[n_naik]

Last month, Eicher buses , for the first time, made an entry into KSRTC (Karnataka)

[binaiks]

Eicher made fairly good in-roads into KSRTC (Kerala). They were the L2 in the bid for 1350 normal chassis, and also for 150 Air-Suspension Chassis. In the former, they won orders for 135 BS-III Chassis (147hp, Non Air-Suspension) and 10 BS-III 153hp Chassis (Air Suspension). They had originally won orders for 38 air-suspension chassis, but later reduced to 10 due to the product being new to KSRTC, and KSRTC wanting to do a trial of the product.

The green on is built on the Air-Suspension Chassis, and the other two on the regular chassis. All the buses were built by Central Works, Pappanamcode, Trivandrum. Now 115 chassis has arrived at all the 5 workshops of KSRTC for body building.

[n_naik]

And another transport corporation of Karnataka, namely NWKRTC too got them last month. They built a city bus on Eicher chassis.

[ranjithrnath]

KeSRTC Eicher Express Buses
Spotted this newbie RPC 506 of Kottayam at Perumbavoor doing Easter Special to Bangalore via Thrissur, Kozhikode, Mananthvady, Kutta, Mysore.
The interiors are similar to the Viking / LPO Super Deluxe buses with 10 rows / 40 Push Back seats. Only GOD Knows why KeSRTC is Launching the same type buses with 3 different fares n branding as Super Express , Super Deluxe and Silver Line Jet




Eicher Express and Fast Passenger

Eicher Silver Line Jet
Ernakulam - Bangalore Easter special service...[Pic credit MPS Photography]



RPC 68 A unique, Special edition Eicher Super Fast from Central Works!!

[pedrolourenco]

Kadamba Transport Corporation bought quite a few Eicher Buses about 4 years ago. I somehow see an Eicher bus broken down by the side of the road on a regular basic. Sightings of broken down Tata or Leyland Kadamba buses is less frequent. This is just my personal obversation over the last 4 years. I cannot provide any scientific explanation for the same as the the Eicher Trucks (Based on the Mitsubishi Canter) seem to be running fine all over.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by ranjithrnath

Only GOD Knows why KeSRTC is Launching the same type buses with 3 different fares n branding as Super Express , Super Deluxe and Silver Line Jet

At the risk of going OT here - KSRTC once had used a few AL 177hp 12M chassis to run AC services (KTR-BLR was one), with a slave engine powering the AC compressor. Those services were stopped soon, citing frequent problems with the slave engines and the buses were converted to FP/Ord. At the same time, a few TML LPO1616c chassis were also used for similar services (PLKD-TVM, TSR-BLR were two that I recollect), with the compressor driven by the engine itself. I hope you are aware of the 10 Viking SWB chassis fitted with 183hp BS-III engine, used for LS services. So, that's the way decisions are made

[n_naik]

Spoke to a couple of KSRTC Eicher drivers when the buses were just a week old. They said, the performance was better than TATA 1512c but not as good as Ashok Leyland Viking.

[v1kram]

Apart from Educational Institutions buying Eicher in bulk, It's also getting popular among Private Operators in West TamilNadu with some of the loyal Viking customers shifting to Eicher. Keeping the performance/fuel consumption debate aside, chassis price also plays a very important role where Eicher is considerably (few lakhs) cheaper than a AL Viking. With TATA pitching the newly launched 1515c series, need to wait and see how the market responds.
Photos courtesy: Respective Owners

[v1kram]

Looks like the new found love among private operators for Eicher is growing in a steady phase, another well known and old operator has replaced their AL 12m with Eicher.
Photo Courtesy: Santhosh Kumar and Tiger Coach

[vivek95]

Eicher buses for MSRTC,Maharashtra at Dapodi workshop,Pune. I read in a news article somewhere , there is an order for 600 odd buses by MSRTC.

