Most Hated Bus

[TheGrandWazoo]

The NB4L has proved to be divisive. There are undoubtedly some good and some poor aspects to it in terms of functionality, cost and styling.

However, for all its faults, it isn't in the same league as some of the other cock-ups in bus design (or indeed, using van or truck chassis for bus work).

Some, like the Guy Wulfrunian, brought the company down!!!

Also, I'd advise anyone who hasn't experienced them, get a cheap ticket to Middlesbrough and try a Temsa Avenue, again mentioned earlier in this thread. They are ugly as sin. Seats have been velcroed in (not a joke). As you don't need heaters in Turkey, they've had to retrofit some. They look like ones you'd have found in a Bristol RE 50 years ago!

 

[pompeyfan]

My vote goes for the Scania Omnicity particularly the single deck version, hard suspension, hard seats (those with the standard Scania seats anyway), claustrophic interior layout with poor forward vision - seats, luggage pens and tv screen in the way.

A quick mention of the Volvo B6 midibus, terrible vibration or at least that's when it was running because it hadn't overheated. Also the new Routemaster - dark interior even on a bright day and I really dislike those LED lights above each seat, I wear rimless glasses it's headache inducing with the reflections from the light.

Really?!?

Scania's were my favourite to drive, and as a passenger were lovely. First 65016(?) was my most loved.

 

[duffers2324]

The buses that were my favourites were the Scania L94's, Volvo Ailsas back in the day and Alexander Royales but now all types of Gemini, E500's when they were here in Glasgow and ive attained a soft spot for ALX 400's as well recently as well as B7RLE's

Disliked or rather hated buses are B7L's aka toiletboxes, Marshall bodied Darts or as i call them boneshakers and Streetlites.

 

[quarella]

I do enjoy the view out of the large rear window next to the rear staircase; looking backwards at The City coming across London Bridge on a 149 was rather special.

At Imberbus last year someone did point out the lack of a modesty screen for those rear facing seats.

 

[Zamracene749]

Streetlights. Horrible rattly bouncy jerky unreliable pieces of substandard worse than an LH piles of .......

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

T reg Tridents are, by far, the worst

 

[Strathclyder]

T reg Tridents are, by far, the worst

The lack of power of the engines originally fitted to the T-reg Tridents was/is by far the biggest issue with them. They're decent buses that get the job done otherwise.

 

[TB]

Renault/Dodge S56 or S75 were horrid little rotboxes.

 

[experts]

Most hated bus? Maybe not this one, but from the same batch and operator. Enviro200 with ZF Astronic Gearbox.

Hateful gearboxes. Rattle like hell. And are a disgrace to be stuck behind in traffic while they struggle to find a gear to pull away in.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidsbusphotos/16697619426/


Give me a Toiletbox or B10M PS any day!

 

[fgwrich]

Most hated bus? Maybe not this one, but from the same batch and operator. Enviro200 with ZF Astronic Gearbox.

Hateful gearboxes. Rattle like hell. And are a disgrace to be stuck behind in traffic while they struggle to find a gear to pull away in.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidsbusphotos/16697619426/


Give me a Toiletbox or B10M PS any day!

That reminds me of the hateful E200s - Does anyone know what gearbox this tinbox has as it's set up?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12625...Ur2-sxoiTL-vXQhRi-rFSZ9Y-sSgLqM-okasA7-okas9A

They really are nasty things, I'ver never fully hated an E200 until those things turn up, most of the time they either sound broken or are actually broken - and scream quite badly when pulling away from bus stops. They I feel are the lowest of the low and prove that the E200 truly is a hateful vehicle!

 

[experts]

Looks like it'll be a Voith Gearbox, a stagecoach standard usually.

 

[cainebj]

That reminds me of the hateful E200s - Does anyone know what gearbox this tinbox has as it's set up?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12625...Ur2-sxoiTL-vXQhRi-rFSZ9Y-sSgLqM-okasA7-okas9A

They really are nasty things, I'ver never fully hated an E200 until those things turn up, most of the time they either sound broken or are actually broken - and scream quite badly when pulling away from bus stops. They I feel are the lowest of the low and prove that the E200 truly is a hateful vehicle!

Looks like it'll be a Voith Gearbox, a stagecoach standard usually.

I'm pretty sure those two have the ZF Astronic-Lite, used as the trial vehicles with Stagecoach, and were the only two ever ordered by Stagecoach with the Astronic-Lite gearbox.

 

[40129]

Most hated:

Low floor bus: Borismaster
High floor bus: Leyland National

 

[fgwrich]

I'm pretty sure those two have the ZF Astronic-Lite, used as the trial vehicles with Stagecoach, and were the only two ever ordered by Stagecoach with the Astronic-Lite gearbox.

Confirmed as the frankly awful Astronic-Lite. Thanks!

I really am surpised by ZF - The gearbox in these two is appaling, and probably explains why they seem to spend half their time being worked on - It's not that often you see the pair out on the same day. Should explain the awful screeching noise they seem to make compared to the (equally awful) standard E200s.

tractorswithbadgers - These two are different to the standard batches, think they are on a different Euro rating. There's something different to the standard batches anyway and should be only 2 in the entire stagecoach fleets. I do remember we were originally promised Hybrids though!

 

[backontrack]

FTR bendy-buses.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Definitely not a fan of Citaros. Ipswich Buses bought a trio last year, and the interiors are hideously uncomfortable and rattly. They sound like a lorry as well. The bendybus versions were dreadful as well, as are the Red Arrow ones which are going to blight the 108 in East London in the next few months. :cry:

Probably a controversial choice, but I can't stand Optare Spectras, and would actively try to avoid IB's trio of X-regs during my time at university.

