|
Post by YY13VKP on Aug 26, 2024 22:35:36 GMT
I have to say I think the opposite, I often see these on the 133 and have also seen the ones at NS a few times now and they look far more ridiculous in person than they do in pictures. It's almost like a bus of two halves where the bottom half is at a complete mismatch to the top half. I think it's a lot more bearable on the Kite as there's no mis-matched top deck to go with it, but on the deckers it just looks clumsy and with no actual effort to integrate the frontal panels into the design. I wonder if Wright will come out with a new design anytime soon, probably safe to say that since 2015 when this new design showed up it was a step behind the ADL MMC, and then the City just widened the gap. ADL have since come out with a third design while Wright are effectively still on the same design from 2015 just with a changed lower deck front as they were pretty much forced to. Rumour has it there’s a new Wright design in the pipeline. I read on some website that in 2025 something new might be coming, but as a large caveat I cant remember where I read it or if there’s any truth to it at all. They really need to come up with something though, their current offering has always been substandard even when it came out in 2015, it caused them to go under because of bus operators turning their back on them because of dissatisfaction with their products. I guess seeing as all the money went into reviving the company, the money wasn’t there to come up with something new. If they don’t pull their finger out soon ADL and MCV will just leave them behind. It’s high time they made those bloody upper deck windows bigger! And it needs to be massively better than the crap they make at the moment The Gemini 3 was awful in build quality compared to its predecessor, especially with the shallower windows you mention and the Streetdeck wasn't much better. The front end design of the facelifted Electroliner does remind me a lot of the Gemini 2's and whilst these Electroliners do feel like they've been well built, the shallow windows aren't great. I can't help but feel however that the fact that these Electroliners have been facelifted could be a sign that these are integral "pre series" models to the next Wright design. Who remembers that the first Gemini 2's around 2007/08 were built with the original MK1 Gemini front end and the first Gemini 3's came with a slightly redesigned front end based on the Gemini 2 until the current design came along in 2015? So I suspect that the next generation of Wright products may just be around the corner. Though the GB Kite is a new product entirely, I don't expect that to change so much. ADL's designs meanwhile have stood the test of time well - the MMC's really don't look like they're almost a decade old!
|
|
|
Post by YY13VKP on Aug 26, 2024 22:44:01 GMT
I actually prefer the recent face lift, looks a lot better with the rounded screen than the sharp edges of the previous design. Apart from the destination displays, I'm pleased with the Transport UK examples and I don't see why Wrightbus needs to come out with another design just because ADL have three different iterations - in any case, I'm still not sold on the new ADL Enviro 400 after passing the one that was sitting outside BX a few months ago. The MMC is still my preferred choice and the City has grown on me a lot over the last few years. The perfect electric double decker for me would be an ADL on the outside with the Electroliner's interior. I saw my first ESs on the 64 in Croydon today looks great the tired Ts about time they left Croydon. The T's have served Thornton Heath well, can't believe T122-T144 in particular have been at Thornton Heath for 14 years! It'll be strange not seeing them around Croydon anymore but the Electroliners are good replacements for them. I had a ride on both ES157 and ES158 on the 64 today, they're very good from a passenger perspective too. Though I don't think the iBus Screens are fully functional just yet. The iBus units on my buses were showing "64 New Addington" along with a default McKenna Brothers logo so I think they still need to be programmed.
