Dennis Dragon

The Dennis Dragon was a chassis for double-decker buses of the British commercial vehicle manufacturer Dennis Brothers. The model was built from 1981 to 1999. The bus was based on the two-axle Dennis Dominator. The vehicles used in China Motor Bus received the name Condor. The bus was built exclusively for export. A total of about 2000 buses were produced.

Background

With the bus produced from 1977 Dennis was the breakthrough on the market in the then British colony of Hong Kong succeeded. The bus was due to its long overhangs driving dynamics, however, problematic. The pitching during acceleration and braking, which could remind the bus ride to the passage of a duck, had earned him the nickname Duck. In addition, the number of seats was inadequate. The bus operators had also tested other buses with air conditioning next to the Dominator. However, these trials proceeded with little success, the air conditioners were removed soon. However, an air conditioning appeared under the climatic conditions indispensable in Hong Kong.

Dennis Dominator extended to a length of 12 m and pushed in front of the driven rear axle, an additional axis. This created more space for passenger seats and offered enough space for the development of an efficient air conditioning. In addition to the long version of the bus was available even in lengths of 9,9 m, 10.3 m and 11 m and with different drive units and structures.

One of the largest operators of the Dragon was Kowloon Motor Bus. The Chinese name meant Kowloon nine dragons ( German: nine dragons). As China Motor Bus a bus did not want to call by the name of the competitor, the vehicles delivered to CMB given the name Condor.

Construction

The basic design of the Dominator remained. The engine was placed behind, was driven 3rd axis. The buses were driven either by a motor of Gardner or Cummins. The Cummins engine was originally available as an option, but displaced in the course of production time the Gardner engine as the standard drive. As automatic transmission found Voith or ZF use.

All buses with the exception of four prototypes were given a structure of duple - Metsec. The prototypes wore a body of Alexander.

Use

Kowloon Motor Bus

Kowloon Motor Bus purchased in 1982 three Dragon in the 12- m model with constructions of Alexander without air conditioning for testing. These buses were the internal index 3N. Immediately after completion of testing 188 more of these buses were procured, but now with a three-door building Duple Metsec. From 1991 to 1999 was followed by another 170 long buses with air conditioning.

The 11 m long execution was procured from 1986. These buses had no air conditioning and were given the index S3N. Provided they were for use in the New Territories. Fifty of the buses were originally intended to be fitted with air conditioning and had a closed rear. Between 1986 and 1994 a total of 370 of these buses were delivered.

In 1990, Kowloon Motor Bus tested a 11 m Dragon with air conditioning. Then you procured to 1999 235 9.9 m long dragon (ADS ) and 360 in the version with 11 m length ( 3AD ). All these buses had air conditioning.

All 12 -meter buses and 270 11 -meter buses without air conditioning have now been decommissioned, some still find a driving school vehicles use. Next to it a smaller number of air-conditioned buses went by, among other accidents out of service.

China Motor Bus

China Motor Bus 1982 tested two 12 m long Condor without air conditioning, including one with a body of Alexander, the other with building Duple Metsec. After completion of the testing, it was decided to procure 46 Condor in the 12- m model. After opening the line of the Mass Transit Railway in the 1980s, China Motor Bus had no great demand for such buses. In addition to 1997 buses were still acquired in the 11- m model, of which 92 with and 28 without air conditioning. The last Condor bought China Motor Bus as an interim solution because of the unpredictable long delivery time of the Dennis Trident. After China Motor Bus had lost the franchise in 1998, all buses were sold to New World First Bus.

Some buses have now been sorted out and sold. Twenty of the Condor in the 12- m- versions came back to the UK. A bus was also an open-topped building and was used until 2008 in the line of traffic.

Citybus

Citybus purchased the Dragon 1993 exclusively with air conditioning. The duple - Metsec structure, which was produced by Caetano in Portugal, differed from the previous constructions by a wider entrance door at the front and the design of the front, which was taken over by Alexander R. Between 1994 and 1998, 80 came Dragon in the 12- m model and 40 buses in a 10.3 m long variant of Citybus. One of the short bus 2000 was converted into the world's first three-axle double-decker trolley bus with air conditioning.

HACTL

The Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited bought 1996 four Dragon as service vehicles. The structure was similar to the 12- m- Ausführug of Citybus, but lacked the destination indicator, also the buses were close with chairs. After HACTL stopped the service trips with their own buses in September 1999, the vehicles went to New World First Bus.

Africa

Stage couch procured ten Dragon 1992 for operation in Malawi between 1995 and 1996 and again twenty pieces for Kenya. Between 1998 and 2000, the buses were brought back from Kenya, and placed at Stagecoach Manchester in service.