Volgren Discussion / Observations

General Transport Discussion not specific to one state
tonyp
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

Off The Rails wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 3:05 pm As sighted on the Volgren Facebook page, Volgren Queensland has built their first artic, a Optimus artic for Ventura on (possibly) a K360UA chassis.

Cheers! :wink:
Not their first artic but probably first for Victoria.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by 385BUZ »

They have built 40 Artics for Brisbane Transport alone. Not the first one.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by Off The Rails »

Ah, I may have misunderstood the post, my bad. Here it is below.
volgren.jpg
volgren.jpg (86.42 KiB) Viewed 7252 times
Cheers! :wink:
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by 385BUZ »

Ahh - First Scania Artic! All the BT volgren artics are Volvos
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tonyp
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

385BUZ wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:04 pm Ahh - First Scania Artic! All the BT volgren artics are Volvos
Not even that. The Nowra Coaches artics are Scanias. Try the first etc etc for Ventura Bus Lines. Volgren meant what they wrote. :lol:
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by Off The Rails »

Ah, no. They meant first Queensland built articulated Scania's for Ventura - the Nowra ones are built in Dandanong.
Confusing, hey?

Cheers! :wink:
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tonyp
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

Off The Rails wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:46 pm Ah, no. They meant first Queensland built articulated Scania's for Ventura - the Nowra ones are built in Dandanong.
Confusing, hey?

Cheers! :wink:
I'll accept that but I'm sure that I heard somewhere when they arrived that they came from Queensland. Perhaps the fact that they entered Nowra from the north was a devious flanking tactic (via Picton Rd)!
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by BanksfielderIdiot823 »

About Nowra's Artics...

8342MO - VG4446
8343MO - VG4447
8344MO - VG4448
8572MO - VG4449
8573MO - VG4450

They're all born in Dandy. They probably entered Nowra from the north because they would've stopped over at the service centre in Ingleburn before heading over there.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by scott »

Been noticing via fleet lists that most if not all of the Endura school/charter buses in 2020 are being built by Volgren Malaysia(Supportrans), are they concentrating on route bus production in Dandenong, with Endura production being done in Malaysia?, or is Dandenong still building a small number of Enduras?

I mostly recall Malaysia mainly building stock Scania and Volvo units.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by BanksfielderIdiot823 »

scott wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:27 am Been noticing via fleet lists that most if not all of the Endura school/charter buses in 2020 are being built by Volgren Malaysia(Supportrans), are they concentrating on route bus production in Dandenong, with Endura production being done in Malaysia?, or is Dandenong still building a small number of Enduras?

I mostly recall Malaysia mainly building stock Scania and Volvo units.
Looks like Supportrans did get put on the Endura roster last year. I did a little bit of a dig around the fleet list as well, and I saw only ONE 2020 Endura from Dandy: VG5080 (8750MO at CDC NSW Hunter Valley).
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

The lucky one off B8R Endura, I've seen it but not been able to photograph it yet. I suspect when it comes time to kill off the remaining ABM bodied buses they'll get replaced with B8R Enduras likely also built in Dandy. I don't see CDC getting "VM" built buses for up here anytime soon.

CDC tho has previously gotten Malaysia Enduras mostly for Qcity & the 2 unmarked units at CDC Travel / Charterplus but up here we seemed to have avoided the Malaysian builds at all local CDC depots and stuck to good ol Dandy builds. I've been on "VM" bodied Volgren buses & can't say I notice anything different.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by scott »

I have travelled on numerous Scania K230's and B7RLE's here in Melbourne that were built in Malaysia and there is not much noticeable difference. I suppose Volgren send a kit to Supportrans, they put it together, then ship it back, and they get fitted with seats and other small bits, compliance plate fitted(stamped with VM prefix body no), and pre delivery in Dandenong.

Would an operator have a say on which factory builds their bus?, or is it decided by the powers that be. CDC must of insisted they get a Dandenong built Endura body.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

Often it's simply a matter of factory capacity. If a manufacturer has several factories and one or more are full with orders, jobs will be allocated to another plant.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by BanksfielderIdiot823 »

I'm feeling a bit "Optimus-tic" about Canberra at the moment, because looks like VM0370/QCity TV9266 (Optimus decker No. 3) is getting quite a good reception over there during his tram replacement stint between Gungahlin and Dickson. (There's some pictures up about at the ACT Bus forum as well as the QCity section of sgbuses)

I'm not sure though if this fine machine even got this much reception during his days with CDC Travel/Charterplus when he was on the Westpoint Blacktown shuttle or the Special Event 5A, but there are photos out there.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by 1whoknows »

ABC website today has announced the end of the Volgren Qld/ BCC joint venture in June with the Eagle Farm plant expected to then close down. It may be retained as an after sales service facility.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

I'm taking it now that this means BCC will be looking at other bodied buses besides Volgren when & If the rest of the CNG's go?

