Lay Up And Redeployment of SMRT's Scania L113CRL (ELBO CAC)

last SG · 2008-12-26T20:08:42+00:00

I still think Ng Ser Miang had better sense than Saw. She killed off the high-class image set by Tibs in the mid 1990s. Now it is SBST and their double deck...

Stage SG

The end of TIB833X...

"THIS IMAGE OR VIDEO HAS BEEN MOVED OR DELETED photobucket"

jayh272416 SG

The end of TIB833X...

"THE IMAGE OR VIDEO HAS BEEN MOVED OR DELETED"

Scania N113CRB l0v3r SG

The end of TIB833X...

Cannot see pic

THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN MOVED

Apex-LW'21 SG

uploaded liao.. just now i dunno why sometime photobucket lagging.. refresh ur browser if u still can’t see it

Stage SG

Ke yi liao.

muziq bus SG

i took ELBO almost everyday on 187 in 2007 and 2008.
so i think i'll miss it to the extreme.
this is the only bus with ergonomic seats. its curved in to support your back unlike other buses with just a flat back rest.

gosh! i didnt know SMRT wanted to scrap them too.
you guys complain too much already. hahaha wow.

SBS9816E SG

AntiDennisLance SG

Umm yeah.. the Arianne seats.. as compared to Vogelsitze. They didn't look like much when they first arrived but their plastic leather covers proved to be much more sensible than the dusty cloth covered ones.

jayh272416 SG

anyway, i thought i saw an ELBO with plastic seats at bt batok a few months back, but ppl said there wasnt such a thing, can anyone verify?

Whatdatoot SG

it would be better to scrap them than to keep them, bus really falling apart

bus555 SG

For me:

TIB8xxx on 187 [full route bnL int old to WDL Int]

TIB8xxx on 187 [teck whye lrt bus-stop to wdl int]

both were taken in summer 2006 :(

so sad sia

eX.A.K.R. SG

I think the Elbo bodyworks and internal furnishings are not suitable for the Scania suspensions. To make the buses more lasting probably require a rebodying. Otherwise you can see the aircon, wall and ceiling panels coming loose all the time even after any refurbishment. The aircon cant really be helped - unlike the Merc CAC's, the Elbo's overhead ductings, panels and vents were never meant to conduct processed air anyway. They were originally meant to be NAC's all the way. If you increase the Aircon power/output, all it does is to leak the cool air out at the first non-airtight spot along the conduit.

SBS Transit's NAC buses (i.e. the Volvo B10M MKII, Mercedes MB O405, and Scania N113CRB) were also never meant to be air-conditioned buses.

We all know what SBS Transit did to them to make sure they can be air-conditioned buses.

Also, going back further in time, there's the rebodied Soon Chow 'Baco' Leyland/Guy Victories...

It's whether SMRT wants to do it, or not. These buses should have about a decade until the end of their lifespan if left on the roads.

And it's probably better than spending more money on new buses. Didn't they give this as an excuse to resist purchasing new MRT trains for their old lines initially, refurbishing the old ones instead? Why adopt a totally opposite direction for buses?

AntiDennisLance SG

SBS Transit's NAC buses (i.e. the Volvo B10M MKII, Mercedes MB O405, and Scania N113CRB) were also never meant to be air-conditioned buses.

We all know what SBS Transit did to them to make sure they can be air-conditioned buses.

Also, going back further in time, there's the rebodied Soon Chow 'Baco' Leyland/Guy Victories...

It's whether SMRT wants to do it, or not. These buses should have about a decade until the end of their lifespan if left on the roads.

You forget about economies of scale. The SBS Mercs and Scania NAC's as well as the B10M's number in the sheer hundreds and nearing a thousand. In whatever case the contractor would be able to give quotations that justify mass productions of the refurbishments. Now we are talking about only 15 units. Elbo bodyworks are not very common; the interior fittings as well as the wheel well skirtings were showing to be of inferior quality so I dont think SMRT would want to go back to them for refurbishments. The only other option would be getting third party contractors to do it but to custom design a refurbishment kit just for 15 units may not be worth the effort and money.

eX.A.K.R. SG

Then may I know how many Leyland/Guy Victories were rebodied? While you are right in saying that economies of scale is a problem, if SBS Transit (then SBS) was able to do it with a small number of Leyland/Guy Victories, surely something could be done with the ELBO Scanias.

TIB1224Y SG

As a company, such an early retirement would be of quite some loss... It is true that these buses are non-standard in the fleet, but they could be relegated to services that require lesser buses and have lesser passenger flow, then the buses and fleet could be adjusted...

An early retirement would be feasible if there is going to be large scale fleet adjustments or that these buses have found a foreign buyer. A vehicle more is perhaps, a few seconds lesser of wait...

TIB1062Y SG

Sorry, just to clarify something here. TIB839E is spotted as usual on 970 today. If you think is rego alphabet or number mistake, TIB840A is spotted on 852 today. As of today, ONLY TIB833X & TIB835R are listed as lay-up on the LTA website.

I saw TIB839E just now also... Scared me I thought that one also laid up liao...

TIB1062Y SG

Are you feel very sad and depressed that this particular ELBO has laid up?

AntiDennisLance SG

I dont know... but I guess things back then are not the same as things now. For a start I am not even sure if the 15 year limit for public buses applied back then. Yes, the Elbo 113's going would be some sort of a waste. But I guess it had been a weighted decision. I sure do not like Dennis Lances and in fact I would prefer a ride in an Elbo Scania over a Lance any day. But I think using similar reasonings the Lances will get to see their full 15/17 year cycle with a round of refurb perhaps if necessary.

TIB537B SG

Rebodying the buses may be an option. But with the OCs coming in, it'll be easier to just replace then to actually rebody the Scanias. Don't think SMRT will rebody them (scrapping them for a flat fee can balance out with the OCs).

As for your theory with refurbishing the trains by SMRT

16/f/lonely SG

put these buses as training buses loh..i dun think SMRT will lay up these buses cos of passengers complains. Most likely they are facing difficulties/high cost in maintaining these buses?

My sentiments....

There must be pressing problems mantaining the body rather than the chassis....

Evidence can already be seen from the parts replaced on the body. They aren't ELBO stuff.

It might even be true to say that the 132 OCs were purchased to replace the L113s as well. All in all, it does not look like the decision was made overnight. Waste or not, that's a matter of perspective and SMRT would probably have done their maths to come to that.

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