車隊編號/車牌 Fleet No./Registration No.： A634/FS7018 |
利蘭Atlantean AN68 Leyland Atlantean AN68
編號 Class：600-699
Leyland Atlantean是第一款利蘭生產的後置引擎雙層巴士，於五十年代末開始出產，一直到1984年才停產。最早在香港出現的Atlantean是於七十年代由中巴及九巴引進的二手Atlantean PDR1/1 ，分別用作應付過海隧道路線急速增長的客量及加派雙層巴士服務新界巴士路線。所有這些二手Atlantean巴士均在八十年代初期退役，由其他新款巴士取代。
在一九九三年，因應接辦中巴二十六條路線，城巴向新加坡巴士(Singapore Bus Service，現稱新捷運，SBS Transit)購入合共一百零一架Leyland Atlantean AN68巴士，亦即是Atlantean家族中最後期版本了，有別於早年的Atlantean PDR1/1。在這批巴士中，九十九架配上亞歷山大L型車身，餘下兩架則配上R型車身，而這兩架R型車身Atlantean並未有用作載客用途，編號699用作訓練巴士，另一架則用作零件車。至於配用L型車身的Atlantean，除了兩架(編號628及660)留作訓練巴士而未有進行翻新，其餘一律進行翻新工程，包括換上R型車身頭幅，令巴士看上來，更富時代感。至於引擎及波箱則保持在新加坡時的配搭，利蘭O.680引擎及SCG GB350半自動波箱。
在完成翻新工序後，所有Atlantean主要被派往行走港島南區路線如48，72，72B及98等，以及西區5系路線。由於所有Atlantean在加入城巴時已經有十二至十三年車齡，故被冠以「黃老太」的稱號。城巴購入這批 Atlantean主要原因是應付九三年接辦中巴路線，其目標是要最終提供全空調服務予乘客，加上這批Atlantean車齡確實不輕，所以城巴在之後不斷購入更空調巴士，以取代這批二手巴士。及後於一九九五年，城巴再次接手十四條中巴路線，於是乎部份仍在服役的Atlantean得以再被重用，而且部份成員更被安排行走往返華富及赤柱的73路線。
城巴本打算於一九九七年把所有Atlantean淘汰掉，但因種種原因，始終未能實現這個目標。這些城巴車隊中最後的Atlantean，當時主要於平日行走西區路線如5A，由於當時十二米富豪奧林比安車隊編號已經突破600，跟Atlantean的編號有所重疊，所以城巴於Atlantean車隊編號加上A字，以資識別。到了一九九八年，在一個典禮中，城巴宣告全數車隊除開蓬巴士外均是空調巴士，亦由那一刻開始， Atlantean伴隨著非空調巴士服務消失於城巴車隊之中。
值得一提的地方是，大約五十架Atlantean退役後被運往南非，但未曾在當地行走並於隨後時間被拆卸，另外部份Atlantean亦於退役後用作訓練巴士，而目前位於東涌的城巴車廠，有一架Atlantean被保留著，車隊編號A633(FS7534)。
Leyland Atlantean was first produced in 1958, the first rear-engined bus model of Leyland, it production was ceased in 1984. In early 1970s, Atlantean were found in Hong Kong as a result of the introduction by KMB and CMB. All of them are second-hand buses and the model is PDR1/1.CMB acquired those second-hand Atlantean to meet the dramatic increase in demand after the commencing of the cross-harbour tunnel while KMB deployed the Atlantean on New Territories routes to provide double decker bus service on these regions. All of them were withdrawn at early 1980s.
In 1993, City Bus was tendered 26 routes used to operate by CMB successfully. City Bus ordered 200 buses for the expansion of networks and 101 of them, are Leyland Atlantean acquired from Singapore Bus Service, now known as SBS Transit. The model this time is AN68, the latest model among the Atlantean family. All of them fitted with Walter Alexander bodyworks but 99 of them are L-type bodies while the remaining 2 fitted with R-type bodies. The two Atlantean with R-type bodies had never used in passenger services, one of them was as training bus while the other, as parts reserve. City Bus carried refurbishment works on those fitted with L-type bodies Atlantean and the frontal design was changed into R-style except 628 and 660, which both of them used in driver training. The mechanical specification was remain unchanged.
City Bus deployed those refurbished Atlantean on Southern district routes like 48, 72, 72B, 98, etc and Western district 5-series routes. As all of the Atlantean were 12-13 years old when they joined into City Bus, a nickname of "Old Mrs Wong" was resulted. They were soon replaced by other brand new air-conditioned buses after 1-2 years service as City Bus aimed at to provide fully air-conditioned service. Some Atlantean were assigned on Stanley route after 14 more routes acquired from CMB in 1995.
City Bus planned to withdraw all remaining Atlantean in 1997, however, it can only achieve this goal by the early in 1998. Within this period, those Atlantean mainly deployed on 5A and only seen on weekdays. To avoid the overlapped of fleet number after more Volvo Olympian 12m entered service, A-prefix was added before the fleet number of the Atlantean.
About 50 Atlanteans had shipped to South Africa after their withdrawal from service, but unfortunately, they were never re-entered service there until being scrapped. Some of the withdrawn Atlantean used as training in City Bus and one of the Atlantean, A633(FS7534) now was preserved at Tung Chung depot.
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