Hi,
I saw from other videos that the SD202 got inward facing seats at the upper deck behind the rear staircase, which is in contrast to the seating layout in the one in OMSI where all the seats face forward in the upper deck. Is this a modification by BVG, and if yes, when is the seating layout modified?
Thanks!

Hi and 很好的一天,

Naphthalene on 2013年11月20日 14:41:49: Is this a modification by BVG, and if yes, when is the seating layout modified?

Yes, this was modified by BVG. If I remember correct, the modification was started about year 2000. But I think, not all buses got it. In the middle of the 1990's there were some SD202 from BVG temporarily in service at Lübeck-Travemünder Verkehrsgesellschaft (LVG) in Lübeck for some years and there they had modified those first time. But they turned the penultimate row of seats opposite to the direction of travel. As the buses returned to Berlin, the BVG didn't turned back the seats to the original arrangement at some buses. From 1999 to 2003 many of the SD202 got a side wall redevelopment and then it was inroduced the "conference corner" in the back of the upper deck, but not at all buses. Here is a short video from a bus with the conference corner which I filmed in BCT 3776...



In the initial state, all the SD202 in the upper deck looked like this...


In BCT 3577, 2011.

So, here are some pictures from the last time. At first a Lion's City DD at diversion on route 200...


BVG 3310, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Danziger Str.), 2013

...then a Mercedes Benz O530 C2 Citaro on suburban railways replacement service...


Berlin-Mobil B-FR 505, Berlin-Lichtenberg (Seddiner Str.), 2013

...and a Setra S431DT by Haru with new livery...


Haru B-HA 3600, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2013.

In December of the last year, BCT 3776 got a new total advertising, but only for a short time. I could got only one picture of it on route A...


BCT 3776, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2013

...in January 2014, the busy "Freybrücke" (Frey Bridge) unexpected had to be closed for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 10 tons, so minibuses must have been used on bus route M49 for some days. The route M49 was interrupted and there was a shuttle line set up by minibus that drove over the bridge...


8701, Berlin-Spandau (Freybrücke), 2014

...some days later the permissible gross weight was raised to 18 tons. Since then, only 12-meter single deck buses can be used there, so the route X34 was diverted and route X49 beeing all set for the time. Not until the summer there will be a temporary bridge and the buses can go regularly again. At the bus stops are informations about that all...


Information at bus stop "Freybrücke", Berlin-Spandau (Heerstr.), 2014

...route X34 is diverted to Rathaus Spandau...


BVG 3462, Berlin-Spandau (Gatower Str.), 2014.

Next picture shows a MB O530 Citaro on route 156...


BVG 1680, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Grellstr.), 2014

...followed by one of the VDL Citea LLE 120 on route 265...


BVG 1841, Berlin-Treptow (Baumschulenstr.), 2014

...two Lion's City DD on routes 172 and M44...


3448 and 3264, Berlin-Neukölln (Ringslebenstr.), 2014

...and two other ones on route M41...


3416, Berlin-Neukölln (Sonnenallee), 2014.

Since January, we have three new bus routes in Berlin-Neukölln around subway- and suburban railways station "Hermannstr.", because two other routes had to be shortened due to the construction of a new motorway in the near of there. One of the new routes is the 370, there are those little ones in service...


Dr. Herrmann 8403, Berlin-Neukölln (Lahnstr.), 2014.

Last I have a photo of BCT 3425 on route B...


BCT 3425, Berlin-Mitte (Karl-Liebknecht-Str.), 2014

...and one pic from inside route 104...


In BVG 3419, Berlin-Treptow (Elsenstr.), 2014.

Finally here is a video that I took on New Year's night one subway station away from my apartment. First, the one minute trip with the subway can be seen and about a minute before midnight I was arrived at subway station Eberswalder Str., then will been welcomed the new year with fireworks - that's Berlin...





My next report from Berlin will be contain some older pictures and informations about the buses in Berlin again.

