" Yes, in the UK at least. I can perhaps see there being some sort of world
market for them, but maybe rather more as a novelty rather than as an
integral part of a city's transport system. (Serious question -who/where
might conceivably be interested in buying some for proper, full on
day-to-day use?) Of course there's the obvious RHD/LHD issue - if there
was to be an LHD version, there'd need to be sufficient demand.


Victoria BC has used double deckers for something like 10 years, in two
models.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vi...ubledecker.JPG



--
Roger Traviss

Photos of the late GER: -
http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/

For more photos not in the above album and kitbashes etc..:-
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l9...Great_Eastern/

"Roger Traviss" wrote:
Yes, in the UK at least. I can perhaps see there being some sort of world
market for them, but maybe rather more as a novelty rather than as an
integral part of a city's transport system. (Serious question -who/where
might conceivably be interested in buying some for proper, full on
day-to-day use?) Of course there's the obvious RHD/LHD issue - if there
was to be an LHD version, there'd need to be sufficient demand.

Victoria BC has used double deckers for something like 10 years, in two
models.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vi...ubledecker.JPG


Yeah, but would they want a bus half-designed for use with conductors and a
(part-time) open rear platform?

If a version was produced without the rear platform then you start asking
questions as to whether the rear staircase is necessary at all, and if it
isn't - well, that's kinda two lynchpin elements of the buses design that'd
be in the bin, whereupon you start asking whether there'd be that much point
in it. Just being brutally realistic.

Yeah, but would they want a bus half-designed for use with conductors and
a (part-time) open rear platform?

North America has been one man busses since, well, when Noah were a lad.

Conductors went out with the trams and even most of them were one man
operation.



--
Roger Traviss

Photos of the late GER: -
http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/

For more photos not in the above album and kitbashes etc..:-
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l9...Great_Eastern/

"Roger Traviss" wrote:

Yeah, but would they want a bus half-designed for use with conductors and
a (part-time) open rear platform?

North America has been one man busses since, well, when Noah were a lad.

Conductors went out with the trams and even most of them were one man
operation.

Quite.

"Paul Corfield" wrote:

On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:34:05 -0800, "Roger Traviss"
wrote:

" Yes, in the UK at least. I can perhaps see there being some sort of
world
market for them, but maybe rather more as a novelty rather than as an
integral part of a city's transport system. (Serious question -who/where
might conceivably be interested in buying some for proper, full on
day-to-day use?) Of course there's the obvious RHD/LHD issue - if there
was to be an LHD version, there'd need to be sufficient demand.

Victoria BC has used double deckers for something like 10 years, in two
models.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vi...ubledecker.JPG

Yes Alexander Dennis Enviro 500s by the looks of it. Manufactured in the
dear old UK and 12m long. The same length as some of the former Hong
Kong deckers that happily trundle round London on sightseeing duties.

I believe the Borismaster is specced to be a record 13.7m long which is
huge for a rigid double decker in London. I think there are some turns
in Central London that they won't get round being that long. The bendies
may be 18m in length but their turning ability is that of a much shorter
vehicle - somewhere between 10-11m.

I understand the Neoman Lion City deckers for Berlin are also 13.7m
long.

Thanks for the interesting data - and food for thought.

Whilst these new buses will be more distinctive than the Berlin Lion's,
given the lack of a third door when in OPO mode (outside of central London)
perhaps they'll be less useful. And the question as to how entry/exit in OPO
mode will work remains - will it be board by the front door past the driver
and exit through the middle (the back will be locked out), or will it be
board either door (as per the new Citaros on routes 507/521, which are akin
to bendies but without the third door and back section). If it's the latter
then the question of revenue checks, which was something many critics of the
bendies focused on, would remain.

Arthur Figgis wrote:
On 11/11/2010 16:56, Mizter T wrote:

I noted this paragraph in the piece in the Standard:

---quote---
A mock-up of the "New bus for London" - which the Mayor's aides are
happy to have nicknamed the "Boris bus" - was unveiled in the capital.
---/quote---

So that's alongside 'Boris bikes' too.

Although Boris Bike is perhaps less painful than referring to them by
the official sponsor's name.

Other than people like us, how many people these days know that
[Hore-]Belisha of beacon fame was a politician?
--

Asking a question like that in this newsgroup is fruitless since it
is only
Read by "people like us..."

I thought it would be a nice thought, in certain selected areas to
substitute the flashing amber for red and they could be called
Hore beacons


David

In article ,
(Mizter T) wrote:

Re the prototype of this new bus - AFAICS the ES piece doesn't
actually say that the unwashed masses are going to be allowed to
see it, just 'stakeholders' and the like. (I think I've got a stake
left over from Halloween fancy dress, so perhaps I too could become
a stakeholder?)

Whenever I hear that dreaded term I think of vampires.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

" wrote:

Arthur Figgis wrote:
[snip]
Other than people like us, how many people these days know that
[Hore-]Belisha of beacon fame was a politician?
--

Asking a question like that in this newsgroup is fruitless since it
is only Read by "people like us..."

I thought it would be a nice thought, in certain selected areas to
substitute the flashing amber for red and they could be called
Hore beacons


;-)

I'm gonna use that! (It'll probably still be met with vacant looks from many
though... sigh!)

On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:50:04 -0000
"Ian" wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:49:09 -0000
"Recliner" wrote:
"Michael Bell" wrote in message
. co.uk
Like it or loathe it, here is today's London newspaper report of a
full-size "Boris Bus" intended to succeed the Routemaster:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...ails-routemast
r

The prototype hasn't got an engine.

By the looks of it there isn't anywhere practical to put an engine unless
it'll be in the middle somewhere with some ugly hump in the passenger
compartment.

B2003

On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:06:56 +0000
Paul Corfield wrote:
I believe the Borismaster is specced to be a record 13.7m long which is
huge for a rigid double decker in London. I think there are some turns
in Central London that they won't get round being that long. The bendies
may be 18m in length but their turning ability is that of a much shorter
vehicle - somewhere between 10-11m.

Why arn't I surprised. I always thought Boris's stand against bendies was
political rather than practical - a way of visibily chucking out something
high profile than Ken brought in rather than a way of improving bus travel
for commuters.

Won't it be ironic if these waste of money routemasters cause just as many
traffic problems as the bendies they replace.

B2003