Passengers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[trident4370]

4370 needs its whine back! (purely from the enthusiast point of view) .
Out of interest are we limited to NXWM in this topic? I think Diamond 30832 should get a quick brief mention, I know I know it is one of the newer Volvo sheds but the fact it is an ecomat makes a difference, it is amazingly quick off the mark and a fun ride with the right driver as I discovered today :P

@trident4370 if you wanna hear a bus with a good whine I suggest a ride on 4445, it screams when its coasting!

Oh How could I forget 4445, I was very lucky to film it in July on Pershore Road duties and well it is the first ZF Trident I'm happy to admit I like. Infact of all the quirky tridents I've been on that is one of the loudest!

[Liberator9]

Ahh, the leaky and freezing Tridents - have the pleasure of that to come still this Winter. The heaters barely work on some of them - upstairs is freezing on some cold mornings. Then last year during some heavy rain water kept falling onto me when I was on the upper deck at the front (Trident). When it came to getting off the bus, I picked up my bag on the floor next to me and it was soaked - water had obviously soaked through the front windscreen. The seals are terrible on them - just poor bodywork on them- Wrights and Scanias don't have this problem.

[John]

Any Voith trident, 10/10  ;)

Obviously not driven them then  :D :D :D

Sadly, I've never had that pleasure :P

8 times out of 10 its not a pleasure lol

Somehow that doesn't surprise me, a few buses that are favoured by enthusiasts tend to be hated by drivers, B10Ls spring to mind there!

My only complaint with the tridents, is more the bodywork than anything else. The front windows both down and upstairs never seem to be sealed properly and a lot of the time they pour water in when it is raining, admittedly not all do that but a lot do. I don't know but I'm assuming it is the same with the B7/ALX.

Ah yes the cab 'Tidal Wave' everytime you go round a bend water runs from the windscreen shelf and onto the cab floor (usually via the handbrake & door controls) lol, water enters through holes in the roof and finds its way down into the cab area and the lovely watermarks on the inside of the windscreen also great, especially when the sun comes out....superb visibility!!

Ah yes, some of out 42**s leak like a seive. 4260 is one that rings a bell, i had it on Thursday when it was raining and I was constantly wiping the water from the inside of the window. If as a passenger you want a warm ride catch 4263, the driver will be frozen as the cab heaters don't work, but you will be lovely and warm. I had it for a late night 94 once and I was shocked how warm it was  even upstairs

[Sh4318]

Any Voith trident, 10/10  ;)

Obviously not driven them then  :D :D :D

Sadly, I've never had that pleasure :P

8 times out of 10 its not a pleasure lol

Somehow that doesn't surprise me, a few buses that are favoured by enthusiasts tend to be hated by drivers, B10Ls spring to mind there!

My only complaint with the tridents, is more the bodywork than anything else. The front windows both down and upstairs never seem to be sealed properly and a lot of the time they pour water in when it is raining, admittedly not all do that but a lot do. I don't know but I'm assuming it is the same with the B7/ALX.

I don't know about the front windows, but the side windows definitely can on our B7/ALX. I feel the same way about the B7/ALXs as you do about the Tridents, it's probably a bit irrational, but I love them

[domino.99]

I had a really nice ride on 4202 on the 15:30 odd departure from stourbridge on the 246. Really well driven. Didn't overbrake or anything. comfy bus and despite the time for the 246 being ridiculously tight timings still managed to be on time.

[Liberator9]

Some more to add -

4729 - Route 76 - Nice recently refurbed Enviro 400. Suspension good and engine performed excellently despite the full load. No rattles in passenger areas - smartly turned out bus. 9/10

4907 - Route 957 - Sat right at the front, on the left hand seat. Another good Enviro 400 - good, firm suspension, with smooth riding gearbox. Very few rattles in drivers area - bus still looks very smart externally and internally. 9/10

1921 - Route 6 - Excellent Scania - suspension superb - absorbed potholes and rough surfaces perfectly. Engine and gearbox very smooth. Very little rattling as well. Smart inside and outside. Worthy of 10/10!

[CL]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

[Liberator9]

Two BY buses to add

1833 - Excellent Scania - good suspension and engine, with cooling fan running for some sections. Outside as the recent NX livery - favourite version of the Scania livery has it has the smart, blood red livery, but unlike the other BY versions, still has the silver light surrunds. Interior still the original, but the moquette is still smart. Prefer it to the NX grey seats and blue panels. 10/10

1799 - Another good Scania - bouncy suspension that absorbs the potholes very well. Few rattles, and engine and gearbox still very smooth. Externally very smart and interior also well turned out. BY are maintaining these buses very well. Nothing really wrong, so deserves - 10/10

4395 - Suspension ok - engine and gearbox fine. Rattles like mad on the upper deck - front destination panel is loose and squeaks and rattles at every opportunity. Externally and internally looking tired - the old TWM need replacing now. Quite a lot are threadbare. Not the best trident, but not the worse either. 6/10

[Trident 4609]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

I've heard 5409 is currently off the road with RTC damage

[Ronnoc]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

I've heard 5409 is currently off the road with RTA damage

What does RTA stand for?

[domino.99]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

I've heard 5409 is currently off the road with RTA damage

What does RTA stand for?

Road Traffic Accident

[Ben]

What does RTA stand for?

Road traffic accident.

[Stu]

RTA - Road Traffic Accident
also
RTC - Road Traffic Collision
RTI - Road Traffic Incident

[CL]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

I've heard 5409 is currently off the road with RTA damage

Such a shame, still one of the best in the whole Hybrid fleet, don't you think?

[andrew1991]

Safe to say, 5409, no doubt one of, if not, the best Hybrid Bus out of the West Midlands. Very unique, seeing as it's the only E400H modified with Start/Stop technology. Although, quite dark on sunny days, due to the big allover window sticker on both rear windows.

Missing it so very much from Birmingham. Have to visit Wolverhampton sometime soon for a ride on the 1.

I've heard 5409 is currently off the road with RTA damage

Such a shame, still one of the best in the whole Hybrid fleet, don't you think?

I prefer 5421 personally