Alexander ALX200

Alexander ALX200
Arriva Buses Wales ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF in 2013
Overview
ManufacturerAlexander/TransBus
Production1996–2001
Body and chassis
Doors1 or 2 doors
Floor typeLow floor
ChassisDennis Dart SLF
Volvo B6LE
RelatedALX100, ALX300, ALX400, ALX500
Powertrain
EngineCummins B Series (Dennis Dart SLF)
Volvo D6A (Volvo B6LE)
TransmissionAllison/ZF Ecomat
Dimensions
Length8.8–10.7 m (28 ft 10 in – 35 ft 1 in)
Widtharound 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Height3.0 m (9 ft 10 in)
Chronology
PredecessorAlexander Dash
SuccessorPlaxton Pointer

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 and was launched in spring 1996 as a low-floor replacement of the Alexander Dash. It was marketed in Alexander's 'ALX' series to fill in the gap between the ALX100 minibus and the ALX300 full-size single-decker.

Design

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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. It was given a mild front end refresh during 2001.

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, where Walter Alexander was based.

Operators

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Stagecoach South West ALX200 bodied Dennis Dart SLF in Paignton in July 2011

Operators of the Alexander ALX200 in the United Kingdom mainly included Stagecoach, whose orders included 90 ALX200s built on the Volvo B6LE chassis, the FirstGroup, Arriva and Newport Transport, who operated ALX200s on 8.8m Dart SLF chassis.

The ALX200 on Dennis Dart SLF chassis was purchased by some Cowie Group companies, with Yorkshire Buses taking delivery of 30 of the type in April 1997 for services in Dewsbury, replacing the operator's last Leyland Nationals.[1] Grey-Green also took delivery of seventeen of the type, while Clydeside 2000 took delivery of ten ALX200s between May and June 1997.[2]

In London, the Alexander ALX200 on Dennis Dart SLF chassis proved most popular with Stagecoach London's East London and Selkent operations, who were both the largest customers for the ALX200 throughout its production run. A total of 216 were delivered between 1997 and 2001, with thirteen of these used for a contract route connecting Liverpool Street station and London City Airport.[3]: 62–69  : 40–41  Arriva London, meanwhile, took delivery of 38 ALX200 bodied Dart SLFs between 1998 and 2000, acquiring a further nineteen that were originally new to Arriva East Herts & Essex in May 2000,[3]: 87–90  while elsewhere, Connex took delivery of 18 between 2000 and 2001,[3]: 166–167  Epsom Coaches took delivery of 14 between 1999 and 2001,[3]: 153–155  Armchair Passenger Transport took delivery of 13 in May 1999,[3]: 132  and Metrobus took delivery of three in July 1999.[3]: 28–29 

Exports

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A Thomas Built Buses SLF 200 operated by TheBus in Prince George's County, Maryland in 2005

The ALX200 was also popular as an export product. Citybus of Hong Kong purchased ten ALX200-bodied Volvo B6LE buses in 1997 for use on route 260 serving Stanley and Central, which were withdrawn and returned to the UK two years later due to structural defects,[4] while 50 Alexander ALX200s were bodied on left hand drive Dennis Dart SLF chassis for use by Arriva Netherlands in 2000.[5]

A small number of ALX200s were built by Thomas Built Buses from 1999 to 2003 under license as the 'SLF 200' for use in the United States; these buses were fitted with Cummins ISB and Mercedes-Benz engines.[6][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jones, Stuart (18 April 1997). "Yorkshire Buses take 30 Dart SLF ALX200s". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 405. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. pp. 21–22.
  2. ^ "Cutting a Dash with old and new customers". Coach & Bus Week. No. 284. Peterborough: Emap. 28 August 1997. p. 28. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Beddall, David (3 January 2023). The London Dennis Dart & Dart SLF. Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-39909-518-1. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ^ Li, Hanhua (18 July 2018). 香港空調巴士漫遊 [Hong Kong air-conditioned bus tour] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Zhonghua Book Company (Hong Kong) Limited. pp. 93–95. ISBN 978-988-8513-52-9. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  5. ^ Morgan, Mike (30 November 2000). "Madrid's window on the world gets bigger". Coach & Bus Week. No. 451. Peterborough: Emap. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. ^ Forsyth, Ian (3 March 1999). "Boost for Alexander". Aberdeen Press & Journal. p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Goundry, Andy (23 March 2020). Dennis Buses and Other Vehicles. Crowood. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-78500-708-8. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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Media related to Alexander ALX200 at Wikimedia Commons

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