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Alexander ALX200 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Alexander/TransBus |
Production | 1996–2001 |
Body and chassis | |
Doors | 1 or 2 doors |
Floor type | Low floor |
Chassis | Dennis Dart SLF Volvo B6LE |
Related | ALX100, ALX300, ALX400, ALX500 |
Powertrain | |
Engine | Cummins B Series (Dennis Dart SLF) Volvo D6A (Volvo B6LE) |
Transmission | Allison/ZF Ecomat |
Dimensions | |
Length | 8.8–10.7 m (28 ft 10 in – 35 ft 1 in) |
Width | around 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
Height | 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Alexander Dash |
Successor | Plaxton Pointer |
The Alexander ALX200 was a single-decker bus body built by Alexander of the United Kingdom. It was created for low-floor bus chassis produced from the late 1990s and was launched in spring 1996 as a low-floor replacement of the Alexander Dash. It was marketed in Alexander's 'ALX' series to fill in the gap between the ALX100 minibus and the ALX300 full-size single-decker.
As compared to the Dash, the ALX200 has a more rounded appearance. The styling is completely different from the Dash body, with a rounded roof dome and deep double-curvature windscreen with plastic mouldings under the windscreen to make it look deeper, and large circular headlights and circular front indicators, it also has a separately mounted destination box. The body was primarily built on Dennis Dart SLF and Volvo B6LE. It was given a mild front end refresh during 2001.
With the formation of TransBus International, the ALX200 was phased out in favour of the more successful Plaxton Pointer in 2001 when production of the Pointer was moved from Scarborough to Falkirk, where Walter Alexander was based.
Operators of the Alexander ALX200 in the United Kingdom mainly included Stagecoach, whose orders included 90 ALX200s built on the Volvo B6LE chassis, the FirstGroup, Arriva and Newport Transport, who operated ALX200s on 8.8m Dart SLF chassis.
The ALX200 on Dennis Dart SLF chassis was purchased by some Cowie Group companies, with Yorkshire Buses taking delivery of 30 of the type in April 1997 for services in Dewsbury, replacing the operator's last Leyland Nationals. [1] Grey-Green also took delivery of seventeen of the type, while Clydeside 2000 took delivery of ten ALX200s between May and June 1997. [2]
In London, the Alexander ALX200 on Dennis Dart SLF chassis proved most popular with Stagecoach London's East London and Selkent operations, who were both the largest customers for the ALX200 throughout its production run. A total of 216 were delivered between 1997 and 2001, with thirteen of these used for a contract route connecting Liverpool Street station and London City Airport. [3] : 62–69 : 40–41 Arriva London, meanwhile, took delivery of 38 ALX200 bodied Dart SLFs between 1998 and 2000, acquiring a further nineteen that were originally new to Arriva East Herts & Essex in May 2000, [3] : 87–90 while elsewhere, Connex took delivery of 18 between 2000 and 2001, [3] : 166–167 Epsom Coaches took delivery of 14 between 1999 and 2001, [3] : 153–155 Armchair Passenger Transport took delivery of 13 in May 1999, [3] : 132 and Metrobus took delivery of three in July 1999. [3] : 28–29
The ALX200 was also popular as an export product. Citybus of Hong Kong purchased ten ALX200-bodied Volvo B6LE buses in 1997 for use on route 260 serving Stanley and Central, which were withdrawn and returned to the UK two years later due to structural defects, [4] while 50 Alexander ALX200s were bodied on left hand drive Dennis Dart SLF chassis for use by Arriva Netherlands in 2000. [5]
A small number of ALX200s were built by Thomas Built Buses from 1999 to 2003 under license as the 'SLF 200' for use in the United States; these buses were fitted with Cummins ISB and Mercedes-Benz engines. [6] [7]
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis of Guildford, England, in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a high-floor design, in 1996 the low-floor second generation Dennis Dart SLF was launched. In 2001, production of the Dart SLF passed to TransBus International, during which time it was sold as the TransBus Dart SLF; Alexander Dennis took over production in 2004, renaming the product as the Alexander Dennis Dart SLF.
