利蘭奧林比安空調 Leyland Olympian A/C

利蘭奧林比安空調 Leyland Olympian A/C

早於一九八三年新加坡巴士公司已經推出空調巴士服務，首批空調巴士為八架改裝自機場巴士的平治O303單層客車，於同年四月十六日正式投入168路線行走，開始了空調巴士服務加坡的歲月。事實證明在新加坡這個熱帶國度，空調巴士受到大眾市民歡迎，在隨後時間除了向來自日本及歐洲廠家引進更多空調巴士，新加坡巴士公司亦將旗下的利蘭勝利型巴士作出改裝，成為一輛空調巴士。到了一九九二年，隨著一口氣訂購的三百架富豪B10M新車開始付運及投入服務，進一步加強了空調巴士在新加坡巴士車隊中的比重。然而要在高載客量路線推廣空調巴士服務，單層巴士明顯未能滿足需求，於是新加坡巴士公司下一個計劃便是引進雙層空調巴士。鑑於香港早於九十年代已經成功推出雙層空調巴士服務，新加坡巴士公司便於一九九二年八月，向英國利蘭借用一架屬城巴訂單的十二米客車版奧林比安新車(330/FG4672)，在付運香港之前先行運到新加坡作路面測試，最終在試驗並得到正面結果後，新加坡巴士公司正式發出購買合共二百架不單是新加坡首批雙層空調巴士，同時是首批三車軸雙層巴士的新車訂單。

新加坡巴士公司選擇利蘭奧林比安作為首款雙層空調巴士，其實是有跡可尋。早於利蘭推出奧林比安時候，已經獲得照顧於一九八一年提供一架配上亞歷山大R型車身，底盤編號B45.07的樣板車作測試，儘管一年試用期完結後未有即時替廠方帶來任何新車訂單，但最終在一九八六年利蘭得到新加坡巴士公司發出採購二百架奧林比安新車的合約，一如樣板車一樣繼續裝配上亞歷山大R型車身，成為八十年代中期到九十年代初新加坡巴士公司重要組成部份。對於利蘭而言，新加坡這張新車訂單亦改寫了其歷史，利蘭巴士業務早於一九八八年四月已經被瑞典富豪收購，後者原先計劃於一九九一年十二月關閉位Workington的廠房，同時停產所有披上利蘭名字的產品，但包括來自新加坡及香港的大量訂單，促使有關方面逼不得已要延遲有關行動，最終於一九九三年初當完成最後一台供應給新加坡巴士公司的十二米三軸版奧林比安底盤(SBS9168S)後，Workington廠房宣布關閉，同時代表利蘭巴士業務步進了歷史之中。

首架供應新加坡的三軸版奧林比安，車身是由亞歷山大於Falkirk的廠房裝嵌完成，當時樣板車披上了當年新加坡巴士公司雙層巴士標準色彩，而車廂所有座椅都是於運抵新加坡之後才安裝妥當。除此之外，亞歷山大同時完成一輛只有車身骨架的三軸利蘭奧林比安裝嵌工作，以供新加坡巴士公司日後裝配餘下新車時候，作為參考之用。全數一百九十八架奧林比安新車除了由新加坡巴士公司自行組裝車身之外，本地車身廠順洲亦獲安排組裝一半新車。雖然同樣由亞歷山大提供車身，但應用在新加坡新車上又有所分別，整個車身以R型車身作基礎，但頭幅採用了全新設計，上下層擋風玻璃為一幅式，並採用新款車嘴設計，成功營造出一個全新的形象，並隨後成為專門配用於富豪奧林比安底盤上的標準化Royale型車身。至於機械配搭方面，過往新加坡巴士公司購買巴士時傾向採用車廠自家動力，但在這批新車則採用了康明斯引擎及ZF全自動波箱，而由主引擎驅動的空調系統則由日本電裝供應，這個亦是空調版本奧林比安的標準機械配搭。在載客量方面，三軸版利蘭奧林比安同樣寫下了一個新紀錄，整個空調車廂可容納一百三十一名乘客，當中上下層車廂分別提供五十五個及三十八個座位。

為了突顯即將推出的全新空調雙層巴士服務，新加坡巴士公司除了設計一款全新色彩應用在新車之上，更將利蘭奧林比安空調巴士命名作「Super Bus」，以突顯新車提供龐大的載客量，當中為首的「S」字更以其商標作顯示。隨著完成所有相關準備工作之後，首十架「Super Bus」新車於一九九三年九月一日正式投入服務，行走往返勿洛及金文泰的7號線。隨著更多「Super Bus」投入服務，更多路線獲分配新車提升服務質素，事實証明「Super Bus」深受新加坡大眾歡迎，而新加坡巴士公司亦只能引進更多包括「Super Bus」在內的空調巴士，加快車隊空調化的步伐，只不過之後的「Super Bus」新車名字由利蘭換上富豪而矣。

