What type of buses are they?
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First Greater Glasgow
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cnjb8
Established Member
BYD D8UR-DD/Alexander-Dennis Enviro40EV, basically an electric E400
Glasgowbusguy
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Assuming there's some issues at Caledonia today as the 9/A seems to be majority diesels and lots of buses missing
Route suitability tests.
Double deck yesterday and a single deck today on the 60.
JumpinTrainz
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It would be nice for the 60/60A, 41 and 61 to receive new electric stock.
smtglasgow
Member
I guess plans might have evolved since they placed the order. First must have a pretty good idea of the services/frequencies they want to run post-Covid – maybe the 91 (?) double-deckers will stretch a bit further than originally planned? Hard to see us going back to 10 minute frequencies – aside from the drop in commuters, they don’t have the drivers and it’s not clear where new recruits are going to come from.
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
60s, your possibly running into range problems on the longer bus boards, even some of the 9 boards have to have there electric buses removed from service early and replaced with diesels.
Double deck ev today on the 61. The single earlier on the 60 now on the 60A.
The current ev's being trialled do not run all day.
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
I’m at odds with the suitability testing.
Especially given that other companies in the bus manufacturing game now have buses with battery capacity/range that are slaughtering the electrical range the Dennis 200/400EV can offer.
The likes of Wrights GB Electroliner & Jewel E DoubleDecker, with upto 300 or 250 mile range, respectively.
First could’ve had held off.
JumpinTrainz
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Perhaps that may be something they look into as they begin to electrify other depots. Routes like the 1 and 2 may require battery operated vehicles as they are fairly long not to mention the Lanarkshire routes.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
Both are unproven however given that there are none of either type actively in service yet, the Jewel E it's coming from an unfamiliar manufacturer who won't have the servicing backup of ADL or Wright. While the Wright Streetdeck Electroliner only has a claimed range of 200 miles not 300 and that's a claimed range based on ideal conditions, similarly the Enviro400EV has a claimed range of 160 miles however certain operators have only been getting around 110-120 miles out of them per day in the "real world".
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
Having at least upto 50-100 miles of range more is certainly nothing to be scoffed at, that possibly equates to having just enough range compared to be limited to “up to 160miles”.
Electric Buses, least the 200EVs I only briefly drove at Caledonia depot, have problems like many other fuel type buses, like not going into drive or completely losing power, several of them have all been leaky as well.
It can only be assumed that Volvo or similar having several years of developing electric buses offer a more mature product.
The likes of Scania, Volvo or Mercedes likely means having larger research & development budgets to go on, however, this meaning ADL & Wrights may not have quite that level of development, the reality still is; you get what you pay for.
If your gonna do that, Equipmake, ADL & Wrights will pretty much be offering the same quality of product as is much of the running gear sourced from others like ZF or Voith in the case of Wrights, ADL have sourced much of the underside/chassis from whomever the suppliers to BYD are, one of whom is ZF but many other component come from Chinese manufacturers.
Comparing the 11.6m 200EVs in glasgow to many of the B7RLE vehicles they replaced and they feel just that bit more cramped inside with a full bus.
Wrights Electroliner and Volvo with the BZL have acknowledged that a 12.4m & 13m vehicle can be built, naturally increasing that interior space, an important thing if you continue to maintain a Saturday timetable on our way to spring/summer time.
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On the subject of driver shortages how is that looking now? I've noticed that the Lanarkshire depot journeys missing are being posted again on the website. It would be great if someone at the other depots realised posting their cancellations too would be a massive help.
A lot of people know they'll happen but when is still a mystery most of the time.
A lot of people know they'll happen but when is still a mystery most of the time.
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
Nothings changing, the minute they’ve 2 bodies in the door, route learned, budded & sent out on there own fully abled…3 others walk out.
Dfatcontroller
Member
BYD/E400 deckers 38410, 38412 + 38413 all entered service today. None of which track on the FirstBus app.
