Passengers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[Liberator9]

The ALXs were ok - heating as on the Enviro 400s is very poor on most of them. Suspension is similar to the E400s - basic and can't handle road bumps at all well. I do like the design on them though - basic but appealing at the same time.

The Volvo B10Ls are fabulous for their age - rather keep them than have the new Enviro 200s. The Geminis are better than the Tridents of the same age in terms of suspension and rattling, but the engine at idle is deafening and AG's versions looks a mess most of the time. The Tridents' engines being fair to them are still very good - at least at YW.

The YW and AG Scanias and the 56 reg Eclipses (not to mention the old B10Ls  ;) ) are the best for me - good suspension, smart and attractive in terms of design, and the heating actually works on most of them. The pre 1909 Scanias are fine, but the suspension on the ex WA versions isn't as good, with the engines noisier at idle and more jerky gear changes at low speeds.

Four reviews:

4731 - Good Enviro - didn't rattle much (even up by driver's cab), smart internally and externally, with the engine smooth running. Suspension was good most of the time but doesn't cope well with the potholes. Heaters ineffective on a cold morning.  8/10

4799 - Same as 4731 really - smart looking. Rattles minimal, engine powerful on this one seemingly. Suspension was good actually most of the time. Heating again was pathetic though. 8/10

4382 - Average Trident - suspension fine, rattles up by cab on rough surfaces. Engine still going well - gearbox nearly lost it on a kickdown however - seemed to jump from 3rd to 1st; I've never heard such a high noise from a Trident! But at least unlike the new ADL ones it has a good amount of power behind it. Heating though rubbish even on lower deck by the vents - not great on a cold evening 7.5/10

1912 - Excellent Scania on the 27. Suspension superb - even handled the rough Highter's Heath roads extremely well. Rattling only occurred on rough surfaces, coming predominantly from the ticket bin (needs tightening - YW had solved that a few months ago on 1912 as it had stopped). Engine and gearbox very good running and internally and externally smart. Heaters working very well - only bus in the last two days with any good heating. Driver was also excellent -  a friendly person who drove it extremely well.   10/10

[Tony]

yeah i agree the WRIGHTBUS B10L,s have faired much better than most single deckers still excellent. May be one should be sent to ADL so they can strip it down and learn how to build a quality bus.

Agreed! After all that rubbish they have been building since the ALX200/300/400 stopped being produced. The box design appeals to most other bus lovers then curves.

You think the ALX series were built better than the Enviros? No they were just as bad. The main difference at the moment seems to be Falkirk build slightly better than Scarborough

[Liberator9]

I agree with Tony here - ALXs seem to suffer from the same "build quality" issues. The leaking windows seems to spring to mind first and foremost.

[2900]

Let's face it most us are of the same opinion ADL=crap bus manufacture,er. Spare a thought for us poor bastards that have to drive these turds with our ever longer duty compasses that have been festooned up on us from the powers that be who must be rubbing there hands with glee.

[979]

Let's face it most us are of the same opinion ADL=crap bus manufacture,er. Spare a thought for us poor bastards that have to drive these turds with our ever longer duty compasses that have been festooned up on us from the powers that be who must be rubbing there hands with glee.

Steady on Eddy

[don]

Let's face it most us are of the same opinion ADL=crap bus manufacture,er. Spare a thought for us poor bastards that have to drive these turds with our ever longer duty compasses that have been festooned up on us from the powers that be who must be rubbing there hands with glee.

Steady on Eddy

They seem to get on fine elsewhere in the country!! The Dart must be the best selling single deck bus of the last two decades - the fact NXWM and its predecessors have only operated a handful until the E200 successors more recently is the odd thing. It's undeniable that the Volvo/Wright combination has proved durable but frankly, the E200s I've travelled on elsewhere in the country are pretty reasonable buses from a passenger viewpoint and particularly the SWB ones in London.

Not sure where the problem arises in NXWM - Poor spec? Maintenance issues? Inadequate driver training? I'm very curious about this!! You can't compare them to a B7RLE as they are larger (and no doubt more expensive) vehicle.

There are a handful of P reg mid life refurbished SLF Darts still operating inter urban services here and they are really very smooth with reasonably rattle free and decent interiors - I guess it's down to the mid life refurb and decent maintenance.

[Liverpool Street]

Let's face it most us are of the same opinion ADL=crap bus manufacture,er. Spare a thought for us poor bastards that have to drive these turds with our ever longer duty compasses that have been festooned up on us from the powers that be who must be rubbing there hands with glee.

Steady on Eddy

They seem to get on fine elsewhere in the country!! The Dart must be the best selling single deck bus of the last two decades - the fact NXWM and its predecessors have only operated a handful until the E200 successors more recently is the odd thing. It's undeniable that the Volvo/Wright combination has proved durable but frankly, the E200s I've travelled on elsewhere in the country are pretty reasonable buses from a passenger viewpoint and particularly the SWB ones in London.

Not sure where the problem arises in NXWM - Poor spec? Maintenance issues? Inadequate driver training? I'm very curious about this!! You can't compare them to a B7RLE as they are larger (and no doubt more expensive) vehicle.

