NEWS

We will post any current Woodstones Coaches news in this section.

  HISTORY
   

WOODSTONES PLACES ORDER FOR 2 COACHES 2012 DELIVERY

2 of the 2009 70 seater coaches are due to be replaced in the start of 2012, We have placed an order for 2 Plaxton Profile / Volvo B7R 70 seater coaches, these will be the last of the Plaxton Profiles supplied to Woodstones Coaches Limited due to the new rules and regulations’ making the Plaxton Profile non compliant due to some design issues, one being its width of 2500 being 50mm too narrow, should now due to EU rules be 2550 wide. It will be a shame to see the Profile disappear from production and we will have to look long and hard for a replacement for the Profile. We have no plans at present and with the purchase of these 2 ‘70’ seaters this will give us 12 months to view and evaluate the Plaxton Profile replacement.

   
   

WOODSTONES RECEIVES TWO NEW COACHES
IN MARCH 2010

We are replacing 2 of our three year old coaches for 2 new coaches, these will be Plaxton Profile/ Volvo B7R 53/57 seaters with Wheelchair access to DDA requirements.

   
   

WOODSTONES TAKE FOURTH GENERATION OF
70 SEAT PROFILES

Woodstones Coaches has been operating since 1957 in Kidderminster, moving to modern purpose built premises on Hoo Farm Industrial Estate in 1983. The Profiles are engaged on a variety of school contract and private hire work across the West Midlands. The company policy is to replace a third of the fleet every year and the well maintained low mileage three year old vehicles are popular on the secondhand market. The first seventy seat Profiles arrived in 1998 and were replaced by Volvo based examples in 2003, 2006 and now 2009, making the new coaches the fourth generation of the model to serve the company. 

Two new DDA compliant Plaxton Profile bodied Volvo B7Rs have replaced similar three year old vehicles in the Woodstones Coaches of Kidderminster fleet, a fleet composed entirely of this successful body and chassis combination. Managing Director Richard Meredith sees no reason to change his choice of vehicles, ‘We are very happy with the Profile/B7R combination, it’s a sound reliable product with excellent support from Plaxton and Volvo.’ 

Supplied by Volvo Coach Sales at Loughborough, the latest vehicles feature 70 Phoenix Balmoral seats in 3+2 format, six of which are demountable to accommodate a single wheelchair loaded via the nearside mounted PLS cassette lift. All seats are fitted with three point belts and the coaches are equipped with Hanover displays all around. In addition to different contrasting colours for the handrails, further individuality has been added to the vehicles with one being trimmed in dark red and the other in shades of grey.  Customer entertainment is provided by a radio/CD/PA system and their safety is promoted by an Autosound CCTV system with internal, external and reversing cameras.

Mechanically, the rear engined Volvo B7R chassis features a 290hp D7E-290 Euro 4 engine employing SCR technology and ZF six speed automatic gearbox together with disc brakes all around. The combination of an effective retarder and careful experienced drivers has meant that similar vehicles have left the fleet after three years with their original brake pads still serviceable.  Externally, the new Profiles carry Woodstones Coaches’ vibrant red, orange, yellow and white colour scheme, embellished by polished step rings on the front wheels.

Delivery of the new coaches means the Woodstones Coaches fleet is now standardised on the Euro 4 Plaxton Profile/Volvo B7R combination with digital tachographs.  Each coach has some individuality, particularly in the handrail colours, and a variety of seating options, 53, 57 and 70 (or 64 plus a wheelchair), can be offered to customers. Knowing the product so well has enabled Richard to develop a number of improvements which have been adopted by Plaxton for the latest deliveries. These include relocating the digital tachograph to the dashboard to make it more accessible and providing easier access to the front destination display.

 

VOLVO

Comfortable, safe and with a lot of consideration

Comfortable and safe

The Volvo B7R offers good road holding, and the high level of safety that you get with all Volvo coaches and buses.

With a choice of bodywork, electronically controlled suspension and braking system, the B7R offers you the ultimate package of high specification features.

Quality, safety and environmental consideration

Being able to rely on your bus is obviously crucial for good profitability. However, it is just one of a number of important factors which Volvo see as key for you, your business and the environment.

The B7R is an excellent example of how a superb combination of technical solutions can promote high profitability. The uncomplicated chassis design and the lightweight engine provides a low net weight.

This in turn creates high capacity and promotes low running costs in relation to the number of passengers that the bus can carry. The B7R has been built to meet varied global demands on availability and capacity.

   
   

Modern, powerful and fuel efficient

The Volvo D7E engine, is an in-line six-cylinder diesel with a displacement of 7.1 litres and it features a turbocharger and Intercooler.

With a combination of modern features such as fuel injection with common rail technology, the engine offers a very broad torque range as well as low fuel consumption and long service life. In combination with SCR exhaust filtration, the engine easily meets the Euro 4 standards.

Powerful brakes
The brakes on the B7R are of the same effective type as fitted to Volvo’s larger buses. The brake area totals 6,865 cm² and they offer high safety, immense durability and long service life. ABS anti-locking brakes further enhance safety levels. Asbestos-free brake linings have long been fitted as standard on all Volvo buses.

A well adapted powertrain
The rest of the powertrain is adapted to enable the engine to provide as much power as possible. A ZF fully automatic 6-speed gearbox with integrated retarder is fitted as standard. This is matched with the optimum rear axle ratio to afford versatile driveline able to cope with a number of different driving conditions.

High degree of ride comfort
The Volvo B7R is fitted with air suspension, which effectively compensates for irregularities in the road surface and offers a high degree of ride comfort. Stabilisers are fitted as standard on both the front and rear axles, minimising the tendency to roll.

More information on the B7R Volvo chassis can be found here
More information on Plaxton's coaches can be obtained from here