(22 Jul 2020, 12:44 pm)forster wrote Blyths'1401 previously reported as withdrawn to join the training fleet, was still in service today, making rather slow, smoky progress out of Blyth on service 1

(22 Jul 2020, 6:27 pm)Storx wrote Didn't realise they're getting withdrawn, they're much better than what's made nowadays and surprisingly not too many rattles in them given their age. Done well for been on the 308 and Blyth Expresses pretty much non stop bar their little stunt at Jesmond and never been refurbished in their life. Pity the NE didn't get more as their much more pleasant that the Pulsar interior wise even known they're really the same bus.

Amazing that the Streetlite is pretty much their modern replacement and they're just crap in comparison then Wright wonder why they went bust.

(22 Jul 2020, 7:26 pm)James101 wrote Wright were selling lots of buses, it was gifting £17million and 25% ownership to the owner’s evangelical church that didn’t help.

(22 Jul 2020, 6:27 pm)Storx wrote Didn't realise they're getting withdrawn, they're much better than what's made nowadays and surprisingly not too many rattles in them given their age. Done well for been on the 308 and Blyth Expresses pretty much non stop bar their little stunt at Jesmond and never been refurbished in their life. Pity the NE didn't get more as their much more pleasant that the Pulsar interior wise even known they're really the same bus.

Amazing that the Streetlite is pretty much their modern replacement and they're just crap in comparison then Wright wonder why they went bust.

(22 Jul 2020, 9:26 pm)Big O wrote The SB200 is a reliable vehicle though, maybe not the best in the eyes of the enthusiast but it certainly isn't crap. The major knack with the DB series DAF products is the DPF filters get clogged up pretty easy and causes the vehicles to operate in a limp mode until they're plugged in.

(22 Jul 2020, 9:46 pm)Storx wrote I wasn't faulting them ha. Was comparing them to newer stuff I like the VDL/DAF's tbh much prefer them to an Enviro or Streetdeck any day of the week.

(22 Jul 2020, 9:53 pm)Big O wrote 100% agree with you there mate. Never been a fan of Dennis and I think had Wright stuck with VDL as originally planned for Euro6 then they would have had a lot more success.

(22 Jul 2020, 9:53 pm)Big O wrote 100% agree with you there mate. Never been a fan of Dennis and I think had Wright stuck with VDL as originally planned for Euro6 then they would have had a lot more success.

(22 Jul 2020, 10:26 pm)mb134 wrote You can pretty much pinpoint the beginning of Wright's downfall to their pushing of integral products. First and Arriva, 2 of the main UK operators, both moved away as soon as they realised how poor a product the "Street" buses were - onto far more robust E200/400 MMCs. 

Contrast that to the late 2000s and early 2010s - I still believe that the Pulsar was/is a far better vehicle than any E300 ADL churned out. Robust VDL running gear underneath, and the Wright Eclipse Urban/Solar/Pulsar is one of the best bits of single deck bodywork ever imo. Nice and airy, as comfortable on an express service as it is on city work and actually feels like it's a well put together single decker bus - rather than an extended minibus. 

It's a shame that Volvo never partnered up with ADL to produce a B8RLE with MMC bodywork - operators up and down the country will be needing to replace ageing Citaros/L94s/Omnis/B7RLEs over the next few years and at the moment there's probably only the 6 cylinder E200 as an option for them. Wright seemed hell-bent on selling folk Streetlites rather than bodying B8RLEs - possibly another reason for their demise, some money is better than no money.

(17 Aug 2020, 9:13 pm)Andreos1 wrote I passed (think it was an Alpha) lowloader on the A19 at Doxford Interchange this evening.
Heading north, it had two Darts on the back.
One was a Vxxx DNL. Didn't see the other. 
Looked like they'd both been stripped of a number of panels before they set off.

(29 Aug 2020, 9:41 am)Cobalt271 wrote 1769 which was parked in the graveyard section of Ashington for a fair while has amazingly been repaired & returned to service.