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63002 - MAN 24.310/Berkhof
Kowloon Motor Bus
Click on image for larger photograph
Photograph courtesy and copyright of Ray Ng
 
The modelAPEC released two further versions of this casting was issued on 18th November 2019 featuring AMN23  on route 60M to Tsuen Wan Station (63003) and this version. Being unlicensed products they carry no fleetnames or logos, however, these are included for the purchaser to apply.

The bus - Fleet No. AMN29 (JV2347) is one of the 30 Berkhof bodied MAN 24.310 double deckers bought by KMB during early 2000. Most of them were allocated as scheduled buses on routes 60X (Jordan Road Ferry to Tuen Mun Town Centre) and 260X (Po Tin to Kowloon MTR Station), with AMN28(JV2129) being an exceptional case, as it has been allocated as a scheduled bus on route 67M (Siu Hong Court to Kwai Fong MTR Station).

These buses were initially ordered by Citybus, as a part of their proposed fleet expansion programme in the late 1990s. However, around September 1999, Hong Kong's Transport Department imposed a fleet quota on all franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, which seriously affected Citybus's fleet expansion proposal. Therefore, Citybus was forced to cancel the order for these new double deckers (together with at least two Volgren bodied MAN 24.310 double deckers), when in fact Berkhof has already built 32 of them! Meanwhile, Citybus has also gave up two 'optional orders' for 20 Duple Metsec bodied Dennis Tridents and 20 Volvo B6LEs at the same time.

As a result, MAN's dealer in Hong Kong had to find a new buyer for these newly built buses. After a number of negotiations, KMB decided to buy 30 of them. Of the two remaining buses, one went to Kwoon Chung Motors, (registered as JN4886 in 2000, but was not put into service until September 2001!) whilst the other was kept by Berkhof as a demonstrator.

Interestingly, some of these buses still had CTB's livery and interior specifications when they were bought by KMB. KMB therefore had to make a number of modifications (including the addition of headrests on almost all of the seats, a replacement of the seat cover, and of course a repaint!) before they were put into service from 25th April 2000 onwards. 

(This information has kindly been provided by Dennis Law).

 
 Manufacturer of model  APEC
 Scale  1:76
 Prototype chassis  MAN 24.310
 Prototype bodywork  Berkhof
 Prototype length  12 metre
 Fleet number  AMN29
 Registration number  JV2347
 Route number  61X
 Destination  Tuen Mun Railway Station
 Quantity  299
 Date released  18th November 2019
   
Click on image for larger photograph
Photograph courtesy and copyright of Ray Ng

Click on image for larger photographClick on image for larger photograph
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Ray Ng

Click on image for larger photograph
Click on image for larger photograph
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Ray Ng
 

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This page last updated Friday, 17th January 2020
 
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