(13 Apr 2014, 10:17 am)Davey Bowyer wrote I'd say that if the Crusader is going to be upgraded that it could well potenitally be E400's. I know GNE haven't purchased any Alexander Dennis double decks since 2001 but by looking at Volvo's offering at the moment, the E400 looks to be the right choice. They may not be good for any rural, high speed or long distance routes like the X1, TTX and TEN (Full 10 to Hexham); but they'd quite happily cope with the 27. However, if Volvo don't come up with a suitable heavyweight euro 6 chassis, then it could well be that GNE may forgive Scania for the trouble that they created for GNE with regards to the fleet at Stanley Depot depending upon whether or not Scania offer a heavyweight euro 6 chassis on any bodywork (most likely ADL E400) and whether or not the offering is the same or very similar to the euro 5 offering. If the above was to happen, then it could well be that the Red Arrows might receive an upgrade with 6001 to 6007 being the oldest B9TL's in the fleet next year allowing something like the following to happen:
- 6049 to 6051 making up PVR on ANGEL.
- 6052 being fitted with Tacho, power sockets fitted and allocated to TTX to make up PVR.
- 6001 to 6005 and 6053 to 6055 allocated to PRONTO.
- 6006 acting as a spare for the above potential order.
- 6007 relieving 3941 on light duties or a last resort spare for the TEN. 6007 would fitted with a Tacho and act as a spare for the TEN and TTX.
I think I've tried to suggest that Pronto idea in the past
. To be honest though, I don't think it's a case of increasing PVR, I've always thought they've wanted to give better buses to the better services. New Gemini's on the Red Arrows would allow 6001 - 6007 to go onto the Prince Bishops and allow those Scanias to be displaced to various depots that desperately require extra buses and a couple of withdrawals perhaps, 6049 - 6055 on the Pronto would mean more sturdy well built vehicles for the long, enduring route (it's destroyed the Pronto Presidents). Fair enough the TTX needs new buses fast before those Gemini's are just driven into the ground (I saw 2 of them not in service in Riverside a few days ago). As the Angel is one of my local services and I use it literaly each day (hence my avatar courtesy of Dan), it sometimes feels like Chester just throw extra buses on to keep the frequency in case of bad traffic (I know that sounds ludicrous, but the amount of red Presidents that find their way on, as well as 3965 and 3962 (which people think are just spares in case a hybrid breaks down, they are actually put on each day to increase the amount of buses), ON TOP of then having all 15 hybrids out in service, you sometimes look at about 18/19/20 buses on a busy Saturday (sometimes it's just the 17 angels, but when there's been an accident a few vehicles normally get taken out of the depot to keep up with the lateness, they don't have to worry on a Saturday because there are no scholars to run). I can tell people will disagree with what I've just said in regards to the 21, but somebody else must have noticed a strange amount of vehicles on it.