X9 | X10 - Acquisition of interdeck coaches from Oxford Bus Company
X9 | X10 - Acquisition of interdeck coaches from Oxford Bus Company
Just when I was about to comment on the performance, yesterday, of the B5's on the A19 now we're going to be saddled with this mis-mash of deckers until the coaches get here. The X9/10 has always been the poor relation.
(26 Jul 2020, 6:45 pm)scanialover Just when I was about to comment on the performance, yesterday, of the B5's on the A19 now we're going to be saddled with this mis-mash of deckers until the coaches get here. The X9/10 has always been the poor relation.
(26 Jul 2020, 6:45 pm)scanialover Just when I was about to comment on the performance, yesterday, of the B5's on the A19 now we're going to be saddled with this mis-mash of deckers until the coaches get here. The X9/10 has always been the poor relation.
(26 Jul 2020, 6:51 pm)Dan Given that there's been a breakdown on the X9/X10 every day this week (apart from today when Volvo B9s have been allocated), I thought you'd welcome an allocation of vehicles which are (hopefully) more reliable, in the interim. No pleasing some.
(26 Jul 2020, 6:51 pm)Dan Given that there's been a breakdown on the X9/X10 every day this week (apart from today when Volvo B9s have been allocated), I thought you'd welcome an allocation of vehicles which are (hopefully) more reliable, in the interim. No pleasing some.
(26 Jul 2020, 6:59 pm)streetdeckfan Hopefully with the mechanical upgrades and them running on a less demanding route, the B5s might actually become reliable!
What's the speed limit on the B5s? I assume they'll be able to go faster than the StreetDecks on the motorway, or will they be reduced to 48mph
(26 Jul 2020, 6:59 pm)streetdeckfan Hopefully with the mechanical upgrades and them running on a less demanding route, the B5s might actually become reliable!
What's the speed limit on the B5s? I assume they'll be able to go faster than the StreetDecks on the motorway, or will they be reduced to 48mph
Don't know whether I'm not pleased or otherwise with regard to this arrangement. Seems strange that GNE have gone with this move now as opposed to September when the coaches are available. On the flip side of that I don't know just how unreliable the B5's have been these past weeks. Maybe that's the reason?
(26 Jul 2020, 7:02 pm)Dan Well, that's the logic!
They're limited to 95km/h (59mph).
(26 Jul 2020, 7:02 pm)Dan Well, that's the logic!
They're limited to 95km/h (59mph).
(26 Jul 2020, 4:20 pm)Dan Semi-related; ahead of the coaches transferring north, X9|X10 branded Volvo B5TLs 6308 - 6314 have now been taken out of service at Riverside, and generic X-lines branded 6334/35 have transferred to Chester-le-Street.
6308 - 6314 have been taken out of service to be repainted and also to allow for some mechanical upgrades to be completed prior to their transfer to Chester-le-Street, ironing out a couple of the recent niggles they've had while operating the X9/X10 services. Taking their place on the X9/X10 services until the coaches transfer north are Volvo B9TLs (6043/44 from Riverside's own fleet allocation, 6048 from Hexham's allocation, 6084-86 from Deptford's allocation and 6099/6100 from Percy Main's allocation).
Go North East: 6085 / NL63YHN by Daniel Graham, on Flickr
(26 Jul 2020, 4:20 pm)Dan Semi-related; ahead of the coaches transferring north, X9|X10 branded Volvo B5TLs 6308 - 6314 have now been taken out of service at Riverside, and generic X-lines branded 6334/35 have transferred to Chester-le-Street.
6308 - 6314 have been taken out of service to be repainted and also to allow for some mechanical upgrades to be completed prior to their transfer to Chester-le-Street, ironing out a couple of the recent niggles they've had while operating the X9/X10 services. Taking their place on the X9/X10 services until the coaches transfer north are Volvo B9TLs (6043/44 from Riverside's own fleet allocation, 6048 from Hexham's allocation, 6084-86 from Deptford's allocation and 6099/6100 from Percy Main's allocation).
Go North East: 6085 / NL63YHN by Daniel Graham, on Flickr
(26 Jul 2020, 4:20 pm)Dan Semi-related; ahead of the coaches transferring north, X9|X10 branded Volvo B5TLs 6308 - 6314 have now been taken out of service at Riverside, and generic X-lines branded 6334/35 have transferred to Chester-le-Street.Will this allow 2 more X21 streetdecks to be withdrawn for repainting?
6308 - 6314 have been taken out of service to be repainted and also to allow for some mechanical upgrades to be completed prior to their transfer to Chester-le-Street, ironing out a couple of the recent niggles they've had while operating the X9/X10 services. Taking their place on the X9/X10 services until the coaches transfer north are Volvo B9TLs (6043/44 from Riverside's own fleet allocation, 6048 from Hexham's allocation, 6084-86 from Deptford's allocation and 6099/6100 from Percy Main's allocation).
Go North East: 6085 / NL63YHN by Daniel Graham, on Flickr
(26 Jul 2020, 4:20 pm)Dan Semi-related; ahead of the coaches transferring north, X9|X10 branded Volvo B5TLs 6308 - 6314 have now been taken out of service at Riverside, and generic X-lines branded 6334/35 have transferred to Chester-le-Street.Will this allow 2 more X21 streetdecks to be withdrawn for repainting?
6308 - 6314 have been taken out of service to be repainted and also to allow for some mechanical upgrades to be completed prior to their transfer to Chester-le-Street, ironing out a couple of the recent niggles they've had while operating the X9/X10 services. Taking their place on the X9/X10 services until the coaches transfer north are Volvo B9TLs (6043/44 from Riverside's own fleet allocation, 6048 from Hexham's allocation, 6084-86 from Deptford's allocation and 6099/6100 from Percy Main's allocation).
