|
|
Post by CarpeDiemTraveller on Apr 16, 2017 15:10:35 GMT
youtu.be/T6S_9qjqFC0This bus I have been waiting ages to get on and ride, but my wait had finally come to an end. This vehicle was out in public service two days before filming - day 1, only briefly, and day 2, didn't run at all. I took a Southern train to Clapham and then as soon as I left the station, I saw what I thought was WVL95. It wasn't, it was actually WVL96, so viewers and bus enthusiasts, don't be fooled into thinking that WVL96 was also converted into hybrid, it was just WVL94/95. I checked LVF to find out that WVL95 was at Aldwych on its way to Wandsworth, so I thought I might take the risk and meet it halfway at Vauxhall - EH2 took me there. I had about 2 minutes to spare until the bus turned up, looking shinier than ever and with its gleaming new Vantage Power stickers! I took the bus up to Wandsworth then back again to Westminster. Quite unexpectedly, I bumped into one of my favourite bus and train YouTubers, LondonBusExplorer, and we talked about all our opinions on different buses and routes, one of our opinions being how fast the bus accelerated and how weird it felt being on a 15 YEAR OLD hybrid bus! Anyway, enjoy the video and comment what you think about the conversion!
|
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Apr 16, 2017 16:03:05 GMT
youtu.be/T6S_9qjqFC0This bus I have been waiting ages to get on and ride, but my wait had finally come to an end. This vehicle was out in public service two days before filming - day 1, only briefly, and day 2, didn't run at all. I took a Southern train to Clapham and then as soon as I left the station, I saw what I thought was WVL95. It wasn't, it was actually WVL96, so viewers and bus enthusiasts, don't be fooled into thinking that WVL96 was also converted into hybrid, it was just WVL94/95. I checked LVF to find out that WVL95 was at Aldwych on its way to Wandsworth, so I thought I might take the risk and meet it halfway at Vauxhall - EH2 took me there. I had about 2 minutes to spare until the bus turned up, looking shinier than ever and with its gleaming new Vantage Power stickers! I took the bus up to Wandsworth then back again to Westminster. Quite unexpectedly, I bumped into one of my favourite bus and train YouTubers, LondonBusExplorer, and we talked about all our opinions on different buses and routes, one of our opinions being how fast the bus accelerated and how weird it felt being on a 15 YEAR OLD hybrid bus! Anyway, enjoy the video and comment what you think about the conversion! Out of interest, what time was you on WVL95 when running towards Westminster because there were two enthusiasts on board talking about buses in general and one got off at Parliament Square - I remember the conversation involved a race between one enthusiast on a 59 & one on a 73. |
|
|
|
Post by CarpeDiemTraveller on Apr 16, 2017 16:39:42 GMT
youtu.be/T6S_9qjqFC0This bus I have been waiting ages to get on and ride, but my wait had finally come to an end. This vehicle was out in public service two days before filming - day 1, only briefly, and day 2, didn't run at all. I took a Southern train to Clapham and then as soon as I left the station, I saw what I thought was WVL95. It wasn't, it was actually WVL96, so viewers and bus enthusiasts, don't be fooled into thinking that WVL96 was also converted into hybrid, it was just WVL94/95. I checked LVF to find out that WVL95 was at Aldwych on its way to Wandsworth, so I thought I might take the risk and meet it halfway at Vauxhall - EH2 took me there. I had about 2 minutes to spare until the bus turned up, looking shinier than ever and with its gleaming new Vantage Power stickers! I took the bus up to Wandsworth then back again to Westminster. Quite unexpectedly, I bumped into one of my favourite bus and train YouTubers, LondonBusExplorer, and we talked about all our opinions on different buses and routes, one of our opinions being how fast the bus accelerated and how weird it felt being on a 15 YEAR OLD hybrid bus! Anyway, enjoy the video and comment what you think about the conversion! Out of interest, what time was you on WVL95 when running towards Westminster because there were two enthusiasts on board talking about buses in general and one got off at Parliament Square - I remember the conversation involved a race between one enthusiast on a 59 & one on a 73. Hi there, it was at around 11am that I caught it from Vauxhall. The video will be down temporarily as I forgot to edit out the voice of the other enthusiast that I coincidentally met. |
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Apr 16, 2017 17:18:09 GMT
