10.0 m (32 ft 10 in) to 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)[1] (twin-axle) or 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in),12.0 m (39 ft 4 in) or 12.8 m (42 ft 0 in) (tri-axle)
Width
2.52 m (8 ft 3 in)
Height
4.23 m (13 ft 11 in) or 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floordouble-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-decker Wright Eclipse design. The second-generation Eclipse Gemini 2 was launched in 2009, followed by the third-generation Gemini 3 in 2013. Additionally, the body was available on Volvo Super Olympian chassis in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2005, marketed as the Wright Explorer.
The original Eclipse Gemini was launched in 2001 on Volvo B7TL chassis; from 2006, the body was also built on the replacement Volvo B9TL chassis and, from 2013, on the B9TL's replacement, the Volvo B5TL. From 2008, the body was also available on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis. Eclipse Gemini's exported to the Asian market have been offered a choice of the tri-axle Volvo B8L and the Scania K410EB.
Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied buses were mass-introduced on London Buses services from 2001. It has also been popular with FirstGroup, who from 2003 onwards have purchased over 1,200 into service.[2]Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann have also acquired many Volvo B9TLs with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork.
Rears of First Bristol Volvo B7TL (right) and facelifted Volvo B9TL (left) Wright Eclipse Geminis at Cribbs Causeway bus station
The Wright Eclipse Gemini was launched in 2001, initially on the Volvo B7TL chassis, as a double decker version of the existing Wright Eclipse body.[3] The original Eclipse Gemini, and all versions up until the facelifted Gemini 3, have both the upper and lower deck front windscreens forming part of a single oval shape, with the destination blind in between. The interior of the Eclipse Gemini features curves similar to its exterior, and continues the modern feel.
In 2006, the Volvo B7TL chassis, which had been the subject of noise complaints,[4] was superseded by the Volvo B9TL, with Wrightbus launching a facelifted version of the Wright Eclipse Gemini to fit the new chassis. The updated styling was largely confined to the rear of the body, where it has a more rounded appearance compared to the original and a central LED route number panel, housed within a smoked glass effect panel underneath the upper rear window. Other external modifications included the relocation of the rear number plate from its integrated position with the upper rear window to a more conventional siting at the bottom of the bus.
The first-generation Wright Eclipse Gemini was highly popular with the FirstGroup, with the group ordering examples from 2004 onwards. Wright Eclipse Geminis on the Volvo B7TL chassis entered service with First Glasgow, First West and South Yorkshire, and First Leicester, among others, between 2004 and the B7TL's discontinuation in 2007.[5][6] The first examples on the following Volvo B9TL chassis entered service with First South Yorkshire and First Glasgow in 2007, subsequently followed by a large order from First Greater Manchester, who ordered over 200 of the type from 2007 to 2010.[7][8]
In London, the Wright Eclipse Gemini on the Volvo B7TL chassis was also highly popular with Transport for London operators, although these buses were the subject of criticism for noise from their cooling fans.[4]Arriva London were the launch customer for the Wright Eclipse Gemini, taking on its first two of the type in July 2001, one of which was displayed at the 2001 International Association of Public Transport conference at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.[9]: 166 Arriva London would go on to operate a total 179 Wright Eclipse Geminis on the Volvo B7TL chassis, while 273 B7TL Geminis were delivered to Go-AheadLondon Central and London General, 209 to First Capital, 73 to Travel London, 44 to East Thames Buses and three delivered to London United.[9]: 272 A single Euro IV Volvo B9TL demonstrator with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork was delivered to London Central in July 2006, however orders did not materialise.[10]: 5 [11]
