(27 Jan 2015, 11:04 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Ok then but:
- Why are 6001 - 6007 (often fully laden between Galleries and Newcastle) in better state than the Cummins DB300's (61 reg examples) at Blyth? (Very similar routes and the X1 more on par with the sections of the X21 / X22 between Ashington and Newcastle). And the 61 reg Geminis even spent time on the 308 before 7801 - 7810 arrived.
- Why did the E400's not cope on the X93 resulting in the order of dealer stock B9TL's?
- Why did Arriva have B9TL's on the order books for the X18 originally?
- And for a Cummins ISB 6.7 engine to achieve the same output as the D9B, Cummins use Turbochargers but as soon as the Turbocharger dies, the engine has had it. The D9B doesn't need Turbochargers to achieve a high power output
The E400s struggled in 2013 because they weren't looked after properly - they managed fine in 2012. But then, the B7TLs struggled as well - and who's not to say these B9TLs won't struggle.
No B9TLs were ever ordered for the X18 - the order was always for E400s, it was a basic communication error.
Actually, if a Turbocharger dies, the engine can still go but on reduced power output. If the D9B dies, the B9 is dead.
Also, all I see is moaning about the X18 - I don't see anything being complained about when Stagecoach used to send Newcastle-based E400s (can't remember which ones but it's 2 or 3 of the 58-reg E400s) to London on Megabus work every Sunday and when the main Megabus fleet kept breaking down. Even been a Trident do Portsmouth-Newcastle-Rugby.