利蘭奧林比安 Leyland Olympian
編號 Class：BL
為了應對競爭對手推出新一代後置引擎巴士，利蘭成立了B45計劃研發新車型，隨後時間這款巴士被正式命名為奧林比安。利蘭奧林比安成功之處在於它那置於車頭位置的散熱水箱，大大提高了散熱效果，從而解決了第一代後置引擎巴士引擎冷郤效果差勁之缺點，這對如香港和新加坡般的熱帶地區，效果尤其顯著。另外，比對於同廠利蘭泰坦之一體式車身設計，奧林比安容許用家因應不同營運環境，選擇不同車身廠家之產品，繼而造就出可觀的銷售成績。九巴於一九八一年從利蘭手中接收首三架奧林比安兩車軸樣板巴士，當中BL2及3兩架是屬於B45計劃下所生產的樣板車，底盤編號分別B45.09及B45.08，至於餘下的BL1則是屬於量產型號，第九架建造的量產奧林比安。三架九巴様板車全數長十點三米，動力來源為利蘭TL11引擎及原廠的Hydracyclic波箱，車身方面採用ECW出品，全部都是當時奧林比安的標準配搭。三架樣板車於英國完成裝嵌後運抵本港，完成登記程序後被投放到隧道路線112行走，聯同一眾三軸巴士樣板車一起接受測試。
有感樣板車表現滿意，九巴隨後於一九八三年至八五年間，共分四批引入一百二十架利蘭奧林比安，不過若干地方均與三架樣板車有所不同。首先底盤長度只有九點五米，以期行車表現可以更加靈活，更能迎合當年九巴營運環境。車身改為採用亞歷山大提供之R型車身，機械方面九巴選取當時車隊常見的吉拿6LXB引擎，以及福伊特DIWA851全自動波箱，不論維修以至零件儲存方面都有莫大裨益。隨著不同批次，亞歷山大亦都修改了不少車身設計，包括通往上下層樓梯闊度，車嘴設計，以及車頭路線牌箱大小等。當中最後一批三十架新車中，更配備有車廂通風系統，而最後三架新車亦採用了蜂巢狀車身骨架設計，令到載客量較其他量產型成員原先的一百一十一人多出兩人。
在悠長的服役時間裡，九巴都有對奧林比安作出不少改動，首先三架樣板車機械配搭在其後時間被改至與其他量產成員睇齊，而受到政府於八十年代修改有關公共交通工具載重量之法例影響，三架樣板車企位人數被減至只得一人。到了一九九五年，為配合大埔短途區內線71B營運需要，九巴將兩架奧林比安BL25(DB7311)及41(DB9635)座位佈局由三加二改成二加二，並於下層車廂增闢企位空間。除了BL25及41，BL47(DC983)亦於一次交通意外後，更換了後期的車頭路線牌箱款式組件，唯路線牌週邊未有以黑色出現，令到擁有獨特的型象外貌，至於BL77(DE2889)車廂光管則被改成連貫式，不過在使用時仍以間斷式出現。另外，經歷多次大修或者因交通意外關係，大部份奧林比安包括三部樣板車之車嘴均被換上了後期款式。
利蘭奧林比安幾乎走遍整個九巴網絡，除了投入服務初期服務過海隧道路線及市區主幹路線外，曾長期行走的路線計有2C，3，7B，8，10，21，30，53，80M，81K，81M，91及91M等等，當中有路線更是一直以奧林比安作主力，直到路線全空調化為止。九巴三架樣板車於晚年分別被安排行走36(BL3)，94及99(BL1及2)，並於一九九九年退役，至於首架退役的利蘭奧林比安是BL9(DA316)，於一九九八年因交通意外而退役。其餘利蘭奧比安則於二零零零年開始被淘汰，當中有四架奧林比安(BL48-50，53)被改成訓練巴士，以取代年事已高之丹尼士喝采訓練巴士，隨著更多昔日以它們作主力的路線全面空調化，加速了奧林比安以至其他兩軸巴士的退役，最後以利蘭奧林比安作主力的東九龍路線5D，15A及29M，亦先後換上其它車型以及改以全線空調巴士行走，最終在二零零二年十二月，兩軸版的利蘭奧比安正式完成了歷史史命，從九巴載客車隊行列退役，而前述用作訓練巴士的成員，亦於二零零四年從訓練學校中退下來。
退役後的奧林比安，大多數都是被送到廢車場拆毀，所幸其中兩架奧林比安BL66(DE3271)及BL79(DE3104)，分別於澳洲及香港被有心人士保留，成為少數留存於世的九巴兩軸版奧林比安。
If someone asked which bus type of British Leyland is the most successful one in HK, Olympian must be the answer, form the 2-axle demonstrators to the 3-axle air conditioned Olympian, Leyland gained a very successful market share in Hong Kong and Olympian itself also witness the change and the development of this Asia's World City. Leyland Olympian not only welcomed by the three franchised bus operators but also KCRC Bus Division and CLP. Olympian was the only Leyland product to be continued in production after Leyland was purchased by Volvo though vast modifications were done.
