It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

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sydfox22
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by sydfox22 »

the more i look at it it looks alot like the volgrens than the denning withe rounded corners not to sure about the front stair case i see what they were thinking as it was wasted space because of the front wheel arch but do you really want the top deck exiting through the front door thats why i would still prefer the old staircase in the centre for ease of loading
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Daniel
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Daniel »

SM247 wrote:Having said that, I'd be keeping an eye on a certain factory at West Burleigh...
I would be too. Going to be quite an interesting bus indeed...
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GJT027
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by GJT027 »

This vehicle is 4.3m, which is the highest legal height allowed.

When you saw it around Archerfield several months ago, was probably the same day I saw it, and more than likely going over to Brendale for its roll test of which is passed with flying colours. The roll test consists of the bus being put to a 30% lean.
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08 XDi
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by 08 XDi »

Bus_Control wrote:BT and its 14.5m Volvos have been and are still restricted to about 6 routes!
They fit through the snake, which is the only pertinent advantage they have over a decker for the purpose of this discussion.
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Hornibrook
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Hornibrook »

Was out on a charter this morning with Mr Thompson himself behind the wheel!
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Tim Williams »

But, what do you blokes make of this...........

This is an extract from Bill Slatterys Truck and Bus Sales (Melbourne) website - they and Asia Motors in Sydney are agents for Alexander Dennis - notice the comment regarding a local demo unit!!!

2011 ALEXANDER DENNIS DOUBLE DECKER

Double Decker 500. ALEXANDER DENNIS LIMITED (ADL) route/school/inter-urban bus: Up to 120-passenger capacity; 87-seated plus 33-standees. great units for rapid high passenger movements Hybrid units also available late 2011 Please contact our sales staff for further information local demo unit available from June 2011 Engine Horsepower: 250 KW Pricing Notes: poa Configuration: DOUBLE DECKER Capacity-tonne,body,tray: 120 Transmission,Diffs,Brakes: ZF AUTO
Gday
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Gday »

Ahh that bus has been around for ages, haven't sold any for some reason.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Tim Williams »

Yes, I do appreciate that the advert has been around for some time, but it has been modified with the promise of a locally availabe demo unit here next month (as opposed to an HK unit on a temporary visit)

The problems they have had to date involve width and weight issues - which may,by now, have been resolved - although I am not 100% sure of this
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by 3oh3 »

yummy :D
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Bedford-29
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Bedford-29 »

I think Slatterys want to change that add around They have the picture of a Enviro 400 in Stagecoach livery as a Eviro 500 Hybrid.The Enviro 400 is the two axle D/D and the Enviro 500 Hybrid and diesel D/D is the one with two axles with a tag axle.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by OLYMPIAN »

The local version demo was due in April 2011..but we are almost in June..
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by bus reviewer »

Nice photos, great looking double decker
Waiting to see what BT, LCBS and other artics I get on next
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It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by paulbrown3 »

So is this a brand new bus or a refurb?
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by VH-NJF »

paulbrown3 wrote:So is this a brand new bus or a refurb?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Tim Williams »

I also think that this Denning is a great looking bus/coach and it is good to hear that several more are in production.
To me it seems that it wouldn't take too much to turn it into a toute service inter-urban (ie some of those longer distance, express outer-suburban runs) where it should be really suited. I presume it is wheel chair capable; an essential for today.

I am suprised the height is quoted as 4.3mtrs - to me the previous Denning DD's were more like 4.2mtrs?? They are afterall based on the European DD coach which I think was more like 4.1mtr.