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

Do Berlin train drivers tend to open the door without waiting the trains comes to a complete halt?

Also the scene makes me think of the reunion of east and west Berlin for some reason

Berlin-Skyliner on 2013年1月24日 08:16:43: Hi and 很好的一天,

I'm Matthias from Berlin in Germany, I'm almost 40 years old and I'm an enthusiast of buses. My knowledges of the English language are not the best, but I hope everybody can still understand everything. Today I want to show you some pictures and videos from Berlin buses. Since I was a little boy, the double deckers were my favourites.

The first double deck motorbuses on Berlin public transport were some open deckers by Benz, they were in service since 1905. The second type was the "Robert-Kaufmann-Wagen" (RK-Wagen) by NAG, it was in service from 1916 to 1928. Here is a picture of a replica...

[ 圖檔 ]
BVG 2069, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2012
.
.
.

Wow, that's a lot of great photos of the buses in Berlin. You post them like story-telling and I was really impressed by them.
Besides, 'Hi' shouldn't be'很好的一天', it should be'大家好'or'你好'

Wongie on 2014年2月15日 20:04:22:

Berlin-Skyliner on 2013年1月24日 08:16:43: Hi and 很好的一天,

I'm Matthias from Berlin in Germany, I'm almost 40 years old and I'm an enthusiast of buses. My knowledges of the English language are not the best, but I hope everybody can still understand everything. Today I want to show you some pictures and videos from Berlin buses. Since I was a little boy, the double deckers were my favourites.

The first double deck motorbuses on Berlin public transport were some open deckers by Benz, they were in service since 1905. The second type was the "Robert-Kaufmann-Wagen" (RK-Wagen) by NAG, it was in service from 1916 to 1928. Here is a picture of a replica...

[ 圖檔 ]
BVG 2069, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2012
.
.
.

Wow, that's a lot of great photos of the buses in Berlin. You post them like story-telling and I was really impressed by them.
Besides, 'Hi' shouldn't be'很好的一天', it should be'大家好'or'你好'

Generally we will say "Good day" when we meet someone.

when i watch that video of a sd200 I thouugh i am playing omsi & presssing ALT to pause the video

Hi, 你好 and 很好的一天,

kmb_68x on 2014年2月15日 19:15:01: Do Berlin train drivers tend to open the door without waiting the trains comes to a complete halt?

Yes, sometimes. It's a question of the train driver. One driver opens it earlier and one driver does it later.

kmb_68x on 2014年2月15日 19:15:01: Also the scene makes me think of the reunion of east and west Berlin for some reason

It's a normaly Eve party in the video, there are thousands of others like this in Berlin every year. Since 1990, there is a central Eve party at the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), which is visited every year by more than one million people. I was there three or four times too, but I think that's to many people. You will be squeezed there all the time....

Wongie on 2014年2月15日 20:04:22: Wow, that's a lot of great photos of the buses in Berlin. You post them like story-telling and I was really impressed by them.
Besides, 'Hi' shouldn't be'很好的一天', it should be'大家好'or'你好'

Thank you!

Btw: In Berlin sometimes we say "Hallo" ("hello"), sometimes we say "Guten Tag" ("good day") or simply "Tag" ("day") and sometimes we say "Hi". And sometimes we combine different versions of each other.

So now follow some impressions of Saturday, May 24th, when the annual running day of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Traditionsbus Berlin (ATB) has taken place. This time at the former bus route 73, which is nowadays the route M46...


Berlin-Neukölln (Blaschkoallee)

...from "primary rock" Büssing D2U...


ATB 1629, Berlin-Neukölln (Tempelhofer Weg)

...to Mercedes O405N from the recent past...


BCT 2208, Berlin-Neukölln (Blaschkoallee)

...everything was there. So on that day alone five cars of the Büssing DE type carried passengers on the route between Buschkrug in Britz...


ATB 2437, Berlin-Neukölln (Blaschkoallee)

...and Zoo station...


In 3500, Berlin-Schöneberg (Dominicusstr.)

