若果要說令雙層空調巴士成功在香港普及起來，非九巴首架十一米版本的空調利蘭奧林比安AL1莫屬。不過，在此之前，香港亦曾先後有數部雙層空調巴士被不同巴士公司引進香港，作試驗行走，當中的先驅者，正是本章主角，利蘭勝利二型及丹尼士喝采。雙層空調巴士先驅者 The Pioneer of Air-conditioned Double Decker
若果要說令雙層空調巴士成功在香港普及起來，非九巴首架十一米版本的空調利蘭奧林比安AL1莫屬。不過，在此之前，香港亦曾先後有數部雙層空調巴士被不同巴士公司引進香港，作試驗行走，當中的先驅者，正是本章主角，利蘭勝利二型及丹尼士喝采。
勝利二型及喝采型都是回應七十年代新巿鎮發展所帶來的車源問題，以及解決丹拿珍寶在攀爬斜坡不濟的問題而設計的車型。當時，配有空調系統的地下鐵路開始通車，對九巴而言是一個重大挑戰，亦有需要提高服務質素以維持其競爭力，尤其是當年的豪華巴士服務，受到的衝擊是最大。於是，為巴士提供空調服務的構思隨之而生，如前文提及，後置引擎巴士技術當時未見成熟，更遑論要加配空調設備，結果巴士製造商嘗試在前置引擎巴士底盤，加上空調機以供九巴測試。
由於利蘭勝利二型及丹尼士喝采型均有十分理想表現，加上底盤設計能夠採用一人控制，加上最重要能夠提供額外空間，安裝一台推動空調機的獨立引擎，所以便成為了首代雙層空調巴士。兩部樣板車基本機械配搭相近，都是採用吉拿6LXB引擎配福伊特波箱，至於空調組件由Thermo King提供，由置於車尾的獨立引擎驅動。在外觀上，兩車同樣配上亞歷山大KB型車身，採用二加二高背座椅及不設企位，外觀上分別只是車尾設計有些微不同。當中，勝利二型空調樣板車完成裝嵌後，更曾經參與倫敦的香港節活動才來港服役。
丹尼士喝采空調樣板車首先於一九八零年來港，九巴並替其鬆上豪華巴士色彩，車牌編號CF4180，旋即派往行走荔枝角美孚之間的206行走，而空調版勝利二型則於一九八一年才到港服役，車牌編號CM3879，同樣行走206路線。
無可否認，當年九巴為了提高服務質素所作出的努力，值得廣大巿民認同，但事實卻是，雙層空調巴士在運作上存有不少問題，獨立引擎推動的空調機，令巴士耗油量大增，直接影響營運成本，最終要令空調巴士收取一個更高的車費，對於乘客而言，只會令他們放棄考慮乘搭巴士。另外，由於巴士配置多一台引擎，減弱了在攀爬斜坡路線上的適應能力，這亦令喝采及勝利二型空調巴士要進一步普及造成障礙。又由於當年兩車雖然是空調巴士，但車窗卻跟普通巴士一樣，可以任由乘客隨意打開，在這環境下，空調巴士幾乎可以說是有名無實。
終於，豪華巴士線客量在地鐵通車後急跌，九巴最終將大部份豪華巴士路線取消，兩部空調樣板車亦在一九八三年被拆除空調設備，並改以九巴標準色彩示人。在恢復成非空調巴士初期，兩車高背座椅及位於車尾的引擎出風口均得到保留，直到稍後時間才跟其他同系成員看齊。另外，兩部雙層空調巴士樣板車一直未有車隊編號，直到回復非空調巴士之後，分別編作G544及N364，亦即是勝利二型及喝采型的最後一員。
G544稍後被安排在新界區路線服役，計有57M，70及最後的33A，而且更曾兩度披上全車身廣告。N364則像其他同僚一樣，主力行走東九龍地區路線，曾經長時間行走當年的九龍車站循環線1K，以及短時間服務隧道巴士路線119，最後服務的路線是行走啟業及旺角的24。雖然兩車在大部份服役時間內都是以非空調巴士示人，但由於不平凡的過去及其獨特外表，依然成為巴士愛好者的目標。N364於一九九八年五月退役，而G544則於一九九八年三月尾，伴隨最後一批勝利二型退役。
以今天眼光看來，兩車的配備及設計雖然仍有很大的改善空間，種種因素亦替它們失敗結果是埋下一條條的伏線，不過大家如果試想想，沒有它們的失敗，從中得到的數據，可能就沒有今天的優質巴士服務，網主希望透過是次的專輯，能夠令大家對這兩架雙層空調巴士先驅者，以及香港雙層空調巴士發展所走過的路有更深入的了解。
最後，特別鳴謝好友K.H.Ng提供有關兩車的珍貴圖片，沒有他的幫助，是不可能完成這個專輯。
The success story of air-conditioned double decker in Hong Kong should be started with KMB's AL1, the Leyland Olympian 11m air-conditioned demonstrator. However, the Olympian is not the first air-conditioned double decker running in Hong Kong, there were two pioneers in early 80s and they are Leyland Victory Mk 2 and Dennis Jubilant.
