A Setra S 328 DT provided by the Swiss bus company Dysli is the latest addition to the SetraClassic old-timer collection. An interview with its proud previous owners, Heinz, Patrik, Roland and Marc Dysli.
SetraWorld Magazine
A new member of the hall of fame.
A double-decker S 328 DT joins the SetraClassic collection.
A new member of the hall of fame.
For almost 20 years, this Setra 300-series double-decker coach was part of the fleet at the Swiss bus company Dysli, in Bern. At Stuttgart’s Retro Classics 2022 fair, the family handed it on to Evobus GmbH. From now on, in Neu-Ulm, the historic double-decker will be a further jewel in the SetraClassic old-timer collection.
Mr Dysli, in what year exactly did the Setra S 328 DT double-decker coach join your company’s fleet?
Heinz Dysli: We bought the bus in 2002, looking for a successor to our S 228 DT.
For its age, it is in astonishingly good condition. Why is that?
Patrik Dysli: At Dysli, we maintain a more emotional connection with our buses. We don’t see them as just a vehicle or an object, but something you look after, tend to and care for. Every one of our buses is part of our family. Indeed, we are a family company, and every one of us treats our buses with care.
Heinz Dysli: Yes, that’s why, even after 18 years on the road and with half a million kilometres behind it, our 300-series Setra double-decker coach remains in top-notch condition: clean, well-tended and technically sound.
“We don’t see a bus as an object but as part of the family, something to care for and tend to.”
How did the SetraClassic old-timer collection come to take ownership of your double-decker?
Roland Dysli: Werner Maier, the veteran driver of the buses in the old-timer collection, knew our company and our S 328 DT double-decker and showed an interest in adding it to the collection. Another reason was that this model wasn’t yet represented, while not so many exemplars remained in such prime condition. Finally, we were also able to trade in the double-decker when buying a new Setra S 511 HD.
With more than 18 years in service, the bus has surely had to undergo some repairs – or not?
Marc Dysli: The S 328 DT was outstandingly reliable. In the whole period there were only two breakdowns: once because of a broken cable bundle and once because of a defective clutch cylinder. Other than that, our double-decker never let us down over all those years. This reliability is something we really value highly about Setra buses, just as we do their high quality and technical standards in terms of both safety and passenger comfort. Currently, we have ten Setra coaches in our fleet.
You surely have many fond memories from the long years of travelling with the double-decker.
Marc Dysli: I still remember well our first trip with the S 328 DT. We took a group of shareholders of the Valiant Bank in Bern to Lucerne. Our passengers were immediately thrilled by how comfortable the bus was. And that’s no surprise, with 4-star legroom and an integrated kitchen on the lower deck.
Patrik Dysli: As the main driver of the double-decker, I have gone on many wonderful journeys with our customers through the most picturesque parts of Europe. We've even been as far as Portugal in the coach. I have a particularly vivid memory of a one-week trip to the World Cup in 2006. The whole bus was full of Swiss football fans and the group just decided among themselves each day which stadium we would drive to next. There was always a good mood on board and they were very pleasant people, polite and orderly despite their passion for the beautiful game.
“Already during its first trip, the coach impressed passengers with its comfort.”
Any other less fond memories?
Heinz Dysli: Yes, at an ice hockey final in Switzerland, the opposing team’s fans smashed in the windows of our bus and dented the door. We were deeply pained to see our beautiful bus damaged like that. But after the repairs, it looked like new.
What do you feel now that the Dysli double-decker is on its way to Neu-Ulm?
Roland Dysli: We are very glad that our S 328 DT will now have a place in the Setra old-timer collection and live on alongside other exclusive classics from the brand. This is a particular honour for us.
“We are very glad that our S 328 DT will have a place in the SetraClassic old-timer collection”
Will you continue to use Setra double-deckers?
Patrik Dysli: The S 328’s 13.87-metre-long successor, the S 431 DT, is already part of our fleet. And... at some point we will certainly also get hold of the new S 531 DT.