...including this piece of jewelery...


ATB 2329, Berlin-Neukölln (Gradestr.).

During my childhood I often rided with these buses, I still know it of the routes 24, 28, 41, 75, 77 and 91. The dark green seat interior...


Im ATB 2329, Berlin-Tempelhof (Tempelhofer Weg)

...the double folded doors...


Im ATB 2437, Berlin-Tempelhof (Germaniastr.)

...all this brings back memories of old times. If you want, you can take a ride into former car 70 of Lübeck-Travemünder Verkehrsgesellschaft (LVG) from Teilestr. to subway station Alt-Tempelhof in the following video, in which the characteristic driving sound of this bus type is clearly audible...



...the buses of LVG had a red seat interior at the DE type. As other representatives of its species were 2556...


ATB 2556, Berlin-Schöneberg (Hedwig-Dohm-Str.)

...and 2100...


ATB 2100, Berlin-Neukölln (Gradestr.)

...in use, but also the Büssing DF type, of which a total of only 29 vehicles were manufactured, although it was of the time in 1964 already far ahead, tireless turned the rounds on the 73...


ATB 1658, Berlin-Schöneberg (Hildegard-Knef-Pl.).

The type of SD was represented by the cars 2626 from 1975...


ATB 2626, Berlin-Tempelhof (Alt-Tempelhof)

...and 3413 to 1985...


ATB 3413, Berlin-Tempelhof (Teilestr.)

...were otherwise - in addition to the 2208 already shown at the beginning - three more single deckers in service, inter alia this one...


ATB 1957, Berlin-Schöneberg (Sachsendamm).

Since only every 20 minutes was driven to Buschkrug, every second journey ended already on the Gradestr., there was also during the morning hours a few rides to Tempelhof station and during the evening hours individual rides to the subway station "Alt-Tempelhof", the "Rathaus Schöneberg" and "Germaniastr. E. Gottlieb-Dunkel-Str."...


ATB 2100, Berlin-Tempelhof (Alt-Tempelhof).

As always, was also thought to smaller details...


Berlin-Neukölln (Gradestr.)

...to make bygone times as realistic experience...


ATB 1629, Berlin-Schöneberg (Sachsendamm).

Finally, a short video, in which can be seen the departure of four buses at South Cross station...



Oh yes, I almost forgot it: A modern Berlin bus has cheated even with the 73ers...


BVG 3500, Berlin-Schöneberg (Hildegard-Knef-Pl.).

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

Hi, 你好 and 很好的一天,

here is another report of Berlin buses at the last time...


BVG 3498, Berlin-Schöneberg (Kleiststr.), 2014.

The bus company Magasch has a Neoplan N4426/3 new in fleet, it's a former bus of Postal Car Switzerland...


Magasch B-CM 188, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2014

...then it follows a picture of route 104 while Fifa World Cup...


BVG 3330, Berlin-Neukölln (Hermannstr.), 2014.

Subway route U5 was interrupted from june to august, the station Biesdorf-Süd could be reached by mini bus only...


Guild of taxi 8722, Berlin-Marzahn (Debenzer Str.), 2014

...because the streets are to small for bigger buses there. Next two pictures shows route 172 at Rudow terminus...


BVG 3272, Berlin-Neukölln (Neuköllner Str.), 2014

...and route X7 alongside motorway...


BVG 3505, Schönefeld (Waltersdorfer Ch.), 2014.

On suburban rail replacement service routes are buses of many bus companies in service, here a MAN Lion's City Ü of Uecker-Randow-Bus...


URB 16, Berlin-Lichtenberg (Alt-Friedrichsfelde), 2014

...and here is a Neoplan Skyliner of BVB on rail replacement route RE2...


BVB 970, Berlin-Friedrichshain (Am Ostbahnhof), 2014.

The bus company Dr. Herrmann has an Iveco Irisbus Crossway LE in the fleet, here it is on route N79...


