[Transsenger]

Originally Posted by binaiks

You should've certainly complained if the engine was gasping - RAE793 (of PLKD) is a 12M Leyland bus. Its powered by a 177hp engine! This bus is part of a lot of 12 buses allotted to Palakkad depot, exclusively to work Palakkad-Coimbatore chain services.
.

Binaiks, could you please confirm whether those new fast passenger 12M AL buses of KeSRTC are having 177Hp engine? I doubt they are having 166Hp engine or 84Kw one found on the normal viking BS2.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by binaiks

You should've certainly complained if the engine was gasping - RAE793 (of PLKD) is a 12M Leyland bus. Its powered by a 177hp engine! This bus is part of a lot of 12 buses allotted to Palakkad depot, exclusively to work Palakkad-Coimbatore chain services.

That's some info for me. Good to see some good buses being sent to PLKD. Normally PLKD depot gets the buses allotted to KTR or EMLY during Sabarimala season, after a few months of toiling on the ghats with peak load.

Originally Posted by binaiks

However, TNSTC buses take anywhere between 90 and 120 minutes - depending on the mood of the particular driver.

True to the core. Most of them do not adjust to the relatively narrow roads in Kerala. They are very hard to overtake, rarely give signals, and most often drive on the middle of the road.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Transsenger

Binaiks, could you please confirm whether those new fast passenger 12M AL buses of KeSRTC are having 177Hp engine? I doubt they are having 166Hp engine or 84Kw one found on the normal viking BS2.

Its the 177HP engine. The bus also has the Lynx style steering wheel, and the gear lever jutting out on top of the gear box - like a TATA.

Originally Posted by silversteed

That's some info for me. Good to see some good buses being sent to PLKD. Normally PLKD depot gets the buses allotted to KTR or EMLY during Sabarimala season, after a few months of toiling on the ghats with peak load.

These buses are no different. These buses were with Ernakulam/Chengannur/Kottayam earlier - during the Sabarimala season. Infact, all buses acquired by KeSRTC during November-January first begin their life working shuttles to Pamba. They reach their destined depots only after the season ends.

More interestingly, buses procured between February and November are sent for Pamba schedules during the season. The reason why so many buses go to Pamba is that KeSRTC operates as many as 1000 buses to Pamba during the peak season.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by binaiks

These buses are no different. These buses were with Ernakulam/Chengannur/Kottayam earlier - during the Sabarimala season. Infact, all buses acquired by KeSRTC during November-January first begin their life working shuttles to Pamba. They reach their destined depots only after the season ends.

Sounds like some kind of "offering" to me.

-- Torqy

[silversteed]

@binaiks:
I couldn't see the console, steering wheel and gear shift lever because it was crowded. That's why i mistook it for a regular Viking.

But I was amazed by the way it was maintained. Hope they continue their good job

Originally Posted by Torqy

Sounds like some kind of "offering" to me.

-- Torqy

Yeah, an offering to the pilgrims more than to the Lord. But worth it

[Transsenger]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Its the 177HP engine. The bus also has the Lynx style steering wheel, and the gear lever jutting out on top of the gear box - like a TATA..

Binaiks, a recent post in ksrtcblog.com says(link below), new Superexpress buses are built on AL 12M chassis fitted with 114Hp engine! Hence i still doubt that the earlier AL 12M fastpassengers are also having 114Hp engine...rather than 177Hp version.

And later more Tata1612 (125Hp Cummins engine) based superexpress will be joining

New Express Buses To Be Rolled Out Soon | KSRTC Blog - Kerala State Road Transport Corporation

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Transsenger

Binaiks, a recent post in ksrtcblog.com says(link below), new Superexpress buses are built on AL 12M chassis fitted with 114Hp engine! Hence i still doubt that the earlier AL 12M fastpassengers are also having 114Hp engine...rather than 177Hp version.

