Birmingham Central Garage

[Stuharris 6360]

Sorry but IMO the B7Rles are 1000% better than the Scanias, if they were as good as everyone says, why didn't NE continue to order them instead of ordering the B7Rles.

I wish that PE were getting the early WA Eclipses, beautiful buses with plenty of room inside!

[CL]

Not sure why some on here have such hate for the Omnilinks - find them some of the best single deckers in the NX fleet - chassis is excellent on them; are decent to drive and aside from the lack of legroom/dark interior, nothing wrong with them. Better quality than the E200s.

I prefer B7RLEs, to be honest. But again, with Omnilinks, I think they're a lovely bunch. They have an extremely 'aesthetically pleasing' exterior, which provides a welcoming look/feel to it, all the while keeping a broad, bulky body - something which looks like it's sturdy, and not so 'plastic' like! Also, the interior seems very spacious, something the *later* B7RLE lacks, in my opinion. Though, this is clearly debatable...  :P

I loved it when the Omnilinks were allocated to the 16. Great buses. However, when packed (with passengers, obviously) - as with any other bus, I find it harder to move around, due to the space between the first set of "mother and child" seats, and the door...

The Omnilinks seems to be very versatile with liveries, much like the Citaro/B7RLE - I cannot wait to see how they appear in crimson. With a majority from circa 2007/8 - 2010, surely they have enough 'juice' left in them to see daylight in the new livery...

[Liberator9]

Saw something on this forum that NX had fallen out with Scania over something. If you noticed they went to the point of removing the Grey Scania badges on the earlier Scanias by 2010. Reliability wise they're good and bodywork is good looking outside - if they had the better interior design the post 2011 examples do (look at Johnsons' versions), they'd be perfect. The B7RLEs are reliable but have seen a post by a driver that the steering is not always that great, feeling every little imperfection in the road, shaking the steering column.

@clayderman

I love the exterior design as well - they'd look great in Crimson  :) - the YW ones should and the ex AG ones.

[Kevin]

Not sure why some on here have such hate for the Omnilinks - find them some of the best single deckers in the NX fleet - chassis is excellent on them; are decent to drive and aside from the lack of legroom/dark interior, nothing wrong with them. Better quality than the E200s.

Fast, yes. Good at what they do, yes.
But personal opinion, I find it very hard to fit on them, legroom lacking on near enough every seat. Also, from my point of view they just seem oversized (I know they're the same size as a standard single decker, just something about them) and clumsy, in the way they bounce like a fat kid when you go over a speedbump sometimes

[Ashley 60171]

Fast, yes. Good at what they do, yes.
But personal opinion, I find it very hard to fit on them, legroom lacking on near enough every seat. Also, from my point of view they just seem oversized (I know they're the same size as a standard single decker, just something about them) and clumsy, in the way they bounce like a fat kid when you go over a speedbump sometimes

Seconded. No legroom, suspension and design as repulsive as a fat kid, dark, dingy, uncomfortable and used mostly on routes where your not quite sure what your treading/sitting on. Many of the Eclipse 2 B7RLE's are bodge jobs and they make less noise but I'd still rather the latter. I don't always moan.

[Ronnoc]

Seconded. No legroom, suspension and design as repulsive as a fat kid, dark, dingy, uncomfortable and used mostly on routes where your not quite sure what your treading/sitting on. Many of the Eclipse 2 B7RLE's are bodge jobs and they make less noise but I'd still rather the latter. I don't always moan.

The main reason I like the Scania's is because it is bouncy. The newer B7RLE's aren't really that pleasing from the inside and it isn't really comfortable too. I haven't been on a BX56 B7RLE since they were at AG.

[Liberator9]

The Scania's is better than most bus types; beats ADLs certainly. Find that the later 59/10 reg versions have better suspension than the previous 57-09 ones - although that 59/10 batch have a newer gearbox/engine type as well - notice the difference in the gearbox/engine sound. The Johnsons Scanias are the best for comfort - legroom is much better on them and brighter interior.

[Tony]

The Scania's is better than most bus types; beats ADLs certainly. Find that the later 59/10 reg versions have better suspension than the previous 57-09 ones - although that 59/10 batch have a newer gearbox/engine type as well - notice the difference in the gearbox/engine sound. The Johnsons Scanias are the best for comfort - legroom is much better on them and brighter interior.

You mean those Scanias that when less than a year old had ceilings falling in on Passengers, Have had to back to Scania to have rot removed, and even then when 1847 arrives at Walsall they find more rot and send it straight to Scania for more repairs!

Not entirely sure why Johnsons have the same number of seats in the same bodyshell but have more legroom.

[Liberator9]

Well never had ceilings fall on me and I use them 5 days a week - Perhaps I've just been lucky! I admit it wouldn't surprise me it happens as the interior fittings are not of the highest quality in comparison to Mercedes for example. However ceiling panels used to fall off Wright Liberators and Crusaders numerous times and the ones behind the drivers used to be hanging off regularly. Also on an MMC (6708) the other day the panel upstairs behind the front row passenger seats was unhinged and swinging open occasionally - plus another had one electrical cover panel already lose a few weeks into service.

I was not aware of rot issues and that doesn't sound good I must admit. I think in the past you mentioned about the bodywork needing improvements - http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=79.3750 - is the rot in the bodywork or on the chassis?

Johnsons Scanias have thinner seats fitted and a different layout due to the relocation of the emergency exit further forward to fit in with the new requirements.

[Tony]

Well never had ceilings fall on me and I use them 5 days a week - Perhaps I've just been lucky! I admit it wouldn't surprise me it happens as the interior fittings are not of the highest quality in comparison to Mercedes for example. However ceiling panels used to fall off Wright Liberators and Crusaders numerous times and the ones behind the drivers used to be hanging off regularly. Also on an MMC (6708) the other day the panel upstairs behind the front row passenger seats was unhinged and swinging open occasionally - plus another had one electrical cover panel already lose a few weeks into service.

I was not aware of rot issues and that doesn't sound good I must admit. I think in the past you mentioned about the bodywork needing improvements - http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=79.3750 - is the rot in the bodywork or on the chassis?

Johnsons Scanias have thinner seats fitted and a different layout due to the relocation of the emergency exit further forward to fit in with the new requirements.

No I don't mean ceiling flaps swinging open like on Liberators when they are not locked properly. I mean complete ceilings falling in like happened on one of Coventry's

[Liberator9]

@Tony 

Fairly bad to have that happen then - seem to remember there was some incident with hot water falling from the ceiling on a AG Scania a few years back actually. Is the rot that stuff which causes the window linings to bubble up over time - see on a fair number that the sealant is lumpy, almost like rust/rot underneath them, which then has to be replaced.

[Trident 4194]

What single decker do you prefer then? @Tony

[2900]

These scanias sound like bus I used to love thrashing , rot, parts falling off, cramped interior space due to central isle being to narrow, I think we have the spiritual successor to the mighty leyland Lynx, only mighty cause of the beast of a cummins engine and zf box.

[Ronnoc]

No I don't mean ceiling flaps swinging open like on Liberators when they are not locked properly. I mean complete ceilings falling in like happened on one of Coventry's

Which one? Any news stories on it?

[Jack6101]

@2900 have you been type trained again on the scanias