Dr. Herrmann 8423, Berlin-Neukölln (Hermannstr.), 2014

...two years ago this bus was tested by BVG too, but BVG ordered more than 200 buses of the VDL Citea LLE-120, which will be delivered in the coming years...


BVG 2322, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Dorfstr. Malchow), 2014

...to increase the existing fleet of LE vehicles...


BVG 2300, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Vincent-van-Gogh-Str.), 2014.

Now it follows a photo of City Circle route...


BVB 630, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2014

...and another of a ND202, which is new in fleet of bus company BCT...


BCT 3062, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2014.

The last two pics for today shows the new livery design of BVG buses, first a 15-meters single decker...


BVG 1533, Berlin-Hellersdorf (Louis-Lewin-Str.), 2014

...and then a Lion's City DD...


BVG 3535, Berlin-Marzahn (Wuhletalstr.), 2014.

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

Hi

I saw you posted Viseon LDD14.
It seems as long as Neoman A39 but it only has two doors (unlike Neoman A39 has 3 doors),
so what is the layout of it?

I saw a magazine before, it talk about Neoplan N4426/3 L, longer version of N4426/3, similar to Neoman A39.
I want to know more about it, because I can just find little information about it.

Thanks!!

一直不明白柏林巴士路線牌顯示三角形系乜意思

Hi, 你好 and 很好的一天,

051039 on 2014年9月21日 01:51:12: I saw you posted Viseon LDD14.
It seems as long as Neoman A39 but it only has two doors (unlike Neoman A39 has 3 doors),
so what is the layout of it?

The Viseon LDD14 has a length of 14,00 meters, a height of 4,00 meters and was built in Versions with two doors and with three doors. The bus companies in Berlin, which have LDD14 buses in the fleet, got the two door version...


Haru B-BS 6008, Berlin-Mitte (Molkenmarkt), 2012

...elsewhere in Germany, the bus companies ordered the three door version, for example OVA in Aalen...


OVA 716, Aalen-Unterkochen (Aalener Str.), 2014

...the OVA pics were taken by a friend of mine at last year...


OVA 718, Aalen (Bahnhofstr.), 2014.

Some bus companies got it with a slim door up front and at the rear, only in the middele is a broader door...


Bayer UL-RB 478, Berlin-Mitte (Karl-Liebknecht-Str.), 2013.

The Lion's City DD has a length of 13,73 meters, a height of 4,06 meters and three doors. In addition the LDD14 was available in a suburban version with a stronger engine and other gear ratio so that the bus for speeds up to 100 km / h will be allowed.

The in 2008 founded VISEON Bus GmbH unfortunately became insolvent in 2013 and the former Neoplan manufacturing plant in Pilsting has been closed. Responsible for the insolvent, in my view, are the bus builders and former partner companies of Viseon, MAN and Youngman.

051039 on 2014年9月21日 01:51:12: I saw a magazine before, it talk about Neoplan N4426/3 L, longer version of N4426/3, similar to Neoman A39.
I want to know more about it, because I can just find little information about it.

Thanks!!

In 1997, Neoplan has introduced the N4026/3L. It was available with two and with three doors and had a length of 13,65 meters...


OVA 708, Aalen (Bahnhofstr.), 2014

...in the year 2000, the new version named N4426/3L was introduced...


BVB 75, Berlin-Neukölln (Hermannstr.), 2007

...this type has a length of 13.85 meters. Here are some links to the specifications of various types...

Neoplan N4026/3

Neoplan N4026/3L

Neoplan N4426/3 Centroliner DD

Neoplan N4426/3L Centroliner DD

Neoplan N4526/3L Centroliner Evolution DD

MAN ND313 Lion's City DD

Viseon LDD14

Viseon LDD13

NHHKJA on 2014年11月13日 18:21:19: 一直不明白柏林巴士路線牌顯示三角形系乜意思

The triangle sign indicated special routes with special fares, inter alia excursion lines that rides through forrest or lake areas. The sign was removed in 1991 when BVG introduced a new three digit route numbers system. Nowadays the triangle sign is in use only for vintage buses to remember the old times.

