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Wright Endurance

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Wright Endurance
Arriva North West & Wales Endurance bodied Volvo B10B at Liverpool Airport in 2007
Overview
ManufacturerWrightbus
Production1992 - 1997
AssemblyBallymena, Northern Ireland
DesignerTrevor Erskine[1]
Body and chassis
Doors1 or 2
Floor typeStep entrance
ChassisScania K93
Scania N113
Volvo B10B
RelatedWright Endeavour
Powertrain
EngineScania
Volvo THD103
TransmissionVoith
ZF Ecomat 4HP500
Dimensions
Length11.75 metres
Width2.50 metres
Chronology
SuccessorWright Axcess-Ultralow
Wright Liberator

The Wright Endurance was a step-entrance single-decker bus body on Scania N113 and on Volvo B10B chassis by Wrightbus between 1992 and 1997.

Design

The Wright Endurance was unveiled in November 1991 as the company's first single-decker 'city bus' body, having previously specialised on coach and midibus bodies. It was the early basis of a Wright body suitable for a low-floor bus chassis, with the bodywork constructed with an Alusuisse bolted aluminium frame onto the chassis. The Endurance featured a low step at the entrance door of 320 millimetres (13 in) capable of being lowered to 240 millimetres (9.4 in) at the kerbside via the 'kneeling' function of the chassis, supplemented with the fitting of a manual extendable ramp for wheelchair users.[2][3] Design cues from the Endurance would be replicated on Wright's Endeavour coach body, with 25 built exclusively for Ulsterbus express services in 1992 on the Leyland Tiger chassis,[4] as well as future Wright bus bodies through to the early‑2000s.

First Greater Manchester CityRanger bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 in Manchester

Endurance-style bodywork was also built on Mercedes-Benz chassis, in which forms it was given different names.

The CityRanger was based on the Mercedes-Benz O405 chassis, and though structurally similar to the Endurance, it differed visually by having Mercedes' own front-end design as well as shallower side windows. Only 22 were built, 20 of which were delivered to the GRT Group's Grampian and Midland Bluebird operations during 1993; the 14 CityRangers delivered to Grampian were equipped with air-conditioning and double-glazed bonded window glazing.[5][6]

The UrbanRanger was more similar to the Endurance, being of almost identical appearance. Only sixteen were built, the first a demonstrator for Mercedes-Benz registered in July 1994; this was later sold to Midland Choice of Willenhall, who would purchase three new UrbanRangers in 1996.[7] A pair of UrbanRangers was delivered to UniversityBus of Hatfield for services in and around the University of Hertfordshire in 1995,[8][9] while the final four UrbanRangers were not sold until 1998, when they went to Chambers of Moneymore in Northern Ireland. An UrbanRanger was purchased by the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service for conversion into a mobile command unit, while an UrbanRanger was delivered to the Irish Army for use as a troop transporter.[citation needed]

Operators

Travel West Midlands Wright Endurance bodied Volvo B10B in Wolverhampton
Preserved First Greater Manchester 'Superbus' Wright Endurance bodied Volvo B10B in Kirkby, Merseyside in June 2013

The first production Wright Endurances came in the form of five high-floor examples built on Scania K93 chassis for Yorkshire Traction of Barnsley, the only Endurances that were built on this chassis.[10][11] Midland Bluebird, meanwhile, were the only other operator to take delivery of Wright Endurances on Scania N113 chassis, with a first batch of 16 delivered to the operator in 1994,[5][6] followed by an additional eight delivered to Midland Scottish alongside two diverted to fellow GRT Group subsidiary Lowland in 1995.

