'opening' windows.

[Qwerty133]

Do early (2001) Wright bodied Volvo B7s (the old VLWs from London) deckers have a known problem with the windows where they either won't stay closed, or won't stay open?
Or is this another indication of the appaling maintenence provided by Arriva Midlands, Wigston depot.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Do early (2001) Wright bodied Volvo B7s (the old VLWs from London) deckers have a known problem with the windows where they either won't stay closed, or won't stay open?
Or is this another indication of the appaling maintenence provided by Arriva Midlands, Wigston depot.

Nothing to do with depot maintenance.

 

[class 455 boy]

Do early (2001) Wright bodied Volvo B7s (the old VLWs from London) deckers have a known problem with the windows where they either won't stay closed, or won't stay open?
Or is this another indication of the appaling maintenence provided by Arriva Midlands, Wigston depot.

I live in London and I have never seen this happen before. It's probably not a maintenence issue either as I doubt any of the London garages check the windows during maintenence.

 

[Robertj21a]

Do early (2001) Wright bodied Volvo B7s (the old VLWs from London) deckers have a known problem with the windows where they either won't stay closed, or won't stay open?
Or is this another indication of the appaling maintenence provided by Arriva Midlands, Wigston depot.

Nothing to do with Arriva, let alone Wigston.

 

[450.emu]

You're lucky you have windows! Try travelling on a Wright New Routemaster in the summer with no air conditioning

Perfect Every Time

 

[Antman]

You're lucky you have windows! Try travelling on a Wright New Routemaster in the summer with no air conditioning

Perfect Every Time

And many other buses with opening windows are no better, when you're sat in traffic all that's coming in is more hot air:cry:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Do early (2001) Wright bodied Volvo B7s (the old VLWs from London) deckers have a known problem with the windows where they either won't stay closed, or won't stay open?
Or is this another indication of the appaling maintenence provided by Arriva Midlands, Wigston depot.

Scania Omnldekkas are just as bad, as soon as they pick up speed the vibrations cause the windows to slam shut

 

[MCR247]

Scania Omnldekkas are just as bad, as soon as they pick up speed the vibrations cause the windows to slam shut

Really? I've never experienced this, after travelling on a hell of a lot of them! (All Nottingham double deckers ordered between 04 and 12 were omnidekkas)

 

[Antman]

Really? I've never experienced this, after travelling on a hell of a lot of them! (All Nottingham double deckers ordered between 04 and 12 were omnidekkas)

Well the Metrobus and Brighton & Hove ones certainly do

 

[hassaanhc]

Really? I've never experienced this, after travelling on a hell of a lot of them! (All Nottingham double deckers ordered between 04 and 12 were omnidekkas)

Well the Metrobus and Brighton & Hove ones certainly do

London United's ones do too, both the Scania versions and the Volvo versions.

 

[MCR247]

Weird :?

 

[Busaholic]

You're lucky you have windows! Try travelling on a Wright New Routemaster in the summer with no air conditioning

Perfect Every Time

Classic

 

[Volvodart]

http://www.london24.com/news/transport/rejoice_routemaster_buses_to_get_windows_that_open_1_4238515

Rejoice! Routemaster buses to get windows that open 12:46 18 September 2015 Zoah Hedges-Stocks The original Routemaster was withdrawn in 2005, but Boris commisioned a new version which has faced criticism over temperatures

Boris rode to mayoral victory with the promise that he would bring back the iconic Routemaster, but Londoner were left disappointed when issues with air conditioning meant the new version of the bus turned out to be a humid box of sweat.

But now TfL have finally agreed to a technological advancement that will ameliorate the sweltering temperatures on board the new Routemaster buses: windows that can open.

Director of buses Mike Weston told the Evening Standard: “We were aware of passenger concerns about the cooling system on the New Routemaster and the Mayor asked us to work with Wrights to look at possible design options to improve passenger comfort.

“We’re pleased they’ve now been able to come up with an affordable and working design to install opening windows, which we anticipate will have been installed across our entire fleet by next summer.”

The 500 buses currently servicing London will be altered, and all new Routemasters will have openable windows installed as they are built.

Whilst the news is very welcome, Val Shawcross AM, Labour’s London Assembly transport spokesperson pointed out the extra costs on top of the money already spent on the new buses: “With passengers enduring years of suffocating journeys on overheated buses, these upgrades will be welcomed. But the paying public has been left to fork out £2 million pounds for more upgrades to what was supposed to be a state of the art vehicle.”

She also criticised the Mayor’s involvement: “It’s clear the Routemaster has come to represent yet another ill-thought out, increasingly expensive ‘legacy’ project for Boris Johnson to leave behind.” What’s your opinion? Let us know on Twitter at @London24 or comment below.

Read more at: http://www.london24.com/news/transport/rejoice_routemaster_buses_to_get_windows_that_open_1_4238515
Copyright © LONDON24

 

[jon0844]

That's the air cooling system totally screwed then. Unless windows will be opened by the driver only when it gets roasting hot? (I assume not as they don't generally leave the cab)

 

[backontrack]

Maybe traveling from Hottenham to Walthamstove?

 

[radamfi]

That's the air cooling system totally screwed then. Unless windows will be opened by the driver only when it gets roasting hot? (I assume not as they don't generally leave the cab)

Will it be any worse than their other double deckers where they have cooling devices running at the same time as the windows being open?

 

[Robertj21a]

Clearly, the so-called 'coolers' are inadequate, so it won't really matter if they are compromised by open windows !

