STA Metrobus 2108 - In Canberra

[Sir Pompously]

I recieved a MMS from a friend this morning, stating a Metrobus 14.5m Scania from Sydney Buses was at Belconnen Depot. After making a few enquires, I was later told it was at Tuggeranong Bus Station and then it would be heading to the ANU for testing. I grabbed a photo at Tuggeranong, went to meet my mother and when I got back it was gone from Tuggeranong. Passing on the Information to Irisbus Rider, he was able to get a pretty good shot in the ANU, and I had arrive just in time for a half decent shady shot. Here are my photos.


Metrobus 2108 at Tuggeranong


Metrobus 2108 travelling through the ANU

[Jumbles]

Any reason why this bus is here - is it a rear-steer that is being used to check suitability for various routes ??

[Sir Pompously]

ACTION are looking to purchase a small number of Rear Steer 14.5's for use on high capacity routes, so this was an ACT Government test to test it's suitability to our roads. On the vehicle there are multiple camera's to record it's progress for final assessment.

[Coca Cola]

Metrobus 2108 at Tuggeranong

in the front bus (Action) what is the GIANT unit on the top, it is on several buses (route buses) in Brisbane as well and i have no clue what it is. Info much appreciated.

Tony

[gld59]

Cover for the gas bottles. (The roof is the normal location on gas-powered low-floor buses, and as you can see the much lighter air-con gets displaced to the rear.)

gld

[Coca Cola]

Cover for the gas bottles. (The roof is the normal location on gas-powered low-floor buses, and as you can see the much lighter air-con gets displaced to the rear.)

gld

finally i know, i thought it was some sort of GPS unit (big one at that) and how stupid it was

[TP 3000]

The buses do have a GPS thingy that can be seen is the size of a small car radio antenna.

Now under those gas pod covers are around 6 gas tanks. Numerous drivers have damaged those covers & they cost around $15,000 to replace (that is just for the cover). One driver had to pay for one of these covers as he damaged it while in an area he wasn't meant to be. But in some buses (Transperth Mercedez that I know of) the gas pods are partly sunk into the bus interior.

[Coca Cola]

The buses do have a GPS thingy that can be seen is the size of a small car radio antenna.

Now under those gas pod covers are around 6 gas tanks. Numerous drivers have damaged those covers & they cost around $15,000 to replace (that is just for the cover). One driver had to pay for one of these covers as he damaged it while in an area he wasn't meant to be. But in some buses (Transperth Mercedez that I know of) the gas pods are partly sunk into the bus interior.

Expensive cover but imagine how much it would cost if he/she damaged one of the cylinders, sinking the cylinders into the interior is a much better idea and would DEFINITELY make the bus look better

[PRT 065]

But then you have this area that has a lot less head room and pasengers dont like that.

[TP 3000]

There isn't that much less head room, if you are under 6 foot high you are all right in the Transperth buses, as they sink about 10-15cm into the bus. But the height of the bus its self if raised by about 5-10cm to account for this.

[DarrenH]

A Volgren bodied 14.5 Scania in service with ACTION and painted in the ACTION livery Id like to see that! It will be interesting to see how long ACTION have got 2108 for?

[Irisbus Rider]

A Volgren bodied 14.5 Scania in service with ACTION and painted in the ACTION livery Id like to see that! It will be interesting to see how long ACTION have got 2108 for?

The 14.5ms will be Custom Coach bodied, that is even if ACTION receive 14.5m buses.

If my sources are correct, the Metrobus returned to Sydney today (8th July 2009).

[Ryan]

ACTION are looking to purchase a small number of Rear Steer 14.5's for use on high capacity routes, so this was an ACT Government test to test it's suitability to our roads. On the vehicle there are multiple camera's to record it's progress for final assessment.

Gah! Learn your apostrophe rules thanks Todd.

[Sir Pompously]

Shutup, Ryan

And just to add to Irisbus Rider's posting, the bus has returned to Sydney so all Sydneysiders can breathe easily.