The Alexander ALX400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders. It was one of the ALX-series bodywork, all of which featured the same designs on the front and rear panels that were originally designed for the new generation of mainly low-floor bus chassis produced since the late 1990s.
The Plaxton President is a low floor double-decker bus body built by Plaxton at the former Northern Counties factory in Wigan, England. It was first unveiled in 1997 on the longitudinal Volvo B7L chassis and later built between 1999 and 2005 following a body redesign. When it became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under the TransBus name. The President was built on the Dennis/TransBus Trident, the DAF DB250 and the Volvo B7TL chassis.
The Alexander ALX300 was a low-floor bus body manufactured by Alexander and later Alexander Dennis in Falkirk, Scotland. It was launched in 1997 as a replacement for the Strider and the PS type.
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floor double-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-decker Wright Eclipse design. The second-generation Eclipse Gemini 2 was launched in 2009, followed by the third-generation Gemini 3 in 2013. Additionally, the body was available on Volvo Super Olympian chassis in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2005, marketed as the Wright Explorer.
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The Volvo B6 was a 5.5-litre (1.2-imperial-gallon) engined midibus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 1999. It was also available as the low-entry Volvo B6LE.
The Dennis Lance was a single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF was built between 1993 and 1996. Between 1995 and 1998, Dennis also built its double-deck variant, the Dennis Arrow, as the replacement of the Dennis Dominator.
The East Lancs Myllennium was a type of single-decker bus body manufactured by East Lancashire Coachbuilders on DAF SB220, Dennis Dart SLF, MAN 14.220 and Scania N94UB chassis. It was superseded by the East Lancs Esteem in 2006.
The East Lancs Spryte was a low floor single-decker bus body built by East Lancashire Coachbuilders primarily for construction on the Dennis Dart SLF chassis.
The Wright Crusader was a single-deck midibus body built on Dennis Dart SLF, Volvo B6LE and Volvo B6BLE chassis by Wrightbus between 1995 and 2002.
The Northern Counties Paladin, also badged as the Plaxton Paladin towards the end of production, is a step-entrance single-decker bus body built by Northern Counties of Wigan, UK, between 1991 and 1998. The replacements for the Paladin are the Prestige and the Pointer as low-floor models for the Paladin LF.
The Marshall Capital was a single-decker bus body built originally by Marshall Bus between 1996 and 2002, and later by MCV Bus & Coach between 2002 and 2003. Initially launched on the step-entrance MAN 11.220 and then Iveco Eurorider chassis, the Capital found greater success after being launched on the low-floor Dennis Dart SLF chassis from 1997. Marshall also produced a related, integral midibus, known as the Marshall Minibus, between 1996 and 1998.
The Northern Counties Palatine was a step-entrance 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus body built by Northern Counties from 1988 to 1999 in Wigan, England.
The Alexander PS-type was a step-entrance single-deck bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders in Falkirk, Scotland and was produced from 1988 to the late 1990s on the Dennis Lance, Mercedes-Benz O405, Scania N113 and Volvo B10M chassis.
Glenvale Transport (GTL) was a bus company that operated services in Liverpool between July 2001 and July 2005.
The MCV Evolution is a low floor and low entry single-decker bus body built by Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles. It was unveiled in 2003 as the successor to the MCV Stirling. The MCV Evolution 2 was launched, initially on Mercedes-Benz chassis in 2011.
The Plaxton Pointer is a single-deck midibus body that was manufactured between 1991 and 2006, predominantly on the Dennis Dart chassis, by Reeve Burgess, Plaxton and latterly Alexander Dennis.
The Alexander Dash is a step-entrance midibus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders of Scotland from 1991 to 1997. Unveiled by Alexander at the 1991 Coach and Bus exhibition in Birmingham, it was one of the variants of Alexander's AM-type body, also using components from the Alexander PS type, and was usually combined with the Dennis Dart and Volvo B6 step-entrance single-decker bus chassis.
The Volvo B6BLE was a 5.5-litre engined low-entry midibus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1999 and 2001, with three unfinished or unsold chassis being bodied in 2004 and 2005.
Media related to Alexander ALX200 at Wikimedia Commons