Summer: Great time to have a Dart-beque

Buzz Killington · December 09, 2008, 08:27:41 PM

Busnerd emailed me these photos, not 100% on who took them or when this occurred.

Fans of our Dennis Dart SLF's should leave this thread now, but those who hate them (they're better than the irisbuses!) may enjoy them..

Perhap one of the drivers can update us on the status of poor ol' 148

Snorzac · December 09, 2008, 09:00:31 PM

I have being informed by Irisbusrider via text that the bus has being written off. It happened either yesterday or Friday while doing a 66

CanberraTransport · December 09, 2008, 09:03:59 PM

lol that's classic

Buzz Killington · December 09, 2008, 09:05:24 PM

66 sounds right, because that appears to be Bugden Ave, right at the end where it meets Ashley Dr.

belcodriver · December 09, 2008, 09:56:41 PM

148 is at the side of the Belco workshops with the other lost causes like 914 and the 2 half artics.

lukeo25 · December 09, 2008, 10:23:14 PM

dude that bus was smoking, my poor british built buses up in flames

Irisbus Rider · December 09, 2008, 11:08:05 PM

Shit thats dangerous. Had that been a packed bus, it could have been a whole lot worse.

STA saw a flicker of a flame on their new gas Mercs, and take them off the road. A dart goes up in flames, and they still keep sending them out, forget about safety first, and diagnosing the problem, just keep putting them on the road.

And, oh, this definately is not the first Dart fire.

Jack Bauer · December 10, 2008, 12:13:37 PM

What would cause it to go up like that?

Irisbus Rider · December 10, 2008, 09:54:40 PM

Turbo could have died, quite spectacularly, considering it's only a 5.9L engine, on a hot day, it'd get a flogging, overheating the engine, then slowly, the inevitable would happen.

Trolleybusracer · December 10, 2008, 11:12:51 PM

My baby!!!!!!!!! no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Irisbus Rider · December 17, 2008, 11:28:02 PM

Your baby? Whaaaaaa?

Trolleybusracer · December 18, 2008, 11:50:43 AM

I like darts. wait no.... I LOVE DENNIS DARTS

Irisbus Rider · December 18, 2008, 12:40:40 PM

Ok, I see.............*backs out of thread slowly*

belcodriver · December 18, 2008, 10:45:33 PM

Quote from: Trolleybusracer on December 18, 2008, 11:50:43 AM
I like darts. wait no.... I LOVE DENNIS DARTS

Have you ever ridden in one? What part of loud, slow, rattly, shit suspenision is it that specifically appeals to you?

Sir Pompously · December 18, 2008, 10:48:08 PM

Ahhhh, New Zealander's tend to enjoy the crappest buses. Designline's in Body, Dennis Darts in Chassis. Imagine a Dennis Dart Designline? I can't even fathom the thought.

Irisbus Rider · December 18, 2008, 11:28:54 PM

Ha ha ha, so right you are Todd.

Sorry TBR lol.

Buzz Killington · December 19, 2008, 09:23:50 PM

Quote from: belcodriver on December 18, 2008, 10:45:33 PM
Have you ever ridden in one? What part of loud, slow, rattly, shit suspenision is it that specifically appeals to you?

Hahaha

I had 133 for my arvo school bus in 1998 and it went alright back then!

Snorzac · December 19, 2008, 09:48:32 PM

Still goes good. I went on it 2 nights in a row on a 315. It IS the best Dart in the fleet

Buzz Killington · December 19, 2008, 09:51:41 PM

yeah, my old driver used to say it was the best dart in Tuggers

Trolleybusracer · December 20, 2008, 12:07:31 AM

*shakes fist at all*

What was that dart we wont on to transit Graphics John? Fuck the engine needed attention.

Darts are good when treated properly, not like a road legal go kart

Irisbus Rider · December 20, 2008, 07:52:25 AM

Quote from: belcodriver on December 18, 2008, 10:45:33 PM
Quote from: Trolleybusracer on December 18, 2008, 11:50:43 AM
I like darts. wait no.... I LOVE DENNIS DARTS

Have you ever ridden in one? What part of loud, slow, rattly, shit suspenision is it that specifically appeals to you?

Ha ha! I like this honesty! So true.....

Quote from: Trolleybusracer on December 20, 2008, 12:07:31 AM
*shakes fist at all*

What was that dart we wont on to transit Graphics John? Fuck the engine needed attention.

Darts are good when treated properly, not like a road legal go kart

Yeah, thats a good point, a cummins with an Allison would logically require attention, with the engine constantly in high revs.

Busnerd · December 20, 2008, 01:02:11 PM

But keep in mind that is how the bus is designed to operate, just because it has that combination of gearbox and engine etc. doesn't make it anymore prone to a fire. Obviously just something went wrong in the engine like something blew up, or overheated or reached the end of its life. This is the first problem I've heard involving a dart. I'm not sure how they are mechanically but they appear to rarely be off the road...

belcodriver · December 22, 2008, 12:50:46 PM

Quote from: Busnerd on December 20, 2008, 01:02:11 PM
But keep in mind that is how the bus is designed to operate, just because it has that combination of gearbox and engine etc. doesn't make it anymore prone to a fire. Obviously just something went wrong in the engine like something blew up, or overheated or reached the end of its life. This is the first problem I've heard involving a dart. I'm not sure how they are mechanically but they appear to rarely be off the road...

Probably because they are driven less than other buses as most drivers avoid them whenever possible. I've only driven them a couple of times this year and wouldn't pick a shift with one.

Apparently they had a lot of overheating problems with them when they first came to Canberra as they simply weren't designed for the hot weather.

One of my colleagues once told me that when driving Dart's you wanted to get a 'Wednesday bus' (ie. built on a Wednesday) not a 'Monday bus' as the Irish factory workers would have the weekend's Guinness out of their system by Wednesday but still be badly hungover on Monday.

Busnerd · December 22, 2008, 07:13:03 PM

I suppose you make a good point, our climate is very different to that of the UK. So I'd imagine they might have overheating problems in summer.

And I did think of the fact no one likes driving them and they aren't on the road as often, as a reason why they dont break down as often, but I didn't mention it.

Snorzac · January 31, 2009, 10:42:24 PM

I went into the cash off area at T depot with a driver and these pics are pinned up on the wall!

Snorzac · February 02, 2009, 08:06:08 PM

It moved twice today, from the graveyard to Colulter Dr and then again somewhere else. One of the heritage buses is in the graveyard

Snorzac · April 04, 2009, 01:35:05 AM

So is it been repaired or were they simply stripping stuff out of it?

Bus 400 · August 27, 2009, 10:00:34 PM

I found out who was driving the 148 on that fateful day. He still remembers what happened & it goes something like this.....

Coming down Yamba Drive, through Erindale Centre & then down Ashley Dr he could smell what appeared to be diesle burning, the smell was getting stronger after Erindale & pulled over as soon as he got onto Bugden Ave & jumped out & opened the engine hatch & the fire just exploded. He couldn't remember if the bus was empty at the time. He jokes (I think) saying he waited a bit for it to burn before calling the Fire Brigade.