Passengers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[Liberator9]

I always get caught out by that - keep forgetting that they are not Tridents  ::)

[2900]

General comment on the ALEXANDER ALX400 B7TL VOITH combo, with the recent departure of so many gemni,s  I now spend a lot more driving these VOLVOS about , I,ve never been the biggest fan of this combination since the arrival of the ADL E40D chassis to west brom I now appreicate the alexander  Volvo a whole lot more, there are quite a few gems out there.
I,ve been reading the BC garage thread with interest it appears people from down south don't under stand our hatred of complete ADL products, I find it rather amusing.
I now find myself hoping I don't get stuck with one ADL,s contraptions, err I mean bus that's how I feel about them not good I think.

[2900]

754: sat in the middle of this bus on Sunday  it has now developed some annoying problems, saloon heater motor has become loud, a loud annoying rattle/ rumbling of plastic panels now em inmates from o/s rear roof area. Plenty of rattles from saloon door/ cab area while cruising along decent roads nice work ADL thanks for the shit you produce. Made in Britain stickers should be removed not a great advertisement for UK plc

[Liverpool Street]

Travelled on 803 on the 63 today.

Actually speed wise not too bad, a lot of the same in retrospect of what I wrote about 804.

Suspension just as bad across the whole batch of E200's it seems. Was literally bounced out of my seat at certain points of the journey.

Doors slow.

7/10 - Gearbox/Engine speed (and seems to have developed kickdown some how? Probably a fault but sounds thrashingly good nonetheless)
0/10 - Passenger Comfort (and that's being generous)

[2900]

I would like some opinions on the scania bendys having never experienced them, may be I should get out to brum and try them out before they vanish over nite.

[Stu]

I would like some opinions on the scania bendys having never experienced them, may be I should get out to brum and try them out before they vanish over nite.

It's been a few years since I last travelled on one, but I used to catch the 67 frequently when I worked on Gravelly Industrial Estate.

The novelty of a bendi-bus soon wears off after a while, especially when you wait ages and then you have to try and get on one that's packed. When they weren't so crowded, they seemed okay to travel on, could pick up some speed when the driver wanted (or was able) to. And the rear doors did help to speed up loading and unloading. Must say I never saw anyone try sneaking on through the back!

[Liberator9]

Three to add:

4390 - 49 - Fantastic bus - really powerful and driver was thrashing it along the 49. Suspension was good and not much rattling. Newer style TWM seats - still in good condition. Actually wears better than some of the grey seating. 9/10

4677 - 11C - Good all round Wright Gemini - no rattling on upper deck, and engine was doing well - smooth running. Suspension was very good. 2012 vivid red refurbishment - paintwork still looking freshly done and has a smart interior. 10/10

1920 - 6 - Never been on this Scania - only one out of the original YW 2010 batch. Really good Scania - gearbox smooth and engine fast running. Barely any rattles - just the occasional noise from the metro secured ticket bin  ;) Suspension dealt with the rough roads well and any imperfections. Exterior and interior smart as well. 10/10

[Liverpool Street]

Travelled on 4610 not so long ago. Excelled on all criteria. Interior solid, virtually rattle free, (although it still has blue TWM seating which is wearing well), very powerful engine and great gearbox, overtakes cars with ease. Dead smooth gear changes for the ZF lump, and excellent smooth brakes. Doors quick and everything is just dandy. This thing is pushing 11 years old and is still behaving like new! Anybody wants to know what a proper modern bus should be like should travel on BC's 4610. Acredit to Central, A credit to Transbus/ADL.

10/10 - Drivetrain
10/10 - Passenger Comfort
9/10 - Bodywork & Interior Quality (seats still original. Wearing excellently though)

[don]

754: sat in the middle of this bus on Sunday  it has now developed some annoying problems, saloon heater motor has become loud, a loud annoying rattle/ rumbling of plastic panels now em inmates from o/s rear roof area. Plenty of rattles from saloon door/ cab area while cruising along decent roads nice work ADL thanks for the shit you produce. Made in Britain stickers should be removed not a great advertisement for UK plc

Ok I've joined in with this.

Last night my usual class 465 unit left the station just as I arrived and the alternative, a short wheelbase TfL Enviro 200 (2 years old) for the same short journey was about to leave so I caught this. I have never heard a bus rattle so much. All of the yellow stanchions were vibrating and rattling and the joints of the ones close to me could be seen to have had some type of rubber solution applied within the joints to quieten them - without success. Internal panels rattling, windows vibrating but the icing on the cake was the doors opening - a sound reminiscent of someone dropping several scaffold poles on a hard surface!! I endured this bus for 15 minutes and left it, thankfully arriving in time for my next train. The bus was far worse rattle wise when stationary than when under drive, the rattling being replaced by a shrill turbo hiss and whine. The bus also seemed to get quieter and less rattly the more it filled with people - presumably loading the body and fittings and quieting them.