Lothian Buses were another popular customer of the Wright Eclipse Gemini, initially ordering 125 on the Volvo B7TL chassis between 2005 and 2006, having previously standardised with the Plaxton President on the Dennis Trident chassis.[12][13] The company moved onto the Volvo B9TL chassis in 2007, taking on a first batch of 50 that year.[14] The Wright Eclipse Gemini on the Volvo B7TL chassis was similarly popular with Travel West Midlands, taking delivery of 150 of the type between 2004 and 2006,[15][16][17] as well as Translink of Northern Ireland, who took delivery of 125 Geminis on Volvo B9TL chassis during 2007 for use by both its Metro and Ulsterbus companies.[18]
Go North East initially took delivery of three Wright Eclipse Geminis with high specification interiors on the Volvo B7TL chassis in 2005, which were used on the X10 express service connecting Newcastle upon Tyne and Middlesbrough;[19] this was followed in 2006 by an order for five B7TL Geminis for use on the 724 service connecting Newcastle and Chester-le-Street.[20]East Yorkshire Motor Services purchased a total of 60 Wright Eclipse Geminis on both the Volvo B7TL and B9TL chassis between 2005 and 2009, including four for its Manchester-based Finglands Coachways operation,[21][22][18] and Lincolnshire RoadCar took delivery of six Wright Eclipse Geminis on Volvo B7TL chassis for Lincolnshire InterConnect services in 2006.[23]
The Blazefield Group first ordered Wright Eclipse Geminis in 2003, ordering twelve Volvo B7TLs with high-specification interiors for use on The 36, serving Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds.[24] This was followed by a delivery of 16 Geminis on B7TL chassis in 2005 for use on The Witch Way, serving Burnley and Manchester.[25] Ten Wright Eclipse Geminis on Volvo B9TL chassis were later delivered to Yorkshire Coastliner in 2008.[26]
Smaller operators of Wright Eclipse Geminis included Yellow Buses, who took delivery of six B7TL Wright Eclipse Geminis,[27] and Wessex Bus, who took delivery of seven B9TL Geminis during 2007.[18]
The Wright Eclipse Gemini was also made available on the hybrid Volvo B5LH chassis in 2008. The first six hybrid Eclipse Geminis were delivered to Arriva London in 2009.[28][10]: 136
Between 2003 and 2005, Wrightbus bodied 100 Volvo Super Olympian chassis for Kowloon Motor Bus in Hong Kong; these received a modified version of the Eclipse Gemini body, initially marketed as The Wright Bus but later being renamed the Wright Explorer. The bodywork was modified to fit the Super Olympian chassis, with the most noticeable difference being the tri-axle layout.[29][30] The last Volvo Super Olympian to roll off the production line received Wright Explorer bodywork.[citation needed]
Subsequently, the Super Olympian was replaced by a tri-axle variant of the Volvo B9TL. Wrightbus offered similar tri-axle bodywork, which was unnamed and had slightly different rear styling, to the chassis. Deliveries commenced in 2006 with an initial batch of 64 Wright-bodied B9TLs.[31] After the introduction of Euro IV-engined Volvo B9TL, this bodywork became known as the Eclipse Gemini tri-axle, but no bodywork carrying this name were known to have been built.
Second generation (2008–2018)
For the Gemini 2 on VDL DB300 and diesel-electric hybrid chassis, see Wright Gemini 2.
Lothian Buses Volvo B9TL with standard-height Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 body in June 2010Arriva North WestVolvo B5LH with low-roof version of the Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 body
The second generation Wright Eclipse Gemini, called the Eclipse Gemini 2, was launched in 2008 on Volvo B9TL and B5LH chassis. The Eclipse Gemini 2 features front and rear ends facelifted to match the Eclipse 2 single-decker, as part of Wrightbus' new design philosophy.[32] A low-roof version was introduced in 2012.