Leyland created the B45 project as a response to the launched of the newer generation rear-engined bus model of it competitors and this was later named as Olympian. The front mount radiator increased the engine coolant efficiency and this made it become much suitable in tropical areas like Hong Kong and Singapore. To go one step further, compared with the integral design of the Leyland Titan, Olympian allowed a wide variety of body for operators to suit their own operation environment and resulted in a good selling record. In 1981, a batch of 3 Olympian prototype was delivered to KMB with the two of them (BL2 and 3) were B45 prototype while the remaining was production vehicle. All of them were 10.3m long with ECW bodywork completed in UK and driveline was Leyland TL11 engine with Hydracyclic automatic transmission, standard combination for Olympian at that time. KMB deployed all Leyland Olympian demonstrators on cross harbour route 112 for evaluation along with various 3-axle demonstrators.
KMB acquired total of 120 Olympian chassis between 1983 and 1985 with 4 batches after the successful trial of BL1 - 3. Started from BL4 onwards, they were 9.5m in length for good maneuverability and bodywork kits were supplied by Walter Alexander with their R-type bodywork. Mechanical driveline was Gardner 6LXB and Voith DIWA851 fully automatic gearbox which were the standard of KMB fleet. Different bodywork layout and modifications including the width of staircase, radiator grille and the size of route indicator box according to different batches. Ventilation system was fitted on the last 30 units and 113 passengers (compared with 111 passengers for the others) can be carried on BL121 - 123 as a result of using the honeycomb structure body frame.
During their long service life, KMB carried out some modifications on Olympian to suit the operation environment. The powertrain of BL1 - 3 were changed to the standard Gradner engine and Voith transmission, as the government amended the ordinance about the carrying capacity of public transport, only 1 standees was remained on the prototype. The seating configuration of BL25 (DB7311) and 41 (DB9635) was changed from 3+2 to 2+2 with additional standees provided at the lower compartment for serving Tai Po internal route 71B. The original front route indicator box parts of BL47 (DC983) was replaced with the later version after a traffic accident but without the surroundings painting in black. Continuous fluorescent tube was fitted in BL77 (DE2889) compartment, however, only can operate in discontinuous mode. In addition, the radiator grille of most Olympian including the prototype was replaced with the later version after overhaul or involved with traffic accident.
Instead of the cross-harbour routes and trunk routes in the urban area, Leyland Olympian almost served the entire KMB networks and routes like 2C, 3, 7B, 8, 10, 21, 30, 53, 80M, 81K, 81M, 91 and 91M etc, were used to serve with Olympian for a long period of time and some the routes mentioned above were operated by Olympian until converted into full air-conditioned operation. BL1 and 2 were assigned on route 94 and 99 while BL3 stationed at Lai Chi Kok depot for route 36 before their retirement in 1999. BL9 (DA316) was forced to retire after involved in a traffic accident in 1998 and to be the first Leyland Olympian withdrawn from the fleet. Leyland Olympian was started to withdraw from KMB since 2000 and 4 of them (BL48 - 50 and 53) were converted to training bus and finally scrapped in 2004. Since more and more routes to be fully air-conditioned, this accelerated the withdrawal of 2-axle conventional bus including the Olympian and the last routes that a Olympian can be seen was 5D, 15A and 29M and after the deployment of other bus model or air-conditioned bus, Leyland Olympian was fully retired from KMB in Dec., 2002.
Only BL66 (DE3271) and 79 (DE3104) were under private preserved in Australia and Hong Kong respectively and the others were scrapped after withdrawal.
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