A start has been made on refurbishing the Volvo B7TL fleet with 404 and 405 now single doored and repainted into swoops. 404 is shown below thanks to Brian George. (Photos taken on a table hence the slight blur)
Brian has also pointed out that a new adhesive is being used to keep the swoops in place on new repaints so the few examples of swoops peeling off will soon sorted out.
©Brian George
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Have they been cleaned inside?
ReplyDeleteThe ex-London deckers used to have dirt a chewing gum in the corners of the windows and floors.
Looks smart though.
"(Photos taken on a table hence the slight blur)"
ReplyDeleteInteresting typo!
Pity they couldn't have fitted a bigger window in place of the middle door. Ensign used to do a very professional job in 'single-dooring' London DMSs. So good, in fact, that you couldn't tell that there had ever been a door there before. Sadly, this looks a bit of a knife and fork job.
ReplyDeleteKnife & fork indeed, certainly when you compare it to the job they did on 401 a couple of years ago;
ReplyDeletehttps://secure.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/4752636482/
The table was rocking - hence the blur!
ReplyDeleteFor clarity the small window is used because it is a standard stock size. Fitting a larger window involves a considerable amount of extra work, moving cables pipes etc and hence costs a lot more. Love it or hate it the small window is how they will all be done.
Just a general query, was there really any need to remove the middle doors? I found them quite handly
ReplyDeleteI believe part of the plan behind removing the middle doors was to give them a bit more much needed power on the hills - presently they are absolutely shocking on them! The PVLs are considerably better, though the East Lancs batch are truly dreadful!
DeleteIt may also have something to do with making the swoop easier to apply and less prone to damage - if the rear doors were kept the swoop would be quickly damaged as it would cover the back doors and with the doors opening and closing no doubt it would soon come off.
Nice paint job. Awful door conversion.
ReplyDeleteThe centre doors are a help and a nuisance, although they do speed loading and unloading of passengers. The electric ramps as fitted on arrival are well worn and actually the framework for the ramp can hit some of the speed bumps and speed cushions which lie in wait all over the City and this causes the ramp to then jam - usually in the deployed position. The ramp is also too low for many of the high kerb bus stops in Plymouth. We also like our staff and customers to interact something that happens a lot less with a centre door. I suppose the final thing against the centre doors is the congestion on bus stops where if the bus cannot get parallel to the kerb passengers using a rear exit have to alight in the roadway from a high step (for many people).
ReplyDeleteLove the livery but so disappointed in the excellent engineering team at Citybus having seen the quality of their work this single door conversion looks cheap and nasty would have been better left dual door -its what id expect from a low budget operator
ReplyDeleteThe small window certainly makes it obvious there has been a conversion. Aren't the larger windows standard stock size? If there is a seat behind the new panel the view must be obscured a lot more than the swoop anon was complaining about a few weeks ago!
ReplyDeleteAnyway excellent livery and generally Go Ahead are doing a great job in Plymouth.
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ReplyDeleteit seems to be no matter wot citybus do someone is ready to moan! people moaned cos there wasnt enough buggy space. they remove the centre doors, now they moaning cos the window too small! BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE A BUS SERVICE!
ReplyDeleteBrian, just a suggestion - could the small window be made less obvious by faking in the larger window size using matt black paint either side
ReplyDeleteafter speaking with a bus driver i know in london, the plaxton president body is easier to convert to single door than the east lancs body because of the framework and ancillaries behind it. So hopefully the PVL's should look more in proportion than the EVL's. guess we will have to wait and see....
ReplyDeleteIs it me, or is it a slightly darker shade of red?
ReplyDeletenope. it is the same red as the others. just looks dark in the pic. saw 404 'in the flesh' the other day.
ReplyDeleteBl##dy awful job!! It looks so amateur, not what I would expect from Go Ahead!
ReplyDelete405 crashed today - may never see service again
ReplyDelete405 out in service on the 41 today
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