Alexander Dennis Enviro400 Discussion

[Mike K]

Could we start to see Presidents in Miller Street soon? :D :D :D

With the number of new buses due next year, I can see most if not all of the President fleet going next year. That quantity + this years deliveries is enough to see off all Solo's/Darts/B6LE/B10L/Mercs/Spectra's & Presidents. Unless any new services are planned next year, I can't see the total fleet increasing. At least the Presidents are likely to find buyers & be sold on for further service etc

Seems sensible, with the amount of money NX has spent on the Presidents then I don't think they'd be scrapped. Be weird seeing NX-spec Presidents in foreign areas.

I agree, I have thought they may be quite sought after by smaller companies for school services compared to dual ex London examples. They're already DDA spec as well.

I bet compared to an ex London example they are in far better condition as well with their 2007/8 flooring and repainted/refurbed interiors. Some have even been refurbed twice... Still, will be a shame to see them go as they're some of the best buses in the fleet...

Unless you are a driver!

I'm sure there are some drivers on here who think they're ok? Mr 2900 for instance, I think Tony said the cab gave great visibility, and I think one of the BC drivers said 4116 was his favourite bus.

[andy]

Could we start to see Presidents in Miller Street soon? :D :D :D

With the number of new buses due next year, I can see most if not all of the President fleet going next year. That quantity + this years deliveries is enough to see off all Solo's/Darts/B6LE/B10L/Mercs/Spectra's & Presidents. Unless any new services are planned next year, I can't see the total fleet increasing. At least the Presidents are likely to find buyers & be sold on for further service etc

Seems sensible, with the amount of money NX has spent on the Presidents then I don't think they'd be scrapped. Be weird seeing NX-spec Presidents in foreign areas.

I agree, I have thought they may be quite sought after by smaller companies for school services compared to dual ex London examples. They're already DDA spec as well.

I bet compared to an ex London example they are in far better condition as well with their 2007/8 flooring and repainted/refurbed interiors. Some have even been refurbed twice... Still, will be a shame to see them go as they're some of the best buses in the fleet...

Unless you are a driver!

I'm sure there are some drivers on here who think they're ok? Mr 2900 for instance, I think Tony said the cab gave great visibility, and I think one of the BC drivers said 4116 was his favourite bus.

The cab does indeed give great visibility.....if you can get in it!! You can't turn to your right without smacking your elbow on the door. I have seen more generous straight jackets.

[Tony]

Could we start to see Presidents in Miller Street soon? :D :D :D

With the number of new buses due next year, I can see most if not all of the President fleet going next year. That quantity + this years deliveries is enough to see off all Solo's/Darts/B6LE/B10L/Mercs/Spectra's & Presidents. Unless any new services are planned next year, I can't see the total fleet increasing. At least the Presidents are likely to find buyers & be sold on for further service etc

Seems sensible, with the amount of money NX has spent on the Presidents then I don't think they'd be scrapped. Be weird seeing NX-spec Presidents in foreign areas.

I agree, I have thought they may be quite sought after by smaller companies for school services compared to dual ex London examples. They're already DDA spec as well.

I bet compared to an ex London example they are in far better condition as well with their 2007/8 flooring and repainted/refurbed interiors. Some have even been refurbed twice... Still, will be a shame to see them go as they're some of the best buses in the fleet...

Unless you are a driver!

I'm sure there are some drivers on here who think they're ok? Mr 2900 for instance, I think Tony said the cab gave great visibility, and I think one of the BC drivers said 4116 was his favourite bus.

The cab does indeed give great visibility.....if you can get in it!! You can't turn to your right without smacking your elbow on the door. I have seen more generous straight jackets.

I do like the Presidents, and have never had a problem with space

[Liberator9]

I've always preferred the Presidents to the Tridents - the Presidents actually have suspension, whilst the Tridents just bang straight into every gutter, drain etc. in the road. The Presidents also have decent heating and air flow - unlike the Tridents...

[nitromatt1]

I've always preferred the Presidents to the Tridents - the Presidents actually have suspension, whilst the Tridents just bang straight into every gutter, drain etc. in the road. The Presidents also have decent heating and air flow - unlike the Tridents...

