevens Avenue (or road/way/street)... nice routes though.

[Mike K]

I'm on the Bristol Road now, but I know all the routes. I have to say to go on the HB after months of BR is such a pleasure, with a generous amount of running time and nice buses, its very hard to get these duties on day off. Duty 2 is the best iirc, 3 trips, 23, 22, 23. Shame there's about a 10year waiting list for the road.

Yep, I live on the 22/23 routes and you see the same old faces year after year driving the buses, quite a few have been on there since Quinton garage days. Hadn't appreciated there was such a waiting list for it though!

[Dylan4579]

Whats the possibility of NXWM trialing a hybrid single decker like the MAN Ecocity which is in service in East Anglia and Runcorn ?

The MAN Ecocity isn't a hybrid bus, they run on compressed natural gas (CNG), these have the big pods on the roof which house the gas cylinders.

TWM trialled 14 x Volvo B10L/Alexander Ultra back in 1997 on the 529 which ran on CNG, they were converted back to run on diesel eventually

Things have changed since then, I'm sure the technology is better in the arriva ones but they cost an arm and a leg, but I would like to see them in Birmingham

[BCMobile]

Yup, you've got it, from way back in the corporation! Well, I say 10 years but its more like 7.

Heh, fancy something hardcore; the 29 at 10:30 in Northfield - PUSHCHAIR EXPRESS. Or Unemployment Shuttle. Gah.

Is hybrids the only deckers WM are going to buy in the future then? I've yet to see any 62/13 reg deckers that aren't green.

[winston]

Whats the possibility of NXWM trialing a hybrid single decker like the MAN Ecocity which is in service in East Anglia and Runcorn ?

The MAN Ecocity isn't a hybrid bus, they run on compressed natural gas (CNG), these have the big pods on the roof which house the gas cylinders.

TWM trialled 14 x Volvo B10L/Alexander Ultra back in 1997 on the 529 which ran on CNG, they were converted back to run on diesel eventually

Things have changed since then, I'm sure the technology is better in the arriva ones but they cost an arm and a leg, but I would like to see them in Birmingham

Its not just the cost of the vehicles, CNG refuelling facilities would also need to be installed in garages.

There appears to be another Hybrids option currently being developed by two different consortium's Wrightbus/Arriva & Voith & Williams Hybrid Power/Go-Ahead Group using flywheels, this technology is said to be more cost effective and straightforward, it removes the need for heavy/expensive battery packs and can also be retrofitted to existing vehicles

Article in latest RouteOne about Flywheel Hybrids
http://www.route-one.net/issues/482/index.html#/4/

[winston]

Is hybrids the only deckers WM are going to buy in the future then? I've yet to see any 62/13 reg deckers that aren't green.

NX are thought to have ordered/be ordering 60 standard ADL Enviro 400's for delivery during 2013, the only confirmed allocation to date is 10 to Coventry, to join the 23 B7RLE due there imminently.

The batch of Enviros for Coventry may already be in build at ADL, as Tony has confirmed that Miller St were preparing / sending cash vaults to ADL a couple of weeks back