Why do so many on here hate Optare Solos?

[Dennis]

I'd have thought a significant number of bus drivers are 20 stone...bit of a design shortcoming there.

 

[sprinterguy]

Quite ironically i remember at one point solos appering on nearly ever PB route i used, however they are quite rare these days, also i must say the NXWM solos seem slow and dirty (unlike a Silverline solo i sampled the other week).

The worst I’ve seen things get was during the bad winter weather the winter before last, when large numbers of Tridents, from various depots, were packing in as they are prone to do at the first sign of bad conditions, meaning that the remaining Metrobuses were being spread over a much wider area than was normal. Cue having to chuck out a Solo on an evening peak 101 diagram, as the usual Metrobuses were being deployed elsewhere. Absolute nightmare, given that the number of people boarding the 101 at Snow Hill during the evening peak is enough to crowd a Metrobus!

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

My only issue with them is they look sharp, they look horrible. The new one, on the other hand (clicky) is much more attractive to me. The old one is just horrendously bulky, with no need in such sharp box-like features.

 

[Ivo]

My only issue with them is they look sharp, they look horrible. The new one, on the other hand (clicky) is much more attractive to me. The old one is just horrendously bulky, with no need in such sharp box-like features.

Great link; it has *******.com in it...

If a Solo is sharp and bulky with box-like features, what would you call a Pointer Dart? A cuboid box? I do

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Great link; it has *******.com in it...

If a Solo is sharp and bulky with box-like features, what would you call a Pointer Dart? A cuboid box? I do

Sorry, correcting that now!

And yeah, most likely!

 

[anthony263]

How can anyone like the new solo design i dont know. only driven the newer solo once didnt like it. I prefer tod rive the slimline optare solo's especially the 20 seater ones.

As for them vibrating and having a terrible ride quality the older ones do i admit at least they are not as bad as some of the older low floor dart's which are terrible particulary those with the alexander alx200 body

 

[jon0844]

For a few days, our Solo has been missing and replaced with a regular single decker bus.

Today it was back and it is now buggered! Whenever it comes to a stop, the whole bus shakes like crazy.

You don't want an engine that resonates like that when stopped, so I don't know if it's an idling problem or what - but they better bloody well fix it (I hope to God that this isn't what they regard as fixed!).

 

[cainebj]

For a few days, our Solo has been missing and replaced with a regular single decker bus.

Today it was back and it is now buggered! Whenever it comes to a stop, the whole bus shakes like crazy.

You don't want an engine that resonates like that when stopped, so I don't know if it's an idling problem or what - but they better bloody well fix it (I hope to God that this isn't what they regard as fixed!).

Probably more to do with the Allison gearbox than engine, as it is a common issue in Dennis/Transbus/ADL Darts (including Stagecoach North West's 56 plate ones!!!) as well as Mercedes engined Solo's that are here.

Is it true that Stagecoach won't let drivers who weight more than 20 stone drive Solos for fear of the seat collapsing?

Yes, it is. Although, it isn't restricted to a Solo, it is Optare's in general. Stagecoach Western have some Optare Solo's and Versa's fitted with special "fat seats" to hold the heavier drivers. Some other area's have introduced a 20 stone weight restriction for their drivers, whilst others have introduced fitness schemes to get drivers under the maximum weight for the seats. In a lot of cases however, especially larger depots, the larger drivers are on restricted rota's which mean they will never sit in the cab of an Optare. They will just be restricted to buses with drivers seats that can support their weight (Alexander bodied vehicles seem pretty good for this).

 

[Whistler40145]

Blackpool Transport's V-Reg Solos Gearboxes are terrible, the bus feels like a bucking bronco, biting like hell!

 

[trentside]

I find Solos to be such varied vehicles. A well looked after example is a perfectly adequate bus, for example, the local Stagecoach Lincoln fleet (Cummins engines, ex-RoadCar) are excellent buses. Sadly, they've taken them away to convert them to be fuelled by bio-methane, so what effect that will have I don't know. We do have two M880 examples which were ordered for a new route, which fast out-grew their capacity and they are now put out onto any service and can cause problems with over-crowding.

Several local independent companies such as PC Coaches of Lincoln and Marshall's of Sutton on Trent run Solos which are well cared for and run well. The Marshall's fleet also includes some ex-Nottingham City Transport V-reg vehicles, which actually seem to run reasonably well compared to similar examples with Premiere and even NCT themselves!

 

[Whistler40145]

trentside, you should try our V-Reg Solos in Blackpool!

Not sure if it is down to poor maintenance or their age, but the Gearboxes are terrible, giving a very uncomfortable ride, they feel like bucking broncos, biting like hell!

 

[ChrisCooper]

One thing is the Solos are still very primative in transmission terms as they have the old Allison AT545 which dates back to the early 90s if not before (been around since the first Darts and Metroriders, plus on a lot of Mercedes Minis. No computer control and I'm not even sure if it has any kind of engine control at all (modern auto boxes will regulate the engine revs when changing gear to give a smooth change, although the automatic option on the Fleetlines used to do the same (for some reason though London went for the semi-automatic option on their fleetlines, then wondered why drivers quickly nackered the gearboxes by changing up at full throttle like they were used to doing with Wilson boxes on RTs and Routemasters).

A Mercedes engined Solo is mechanically an updated Vario, a Cummins Solo an updated Dart. The Mercedes versions even have that classic squeal found on the old Mercedes 709s (and ironically less noticable on the Varios), getting more and more noticable as they age. Actually with the Mercedes Solos running past my house at night it really does not sound that different to when we used to have Plaxton Beaver Mercedes 709s on the route.

 

[anthony263]

Had a Optare solo this week operating service 72/172 Porthcawl - Bridgend - Tonypandy - Aberdare a journey of 2 hours 10 minutes and some very steep climes including Maerdy mountain.

The solo i had actually managed ok better than even the old step entrance plaxton bodied darts although no where as good as the powerful volvo b10ms we still operate.

 

[Adam_Harrison]

I quite like solos, In Hartlepool the majority of Arriva Services are provided by Darts and solos. Much better than the MAN A66 E200s Stagecoach have

 

[causton]

For a few days, our Solo has been missing and replaced with a regular single decker bus.

Today it was back and it is now buggered! Whenever it comes to a stop, the whole bus shakes like crazy.

You don't want an engine that resonates like that when stopped, so I don't know if it's an idling problem or what - but they better bloody well fix it (I hope to God that this isn't what they regard as fixed!).

On Saturday it was one of the really short ex-Centrebus Darts which I preferred... they got up to speed when the driver wasn't chatting to people or giving drunk people lifts for 10 yards down the road! (from the Gracemead House stop to opposite the Asda stop, literally)