Modern buses

Despite being signed 'Built in Melbourne for Melbourne', it was built in Melbourne for Sydney, but was too heavy, and delivery was refused. After languishing for a few months, it was obtained for use on the newly-needed busy route from Werribee to Wyndham Vale, opened on Sun.20.6.15. It is operated by CDC, from its Werribee depot. This trip to Tarneit was a special run for Bus & Coach Society of Victoria, during a day of inspecting many depots with Volvos (hence the hi-vis jackets). On close inspection, keen members found traces of the original blue, intended for Sydney.

Tarneit (Melbourne, Vic.): CDC Volgren double-deck bus, on a special run for BCSV. Sun.28.6.15. (Roderick Smith)
Roderick

If it was too heavy for Sydney would it not be too heavy for Melbourne? Our axle limits are the same.

Apparently not.

NSW RMS knocked it back, but the Mexicans were appaently quite happy to let it run.

I don't believe it was "built for Sydney". AFIK it was a demonstrator that was sent up here for evaluation, and comparison with the twin steer Bustech models currently in service.

Funny how things go around, now the tag is no longer a tag but is back in front of the drive (a pusher) where they were when Noah had shorts pants on
Could the position of the lazy axle be upsetting the weight distribution?
Or is/was it a case of the Victorian guys having a good day and the NSW people having another bad day
Difficult to believe that in this day and age the same vehicle is legal in one state and illegal in another - just sayin' of course... :

Depends whether it is overweight all up or just on one axle. The fact that they are comparing it with a twin steer model suggests the problem might be up front.

Werribee was meant to be linked by rail to the new route. As this was deleted (without removing its costs from the budget) the politicians probably wanted something new, shiny and different to take resident's minds away from the fact they were no longer getting a rail line. The bus route was budgeted as a different project to the rail link

It thought it was interesting that the pollies were claiming they did a great job and it was 5 or 10% under budget when they knocked 40% out of the project and the budget they compared against was the budget for the whole project not just 60% of it. got to love a pollies spin!

Funny how things go around, now the tag is no longer a tag but is back in front of the drive (a pusher) where they were when Noah had shorts pants on
Could the position of the lazy axle be upsetting the weight distribution?
Or is/was it a case of the Victorian guys having a good day and the NSW people having another bad day
Difficult to believe that in this day and age the same vehicle is legal in one state and illegal in another - just sayin' of course... :

The pusher axle steers, but then again there are steerable tags available too.

I'm not sure about the weights, but some revised limits came in recently for buses with "friendly" suspension. I get the impression these new rules were devised around standard single deck buses, and NSW won't accept them for double deckers.

The comments on the bus being too heavy are interesting as here's one in Sydney in service.

http://images.ninemsn.com.au/resizer.aspx?width=680&height=383&url=http://progressive.netshow.ninemsn.com.au/media2/664969388001/2015/07/664969388001_4359482982001_8083527-20150717-182442-VIDEO-STILL.jpg?pubId=664969388001

The twin steer layout complies with NSW limits.

The mob that run the buses from the city to Tullamarine airport are advertising being able to go there by double decker. Wonder if it is the one at the top of the page?