Agreed!

[2900]

The placky president b7tl superior bus compared alx400 b7 tl, excellent visibility , if the cab has the small steering wheel cab is fine , the buses which have the steering wheel from a sailing ship not so good. Placky,s are from perfect  I have always felt left hand side mirror is in a poor location , where the cab door parks and locks there is this chunky steel strip on occasions I have caught me knee cap on its excruciating pain, many drivers will have. When 4072 - 4082 came to Hockley new they were light years ahead of metrobus.  It's a first generation low floor decker  it's better than most ,still looks modern IMO , I,ve seen some refurbed transdev examples very very impressive vehicles .

[2900]

Continuing on various b7tl,s , the wrightbus Gemini b7tl 4500 series on the whole excellent buses few dogs in that bunch, west brom only has a handful of the 4600 series Gemini so can't really give a fair assessment couple I,ve come across very slow. 4700 series Gemini,s on the whole disappointing compared to the 4500,s they rattle more ,not as fast , they do feel different drive. Having spent the last 8 years on the Dudley road it has taken its toll on them though.  I hear that the Coventry Gemini have voith gearboxes and the alx 400 zf boxes , I prefer the zf box more suited to b7 , voith box seems to sap a lot of power before  anything happens.

[monkeyjoe]

I saw one of the new models assuming it was a demonstrator bus going up the A1 in Doncaster earlier. They look really slick but at the same time rugged. So when PB assign the new versions next year to the 904/33 maybe the 94 might get some of the current versions.  :P

[JB93]

I saw one of the new models assuming it was a demonstrator bus going up the A1 in Doncaster earlier. They look really slick but at the same time rugged. So when PB assign the new versions next year to the 904/33 maybe the 94 might get some of the current versions.  :P

To be honest I quite like the Geminis on the 94. I do hope the 45/47 or the 97 get them though. I still stand by the fact that as a flagship 24 hour and extremely busy route, it shouldn't be running with 12 year old messy looking Tridents with awful, awful branding stuck all over them like a toddler got too excited with its sticker book.

[CL]

@JB93 - There's something about the 97 branding that doesn't make me feel that its going to stay long. For me, I think that the new branding (with the 'band' separating the red and white) seals the deal, on Sutton Coldfield services and on the new Harborne Branding, which in my opinion should've been branded as Network Harborne...

[Liberator9]

I saw one of the new models assuming it was a demonstrator bus going up the A1 in Doncaster earlier. They look really slick but at the same time rugged. So when PB assign the new versions next year to the 904/33 maybe the 94 might get some of the current versions.  :P

To be honest I quite like the Geminis on the 94. I do hope the 45/47 or the 97 get them though. I still stand by the fact that as a flagship 24 hour and extremely busy route, it shouldn't be running with 12 year old messy looking Tridents with awful, awful branding stuck all over them like a toddler got too excited with its sticker book.

The 97 branding would look much better on the refurbished tridents or geminis, rather than on the tridents with the poor repaints done back in 2010.

[andy]

The placky president b7tl superior bus compared alx400 b7 tl, excellent visibility , if the cab has the small steering wheel cab is fine , the buses which have the steering wheel from a sailing ship not so good. Placky,s are from perfect  I have always felt left hand side mirror is in a poor location , where the cab door parks and locks there is this chunky steel strip on occasions I have caught me knee cap on its excruciating pain, many drivers will have. When 4072 - 4082 came to Hockley new they were light years ahead of metrobus.  It's a first generation low floor decker  it's better than most ,still looks modern IMO , I,ve seen some refurbed transdev examples very very impressive vehicles .

I can concur with all that, the ones I drove all had the large steering wheel, hence the elbow bashing. I too did the knee thing! And the nearside mirror is virtually invisible on many of them, and because it is those cheap nasty plastic ones from the 90's they are generally so scuffed you can't see anything in them anyway.

[4006]

4956 awaits Commonwealth duties...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/retroscania/14454888197/

[monkeyjoe]

Any clues where they will end up WB 74/75

[Trident 4609]

Any clues where they will end up WB 74/75

I'm thought it was mentioned that there are no new double deckers due for WB this year.