Now it follows a report about the new test bus for BVG. At last friday, the Scania Citywide LFDD was presented by BVG at the depot Indira-Gandhi-Straße...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...so let's enjoy it...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot).

In the lower deck as first be noticed the display, which announce the number of free seats on the upper deck...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...also there is a display above the fuel tank, which shows alternately the time, the outside temperature and the current speed...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...and beside the staircase another monitor for passenger information...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...by the way, the bus has one staircase only. The rear part somehow seems quite cozy...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...from the last row of seats you have that view to the front part...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...there are 24 seats and 19 standees on the lower deck. Now let's go up...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...also here the view from the back to the front, above the stairs are attached the screens for passenger information...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...and above the windows USB ports are available, two pieces there are at each double seat. In the front part the bus has a glass roof...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...and also on the upper deck the display with the details of outside temperature, time and speed is available. There are 45 seats, on the door side a total of five of the window seats are mounted slightly higher for technical reasons...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...the seat covers on the bus are decorated with the heraldic animal of Berlin. At the driving position, there is a screen on which the images of various indoor and outdoor cameras are shown...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...from behind the vehicle looks like this...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot).

10.94 meter measures the new double-decker in length, the usual 4.06 meters in height...


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...the empty weight is just under twelve tons and the engine delivers 280 hp. The bus is stationed first at the Spandau depot, after the performance it returned back to Scania branch in Ludwigsfelde for final comprehensive work. At the conclusion, the 3094 was still shown beside one of the first VDL Citea serial cars for BVG, which were also presented last friday....


BVG 3094, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot)

...I like this Scania Citywide LFDD pretty good. I hope it proves its value in the Berlin daily traffic and will be ordered in larger numbers after the one-year test. Finally, two short videos of the bus...





Special thanks deserves Ph. Borchert, who has made available the images of the buses of OVA in Aalen.

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

What was the reason to found Viseon back then, instead of continuing with Neoplan's Centroliner Evolution series?

In my opinion Neoplan had achieved a good brand recognition.

Hi, 你好 and 很好的一天,

FS1819 on 2015年2月4日 01:49:06: What was the reason to found Viseon back then, instead of continuing with Neoplan's Centroliner Evolution series?

In my opinion Neoplan had achieved a good brand recognition.

The reason was the merger of MAN and Neoplan, then the complete Centroliner series was removed from the product range. The maximum height for all types of road vehicles in Germany is exactly four meters. Who wants allow a higher vehicle needs to an exemption, which is usually bound to conditions - and is also an annual fee to be paid.
The bus manufacturer MAN is apparently unwilling to offer double-decker buses with a total height of 4.00 meters. As MAN announced the closure of the former Neoplan factory in Pilsting in spring 2008, two former Neoplan CEO decided to take over the factory.

On July 1, 2008, former Neoplan CEOs Joachim Reinmuth and Erno Bartha founded the VISEON Bus GmbH based in Pilsting. The first developed vehicle was the LDD14, because there is a manageable, but still existing market for this car, which was covered by the previous double-decker types of Neoplan in recent decades.

Until May 2010, there was a ten percent minority stake of MAN, then later there was a minority stake of Youngman. Both investment shareholder were apparently not interested in the success of VISEON, therefore followed in April 2013 the bankruptcy.

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

Guten Abend von Hong Kong,

I was wondering did Youngman purchase VISEON after its bankruptcy? As I have heard in 2012 that Youngman was already the major stakeholder of VISEON.

Also it is sad to see MAN ended Neoplan's Centroliner series, which had once supplied buses for Hong Kong and local enthusiasts are impressed by its great building quality.

Hi Matthias,

Somebody shared the interior pictures of Ex-SD200 on Guangzhou China in Facebook. (Source: 中華巴士紀念館-Facebook, Mike Mikhail Mike)