If you look in the various Hong Kong books our locally produced Volgren DD exceeded 4.4mtrs - taller than both AD and Wright bodies.
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GJT027
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by GJT027 »

paulbrown3 wrote:So is this a brand new bus or a refurb?
Brand New!
Hornibrook wrote:Was out on a charter this morning with Mr Thompson himself behind the wheel!
Which one? There are several I believe with 2 working at the depot.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by coachscania »

Very Nice
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Hornibrook
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Hornibrook »

GJT027 wrote:
paulbrown3 wrote:So is this a brand new bus or a refurb?
Brand New!
Hornibrook wrote:Was out on a charter this morning with Mr Thompson himself behind the wheel!
Which one? There are several I believe with 2 working at the depot.
I was referring to the newest Denning Manufacturing Decker, which as far as I know only one is at Thompson's atm. The other got some paint last week.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by fearnes3848 »

Wow, very impressive looking bus, looks awesome :D I have to give credit to Thompson's, they certainly have a fleet of immaculately presented vehicles :D
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boronia
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by boronia »

Gday wrote:Ahh that bus has been around for ages, haven't sold any for some reason.
"That bus" isn't around at all.

It is a demonstrator that came out here a couple of years ago, and is now running in HK. It was too wide for local release anyway, and I doubt Alexander would make a narrow version.

I suspect that all the other Denisses he is advertising don't exist either, and will suffer the same restrictions.

It wouldbe interest to see what would happen if someone did actually order one.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by OLYMPIAN »

Dennis won;t make a narrower version of Enviro 500.
Although the E500 basically is a Trident chassis with a new body, but Trident chassis is no longer available on the market and to be body by other builder (same go as Enviro 200 midibus.).

The Volgren deckers built for Hong Kong and Singapore is 4361mm tall, meets the RTA limit but not the Transport NSW spec.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by AL »

I've checked out the second one in build. The bin space is absolutely useless and is a backwards step from the 80's deckers. There's no staircase up and the Denning suspension towers intrude into bin space making it that low you can't even climb in.
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by Tim Williams »

Having attended one (of many) Bus NSW Conferences at which Transport NSW (as they were then known) attended and the topic double decker specifications was raised, I can say that our understanding from that conference was that DD's were fine with Transport NSW but there were still hurdles to overcome with the RTA in respect of width and weights. If you look on the net Transport NSW published an acceptable specification for a 2 door City Double Deck bus for Outer Metropolitan and Metropolitan (Contract) route service use - This was dated June 2010. The allowable height incidently is 4.3mtrs, which is fine.

Now just mentioning the heights of Volgen DD's they are all over the place:

MAN (CityBus HK fleet no 2500) - 4447mm
Scania (CIty bus fleet no 2800 - 4463mm
MAN (KMB fleet nos AMN31 - 47) - 4463mm - I have my doubts about this figure -see below
Volvo (KMB fleet nos ??? ) - 4375mm - The KMB MAN's s/be 4368mm - same as the 2 intended for CityBus
Volvo (SBS Transit) - probably same as KMB's - most SBS DD's are just under 4.4mtrs
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by kitkat271 »

Was this Denning decker a 100% cleansheet design or an update of the previous design?
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Re: It's Arrived!!! Thompson's New Double Decker

Post by OLYMPIAN »

Tim Williams wrote:Having attended one (of many) Bus NSW Conferences at which Transport NSW (as they were then known) attended and the topic double decker specifications was raised, I can say that our understanding from that conference was that DD's were fine with Transport NSW but there were still hurdles to overcome with the RTA in respect of width and weights. If you look on the net Transport NSW published an acceptable specification for a 2 door City Double Deck bus for Outer Metropolitan and Metropolitan (Contract) route service use - This was dated June 2010. The allowable height incidently is 4.3mtrs, which is fine.

Now just mentioning the heights of Volgen DD's they are all over the place:

MAN (CityBus HK fleet no 2500) - 4447mm
Scania (CIty bus fleet no 2800 - 4463mm
MAN (KMB fleet nos AMN31 - 47) - 4463mm - I have my doubts about this figure -see below
Volvo (KMB fleet nos ??? ) - 4375mm - The KMB MAN's s/be 4368mm - same as the 2 intended for CityBus
Volvo (SBS Transit) - probably same as KMB's - most SBS DD's are just under 4.4mtrs
Yeah, you are right, the Volvo Super Olympian for SBS and KMB are 4361mm, not sure about the prototype B9TL for KMB (The one i Believe is built by Hess with kits from Volgren) but probably about the same as B10TL Super Olympian.
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