[GB] B9

Someone asked for this a while back. This is still the solidary B9TL in London service.
With Volvo temporarily "banned" by TfL due to noisy radiators on its predessecor B7TL,
it will probably take a while before any operator will switch back to the new Volvo, until
the manufacture complete the fix anyway.

For the bus itself, it certainly did not look too different than the B7TL/Eclipse Gemini,
except the additional filler cap for the urea. Actually, it retained the same bodywork as
the B7TL, without the revised backend which goes into production B9TLs. Underneath
the body, it of course has a bigger engine, the 9.3L D9B-260, with a higher power output,
260bhp vs 215bhp on the standard B7TL. However, it did not feel or sound much different
than the B7TL either, which is strange - I remember KMB's AVD1 was spookily quiet, but
this B9 just doesn't. It's silly to say it is noisy, but it certainly feels more like those Euro 3
B9TLs in HK and Dublin, and the B7TLs themselves. Inside, it is again the same as the B7TL.
Unlike the B9TLs in HK though, this bus feature the latest Volvo dashboard, which is also
seen on late production B7TLs from the 2nd half of 2005.

Anyway, in the Euro 4 battle, Volvo is certainly losing a lot of ground to ADL and, surprisingly,
Scania in London. It remain to be seen if it can crawl back some ground in 2007.


London General B9, Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini, London - Liverpool Street Stn (Mar 2007)

Actually, how many B9TL do they have?
In this board, I always see that bus but no others...

原帖由 1005 於 2007-4-15 09:58 發表
Actually, how many B9TL do they have?
In this board, I always see that bus but no others...

for London, only one at this moment.