|
|
|
Post by DE20106 on Aug 26, 2024 23:01:38 GMT
Rumour has it there’s a new Wright design in the pipeline. I read on some website that in 2025 something new might be coming, but as a large caveat I cant remember where I read it or if there’s any truth to it at all. They really need to come up with something though, their current offering has always been substandard even when it came out in 2015, it caused them to go under because of bus operators turning their back on them because of dissatisfaction with their products. I guess seeing as all the money went into reviving the company, the money wasn’t there to come up with something new. If they don’t pull their finger out soon ADL and MCV will just leave them behind. It’s high time they made those bloody upper deck windows bigger! And it needs to be massively better than the crap they make at the moment The Gemini 3 was awful in build quality compared to its predecessor, especially with the shallower windows you mention and the Streetdeck wasn't much better. The front end design of the facelifted Electroliner does remind me a lot of the Gemini 2's and whilst these Electroliners do feel like they've been well built, the shallow windows aren't great. I can't help but feel however that the fact that these Electroliners have been facelifted could be a sign that these are integral "pre series" models to the next Wright design. Who remembers that the first Gemini 2's around 2007/08 were built with the original MK1 Gemini front end and the first Gemini 3's came with a slightly redesigned front end based on the Gemini 2 until the current design came along in 2015? So I suspect that the next generation of Wright products may just be around the corner. Though the GB Kite is a new product entirely, I don't expect that to change so much. ADL's designs meanwhile have stood the test of time well - the MMC's really don't look like they're almost a decade old! I think you’re talking absolutely perfect sense. Wright needed an adapted front end for the ‘Vision Zero’ spec, so it makes perfect sense to slightly tweak the existing bodywork as a stop gap. If there wasn’t anything coming they would have made more of an effort with it I think. I know I bang on about these small windows nearly as much as Hanover destinations screens but imo it’s one of the biggest flaws on any modern double decker ever, especially since it’s only Wright doing it. What makes it even more laughable is that the reason for them being small (which let’s be honest it’s really cost cutting so as to spend less on glass), is because ‘it keeps sunlight and heat out to cool the upstairs down’. Well fat load of good that does, Electroliners are utterly unbearable on hot days, both the Norwich ones and TUK ones are. So it’s all the negatives of it without any of the positives. The MMC on the other hand you’re so right. The 109 MMCs are looking quite tired but that’s because of the hugely intense usage they get, but that slightly less ‘pummelled’ 15-reg MMC 2523 I snapped with the new wooden flooring honestly looks like it just came out of the factory. Stick a 24-reg on it and no one would know differently. All things considered the 109 batch is certainly doing well for its age. Back to Arriva I’m so glad they’re now starting to jump ship and go to the BZL. It really is so much better in every measurably way (except the range but that doesn’t affect passenger usage)
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Aug 27, 2024 1:25:27 GMT
I have to say I think the opposite, I often see these on the 133 and have also seen the ones at NS a few times now and they look far more ridiculous in person than they do in pictures. It's almost like a bus of two halves where the bottom half is at a complete mismatch to the top half. I think it's a lot more bearable on the Kite as there's no mis-matched top deck to go with it, but on the deckers it just looks clumsy and with no actual effort to integrate the frontal panels into the design. I wonder if Wright will come out with a new design anytime soon, probably safe to say that since 2015 when this new design showed up it was a step behind the ADL MMC, and then the City just widened the gap. ADL have since come out with a third design while Wright are effectively still on the same design from 2015 just with a changed lower deck front as they were pretty much forced to. Rumour has it there’s a new Wright design in the pipeline. I read on some website that in 2025 something new might be coming, but as a large caveat I cant remember where I read it or if there’s any truth to it at all. They really need to come up with something though, their current offering has always been substandard even when it came out in 2015, it caused them to go under because of bus operators turning their back on them because of dissatisfaction with their products. I guess seeing as all the money went into reviving the company, the money wasn’t there to come up with something new. If they don’t pull their finger out soon ADL and MCV will just leave them behind. It’s high time they made those bloody upper deck windows bigger! And it needs to be massively better than the crap they make at the moment I don't think that's quite right at all that their current offering caused them to go under. Yes there was dissatisfaction which was due to poor build quality of a few batches of Gemini3's but they went under due to other reasons. ADL have long been the biggest builder out there in terms of buses but I very much doubt MCV will even catch Wrightbus, let alone leave them behind. I know you really like the MCV decker but MCV have long been a small player and I don't see them catching up any time soon. I'm not a fan of the small double deck windows but where on earth have you got the idea that Wrightbus is making "crap"
|
|
|
Post by sp17 on Aug 27, 2024 5:16:49 GMT
With all due respect most people on here talking about Wright have never driven a bus and are talking merely from an enthusiast point of view which is fine but it’s not strictly true. Drive and E400 and then a Gemini and I tell you which one you’d prefer after a rounder.
The Gemini 3 isn’t a bad quality bus as people make out, I drove one two weeks ago and then travelled an hour on one after, it’s better than the MMC and that is the view of many bus industry professionals I know. It’s flaws were widely publicised which in my opinion influenced many opinion on it. Wright have bounced back in remarkable fashion, I don’t think many people know just how bad the issues at Wright were.
MCV make terrible buses, the Evora is a horrible little thing, it’s the Volvo chassis that saves it. MCV won’t overtake Wright, even with the backing of Volvo, their products aren’t good. The Evoseti is another horrible bus. Metroline had a very public fallout with Wright but it’s business and they’re entitled to be upset if standards aren’t met; however they’re back to ordering swathes of them now. Note the Gemini is still more expensive.
