Size of bus fuel tanks?

[Halsebee]

Something I've always wanted to know.
How big is the fuel tank of a typical double deck bus, and what is the buses range, i.e. how many miles can it travel withuot refuelling? Obviously there'll be variations between different vehicle types, and different routes may be city centre or long distance etc so fuel consumption will differ. But, for example can a typical bus operate all day without refuelling?
And, as this is a railforum, what about trains fuel tanks? How far can long distance trains go without refuelling. For example, the very long distance X Country trains can go Aberdeen Penzance on one tank, but how far could they get on the return without refuelling? Or how far could HSTs go without refuelling?

 

[Ash Bridge]

I haven't got a clue about buses but regarding the trains I think the former long range class 47/8 locos employed on XC services had a fuel capacity of around 4,900 Litres with the twin power cars of a HST set storing around 9000 Litres, also if I'm not mistaken I believe some class 37s had a capacity not too far off 8000 Litres after refurbishment back in the 1980s, sorry I don't have any idea of the range available but I'm certain someone will.

 

[InspectorBloke]

A modern double deck bus has a fuel capacity of 275 litres and Ad Blue capacity of 30 litres (taken from the Alexander Dennis E400 spec). Assuming a bus uses around 10mpg of fuel, the range would be around 600 miles. From experience, buses on 'ding ding' service routes would last a day and a bit without needing to be refuelled. Most depots refuel buses every evening after service.

 

[DimTim]

I think you are optimistic at 10mpg. More likely 5 or 6 mpg in city use. Single deckers May get 11/12 mpg on country routes.

 

[Busaholic]

Something I've always wanted to know.
How big is the fuel tank of a typical double deck bus, and what is the buses range, i.e. how many miles can it travel withuot refuelling? Obviously there'll be variations between different vehicle types, and different routes may be city centre or long distance etc so fuel consumption will differ. But, for example can a typical bus operate all day without refuelling?
And, as this is a railforum, what about trains fuel tanks? How far can long distance trains go without refuelling. For example, the very long distance X Country trains can go Aberdeen Penzance on one tank, but how far could they get on the return without refuelling? Or how far could HSTs go without refuelling?

Despite my adopted name, I've no idea on the bus side. On the train side, I can only repeat what I've reported on this forum before, that when Virgin were running the XC their HSTs sometimes ran out of fuel in Cornwall when bound for Penzance - I was on one such train and the driver (after we'd transferred to a Great Western, and he'd joined us passengers after he'd been pushed into a platform at Truro) informed anyone who'd listen that this was the true reason, and it was because Virgin were tight with purchasing fuel, and the slightest delay or miscalculation caused these incidents, not that their PR dept ever admitted it!

 

[Jordan Adam]

I recall on single deckers twin 100/150 litre tanks used to be pretty common. But it all comes down to the chassis/body type. Not to mention on some models additional fuel tanks could be specified.

You can quite easily get over 10MPG on a ZF Ecolife E300 on city work, but 6-9MPG is a more realistic ball park overall, although it's all dependant on type and the sort of routes they're on.

 

[B7rleThrasher]

A Yutong TC12 coach has a 370L tank

A Mercedes Tourismo coach has a 600L tank

Most single deck service buses are around 250L

 

[darloscott]

For city service buses you can usually count on about an 18 hour operating day being the limit. Not too sure of the mileage though that would depend on what sort of route you’re using them on. Single decks are generally around 200-250 litres and doubles a bit more. Coaches can regularly go past 500 litres

 

[Busaholic]

For city service buses you can usually count on about an 18 hour operating day being the limit. Not too sure of the mileage though that would depend on what sort of route you’re using them on. Single decks are generally around 200-250 litres and doubles a bit more. Coaches can regularly go past 500 litres

London Transport, in the days when I worked in their Bus Operating Dept, had to reschedule a bus out of Riverside Garage on the 11 that operated from approx 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. Nobody had realised the significance of it until it ran out of fuel on the Strand in the early hours of the morning. Oops!

 

[quarella]

To pay towards my PSV training I did some yard duties such as cleaning and fuelling. I remember a Shearings Leyland Tiger on tour had come in on fumes and I filled its 100 gallon (454 litre) tank with a standard flow pump and nowhere to rest the nozzle with the filler cap just too low for comfort. It took a long time. To the best of my knowledge most of the fleet for the firm I worked for were about half that size. Another operator that brought their vehicles in for fuel while on tour had small tanks, about 20 gallons (90 litres). I believe the coaches were ex Southern Vectis only used for island tours and back to depot every night so no need to drag dead weight around.

 

[route101]

Was on a nat ex 591 London to Edinburgh that refuelled around Alnwick on A1

 

[Eyersey468]

The Volvo B7TLs that the company I work for operates do on average about 6mpg, B9TLs average about 8mpg. It's only the short Enviro 200s that get anywhere near 10mpg on average.