Bus Spotting at Yishun 25 Jul 2003

AntiDennisLance SG

Hi everyone I am new here but I am by no means new to the local bus scene. Here are my traits:

1. I HATE DENNIS LANCES! 245 or 211, I hate them all. The most sucky buses in the whole bus fleet. I get motion sickness everytime I take them. And so pathetically little seats too. I avoid them whenever i encounter them. Even the UD's fare better.

2. I only really care about service 851. I love to see the trio of 61, 67 and 106 get chopped or curtailed because these 3 services always steal bendies from 851. For example TIB 1120 M as someone mentioned in this forum. It was not originally in 106. It started life in 851!

Okay enough about me. I could start by doing my bus spotting report for today.

I stopped at Yishun Int this evening and snooped around for a little while. There are a quite lot of anormalies observed in a short period today:

Whole of service 806 given unfamiliar faces
==================================
TIB 0974 Y - from 67
TIB 1072 T - from 61
TIB 1074 M - from 61
TIB 1080 U - from 61

None of the usual 806 buses are around.

TIB 518 G was spotted on service 811! Yes 811. Since when did it cross from WDLDEP to AMKDEP.

On my way to yishun, TIB 582 U was spotted on service 980. TIB 984 T is becoming a regular at 980 too.

TIB 584 P was seen on 852 for at least one trip.

And as usual, lots of Lance 245's and 211's polluting high load services like 851 and 804.

Also the evening peak "helper" cameo bendies for 851 for the day are as follows:

TIB 1099 S (the one i boarded)
TIB 1123 E

Both vehicles retired at around 8:15 pm.

Thats all for today. Have a pleasant ride folks.

off_service SG

Hi, welcome to the forum. FYI, I don't like Dennis Lance 211s as well. Dennis Lances are deployed on high capaicty routes as I think Tibs find them able to go faster.

As you may have noticed, Mercedes Benz O405 has become regular on sv 852.

Most of the Yishun services have been transferred to AMKDEP, except for some services like 856 and 859 which are from WLDEP.

The unusual deployments on service 806 may mean two things,

1. Tibs are getting ready to deploy service 804 with Bendy Buses.

2. From my point of view, as service 106 will be amended to ply between Bt Batok and Marina Ctr, the entire fleet will be moved from partial AMKDEP to full KJDEP. As such, AMKDEP may have extra buses which can be deployed on other services. Tibs services are also having fleet changes these days.

Have a nice day,

Airbus330Captain SG

Hmmm , I just hate scania n113 buses as much as how much u hate Lance 211 . I agree with you that bus sux , only a wierdo will call Lance 211 a good bus . The rear is so hot , the engine sound like s*. Worst bus in Singapore if you ask me .

AntiDennisLance SG

Heh well I guess we shouldn't ostracize anyone who loves dennis lances... for all you know if some big transport tycoon (or even SBST) decides they love the Dennis Lance so much that they bought all of it away from TIBS, that would be great and save us all the trouble! So, the "love" and "hate" camp can complement each other very well Smile

MB O405's regular on 852? Dont think so, although there is marked increase of O405's on 852, but not to a "regular" level. I think it is only 2 or 3 out of about 16 buses per day. In all likelyhood if you wait for an 852 you would get either a Lance or a DAF. If you get that 2 or 3 O405's u can try buying TOTO or 4D in the weekend.

I can't wait to see what happens this Sunday and Monday. Will those bendys freed from 106 benefit 851 in anyway? 985 will take buses from AMKDEP and KJDEP. Will 985 kindly help absorb some of the lances? A real rare chance to look forward to possible good changes to Yishun.

off_service SG

Tibs are making changes to their services lately, improving them. Somehow service 857 is "on trial" with Bendy Buses operating during peak hours on weekdays. I believe service 851 will benefit.

TIB1186Z SG

Hi and a very warm welcome to the Lance 211 hate group. I personally have no positive feelings at all towards these snails of a snail buses, and I have to take svc 852 daily( no choice) and I hate them primarily cos they are so damn slow and hot and vibrates a lot.
Well enough of these talk.....it will go on forever

Recently, 0405s had become more common on svc 852. Today, I took TIB544, and I must say that the speed of the bus saved me from being late for school as i took the later trip. On one day, 2 0405 CACs appeared on svc 852 and I was rather pleased Very Happy

Svc 106 is starting to get Lance 211s, and after this Sunday, svc 106 may stand a chance of getting buses from AMKDEP, and this translates to more Lances on 106, which is damn good, and hence svc 852 would get more DAFs and 0405s to replace them, or even revert back to a time not too long ago where there were plenty of Scanias...

The very odd Bendy deployment had been happening on 806 for quite some time already, and the main purpose is probably to train the svc 804 drivers to deive the Bendys.

AntiDennisLance SG

I havent really noticed those 857 trials on weekdays. Any specific timings? So that I can catch one to go home. If they gonna put bendies on 857 as usual deployment, they will have to shift the boarding berth at Yishun Interchange to those "drive through" type from the "drive in and reverse out" type. And they havent got any "drive through" type left at Yishun.

I do sometimes take bendy 857's on weekends though.

AntiDennisLance SG

I guess the Lance hate group grows by the day. The lateral suspension on the Lance is so bad (or no lateral suspension at all), you'd think you are boarding a 1980's bus. I havent seen any other modern singapore bus that have their standee handles swing so violently left to right from the ceiling pole.

