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Post by Connor on Apr 20, 2015 20:49:23 GMT
They are really slow buses, I've been on Euro 2 DLA's faster My fastest bus journeys in London were on the DLA's. No idea where how they earned this reputation of being slow buses...
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Post by snoggle on Apr 20, 2015 20:50:07 GMT
Way to resurrect an old thread Brighton & Hove's StreetDecks are now in service... www.route-one.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Debut-StreetDecks-enter-service.jpgThey don't look bad in green - let's see what London United's ones look like when they arrive (apparently on order, but B5LH's rather than Daimler) Gemini 3 will look like this now, only the pre-production demonstrators were of the old design They are really slow buses, I've been on Euro 2 DLA's faster Surely they're still being run in? No wonder that they're not being flogged to death just yet.
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Post by ServerKing on Apr 21, 2015 21:55:57 GMT
Way to resurrect an old thread Brighton & Hove's StreetDecks are now in service... www.route-one.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Debut-StreetDecks-enter-service.jpgThey don't look bad in green - let's see what London United's ones look like when they arrive (apparently on order, but B5LH's rather than Daimler) Gemini 3 will look like this now, only the pre-production demonstrators were of the old design They are really slow buses, I've been on Euro 2 DLA's faster There are never many 'DB300 thrash' videos on YouTube though perhaps the Daimler would be better on the open road... I think Arriva London will get some production models this year There are great videos of ex - London DLAs having the hell beaten out of them on the open roads of Kent and in the Northeast Would have loved to have seen SB200s in London
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2015 13:48:12 GMT
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Post by ServerKing on May 3, 2015 14:03:21 GMT
good review, though Wright should drop the old design Let's see if Arriva will add to their 'SW' collection, or if Tower Transit order any in future
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Post by LX09FBJ on May 3, 2015 22:21:07 GMT
Strangely, I think the B&H Coaster livery actually looks nice on these buses, unlike the Arriva Sapphire. Personally not a fan of the new front end myself, but we have to wait and see if it catches on in London (these could potentially end up on the 111 in a couple years' time) so I could be faced with seing it everyday. I don't like the NB4L-esque glazed staircase at all, it just doesn't suit a conventional bus at all.
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Post by ServerKing on May 3, 2015 22:49:17 GMT
Strangely, I think the B&H Coaster livery actually looks nice on these buses, unlike the Arriva Sapphire. Personally not a fan of the new front end myself, but we have to wait and see if it catches on in London (these could potentially end up on the 111 in a couple years' time) so I could be faced with seing it everyday. I don't like the NB4L-esque glazed staircase at all, it just doesn't suit a conventional bus at all. I honestly dont think the glass staircase would be ordered by any operator in London (vandalism, pervs peeking at ladies climbing stairs in tight skirts, more windows for kids to etch), I think they just added it to the demonstrator to show it could be added if anyone was crazy enough to do it... not sure how much weight the extra glass would add either As for the 111, we could see them make an appearance, though more than likely in B5LH form, seeing the current hybrid trend. Hopefully by then Wright would be just making one design of the thing by then. The Scanias are showing their age, and the engines are thirsty, so they could be supplanted by these or E400 MMC hybrids. Hopefully the 267 will get something newer soon as well
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Post by LX09FBJ on May 4, 2015 0:07:52 GMT
Strangely, I think the B&H Coaster livery actually looks nice on these buses, unlike the Arriva Sapphire. Personally not a fan of the new front end myself, but we have to wait and see if it catches on in London (these could potentially end up on the 111 in a couple years' time) so I could be faced with seing it everyday. I don't like the NB4L-esque glazed staircase at all, it just doesn't suit a conventional bus at all. I honestly dont think the glass staircase would be ordered by any operator in London (vandalism, pervs peeking at ladies climbing stairs in tight skirts, more windows for kids to etch), I think they just added it to the demonstrator to show it could be added if anyone was crazy enough to do it... not sure how much weight the extra glass would add either As for the 111, we could see them make an appearance, though more than likely in B5LH form, seeing the current hybrid trend. Hopefully by then Wright would be just making one design of the thing by then. The Scanias are showing their age, and the engines are thirsty, so they could be supplanted by these or E400 MMC hybrids. Hopefully the 267 will get something newer soon as well Lothian ordered some with a glazed staircase if I recall correctly The 111 and 267 are both up for tender in 2017 (assuming the 267 doesn't get an extension). I'm not sure about the leasing arangements of the SPs but I recall that the 56 reg ones are owned and most of the rest are leased. The 111s SPs are looking a tad tired, but they're not as bad as the H32s (or the 205/277) 09 reg buses which have the hardest seats known to man! We have to wait and see what LUs experience with the VHs is like, but from a personal view, I prefer the hybrid Volvo/Wright over the E40H MMC. I have yet to ride on a diesel MMC E400, but having ridden on V6, I'm not a fan of the B5TL. I have travelled on Euro VI E400s but not the MMC version and they are nice buses so based on my fairly regular experience of the Euro VI E400, I'd take that over the B5TL.