After having been a significant customer for Wright Eclipse Geminis, outside London, the FirstGroup ordered comparatively fewer Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s on the Volvo B9TL chassis. First West Yorkshire took the largest delivery of Gemini 2s in the group, with 47 delivered to the operator in 2012 following their use in London on shuttle services for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[10]: 184–185 Six were also delivered across two batches for First Berkshire's Green Lineservice 702 between 2011 and 2013,[10]: 178–179 while First Eastern Counties took delivery of 15 Gemini 2s for services in Norwich in 2012.[33]
Lothian Buses were a continuing customer for the Gemini body on Volvo B9TL chassis, purchasing 145 Gemini 2s from 2009 to 2011.[34][35] 14 of these were delivered in 2010 for Lothian's Airlink services, specified with luggage racks, free WiFi, tables and a route-branded livery.[36]
East Yorkshire Motor Services took delivery of twenty Gemini 2s in two batches in 2009.[37][38] Six more were delivered to the company in 2014, followed by three acquired from Volvo dealer stock in 2015.[39][40]
Delaine Buses took delivery of seven Wright Gemini 2s on Volvo B9TL chassis between 2011 and 2015, with Delaine's final example also being the last Volvo B9TL chassis and Wright Gemini 2 body built for the UK market.[41][42]Dublin Bus purchased 160 during 2012 and 2013.[citation needed]
Like the Explorer, the Eclipse Gemini 2 was sold in Hong Kong, including a tri-axle variant that replaced the Explorer. Citybus, Kowloon Motor Bus, MTR Bus and New World First Bus purchasing examples.[62][63][64] In 2013, Kowloon Motor Bus purchased two extended 12.8 metre long demonstrators.[65][66] and was delivered in mid-2014. Citybus took an example of the 12.8 metres long as well and was delivered in late-2013, with build quality issues delaying the registration process and eventually put into service in March 2015. In 2017, the first demonstrator Volvo B8L for Kowloon Motor Bus was fitted with an Eclipse Gemini 2 body.
The third generation Wright Eclipse Gemini, now called simply the Gemini 3, was launched in 2013 for the new Volvo B5TL chassis, the eventual replacement of the B9TL. The Gemini 3 also remained available on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis. Some design features were taken from the New Routemaster, another Wrightbus design. The two most noticeable aesthetic changes were a substantial redesign of the rear end and the introduction of smaller upper deck windows to save weight; the front light clusters were also slightly redesigned, in order to incorporate separate LED daytime running lights for the first time.
The majority of orders for the pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3 were placed by Dublin Bus, who have taken over 600 of the type on from 2014 onwards, the majority of which were built on the Volvo B5TL chassis. Some of these have since transferred to Go-Ahead Ireland following the retendering of Dublin Bus services to the new company by the National Transport Authority.[71][page needed]
In London, pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5LH chassis were delivered to Stagecoach London, who took delivery of 32 of the type in 2014 for service on route 53;[10]: 162–163 [72] these were subsequently disposed of to Arriva London in 2018.[73] Metroline, meanwhile, took delivery of 95 B5LHs with pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3 bodies,[10]: 109–112 and in 2015, London United took delivery of 28 Gemini 3s, with Tower Transit also taking delivery of eleven Gemini 3s.[10]: 68, 90 [74]
Lothian Buses purchased 25 pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis in 2014,[75] and Yellow Buses took delivery of eight Gemini 3s on Volvo B5TL chassis in 2015.[76][77] Delaine Buses purchased three Wright Gemini 3-bodied B5TLs between 2015 and 2017.[78]
In 2014, to coincide with the launch of the integral Wright StreetDeck, the Gemini 3 underwent a facelift. Both the front and rear ends were substantially redesigned to match the StreetDeck.
