[urzdeepu]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

One more observation from my side. The AC Busses that run on mofussil routes cannot have sealed windows like the ones on the long-distance routes. Look at this one too, normal windows. It sure helps if someone does not like AC or wants to throw up, but plays havoc with the AC running costs

actually the funda behind having an openable side window for an A/c bus is, if in case the A/c fails, the moffusil bus need not end up the trip. but nevertheless there is one a/c bus in this route which has full fixed windows. Its of Sonali travels in the calicut-manjeri route.

But wait for some days as an ultimate bus is going to hit the road. It belongs to Parasuram a/c airbus who started the revolution of a/c moffusil buses in kerala. The new buses as per reliable sources have
230HP CRS engine(the first CRS bus in india as per the source is delivered to this team), 36 tonne a/c(including driver cabin a/c), full air suspension, electromagnetic retarder brakes(which is the first time in india), Chrome wheel from wheels india(the one seen in parveen volvos) tubeless tyres from Korea, GPS announcement of places etc. The bus is scheduled to be launched this week and the body is built by Shillybear coach, Thrissur. The pic of the existing bus is as below. This is the schedule which will be replaced.This one too have retarder brakes(not electromagnetic) and tubeless tyres.

Sorry for the unclear pic.

[Transsenger]

Originally Posted by urzdeepu

The new buses as per reliable sources have
230HP CRS engine(the first CRS bus in india as per the source is delivered to this team), 36 tonne a/c(including driver cabin a/c), full air suspension, electromagnetic retarder brakes(which is the first time in india), Chrome wheel from wheels india(the one seen in parveen volvos) tubeless tyres from Korea, GPS announcement of places etc. The bus is scheduled to be launched this week and the body is built by Shillybear coach, Thrissur. This one too have retarder brakes(not electromagnetic) and tubeless tyres.
.

"CRS" is the name by AL for its CRDi engine, just like Tata has DiCOR. The Volvo B7R mark3 already has an CRDi engine.
"Electromagnetic Retarders" have been there from the time AL launched the 12M. Also it was used in Volvo B7R Mark1. But today only AL uses this type of retarder. Other including Volvo, Tata etc have switched to Hydrodynamic retarder. It would be better to say that these features are first for a private route bus in Kerala!

[Trapezio]

@transsenger

Do you know which chassis this is? This chassis will be one amongst the few in my guess.

Knowing Kerala, I sympathize 'rival' drivers driving their 120hp buses against this one!

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by urzdeepu

... an ultimate bus is going to hit the road...
230HP CRS engine(the first CRS bus in india as per the source is delivered to this team), 36 tonne a/c(including driver cabin a/c), full air suspension, electromagnetic retarder brakes(which is the first time in india), Chrome wheel from wheels india(the one seen in parveen volvos) tubeless tyres from Korea, GPS announcement of places etc...

Man, how would they recover their investment from this service? They'll have to pack people like sardines!

Keeping the financials aside, this bus is surely going to be a class apart. I liked the idea of providing AC comfort to the driver too - maybe they're cutting costs by not having a separate driver compartment, unlike inter-city buses.

Originally Posted by Trapezio

Do you know which chassis this is? This chassis will be one amongst the few in my guess.

I'm assuming that they've ordered the top-end AL 12M chassis, complete with ABS, retarders, full air-suspension.

Originally Posted by Trapezio

Knowing Kerala, I sympathize 'rival' drivers driving their 120hp buses against this one!

Not anymore - 160bhp is the lowest power output from an AL engine now, for full length buses - means Lynx and Stag excluded. The 114bhp and 140bhp versions are discontinued, AFAIK. An AC bus that runs the compressor off the 230bhp engine and a Non-AC bus with 160bhp engine will not have too big a difference. Also, the AC bus will have to pack more pax to recover the additional cost of fuel, so everything combined, they'll be at par

[prmd_cochin]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Man, how would they recover their investment from this service? They'll have to pack people like sardines!

Keeping the financials aside, this bus is surely going to be a class apart. I liked the idea of providing AC comfort to the driver too - maybe they're cutting costs by not having a separate driver compartment, unlike inter-city buses.

They have successfully run the existing bus with a/c to know the financial aspect of this route. Im sure they will make even more money if they get full fare on full occupancy.