For me I cannot stand ADL products, they’re awful to drive and that’s what I care about, the rattle-free bus as advertised has been replaced by annoying creeks.
|
|
|
Post by lj61nwc on Aug 27, 2024 6:04:36 GMT
For me I cannot stand ADL products, they’re awful to drive and that’s what I care about, the rattle-free bus as advertised has been replaced by annoying creeks. The creaking is genuinely unbearable when going around a roundabout or even just turning. Combine this with BYDs sh*t turning radius, it's almost like the bus was designed to drive in a straight line.
|
|
|
Post by ThinLizzy on Aug 27, 2024 7:48:50 GMT
With all due respect most people on here talking about Wright have never driven a bus and are talking merely from an enthusiast point of view which is fine but it’s not strictly true. Drive and E400 and then a Gemini and I tell you which one you’d prefer after a rounder. The Gemini 3 isn’t a bad quality bus as people make out, I drove one two weeks ago and then travelled an hour on one after, it’s better than the MMC and that is the view of many bus industry professionals I know. It’s flaws were widely publicised which in my opinion influenced many opinion on it. Wright have bounced back in remarkable fashion, I don’t think many people know just how bad the issues at Wright were. MCV make terrible buses, the Evora is a horrible little thing, it’s the Volvo chassis that saves it. MCV won’t overtake Wright, even with the backing of Volvo, their products aren’t good. The Evoseti is another horrible bus. Metroline had a very public fallout with Wright but it’s business and they’re entitled to be upset if standards aren’t met; however they’re back to ordering swathes of them now. Note the Gemini is still more expensive. For me I cannot stand ADL products, they’re awful to drive and that’s what I care about, the rattle-free bus as advertised has been replaced by annoying creeks. I'm sure I read somewhere that Dublin Bus had severe issues with one of it's last batches for Wright bodied B5TLs where the front doors wouldn't close properly. As a passenger, I quite like the Electroliners on the 86 and 199, they seem quite well built and haven't (yet) got any of the "Wright rattles" that some earlier batches of buses have. I haven't travelled on any other batches of Electroliners so can't really comment on others.
|
|
|
Post by ServerKing on Aug 27, 2024 8:04:02 GMT
With all due respect most people on here talking about Wright have never driven a bus and are talking merely from an enthusiast point of view which is fine but it’s not strictly true. Drive and E400 and then a Gemini and I tell you which one you’d prefer after a rounder. The Gemini 3 isn’t a bad quality bus as people make out, I drove one two weeks ago and then travelled an hour on one after, it’s better than the MMC and that is the view of many bus industry professionals I know. It’s flaws were widely publicised which in my opinion influenced many opinion on it. Wright have bounced back in remarkable fashion, I don’t think many people know just how bad the issues at Wright were. MCV make terrible buses, the Evora is a horrible little thing, it’s the Volvo chassis that saves it. MCV won’t overtake Wright, even with the backing of Volvo, their products aren’t good. The Evoseti is another horrible bus. Metroline had a very public fallout with Wright but it’s business and they’re entitled to be upset if standards aren’t met; however they’re back to ordering swathes of them now. Note the Gemini is still more expensive. For me I cannot stand ADL products, they’re awful to drive and that’s what I care about, the rattle-free bus as advertised has been replaced by annoying creeks. I'm sure I read somewhere that Dublin Bus had severe issues with one of it's last batches for Wright bodied B5TLs where the front doors wouldn't close properly. As a passenger, I quite like the Electroliners on the 86 and 199, they seem quite well built and haven't (yet) got any of the "Wright rattles" that some earlier batches of buses have. I haven't travelled on any other batches of Electroliners so can't really comment on others. It seems Wright are clearly rattled by these allegations and are upset that their buses are no longer sought-after as in their heyday as they try to enter the already crowded SUV market to lure passengers from rivals' buses
|
|
|
Post by lj61nwc on Aug 27, 2024 8:12:01 GMT
I'm sure I read somewhere that Dublin Bus had severe issues with one of it's last batches for Wright bodied B5TLs where the front doors wouldn't close properly. As a passenger, I quite like the Electroliners on the 86 and 199, they seem quite well built and haven't (yet) got any of the "Wright rattles" that some earlier batches of buses have. I haven't travelled on any other batches of Electroliners so can't really comment on others. It seems Wright are clearly rattled by these allegations and are upset that their buses are no longer sought-after as in their heyday as they try to enter the already crowded SUV market to lure passengers from rivals' buses You're getting quicker with these 😂
|
|
|
Post by adl on Aug 27, 2024 17:32:00 GMT
I’m quite surprised GY were able to lose DW502 right now considering DW212, DW224, DW225 DW229 & DW240 are VOR (2+ Weeks) the 66 only went down -1 PVR and the 379 gets a +1 PVR soon . The 248 uses DWs regularly and I’m starting to see more and more DWs unfit and breaking down so I wonder if anything may have to go over replace it soon as I can’t see GY coping with 6 VOR, unreliable LTs and now 1 DW transferred out.