A majority of Wright Endurance bodies were built on Volvo B10B chassis throughout the body's production run. The largest operator of Wright Endurances on Volvo B10B chassis was MTL North, who purchased a total of 120 between 1994 and 1996 for use across its core Merseyside bus network as well as in competition with operators in the area.[12][13] The second-biggest operator, West Midlands Travel, took delivery of a total 65 Endurances on Volvo B10B chassis during 1996. Originally, the company had ordered 150 Endurance-bodied B10Bs, which would have made WMT the largest operator of Endurances, however the order was changed to the in-development Wright Liberator on the Volvo B10L chassis.[14]

GM Buses North, meanwhile, first introduced a fleet of 20 Wright Endurances branded as 'Superbus' for service on Manchester to Bury services in early 1995, where the operator was running services in competition with MTL Manchester's Volvo B6 midibuses;[15] a further 35 built to Superbus specification were delivered later in 1995 to the operator's Bolton, Bury and Oldham depots.[16] A smaller operator of Wright Endurances on Volvo B10B chassis included the Blazefield Group, who took delivery of a total 25 Endurances before moving onto the Volvo B10BLE based Wright Renown; the group's Sovereign Bus & Coach operation first took delivery of five Endurances in early 1995, which were followed by an additional four Endurances and the purchase of a former demonstrator model during 1996, while Endurances were also operated by Harrogate & District for the 36 service, Keighley & District and Yorkshire Coastliner.[17][18]

Smaller fleets of Endurances included Bus Éireann, who had ten dual-door examples delivered in 1997,[citation needed] Caldaire Holdings, where five examples were delivered to subsidiary operators SMT and West Riding respectively in 1993,[19] and CMT Buses, who had four Endurances delivered in 1995.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Trevor Erskine, Wrights' legendary designer". Buses. No. 781. Stamford: Key Publishing. 19 March 2020. p. 16. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Wright extends range with 53-seater citybus". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 14 November 1991. p. 18. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Evolution of the Endurance". Coach & Bus Week. No. 31. Peterborough: Emap. 19 September 1992. p. 6.
  4. ^ "Wright launches intercity coach". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 28 May 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Scania order goes to Wrights instead". Coach & Bus Week. No. 55. Peterborough: Emap. 6 March 1993. p. 10. Wrights also got the body order for 20 Mercedes O405s, 14 of which will be air-conditioned and double-glazed.
  6. ^ a b Millar, Alan (7 August 2022). "The Rise of Wrights". Buses. No. 810. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 60. Retrieved 5 December 2023. GRT placed orders for the 12m step-entrance Endurance body on Mercedes-Benz O405 and Scania N113CRB chassis for its Grampian and Midland Bluebird fleets. The 20 O405s were delivered in 1993, 14 of them for Grampian built with air conditioning and double glazing. Midland Bluebird received six to a more modest specification, followed in 1994 by 16 Scanias.
  7. ^ "Midland Choice choose Mercedes". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 343. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 2 February 1996. p. 19.
  8. ^ "Merc Urbanrangers go to university". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 1995.
  9. ^ Izatt, Andy (25 October 1996). "Universitybus: Building a market". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 381. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. pp. 14–18. In 1995 the company also bought the first two Mercedes OH1416 Urbanrangers which carry 47 seat Wright bodies.
  10. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (19 September 1992). "Excellent Endurance". Coach & Bus Week. No. 31. Peterborough: Emap. p. 5.
  11. ^ "Wright choice for YT". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 16 April 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  12. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (19 November 1994). "New vehicles to fight competition". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. p. 6.
  13. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (11 September 1993). "First new orders part of bigger investment plan". Coach & Bus Week. No. 82. Peterborough: Emap.
  14. ^ "West Midlands B10Bs enter service". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 342. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 26 January 1996. p. 24.
  15. ^ "Superbus for GMN Buses". Coach & Bus Week. No. 153. Peterborough: Emap. 4 February 1995. p. 7.
  16. ^ "Fleet Additions". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 332. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 10 November 1995. p. 21. GM Buses North is currently placing in service 35 Wright Endurance bodied Volvo B10Bs in addition to 20 similar buses delivered earlier.
  17. ^ Izatt, Andy (8 August 1997). "In service report: Wright Endurance Volvo B10B". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 421. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. pp. 16–18.
  18. ^ Morgan, Mike (23 March 1996). "Sea change at Coastliner". Coach & Bus Week. No. 210. Peterborough: Emap. p. 10.
  19. ^ "First Wright Volvo B10B". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 1993. p. 6.
  20. ^ "Paladin Darts mean 25 per cent new replacement". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 25 November 1995. p. 27.

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