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Post by ServerKing on May 4, 2015 7:19:41 GMT
The B5LH is the best of hybrids, I like the gearing, I find the E400H a little too eager on pullaway and the brakes bite hard if the driver isn't used to them (if you've not got a seat, you could be heading for the floor!) I think the StreetDeck is ideal for London, but wished it's engine sounded a little more lively. If LU's latest chief engineer is a Wrightbus fan, I wonder if we'd see any Streetlites in future for single deck orders? (Would love to see them win the 235 and put decent buses on the route like Streetlite Max's ) We'll have to see how the VH's bed in, I'm sure they'll be just fine
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Post by allentc on May 4, 2015 9:17:51 GMT
I honestly dont think the glass staircase would be ordered by any operator in London (vandalism, pervs peeking at ladies climbing stairs in tight skirts, more windows for kids to etch), I think they just added it to the demonstrator to show it could be added if anyone was crazy enough to do it... not sure how much weight the extra glass would add either I agree, plus purely on a monetary level I believe it is a cost option. London bus operators work to a narrow margin anyway so the additional cost of ordering glass stairwells for no operational benefit would not make sense. I still don't understand Wright's logic: narrow top windows needed to reduce solar heating but offer a massive side window down one side of the bus and a glass roof?! Is that not contradictory?
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Post by ServerKing on May 4, 2015 11:23:27 GMT
I honestly dont think the glass staircase would be ordered by any operator in London (vandalism, pervs peeking at ladies climbing stairs in tight skirts, more windows for kids to etch), I think they just added it to the demonstrator to show it could be added if anyone was crazy enough to do it... not sure how much weight the extra glass would add either I agree, plus purely on a monetary level I believe it is a cost option. London bus operators work to a narrow margin anyway so the additional cost of ordering glass stairwells for no operational benefit would not make sense. I still don't understand Wright's logic: narrow top windows needed to reduce solar heating but offer a massive side window down one side of the bus and a glass roof?! Is that not contradictory? It's the same logic that encourages operators to still buy their old model bus rather than the new one, and then to call them both the same thing Apparently B&H (bus operator, not cigarette company ) are not that happy with the performance of the new StreetDecks as they labour alot on the hills around Brighton (only 231hp engine) unless it's what manufacturers call 'teething problems' and things will improve. Gearbox changes up too quickly IMHO not sure if there's much in the way of kickdown
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Post by John tuthill on May 4, 2015 13:21:44 GMT
I agree, plus purely on a monetary level I believe it is a cost option. London bus operators work to a narrow margin anyway so the additional cost of ordering glass stairwells for no operational benefit would not make sense. I still don't understand Wright's logic: narrow top windows needed to reduce solar heating but offer a massive side window down one side of the bus and a glass roof?! Is that not contradictory? It's the same logic that encourages operators to still buy their old model bus rather than the new one, and then to call them both the same thing Apparently B&H (bus operator, not cigarette company ) are not that happy with the performance of the new StreetDecks as they labour alot on the hills around Brighton (only 231hp engine) unless it's what manufacturers call 'teething problems' and things will improve. Gearbox changes up too quickly IMHO not sure if there's much in the way of kickdown I cannot believe they bought them without testing them up the steepest parts of Brighton leading up the Lewes Road and around that area?
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Post by vjaska on May 4, 2015 13:35:39 GMT
It's the same logic that encourages operators to still buy their old model bus rather than the new one, and then to call them both the same thing Apparently B&H (bus operator, not cigarette company ) are not that happy with the performance of the new StreetDecks as they labour alot on the hills around Brighton (only 231hp engine) unless it's what manufacturers call 'teething problems' and things will improve. Gearbox changes up too quickly IMHO not sure if there's much in the way of kickdown I cannot believe they bought them without testing them up the steepest parts of Brighton leading up the Lewes Road and around that area? They did - they trialled a demonstrator for a while before ordering them. I've heard from a reliable source that they are sluggish up hill, especially in comparison to a Omnicity DD.
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Post by John tuthill on May 4, 2015 14:17:56 GMT
I cannot believe they bought them without testing them up the steepest parts of Brighton leading up the Lewes Road and around that area? They did - they trialled a demonstrator for a while before ordering them. I've heard from a reliable source that they are sluggish up hill, especially in comparison to a Omnicity DD. And they STILL bought them? I know Brighton is full of 'greens' but are a few more horses going to make that much difference? Of course they could bring back trolleybuses. That would make all the greens, and people like me very happy
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Post by ServerKing on May 4, 2015 20:11:26 GMT
They did - they trialled a demonstrator for a while before ordering them. I've heard from a reliable source that they are sluggish up hill, especially in comparison to a Omnicity DD. And they STILL bought them? I know Brighton is full of 'greens' but are a few more horses going to make that much difference? Of course they could bring back trolleybuses. That would make all the greens, and people like me very happy The closest Brighton get to greens is lettuce in a kebab Tiny engine plus thrash isn't helping the planet Saying that, First Yorkshire love theirs and they cope with the hills there. Perhaps urban hills with lower speeds are different to country lanes set at NSL (National Speed Limit of 60). I wonder if there's any restrictions set on them if the engines have to be 'run in'? SW1 seems to be okay on Muswell Hill so perhaps that batch were 'Friday buses' I would swap them for Omnicities and put the StreetDecks on more sedate stretches of the A259 or something - like a gentle run to Eastbourne
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