Out of interest, what time was you on WVL95 when running towards Westminster because there were two enthusiasts on board talking about buses in general and one got off at Parliament Square - I remember the conversation involved a race between one enthusiast on a 59 & one on a 73. Hi there, it was at around 11am that I caught it from Vauxhall. The video will be down temporarily as I forgot to edit out the voice of the other enthusiast that I coincidentally met. It must be you then because I caught it towards Aldwych from Vauxhall at 12 seeing as you caught it towards Wandsworth at Vauxhall at 11. |
|
|
|
Post by CarpeDiemTraveller on Apr 16, 2017 17:19:15 GMT
Hi there, it was at around 11am that I caught it from Vauxhall. The video will be down temporarily as I forgot to edit out the voice of the other enthusiast that I coincidentally met. It must be you then because I caught it towards Aldwych from Vauxhall at 12 seeing as you caught it towards Wandsworth at Vauxhall at 11. Omg you were on my bus! How did you find the ride? Video going back up in 5-10 mins btw |
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Apr 16, 2017 17:26:20 GMT
It must be you then because I caught it towards Aldwych from Vauxhall at 12 seeing as you caught it towards Wandsworth at Vauxhall at 11. Omg you were on my bus! How did you find the ride? Video going back up in 5-10 mins btw I posted a short review here - tangytango.proboards.com/thread/2751/ahead-london?page=813Did you manage any decent speed between Wandsworth & Vauxhall because the driver was driving slow between Vauxhall & Charing Cross. |
|
|
|
Post by CarpeDiemTraveller on Apr 16, 2017 17:28:24 GMT
Omg you were on my bus! How did you find the ride? Video going back up in 5-10 mins btw I posted a short review here - tangytango.proboards.com/thread/2751/ahead-london?page=813Did you manage any decent speed between Wandsworth & Vauxhall because the driver was driving slow between Vauxhall & Charing Cross. He went at a decent speed, not too slow nor too fast. |
|
|
|
Post by londonbusexplorer on Apr 16, 2017 17:35:34 GMT
youtu.be/T6S_9qjqFC0This bus I have been waiting ages to get on and ride, but my wait had finally come to an end. This vehicle was out in public service two days before filming - day 1, only briefly, and day 2, didn't run at all. I took a Southern train to Clapham and then as soon as I left the station, I saw what I thought was WVL95. It wasn't, it was actually WVL96, so viewers and bus enthusiasts, don't be fooled into thinking that WVL96 was also converted into hybrid, it was just WVL94/95. I checked LVF to find out that WVL95 was at Aldwych on its way to Wandsworth, so I thought I might take the risk and meet it halfway at Vauxhall - EH2 took me there. I had about 2 minutes to spare until the bus turned up, looking shinier than ever and with its gleaming new Vantage Power stickers! I took the bus up to Wandsworth then back again to Westminster. Quite unexpectedly, I bumped into one of my favourite bus and train YouTubers, LondonBusExplorer, and we talked about all our opinions on different buses and routes, one of our opinions being how fast the bus accelerated and how weird it felt being on a 15 YEAR OLD hybrid bus! Anyway, enjoy the video and comment what you think about the conversion! Out of interest, what time was you on WVL95 when running towards Westminster because there were two enthusiasts on board talking about buses in general and one got off at Parliament Square - I remember the conversation involved a race between one enthusiast on a 59 & one6 on a 73. That would be me |
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Apr 16, 2017 18:23:11 GMT
Out of interest, what time was you on WVL95 when running towards Westminster because there were two enthusiasts on board talking about buses in general and one got off at Parliament Square - I remember the conversation involved a race between one enthusiast on a 59 & one6 on a 73. That would be me The one sitting in the middle or on the left? Apologies for all the questions lol. |
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 17, 2017 23:18:53 GMT
Sorry to hijack the thread, nice video, bus did seem quick. I also came across another video recommended whilst watching your video. It was bad enough these guys sneaked in. But they made the matter worse by playing around with the controls of the bus, especially in the cab. What these guys do not realise is, action like this only makes things harder for enthusiasts if they would want to visit garages etc. They did this at Edmonton garage, thank goodness the buses were isolated. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn5IAEV6i_U |
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Apr 17, 2017 23:38:46 GMT