There are a handful of P reg mid life refurbished SLF Darts still operating inter urban services here and they are really very smooth with reasonably rattle free and decent interiors - I guess it's down to the mid life refurb and decent maintenance.

NX Specification is crap quite frankly. And the damn obsession with fuel saving has killed the kickdown and any sort of proper power from the engine & gearbox. Oddly though 804 seemed to have been tunes differently, that one is actually quick and over revs in all gears, and drops down a gear uphill and maintains high revs constantly. A real diamond in a batch of rough. Still a bag of shit as its a cut price ADL box but still, you can't polish a turd.

[andy]

Not sure where the problem arises in NXWM - Poor spec? Maintenance issues? Inadequate driver training? I'm very curious about this!! You can't compare them to a B7RLE as they are larger (and no doubt more expensive) vehicle.

There are a handful of P reg mid life refurbished SLF Darts still operating inter urban services here and they are really very smooth with reasonably rattle free and decent interiors - I guess it's down to the mid life refurb and decent maintenance.

Mid life overhaul? There isn't much round here that gets one of those anymore. Not since the Tyburn works went really. A new set of seat covers and a lick of paint, and in the case of the ALX's it took many of them 13 years and being reduced to fleapits on wheels to get that. One can only assume NX think they are going to get 26 years of service out of them if this is what they call a midlife overhaul these days!!

And before anybody gets on my case I spent 2 years travelling backwards and forwards into town on 4284 and its friends.

[Tony]

Not sure where the problem arises in NXWM - Poor spec? Maintenance issues? Inadequate driver training? I'm very curious about this!! You can't compare them to a B7RLE as they are larger (and no doubt more expensive) vehicle.

There are a handful of P reg mid life refurbished SLF Darts still operating inter urban services here and they are really very smooth with reasonably rattle free and decent interiors - I guess it's down to the mid life refurb and decent maintenance.

Mid life overhaul? There isn't much round here that gets one of those anymore. Not since the Tyburn works went really. A new set of seat covers and a lick of paint, and in the case of the ALX's it took many of them 13 years and being reduced to fleapits on wheels to get that. One can only assume NX think they are going to get 26 years of service out of them if this is what they call a midlife overhaul these days!!

And before anybody gets on my case I spent 2 years travelling backwards and forwards into town on 4284 and its friends.

Next year will hopefully see a much more systematic approach to which vehicles get retrims/repaints. The rest of what Tyburn Road used to do is normally done by exchange components at garage now.

What happens in the service support bays at Walsall & West Bromwich now is not much different to what Tyburn Road used to do other that Tyburn Road always used to fit a refurbished engine, they are now only replaced when they break!

[Dutsey]

Maybe I am in a minority on here but I like the look and comfort of the Enviro 400s. The only bad journey I have had in one of these was on the 141 from Merry Hill to Birmingham.

All the Sutton lines I have been on there has been no rattling and egine sounded fine (to the untrained eye admittedly)

[2900]

Just because the dart/enviro 200 is the best selling small bus in the country doesn't make them any good. There price dictates the sales. As for myself I guess I,ve been spoilt up here in the Midlands driving all types of metrobuses, Lynx,s, placky volvo b7tl with zf box,wrightbus gemni volvo b7tl zf, mercedes 0405N , I look back at that list and feel a little sad, West Midlands bought excellent buses though some of you might debate the leyland Lynx.

[lynx1103]

Just because the dart/enviro 200 is the best selling small bus in the country doesn't make them any good. There price dictates the sales. As for myself I guess I,ve been spoilt up here in the Midlands driving all types of metrobuses, Lynx,s, placky volvo b7tl with zf box,wrightbus gemni volvo b7tl zf, mercedes 0405N , I look back at that list and feel a little sad, West Midlands bought excellent buses though some of you might debate the leyland Lynx.

I did love the Leyland lynx's especially when they came back to Walsall in 2007 being used on 377/351.

Another great time was September 2004-January 2005 2 Lynx's on loan to Hockley 1188 1219

Made appearances on 68A/68C and 111 great memories

[don]

Next year will hopefully see a much more systematic approach to which vehicles get retrims/repaints. The rest of what Tyburn Road used to do is normally done by exchange components at garage now.

What happens in the service support bays at Walsall & West Bromwich now is not much different to what Tyburn Road used to do other that Tyburn Road always used to fit a refurbished engine, they are now only replaced when they break!

This is good news. I have always thought they should outsource vehicle batch refurb and concentrate on repaints, retrims and unit replacement/ routine maintenance in house. I know they do use other firms but it seems on a small scale basis.

[2900]

Tony, have any of volvo b7tl,s been re engined. I,ve never seen one done here at west brom.
I hear of tridents being done, seen a few mercs done here at west brom. Come to think of it I,ve never even heard a volvo b7tl engine sound rough like its on its last legs.

[Ronnoc]

Just because the dart/enviro 200 is the best selling small bus in the country doesn't make them any good. There price dictates the sales. As for myself I guess I,ve been spoilt up here in the Midlands driving all types of metrobuses, Lynx,s, placky volvo b7tl with zf box,wrightbus gemni volvo b7tl zf, mercedes 0405N , I look back at that list and feel a little sad, West Midlands bought excellent buses though some of you might debate the leyland Lynx.

Leylands were excellent but I never had a chance to ride on them!