 

[neilmc]

I recall now-preserved Leeds City Transport 131 appeared in late 1966 as a precursor of a modern type of bus with panoramic windows - up until then all buses had smaller windows a selection of which had sliders which could be opened by passengers when the weather was hot (or the upper saloon became too smoky). But here was the future, with windows which could not be opened at all. Another 45 of the same design followed before the infamous "Tommy Lord boxes" appeared in 1968, double-door buses with a similar panoramic window layout.

To me these were dreadful buses to travel on, the upper deck was stiflingly hot and smoky in summer whilst the lower deck icy cold in winter due to the through draught between the two doors. Later models saw the introduction of two opening front-upper-deck windows, going back to the practice of Leeds buses in 1952-55! The PTE ordered masses of Fleetlines and Atlanteans which reverted to conventional opening windows, but unfortunately Leeds had taken in over 300 of the panoramic window variety which were in the fleet for a long, long time.

Same situation rehashed nearly 50 years later?

 

[Busaholic]

I recall now-preserved Leeds City Transport 131 appeared in late 1966 as a precursor of a modern type of bus with panoramic windows - up until then all buses had smaller windows a selection of which had sliders which could be opened by passengers when the weather was hot (or the upper saloon became too smoky). But here was the future, with windows which could not be opened at all. Another 45 of the same design followed before the infamous "Tommy Lord boxes" appeared in 1968, double-door buses with a similar panoramic window layout.

To me these were dreadful buses to travel on, the upper deck was stiflingly hot and smoky in summer whilst the lower deck icy cold in winter due to the through draught between the two doors. Later models saw the introduction of two opening front-upper-deck windows, going back to the practice of Leeds buses in 1952-55! The PTE ordered masses of Fleetlines and Atlanteans which reverted to conventional opening windows, but unfortunately Leeds had taken in over 300 of the panoramic window variety which were in the fleet for a long, long time.

Same situation rehashed nearly 50 years later?

All because decisions are taken by people, be they designers, mayors or whatever, who never travel by bus themselves and will overrule engineers and other professional transport people who do understand the potential problems.
Their will be 800 of these superfluous buses on the streets of London by next summer, with Boris apparently intent on ordering a further 200 before he leaves office, although they may not necessarily be built by Wrightbus.

 

[jon0844]

I'd have thought the better solution would be fixing the problems with the air cooling. Air cooling is better than an open window on a bus in the hot sun and stuck in traffic.

Openable windows should be something for emergencies only.

If I bought a car with climate control and it didn't work, I'd be rather ****ed if the dealer said I should just open the windows!

 

[Robertj21a]

I'd have thought the better solution would be fixing the problems with the air cooling. Air cooling is better than an open window on a bus in the hot sun and stuck in traffic.

Openable windows should be something for emergencies only.

If I bought a car with climate control and it didn't work, I'd be rather ****ed if the dealer said I should just open the windows!

I daresay that the problem with the cooling unit is most likely to be that it simply isn't up to the job and that any enhancement will be too expensive, too heavy or too big. If they want to achieve a cool London bus I'd suggest that they adopt the Hong Kong approach and have a tri-axle with air-con.

 

[jon0844]

Didn't anyone care to test the system before going into production, although anyone who works in that profession would have known how powerful it needed to be, and done all the calculations based on the heat from people, the windows, air lost/let in when the doors are open etc.

It's such a shame as I actually like the buses. I suspect tourists like them, and so I'm not as against them as some people are. They are quite iconic and have grown on me considerably since their introduction.

 

[Busaholic]

Didn't anyone care to test the system before going into production, although anyone who works in that profession would have known how powerful it needed to be, and done all the calculations based on the heat from people, the windows, air lost/let in when the doors are open etc.

It's such a shame as I actually like the buses. I suspect tourists like them, and so I'm not as against them as some people are. They are quite iconic and have grown on me considerably since their introduction.

If they had kept to the original purpose of the bus, the reintroduction of the hop on or off in the central area, then an argument could be made for them, but already the number of routes without that facility easily exceeds the number with it, and by this time next year will far exceed it. Expect to see the gradual ditching of the existing customer assistants before the last of the beasts makes it to the streets of London too.

I don't dislike the look of the bus, particularly on the offside and at the back, but the proof of the pudding is in the travelling experience and the cost, particularly bearing in mind that the resale value when they depart will be virtually nil. To my mind it has been a good example of why no individual should be allowed to have so much say, being a confirmed non-believer in the mayoral system.

 

[LateThanNever]

If they had kept to the original purpose of the bus, the reintroduction of the hop on or off in the central area, then an argument could be made for them, but already the number of routes without that facility easily exceeds the number with it, and by this time next year will far exceed it. Expect to see the gradual ditching of the existing customer assistants before the last of the beasts makes it to the streets of London too.

I don't dislike the look of the bus, particularly on the offside and at the back, but the proof of the pudding is in the travelling experience and the cost, particularly bearing in mind that the resale value when they depart will be virtually nil. To my mind it has been a good example of why no individual should be allowed to have so much say, being a confirmed non-believer in the mayoral system.

Counter intuitive really because with all of its quirks and problems it would seem to have all the hallmarks of a bus designed by committee!

 

[moogal]

Have any of the Borismaster routes introduced in the last few years had conductors at all? Pretty much all the ones I can think of didn't.

The thing I find bizarre is that plenty of other London double deckers have quite effective air cooling - which is then totally wasted when passengers open all the windows and let the nice cool air out. Yet the only bus without them seems to have the worst cooling system!

 

[radamfi]

Do the newish red double deckers in Macedonia have air conditioning? It is a hot country, so presumably essential, but they are only two axle.

 

[MCR247]

They have opening windows and I cant seem to see any air-con module on the top