A definite 0/10 - I agree 2900 and Liverpool Street - this bus was a pile of crap! If the NXWM ones are like this then they're very poor.

[Liverpool Street]

754: sat in the middle of this bus on Sunday  it has now developed some annoying problems, saloon heater motor has become loud, a loud annoying rattle/ rumbling of plastic panels now em inmates from o/s rear roof area. Plenty of rattles from saloon door/ cab area while cruising along decent roads nice work ADL thanks for the shit you produce. Made in Britain stickers should be removed not a great advertisement for UK plc

Ok I've joined in with this.

Last night my usual class 465 unit left the station just as I arrived and the alternative, a short wheelbase TfL Enviro 200 (2 years old) for the same short journey was about to leave so I caught this. I have never heard a bus rattle so much. All of the yellow stanchions were vibrating and rattling and the joints of the ones close to me could be seen to have had some type of rubber solution applied within the joints to quieten them - without success. Internal panels rattling, windows vibrating but the icing on the cake was the doors opening - a sound reminiscent of someone dropping several scaffold poles on a hard surface!! I endured this bus for 15 minutes and left it, thankfully arriving in time for my next train. The bus was far worse rattle wise when stationary than when under drive, the rattling being replaced by a shrill turbo hiss and whine. The bus also seemed to get quieter and less rattly the more it filled with people - presumably loading the body and fittings and quieting them.

A definite 0/10 - I agree 2900 and Liverpool Street - this bus was a pile of crap! If the NXWM ones are like this then they're very poor.

NXWM are just as bad, if not worse as they're the long wheel base ones and have more space for more rattles!!!

Honestly I do believe a rough running lawnmower with a box of bolts resting on top will result in less rattles.

[2900]

1450: now a training vehicle, externally all white and looking in excellent condition. Internally at some point it underwent a major refurb floors,poles,seat cushions,covers,frames all redone, still in good condition. The black trim around window frames appears to be plastic coated metal which has bubbled up on most of them so looking a bit unsightly. While on the move few of the windows rattled along, the ride was comfortable, the gearbox unmistakably a voith box whining away at rear along with engine in good shape nothing out of order. Brakes omg not good at all they are harsh when cold it seemed to take a great deal of time to become acceptable. overall for vehicle that's almost 20 years old it's excellent 8/10

[Mike K]

5503: currently on board this on my way home from work. Still looks like new inside, refreshingly largely free of vandalism and window etching (do these buses get special attention in terms of removing graffiti?). Nice bright (non-grey) interior.

Legroom is huge on the B5s. Smooth, quiet and quick when the driver needs it to be. The only slight glitch on these is the lag between the change of gears / transition from electric to diesel mode - although I don't notice this as much as I used to.

This bus is entirely rattle free, it feels solid and well put together. Ride quality is nice and smooth, handling bumps and potholes without fuss (unlike its E400 Hybrid counterparts which feel like they've hit a roadside bomb when they go over a pothole - stiffer suspensions than a chavved up Vauxhall Corsa).

All in all a pleaesure to travel on and a 10/10. I should deduct a point for Phil Upton's voice but that would be unfair. I travelled on 5515 this morning and most of the above comments apply, but loses a mark due to slight rattles right at the back upstairs.

From a passenger perspective (I know not all drivers find them the easiest) these are in my opinion some of the best buses in the current fleet and I'm glad they're on my local route. Shame we won't be seeing any more of them.

Random side note - the driver is wearing sunglasses, at 6pm on a dark winters evening.

[Tara4352]

829 A good bus even though they  rattle a lot
Passenger Comfort 3/10
1707 one of the best mercs i like
passenger comfort 10/10
4540  bit loud and got annoying noise on
passenger comfort 8/10
4196 like above
passenger comfort 10/10
4804 on along journey to birmingham nice bus and interior still as good as new
passenger comfort 10/10

[Stuharris 6360]

People say some buses these days rattle, i remember in the 70s when all buses rattled.

Especially remember D9 4981 which sound like it's underframe was loose for weeks if not years, gave you a headache if you had a long journey on it.

[Liverpool Street]

People say some buses these days rattle, i remember in the 70s when all buses rattled.

Especially remember D9 4981 which sound like it's underframe was loose for weeks if not years, gave you a headache if you had a long journey on it.

Yes but it was expected in those years with the d9's especially; this is modern times now rattles should be a thing of the past.TThey've had 45 years to fix it haha.