RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2016
(15 Mar 2016, 9:18 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Yes its 15 years, But Optare products age faster than the likes of Wrights and ADL Products so id put a 12 year mark on them ( if they can make it till then! )
Versas are a worse product than the Solo, The Chassis/Suspension gets very torn and twisted, and the bodywork quality is comparable to a Wilkos toy car.
The mechanical part of Optare is quite simple but also complicated at the same time because both types have the same engine choices but here it is :
Solos : 4 Cylinder Mercedes ( Arriva have these ) or 6 Cylinder Cummins ISB ( most Scarlet Band ones ) with a Allison 5 speed or in some cases 4 speed Voith
Versas : 4 Cylinder Mercedes ( Same as in the Solo ) or a 6 Cylinder 5.9L Cummins ISB ( GNE Versas ) with the same Allison.
South Tyne Versas's have their Kickdown Disabled ( apart from 8294 ) and their engines have got to the state comparable to a Limp mode Pulsar. and have bodywork problems of a wide variety.
Euro 5 Versas are a lot better than Euro 4s but the bodywork and chassis lets it down.
I'm interested to see how the new Metrocity will be like.
8294 probably hasn't has Kickdown disabled because it has a Tachograph.
(16 Mar 2016, 5:56 am)Dan wrote It should be allocated to a preferred running board when it enters service (still at SMR - yet to go to Deptford for familiarisation) which will allow it to finish for 19:00 every day, but there may be instances where it is allocated to another running board instead. It has to be finished for 19:00 due to not being fitted with a vandal screen - this is a trade union agreement for driver safety.
The 829x and 83xx series examples should be withdrawn after 12 years (like the SPDs), as these are midibuses. Minibuses are also usually withdrawn after 12 years.
Full size single decks are the ones which should be withdrawn after 15 years - 51xx, 52xx, 53xx and 54xx series fleet numbers.
That helps work out which boards 9102 will be on. At least the 88 is due newer buses in a couple of years.
