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Wrightbus enter administration

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TheGrandWazoo

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Looks like good news!! I wonder what dirt they had on Jeff Wright in order for him to change his mind so much and so quickly.
Perhaps just a recognition of what was actually achievable and the impact on the local community. At least it seems to be good news.

I'd forgotten these dreadful things, worst of the era of van derived minibuses...couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding especially with a few onboard, damp and musty smell with mould growing in the window frames and worst of all (from a drivers perspective) the constant vibration through the steering wheel akin to holding onto a pneumatic drill!!

Think any enthusiast under the age of 35 should be forced to travel on a Wright Streetlite and then experience a Dodge S56 followed by an Optare Alero to fully understand what a bad bus is. :lol:
 
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Eyersey468

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Perhaps just a recognition of what was actually achievable and the impact on the local community. At least it seems to be good news.



Think any enthusiast under the age of 35 should be forced to travel on a Wright Streetlite and then experience a Dodge S56 followed by an Optare Alero to fully understand what a bad bus is. :lol:
I can't comment on Streetlites as we don't operate them, the Optare Excel is the worst bus I have driven
 

PG

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Think any enthusiast under the age of 35 should be forced to travel on a Wright Streetlite and then experience a Dodge S56 followed by an Optare Alero to fully understand what a bad bus is. :lol:
Yes that'd err 'wake them up' :lol:

Glad to hear that some sort of deal is likely to come off and some of the workers can get back their jobs.
 

johnw

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Although good news, I wonder how confident operators will be to place orders with the new company.
 

Robertj21a

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It will be interesting to see if any new company accepts warranty claims for Wright products.
 

Bornin1980s

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The Wright Streetlite is far from great but it doesn't even make it into the top 10 worst buses.

Perhaps the Plaxton Primo easily beats it, as does the Quest 80, Dennis Lancet, Plaxton Prestige (on a Daf SB220LF chassis), Optare Alero, Guy Wulfrunian, Daimler Roadliner, AEC Merlin/Swift, Optare Vecta, Temsa Avenue.....
The Optare Vecta? I admit I'm not a driver, but I've done many miles on them as a passenger. They might have been somewhat loud and bouncy when new, though as a child I loved it (maybe a sense of fun we tend to loose as adults).

I believe the fleet in my area was re-engined with Cummins engines, and when I was a daily traveller between 2006 and 2010, I would pay extra to travel on an Arriva Vecta over a Stagecoach ALX-300.

I still miss them. I am totally in favour of the change to low floor, but high floors could feel more solid and coach like. Also, it had the feel of a shortened big bus, rather than a stretched little bus.

It could be the operator. I still find Arriva's old Wrights more pleasant than the Stagecoach ADLs. I have yet to sample their Streetlites.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The Optare Vecta? I admit I'm not a driver, but I've done many miles on them as a passenger. They might have been somewhat loud and bouncy when new, though as a child I loved it (maybe a sense of fun we tend to loose as adults).

I believe the fleet in my area was re-engined with Cummins engines, and when I was a daily traveller between 2006 and 2010, I would pay extra to travel on an Arriva Vecta over a Stagecoach ALX-300.

I still miss them. I am totally in favour of the change to low floor, but high floors could feel more solid and coach like. Also, it had the feel of a shortened big bus, rather than a stretched little bus.

It could be the operator. I still find Arriva's old Wrights more pleasant than the Stagecoach ADLs. I have yet to sample their Streetlites.

Like you, I've done many miles on an Optare Vecta, and I'm guessing that you're referring to the Arriva North East examples that were re-engined. Now, they were quite comfortable and when they worked, they were better than a Dart. When they worked.....

North East Bus bought 51 of them new (gaining Arriva's other examples in due course) and from the start, there were issues; my late father's depot had a batch. The electrics were an early snag. Then you had engine mountings fracturing because of vibration when idling. Gearboxes were a bit of an issue but the main problem was the engine which vehicles got through with some regularity. Not helped by a design whereby the road spray would impede the airflow intakes leading to overheating. They became very expensive to keep on the road.

Hence why a considerable number were parked up at the back of Stockton depot (or in the store shed at Bishop) to run the depreciation down on them (and some acting as spares donors). A number were re-engined, as you said, and so lasted a bit longer. A few retained their MAN engines and were even returned to service when the former OK operations were bought from Go Ahead but again, they tended not to last long.

