Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian three-axle vehicle in Hong Kong
The Leyland Olympian was a 1979-1993 produced by Leyland Motors double decker bus. He had been developed from the Leyland Titan (B15 ) and replaced the Bristol VRT and the Daimler / Leyland Fleetline from. Following the cessation of production of the Leyland Atlantean 1986 Olympian was the only double-decker Leyland. In the same year, Volvo acquired the bus division of Leyland, the Volvo Olympian in 1992, the successor model.
Construction
The Olympian was the result of an advanced Leyland Titan (B15 ). The Titan (B15 ) was an integral double-decker bus that was built in large numbers for London Transport (LTE ). The success of the Titan (B15 ) at London Transport, which replaced the Fleetline there, Leyland led to the B45 project, the result is called at the start of series production 1979 Leyland Olympian. The Olympian was born, as well as the Titan (B15 ), in many ways, from Bristol VRT from. Bristol Commercial Vehicles in 1965 merged with Leyland Motors, the Olympian was first produced in the former Bristol factory equipment.
For the European market, there was the Olympian with two axes in two different lengths of 9.56 and 10.25 meters. First, he had TL11 with 11.1 liters standing as the diesel engine as the power source across the Leyland in the rear, in response to the successful competitor MCW Metrobus with its strong engine and optionally the Gardner 6LXB or 6LXCT. Later, a 10 -liter Cummins diesel engine was available.
Specially for the export market (Asia), there was a three-axle version with a length of 10.4 m, 11.32 m and 11.95 m. This was, inter alia, bought in large numbers by Kowloon Motor Bus ( KMB ) from Hong Kong. As of 1988, the air-conditioning of the Olympian used in the export market was driven by the vehicle engine, the date additionally accounted necessary motor.
Vehicle bodies
The Leyland Olympian was there with different structures of different body corporate:
- Eastern Coach Works ( ECW)
The structure of ECW was essentially an update of the body of the Bristol VR, which was similarly used also in Leyland Titan (B15 ). The ECW body was the most common used in the home market structure of the Olympian and was available in two heights, 13 ft 8 in ( 4.13 m) or 14 ft 2 in ( 4.28 m ) is made. In this version, it was the standard double-decker of the National Bus Company (NBC ) to the privatization of the NBC 1986. Too London Transport with 263 of 354 Olympian copies, Lothian Buses, Strathclyde Transport, the Scottish Bus Group ( SBG), West Yorkshire MetroBus and Merseyside transport were large buyers. ECW also provided a significantly modified body forth on the longer chassis for long- distance use. Some copies of the long version were delivered to Hong Kong to Kowloon Motor Bus, Citybus and China Motor Bus. In Greece, he was so used in EAS in Athens.
In the United Kingdom the Oympian was with the made in numerous copies Alexander Type R structure and Dublin Bus, Scottish Bus Group ( SBG), Lothian Regional Transport ( LRT) and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport bought. Smaller orders also came from Merseyside Transport, Tyne and Wear PTE, the Stagecoach Group, London Transport, Grampian Regional Transport, Luton & District, Midland Fox, Go-Ahead Northern, Northumbria Motor Services, London Q- Drive, Keighley & District, United automobile service and Sheffield bus. This combination was also popular in the overseas markets, except those listed above, this combination has also been obtained from Singapore Bus Service and assembled locally from parts kits from China Light and Power.
- Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Company
In the UK, Northern Counties built a major contract for Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive ( PTE GM ), which at that time had a stake in Northern Counties. In addition, the combination of an Atlas bus, Badgerline, the Blazefield group, Borehamwood Travel Services (BTS ), Boro'line Maidstone, Bristol City Line, Busways Travel Services Ltd, Stagecoach in Cambridgeshire, Ensignbus, Chester City Transport, County has bus & coach, East Kent Road Car Company, East Yorkshire motor Services, Eastbourne Buses, First Eastern Counties, Fareway Passenger Services Ltd. , Isle of Man transport, Kentish bus, London Buses, Bexleybus, Maidstone & District motor Services Ltd. , Merseybus, Nottingham City Transport, OK motor Services, Preston bus, South Notts bus Company, South Yorkshire Road Transport, Stagecoach Yorkshire and ordered.
- East Lancashire Coachbuilders ( East Lancs )
East Lancs body was built exclusively in the UK market on the Olympian and particularly by municipal bus companies such as Blackpool Transport, Cardiff City Transport, Arriva Midlands from Derby, Eastbourne Buses, Lincoln City Transport, Nottingham City Transport, Transport Northampton, Plymouth City Transport, Rhymney Valley, Easy Ride bus, First Hampshire & Dorset and Warrington Borough transport ordered.
- Charles H. Roe
Roe was a subsidiary of Leyland bus, whose body for the Olympian was similar to the Eastern Coach Works ( ECW). A total of 298 were built Olympian and most acquired West Yorkshire PTE (151) and the NBC subsidiaries Bristol Bus Company (75) and London Country Buses (60). Of the other twelve acquired Strathclyde PTE nine, South Yorkshire PTE that the Dennis Dominator otherwise had as a standard model, two which were originally intended for the acquired company WYPTE. The Scottish Arts Council, took a copy for use as a mobile art gallery. After Leyland 1984 Charles H. Roe transacted, founded a group of former employees Optare Roe. The new company took over the former factory in Roe Leeds and continued the production of the bodies. 42 Olympians were produced with plants of ECW, where WYPTE 15, 12 Boro'line Maidstone, Reading Transport ten, Stagecoach in Cambridgeshire and London three Cityrama bought two copies. The last copy was produced in 1988.
- Leyland bus
1988 Leyland Bus began with the construction of their own bodies for the Olympian in the Workington plant. With the exception of a few styling updates the bodywork was identical with that of ECW. Despite deregulation in the British public transport orders for new vehicles greatly declined. Leyland did all new orders for the Olympian to win and courted even small businesses. Among those Southern Vectis was the largest customer with 28 specimens, including 12 for its subsidiary Solent Blue Line. Capital Citybus (London ) acquired 23, London Buses Limited ( LBL) for its subsidiary Armchair Passenger Transport 17 and London Country North West and South Metrobus each 15 Olympian with the body structure Leyland own. Other customers were Preston Bus, Potteries Motor Traction (PMT ), Badgerline, Luton & District, Isle of Man Transport, Colchester Borough Transport, Eastern Counties, A1 Service, Southend Transport, Thamesway, Viscount Bus and Coach and Strathclyde 's Buses. Including four demonstration vehicles were built 197 Leyland Olympian with Leyland own body before production ceased in 1992.
- Marshall bus
A single order of twenty Olympians with superstructures of Marshall of Cambridge was ordered by Bournemouth Transport 1981.
Production end of the Leyland Olympian 1993
After Volvo Bus Leyland took over the production of the Olympian was continued only because of the large number of outstanding orders. After new orders slowed, 1991, the completion of the last orders of Lothian Buses, China Motor Bus, Citybus Hong Kong and SBS Transit / Singapore was decided Buses, followed by termination of the production of the Leyland Olympian and the closure of the production facility in Workington in 1993. The from 1992 available successor Volvo Olympian was a revised Leyland Olympian and was produced in Irvine, Scotland.