Unfortunately the O405's deployment in 852 are more or less on a daily adhoc decision basis although TIB492X, TIB559M and TIB544E are becoming semi-regulars. I wont mind sending all of 851's O405 CAC's to 852 and having 851 fully "benditised"! Haha

I dont think 106 will take buses from AMKDEP anymore from this sunday onwards. Geographically KJDEP seems to be the more logical and closer depot than AMKDEP from Bukit Batok. And as for the Marina Centre side, both AMKDEP and KJDEP seems to have the same distance-merit so it might make more sense for 106 to be fully KJDEP. Though I wont mind if it is the other case and 106 soaks up all the Lances Smile

And oh yeah, did anyone notice that you may not have seen TIB 931 X ever before? Actually that bus was destroyed in an engine fire while on 169 in Woodlands area, sometime in the last quarter of 1999. Totally insalvageable, the entire roof and window panes were gone including the windscreen. I saw it while i was cycling somewhere in Woodlands. Some of you may remember it. And yeah, as expected, it was a Lance 245. Barely one year old.

SBS9818A SG

So you're implying Windy and I are wierd? I have had good experiences on 1007H, 1010Y and 1011U.

SBS9816E SG

Hmm... anti-Lance? I think I am an anti-Lance 211. Razz I do hate lance 211 as they contribute TOO MUCH heat due to the engine compartment is BLACK in colour, therefore it radiates too much heat!!! In terms of Lance 245, it is still a bit better than Lance 211, but still I hate it, as the back of the bus still contributes heat towards the passengers, sitting at the rear of the bus!!! However, TIB 937 E proved me something yesterday. It's air-conditioner is much more cooler than other Lance 245. That's pretty something... antiDennis Lance, perhaps u should try to seat the front of the bus, that might not let u to have motion sickness... Somehow Dennis Lance in Singapore don't perform too well in some other senses.

AntiDennisLance SG

The problem is that most of the time when I come across a Lance which I have to board, there are already NO SEATS LEFT already. And it is actually a very hazardous and dangerous thing to be a Standing Passenger in one of those viking-ride buses. Plus I carry a heavy laptop too. Curse whoever puts them into 851 during peak hours. It makes totally no sense at all as only a bendy would be appropriate. And you can imagine the frustration and de-moralisation when you see bendy after bendy (ALMOST EMPTY ONES SOMEMORE) going past the same bus stops on other services like 61, 960 or 190 while I wait for 851. Curse whoever planned the fleet for 851.

Actually at times when i board Lance 245's on lower load routes like service 852 during the school holidays or 855 close to midnight, the experience isnt too bad.

But the Lance 245's and 211's all are horribly maintained. The carpet-like surface covering the aircon ducts at the top (for Lance 245's) are not cleaned at all since the buses were bought and those dust mites can give me asthma. And if the bus goes on high speed you can almost feel it falling apart - I once sat at the first front facing seat on the right with my foot placed on the front wheel hump - I could feel the hump moving and pulsating against the floorboard!

BluBlur SG

The carpet surface was part of the DM design. Just too unlucky to be used in Dennis Lance.

This same carpet surface is/was used in the SBS MB0405s. Don't know whether it's changed since.

1015J seem to have faulty transmission, thus generate more heat. Until they check and fix the transmission, sigh.

AntiDennisLance SG

The SBS DM O405's have all their interiors changed. None of them have the carpet surface anymore.

Comparatively the SBS DM O405's give a much enjoyable ride. I used to enjoy riding them to Ngee Ann on 171 when 171 was still in the hands of SBST.

SBS9818A SG

You mean fabric covering, don't you? They were replaced with plastic ones in 2001. Pity Sv. 171 is now a TIBS service, SBST used to operate it as it previously went to the zoo and SBST was the SOLE operator allowed to operate to the zoo. Obviously that has changed.

One thing, before CCK Int was handed over to TIBS, was Sv. 927 a TIBS service, like Sv. 179 then?

AntiDennisLance SG

927 was all along a TIBS service. Before 927 there was only 926 to the zoo in the weekends.

And speaking about zoo services, i remember very vividly "when policemen wore shorts", there were only two SBS Ltd services to the zoo - hot and noisy ones at that - 171 and the long defunct 137. 171 was okay with the MBOF1417's.. but the 137 buses with soon chow body works were simply terribly noisy and hot - those with the front wheels placed IN FRONT of the entrance door, if you know what i mean.

SBS9818A SG

Sv. 137 from Toa Payoh to the Zoo via Upper Thomson Rd? Yes, I know those buses, they are MB LP1113s, buses based on a truck chassis, oddly enough. Sv. 171 had OF1417s, not too bad.

AntiDennisLance SG

Heh that explains why the entrance door is BEHIND the front wheels.

off_service SG

TIB 1015 J is simply problematic. Ever since the bus started operation on sv 169, the bus has not been in a good condition for even one day.

xin1jun2 SG

hi all

oddly enough i love Scania N113CRBs...especially the OAC ones and the Dennis lance 245. Some lance 211 are OK but a few...tsk tsk tsk.

i have sat almost 40 out of the 50 of the Dennis Lance 245. i fidn them all quite OK and i enjoy the hskaing whne idling. i also enjoy its speed when it changes gear all the way to 3rd in just 5 secs...blast! (TIB93x can really blast!)

TIB91x air-con are good and cold. most of them are on 855.

ZYX

BluBlur SG

Have a similar view of yours. 942P has a very strong second gear, impressive.

A pity that the TIBS Lances are roundly criticized, even though not necessarily all of them have problems. There are MB0405s that are hot enough to suffocate people, but no one complains.