The body was actually quite good and in that respect, a cut above a Dart or a B6. However, noticeable that whilst the Vectas were all withdrawn by 2010, the ex Stagecoach Darts lasted a couple of years despite being the same age. Also, Trent took a batch of 15 Vectas in 1994 and they got binned off prematurely as well.
 

Mikey C

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I quite liked the Optare Vecta as a passenger, though from memory legroom was a bit tight.

A small London operator R&I bought a few to operate on North London routes, and then bought some Marshall bodies MANs as well. These ended up in Metroline's fleet (via MTL London).
 

Bornin1980s

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Like you, I've done many miles on an Optare Vecta, and I'm guessing that you're referring to the Arriva North East examples that were re-engined. Now, they were quite comfortable and when they worked, they were better than a Dart. When they worked.....

North East Bus bought 51 of them new (gaining Arriva's other examples in due course) and from the start, there were issues; my late father's depot had a batch. The electrics were an early snag. Then you had engine mountings fracturing because of vibration when idling. Gearboxes were a bit of an issue but the main problem was the engine which vehicles got through with some regularity. Not helped by a design whereby the road spray would impede the airflow intakes leading to overheating. They became very expensive to keep on the road.

Hence why a considerable number were parked up at the back of Stockton depot (or in the store shed at Bishop) to run the depreciation down on them (and some acting as spares donors). A number were re-engined, as you said, and so lasted a bit longer. A few retained their MAN engines and were even returned to service when the former OK operations were bought from Go Ahead but again, they tended not to last long.

The body was actually quite good and in that respect, a cut above a Dart or a B6. However, noticeable that whilst the Vectas were all withdrawn by 2010, the ex Stagecoach Darts lasted a couple of years despite being the same age. Also, Trent took a batch of 15 Vectas in 1994 and they got binned off prematurely as well.
Interesting. I've only witnessed one failure, when a passenger door jammed open near my destination, standing the bus. I simply walked the rest of the way.

Were the problems related to body compatibility, or just the chassis? It seems MAN have really fallen out of favour with British bus operators. They didn't sell us any service buses in 2017 - 18, and only a few coaches. My local Stagecoach ALX-300s were on MAN chassis, but their ADL successors appear to be all-British, and more comfortable.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Interesting. I've only witnessed one failure, when a passenger door jammed open near my destination, standing the bus. I simply walked the rest of the way.

Were the problems related to body compatibility, or just the chassis? It seems MAN have really fallen out of favour with British bus operators. They didn't sell us any service buses in 2017 - 18, and only a few coaches. My local Stagecoach ALX-300s were on MAN chassis, but their ADL successors appear to be all-British, and more comfortable.

The MAN 11.180 or 190 (and 220) didn’t have an auspicious record. When you compare the numbers delivered and the relatively early age they got disposed of in many cases, it tells you a lot.

To be honest, you so often hear about breakdowns. In reality, it happens very rarely. In 40 years, and many thousands of journeys, I’m probably in single figures.

Stagecoach eventually tired of MAN but better folk than me will be able to say why.
 

37114

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The MAN 11.180 or 190 (and 220) didn’t have an auspicious record. When you compare the numbers delivered and the relatively early age they got disposed of in many cases, it tells you a lot.

To be honest, you so often hear about breakdowns. In reality, it happens very rarely. In 40 years, and many thousands of journeys, I’m probably in single figures.

Stagecoach eventually tired of MAN but better folk than me will be able to say why.

Seem to remember that it was due to engine failures on 14.220 and 18.220s and MANs response to the problem. Also at Euro 5 MAN (and Scania) were able to avoid the complexity of Ad Blue to achieve the Emissions regs, something which appealed to a number of operators including Stagecoach hence the heavy intake of MAN and Scania chassis around 2008 including some MAN engineed E400s at Manchester. At Euro 6 all suppliers needed Ad Blue so that advantage over the ADL chassis disappeared coupled to the Engine issues meant MAN fell out of favour.
 

JASONTWEBBER

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STAGECOACH WERE HAVING RELIABILITY ISSUES WITH THE 18.240 CHASSIS THAT DID NOT HELP MAN KEEP IN FAVOUR
 

richw

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To be honest, you so often hear about breakdowns. In reality, it happens very rarely. In 40 years, and many thousands of journeys, I’m probably in single figures.