Information mentioned on the website you have quoted should certainly be taken with a pinch of salt. The website is purely a commercial page, with the only intention being revenue from advertisement (the "blogger" is a final year engineering student, basically from Konni, now in Bangalore). The information, if you note carefully is copy-pasted from the Ashok Leyland website. Leaving aside the website..

The bus in question (see the image in the very post you have quoted) has a steering wheel exactly of the same model that you see in the 177hp version. I am 100% sure that the buses are 177hp versions. The ones running between Palakkad and Coimbatore now are 177hp versions. I had talked to a driver, who did confirm that the bus has a 177hp engine (i vaguely remember him proudly claim, my bus as "six gears". The six geared version, AFAIK, is only the 177hp version.)

The new TATA Super Expresses are certainly being built on 1612 platform - KeSRTC never seem to learn from their past mistakes.

I can conclude with fair amount of confidence that the Leylands are 177hp versions (from the gear layout, dash design and steering wheel design) - unless, of course, Leyland has decided to upgrade the looks in the 114hp versions as well. I rest my case here.

[conjon]

Originally Posted by Transsenger

Binaiks, a recent post in ksrtcblog.com says(link below), new Superexpress buses are built on AL 12M chassis fitted with 114Hp engine! Hence i still doubt that the earlier AL 12M fastpassengers are also having 114Hp engine...rather than 177Hp version.

And later more Tata1612 (125Hp Cummins engine) based superexpress will be joining

New Express Buses To Be Rolled Out Soon | KSRTC Blog - Kerala State Road Transport Corporation

Transsenger,If you checkout the AL website you will find there are 2 types of 12M buses on their website. One has the ETI engine which produces 114 hp and the other the DTI engine which produces 177hp.

I think the expresses being built by Kesrtc has the 177hp, lynx type steering wheel and instrument console.And they have air suspension on the front and rear.
The 114hp 12M bus have the same instument console and steering like the one's in regular Vikings.They have air suspension on the rear and wevellers on the front.

The specification on the ksrtcblog has been copied from the AL website and it is for the 114hp 12M bus.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by binaiks

i vaguely remember him proudly claim, my bus as "six gears". The six geared version, AFAIK, is only the 177hp version.

Originally Posted by conjon

Transsenger,If you checkout the AL website you will find there are 2 types of 12M buses on their website. One has the ETI engine which produces 114 hp and the other the DTI engine which produces 177hp.

All AL's 12M bus with 6DTi engines are fitted with 6speed GB only.
There are three engine versions in 6DTi with 162BHP,177BHP and 203BHP.
All with radial tyres.
There is one 12M bus model with 6ETi engine with 113 BHP and this is a 5Speed GB.

The above models are BSII.
For BSIII there is only one model with 6DTi engine with 181BHP. So may be if you guys can identify whether the bus is BSIII or BSII we can find out the version.

Moreover how was the CSO layout, was it through bonnet or behind bonnet?
12M (162BHP,177BHP and 203BHP models) busses have only through bonnet CSO.

Originally Posted by conjon

I think the expresses being built by Kesrtc has the 177hp, lynx type steering wheel and instrument console.And they have air suspension on the front and rear.

Originally Posted by conjon

The 114hp 12M bus have the same instument console and steering like the one's in regular Vikings.They have air suspension on the rear and wevellers on the front.

Agreed for the above

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Moreover how was the CSO layout, was it through bonnet or behind bonnet?
12M (162BHP,177BHP and 203BHP models) busses have only through bonnet CSO.

Would be glad if you could expand CSO. I am guessing this has got something to do with the gear lever (as we normally call it). It is through the bonnet - not behind. The gear lever is similar to what we normally see on TATA/Eichers, and not the kind usually seen in Viking/Cheetah buses.

And, as mentioned earlier, this bus had Stag/Lynx style steering wheel, and the improvised dash board. I am sure this is not the regular 114hp engine. It is yet to be seen if this is a BSII or a BSIII variant. Interestingly, a check for the entries with RTO reveals that the BHP is shown as 84 for these buses!

