Wright Solar Fusion | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Wrightbus |
Production | 2001-2002 |
Assembly | Ballymena, Northern Ireland |
Body and chassis | |
Doors | 2 or 3 |
Floor type | Low entry |
Chassis | Scania L94UA |
Related | Wright Solar |
Powertrain | |
Engine | Scania |
Capacity | 58 or 59 seated |
Transmission | ZF Friedrichshafen |
Dimensions | |
Length | 17.94 metres |
Width | 2.50 metres |
Height | 3.08 metres |
The Wright Solar Fusion was a type of low floor articulated bus body built on the Scania L94UA chassis by Wrightbus. It was the articulated version of the Wright Solar. Only 11 were produced with Nottingham City Transport purchasing five, Go North East purchasing four [1] and First Manchester and Doig's of Glasgow one each. [2]
The Solar Fusion shares a similar bodywork style to the Wright Eclipse Fusion with the main differences being the window and seating before the rear exit doors, and the full rear window due to the transverse engine of the Scania L94 chassis, rather than the vertically mounted fitted to the B7LA chassis.
A First Manchester Solar Fusion was involved in an accident in 2016 on the M60 motorway. [3] Although there were no casualties, the bus was later scrapped after being stored at Manchester's Oldham depot.
One of Nottingham City Transport's Solar Fusions was preserved by Nottingham Heritage Vehicles, [4] while another was converted into a static library for the Alderman Pounder Infant School in Chilwell. [5] [6]
Scania AB is a major Swedish manufacturer headquartered in Södertälje, focusing on commercial vehicles—specifically heavy lorries, trucks and buses. It also manufactures diesel engines for heavy vehicles as well as marine and general industrial applications.
An articulated bus, also referred to as a slinky bus, banana bus, bendy bus, artic bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, wiggle wagon, stretch bus, sausage bus or an accordion bus, is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-decker, and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor. This allows a longer legal length than rigid-bodied buses, and hence a higher passenger capacity (94–120), while still allowing the bus to maneuver adequately.
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia, with more than 55,000 produced by December 2019.
The Scania N113 was a transverse-engined step-entrance and low-floor city bus chassis manufactured by Scania between 1988 and 2000.
The Scania OmniCity is an integrally constructed transverse-engined low floor city bus that was available from Scania on the European market between 1997 and 2012.
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floor double-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-deck 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.
Nottingham City Transport (NCT) is the major bus operator of the city of Nottingham, England. NCT operates extensively within Nottingham as well beyond the city boundaries into Nottinghamshire county. Publicly-owned, it is today the second largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom after Lothian Buses in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Scania OmniLink is a series of integrally constructed rear longitudinal-engined low-entry city buses available on the European market. It is a complete product built by Scania of Sweden.
The East Lancs OmniTown was a low-floor midibus body sold in the United Kingdom by East Lancs and Scania. It used the Scania N94UB chassis, which is the single-decker version of the N94UD double-decker chassis, with East Lancashire Coachbuilders bodywork. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the OmniTown chassis. The confusion concerning the chassis, and indeed the buses, arises due to the complexity of the OmniTown's and other Scania products' histories.
The Wright Axcess-Floline was a low floor single-deck bus body built on the Scania L94UB chassis by Wrightbus between 1998 and 2001.
The Wright Fusion was a low floor tri-axle articulated single-decker bus body built on the Volvo B10LA chassis by Wrightbus from 1998 until 1999. It was the articulated version of the Wright Liberator.
The Wright Solar is a low entry single-decker bus body that was built on Scania L94UB and Scania K UB chassis by Wrightbus between 2000 and 2011. The Wright Solar Fusion is an articulated version.
The Scania K series is a series of chassis in Scania's city bus and coach range with longitudinally, straight-up mounted engine at the rear, replacing the K- and L-type (L94) chassis of the 4 series. The K series was first presented on Busworld 2005 in Kortrijk, Belgium, and models were available from 2006.
The Scania 4-series low floor city bus and coach range was introduced by Scania in 1997 as a successor to the 3-series bus range.
The Wright Endurance was a step-entrance single-decker bus body on Mercedes-Benz, Scania N113 and on Volvo B10B chassis by Wrightbus between 1993 and 1997.
The Scania N series is a line of low-floor bus chassis with straight-up, transversely mounted Euro IV or newer engine at the rear, built by Scania since 2006, replacing the Scania N94.
Articulated buses, popularly called "bendy buses," were introduced to London in October 2001 when two Wright Eclipse Fusion bodied Volvo B7LAs were hired from First Hampshire & Dorset, one of which was repainted into First London's red livery, and six Wright Fusion bodied Volvo B10LAs from First Glasgow for a trial on route 207 between Shepherd's Bush and Hayes-By-Pass.
Articulated buses, colloquially known as "bendy buses", were rarely used in the United Kingdom compared to other countries, until the turn of the millennium. This was due to a preference for the double-decker bus for use on high capacity routes. In June 2006, there were over 500 articulated buses in the United Kingdom, although they were still heavily outnumbered by double deckers. The majority of this fleet was used in London, although these buses would be withdrawn by end of 2011.
The Alexander PS-type was a step-floor single-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders in Falkirk, Scotland and was produced from 1988 to the late 1990s predominantly on the Dennis Lance, Mercedes-Benz O405, Scania N113, Volvo B10M chassis.
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 Wright Solar Fusion at Wikimedia Commons