Author: Matthew Wharmby Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport ISBN: 1526786923 Category : Transportation Languages : en Pages : 569
Book Description
Propelled towards the end of the 1990s by accessibility imperative requiring low floor buses both in London and the rest of Britain, Dennis developed a tri axle Trident double decker for Hong Kong and then adapted the design as a two axle version for Britain. Orders came thick and fast between 1999, when the first Tridents for London entered service with Stagecoach and 2006, when the Enviro 400, a combination of its unified body builders, replaced it. In those years over two thousand of the type appeared in London, ordered by Stagecoach, First London, United, Metroline, Metrobus, London General, Blue Triangle, Connex, Armchair, and Hackney Community Transport. The body work was by Alexander ALX400, Plaxton, (Precedent) and East Lancs, to two available lengths, while badging itself progressed although Trans Bus, until this troubled organisation was suspended in 2004 by todays Alexander Dennis. Versatile and personable, the Trident in all its forms lasted two decades in London, the last examples being withdrawn from service in 2020.
Author: Matthew Wharmby Publisher: Casemate Publishers ISBN: 1473869706 Category : Transportation Languages : en Pages : 268
Book Description
The Olympian was Leyland's answer to the competition that was threatening to take custom away from its second-generation OMO double-deck products. Simpler than the London Transportcentric Titan but, unlike that integral model, able to respond to the market by being offered as a chassis for bodying by the bodybuilder of the customer's choice, the Olympian was an immediate success and soon replaced both the Atlantean and Bristol VRT as the standard double-decker of the NBC. It wasn't until 1984 that London Transport itself dabbled with the model, taking three for evaluation alongside trios of contemporary double-deckers.The resulting L class spawned an order for 260 more in 1986, featuring accessibility advancements developed by LT in concert with the Ogle design consultancy, but the rapid changes engulfing the organisation meant that no more were ordered. During the 1990s company ownerships shifted repeatedly as the ethos of competition gave way to the cold reality of big business, an unstable situation which even saw London's bus operations broken up.The L class was split between three new companies, but the backlog of older vehicles to replace once corporate interests released funding ensured the buses up to a further decade in service. Finally, as low-floor buses swept into the capital at the turn of the century, Olympian operation at last declined, and the final examples operated early in 2006.This profusely illustrated book describes the diversity of liveries, ownerships and deployments that characterised the London Leyland Olympians' two decades of service.
Author: David Beddall
Author: David Beddall
Author: Matthew Wharmby
Author: David Beddall
Author: Malcolm Batten
Author: David Beddall
Author: Malcolm Batten
Author: Matthew Wharmby
Author: David Beddall
Author: Peter Tucker