I suppose they'll be going electric from here on out so either they'll go with something from the Chinese market (Yutong ) or go for Bustechs Hybrid buses when that's ready. It's just speculation from my side but if the good news about the Denning Element keeps pumping out I'd be hyped to see BCC go for that.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by OLYMPIAN »

BanksfielderIdiot823 wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:05 pm I'm feeling a bit "Optimus-tic" about Canberra at the moment, because looks like VM0370/QCity TV9266 (Optimus decker No. 3) is getting quite a good reception over there during his tram replacement stint between Gungahlin and Dickson. (There's some pictures up about at the ACT Bus forum as well as the QCity section of sgbuses)

I'm not sure though if this fine machine even got this much reception during his days with CDC Travel/Charterplus when he was on the Westpoint Blacktown shuttle or the Special Event 5A, but there are photos out there.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:11 pm I'm taking it now that this means BCC will be looking at other bodied buses besides Volgren when & If the rest of the CNG's go?

I suppose they'll be going electric from here on out so either they'll go with something from the Chinese market (Yutong ) or go for Bustechs Hybrid buses when that's ready. It's just speculation from my side but if the good news about the Denning Element keeps pumping out I'd be hyped to see BCC go for that.
I'm not closely familar with BCC thinking, but could the break with Volgren be something to do with a NSW-style radical policy of a change to electric buses?

They've already started the ball rolling with the electric Hess buses for the "metro". A Custom Denning Element demonstrator is going to Brisbane and they also have a factory in Brisbane if necessary to use for mass production. BCC have hitherto avoided Bustech and in any case Bustech doesn't really have a ready-to-roll electric bus to go. Volgren is absolutely dragging the chain on electric buses. They have one on a BYD chassis (which is a poor choice) in Melbourne, but the one to watch is the upcoming Volvo electric for Perth which Volgren should be pushing nationally if it works OK. BCC might consider that but the project is running too slowly and Custom Denning has beaten them to the gate. BCI has an electric almost ready to go (demonstrator in Sydney) but it's only low-entry (high floor at the back). There are of course the BYD and Yutong Chinese buses but they have lower passenger capacity, a high floor at the back and likely higher maintenance with their hub motors.

Edit: Just doing a little more research from news late last year, I gather that Brisbane Buses will be trialling a Yutong (a pretty useless bus with a capacity of only about 50) and Translink/Transdev will be trialling an electric bus "from Melbourne" with a capacity of 60, which I can only assume is the Volgren BYD. So a Custom Denning will be joining these (I don't know which operator) and with a design capacity of 80, fully low floor and a conventional motor and diff (low maintenance), there should be no prize for guessing which should come out ahead - though Australian transport agencies do come up with bizarre decisions sometimes.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

By the way, I forgot that Volgren was apparently tasked with outfitting the 60 Hess double-articulated buses for Brisbane when the basic bodies arrive in Australia. Surely that means they will be retaining some manufacturing capacity in Brisbane? Or will those buses go via Melbourne?
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by BanksfielderIdiot823 »

OLYMPIAN wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:50 pm The will be 5 Volvo deckers delivery by end of the year but shame they are Gemilang body
A shame indeed. Even more unfortunate now with the knowledge that they now have local plants in Mitchell Park and Glendenning.

Re the BYD Optimus going to Transdev; brilliant that Transdev NSW has finally broken their Bustech trapdoor and now has 3 of them. (To me, the BYD aspect doesn't matter; the mere fact that it's an Optimus does.) However, I, being in the Fairfield area, did feel a little ripped off when I saw on the fleet list that the two blueys were going to Mt Kuring-gai, with another white one heading to Taren Point. Somebody please wake me up when TDV does finally decide to drop at least one into South Granville.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

Where did the third BYD Volgren for Sydney come from? The recent launch in Melbourne displayed the existing Transdev bus operating in Melbourne, two buses for Transdev in Brisbane and two, not three, for Transdev Sydney.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by BanksfielderIdiot823 »

tonyp wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:37 pm Where did the third BYD Volgren for Sydney come from? The recent launch in Melbourne displayed the existing Transdev bus operating in Melbourne, two buses for Transdev in Brisbane and two, not three, for Transdev Sydney.
Beats me; I don't know. You might want to bust the door down of whoever updated the TDV NSW list.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by 1whoknows »

It seems only one of the two white ones has gone to Brizzie with the other going to TP.
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by tonyp »

1whoknows wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:15 am It seems only one of the two white ones has gone to Brizzie with the other going to TP.
I guess the subtle clue in Volgren's publicity photo is that only one of the destos mentions Transdev Queensland.

Image

If all the buses are owned by Transdev, why then are two NSW buses in TfNSW wrap and one is white?
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Re: Volgren Discussion / Observations

Post by OLYMPIAN »

BanksfielderIdiot823 wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:41 pm
OLYMPIAN wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:50 pm The will be 5 Volvo deckers delivery by end of the year but shame they are Gemilang body
A shame indeed. Even more unfortunate now with the knowledge that they now have local plants in Mitchell Park and Glendenning.

Re the BYD Optimus going to Transdev; brilliant that Transdev NSW has finally broken their Bustech trapdoor and now has 3 of them. (To me, the BYD aspect doesn't matter; the mere fact that it's an Optimus does.) However, I, being in the Fairfield area, did feel a little ripped off when I saw on the fleet list that the two blueys were going to Mt Kuring-gai, with another white one heading to Taren Point. Somebody please wake me up when TDV does finally decide to drop at least one into South Granville.
I thought Mitchell Park has been closed
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