Lothian Buses took delivery of a large number of facelift Wright Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL and B5LH chassis from 2015 until 2019, many of which were ordered through a four-year agreement signed in 2016 with Wrightbus to supply new buses to Lothian's fleet.[79][80] A majority of these Gemini 3s were delivered for the standard fleet to replace older buses,[81][82] however some were also delivered for use on Airlink and Skylink services, the latter of which was specified to operate B5LH hybrids.[83][84]
The facelift Wright Gemini 3 also can be configured as a purpose-built open top bus. The biggest customer for the open-top Gemini 3 is Lothian Buses, who took 30 examples for use on the company's City Sightseeing, Edinburgh Tour and Majestic Tour operations in 2016.[85]Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, meanwhile, received seven open-top Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis for use on the operator's Lakesider sightseeing service in the Lake District in 2017,[86][87] and Stagecoach East received six B5TL Gemini 3 open-toppers in 2018 for its City Sightseeing operations in Cambridge.[88][89]
Translink, who were a launch customer for the facelift Wright Gemini 3, standardised on both pre and post-facelift Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis, with a majority being delivered to Metro for use in Belfast.[90] Ten facelift Gemini 3s were also delivered in May 2017 for Airport Express services serving Belfast International Airport.[91]
Transdev Blazefield first took delivery of 14 high-specification facelift Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis to upgrade their 36 service in 2016,[92] which was followed by the purchase of ten similar buses for the Yorkshire Coastliner service in 2016.[93][94] Both services received three more Gemini 3s in 2017.
First Greater Manchester purchased 20 facelift Gemini 3s on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis in 2015 for use on Transport for Greater Manchester-contracted Vantage services on the Leigh-Salford-Manchester Bus Rapid Transit scheme, with five more acquired in 2016 to cope with increasing demand.[95][96]Arriva Merseyside also received 51 facelift Gemini 3s built with low-height bodies on the Volvo B5LH chassis between 2016 and 2017.[97] Smaller orders for the facelift Gemini 3 on the Volvo B5TL chassis, meanwhile, include the University of Wolverhampton, who took delivery of five Gemini 3s for shuttle services between the university's campuses in 2017,[98] and Sanders Services, who took delivery of two of the type in 2021.[99]
Exports
The first three-axle Volvo B8L delivered to SBS Transit in Singapore in 2017 received Gemini 3 bodywork and was registered as SG4003D. It failed trials in Singapore as a demonstrator and was subsequently bought over by A&S Transit (now registered as PD169L).
Hong Kong's franchised bus operators have also placed orders for Volvo B8Ls with Gemini 3 bodywork – 200 for Kowloon Motor Bus, 10 for Long Win Bus, 46 for Citybus and 7 for New World First Bus. KMB's vehicles entered service in March 2018, with Citybus and New World First Bus's examples entering service in December 2019.[citation needed]
Hato Bus ordered 5 sightseeing buses in December 2018 on the twin-axle Scania K410EB chassis.[100] These were delivered sometime in 2020 and were unveiled in 2021.[101][102]
^Booth, Gavin (14 March 2006). "Making connections in Lincs". Bus & Coach Professional. Archived from the original on 28 May 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2023. Brian Souter of Stagecoach [...] was enthusiastic about the whole InterConnect concept, agreeing that the injection of new buses will help. Six new Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Geminis are expected and Hill pulled out drawings of the livery that will be applied to these buses.
