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New Wright Gemini

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Nym

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3rded.

What's up with the styling nowadays? It's meant to be a bus, since when (other than in the land that Boris thinks is reality) need to be stylish? I like them to get me from one bus stop to another...
 

jon0844

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That's hideous. It looks like a vision of the future from someone in the 1980s.

Forget about it looking dated in a few years!
 

DaveHarries

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Ugly bus IMO and afaik only Brighton & Hove and Arriva have some of these examples. They are welcome to them: I never want to see them here.

My understanding is that the 11x StreetDeck for the 70 & 71 in Bristol due later this year will be the better-looking version!

Dave
 

GaryMcEwan

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Ugly bus IMO and afaik only Brighton & Hove and Arriva have some of these examples. They are welcome to them: I never want to see them here.

My understanding is that the 11x StreetDeck for the 70 & 71 in Bristol due later this year will be the better-looking version!

Dave

And Translink have got some as well. I've gotta agree with everyone else and say they are absolutely rank rotten...
 

Andyh82

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Very ugly looking bus, it's like a 2015 version of those ugly East Lancs bodies from the late 1980s that had weird angles in all the wrong places.

What with horrid light weight single decks being used on interurban services, small narrow Borismaster style windows on double decks and now the Enviro and Wright Gemini being redesigned into worse models, it isn't a golden era of bus model designs.
 

DD12

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Thank God that "you lot" have the same opinions as me on this !
-so often I have different opinions-to the "mainstream", or I make different "appraisals" !
("Sigh of relief":)
P.S. I also like looking through the front upstairs windows of 'deckers,
AND I hope that all of First's StreetDecks will have the pevious Gemini styling !
 

jon0844

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That looks far nicer.

I also dislike the ScotRail 380s and am not a massive fan of the front end of the 700s. However, I believe there are reasons for this design in terms of safety, so that's somewhat different.

Those awkward lines that go in all the wrong directions can't be for structural integrity, but rather the result of letting someone on a CAD system that doesn't actually know how to use it!
 

g4mby

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notadriver

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I too think the he's buses are nice and clean looking but ultimately underwhelming. With one exception all the new buses are slow and gutless. That's not progress. Whereas the class 380s and class 700s will leave their predecessors in their dust :)
 

MCR247

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With one exception all the new buses are slow and gutless. That's not progress. )

I do think this is a shame about the way things are going. I'll never forget my first journey on a new 10-reg Scania Omnidekka (that had displaced Omnidekkas with older engines) and I thought it had something wrong with it as it was really struggling (in terms of speed and the noise from the engine) to get up a hill that the older buses had no trouble with. Turns out this was just standard :lol:
 

notadriver

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The pleasant exception I found was riding the Metrobus fastway buses B7RLEs. Fantastic. I also hear the X1 has fast buses I hope to try at some point.
 

fgwrich

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I was under the impression that this was the Wright Streetdeck, with the Gemini 3 looking like this https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7464/16315170046_b0ddfc449e_b.jpg

It is and it isn't. The same body is available on the Wright Gemini 3 as the Streetdeck which is Wright's own Intergral. This is the updated Gemini bodywork which First seem to be specifying at the moment.

I'm going to be controversial here and say that I like the new Enviro MMC 400 - But as offered by Reading Buses with Free Wifi / Charging Plug Sockets / Leather seats, the bog standard Stagecoach Spec ones are dull. But I also quite like the look of the StreetDeck from Wrights. But it seems to be very livery dependant - It looks smart in Brighton and Hove and Arriva Liveries, But frankly Awful in Lothian's newer more curvy livery and the awful Translink all over Pink. I actually reckon that these really would suit the more angular 'Olympia' livery now used by First though.

Note that Lothian seem to be the first operator to spec their vehicles with that bizarre glazed Staircase idea too!
 
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Class 33

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Why do all these newer buses now have to have that bit of a slant at the front part of the bus?
 

mbonwick

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It is and it isn't. The same body is available on the Wright Gemini 3 as the Streetdeck which is Wright's own Intergral. This is the updated Gemini bodywork which First seem to be specifying at the moment.

Not quite.

The Wright Gemini 3 is available on Volvo B5LH/B5TL chassis. The Wright Streetdeck is the integral offering.
Aside from minor detail differences (ventilation grilles etc), both bodies are identical.
 

Dent

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It doesn't seem that long since the last new Gemini (was it even a year ago?). Does anyone know why they are replacing it so soon?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I was under the impression that this was the Wright Streetdeck, with the Gemini 3 looking like this https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7464/16315170046_b0ddfc449e_b.jpg

That is the previous Gemini, which this is replacing, although rather confusingly they are appear to call both of them "Gemini 3".
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Fwiw, I'm much more a fan of the older Nokia style front for the Streetdeck and the unglazed staircase. Also, I'm not totally against the other version but as another poster has said, I think it's livery dependant. The Arriva one looks ok but the Translink one looks awful IMO.

However, as for buses being gutless and a lack of performance.... These are buses with a practical, commercial purpose. Operators need to have cost efficient vehicles and meet emissions targets etc. If you want performance, buy yourself a Fiesta ST or some other hot hatch!
 

notadriver

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I have to disagree here. Good performance is available from the hybrid vehicles so i think it's still important.
 

chiltern trev

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Not impressed with these due to:
- thick upper deck front pillars obscuring the view forward
- the low height upper deck side windows (like the NBFL) which seems claustraphobic
- and I don't think ladies will like the unglazed staircase, i.e. lack of modesty panel!
 

Mikey C

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Wrights launched the Gemini 3 a couple of years ago, which kept the original Nokia windscreen, introduced shallower upper windows (to save weight) and a rather loud rear end. The integral version of this is the Streetdeck.
They've now launched the updated one with the angular 'Stealth' front, and the new generation bonded glass, but curiously not changed the name, so it's also a Gemini 3 or Streetdeck!
At the moment both body styles are still available I believe.
 
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