The ALX400 was released by Alexander in 1997 as one of the first low floor & DDA Compliant double deck buses. For the next 9 years, this served as the UK's most popular service bus due to it's reliability, comfort and flexibility. The bus's proven ability to impress both the driver and the passenger showed as large operators such as First, Stagecoach, Arriva and Dublin Bus used the ALX400 as their trusty steed for a long period of time. Even now, after two decades, the ALX400 is still commonly used by primarily smaller operators, however due to their reliability and the various advantages, larger operators still use these buses on a daily basis.
Amongst the early 2000s, TfL (Transport for London) has many two door variants manufactured by Tranbus and Alexander Dennis. These two door variants have mostly been scrapped or used as parts, however some still remain in use across the country.
Due to their low resale value, the London Variants are often bought by operators or refurbishment companies to be converted to single door buses with modified bodywork. Even if not converted, the buses still make great vehicles for school services due to their speed and capacity. The robust quality of the chassis, interior and bodywork ensures that the ALX400 has a long lifespan.
Welcome to the workshop of Cotterell Coachworks Ltd! Cotterell Coachworks complete an array of bus and coach repairs and maintenance tasks. They often buy and re-sell buses, complete contracts for local companies and complete an array of sophisticated repairs for the UK's bus and coach operators.
Cotterell Coachworks have adopted V315 KGW from London Central. This B7TL ALX400 was sold at a very low value due to it's poor condition and therefore required a lot of work. The vehicle was damaged after an incident where the vehicle came too close to the archway of a low bridge. The result of this was a damaged corner to the bus and broken windows. The vehicle also possessed an array of mechanical issues, and due to it's age; the bodywork needed a lot of work.
This B7TL ALX400 (V315 KGW) was purchased by London Central in late 2000 with the specification of having two doors and held the fleet number PVL136. The original seats were replaced in 2007 with new upholstery, before being replaced by the new Enviro400 in 2015.
Cotterell Coachworks were able to lease this bus as the repair was completed to a high standard. One of the main operations was be the conversion from a dual door to a single door configuration.
However, let's skip back to a point where Cotterell Coachworks had completed most repairs and operations prior to it's repaint. Shown above is the workshop project board which was used to track the project or post important notes or achievements. (View a Larger Version within the download)
Now that the refurbishment and repairs are almost complete, Cotterell Coachworks are willing to sell this to you to reside in your fleet as it will serve your customers well, whether it be on a special service, school routes or normal operations.
Download the addon to add this to your fleet!
After Ensuring you have all components listed within the 'Prerequisites' Section, Refer to the readme that is downloaded with the Pack.
- Run The Setup Application Labelled 'ExLondon-ALX400-Setup.exe'
- Select 'Yes' if asked for run confirmation by User Account Control
- Proceed to entering your ALX 400 Regional Directory. By default the installer will look in C:\Program FIles (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\Common\OMSI 2\Vehicles\TransBus_ALX_400_Regional\, however if your ALX Folder is located elsewhere within the filesystem, please specify it's location.
- Proceed to install
I would also recommend Badger's B7TL Soundpack for more authenticity! Download it Here.
Let's take a look at V315 KGW out on the streets after it's time in the garage.