The model -
officially announced on 14th November 2003, this is the second casting
of the Leyland Olympian coach from Creative Master Northcord Ltd and features
ex-Citybus No. 137 now in Megabus livery. It was released in Hong Kong
on 26th April 2004 and appeared in the UK during June 2004.
The bus
- following the success of the first air-conditioned double-deck coaches
introduced into Hong Kong, by Citybus, in 1985, an order for a fleet of
12 Alexander bodied 12 metre Leyland Olympians (Fleet Nos. 106-117) was
placed in 1988 and these were delivered during 1989. A further order for
62 coaches (Fleet Nos. 118-179) was placed and these were delivered during
1991-2. Fleet no. 108 entered service in July 1989.
In 2003, several of these vehicles, including
No. 108, returned to the UK, where they entered service with Stagecoach
on two Megabus services, Dundee - Perth - Glasgow and Oxford - London.
In early 2004 the Megabus network was expanded south of the border, and
details of the current routes operated can be found at the official Megabus.com
website. Also take a look at the Megabus
Yahoo Group (link no longer available). Now known in the Megabus fleet as No. 13607, it commenced
service with Stagecoach Bluebird in October 2003. |