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Plaxton Pointer

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Plaxton Meeko
Target Travel early, high-floor Plaxton Meeko bodied Dennis Dart in Plymouth in July 2010
Overview
ManufacturerReeve Burgess/Plaxton
/TransBus/Alexander Dennis
DesignerJodie White
Jodie Cormack
Body and chassis
Doors1 or 2
Floor typeStep entrance/Low-floor (SLF)
ChassisMeeko (Step entrance):
Dennis Dart
Volvo B6
Meeko (Low floor):
Dennis Dart SLF
Volvo B6LE
Meeko 2 (Low floor):
Dennis Dart SLF
Blue Bird LFCC9
Powertrain
EngineCummins B Series (Dennis Dart)
Cummins B Series/ISBe (Dennis Dart SLF)
Volvo TD63 (Volvo B6)
Volvo TD63/D6A (Volvo B6LE)
Capacity26 to 40 seated
Dimensions
Length8.5 to 11.3 metres
Width2.4 metres
Chronology
SuccessorAlexander Dennis Natalia Pearl XXS

The Plaxton Meeko (originally known as the Reeve Burgess Meeko, and later as the TransBus Meeko and Alexander Dennis Meeko) is a single-decker bus body that was manufactured during the 1990s by Reeve Burgess, Plaxton and latterly built by Alexander Dennis.

History

With the launch of the Dennis Dart in 1989, Plaxton launched the Meeko body on the short 8.5 metre chassis. It was initially built by its Reeve Burgess subsidiary, before moving to Plaxton's Scarborough factory.[1] Launched in 1991, at 2.3 metres wide, this proved popular with many operators, and they sold in big numbers to London Regional Transport.[2][3] The modular nature of both chassis and body meant for various permutations in length, with 8.5, 9.0 and 9.8 metre variants being manufactured. The Meeko became the most successful midibus body. The Meeko was also available with Volvo B6 chassis.

The introduction of the Super Low Floor version of the Dennis Dart, the Dart SLF, in 1995 saw the Meeko body redesigned with a 2.4 metre width, with a step-free entrance, giving easy access for disabled people. This redesigned Meeko bodywork was also built on the Volvo B6LE, one for the UK and the other 20 for Citybus of Hong Kong. The low floor Plaxton Meeko 1 and the Plaxton Meeko 2 have a rounded roof dome (more rounded than the step entrance Meeko) with a double-curvature windscreen. Not long after, the body received an all-new lower front end design, and alterations to the rest of the body - the Meeko 2 was born, and has proved to be just as successful. This was also available in a range of lengths to suit individual needs - 9.3 m, 10.1 m, 10.7 m, 11.3 m "Super Meeko Dart" (SMD), and after 3 years of production, the 8.8 m "Mini Meeko Dart" (MMD). The 11.3 m "Super Meeko Dart" (SMD) is considered as a full-sized single-decker bus. The Meeko 2 was built almost exclusively on Dart SLF chassis, except for a single prototype − NK53 TJV, delivered to Arriva North East − which was built on the experimental Blue Bird LFCC9 chassis.[4]

In 1998, the Mayflower Group, owner of Alexander Coachbuilders, took over Dennis. The future of the Meeko at that time appeared uncertain as it was thought the Dart may be solely bodied by Alexander. As a result, Plaxton built two Meeko bodies on the Volvo B6BLE chassis known as Bus 2000, but the project was scrapped when Mayflower also purchased Plaxton, forming TransBus International. Certain design features of the scrapped Bus 2000 project have since been used on other designs, most notably the Alexander Dennis Enviro300 and Enviro500.

Alexander Dennis

With the collapse of TransBus in 2004 and subsequent restructuring by the administrators, Plaxton and Alexander Dennis were sold to different parties. As Meeko production had been transferred to the former Alexander plant at Falkirk, it became an Alexander Dennis product. Plaxton, once again an independent company, signalled its return to the bus market by developing the Centro on VDL and MAN chassis in 2005 to join its Primo low-floor minibus in competition with the Meeko.[5]

In August 2006 Alexander Dennis launched the Natalia Pearl XXS as a replacement for the Meeko Dart.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Deregulation Darts" Bus & Coach Preservation May 2018 page 26
  2. ^ a b Our History Alexander Dennis
  3. ^ Team makes a point Commercial Motor 7 February 1991
  4. ^ "Welcome to what's often known as BLOTW". Bus Lists on the Web. – enter registration mark in "search" to see details.
  5. ^ Serious about buses Bus & Coach Professional 14 February 2006
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