C'mon, it cannot be 84BHP - could be this be 181bhp?

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Would be glad if you could expand CSO.

CSO - Change Speed Operation. The Correct term to indicate the Gear shift operation.

Originally Posted by binaiks

Interestingly, a check for the entries with RTO reveals that the BHP is shown as 84 for these buses!

Power of engines in Ashokleyland products are refered in KW.
So this translates into 114BHP.

[smashnerd]

Man, it's so bad that KSRTC is going back to under-powering it's vehicles. I mean I don't really want the bus t o be fast nut I'd like it very much if it was able to accelerate swiftly especially on grades.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by smashnerd

Man, it's so bad that KSRTC is going back to under-powering it's vehicles. ..

Binaiks are you sure you read it as 84, if so then it could be 114BHP or else we can further look for other clues

[Transsenger]

Originally Posted by binaiks

The bus in question (see the image in the very post you have quoted) has a steering wheel exactly of the same model that you see in the 177hp version. I am 100% sure that the buses are 177hp versions. The ones running between Palakkad and Coimbatore now are 177hp versions. I had talked to a driver, who did confirm that the bus has a 177hp engine (i vaguely remember him proudly claim, my bus as "six gears". The six geared version, AFAIK, is only the 177hp version.)
I can conclude with fair amount of confidence that the Leylands are 177hp versions (from the gear layout, dash design and steering wheel design) - unless, of course, Leyland has decided to upgrade the looks in the 114hp versions as well. I rest my case here.

Binaiks, your points noted. But i still find some data that suggest otherwise. (Pls don't mistake this as an argument).
AL's "Operater Manual" for latest BS2 buses suggest, there are 4 varients of 12M platform.
1. 12M (ALPSV4/106) with 84Kw (114Hp) engine and 5speed GB
2. 12(ALPSV4/107) with 166Hp engine and 6speed GB
3. 12M(ALPSV4/86) with 180Hp engine
4. 12M(ALPSV4/114) with 205Hp engine

Except for ALPSV4/106, all other models have same dashboard similar to Stag & Lynx. But ALPSV4/106 has old taurus type dashboard. (See the link below. Image by Sujith Bhakthan @ [COLOR=#800080]http://picasaweb.google.com/sujithbhakthan/FastPassengerBuses#5421302361991604274[/COLOR]

All 12M versions have Stag/Lynx type steering wheel.
When KSRTC is buying 1612Tata for super express class bus instead of Tata1616, are they foolish enough to go for AL12M (180Hp) version for Fast Passenger! Being a STU anything is possible....right!

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Binaiks are you sure you read it as 84, if so then it could be 114BHP or else we can further look for other clues

Before I delve more in to details, is there a 12M version with 62kW? I checkd the RC entries for all the current 12M (not the Super Expresses) - some of them show 84 under "BHP" while some show 62 below "BHP".

Originally Posted by Transsenger

But i still find some data that suggest otherwise. (Pls don't mistake this as an argument).

In fact, I would be glad if you could prove me otherwise - just to update my knowledge. I was believing these were 114hp versions, until another friend of mine confirmed otherwise.

Originally Posted by Transsenger

All 12M versions have Stag/Lynx type steering wheel.

I beg to differ here. I have seen 114hp variant with the regular steering wheel. The point of difference here is the Gear lever, while juts out of the bonnet (like a TATA/Eicher) unlike the regular Leyland ones coming from behind the bonnet.

Originally Posted by Transsenger

When KSRTC is buying 1612Tata for super express class bus instead of Tata1616, are they foolish enough to go for AL12M (180Hp) version for Fast Passenger! Being a STU anything is possible....right!

With KeSRTC, anything is possible! They were buying 132/114hp Leylands even when their TATAs were 1510s (which I believe were 97hp).

Can anyone help with the engine options that are available on Cheetah now? I mean what engine could be powering the KeSRTC "Cut Chassis" (Short Wheel Base) buses?