Go North East: 6085 / NL63YHN by Daniel Graham, on Flickr
(26 Jul 2020, 7:10 pm)mb134 Assuming that the ones selected are the most (or some of the most) reliable examples, or best performers? As you've said later on I hope this results in a better service reliability than has been provided by B5s recently.
(26 Jul 2020, 7:10 pm)mb134 Assuming that the ones selected are the most (or some of the most) reliable examples, or best performers? As you've said later on I hope this results in a better service reliability than has been provided by B5s recently.
(26 Jul 2020, 6:19 pm)streetdeckfan I would have thought it would make more sense to do one B5, one StreetDeck and one Streetlite at a time, that way they can all get switched around at the same time. I suppose it depends on how fast they can turn around the repaints.
Does anyone know what the capacity of Saltmeadows is for repaints?
(26 Jul 2020, 6:19 pm)streetdeckfan I would have thought it would make more sense to do one B5, one StreetDeck and one Streetlite at a time, that way they can all get switched around at the same time. I suppose it depends on how fast they can turn around the repaints.
Does anyone know what the capacity of Saltmeadows is for repaints?
(26 Jul 2020, 9:23 pm)6049 6099 is quick enough, got to be careful slowing down as the brakes are unexpectedly good
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
(26 Jul 2020, 9:23 pm)6049 6099 is quick enough, got to be careful slowing down as the brakes are unexpectedly good
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
What made GoNE consider the Volvo B5TL back in 2017? I know there wasn't really much suitable alternative to choose from other than the ADL E400MMC or Scania ADL E400MMC.
(26 Jul 2020, 10:10 pm)L469 YVK What made GoNE consider the Volvo B5TL back in 2017? I know there wasn't really much suitable alternative to choose from other than the ADL E400MMC or Scania ADL E400MMC.
(26 Jul 2020, 10:10 pm)L469 YVK What made GoNE consider the Volvo B5TL back in 2017? I know there wasn't really much suitable alternative to choose from other than the ADL E400MMC or Scania ADL E400MMC.
(26 Jul 2020, 10:15 pm)deanmachine I’d speculate promises from Volvo that the B5TL was a suitable replacement to the B9TL with its twin turbos and fancy tech. Clearly not in the same league when it comes to hauling double deckers at speed. It’s all well and good having the same performance, but useless if it can’t be had reliably, and reliability would be hard to test on a demonstration, you’d have to rely on promises from Volvo.
It’s a shame really, Volvo have effectively lost their hold as being the go to double decker chassis in the UK due to the B5TL being nowhere near as good as it’s predecessors.
(26 Jul 2020, 10:15 pm)deanmachine I’d speculate promises from Volvo that the B5TL was a suitable replacement to the B9TL with its twin turbos and fancy tech. Clearly not in the same league when it comes to hauling double deckers at speed. It’s all well and good having the same performance, but useless if it can’t be had reliably, and reliability would be hard to test on a demonstration, you’d have to rely on promises from Volvo.
It’s a shame really, Volvo have effectively lost their hold as being the go to double decker chassis in the UK due to the B5TL being nowhere near as good as it’s predecessors.
Just imagine how extra fantastic these coaches are going to seem to passengers after a few months of B9s.
(26 Jul 2020, 10:33 pm)streetdeckfan I wonder what part of the engine makes them so unreliable.
Clearly it's not a major failure otherwise they'd be off the road for longer, so it must be something small, but that keeps recurring
(26 Jul 2020, 10:33 pm)streetdeckfan I wonder what part of the engine makes them so unreliable.
Clearly it's not a major failure otherwise they'd be off the road for longer, so it must be something small, but that keeps recurring
(26 Jul 2020, 10:55 pm)deanmachine Probably due to the smaller engine, the B9s engine was very under stressed for its application, 260ps from a massive 9.6 litre engine, the same basic engine making 380ps in the B9R coaches just shows how under-stressed it was. A little 5 litre, same size you get in streetlites afterall, doing similar work to a 9 litre+ just gives more potential of going wrong, even if it’s fundamentally a good design, which I’m sure it is being a Volvo.
(26 Jul 2020, 10:55 pm)deanmachine Probably due to the smaller engine, the B9s engine was very under stressed for its application, 260ps from a massive 9.6 litre engine, the same basic engine making 380ps in the B9R coaches just shows how under-stressed it was. A little 5 litre, same size you get in streetlites afterall, doing similar work to a 9 litre+ just gives more potential of going wrong, even if it’s fundamentally a good design, which I’m sure it is being a Volvo.
(27 Jul 2020, 12:35 am)streetdeckfan I'm not a mechanic, but If it was down to the engine being over stressed, I'd think it would be more of a catastrophic failure than what actually happens.On the B5TLs & B9TLs (B9s were 310BHP), it will possibly be down to gear ratios & torque more than likely.
To me, if the engine is being over stressed on a motorway journey, that is down to the gearing rather than the engine, once a vehicle is on the go, it takes very little power to keep it moving. It's the constant stop-start that puts the most stress on an engine.
(27 Jul 2020, 12:35 am)streetdeckfan I'm not a mechanic, but If it was down to the engine being over stressed, I'd think it would be more of a catastrophic failure than what actually happens.On the B5TLs & B9TLs (B9s were 310BHP), it will possibly be down to gear ratios & torque more than likely.
To me, if the engine is being over stressed on a motorway journey, that is down to the gearing rather than the engine, once a vehicle is on the go, it takes very little power to keep it moving. It's the constant stop-start that puts the most stress on an engine.