The Volvo B7Ls that used to operate in some numbers in Norwich until recently were dreadful as well, but they could have been good buses had the interiors been refurbished with completely new seating (not the existing rock hard seats with new covers ploy) and a repaint into Olympia livery. As it is, the ones that are left are 14+ years old, still in Barbie livery, and are tatty as all hell.

 

[alexf380]

Of the buses that I've had the pleasure of experiencing, Lothian Buses' Volvo 7900 Hybrids are my all time most hated vehicle. Can't stand the jerky stop-start engine, or the horrific Volvo own-brand seats that they use.

As for my favourite? Lothian's (or First's, for that matter) Alexander Royale bodied Olympians were pretty top notch! The childhood memories of screaming down Milton Road on red leatherette will stay with me forever. Their Super pointer Darts of 2002/2003 vintage were also known to spark a smile whenever one turned up.

 

[Tetchytyke]

High floor bus: Leyland National

Pfft, the Leyland Lynx was much much worse.

Although not as bad as when Go-Ahead had finished pratting about with one of theirs in Sunderland:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3802/13540150103_6d65a316c3_b.jpg

ETA Trying to find a picture of that shed on Flickr, I've just been reminded of the awful Caetano Darts

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/4567626743

 

[pdq]

Confirmed as the frankly awful Astronic-Lite. Thanks

So is this the gearbox in the 14 plate Arriva Yorkshire E200s I mentioned in post 4? They really are awful going uphill.

 

[Tackleberry]

Most hated bus?
Any I'm paid to drive...
But definitely the Enviro 200 and Leyland Olympian...
Did quite like the Volvo Olympian and Volvo B10M with Northern Counties bodywork...

 

[fgwrich]

So is this the gearbox in the 14 plate Arriva Yorkshire E200s I mentioned in post 4? They really are awful going uphill.

By the sounds of it, yes. I get asked by my friends fairly often why do I go into bus driving. 2 reasons, the stupidity of having to learn the expensive and near pointless CPC, and because a day spent having to hear the frankly horrible collection of noises and rattles of an E200 would drive me insane! Surely they can be binned under human rights?

https://youtu.be/M0uGaCdA0xA

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

having just spent a fortnight getting re-aquainted with a Merc Vario (don't ask!) I can state that there is no other vehicle designed so well to torture a driver... even worse for me the turbo charger worked.... the combination of that noise, the whine of the gearbox.. the engine cooling fan... the crash and bang from the suspension over every bump in the road....

by the end of it I was glad to be made redundant!

 

[fowler9]

having just spent a fortnight getting re-aquainted with a Merc Vario (don't ask!) I can state that there is no other vehicle designed so well to torture a driver... even worse for me the turbo charger worked.... the combination of that noise, the whine of the gearbox.. the engine cooling fan... the crash and bang from the suspension over every bump in the road....

by the end of it I was glad to be made redundant!

You didn't like them then?

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

You didn't like them then?

we only had the one (on a 52) plate... strangely I worked for a company that had a large fleet of early (R reg) ones... they were always better to drive when the turbo had blown and the gearbox was worn (as long as you remembered to lift off the gas as they changed up- else they would change with an almighty thump).

Perhaps the problem with the suspension was due to bouncing around country lanes rather than driving on the smooth roads of a new city...

I suppose that over the intervening 15-20 years design and build quality have moved on leaps and bounds... what was acceptable in 1998 just isn't acceptable now...

having said that the Solo SR we had on a 63 plate compared poorly in build quality to early (S/T reg) solos....such is progress!

 

[fowler9]

Cheers Teflon, that was a good read. I can't even drive a car so all this is fascinating.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I suppose that over the intervening 15-20 years design and build quality have moved on leaps and bounds... what was acceptable in 1998 just isn't acceptable now...

Compared to the 711Ds that Stagecoach had, the Vario was the height of build quality and comfort

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Compared to the 711Ds that Stagecoach had, the Vario was the height of build quality and comfort

One of my friends (who may have encountered Teflon at MK Metro) may disagree. He hated the Varios there and at Arriva Shires, much preferring driving the older Mercs.

Stagecoach certainly weren't a fan, not buying many and disposing of said Varios early and retaining older 709s

I mentioned the Dodge/Renault S56 but notice someone else cited the later and larger S75; those were wretched machines

 

[Strathclyder]

One of my friends (who may have encountered Teflon at MK Metro) may disagree. He hated the Varios there and at Arriva Shires, much preferring driving the older Mercs.

Stagecoach certainly weren't a fan, not buying many and disposing of said Varios early and retaining older 709s.

The 709Ds were pretty much bombproof, as far as the mechanics were concerned. Several small operators around my area (mainly Avondale) bought many of them second-hand and they seemed to go on forever, lasting a lot longer than the Varios ever did.

 

[Andyh82]

Interesting that First Halifax got rid of their R and S reg varios fairly quickly, but the older M and N reg Beavers stuck around until the bitter end. They probably would have lasted until DDA if Centrebus hadn't come in and won the minibus contracts.

 

[mark-h]

Of the buses that I've had the pleasure of experiencing, Lothian Buses' Volvo 7900 Hybrids are my all time most hated vehicle. Can't stand the jerky stop-start engine, or the horrific Volvo own-brand seats that they use.

The first batch (opening windows not air conditioning) were particularly jerky- the later ones are a bit better. The suspension and seats (in terms of both comfort and layout) are still bad.