Let's take a look on the background of Victory Mk 2 and Jubilant first. In 1970s, the development of new town gives a opportunities for bus operators opened more and more routes linked with urban areas and the new towns. However, this also made a great pressure on the fleet, they need to order more new buses to meet the demand. Though the rear-engined Damlier Fleetline was already available, their performance were poor especially on the route with steep slope. As a result, front-engined Leyland Victory Mk II and Dennis Jubilant were developed to solve the problems. In addition, the commenced of MTR left a great impact on KMB coach service and to face this challenge, the idea of air-conditioned double decker was introduced.
Since Victory Mk 2 and Jubilant performed satisfactory and the design of the front-engined chassis provided sufficient spaces for another engine to drive the air-conditioning system, they were chosen to be the first air-conditioned double decker. Specification of them almost the same, powered by Gardner 6LXB engine with Voith DIWA 851 fully automatic gearbox. Modified Walter Alexander KB-type bodyworks were fitted and featuring with coach-style seating and no standees. The air-conditioning unit supplied by Thermo King. The Dennis Jubilant registered as CF4180 in 1980 while Victory Mk 2 coach got it registration later in 1981 as CM3879 after participated in the event of Hong Kong festival in London.
Both of air-conditioned double decker demonstrator decorated with coach livery and deployed on route 206 operated between Lai Chi Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. We should appreciated the effort how KMB paid on the challenge they facing and improved the standard of bus service, however, high running cost for air-conditioned buses resulted in bargain fare cannot be achieved. Moreover, their poor performance during the trial also prevented further introduction of air conditioned bus service. Finally, dramatic decreased in demand result in the cancellation of coach service. CF4180 and CM3879 were then converted into non air-conditioned bus with their coach-style seating and the rear ventilation holes retained within a short period of time in 1983. During their service life as coaches, there were no fleet numbers allocated until their air-conditioning unit were removed, they classed as N364 and G544 respectively, the last members of each families.
CM3879 mainly served with New Territories routes like 57M, 70 and the last routes it served was 33A, G544 were withdrawn from service in Mar., 1998 with the last batch of Victory Mk 2 in KMB. While N364 liked other Jubilants, worked on Eastern Kowloon routes with 1K, 119 and finally, before withdrawn in May, 1998, it was scheduled route 24 serving Kai Yip and Mong Kok.
There should be a lot of improvements made on the Victory Mk 2 and Jubilant coaches, but the appeared of them left us a lot of valuable experience and resulted in the quality bus service we have today. I hope that with this chapter, you can know more about them and the development history of Hong Kong air-conditioned double decker.
Finally, special thanks my best friend K.H.Ng for kindly sharing his valuable photos, without his help, it is impossible for me to complete this chapter.
請按圖放大圖片 Please click the photo for an enlarge version
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