Alexander ALX200

Last updated

Alexander ALX200
Arriva Buses Wales Cymru 2313 R313CVU (8566574712).jpg
Arriva Buses Wales ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF in 2013
Overview
Manufacturer Alexander/TransBus
Production1996–2001
Body and chassis
Doors1 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
Length8.8–10.7 m (28 ft 10 in – 35 ft 1 in)
Widtharound 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Height3.0 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.

Contents

Design

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

Stagecoach South West ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF in Paignton in July 2011 Paignton Garage Stagecoach 34014 R114VPU 47105 WA04TXW.jpg
Stagecoach South West ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF in Paignton in July 2011

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

Exports

A Thomas Built Buses SLF 200 operated by TheBus in Prince George's County, Maryland in 2005 PG TheBus at Morgan Boulevard station.jpg
A Thomas Built Buses SLF 200 operated by TheBus in Prince George's County, Maryland in 2005

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]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Dart</span> British rear-engined single-decker midibus

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander ALX400</span> 2-axle double decker bus body

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaxton President</span> 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus body

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander ALX300</span> Low-floor single-deck bus body on DAF, MAN and Volvo 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright Eclipse Gemini</span> Low-floor double-decker bus body

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Scotland West</span> British bus operating company

Arriva Scotland West was a bus company based in Inchinnan, near Paisley, Scotland. It was formed in 1997 as a rebranding of the former Clydeside 2000 company when purchased by Arriva. On 26 March 2012, the business was sold to McGill's Bus Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volvo B6</span> Motor vehicle

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Lance</span> Step-entrance and low-floor single-deck bus chassis

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lancs Myllennium</span> Type of single-decker bus body

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lancs Spryte</span> Low floor bus body on Dennis Dart SLF and Volvo chassis

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright Crusader</span> Low-floor bus body on Dennis Dart SLF, Volvo B6LE and B6BLE 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Counties Paladin</span> Single-decker bus body

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Capital</span> Single decker bus bodywork

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Counties Palatine</span> Step-entrance double-decker bus body

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander PS type</span> Step-entrance single-deck bus bodywork

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenvale Transport</span> Bus operator in Liverpool, Merseyside, England

Glenvale Transport (GTL) was a bus company that operated services in Liverpool between July 2001 and July 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MCV Evolution</span> Single-deck bus bodywork

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaxton Pointer</span> Single-deck midibus body on Dennis and Volvo chassis

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dash</span> Step-entrance midibus body on Dennis Dart and Volvo B6 chassis

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volvo B6BLE</span> Motor vehicle

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.

References

  1. Jones, Stuart (18 April 1997). "Yorkshire Buses take 30 Dart SLF ALX200s". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 405. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. pp. 21–22.
  2. "Cutting a Dash with old and new customers". Coach & Bus Week . No. 284. Peterborough: Emap. 28 August 1997. p. 28. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Beddall, David (3 January 2023). The London Dennis Dart & Dart SLF. Pen & Sword. ISBN   978-1-39909-518-1 . Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. Li, Hanhua (18 July 2018). 香港空調巴士漫遊 [Hong Kong air-conditioned bus tour] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Zhonghua Book Company (Hong Kong) Limited. pp. 93–95. ISBN   978-988-8513-52-9 . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  5. Morgan, Mike (30 November 2000). "Madrid's window on the world gets bigger". Coach & Bus Week. No. 451. Peterborough: Emap. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. Forsyth, Ian (3 March 1999). "Boost for Alexander" . Aberdeen Press & Journal . p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. Goundry, Andy (23 March 2020). Dennis Buses and Other Vehicles. Crowood. p. 159. ISBN   978-1-78500-708-8 . Retrieved 3 January 2023.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Alexander ALX200 at Wikimedia Commons