08 April 2014

Progress on Display

Its easy to forget just how much work goes on behind the scenes preparing buses for service. This is easier to cope with when you don't have a large scale fleet replacement programme in place with lots of buses being acquired in a short space of time.

Western Greyhound are currently adding a large number of Dennis Darts to their fleet replacing many of the long serving Mercedes Varios and some Optare Solos. These join a small fleet of Dennis Tridents which have been acquired as well.

All of these buses need to be repainted which is why the fleet have adopted this plain green livery for now rather than have anything flashy. They can churn out the buses into all over green nice and quickly in order to get the fleet back into one livery. They can always look at enhancing the design at some stage in the future!

Of course another big job that needs doing is programming the destination displays on all of these 'new' buses. Bobby Darch has been working hard to design the displays for WG and program the buses which need it. Hopefully the days of paper displays will soon be a distant memory. Thanks to Bobby we can bring you a small selection of photos taken while the work was in progress ...

Reprogramming Western Greyhounds Dennis Dart Blinds Reprogramming Western Greyhounds Dennis Dart Blinds Reprogramming Western Greyhounds Dennis Dart Blinds Reprogramming Western Greyhounds Dennis Dart Blinds Reprogramming Western Greyhounds Dennis Dart Blinds

©Bobby Darch

Sorry for the lack of posting for the last few days, One post was planned but didn't happen due to computer issues, but then I needed a break!
Hopefully back to normal again now

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6 comments:

  1. Bobby, Will the rear displays be working ? It's good to see Darts with destination displays provided at the back, but so far the only Western Greyhound Darts I have seen have all been blank.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I seem to remember destination blind technology that didn't need programs. Just one set-up cost. Apparently you bought a roll of cloth with stuff printed on it and used a little handle to wind the "blind" to show where the bus was going. Seems a lot simpler than all this new-fangled computer stuff. Reliable, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, fbb, it was simpler - and, to my mind the appearance of the lettering much neater. It is interesting that this technology, or an electrically-operated version of it, is still compulsory in London. The disadvantage comes when there is a change of route as new destinations then have to be inserted into the blind. Another problem is that the blinds are not a standard size, either in the width of the roller or the depth of the aperture visible. This makes it difficult to take the blinds off one bus and put them on to one of a different type.

      Electronic blinds are improving in reliability and in the clarity of the typefaces used. I would give Western Greyhound' green-lettered ones the highest marks for clarity so far - and low marks to the pale yellow ones, as on the bus above, which are invisible if the sun is shining on to them.

      Keith

      Delete
  3. the rear blinds are not working at the moment but i shall look at getting them sorted soon

    Bobby

    ReplyDelete
  4. Don't the DDA regs require the side and rear blinds to work on a 52 plate bus then? Open to PG9s?

    ReplyDelete
  5. it is not a pg9. under dda reg all buses must be fitted with a rear dest, doesn't say that it has to be working tho lol
    the legislation is PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLE ACCESSIBILITY REGULATIONS 2000 SCHEDULES 7 AND 8. that tells you all u need to know.

    ReplyDelete

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