Drivers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[2900]

I do get the impression that yardley wood vehicles seem better cared for, you only have to look at the 4700 gems they look terrible inside cabs are dirty so not good. I would like to see more cleaning on cabs done , I mean the office staff wouldn't put up with the grime and general dirtiness in there work space so why should drivers in there space, granted some of my colleagues really don't help the situation.

[Liberator9]

Yeah YW do look after their vehicles well I must say - usually well presented. Exactly - very true - office workers wouldn't put up with that. Hopefully the 4700 Gems will be refurbed at some point - the AG Scanias will need a Crimson repaint and retrim over the next year as the seats have worn after heavy use and the poor quality 2010 paint exteriors.

[Ronnoc]

4740 will go to WB - just gone straight to paint from YW. 4740 was fine - bit rattly at the front in particular, but never found it lacking in power from a passenger's perspective.

When I went on it, which was around April, it was completely horrible. Hopefully they fix a few things in there.

[MW]

4677. Drives much better than the 45**s I've had recently. The brakes were spot on, they felt more responsive. The retarder seemed to actually be doing something, sounds better aswell! Acceleration was ever so slightly better up Bradford Street in the City and up Widney Manor Road. Managed about 20mph up Widney Manor as opposed to  15-16 in the 4525, probably down to the fact that it knocked down a gear in 4677, and 4525 refused to go down! Suspension was better aswell. Speed bumps on Shelley Crescent/Road/Avenue were more bearable.

Theory from staff in garage is WB wrecked the 45**s up lol, obviously that's not true, just age/wear and tear probably.

[MW]

Made quite a stupid blunder today! I took my bus out of garage at around 4.30 NIS to Bearwood to start a trip to Acocks Green. The whole time I had the "Warning, apply parking brake", not knowing how to turn the bloody thing off. Opened and closed doors, switched bus on and off, in and out of gear and it just wouldn't go off.

Then by the time I got to Kings Heath, I was going mad so I stopped a 11 going the other way and the driver said open the cab door and close it really hard. The loud noise/buzzer stopped.

Well that was an experience...

Also had the pleasure of having a Gemini today with constant cooler fans on, I used to think they sound all beastly, but my god is it irritating!!

Another two cents worth from me.

[Ronnoc]

Made quite a stupid blunder today! I took my bus out of garage at around 4.30 NIS to Bearwood to start a trip to Acocks Green. The whole time I had the "Warning, apply parking brake", not knowing how to turn the bloody thing off. Opened and closed doors, switched bus on and off, in and out of gear and it just wouldn't go off.

Then by the time I got to Kings Heath, I was going mad so I stopped a 11 going the other way and the driver said open the cab door and close it really hard. The loud noise/buzzer stopped.

Well that was an experience...

Also had the pleasure of having a Gemini today with constant cooler fans on, I used to think they sound all beastly, but my god is it irritating!!

Another two cents worth from me.

Was it 4518?

[GeminiFan1991]

Made quite a stupid blunder today! I took my bus out of garage at around 4.30 NIS to Bearwood to start a trip to Acocks Green. The whole time I had the "Warning, apply parking brake", not knowing how to turn the bloody thing off. Opened and closed doors, switched bus on and off, in and out of gear and it just wouldn't go off.

Then by the time I got to Kings Heath, I was going mad so I stopped a 11 going the other way and the driver said open the cab door and close it really hard. The loud noise/buzzer stopped.

Well that was an experience...

Also had the pleasure of having a Gemini today with constant cooler fans on, I used to think they sound all beastly, but my god is it irritating!!

Another two cents worth from me.

You learn something new every day !

[B.C Driver]

4170 - One of my favoriets, have drove this a few times, but not for a while - forgot how good it is!

           Good acceleration, warm heaters, fast door brake release, only minor rattles in cab - some newer buses are worse.

           Still looking smart inside and out. Could drive this bus every day. 9.5/10

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4944 - Drove this for the first time the other day as these are now creeping onto the 45 and 47.

