We are in the process of having some new buses delivered and for the first time that ive seen, the AsTronic box is in a stage carriage bus. (plenty in coaches over the years). We are having driver training on them and nobody had thought to tell the drivers what is new !, all the drivers are moaning as they appear to be slower than a conventional auto, they are used to the engine racing thinking they are going fast! lol. Im not sure if it has the “creep control” built into it as drivers have not been shown if it has, and its nearly ended up IN the bus station a few times 
It does have another button on the control box but i didnt have time to test it in the 5 mins i drove it, but it was fun watching the driver try and put it on the stand. This morning i tried to explain to the TM that there should be a creep setting for the box and can he check, i also mentioned that no one has tried to explain to the drivers what is different about this box, the only thing they were keen to show you was an automatic light checker including brake lights. But i have felt like ive just banged my head on a brick wall!
Any one out there had any experience of this box on a bus, our small backwater cant be the first place thats got them!
Here is a pic of it on driver training.
flickr.com/photos/x212-hhe/14013290867/
What are you referring to when you say creep box?
stagedriver:
What are you referring to when you say creep box?
On the truck version you can switch the gearbox to a mode allow the clutch to slip without it jerking forward (or reverse), on a Daf you turned a switch from hare to tortoise to allow slow moving under the 5th wheel for example.
Well surely the gear selector will just have F N R ?
It will have a halt brake, tap the accelerator to release the halt brake then press again to move the bus.
I wouldn’t imagine it’d have maneuvering gears. It’s a Dennis engine that’s in it.
P.s this is my 1000th post!
AsTronic gearboxes don’t creep, they are not a traditional automatic gearbox with a torque converter, they are a manual gearbox with a clutch which is controlled by electronics.
stagedriver:
Well surely the gear selector will just have F N R ?
That is in a normal fluid flywheel auto like the Alison unit that would be normally fitted into a Dart/Enviro 200
I am referring to the automated manual AsTronic box, i have never heard of them fitted in stage carriage buses before.
jon boy 100:
stagedriver:
What are you referring to when you say creep box?On the truck version you can switch the gearbox to a mode allow the clutch to slip without it jerking forward (or reverse), on a Daf you turned a switch from hare to tortoise to allow slow moving under the 5th wheel for example.
Yeah, like a crawler gear (forward & reverse) for coupling up & shunting etc. I’ve used this on MAN auto’s circa 2006/2007…the crawler gear was extra-slow though, so wasn’t always selected!!
The company must hate their passengers as well as their drivers, putting them all through the hell of that box of sorts.
Least you won’t have to worry about driving in snow, you won’t be going anywhere… 
stagedriver:
Well surely the gear selector will just have F N R ?It will have a halt brake, tap the accelerator to release the halt brake then press again to move the bus.
I wouldn’t imagine it’d have maneuvering gears. It’s a Dennis engine that’s in it.
P.s this is my 1000th post!
Dennis buses usually have ■■■■■■■ engines and Allison or Voith boxes
Most of the buses I’ve driven have had Voith gearboxes. All the newer ones had D N and R but some of the older ones would let you hold 1st and 2nd.
Never had any need for a crawl mode on them.
Arriva have selected AS-Tronic in some of their new Enviro buses as it makes them more fuel efficient and they can be certified as Low Carbon Buses. This then gives a several pence per mile enhancement to the Bus Service Operators Grant that they and all bus operators claim off the government for every mile operated in service, which if you work it out over the bus’ lifetime is a considerable cost benefit besides the reduced fuel consumption.
I-Shift has been in buses for several years albeit in diesel-electric hybrids. All of the Volvo hybrid buses in London (of which there are many) have it and by all accounts it is trouble-free, although they don’t slip the clutch when moving off. The electric motor handles that bit.
Wrightbus in Northern Ireland are also promising an AMT gearbox option in their forthcoming double-decker, which will be a Mercedes engine and transmission combination.
They promise that it will have the ‘creep’ function of a torque convertor auto, which is what I assume is being alluded to in the first post.
Harry Monk:
AsTronic gearboxes don’t creep, they are not a traditional automatic gearbox with a torque converter, they are a manual gearbox with a clutch which is controlled by electronics.
The “Creep” bit is the electronics slipping the clutch to allow slow maneuvering.
m1cks:
Most of the buses I’ve driven have had Voith gearboxes. All the newer ones had D N and R but some of the older ones would let you hold 1st and 2nd.
Never had any need for a crawl mode on them.
They are torque converter type autos, all have been in use for donkey`s, older auto cars use the same sort of box.
Alison,Voith and ZF types are the common ones today.
Olog Hai:
Arriva have selected AS-Tronic in some of their new Enviro buses as it makes them more fuel efficient and they can be certified as Low Carbon Buses. This then gives a several pence per mile enhancement to the Bus Service Operators Grant that they and all bus operators claim off the government for every mile operated in service, which if you work it out over the bus’ lifetime is a considerable cost benefit besides the reduced fuel consumption.I-Shift has been in buses for several years albeit in diesel-electric hybrids. All of the Volvo hybrid buses in London (of which there are many) have it and by all accounts it is trouble-free, although they don’t slip the clutch when moving off. The electric motor handles that bit.
Wrightbus in Northern Ireland are also promising an AMT gearbox option in their forthcoming double-decker, which will be a Mercedes engine and transmission combination.
They promise that it will have the ‘creep’ function of a torque convertor auto, which is what I assume is being alluded to in the first post.
We have some Hybrids but they are at Cas depot and ive never used them (First in Leeds have quite a few too).
I have really washed my hands with the management at our depot, no decent training or education and still to find out if it has the ability to use a “creep” mode to slowly finalize a close maneuver. On top of the fact it has the new box it only has about 5 seats on the level floor, the rest are up some stairs at the back. I foresee old biddies lying in heaps on these buses after they fall over when it first changes up or they trip on the stairs! 
The attempts i`ve seen to get these on to the inclined loading bays have been very comical, unfortunately some poor bugger will end up with the sack because its ended up inside the bus station 
Juddian:
The company must hate their passengers as well as their drivers, putting them all through the hell of that box of sorts.
It will be fun thats for sure, i`m led to believe they will be introduced to service on the 16th June.
The photocopier is busy printing off accident forms to prepare for the rush
At least these are British made buses, something that`s quite rare these days.
Bodied in Gods own country too 