Sorry to hijack the thread, nice video, bus did seem quick. I also came across another video recommended whilst watching your video. It was bad enough these guys sneaked in. But they made the matter worse by playing around with the controls of the bus, especially in the cab. What these guys do not realise is, action like this only makes things harder for enthusiasts if they would want to visit garages etc. They did this at Edmonton garage, thank goodness the buses were isolated. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn5IAEV6i_UIndeed, there is always that element who have to ruin it for everyone else. |
|
|
|
Post by snoggle on Apr 17, 2017 23:57:19 GMT
What these guys do not realise is, action like this only makes things harder for enthusiasts if they would want to visit garages etc. They did this at Edmonton garage, thank goodness the buses were isolated. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn5IAEV6i_UWhat?!!! Dearie me - how bloomin' stupid and they recorded their misdeeds and published it. I went in loads of bus garages as a kid but I always asked the garage manager or the engineer in charge. I used to play in the cabs of United buses but I knew what to touch and what to leave alone. It's how I eventually got to drive a Leyland National - one night on the run in the engineer said "in you get and drive it round".  Obviously would never happen in a big garage these days due to H&S and insurance issues. As you say these daft antics of roaming around new buses without permission does nothing for the wider enthusiast movement. In fact these days I'd never even bother asking to go into a garage to look round or take photos - I view the chance of getting in to be so close to zero as not worth bothering with. |
|
|
|
Post by joefrombow on Apr 17, 2017 23:58:04 GMT
Sounds ok doesn't seem to have a all electric mode like the first generation E400H's, Would Tfl not accept a contract renewal with retrofitted hybrids as the full allocation ?
|
|
|
|
Post by snoggle on Apr 18, 2017 8:43:13 GMT
Sounds ok doesn't seem to have a all electric mode like the first generation E400H's, Would Tfl not accept a contract renewal with retrofitted hybrids as the full allocation ? We may well get to the point of retrofitted hybrids *but* the technology has to be proved first hence the in service trials. I suspect it will be a fair time before we see any real change because TfL and operators will want to see several months of operation to see how well the buses perform. No one has ever leapt in and used a "new" technology from new at their own risk. TfL has underwritten / paid for all the trial use of hybrids, virtual electric, all electric and hydrogen buses. Only after the technology has matured somewhat have fleet orders been placed and even then some routes had very generous allocations e.g. the 360 had as many diesels as hybrids until the hybrids were rebuilt into more reliable vehicles. |
|
|
|
Post by snowman on Apr 18, 2017 18:39:47 GMT
Sounds ok doesn't seem to have a all electric mode like the first generation E400H's, Would Tfl not accept a contract renewal with retrofitted hybrids as the full allocation ? Possibly will accept it (assuming the test running phase is deemed ok) The problem is what will be retrofitted, although the 6 test buses are old, going to need something newer if serious numbers are to be done (Vantage are hoping to be able to do least 1000 buses if it works). I guess probably looking at euroIV and euroV buses with big engines which probably means Volvo B9s Possibly some of the euroIV buses will not be suitable because they lack other things which later became part of TfL spec such as air cooling. I have read a production version of the conversion is about £70k per bus. Over a 5 year contract, means you are having to payback £1200 per month to cover the cost. Of course the alternative is a new bus, so have to weigh this extra cost vs the higher cost of a new bus. By the time refurb cost is added to the older bus, and allowance for more spare parts of the non converted mechanicals on the older bus, the cost vs new might not be that far apart. Until there are some accurate fuel consumption figures from test buses it's going to be difficult to know if this is going to work economically. |
|
Obviously would never happen in a big garage these days due to H&S and insurance issues. As you say these daft antics of roaming around new buses without permission does nothing for the wider enthusiast movement. In fact these days I'd never even bother asking to go into a garage to look round or take photos - I view the chance of getting in to be so close to zero as not worth bothering with.