利蘭奧林比安 Leyland Olympian

利蘭奧林比安 Leyland Olympian

編號 Class：7，12，14-19　

城巴以一家非專利巴士公司作開始，在進駐專利巴士市場之前，城巴主要業務包括屋村巴士及租賃等，當中非空調的利蘭奧林比安便發揮了很大的作用。

城巴共擁有八架非空調版本利蘭奧林比安，全數都是購自英國的二手巴士，除了租賃及居民巴士服務外，部份利蘭奧林比安曾投放於過境巴士路線，直到新一批十一米空調奧林比安巴士投入服務為止，前後共三年光景。

車隊編號7是一架於一九八二年出廠的十一點五米奧林比安豪華客車，配上由ECW提供的車身，於一九八八年由城巴從National Travel (West)購入。這架二手奧林比安來港之後加裝了獨立空調系統後便投入過境服務路線，當時車隊編號為C101/101。在服役兩年之後，這架獨一無二的奧林比安客車被改成開蓬巴士，並同時修改編號成7，在鬆上山頂纜車接駁服務色彩後，行走來往天星碼頭及纜車站的免費接駁路線，直到該服務於二零零零年由新巴15C所取代，才翻鬆標準城巴色彩，繼續用作巴士租賃服務上。7於二零零八年退役，成為其中一架最後退役的兩軸利蘭奧林比安開蓬巴士。

為數六架配用Roe車身，於一九八三年製造的九點七米利蘭奧林比安，是城巴於一九八七年由West Yorkshire PTE (後稱Yorkshire Rider)購入，在外觀上跟由同屬利蘭集團的ECW提供車身的奧林比安十分相似。這批巴士起初編號為L55-60，當中除L58及L60，其餘四架奧林比安均曾是過境路線成員。1991年，城巴重新編配旗下巴士編號，六架二手利蘭奧林比安重編成12，14-18，當中15於一九九二年被改成開蓬巴士，而14，17及18亦於稍後時間改成開蓬巴士，餘下的12及16則於1997年被改成訓練巴士。17曾是山頂纜車接駁路線成員之一，接替A.E.C Routemaster (3)位置。這六架利蘭奧林比安，最早退役是12及16，於二零零零年被禿鷹訓練巴士取代，而14則於二零零一年退役，是最早退役的利蘭奧林比安開蓬巴士，至於15及17亦雙雙於二零零五年退役。餘下的18則多行走三年，於二零零八年退役，成為最後一架退役的兩軸利蘭奧林比安開蓬巴士，目前被安置在西九龍的新巴車廠。

最後加入城巴的兩車軸利蘭奧林比安，是編號61(於1991年重編作19)配ECW車身的二手巴士。19是一架一九八四年製造十點三米長雙門版本的，亦是唯一一架雙門非空調利蘭奧林比安。19最先於愛丁堡Lothian巴士公司服役，但在一九八七年由利蘭購回並用作樣板巴士，曾先後於曼谷及吉隆坡等地用作推廣用途。城巴於在一九九零年購入這架樣板巴士，用於行走屋村巴士及海洋公園線。19曾經被改作訓練巴士，員工巴士，甚至運送錢箱用的工程車，直到目前為止，19仍然活躍於城巴車隊內，用作接駁屯門及火炭兩個車廠的員工巴士。在機械配搭方面，除了7及19外，其餘巴士都一律採用吉拿6LXB引擎及利蘭原廠油壓式自動波箱。7雖然採用吉拿引擎，但型號為6LXCT，但配上福伊特波箱，而19則採用康明斯LT10引擎及ZF波箱。

值得一提是在九三年及九五年，所有未曾被改作開蓬巴士的奧林比安都曾經支援專利路線，以解決突然膨脹的路線網絡而帶來車隊不足的問題。

Before as a franchised bus operator, City Bus was concentrated on the residential service and private hire duties. Those secon-hand Leyland Olympians play an significant role in the fleet at that time.

Totally there are 8 non air-con. Leyland Olympians and some of them were used on the cross-boarder service for three years. The role of them on the cross-boarder service were then replaced by the Leyland Olympian 11m air-con. coach.

Fleet no. 7 is a Olympian coach 11.5m manufactured in 1982 and bodied by ECW. It was acquired from National Travel (West) in 1988 and then fitted with air-con unit driven by a separate engine for the use on the cross-boarder service. The original fleet no. was C101/101 but was re-numbered as 7 after conversion to an open-top double decker in 1991. 7 was a member of the free shuttle service between Star Ferry and Peak Tram Station in Garden Road with the decorated livery. 7 was painted with standard City Bus livery in 2000 after the shuttle service mentioned before was replaced by NWFB route 15C. It was active in the private hire duties until 2008 and become one of the last two 2-axle Leyland Olympian open-top withdrawn from the fleet.

City Bus took 6 second-hand Leyland Olympians manufactured in 1983 from West Yorkshire PTE (later known as Yorkshire Rider) in 1987. They are fitted with Roe bodyworks which look almost identical to bodywork supplied by ECW, also a member of British Leyland. They were classed as L55-60 and four of them (L55-57, L59) were a member of cross-boarder service. They were re-numbered as 12, 14-18 in 1991. Since 1992, 14, 15 ,17 and 18 were gradually converted to open-top and 17 took the place of A.E.C.routemaster (Fleet No. 3) in the Peak Tram shuttle service. In 1997, 12 and 16 were converted to training bus and replaced by Dennis Condor in 2000. The first Leyland Olympian open-top withdrawn from the fleet is 14 which was delicensed in 2001. While 15 and 17 were withdrawn in 2005. The remaining Leyland Olympian open-top 18 was decommissioned in 2008 and now parked at the West Kowloon depot of NWFB. It is also the last 2-axle Leyland Olympian open-top in City Bus.

The last second-hand Leyland Olympian and the only dual-door designed 2-axle Olympian in City Bus was joined in 1990 (fleet no. 61 and re-numbered as 19 in 1991). It was build in 10.3m version in 1984 and served with Lothian in Edinburgh. Leyland repurchased this bus and used as a demonstrator for trial run in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. After entered service, It was used on residential service and feeder service between Ocean Park. 19 was once converted as training bus, staff bus and coin-box vehicle. At present, 19 is the only 2-axle Olympian in the fleet and running between Fo Tan and Tuen Mun City Bus depot daily.

All 2-axle Leyland Olympians except 7 and 19, are powered by Gardner 6LXB with Leyland Hydracyclic fully automatic gearbox. Though the engine of 7 still used the Gradner prodcut, 6LXCT was chosen instead of 6LXB and Voith transmission was chosen. 19 is powered by a Cummins engine with a ZF fully automatic gearbox.

In 1993 and 1995, all Olympians (except those open-top) were deployed on franchised routes to solve the problem of lacking bus after the expansion of route networks.

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