Pic credits -- Raju Raykar and Akash ( Msrtc fb group)

[Rahul Rao]

With much lesser power output the Eicher may be more effecient, and the low first gear also provides gradablity, but if momentumis lost on grades, it suffers and remains in low gears.
Another advantage with eicher is it has the smallest Front Overhang chassis, at 4650mm WB and 9.3 M overall length. Other undre 10 M chassis do not have good turning radius due to wheel base being 5200mm or more.

Originally Posted by silversteed

At the risk of going OT here - KSRTC once had used a few AL 177hp 12M chassis to run AC services (KTR-BLR was one), with a slave engine powering the AC compressor........................................ ....... a few TML LPO1616c chassis were also used for similar services (PLKD-TVM, TSR-BLR were two that I recollect), with the compressor driven by the engine itself. I hope you are aware of the 10 Viking SWB chassis fitted with 183hp BS-III engine, used for LS services. So, that's the way decisions are made

In practice a 156 HP Tata Cummins engine can easily touch 100 with a main engine driven Ac in a 16 Ton bus.
Tata refuses warranty for main engine driven Ac with the 125 and 135 Hp tune option, but provides warranty with the 156 and 180 HP tune.
In case of Leyland main Engie driven Ac is allowed with the 183 HPengine, but not with the 156 BHP or lower one.

Rahul

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

With much lesser power output the Eicher may be more effecient, and the low first gear also provides gradablity, but if momentumis lost on grades, it suffers and remains in low gears.

Can you explain the "much lesser power output" part? The current options given by Eicher is 145hp and 154hp. This is on slightly different from what the competition offers (160hp in case of Leyland and 135/150hp in case of Tata).

[SAE40 in veins]

Originally Posted by ranjithrnath

There are 4 models available with Eicher 20.15
Here is a comparison chart.

I don't get this logic. 330 dia clutch for a 11 m chassis ?. 11 m chasses get loaded with a heavier body and higher no of passengers. Vehicle take off in first gear is a function of the low end torque and clutch which in this case looks suspect. 460 NM and 330 dia clutch may be ok for the applications upto 10 m but is it adequate for 11m and above? AFAIK, ALL and TML use 352mm and 380mm clutches for operations above 10 m.

Silverline jet is another surprise, 147 HP & 460 NM is pitted against 160 HP of ALL and 180 HP of TML. isn't the Silverline supposed to go faster than the Super fasts and Fast passengers of KeSRTC ?

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by SAE40 in veins

Silverline jet is another surprise, 147 HP & 460 NM is pitted against 160 HP of ALL and 180 HP of TML. isn't the Silverline supposed to go faster than the Super fasts and Fast passengers of KeSRTC ?

Correction - 160hp/550Nm AL Viking (ILmech) vs 135hp/490Nm TM LPO1512c EX vs 147hp/460Nm Eicher 20.15x LPO.

KSRTC's Silverline Jet class has fewer stops compared to the Super Deluxe (the hierarchy is: Garuda class (Volvo/Scania) > SLJ > Super Deluxe > Super Express > Super Fast > Fast Passenger > Ordinary class), hence their running times are lower. Moreover, they're driven at their maximum allowed limits almost all the time.

[SAE40 in veins]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Correction - 160hp/550Nm AL Viking (ILmech) vs 135hp/490Nm TM LPO1512c EX vs 147hp/460Nm Eicher 20.15x LPO.

KSRTC's Silverline Jet class has fewer stops compared to the Super Deluxe (the hierarchy is: Garuda class (Volvo/Scania) > SLJ > Super Deluxe > Super Express > Super Fast > Fast Passenger > Ordinary class), hence their running times are lower. Moreover, they're driven at their maximum allowed limits almost all the time.

Agreed that TML has the 135 HP versions as well which KeSRTC prefers. Acceleration is dependent on the torque more than the power and in this case Eicher is the lowest. A long distance supposedly 'high speed' bus like SLJ should be rather built on the ALL 160 HP chassis or the TML 1618 than the Eicher. KeSRTC is anyways known for such things which defy logic as was pointed out elsewhere in this thread regarding the Tata Globus 1616 vs ALL 177 HP(both air conditioned) where a slave engine was used to run the AC in the higher powered ALL.