隨著新加坡巴士公司於二零零一年十一月一日重新命名為新捷運，以反映其為一間多元化公共交通服務機構，「Super Bus」這個深入民心的品牌亦隨更新車隊形象及企業色彩而消失。對比早年兩軸版前輩，三軸版利蘭奧林比安在新捷運中仍然佔有一席位，全數服役成員都得以披上新捷運車身色彩，隨著更多新巴士投入服務，利蘭奧林比安亦被安排行走較為次要的路線，新捷運最後一架利蘭奧林比安十二米於二零一三年四月十九日退役，當中全球最後一架披上利蘭名字的奧林比安SBS9168S幸運地得到私人保留，並被運回其出生地英國。

The first air-conditioned bus service in Singapore was first seen on 16 Apr., 1983 with the introduction of service 168 operated by a fleet of 8 Mercedes Benz O303 single decker used to serve as airport coach. As air-conditioned bus service was proved to be successful, instead of acquiring more air-conditioned buses from Europe and Japan, SBS also converted the Leyland Victory single decker into air-conditioned bus to suit the need. Total of 300 Duple Metsec bodied Volvo B10M were ordered and delivered since 1992, further expanded the air-conditioned fleet in SBS. Single decker never will be the first choice for service with high patronage and resulted in SBS considered to purchase high capacity air-conditioned double deckers. Based on the success story in Hong Kong, SBS evaluated a Leyland Olympian 12m coach of CTB in Aug., 1992 prior to deliver to Hong Kong and the trail was successful with 200 Olympian purchased and delivered between 1993 and 1994. The Leyland Olympian was not only the first air-conditioned double decker but also the first 3-axle double-decker in Singapore.

It was not surprise that Leyland Olympian in favour with SBS as the first air-conditioned double deckers, Leyland first offered a demonstrator (B45.07) to SBS for evaluation in 1981 when Olympian was launched. Though no further order was made immediately after the one-year trial ended, SBS finally took delivery of 200 Olympian with Walter Alexander R-type bodyworks as seen on B45.07 between 1986 and 1988. Leyland Bus was acquired by Volvo in Apr., 1988 and the Workington plant, the production base of Olympian, was scheduled to be closed in Dec., 1991, however, as influx of orders for Olympian from different operators including SBS, Workington plant was finally closed in Dec., 1993 with the very last Leyland Olympian supplied to SBS as SBS9168S in the fleet.

The first SBS air-conditioned Leyland Olympian took shape at the Falkirk plant of Walter Alexander with standard SBS double deckers livery applied and all seatings was fitted at Singapore, the second body was shipped as a skeletal frame to act as a pattern for local assembly by SBS. The remaining 198 Olympian was delivered as completely knock-down and completed their bodyworks at Singapore by SBS or local builder Soon Chow. The bodywork fitted on the Leyland Olympian was derived from the R-type featured with the using of curved glass for the upper and lower deck windscreens and a new style of frontal grille design, Walter Alexander later successfully made this as a standard model namely Royale and exclusively used on the Volvo Olympian chassis. Both Leyland engine and gearbox were dropped from the specification list and all air-conditioned Leyland Olympian were now fitted with Cummins engine coupled with ZF fully automatic transmission and powerful enough to drive the air-conditioning units supplied by Nippon Denso. Total 131 passengers can be carried with 55 upper deck seatings and 38 lower deck seatings provided which was a new record in Singapore bus history.

A specific livery was designed for the air-conditioned double deckers and to emphasized their high capacity, SBS named the Leyland Olympian as "Super Bus" with their logo as the initial letter. The first batch of 10 "Super Bus" were first registered on 27 Aug., 1993 and debuted on service 7 between Bedok and Clementi on 1 Sep., 1993. The "Super Bus" was well-received by the public and service standard of many routes was upgraded when Leyland Olympian was introduced. To meet the growing demand and for the goal of fully air-conditioned bus fleet, SBS acquired further "Super Bus" afterwards with the supplier changed from Leyland to Volvo.

To reflect it was a multi-modal transport operator, SBS was re-branded as SBS Transit on 1 Nov., 2001 and both the name and livery of "Super Bus" was disappeared when a new style corporate livery for SBS Transit introduced. In contrast to the 2-axle variant in the fleet, all Leyland Olympian 3-axle were repainted with the SBS Transit livery and played a significant role. Leyland Olympian entered into twilight of their useful service life when more new buses commissioned into service and the last Leyland Olympian was retired on 19 Apr., 2013. Fortunately, the last Leyland bus in the world, SBS9168S was shipped back to UK and under preserved by Mr Dave Rogers.

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