Wolverhampton Garage

[nitromatt1]

Also 4002 is on 59's today (Appearing quite regually on here). I think it may be on late night board 59/11 but cannot be sure. Will find out later

Absolute beast of a bus 4002, I challenge all Spectra detractors to travel on it! Some might change their mind about the old warhorses after a thrash round the 59!

DB250s in general seem faster than Tridents to me, it's just NX's except 4002 that are slow (I wonder why!), and even they are faster than a lot of ZF Tridents. TGBs are rockets, way faster than 4002 even, and Evergreen's are decent (although their ZF boxes slow them down)

[Liverpool Street]

Also 4002 is on 59's today (Appearing quite regually on here). I think it may be on late night board 59/11 but cannot be sure. Will find out later

Absolute beast of a bus 4002, I challenge all Spectra detractors to travel on it! Some might change their mind about the old warhorses after a thrash round the 59!

DB250s in general seem faster than Tridents to me, it's just NX's except 4002 that are slow (I wonder why!), and even they are faster than a lot of ZF Tridents. TGBs are rockets, way faster than 4002 even, and Evergreen's are decent (although their ZF boxes slow them down)

Well they do have bigger engines with more even power delivery. NX's none demo's are strangulated as per usual.

[nitromatt1]

Also 4002 is on 59's today (Appearing quite regually on here). I think it may be on late night board 59/11 but cannot be sure. Will find out later

Absolute beast of a bus 4002, I challenge all Spectra detractors to travel on it! Some might change their mind about the old warhorses after a thrash round the 59!

DB250s in general seem faster than Tridents to me, it's just NX's except 4002 that are slow (I wonder why!), and even they are faster than a lot of ZF Tridents. TGBs are rockets, way faster than 4002 even, and Evergreen's are decent (although their ZF boxes slow them down)

Well they do have bigger engines with more even power delivery. NX's none demo's are strangulated as per usual.

Haha, now why am I not surprised. Did you like driving the Spectras?

[Trident 4609]

Well WN are supposedly short of tridents (Hence more Spectra's on the 59 today).  Well they would be able to put tridents on the 59 (There are usually 7-8 most weekdays) if they wern't put on the 25A/C along with the 11/32/33! Not forgetting a Trident on the 2 and 4 today!

[Liverpool Street]

Also 4002 is on 59's today (Appearing quite regually on here). I think it may be on late night board 59/11 but cannot be sure. Will find out later

Absolute beast of a bus 4002, I challenge all Spectra detractors to travel on it! Some might change their mind about the old warhorses after a thrash round the 59!

DB250s in general seem faster than Tridents to me, it's just NX's except 4002 that are slow (I wonder why!), and even they are faster than a lot of ZF Tridents. TGBs are rockets, way faster than 4002 even, and Evergreen's are decent (although their ZF boxes slow them down)

Well they do have bigger engines with more even power delivery. NX's none demo's are strangulated as per usual.

Haha, now why am I not surprised. Did you like driving the Spectras?

I did. Really enjoyed them. Excellent cab and heating, drivers moaned about the brakes but I had no issues. They were quick when BC had them, I think they are 11.5litres of DAF extremeness! Excellent seating for passengers and easy to manoeuvre. A larger steering wheel makes it feel like you're driving something bigger and you can actually push-me-pull-me quite easily, just like a juggernaut. 

[mranon]

i really cant see them being the 11.6 litre daf engine, as they have hardly any balls in them, unless they are really shut down on the pumps. however i realistically guess that they would more likely be the 8.25 litre daf lump.

[Liverpool Street]

i really cant see them being the 11.6 litre daf engine, as they have hardly any balls in them, unless they are really shut down on the pumps. however i realistically guess that they would more likely be the 8.25 litre daf lump.

I'm sure it is the 11litre variety. That's what the mechanics at BC told me anyway. They were good when new as I remember them fondly. I'm still betting on 11litre one personally, but if you can give me proof then obviously I'm wrong ;)

[Stu]

NX's Spectras have the 8.6 litre engine, same as Green Bus' do.

Just noticed though, that according to the VRM lookup I use, 4001 (R1 NEG) has a different VIN number to that which Tony has on his fleetlist?

Enter a vehicle reg on this site for DVLA information (used to have to register to use it, but its open for all now)
http://www.juratek.com/applications.php

[nitromatt1]

NX's Spectras have the 8.6 litre engine, same as Green Bus' do.

Just noticed though, that according to the VRM lookup I use, 4001 (R1 NEG) has a different VIN number to that which Tony has on his fleetlist?

Enter a vehicle reg on this site for DVLA information (used to have to register to use it, but its open for all now)
http://www.juratek.com/applications.php

Still bigger engines than Tridents then

[Tony]

NX's Spectras have the 8.6 litre engine, same as Green Bus' do.

Just noticed though, that according to the VRM lookup I use, 4001 (R1 NEG) has a different VIN number to that which Tony has on his fleetlist?