Paramount Home Media DistributionParamount Home Media DistributionJenisSubsidiariIndustriVideo rumahDidirikan1975KantorpusatHollywood, California, Amerika SerikatWilayah operasiSeluruh duniaPemilikGulf+Western (1975–1989) Paramount Communications (1989-1994) Viacom (1994–sekarang)IndukParamount PicturesSitus webparamount.com Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD, awalnya Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Video dan Paramount Video) adalah divisi distribusi video rumah dari Paramo…
1872 painting by Claude Monet Anglers on the Seine at PoissyArtistClaude MonetYear1882MediumOil on canvasDimensions60 cm × 81 cm (24 in × 32 in)LocationSchloss Belvedere, Vienna Anglers on the Seine at Poissy (French: Pêcheurs dans la Seine à Poissy) is an 1882 painting by the French Impressionist Claude Monet. It was acquired in 1942 by the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna but was later, as part of a reorganisation of their artwork, transferred to…
Early computer The EDVAC as installed in Building 328 at the Ballistic Research Laboratory EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) was one of the earliest electronic computers. It was built by Moore School of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania.[1][2]: 626–628 Along with ORDVAC, it was a successor to the ENIAC. Unlike ENIAC, it was binary rather than decimal, and was designed to be a stored-program computer. ENIAC inventors, John Mauchly and J.…
Computing by new or unusual methods Unconventional computing (also known as alternative computing or nonstandard computation) is computing by any of a wide range of new or unusual methods. The term unconventional computation was coined by Cristian S. Calude and John Casti and used at the First International Conference on Unconventional Models of Computation[1] in 1998.[2] Background The general theory of computation allows for a variety of methods of computation. Computing techno…
Protein spanning across a biological membrane Schematic representation of transmembrane proteins: 1) a single-pass membrane protein (α-helix) 2) a multipass membrane protein (α-helix) 3) a multipass membrane protein β-sheet. The membrane is represented in light yellow. A transmembrane protein is a type of integral membrane protein that spans the entirety of the cell membrane. Many transmembrane proteins function as gateways to permit the transport of specific substances across the membrane. T…
Museum in London London Museum of Water & SteamLocation within London Borough of HounslowEstablished1975; 49 years ago (1975)LocationBrentford, EnglandCoordinates51°29′20″N 0°17′25″W / 51.4890°N 0.2904°W / 51.4890; -0.2904Public transit access Kew BridgeWebsitewaterandsteam.org.uk London Museum of Water & Steam is an independent museum founded in 1975 as the Kew Bridge Steam Museum. It was rebranded in early 2014 following a major inv…
Hotel in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines Conrad ManilaThe hotel in June 2016General informationStatusCompletedLocationSeaside Boulevard, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila, PhilippinesCoordinates14°31′54.8″N 120°58′49.6″E / 14.531889°N 120.980444°E / 14.531889; 120.980444OpeningJune 15, 2016; 7 years ago (2016-06-15)Cost₱6.5 billionOwnerSM Hotels and Conventions CorporationManagementConrad HotelsTechnical detailsFloor count10 above ground (incl…
Laws regarding firearms and ammunition For federal gun laws, see Gun law in the United States. Firearm legal topics of theUnited States Amendment II Assault weapon Assault weapons legislation Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Bump stocks Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act Campus carry in the U.S. Concealed carry in the U.S. Connecticut Children's Safety Act Constitutional carry Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban Federal Assault Weapons …
1936 novel by William Faulkner Absalom, Absalom! First-edition coverAuthorWilliam FaulknerCover artistGeorge Salter[1]LanguageEnglishGenreSouthern GothicPublisherRandom HousePublication date1936Publication placeUnited StatesPages384ISBN0-679-73218-7OCLC407010Dewey Decimal813.52LC ClassPS3511.A86Preceded byPylon Followed byThe Unvanquished Absalom, Absalom! is a novel by the American author William Faulkner, first published in 1936. Taking place before, duri…
