Alexander ALX500
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The Alexander ALX500 is a 3-axle double-decker bus body built by Alexander of the United Kingdom. It was one of the ALX-series, which accounted for 5 different models (100/200/300/400/500, all except ALX100 featured the same designs on the front and rear panels), built for new generation (mainly low-floor) bus chassis produced since late 1990s.
The ALX500 came in lengths of 10.6m, 11.3m and 12.0m. It was fitted to various chassis, such as the Dennis Trident 3 and Volvo B10TL (they could be distinguished by the rear indicators outside the engine compartment: round indicators for Dennis and square indicators for Volvo). This longer version of the ALX400 was very popular with bus operators in Hong Kong, and many examples were exported there. Due to the climate, all of these ALX500s were fitted with air conditioning systems, and as a result lacked of rear window on the lower deck. The extra length of the buses meant the seating capacities were near the 100 mark for the 12.0m variant.
Alexander built three prototype ALX500 bodies for prototype Trident 3 chassis in 1997, with the first finished in February 1997. Production of ALX500 body was started later in the same year, but there were minor changes in appearance, for example, the exit door was moved rearward (for 12.0m variant only). In 1999, a modified version of ALX500, which was more resembled with the ALX400 in appearance, was introduced.
When Transbus International was formed in 2001, the ALX500 body replaced the standard height, right hand drive version of Duple Metsec DM5000 body (built for Dennis Trident 3) which was duplicated with the ALX500 design. But in late 2002, the ALX500 body itself was replaced by the new Enviro 500.
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