[Jumbles]

A Volgren bodied 14.5 Scania in service with ACTION and painted in the ACTION livery Id like to see that! It will be interesting to see how long ACTION have got 2108 for?

The 14.5ms will be Custom Coach bodied, that is even if ACTION receive 14.5m buses.

If my sources are correct, the Metrobus returned to Sydney today (8th July 2009).

I thought (assumed) that barring any major issues, the decision has been all but made....
The longer rigids apparently only fall a few seats short of an artic and have a much better seat:cost ratio than artics (or smaller rigids).
I suspect there are few services in the ACT that regularly fill an artic to capacity. I've been on some pretty crammed ones, but most of them still have seats available that people don't want for some reason. The powers that be also claim that with rear-assist steering these buses are about as maneuverable as a 12m (althopugh I'd be a bit worried about the rear-end swing), making them suitable for routes which they currently wouldn't use artics on (I don't know of any routes that couldn't fit an artic, but I'm not intimately familiar with all of ACTION's routes, either).
Apparently (this I heard some time ago - about the time I first heard about rear-steer rigids for the capital) they also threw around the idea of taller buses (ie double decker type things) but decided that some routes wouldn't fit them (I would thing the Interchanges might have caused some difficulty - seeing as the newest MANs barely fit their pod under some of the shelters.

[PoweredByCNG]

But then you have this area that has a lot less head room and pasengers dont like that.

The cylinders are only recessed about 15cm into the roofline. I personally don't like it as the recessed cradle eventually becomes flooded with rainwater. The ACTION MANs have 7x 190L gas cylinders (1330L liquid capacity total). The Scanias have 6x 190L gas cylinders (1140L liquid capacity total).

Regards,
Dave

[Herbert]

Perhaps Sir Pompously may be able to assist with a zoomed-in image, but it would appear that the bus has sustained nearside-rear damage.

[Mitch]

Perhaps Sir Pompously may be able to assist with a zoomed-in image, but it would appear that the bus has sustained nearside-rear damage.

You do appear to be right. Side-swipe maybe.
-Mitch

[Tim]

good catch todd whats next hillsbus send down a cc 14.5

[Busnerd]

It has received lots of damage to the rear corners and also the front offside corner, and has had so for about three months.

[TP 3000]

good catch todd whats next hillsbus send down a cc 14.5

That was sent down last year. But some within ACTION aren't 100% sure about the 14.5's, so more testing was required. We should see in the next few months wether they have been confirmed as the replacement for the artics.

[Chris Guru]

good catch todd whats next hillsbus send down a cc 14.5

That was sent down last year. But some within ACTION aren't 100% sure about the 14.5's, so more testing was required. We should see in the next few months wether they have been confirmed as the replacement for the artics.

The testing had nothing to do with ACTION, it was for Road Transport ACT. These buses require permits to operate on all runs (similar to the bike racked buses) and this has to be done for each different type of bus.

It will be interesting to see how ACTION go about the bike rack's on thses 14.5's, as the buses will be over length if a rack is added to them. As far as i am aware, there are no exemptions for buses to exceed the 14.5m rule. That said, should a permit is issued, it will be interesting to see route testing done with the bus at approx 15.5m!!!!

[boronia]

ACTION are looking to purchase a small number of Rear Steer 14.5's for use on high capacity routes, so this was an ACT Government test to test it's suitability to our roads. On the vehicle there are multiple camera's to record it's progress for final assessment.

It has been reported in ABCVH that there will be 26 of these, also 74 conventional diesel rigids in the same order.

[C130]

good catch todd whats next hillsbus send down a cc 14.5

That was sent down last year. But some within ACTION aren't 100% sure about the 14.5's, so more testing was required. We should see in the next few months wether they have been confirmed as the replacement for the artics.

How can a bus that was built this year be sent down last year?
CDC sent down a VOLGREN last year.