Whats the average life expectancy of a DB Bus?

Run_to_da_hills

Just curious to know what the life expectency of the average DB Bus? Do they last longer then their predessors? I still see quite a few pre 00 about.

AlekSmart

Current financial policy is to write them down over 12 years I think.

The standard was 16 years for a long time but the availability of skip-loads of funding allowed us all to go wild and buy new-stuff.

Any quick trip to the UK or indeed the lesser cities of Europe will reveal a far more robust attitude to keeping elderly vehicles in service.

In Bus terms old boes NOT equate to useless and many operators have no problems with using Refurbished vehicles to service their requirements,a concept we may yet have to re-accquaint ourselves with.

trad

The like span is condiserably longer than the period they are retained by Dublin Bus. They are generally sold off in batches across the water where they sell well and are deemed to be well maintained.


http://www.busbiz-online.co.uk/render.php?site=1&Ref=355&advertid=1389&sel=42&CurPage=2

It should be bourne in mind that all buses are provided free of charge to Dublin Bus by the Government (ie taxpayer) Dublin bus do no operate on any commercial basis as they get buses for free and then compete with private operators who have to pay up to €300,000 each for their buses.

Zoney

AlekSmart wrote: »

In Bus terms old boes NOT equate to useless and many operators have no problems with using Refurbished vehicles to service their requirements,a concept we may yet have to re-accquaint ourselves with.

Refurbished is the operative word there. I recollect even as late as 99 using buses with bench seating, rattley exhaust-belching engine and paintwork from the late 80s CIE->BÉ changeover.

Some of Bus Éireann's coaches from just 2/3 years ago look like they haven't been touched even in terms of maintanance for interior furnishings/details (which doesn't inspire confidence about the more serious issue of vehicle maintance for engine, brakes, etc.). Broken air con, dodgy window seals, rattling panels/luggage racks, litter breeding beside the seats, upholstry worn out. Sure they don't even keep the clocks operational.

For all Iarnród Éireann's failings, they seem to have a more sensible approach to maintanance and reuse/refurbishment.

L1011

"About a decade longer than DB hold on to them for" is probably the answer there. Letting an ex-DB Olympian out in traffic in Warrington recently was a bit strange - they'd left the original "let buses pull out" signage on the back during the repaint!

AlekSmart

they'd left the original "let buses pull out" signage on the back during the repaint!

Jeebus Creebus.....This could cause a diplomatic incident and result in Troops on the streets !

That "Let Buses pull out" sticker featuring a "Thumbs-Up" gesture was hurridly removed over here subsequent to a complaint from a gentleman of non-christian belief.

It appears that in some far flung corner of the world (OOps nearly typed Empire) the "Thumbs Up" gesture is regarded as insulting...therefore it was worth a punt to get compliant Pat to change our ways,as we obligingly did it appears.

murphaph

I have it on good authority that the maintenance regime is great on bus engines still under warranty as the suppliers just maintain them for DB (in the case of Volvo engines anyway) but that once the warranty runs out there is no expertise in DB to maintain these (modern) engines a the unions do not want the DB lads to be working alongside the (non union) private lads who work on behalf of Volvo (Irish Commercials in Naas to be precise). This ha obvious consequences for the maintenance of what is very expensive and high tech equipment.

Berlin gets MUCH longer out of their buses and even the old ones are solid and run well and clean.

I heard a story that DB were/are using cheaper russian diesel which results in that characteristic DB smell. This may be cobblers however.

Of course, FF ministers for transport don't want to be photographed beside old but well maintained workhorses of public transport. They want to be snapped beside the latest model in the latest livery (Berlin buses are plain yellow and have been for the best part of 100 years. Dublin Bus on the other hand goes through liveries (which cost money to design and implement) like they are going out of fashion). I for one look forward to a bit more old fashioned prudence from all quarters of irish society...Has O'Donoghue resigned yet? :rolleyes:

icdg

murphaph wrote: »

Of course, FF ministers for transport don't want to be photographed beside old but well maintained workhorses of public transport. They want to be snapped beside the latest model in the latest livery (Berlin buses are plain yellow and have been for the best part of 100 years. Dublin Bus on the other hand goes through liveries (which cost money to design and implement) like they are going out of fashion). I for one look forward to a bit more old fashioned prudence from all quarters of irish society...Has O'Donoghue resigned yet? :rolleyes:

They've been through three liveries since 1987, four if you count the "CitySwift" sub-brand which a good precentage of the fleet ended up in. They've also had three logos (four if you count the temporary one they used for less than four months and ended up I think on less than 10 buses before they adopted the "db").

Bus Éireann on the underhand has just introduced its second livery since 1987 and its not that different to the original logo. They've also had three logos though (well, three designs of the same basic idea).

London Buses have been red since 1932 or so...