E200MMC - Worth The Wait

It has been a long wait for an E200MMC to finally make its way to East Anglia. Borderbus have been let down at the last minute on 2 or 3 occasions already. It was first mooted for last year's Latitude so you can appreciate the anticipation when today it finally arrived at Beccles. Andrew Pursey gave me plenty of notice of its arrival, which meant I could arrange everything to get down to Kent later in the day and still see the MMC.

And so after watching Borderbus's latest recruit being told how to drive a bus smaller than the ones he's been driving perfectly well for 15 years (funnier at the time than in print) my taxi to Moor Industrial Park was waiting at Worlingham. And there it was, at last, looking rather smart in the Beccles brightness.

E200MMC demonstrator YX65 RKK admired by a Chief Engineer and a taxi driver!

 I have to admit to a little apprehension. Since I went on an MMC in Scotland in November I had been praising them to the skies and was hoping this one would live up to expectations. I needn't have worried. A 45 min round trip to Bungay and back proved enough to convince Andrew, Dave and Colin that this indeed was a much improved bus. What I was interested in was the engineers viewpoint as they notice things I don't. For example Colin was raving over the new inspection hatch for the gearbox, and Dave was impressed with the adjustable headrest on the driver's seat. All agreed it felt more solid, the engine tone was nicer and a lot of thought had clearly gone into the design. All round a very good bus, in fact Colin reckoned the only bus he had driven he liked more was a gas bus.

At St Mary's St in Bungay - guaranteed unique pic as it won't be there again

The interior is impressive. Comfortable leather seats, USB sockets on every seat that have rather pleasing blue LED lights, well placed green spotlights on the floor and interestingly on the driver's left foot, bicycle style bells (sound not mechanism), well designed rails that give the impression of space, and a really decent rear window that allows a lot extra light in. Until some pillock covers it with an advert that is!!

Interior of the |E200MMC

I must point out that the interior was subject to a vital scientific test carried out by Mrs Pursey. However I have been asked ordered threatened with death not to reveal what the experiment is. Suffice it to say it passed!

Showing the destination everyone will see.

The demonstrator is around for at least this week, hopefully next week too but that is to be confirmed. I really recommend anyone taking pics of it ride it too - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Now many places have already published pics of the demonstrator, but that wasn't the only new arrival at Borderbus today. Arriving virtually together with the MMC was Borderbus's latest normal E200. A sister to BB11 BUS the new one, YX11 CSZ will be given the registration BB60 BUS. Like BB11 it will also have leather seats which are being prepared at the moment. She should be out in service next week, depending on the seats being delivered on time.

E200 YX11 CSZ soon to become BB60 BUS awaits vinyls and seats

And from the rear.

I must thank Andrew and the team for inviting me over to be there for the arrival and to go out on the test run. As always it was a joy to be there and I look forward to hearing what the drivers think of the MMC.

I was going to include a quite remarkable rail journey down to Kent that followed in this post but it's too late now and I'm exhausted so that can wait till tomorrow evening when I get back from hospital.