2015 concert tour by One Direction On the Road Again TourWorld tour by One DirectionPromotional poster for the tour used fromApril 2015[1]LocationOceania • Asia • Europe • Africa • North AmericaAssociated albumFourStart date7 February 2015 (2015-02-07)End date31 October 2015 (2015-10-31)Legs8No. of shows77Box office$208 million ($267.37 million in 2023 dollars)[2]One Direction concert chronology Where We Are Tour(2014) On the Road Again Tour(…
A maritime martial Tamil caste found chiefly in Sri Lanka KaraiyarReligionsHinduism, ChristianityLanguagesTamilSubdivisionsMeelongi KaraiyarKeelongi KaraiyarRelated groupsTamil people, Karava, Pattanavar Karaiyar is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste found mainly on the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and globally among the Tamil diaspora.[1] They are traditionally a seafaring community that is engaged in fishing, shipment and seaborne trade.[2][3] They fish custom…
ميدان الشهداءالتسميةمعنى الاسم نسبة إلي شهداء ثورة 25 ينايرالاسم نسبة إلى نسبة إلي شهداء ثورة 25 ينايرأسماء سابقة ميدان عمرو بن عبد العزيزمعلومات عامةالمدينة حلوانالتقسيم الإداري المنطقة الجنوبية — محافظة القاهرة — حلوان البلد مصرالعرض 66 مترأقرب محطة مترو محطة حلوانال…
Piala Super UEFA 2024Stadion Nasional di Warsawa yang menjadi tempat pertandingan. Real Madrid Atalanta Tanggal14 Agustus 2024 (2024-08-14)StadionStadion Nasional, Warsawa← 2023 2025 → Piala Super UEFA 2024 adalah edisi ke-49 dari Piala Super UEFA, sebuah pertandingan sepak bola tahunan yang diselenggarakan UEFA dan diikuti oleh juara bertahan dua kompetisi antarklub teratas Eropa, Liga Champions UEFA dan Liga Eropa UEFA. Pertandingan ini mempertemukan klub asal Spanyol Real Mad…
Anti-tank weapon APILAS The APILAS on display at the 2014 Flag Day event, sponsored by the Finnish military.TypeAnti-tank weaponPlace of originFranceService historyIn service1985-presentUsed bySee OperatorsWars Gulf War[1] Syrian Civil War[2] Production historyDesignerGIAT IndustriesManufacturerGIAT IndustriesUnit cost€2,000Produced1985-2006No. built120,000SpecificationsMass9 kg (19.84 lb)Length1,300 mm (51.2 in)Barrel leng…
2021 UK local government election 2021 Kent County Council election ← 2017 2 May 2021 (2021-05-02) 2025 → All 81 seats to Kent County Council41 seats needed for a majority First party Second party Third party Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats Last election 67 seats 5 seats 7 seats Seats won 62 7 6 Seat change 5 2 1 Popular vote 217,904 90,920 49,448 Percentage 49.1% 20.5% 11.1% Fourth party Fifth party Sixth …
نادي بروسيا مونستر تأسس عام 1906 البلد ألمانيا الدوري الدوري الألماني الدرجة الثانية الموقع الرسمي الموقع الرسمي تعديل مصدري - تعديل نادي بروسيا مونستر (بالألمانية: Preußen Münster) هو نادي كرة قدم ألماني تأسس في 1906 ، يقع مقره الرئيسي في مونستر، ويلعب في الدوري الأ…
For the abandoned settlement in the Municipality of Semič, Slovenia, see Lahinja, Semič. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Lahinja – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) River in SloveniaLahinjaLahinja, 2006LocationCountrySloveniaPhys…
مارغريت إنجلز معلومات شخصية الميلاد 25 أكتوبر 1892(1892-10-25)باريس (كنتاكي) الوفاة 13 ديسمبر 1971 (79 سنة)ليكسينغتون (كنتاكي) مواطنة الولايات المتحدة الحياة العملية المدرسة الأم جامعة كنتاكي المهنة هندسة ميكانيكية موظفة في شركة كارير سبب الشهرة رائدة في تطوير تكييف الهواء. أول خريج…
Association football stadium in Glasgow, Scotland For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). Hampden ParkScottish Gaelic: Pàirc Hampden[1]Scotland's national stadiumOfficial logo of Hampden ParkInterior view of Hampden Park, June 2024 UEFA Hampden ParkLocation in GlasgowFull nameHampden ParkLocationMount Florida, Glasgow, ScotlandCoordinates55°49′33″N 4°15′7″W / 55.82583°N 4.25194°W / 55.82583; -4.25194Public transit Mount Florida King's Park …
.jpg)
_32637_(WX05UAG).JPG)
_234_-_SJ16_CTX.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_A%26S_Transit_PD169L_NIS_2023-12-24.jpg)
