Forest Coach Lines Bustech MDi

[Windy]

[flash=][/flash]Howdy!

m/o 8639 entered service yesterday and has replaced the Mitsubishi Rosa, m/o 8644 (in the hot summer days) and the ex North and Western 814D, m/o 5011 (on other days when air-conditioning is not required).

Here are some shots of the new Bustech MDi. Personally I find the livery at the front a tad conservative, but it would probably look a bit weird with the gunmetal arch at the front moulding.

At the turnaround area at Jamison Square
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15930

At Killarney Heights (offside and nearside)
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15931
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15938

After completing it's last Killarney Heights Shuttle and prior to commencing a school run.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15939
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15946

[Daniel]

Quite nice! First production Mdi/XDi to feature the new front too!
Seems the indicator lights are the rear are bulb, but the stop and school lights are LED.... quite odd.

[Tim]

wow i love it

[Windy]

Yeah, Forest have been pioneers in their time, with the first CB50 bodied bus for a Sydney Metro operator, the only 12m O305s to be purchased new in NSW, first private operator ro run B12BLEs in the Sydney metro area, first CB60 Evo II bodied artics in Australia, first private operator to run a Euro V bus in route service in Sydney (the demo unit now at Mount Gravatt Bus Service), first Bustech VSTs in the Sydney Metro area, and now the first Bustech MDi delivered to a Sydney metro operator, and with the new front. They also are among the few operators to run Leyland Panthers and Leyland Nationals in NSW.

[Daniel90]

Its a shame they didn't adjust the livery to suite the new mouldings on the front, they just blend into the front now and don't stand out as much. But all in all, I love it!

[Tim]

how many was ordered

[Windy]

One. Only one vehicle is required for the Killarney Shuttle.

[Tim]

ok

[Mark V]

Nice catch there Windy.. The Forrest livery sits quite well on the MDI.

Cheers Adam

[OLYMPIAN]

Strange, the bus is not using one piece mirror by Metagal, but instead having a two stage mirrors on the the Fuso Trucks

[Volvo Super Olympian]

Howdy!

m/o 8639 entered service yesterday and has replaced the Mitsubishi Rosa, m/o 8644 (in the hot summer days) and the ex North and Western 814D, m/o 5011 (on other days when air-conditioning is not required).

Nice pics Windy.

Are those mentioned buses still being kept in the yard as spares? Or are they already sold and long gone? I haven't taken any pics of the 814D and Rosa

[Ben O]

How many does it seat?

[STA 1440]

I'va always been curios as to why these types of Bustech only have a small amount of low floor at the front (judging by the window line), any body care to fill me in?

cheers!

[DarrenH]

How many does it seat?

Bustech Mdi seat 43 passengers

[08 XDi]

I'va always been curios as to why these types of Bustech only have a small amount of low floor at the front (judging by the window line), any body care to fill me in?

cheers!

The floor is sloped and angles up to the back, so there is no drastic step up (on some models, for instance the MAN 18.310 HOCL-NL, the rear step up is quite large on a more conventional body like a Volgren, but on the few Bustech VSTs built on this model is not noticeable). The windowline actually mates up reasonably well with the seating, which can be a bit difficult to see for anybody who hasn't been on one. I consider it a more economical use of space as you get more seating and more standing passengers as there is more floor space and on VSTs and XDis, no internal steps until you start getting to the engine.

(On the MDi there are actually a few steps near the rear owing to the shorter frame).

What it doesn't allow for is a stepless rear door - all the low floor Bustechs ever produced with a rear door have a single step. This doesn't matter that much, given anybody who would need assistance disembarking would tend to be sitting near the driver and exiting via the front.

Good shots Windy, I look forward to seeing the new front in action up here in green.

[STA 1440]

Cheers mate

[Daniel]

Very correct SM247. In addition, the sloped floor allows for a reduced window area. This is quite thoughtful for a reduction of heat entering the bus. Especially for it's native QLD operators.

[Windy]

Glass is also heavier than panel work, and not as strong, so it will serve that purpose as well. It does seat 43, and the seating layout is actually quite well done.

[Set Down Only]

I was told today by Bustech's General Manager that this bus was on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a photo shoot at 11ish thismorning.
Any sighting?

[Sb617]

From what I recall, I remember seeing a Bustech scan posted on this board sometime ago (not sure if its still there or deleted by default since its a long while back) about a 2-door version of the MDi being proposed (and assumably seats 39).

[shovelyjoe]

Great pictures, good job.