           The first thing you notice is the cab area seems larger, smooth enough to drive, hardly any rattles, but I'm not a great
           fan, they are sluggish at pulling away when you need the speed like at Belgrave island, you see a gap, put your foot
           down and the next thing a car is on top of you (well not literally!). The two seats at the front - you're always aware
           when passengers sit there, you can see them out of the corner of your eye and feel like you're being watched which is
           a bit uncomftable.

           They are fiddly to start up too, unlike the Trident.

           The indicators dont make the bleeping noise a second or so after you have put them on, annoying when you want to
           pull out fast.

           The door open button sometimes doesnt open on the first attempt and feels fiddly.

           I suppose I will have to get used to these buses, but give me an early trident any day!  7/10

[MW]

Was it 4518?

Nah, 4518 is probably the loudest one, mine was a 46**

[BU07 LGO]

4944 - Drove this for the first time the other day as these are now creeping onto the 45 and 47.

           The first thing you notice is the cab area seems larger, smooth enough to drive, hardly any rattles, but I'm not a great
           fan, they are sluggish at pulling away when you need the speed like at Belgrave island, you see a gap, put your foot
           down and the next thing a car is on top of you (well not literally!). The two seats at the front - you're always aware
           when passengers sit there, you can see them out of the corner of your eye and feel like you're being watched which is
           a bit uncomftable.

           They are fiddly to start up too, unlike the Trident.

           The indicators dont make the bleeping noise a second or so after you have put them on, annoying when you want to
           pull out fast.

           The door open button sometimes doesnt open on the first attempt and feels fiddly.

           I suppose I will have to get used to these buses, but give me an early trident any day!  7/10

I have the misfortune of driving them every day! The 13 plate ones seem very slightly better to the 61's. On the BX61 enviros you cant lower the step until the doors are fully open which gets you a few funny looks from people haha

[2900]

i thought that was normal bus lowering system only operates when saloon doors open, only last year with arrival of ADL,s fleet of crap at west brom,  the system operates while doors are closed.

[2900]

4703 Wrightbus Gemini  B7TL

In what seems like ages since last drove one from this batch, nice to have a bus with suspension.
Straight away you notice the cab feels claustrophobic compared to the enviro 400 but soon resides,
Platform, cab nearly all solid not much rattling, to drive chassis suspension, brakes/retarder very good but that's as far as it goes, gearbox jolts time to time not good, hydraulic driven cooling fan on constantly (bloody loud)  this must sap a lot of power from the engine 0-30mph really struggles, must use extra diesel I would have thought.

4/10 mainly for that f*****g loud fan after 5 hrs 15 one is not amused.

[2900]

4271 ALX400 Volvo B 7TL

What can I say about this bus other than its complete bag of shite except for one thing which it excels at, it's got to be one of fastest in this combo, acceleration of this thing quite something I kept thinking. 3/10


4272 complete opposite very good in every dept but doesn't have speed of 4171, I,d rather have this for 5 hours and be relaxed rather than the above shed and be rattled to death. 7/10

Real Jekyll and Hyde buses here.

[2900]

4751 fully refurbed ADL ENVIRO 400 TRIDENT2

Body work does look business on this vehicle
Interior seats re trimmed in the new moquette grey with red dots with the sea of blue plastic I,m not so sure about the combination, I bet it's rather more suited to the 4800s with its grey plastics.

To drive it's ok nothing special unlike some in this batch.
Engine nice and smooth
Gearbox all good
Retarder all good
Brakes all good
Suspension useless
Cab lot of rattles from this one hate it to be honest I,m glad I didn't have it for 5 hrs plus, what a difference a clean windscreen makes haven't seen one of those in years.

Appearance dept 10/10
To drive dept.     6/10

[2900]

4962 ADL ENVIRO 400 E40D

Most of you probably I,m no fan of these, it doesn't have the same engine character trident2 is way more superior in this dept
To drive this was different to other E40D,s I,ve driven on most occasions the gears  would change at between 1400-1600 rpm where it should be, there times it would change around 1000/1100 rpm then it would just bog down seriously annoying crap. Uphill this one really goes some 26 mph up tame rd 2000rpm very impressive to be fair.
Cab fair amount of rattling so not good

Engine smooth no issues
Gearbox load crap jolts about a fair bit
Retarder all good
Brakes all good
Suspension useless

Overall 5/10 still no fan

5/10