[binaiks]

Originally Posted by ranjithrnath

All the buses built by RWs have Destination board aligned at center..Check the RN series buses....

All the RR series buses built by CW/RWs had their destination board on the left side of the windshield (as seen from inside). The full size destination board aligned to the centre came only in RA series. Now some buses in RN series also have left sided small board holders.

[Ashley2]

Big Daddy of SETC - TN 01 N 167 - Nearly 15 years old?

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Big Daddy of SETC - TN 01 N 167 - Nearly 15 years old?

Attachment 885746

This must be more than 20 years old. More a grandfather of SETC.

[dhandapanik]

Along with few of my friends visited Ooty in January for Rail+Bus fanning. Returned back to Coimbatore on Same day. TNSTC-Coimbatore has more Hill riders(SWB coaches) than any other TNSTCs. Till last year all of their hill riders were on AL Platform. Last year they added TML based Hill riders to its fleets for Nilgiri district alone. When i was planning for this trip, first thing that came to my mind was the transparent bus which was introduced by TNSTC-Coimbatore in 2008. This was introduced for Sight seeing purpose in Ooty on 29-Feb-2008. It was built by the in-house body building unit based at Pollachi.

[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

Till last year all of their hill riders were on AL Platform. Last year they added TML based Hill riders to its fleets for Nilgiri district alone.

Good catch, cannot believe this. Considering this TNSTC and also the perception in south that, TM buses are not good for hilly areas. By the way, any idea how they compare with the AL Vikings couterparts?

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by teamveevee

Good catch, cannot believe this. Considering this TNSTC and also the perception in south that, TM buses are not good for hilly areas. By the way, any idea how they compare with the AL Vikings couterparts?

Ooty might be having 50+ TML based hill riders. I didnt have the exact numbers. Yes, We south people have the mentality that ALs are good than TMLs in hilly areas. TNSTC-Coimbatore adding TML hill riders was really a surprise move.

Heard from my friends that drivers liked driving TML Hill riders. If TNSTC-CBE is able to maintain them properly, its well and good.

More pics of Ooty Hill riders based on TML Platform.










Hill riders based on Viking platform

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

Yes, We south people have the mentality that ALs are good than TMLs in hilly areas. TNSTC-Coimbatore adding TML hill riders was really a surprise move.

I was under the impression that it was otherwise, from what I had seen with KSRTC sometime back (before the advent of Karnataka Sarige buses). All the KSRTC's coastal divisions used to have only Tata buses while the other divisions operated AL buses. Whenever I used to travel from Bangalore to Hassan, The Hassan and Bangalore division buses were always ALs. But, if I got on a Mangalore division or a Madikeri (Coorg) division bus, it was always a Tata.

All the coastal and hilly districts were operating Tata then, so I was under the impression that Tata's fared better in hilly areas. Even the private buses in those regions were Tata.

Btw, KSRTC seems to operate only Tata buses currently (from the looks of it). Do they still operate AL buses?

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Big Daddy of SETC - TN 01 N 167 - Nearly 15 years old?

Attachment 885746

"hmm let me have the right side windshield 10cm longer than the left side windshield" - even if the left/right glass is a replacement one, you have to either cut the glass or weld a sheet metal piece to 'achieve' this asymmetry .. hats off to SETC

[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

I was under the impression that it was otherwise, from what I had seen with KSRTC sometime back (before the advent of Karnataka Sarige buses). All the KSRTC's coastal divisions used to have only Tata buses while the other divisions operated AL buses. Whenever I used to travel from Bangalore to Hassan, The Hassan and Bangalore division buses were always ALs. But, if I got on a Mangalore division or a Madikeri (Coorg) division bus, it was always a Tata.

All the coastal and hilly districts were operating Tata then, so I was under the impression that Tata's fared better in hilly areas. Even the private buses in those regions were Tata.

Btw, KSRTC seems to operate only Tata buses currently (from the looks of it). Do they still operate AL buses?

Mee too was of the same opinion especially after travelling in a few AL and TM buses on the hills in Tirumala and in the north. APSRTC buses for Tirumal hills are almost 100% TM while I had seen ALs in the plains only. The AL ones I had seen on the hills occassionally in Maharastra were Cheetahs which made me wonder whether the absence of a FOH was the reason more than TML/AL

[Ashley2]

Parveen B7R


Infant Jesus - 12M

[Sridhar K]

Did a 1800 km road trip of Maharastra on a Force Traveller recently and was noticing the buses operated by the MSRTRC. Except for the Shivneri service, almost all of the buses have the body that are of 80s vintage. The 2X2 is still called Asiad though it seems to come with air suspension at the rear. Was perplexed to see that with MSRTC while most other STUs which used to have the same looking lal dabba(Karnataka, Andhra, Gujarat etc.) seems to have moved into newer bus bodies.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

..Was perplexed to see that with MSRTC while most other STUs which used to have the same looking lal dabba(Karnataka, Andhra, Gujarat etc.) seems to have moved into newer bus bodies.

The reason being, most STU's have started outsourcing the body building (in fact PPP mode is getting more popular for entire bus itself) unlike MSRTC, which builds bodies for itself at Pune.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

The reason being, most STU's have started outsourcing the body building (in fact PPP mode is getting more popular for entire bus itself) unlike MSRTC, which builds bodies for itself at Pune.

MSRTC builds their bodies at three workshops - Central Works Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur. They recently started getting bodies from outside as well - ACGL (Goa) and Antony (Navi Mumbai) are doing the job currently. The design hower is prescribed by MSRTC, and hence the buses still carry the same old design.

APSRTC also does something similar - although their bus bodies are built outside (outsourced), the design is prescribed by APSRTC.

I guess its only KeSRTC that is still having 100% of their buses built inhouse - most other operators have moved to outsourcing.

[Ashley2]

From left to right:
Chennai - Vizag, Chennai - Vijayawada, Chennai - Hyderabad.

[lexusES350]

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

Did a 1800 km road trip of Maharastra on a Force Traveller recently and was noticing the buses operated by the MSRTRC. Except for the Shivneri service, almost all of the buses have the body that are of 80s vintage. The 2X2 is still called Asiad though it seems to come with air suspension at the rear. Was perplexed to see that with MSRTC while most other STUs which used to have the same looking lal dabba(Karnataka, Andhra, Gujarat etc.) seems to have moved into newer bus bodies.

I recently had a chance to travel in APSRTC buses for Tirupati-Tirumala and Tirumala-Chennai journeys and these buses are nothing to write about. I'll anyday prefer MSRTC 2x2 Parivartan or Asiad over these.
Also saw Gujrat SRTC buses while I was in Pune and they are way inferior to the ones operated by MSRTC in comfort/luxury level.

I guess what matters is not how the bus looks but whether it has at least basic amenities and good suspension than fancy looking rickety box.

Whenever I visit India, I frequently travel from Pune to Nashik by MSRTC (Either Shivneri or Asiad) and have found their service adequate for 5-6 hour journey. However, same claim can not be made about APSRTC bus that took me from Tirupati to Tirumala (mere 1 hr journey) and then from Tirumala to Chennai (5 hours on horrible road). Also, both of these buses had horrible 3x2 seating with bench type seats as opposed to MSRTC 2x2s with proper personal seat be it dreaded lal dabba (Parivartan) or Asiad.