Allegedly Redcar/Whitby are to swap an E400 for a Gemini at Blyth sometime next week, as part of a trial to see how they handle the X93, in preperation for the summer. If it works well, they may be another 5 swapped permanent.
I witnessed some of the issues last year and the drivers seemed to be unhappy with the E400 performance on the hills and valleys between Middlesbrough & Scarborough, ultimately resulting in late operation.
(13 Jan 2014, 8:58 pm)VolvoMarkII Allegedly Redcar/Whitby are to swap an E400 for a Gemini at Blyth sometime next week, as part of a trial to see how they handle the X93, in preperation for the summer. If it works well, they may be another 5 swapped permanent.
I witnessed some of the issues last year and the drivers seemed to be unhappy with the E400 performance on the hills and valleys between Middlesbrough & Scarborough, ultimately resulting in late operation.
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(13 Jan 2014, 8:58 pm)VolvoMarkII Allegedly Redcar/Whitby are to swap an E400 for a Gemini at Blyth sometime next week, as part of a trial to see how they handle the X93, in preperation for the summer. If it works well, they may be another 5 swapped permanent.
I witnessed some of the issues last year and the drivers seemed to be unhappy with the E400 performance on the hills and valleys between Middlesbrough & Scarborough, ultimately resulting in late operation.
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(13 Jan 2014, 9:07 pm)tyresmoke Indeed they are! I've argued for a B9 to be trialled from Yorkshire but it seems Geminis will be chosen.
The E400s have been absolutely terrible, with very few of them being on the road at present (as usual) - 7501 has been dumped at Ashington for a number of weeks now.
(13 Jan 2014, 9:07 pm)tyresmoke Indeed they are! I've argued for a B9 to be trialled from Yorkshire but it seems Geminis will be chosen.
The E400s have been absolutely terrible, with very few of them being on the road at present (as usual) - 7501 has been dumped at Ashington for a number of weeks now.
No double deck vehicle with a Cummins Engine is up to the game for endurance and long distance work however, the Cummins ISBe is setup slightly different in the Pulsar Gemini 2 and compared to the E400 bodywork, the Pulsar Gemini 2 is lighter and therefore, will be helpful. Why did Arriva not consider buying the Volvo B9TL Eclipse Gemini 2 instead of the VDL DB390 or E400 with an engine that is only designed for use in Towns and Cities? OK, they're not perfect but they're far more suited to the job of endurance work than a Cummins Engined vehicle. Think about all the routes that would have benefited:
- X10, X11, X14, X15, X18, X20, X21, X22 and X93.
(14 Jan 2014, 8:36 am)Dan 4080 Awaiting Disposal – Reinstated at Redcar
4097 Redcar – Awaiting Disposal
7367 Awaiting Disposal – Ashington (Replaces Fire Destroyed 7510).
Many thanks to Richard Smiles for providing the information.
(14 Jan 2014, 8:36 am)Dan 4080 Awaiting Disposal – Reinstated at Redcar
4097 Redcar – Awaiting Disposal
7367 Awaiting Disposal – Ashington (Replaces Fire Destroyed 7510).
Many thanks to Richard Smiles for providing the information.
(14 Jan 2014, 1:30 pm)bcal3119 Still saw 7367 last week on X20....so the last Olympian still got to leave the fleet
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(14 Jan 2014, 1:30 pm)bcal3119 Still saw 7367 last week on X20....so the last Olympian still got to leave the fleet
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In relation to the Versa demonstrator - currently with Xelabus (as shown here), but returns to Optare tomorrow.
Another very short demonstration, and equally as pointless. Optare must realise that operators cannot get an idea of how the bus performs in a two-week period when approximately half of that is dedicated to familiarisation purposes?
(15 Jan 2014, 6:44 pm)Dan In relation to the Versa demonstrator - currently with Xelabus (as shown here), but returns to Optare tomorrow.
Another very short demonstration, and equally as pointless. Optare must realise that operators cannot get an idea of how the bus performs in a two-week period when approximately half of that is dedicated to familiarisation purposes?
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(15 Jan 2014, 6:44 pm)Dan In relation to the Versa demonstrator - currently with Xelabus (as shown here), but returns to Optare tomorrow.
Another very short demonstration, and equally as pointless. Optare must realise that operators cannot get an idea of how the bus performs in a two-week period when approximately half of that is dedicated to familiarisation purposes?
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The Versa is not new (2006/7), and several local operators such as GNE must have acquired examples, therefore why is Optare hawking it around?