[Trapezio]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Not anymore - 160bhp is the lowest power output from an AL engine now, for full length buses - means Lynx and Stag excluded. The 114bhp and 140bhp versions are discontinued, AFAIK.

An AC bus that runs the compressor off the 230bhp engine and a Non-AC bus with 160bhp engine will not have too big a difference. Also, the AC bus will have to pack more pax to recover the additional cost of fuel, so everything combined, they'll be at par

I know. But you are assuming that all other buses on his route were bought from 2010 onwards. I doubt that.

I don't think profitability has got anything to do with packing buses with passengers. Someone should know to manage his fleet. In India buses fleets are often run with the same mentality as that required in running a grocery shop. Obviously profitability becomes an issue. The archaic rules and regulations also discourages any sense of innovation.

Its improving though... Wish these guys all luck. If they can make it work, others will start exploring it as well.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Trapezio

I know. But you are assuming that all other buses on his route were bought from 2010 onwards. I doubt that.

You got a point, and I overlooked that.

Its improving though... Wish these guys all luck. If they can make it work, others will start exploring it as well.

Hope others, including KSRTC think on those lines. Though the probability of the latter doing it is very less, even lesser in its present state.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by urzdeepu

...This one too have retarder brakes(not electromagnetic) and tubeless tyres.

Are Hydrodynamic retarders being retro fitted?
surprise to see those 295 R 22.5 tyres for mofussil!

[urzdeepu]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Are Hydrodynamic retarders being retro fitted?
surprise to see those 295 R 22.5 tyres for mofussil!

as per the owner of Parasuram, who owns more than 15 buses in his fleet, retarder( the electromagnetic one) is imported and retrofitted to the new bus. Also this team was the first in kerala to launch Euro 2 AL bus. Another interesting fact is their buses are named as Parasuram,netravathi, mangala,rajdhani etc. All belongs to the name of one or the other trains. Why because, Wayanad (the place where he belongs to) doesnt have any rail connectivity so he wish to denote his buses as trains.

[prmd_cochin]

Originally Posted by urzdeepu

as per the owner of Parasuram, who owns more than 15 buses in his fleet, retarder( the electromagnetic one) is imported and retrofitted to the new bus. Also this team was the first in kerala to launch Euro 2 AL bus. Another interesting fact is their buses are named as Parasuram,netravathi, mangala,rajdhani etc. All belongs to the name of one or the other trains. Why because, Wayanad (the place where he belongs to) doesnt have any rail connectivity so he wish to denote his buses as trains.

Does anybody here have the pictures of their other buses (netravathi, mangala, rajdhani and all) . Binaiks, Jimmy any of you ?

[Trapezio]

Does AL offer 12M chassis with 230 hp engine?

[aalokg]

This is how you enjoy cruise control on the Bombay-Pune freeway in a lovely Volvo 9400 operated by the Shivneri service of MSRTC.



This picture was taken day before yesterday on the SWR-THNVND route, and the bus was MH 04 G 7509, probably owned by SS Travels in Borivali, Bombay.

He was one of the very rare drivers whom I have seen engage the cruise control. In my last three years of extensive travel on the Shivneris, I have found only two more drivers use the feature. They were both on the BVI-SWR service.

Halfway through the journey, the Brake Check light came up! But I am pretty sure they'd have got it fixed once the bus reached Vandana, Thane.




Aalok

[Trapezio]

^^
I don't know CV driving myself.

But from my info, what this guy is doing is very very dangerous! Particularly in Indian roads. He is risking too much here by resting his legs this way.

In an emergency he will not be able to deactivate the cruise control fast enough.

[julupani]

What this driver is doing is extremely dangerous in my opinion, unless he brakes with his left foot like a racing driver. The overall distance taken for an emergency braking maneuver will be considerably increased in the above position.

@Trapezio

You dont have to actually deactivate cruise control to slow down, just apply the brakes. Once you let the brakes go, the vehicle will re-accelerate back to the set speed.

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by julupani

You dont have to actually deactivate cruise control to slow down, just apply the brakes. Once you let the brakes go, the vehicle will re-accelerate back to the set speed.

Partially correct i guess. Generally with use of any one of ABC, the cruise control is disabled. You will have to engage it again, it wont snap back on automatically.