Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[126th street]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(17/06/2013 15:56)mathias Wrote:  Then again, I'm led to believe the ALX200 Darts have more powerful engines to compensate for the weight?

Not sure about that. It's likely that regardless of their unladen weights all three of the variants you mentioned will have the same 'plated weight', that is the absolute maximum they are allowed to run at when loaded, just as for example a truck might be plated to 44tonne or whatever.

The difference is likely to be that the greater the unladen weight, the lower the posted passenger capacity as it has to be 'clawed back' somewhere.

Regarding them going for scrap: the people at Ensign are not stupid to say the least and if they foresaw a second-hand market for the ex-Chesterbus Darts would no doubt have bought them. Ensign have certainly bought older Darts and Solos and sold them on recently. Then again, ex-First stuff has a certain 'stigma' about it...

PVS were probably either the only party interested, or the one which would pay the most. One still lives on with First however for the guy who'd like to see an example preserved...