| DAF/VDL DB250 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | DAF / VDL |
| Production | 1991–2007 |
| Assembly | Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 or 2 |
| Floor type | Step entrance DE23 Low floor DE02 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | DAF ATi RS 8.6 litre DAF Paccar PS 9.2 litre |
| Transmission | Voith DIWA.3 851.3 Voith DIWA.3 854.3 ZF Ecomat 4HP500 ZF Ecomat 5HP500 |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | VDL DB300 |
The VDL DB250 (originally the DAF DB250) is a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by VDL Bus & Coach.
The DAF DB250 was launched in October 1991 and originally only available with Optare Spectra bodywork with 260 built, mainly for operators in the United Kingdom. [1] [2]
25 DAF DB250s with Optare Spectra bodywork were delivered to London Buses in 1992, with all but one delivered to the London Central subsidiary with a single door arrangement; [3] Metroline received a single dual door example for evaluating replacements for MCW Metrobuses on route 16. [4] Capital Logistics also received a delayed order of six dual door Spectras in 1999 for their operation of route 60.
31 left-hand drive examples were exported to Turkey in 1994, with 26 being delivered to IETT in Istanbul and the remaining five being delivered to İzulaş in İzmir. [5] [6]
The DAF DB250 later became available with Northern Counties Palatine II bodywork in 1994. [7] Cowie London purchased 13 Palatine IIs on the DB250 chassis, [8] while Harris Bus would also acquire fleets of DB250s. [9]
The DB250LF, the low-floor version of the DB250, was the first low-floor double-decker bus chassis available in the United Kingdom. The DB250LF is readily identified by the centrally-exiting exhaust at the rear, which can cause problems with extreme changes of slope. A revised version of DB250LF was launched in 2004 as the DB250+. The design has received a number of modifications, one of which is the use of independent front suspension.
The first DB250LFs received Optare Spectra body, which was sold exclusively on the DB250. The first low-floor variant entered service on 4 February 1998 with Abus of Bristol, narrowly beating a Travel West Midlands DB250LF to operate the first low floor double-decker bus service in the UK. [10] [ better source needed ] Travel West Midlands would later go on to order 20 more Spectras in 1999. [11] Additional operators of the DB250LF with Optare Spectra bodywork included Reading Buses, who purchased 26, and Wilts & Dorset, who purchased 78. [1]
Later DB250 chassis were fitted with Alexander ALX400, Plaxton President, East Lancs Myllennium Lowlander and Wright Pulsar Gemini bodies. The development of a Wright alternative arose because Arriva wished to buy both the Wright body and DB250 chassis. Unable to do so, it instead purchased over 100 Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TLs. Wright subsequently developed the Pulsar Gemini in 2003 in order to win more orders from Arriva. [12]
Arriva London purchased and acquired 632 DB250s between 1998 and 2005 with Alexander ALX400 (389), Plaxton President (110) and Wright Pulsar Gemini (133) bodywork. [13] [14] Arriva Midlands and Arriva Yorkshire also purchased examples.
The DB250LF chassis was also adopted by Wrightbus for the development of its hybrid-powered double-decker bus, the Wright Pulsar Gemini HEV. [15]
Production of the DB250 ended in 2006, although examples continued entering service until 2008. Its successor, the Wright Gemini 2 integral double decker with VDL chassis modules, was launched in November 2008. [16]
The Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus chassis which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of the Volvo Olympian. It was built as the British bus operators seemed hesitant to purchase the B7L double decker with a long rear overhang.
VDL Bus & Coach is a Dutch vehicle manufacturer. It is an amalgamation of several bus building companies within the VDL Groep. VDL Bus & Coach has manufacturing plants in Belgium and the Netherlands. By 2018 VDL Bus & Coach sold 500 electric buses.
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 VDL SB200 is a 12 m light-weight, low floor single decker bus chassis that was produced from 2001 to 2014 by VDL Bus & Coach. It superseded the SB220.
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.
Operation Overdrive is the name of a series of improvement programmes carried out by Arriva in their UK bus operations. The original Operation Overdrive was done by Arriva Southern Counties in the Medway Towns (Kent) in 2004, with further operations occurring in Maidstone (Kent), Merseyside, Leicestershire, County Durham, and Southend-on-Sea (Essex).
The Optare Spectra was a double-decker bus body built on both the step entrance DAF DB250 and low-floor DB250LF chassis between 1991 and 2006.
The Wright Pulsar Gemini is a design of double-decker bus bodywork built onto VDL DB250LF chassis by Wrightbus between 2003 and 2006. It was visually almost identical to the Wright Eclipse Gemini that was mounted on the Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL chassis.
The Wright Pulsar was a single-decker bus body built on the VDL SB200 single-decker bus chassis by Wrightbus between 2006 and 2014.
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 Optare Vecta was a step-entrance single-deck bus body manufactured by Optare between 1991 and 1997 on the MAN 11.190 chassis.
United Bus was a European bus and coach manufacturing group created by the merger of Dutch manufacturers DAF Bus and Bova in November 1989. The merger was made in response to a joint review of the future European bus and coach industry. DAF took a majority stake in this merger, while Bova remained as an operating subsidiary, with plans for further expansion across Europe at the offset. All United Bus companies retained their identities while part of the group.
The Plaxton Prestige is a low-floor single-decker bus body built by manufacturers Northern Counties and Plaxton between 1996 and 1999.
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 Wright Commander was a low-floor single-decker bus body built on the DAF/VDL SB200 chassis by Wrightbus between 2002 and 2007.
Arriva Buses Wales is a bus operator providing services in northern Wales and Chester in northern England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.
The Wright Gemini 2 is a double-decker bus built by Wrightbus between 2008 and 2013. It was announced in December 2007 but was not named until 2008. It was constructed as a semi-integral vehicle, with chassis modules provided by VDL. The bodywork utilised some lighter materials so that the vehicle was lighter than the Eclipse Gemini and Pulsar Gemini bodied buses. It was available in two versions; the Gemini 2 DL diesel-powered version, and the Gemini 2 HEV diesel-electric hybrid version.
The East Lancs OmniDekka is a double-decker bus built for sale in the UK market, introduced by East Lancashire Coachbuilders in 2003. Originally built on Scania N94UD chassis at Euro 3, and later Scania N230UD and N270UD at Euro 4 and Euro 5, the bodywork consists of a modified East Lancs Myllennium double decker, but with the standard front end cowl and windscreen replaced with that of Scania's own integral OmniCity. Through takeovers of East Lancs, production of the OmniDekka was latterly carried out by the Darwen Group and finally Optare before ceasing in 2011.
Media related to DAF DB250 at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to VDL DB250 at Wikimedia Commons
