Acocks Green Garage

[Stu]

Just done my first driving duty at AG for a few years.  How nice to drive quality vehicles like geminis again.  No rattles or squeaks on 9 year old buses. No silly having to hit the brake pedal before pulling away. Nice fast doors.  Just sheer quality compared to Tridents

I hope AG will remain a Trident-free zone for years to come!  ;)

[Liberator9]

Have to agree; The tridents are pretty useless compared to the Geminis. Tridents just rattle all the time and have next to no suspension, whilst the geminis are well built and have excellen suspension.

[Mike K]

Just done my first driving duty at AG for a few years.  How nice to drive quality vehicles like geminis again.  No rattles or squeaks on 9 year old buses. No silly having to hit the brake pedal before pulling away. Nice fast doors.  Just sheer quality compared to Tridents

Such a shame that NXWM have overlooked Volvo / Wright for double deckers for the last few years, despite the B9TL being available with a full length body (as per the Lothian examples).

[winston]

Just done my first driving duty at AG for a few years.  How nice to drive quality vehicles like geminis again.  No rattles or squeaks on 9 year old buses. No silly having to hit the brake pedal before pulling away. Nice fast doors.  Just sheer quality compared to Tridents

Such a shame that NXWM have overlooked Volvo / Wright for double deckers for the last few years, despite the B9TL being available with a full length body (as per the Lothian examples).

Maybe that might change now the new standard Euro 6 Volvo double decker will be the B5TL with a smaller more fuel efficient engine?

[Mike K]

Possibly so, a pity that the new Gemini 3 body on the B5TL has those ugly narrow upper deck windows. I hadn't realised that the demonstrator was now in service in London with Go Ahead.

But regardless I'd like to see some dual sourcing of deckers again in the West Midlands. Hard to imagine E400s at AG and WB.

[John]

I hadn't realised that the demonstrator was now in service in London with Go Ahead.

It is registered 'BF63 HFE'. Plenty of pictures now on Flickr. I don't mind the upper deck windows, but I do think the back looks hideous. Might be better with the black parts around the rear windows were red to match the paintwork

[winston]

Possibly so, a pity that the new Gemini 3 body on the B5TL has those ugly narrow upper deck windows. I hadn't realised that the demonstrator was now in service in London with Go Ahead.

But regardless I'd like to see some dual sourcing of deckers again in the West Midlands. Hard to imagine E400s at AG and WB.

Is the Go-Ahead London demo the one that visited NXWM BC depot? I agree the Wright upper deck looks as though the roof of another type of double decker has been grafted on.

Dual sourcing would be nice to add some variety, but the Volvo based models at AG & WB garages are completely different in terms of chassis & Wright bodywork compared with anything else that they currently run so new E400's wouldn't be a major problem. I'll tell you what I find really hard to image, that's a new double decker at WB  :P

[Sh4318]

Possibly so, a pity that the new Gemini 3 body on the B5TL has those ugly narrow upper deck windows. I hadn't realised that the demonstrator was now in service in London with Go Ahead.

But regardless I'd like to see some dual sourcing of deckers again in the West Midlands. Hard to imagine E400s at AG and WB.

Is the Go-Ahead London demo the one that visited NXWM BC depot? I agree the Wright upper deck looks as though the roof of another type of double decker has been grafted on.

Dual sourcing would be nice to add some variety, but the Volvo based models at AG & WB garages are completely different in terms of chassis & Wright bodywork compared with anything else that they currently run so new E400's wouldn't be a major problem. I'll tell you what I find really hard to image, that's a new double decker at WB  :P

I'm with you on that one  :P

[Stu]

I can't remember where here it was asked, but if anyone was looking out for 4111, its on the 1E this evening.

[Stu]

I think it's Omnilink 1949, caught this a couple of times this week, anyone else noticed the funny noise it makes that you can hear while inside it?

It sounds like a fridge-freezer that's nearly ready to expire!

It's not a mechanical noise, as it doesn't vary in tone as the engine changes speed, but it does sound like a problem with the internal saloon climate control (I would say air-conditioning, but I don't think these Scanias have any)

[Liberator9]

what is the PVR for the 37; thanks in advance

[Thomas Davies]

Whoops.

[Liberator9]

That looks pretty bad....Was everyone on board alright?

[Stu]

There were no injuries, I'm sure I read a comment on Birmingham Updates that only the driver was on board, so was probably heading back to garage. Great way to end your shift  ???

[Liberator9]

Good to hear; will that bus be a write off or will they be able to repair it?