ArrivaNorthEast had a demonstrator in 2008:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/451...6724137034
Was it not deemed worthy of ordering?
http://www.optare.com/images/brochures/v...ochure.pdf
Are sales falling off and are they hoping to fill their order books before they discontinue it?
(15 Jan 2014, 7:11 pm)G-CPTN The Versa is not new (2006/7), and several local operators such as GNE must have acquired examples, therefore why is Optare hawking it around?
ArrivaNorthEast had a demonstrator in 2008:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/451...6724137034
Was it not deemed worthy of ordering?
http://www.optare.com/images/brochures/v...ochure.pdf
Are sales falling off and are they hoping to fill their order books before they discontinue it?
(15 Jan 2014, 7:11 pm)G-CPTN The Versa is not new (2006/7), and several local operators such as GNE must have acquired examples, therefore why is Optare hawking it around?
ArrivaNorthEast had a demonstrator in 2008:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/451...6724137034
Was it not deemed worthy of ordering?
http://www.optare.com/images/brochures/v...ochure.pdf
Are sales falling off and are they hoping to fill their order books before they discontinue it?
(14 Jan 2014, 4:56 pm)tyresmoke Could be gone sooner than you think! Unconfirmed reports that 3 ex London deckers have turned up at Ashington depot from Thorntons... If they are for North East then they should replace Olympian 7367 and DAF Spectras 7482/3.
(14 Jan 2014, 4:56 pm)tyresmoke Could be gone sooner than you think! Unconfirmed reports that 3 ex London deckers have turned up at Ashington depot from Thorntons... If they are for North East then they should replace Olympian 7367 and DAF Spectras 7482/3.
(15 Jan 2014, 8:48 pm)VolvoMarkII Heading for North West allegedly. Some are due North East, but still in London.
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Actually, I have second thoughts about the VDL DB300 Gemini 2. I know that the engines aren't really all that fantastic beyond towns and cities but, I have to say that they cope fairly well due to the fact that the Wright Pulsar Gemini 2 is quite a light body compared to the Enviro 400. I was on the 308 tonight and between Benfield Road and Station Road, we overtook a GNE Versa with no problem accelerating from 40mph to 50mph. If Arriva want to swap them for the 4 E400'S in Redcar, they're best off swaping them with 4 Quorum Express VDL DB300's. If the VDL DB300's were to be well looked after by Redcar depot, they'd last quite a while. Then with the 4 E400's, paint them in Plum therefore, making up half of the Quroum Express PVR. If the VDL DB300 coped fairly well on the X93, then Arriva could then swap 4 more Quorum VDL DB300's with 4 of Ashington's E400's meaning that 8 out of the 11 vehicles on the X15 and X18 will be fairly good or excellent. The E400 can't cope with endurance work well but, they could handle the X4 and X5 OK with the only fast roads being Horton Road, Links Road, A190 and Grandstand Road.
(13 Jan 2014, 6:25 pm)Dan Got nothing on having it on frontline service in Durham though.
The Versa and Streetlite Max GNE had on demonstration are going around all GA operators for slightly longer durations than normal demonstrations.
Plymouth Citybus can hardly make a decision based on GNE's trial - their services are nothing like GNE's 44, 58 etc.
(13 Jan 2014, 6:25 pm)Dan Got nothing on having it on frontline service in Durham though.
The Versa and Streetlite Max GNE had on demonstration are going around all GA operators for slightly longer durations than normal demonstrations.
Plymouth Citybus can hardly make a decision based on GNE's trial - their services are nothing like GNE's 44, 58 etc.
(16 Jan 2014, 11:45 am)palatine3833 We were told it was only actually here for familiarisation, not for a demonstration so it was essentially once the entire depot has been familiarised it went back.
(16 Jan 2014, 4:06 pm)Dan Interesting. This would certainly suggest an order is in mind this year.
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(16 Jan 2014, 4:06 pm)Dan Interesting. This would certainly suggest an order is in mind this year.
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(16 Jan 2014, 4:29 pm)tyresmoke It would but as far as I know there's none definitely on order, but may be some in an extension to the order.
Interesting to hear the Arriva Bus app is being promoted on TFM Radio and Metro Radio, with a competition to give away various goodies... Its definitely been interesting to watch on my days off to see how things are doing!
(16 Jan 2014, 4:29 pm)tyresmoke It would but as far as I know there's none definitely on order, but may be some in an extension to the order.
Interesting to hear the Arriva Bus app is being promoted on TFM Radio and Metro Radio, with a competition to give away various goodies... Its definitely been interesting to watch on my days off to see how things are doing!
