Alexander ALX200
The Alexander ALX200 was a single-decker bus body built by Alexander of the United Kingdom. It was created for low-floor bus chassis produced from the late 1990s.
| Alexander ALX200 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Arriva Buses Wales ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF in 2013 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Alexander/TransBus |
| Production | 1996–2001 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 or 2 doors |
| Floor type | Low floor |
| Chassis | Dennis Dart SLF[1] Volvo B6LE |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Cummins B-series (Dennis Dart SLF) Volvo D6A (Volvo B6LE) |
| Transmission | Allison/ZF |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 8.8–10.7 m (28 ft 10 in–35 ft 1 in) |
| Width | around 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Alexander Dash |
| Successor | Plaxton Pointer |
It was launched in spring 1996 as a low floor replacement of the Alexander Dash. It was supposed to fill in the gap between the ALX100 minibus and the ALX300 full-size single-decker.
As compared to the Dash, the ALX200 has a more rounded appearance. The styling is completely different from the Dash body, with a rounded roof dome and deep double-curvature windscreen with plastic mouldings under the windscreen to make it look deeper, and large circular headlights and circular front indicators, it also has a separately mounted destination box. The body was primarily built on Dennis Dart SLF and Volvo B6LE.[2] It was given a mild front end refresh during 2001.
It sold quite well, and buyers included Stagecoach (which includes 90 on B6LE), FirstGroup, Arriva and Newport (which operated some on 8.8m Dart SLF chassis) and many more. Citybus of Hong Kong purchased ten ALX200-bodied Volvo B6LE buses in 1997 (they returned to UK in 2000). Also, a number of ALX200-bodied Dennis Dart SLF had been exported to the Netherlands. A number were built by Thomas Built Buses, under license for use in the United States.[3]
However, with the formation of TransBus International, the ALX200 was phased out, in favour of the more successful Plaxton Pointer in 2001 when production of the Pointer was moved from Scarborough to Falkirk[4] (where Walter Alexander is based).
See also
References
- Devoy, David (2015). Lanarkshire Independents. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445652504. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- "Alexander ALX200". Bus lists on the web. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- Forsyth, Ian (3 March 1999). "Boost for Alexander". Aberdeen Press & Journal. Factiva fabp000020010901dv3300h3k.
- "Piper plays a lament for 500 lost jobs at Plaxton". The Northern Echo. 28 July 2001. Factiva nrco000020010803dx7s00005.
External links
