The model
- the fifth Olympian from Creative Master Northcord is the third to carry
the 'Megabus. com' livery. It represents one of the second batch ordered
by Citybus, having bonded windows, but is the first to include a toilet,
fitted to the prototypes since its return to the UK. I have included below
some photographs showing this and the previous 'In and out of London' Megabus
model.
The bus
- Citybus ordered 12 Alexander bodied 11-metre Leyland Olympian air-conditioned
coaches in 1988. These were delivered in 1989 and featured coach seats,
soft trim and curtains. These coaches were used on the cross-border service
to Shenzhen as well as residential commuter routes. Windows were of the
gasket type, with radiused corners. Further orders were placed, and these
later batches are easily identified by their bonded windows. Fleet No.
123 was one of the later batch and entered service on 8th May 1990.
In 2003, several of these vehicles 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 with journeys operating between
London and Bournemouth, Southampton, Bristol, Plymouth, Brighton and others.
Vehicles operating these services carried the banner 'In and out of London
from £1'. 13616 is operated by Stagecoach Manchester.
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). |