Enter a vehicle reg on this site for DVLA information (used to have to register to use it, but its open for all now)
http://www.juratek.com/applications.php

Still bigger engines than Tridents then

Engine size doesn't mean anything really
You can buy a Volvo B9R coach with 380hp
You can buy a Volvo B11R coach with 380hp
Both from the same manufacturer, one has a 2 litre bigger engine, but producing the same horsepower.

From what I can see on the internet, the DAF 1160 engine produces about 250hp Different websites quote different figures, but all around the 250hp mark
The Cummins engine in Tridents produces over 300hp

[nitromatt1]

NX's Spectras have the 8.6 litre engine, same as Green Bus' do.

Just noticed though, that according to the VRM lookup I use, 4001 (R1 NEG) has a different VIN number to that which Tony has on his fleetlist?

Enter a vehicle reg on this site for DVLA information (used to have to register to use it, but its open for all now)
http://www.juratek.com/applications.php

Still bigger engines than Tridents then

Engine size doesn't mean anything really
You can buy a Volvo B9R coach with 380hp
You can buy a Volvo B11R coach with 380hp
Both from the same manufacturer, one has a 2 litre bigger engine, but producing the same horsepower.

From what I can see on the internet, the DAF 1160 engine produces about 250hp Different websites quote different figures, but all around the 250hp mark
The Cummins engine in Tridents produces over 300hp

So it begs the question, why are TGB's Spectras so much faster than NX's? As engine size and horsepower are the same in both.

[Stu]

Because TGBs drivers are more inclined to drive them faster, or 'thrash' them as you like to put it?  ;D

I'm sure I've stated this before, but a bus will go as fast as the driver wants it to go. I've travelled on a TGB Trident on the 22 with the driver pushing it as fast as it will go, and I've been on a late running Trident on the NXWM 900 to Coventry. If the driver puts his foot down where they can, the bus will seem to fly, compared to when driven by a driver who takes it easy.

(I'm also resisting the temptation to make a crack about the 'weight' of a bus making a difference; an empty bus can travel faster than a fully laden one lol, but that would just be childish!  :P)

[nitromatt1]

Because TGBs drivers are more inclined to drive them faster, or 'thrash' them as you like to put it?  ;D

I'm sure I've stated this before, but a bus will go as fast as the driver wants it to go. I've travelled on a TGB Trident on the 22 with the driver pushing it as fast as it will go, and I've been on a late running Trident on the NXWM 900 to Coventry. If the driver puts his foot down where they can, the bus will seem to fly, compared to when driven by a driver who takes it easy.

(I'm also resisting the temptation to make a crack about the 'weight' of a bus making a difference; an empty bus can travel faster than a fully laden one lol, but that would just be childish!  :P )

No, most 22 drivers take their time. I'm surprised you got one with a lead footed driver.

The driver controls how fast the bus goes? Really? I thought the bus decided. (!) ...that doesn't answer my question, although suffice to say I think I already know why they're faster - just wanted to see what others thought!

You are right though, the load of the bus can make a big difference. Imagine an 18 tonne double decker with 100 passengers on board (so a good 20-30 standees, not an uncommon sight). The average weight of each passenger might be 75kg. 75kg X 100 passengers = 7.5 tonnes, so an 18 tonne bus suddenly becomes a 25.5 tonne bus.

[mranon]

other operators spectras/ or dafdb250s seem to pull away quicker than nxwms. this makes me think that nxwm have shut the pumps down to save fuel

[Stuharris 6360]

Because TGBs drivers are more inclined to drive them faster, or 'thrash' them as you like to put it?  ;D

I'm sure I've stated this before, but a bus will go as fast as the driver wants it to go. I've travelled on a TGB Trident on the 22 with the driver pushing it as fast as it will go, and I've been on a late running Trident on the NXWM 900 to Coventry. If the driver puts his foot down where they can, the bus will seem to fly, compared to when driven by a driver who takes it easy.

(I'm also resisting the temptation to make a crack about the 'weight' of a bus making a difference; an empty bus can travel faster than a fully laden one lol, but that would just be childish!  :P )

No, most 22 drivers take their time. I'm surprised you got one with a lead footed driver.

The driver controls how fast the bus goes? Really? I thought the bus decided. (!) ...that doesn't answer my question, although suffice to say I think I already know why they're faster - just wanted to see what others thought!

You are right though, the load of the bus can make a big difference. Imagine an 18 tonne double decker with 100 passengers on board (so a good 20-30 standees, not an uncommon sight). The average weight of each passenger might be 75kg. 75kg X 100 passengers = 7.5 tonnes, so an 18 tonne bus suddenly becomes a 25.5 tonne bus.

The first time i went on the 22 from Merry Hill To City, we left MH at 09:54 and arrived at Town Hall at 10:46 which included 7 minutes between MH and Colley Gate. Yes a lack of passengers were a help, but the driver did put his foot to the floor a lot.