Not willingly (as they're my least favourite rolling stock in SEQ), but I will give it a shot when I am in BNE next. Thanks.

Probably because they sound so good for a brand new train?

Have a look at the video i took of (1785) with no HVAC and rear hopper windows open. The burble they make as they slow down is with foaming over!

Yep! It's not Brisbane without an EMU.

pretty sure these aren’t kickdowns, this is just how they drove

​@@scagren Kickdown was activated at various times throughout the video. I know, I was the driver ;)

@@nickgodfrey1973 ahhhh awesome, thanks for the correction

Sydney/NSW's heavy rail is a victim of decades of underinvestment. Successive governments have failed to implement projects that would have increased capacity, improved reliability and made the system more accessible to more passengers. Perth/WA's rail system also suffered similarly between the 1950s and 1980s, with the low point being the complete abolition of services on the Fremantle Line between 1979 and 1983. With a change in government, the line reopened in 1983 with the political focus then shifting to the modernisation of the network. The result was the electrification of the entire urban "heritage" network by 1991, major amenity and accessibility improvements resulting in level boarding at almost all stations, and opening of new lines serving major corridors in the north and south in 1992 and 2007 respectively. While Sydney's network has a lot of really great aspects (mostly engineered in the Bradfield days, e.g. the City Circle and the flying junctions south of Central), it suffers from significant issues due to dated infrastructure (e.g. signalling system), inefficient operation (two man operation and double deck multiple units) and unreliability due to cross-sector sharing of tracks/paths. There are also many "missing links" that need to be constructed in order to relieve pressure from the existing infrastructure and this must be done in order cater for predicted growth in the coming decades.

@PoweredByCNG Bradfield was a visionary and at the time the network was attended of the art, sadly the vision was never completed and even the Eastern Suburbs line took another 50 years.. I still can't believe the new metro used 1500dc when they could have used 25kv and saved so much in copper plus less substations. Clearance would not be an issue as the new Elizabeth line in London doesn't have much clearance yet uses 25 KV.

Maybe because the engine is literally the same as well the ZF.

@@NuKenbusesofficial exactly right. There is no difference between a K280UB, and a K280IB. They literally have the same engine and transmission configuration.

@@JTRAIN The difference between K280UB and K280IB - is that KUB-chassis is Low Entry aka LE. And KIB is High Floor like Coach style bus chassis. And the other one is for basic Low Entry Citybus. But yes, the Engine and Transmission is the same.

"Hate" is such a strong word! My take on the matter is that there are certain applications that are best suited to the Voith gearbox. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Voith NXT gearbox to this country because as far as I can tell it overcomes many of the shortcomings of the previous DIWA-based products.

Last ones from Busways Western Sydney were withdrawn from route during Winter last year. I think some are still used for training.

@@PoweredByCNG Great to hear there's still time to get the lot, we'll just have to hope the whine from the rails dies down soon enough. But, we will soon be able to get a comparison between the old and new line!

Maybe one day. I'm a bit far away from those places right now...

We now have these on all new buses, implemented around the 2019-2020 range

I'm sure they'll be replaced by the Downer/Rotem stock due in the next few years. I found them (along with most other classes of rolling stock in SEQ) to be rather on the grubby side inside and out.

They definitely sound unique. The IMU 120/SMU 220 series appear to be far more reliable though with their more modern (and arguably more melodious) IGBT VVVF power delivery.

It's amazing to think about how much your typical city bus has advanced over even the last half-century. Secondary consumers (including HVAC), operator/customer demands and ever-increasing emissions standards have meant that the buses are significantly more powerful today than they have ever been. Today, a bus engine's peak torque output can be as high as double what was once the norm, and engine/transmission technology is such that modern engines can operate efficiently over a wider range of speeds than previously possible.