I’m on 2 in my time driving that have made it unable to be continue the journey, funnily both were on the same day, one failed totally outbound, got sent a replacement bus, replacement bus failed on the inbound leg, but better than that, in the exact same location
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Seem to remember that it was due to engine failures on 14.220 and 18.220s and MANs response to the problem. Also at Euro 5 MAN (and Scania) were able to avoid the complexity of Ad Blue to achieve the Emissions regs, something which appealed to a number of operators including Stagecoach hence the heavy intake of MAN and Scania chassis around 2008 including some MAN engineed E400s at Manchester. At Euro 6 all suppliers needed Ad Blue so that advantage over the ADL chassis disappeared coupled to the Engine issues meant MAN fell out of favour.

STAGECOACH WERE HAVING RELIABILITY ISSUES WITH THE 18.240 CHASSIS THAT DID NOT HELP MAN KEEP IN FAVOUR

Cheers guys.

I know that a number of 2008/9 18.240s have been withdrawn and/or re-engined with Cummins plants.
 

Busaholic

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I’m on 2 in my time driving that have made it unable to be continue the journey, funnily both were on the same day, one failed totally outbound, got sent a replacement bus, replacement bus failed on the inbound leg, but better than that, in the exact same location
You found Cornwall's Bermuda triangle.:lol:
 

TheGrandWazoo

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I’m on 2 in my time driving that have made it unable to be continue the journey, funnily both were on the same day, one failed totally outbound, got sent a replacement bus, replacement bus failed on the inbound leg, but better than that, in the exact same location

Going back through the memory banks....
  • Had a Bristol RE with engine failure
  • Bristol LH have a full electrical failure (which is something given there's so little electrical complexity on an LH)
  • Leyland National that basically had no power to climb a particular steep hill
  • Mk2 National with a half shaft go
  • Merc 608 running out of diesel (faulty fuel gauge!)
  • Olympian losing gears - hydraulic hose failure
  • Optare Vecta - overheating so lost all power
  • MAN18.220 - kicked all its water out (ruptured hose)
  • e400mmc - faulty start/stop so ordered off onto a following vehicle
Interesting that most of those were 20+ years ago. Perhaps vehicles ARE more reliable nowadays.
 

richw

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Going back through the memory banks....
  • Had a Bristol RE with engine failure
  • Bristol LH have a full electrical failure (which is something given there's so little electrical complexity on an LH)
  • Leyland National that basically had no power to climb a particular steep hill
  • Mk2 National with a half shaft go
  • Merc 608 running out of diesel (faulty fuel gauge!)
  • Olympian losing gears - hydraulic hose failure
  • Optare Vecta - overheating so lost all power
  • MAN18.220 - kicked all its water out (ruptured hose)
  • e400mmc - faulty start/stop so ordered off onto a following vehicle
Interesting that most of those were 20+ years ago. Perhaps vehicles ARE more reliable nowadays.

mine were both Tridents splitting water hoses on the hottest day of the year.
 

Whiteway215

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Had to get off a Merc 709D after the driver changed down and the gear lever literally came off in his hand out of the floor!
 

PG

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Going back through the memory banks....
  • Had a Bristol RE with engine failure
  • Bristol LH have a full electrical failure (which is something given there's so little electrical complexity on an LH)
  • Leyland National that basically had no power to climb a particular steep hill
  • Mk2 National with a half shaft go
  • Merc 608 running out of diesel (faulty fuel gauge!)
  • Olympian losing gears - hydraulic hose failure
  • Optare Vecta - overheating so lost all power
  • MAN18.220 - kicked all its water out (ruptured hose)
  • e400mmc - faulty start/stop so ordered off onto a following vehicle
Interesting that most of those were 20+ years ago. Perhaps vehicles ARE more reliable nowadays.
I've never counted running out of fuel as a 'proper' breakdown (even though passengers would understandably!) unless its due to a fuel leak, as that's hardly the fault of the chassis!
Can't think any operator should have been relying on just the cab fuel guage?
 

TheGrandWazoo

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I've never counted running out of fuel as a 'proper' breakdown (even though passengers would understandably!) unless its due to a fuel leak, as that's hardly the fault of the chassis!
Can't think any operator should have been relying on just the cab fuel guage?
Fair point. For context, it was an outbased vehicle so clearly hadn’t been fuelled by the main depot!

I didn’t include the RTA when a dozy car driver drove into the side of the Olympian I was on though :rolleyes::smile:
 
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