- Facelifted Alexander Dash bodied Dennis Dart with Veolia Transport in 2007
- Pre-facelift Western Scottish Alexander Dash bodied Dennis Dart with a V-shaped windscreen in 1993
- Rear of a First Hampshire & Dorset Alexander Dash bodied Dennis Dart
Alexander Dash | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Walter Alexander Coachbuilders |
Production | 1991–1997 |
Assembly | Falkirk, Scotland |
Body and chassis | |
Doors | 1 door |
Floor type | Step entrance |
Chassis | Dennis Dart Volvo B6 |
Related | Alexander PS type |
Powertrain | |
Engine | (Dart) Cummins 6BT (B6) Volvo TD63E/TD63ES |
Capacity | 34 to 41 seated |
Power output | 93kW 135hp (Dart) |
Transmission | (Dart) Allison AT545 4-speed (B6) ZF 4HP500 |
Dimensions | |
Length | 9.0–9.9 m (29.5–32.5 ft) |
Width | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
Height | 3.4 m (11 ft) |
Chronology | |
Successor | Alexander ALX200 |
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. [1]
The body was mainly built for the United Kingdom bus market, with Alexander primarily marketing the Dash towards smaller independent bus operators, [2] although one example with a Volvo B6R chassis and air-conditioning was shipped to Hong Kong in January 1995 for use by Citybus as a demonstrator; this was later returned to the United Kingdom, where it entered service with Stagecoach Devon. [3] Early Dashes were delivered with V-shaped windscreens, single headlights and a square vented grille.
In 1995, the Alexander Dash received a frontal facelift. The facelift, aimed at improving accessibility, also featured a longer front grille with badging in the shape of a saltire, twin headlights and foglamps beside the grille, and a horizontal windscreen with an option for a heated windscreen. Yorkshire Rider, under the ownership of the Badgerline Group, took delivery of the first 50 facelifted Dashes on Dennis Dart chassis in early 1995. [4] Other deliveries of the facelifted Dash-bodied Dart to Badgerline's successor FirstBus included six Darts for First Grampian in early 1996, [5] [6] and six Darts for First Greater Manchester.[ citation needed ]
The only London bus operators to take delivery of the Dash were Capital Citybus and Stagecoach Holdings' London subsidiaries, the latter being bodied on the Dennis Dart chassis. The first 27 pre-facelift Dashes were delivered to East London for services in Barking and Romford in November 1995, [7] with another 39 post-facelift examples being delivered to Selkent for services in Bromley, Catford and Plumstead throughout 1996. [8] These had a short service life, being withdrawn between 1998 and 1999 and disposed to other Stagecoach operations. [9]
The Dash was superseded by the low floor Alexander ALX200 in 1996–1997 with a more rounded roof dome and plastic mouldings under the windscreen to make it deeper having made on the Dennis Dart SLF and the Volvo B6LE chassis.
Citybus Limited is a bus company which provides both franchised and non-franchised service in Hong Kong. The franchised route network serves Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes, North Lantau, Hong Kong International Airport, Kowloon, New Territories, Shenzhen Bay Port and Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port. The non-franchised routes serve mainly City One Sha Tin. It also provides bus rental services and staff bus services for some large companies, such as TVB and China Light and Power.
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 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.
The Alexander ALX400 was 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.
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The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 is a twin-axle low-floor double-decker bus that was built by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis between 2005 and 2018. It replaced the Alexander ALX400, Dennis Trident and Plaxton President. In 2014, the Enviro400 was succeeded by the updated Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC and production of the classic Enviro400 ceased in 2018.
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The Wright Crusader was a single-decker bus body built on Dennis Dart SLF, Volvo B6LE and Volvo B6BLE chassis by Wrightbus between 1995 and 2002.
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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-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.
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Media related to Alexander Dash at Wikimedia Commons