EDIT: 2x VOR LT’s as well.
it should also be mentioned the 375 used a double decker when either of ENL112/ENL111 is needed to be taken out of service or unfit as the 347 cannot take DD’s.
|
|
|
Post by busoccultation on Aug 27, 2024 19:21:48 GMT
|
|
|
Post by VWH1413 on Aug 27, 2024 19:41:32 GMT
This ain’t bad at all and quite thrashy in places. Phehaps an tad rattly though. I do wonder how often they can stay on the road though outside London when stuck to an open road for work out. That’s the real sticking point.
|
|
|
Post by matthieu1221 on Aug 27, 2024 20:32:18 GMT
I have to say I think the opposite, I often see these on the 133 and have also seen the ones at NS a few times now and they look far more ridiculous in person than they do in pictures. It's almost like a bus of two halves where the bottom half is at a complete mismatch to the top half. I think it's a lot more bearable on the Kite as there's no mis-matched top deck to go with it, but on the deckers it just looks clumsy and with no actual effort to integrate the frontal panels into the design. I wonder if Wright will come out with a new design anytime soon, probably safe to say that since 2015 when this new design showed up it was a step behind the ADL MMC, and then the City just widened the gap. ADL have since come out with a third design while Wright are effectively still on the same design from 2015 just with a changed lower deck front as they were pretty much forced to. Rumour has it there’s a new Wright design in the pipeline. I read on some website that in 2025 something new might be coming, but as a large caveat I cant remember where I read it or if there’s any truth to it at all. They really need to come up with something though, their current offering has always been substandard even when it came out in 2015, it caused them to go under because of bus operators turning their back on them because of dissatisfaction with their products. I guess seeing as all the money went into reviving the company, the money wasn’t there to come up with something new. If they don’t pull their finger out soon ADL and MCV will just leave them behind. It’s high time they made those bloody upper deck windows bigger! And it needs to be massively better than the crap they make at the moment I hope they give us better air cooling if they give us bigger upper deck windows! Reducing the greenhouse effect is the only redeeming factor of the smaller windows at the moment from a passenger POV! It's almost refreshing to get a Gemini 3 after having just been on an MCV!
BristolRE mentioned a few of the 307's Electroliners have substandard or completely unusable air cooling in a recent video -- I hope those are simply teething issues -- but it seems to genuinely just be the usual completely variably-working and insufficient air cooling so looks like we'll have to live with it for the next ten years...
|
|
|
Post by ServerKing on Aug 27, 2024 23:52:24 GMT
I’m quite surprised GY were able to lose DW502 right now considering DW212, DW224, DW225 DW229 & DW240 are VOR (2+ Weeks) the 66 only went down -1 PVR and the 379 gets a +1 PVR soon . The 248 uses DWs regularly and I’m starting to see more and more DWs unfit and breaking down so I wonder if anything may have to go over replace it soon as I can’t see GY coping with 6 VOR, unreliable LTs and now 1 DW transferred out. EDIT: 2x VOR LT’s as well. it should also be mentioned the 375 used a double decker when either of ENL112/ENL111 is needed to be taken out of service or unfit as the 347 cannot take DD’s. Uh-oh! It could be Afternoon T's soon (no scones) unless some DWs come from Enfield, you may see some of our older friends from the 217 come out to play. That's a lot of buses out of action. Sounds like Spurs under Conte, the players were too old for such strenuous training sessions 15 year old buses can't do constant thrash. Even the 217 is starting to see DWs on the route (perhaps those rot boxes from the 64 are too slow) From what busoccultation showed me, the SW's arent doing too bad in Liverpool. Perhaps SW5, 7, 8 and 10 can move over to help The worst thing the Company can do is respond to tabloid hysteria. Headlines like these are not helping
|
|
|
Post by gka472l on Aug 28, 2024 9:47:47 GMT
This ain’t bad at all and quite thrashy in places. Phehaps an tad rattly though. I do wonder how often they can stay on the road though outside London when stuck to an open road for work out. That’s the real sticking point. A lot of Merseyrail rail replacement will be stop/start stuff in Liverpool/Wirral so they won't be on fast dual carriageways much (the bit you see on the video is the A565 just south of Formby....). I went on 7773/4 (SW3/4) on this rail replacement a week ago and found them rather pleasant to travel on. HTH
|
|