Rode 19635 tonight on the 2 from Hull Fair to Interchange. Sounded awful, having a MAN engine, and predictably, it failed in service... at the worst possible spot: Ferensway traffic lights. Couldn't get into gear after being sat at traffic lights, driver was revving the guts off of it to try and get it going again. It was getting rather hot and smelly inside... on the third restart attempt, we finally got moving, and I was straight off at Carr Lane. For some reason, it hadn't been taken off service at Interchange and went out for another 2? Why are we being saddled with these awful things...
Moving onto lighter matters, speculation ahoy, but word from a driver and a rather foul-mouthed enthusiast getting on with him is that Hull's new Yutongs (presumably both the E12s and the U11DDs) will be here by November. These are set to replaces the E10s and
all of Hull's Enviro400EVs, all to be redeployed to Mansfield presumably once chargers at their temporary depot go live. Do we have an exact number on how many E12s and U11DDs we'll be getting, because the previously reported 16 E12s (73231-73246) and 20 U11DDs (83036-83055) seems a tad short to against ten E10s and 32 E400EVs.
The issue with the Enviro400EVs being 'too pointy' at Hull Interchange, I've heard, is to do with this specific area forward of the cab door. I assume it juts out a bit too far when the bus pulls up and clips the kerb/concrete barriers at the Interchange bus bays. Was this never observed when we had seed vehicle 80000 down for the 'Let's Go Electric' event last year? All that hype and hullabaloo about these new vehicles by councils and operator in the press, and yet they don't fit into the Interchange... just a tad embarrassing for all...
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