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What about 38411? Where’s that bus located right now?
cnjb8
Established Member
There are pictures of it in service
Oh, OK.
Anyway, I need to ask, why do First Glasgow still keep the 1E, it literally runs only at peak-times on weekdays, and could easily be replaced by extra 1 or 1A buses in it’s place. The only difference I can find between the 1E & the 1/1A is that it stops at Bonhill, why not run 1A buses there instead?
Anyway, I need to ask, why do First Glasgow still keep the 1E, it literally runs only at peak-times on weekdays, and could easily be replaced by extra 1 or 1A buses in it’s place. The only difference I can find between the 1E & the 1/1A is that it stops at Bonhill, why not run 1A buses there instead?
Jordan Adam
Established Member
The 1E operates a more direct route and is about 15-20 minutes faster than the 1/1A from Balloch.
Dfatcontroller
Member
38411 entered service on 11th February.
Faster service for commuters I guess. I think it omits Dumbarton Town centre.
It does. Follows the 1A route to the end of Bellsmyre then follows the 206 route through Bonhill then follows the 1A afterwards through Jamestown, Napierston Farm into Haldane and Balloch.
I doubt many people use it that far but one or two might. The common pattern with the 1s is that they're incredibly busy to Old Kilpatrick then almost completely empty afterwards. Sometimes the 1 and 1A are busy out of Dumbarton towards Balloch but very rarely from experience. Just far too dominated by car and train
Well having it be more common (at least on Saturdays/Holidays), at every half-an-hour could help with making other 1 Buses less busy and packed.
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
I’m not overly familiar with Dumbarton Depot and it’s routes, does the 1D & 1C both run from there or does scotstoun depot do those?
Presumably Dumbarton also has one or two other local/smaller routes?
Since we are on the subject, its been discussed elsewhere that B8 Volvo are more suitable for longer routes simply because there usually more refined and a little more comfortable etc.
As has been said elsewhere some people may be concerned whether the dedication to electric or hydrogen buses after those type of vehicles would turn 15 years old, are they are gonna be durable if used high speed all the time, well…44mph.
I would also add that I’d really like to see major investment on the 1/1A/1B, long distance, perhaps not competing with a train service, that should be no reason why you shouldn’t speculate to accumulate, the E300s maybe ok generally speaking, but there not something I’d want to travel on from Helensburgh, I wonder if it was a coach service and extended to Garelochead, how they’d do.
Presumably Dumbarton also has one or two other local/smaller routes?
Since we are on the subject, its been discussed elsewhere that B8 Volvo are more suitable for longer routes simply because there usually more refined and a little more comfortable etc.
As has been said elsewhere some people may be concerned whether the dedication to electric or hydrogen buses after those type of vehicles would turn 15 years old, are they are gonna be durable if used high speed all the time, well…44mph.
I would also add that I’d really like to see major investment on the 1/1A/1B, long distance, perhaps not competing with a train service, that should be no reason why you shouldn’t speculate to accumulate, the E300s maybe ok generally speaking, but there not something I’d want to travel on from Helensburgh, I wonder if it was a coach service and extended to Garelochead, how they’d do.
According to Bustimes 38416 is out today:
The depots who operate the 1C and 1D are a mixture. The double decks that operate are based at Scotstoun. Whilst single decks are also a bit of a mixture too. The 53 registration E300s are Dumbarton based but others are mostly Scotstoun based.
In the longer term the use of newer double decks or electric vehicle have yet to be explored. In particular double decks need a minor route change to avoid a low bridge in Clydebank. Which is not impossible, since probably too many services use Barns Stret and others could serve the developing area of Dumbarton!/Glasgow Road.
sbrignall72
Member
I see there is only 64139 left to enter service from the 200ev. Does anyone know what is up with 67028? According to bustimes.org it has not been in service since 9th January.
JumpinTrainz
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Are there still more E200EVs due? I can’t remember the order now
