Kowloon Motor Bus Fleet Numbering

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) of Hong Kong maintains a system to code their fleet.

Note: All the length specified in this section, including in the following leading paragraph, is only norminal. An Olympian 11m is not, and never exactly 11000mm long but some 11300mm.

Contents

[edit] Classic age

Initially, KMB used a system which usually used the first letter of the bus manufacturer to code their fleet.

[edit] Example

  • D - Daimler buses
  • L - Leyland buses

[edit] Second-hand classic age

In the 1970s, the British makers were unable to cope with the vast demand of clients around the British world, so operators like KMB resorted to purchasing second-hand buses and these were numbered with 2 before the alpha code to differentiate them.

[edit] Example

  • 2D - second hand Daimler buses
  • 2L - second hand Leyland buses
KMB's 3 doors Olympian 12m
KMB's 3 doors Olympian 12m

[edit] Age of 3-axle buses

With the introduction of the longer 3-axled buses, KMB added 3 to the numbering and S was further added at the front for 11m buses to emphasize that is a short variant (under 12 metres).

[edit] Example

  • 3N - Dennis Dragon 12m
  • S3N - Dennis Dragon 11m
Volvo Olympian (non-A/C)
Volvo Olympian (non-A/C)

[edit] List of the fleet codes of the non-A/C buses in service recently

[edit] Age of air-conditioned buses

Leyland Olympian (A/C).
Leyland Olympian (A/C).

Things became more complicated and chaotic when there air-conditioned buses began appearing in the KMB fleet. Since the first production air-conditioned bus for KMB is 11 metres long, it was adopted as the standard length. An A was added in front of that code. For the 12m variety, a 3 was added in front (but the standard one was 3-axle). However, for the shorter ones, though it is marked by an S, it is placed after the manufacturer code. There is also a drift from the purely manufacturer based to make based for the "manufacturer" code for the common manufacturers.

Dennis Falcon 11M (A/C)
Dennis Falcon 11M (A/C)

[edit] List of the fleet codes of the A/C buses (but not SLF)

  • AA - Dennis Dart
  • AD - Dennis Dominator 6x2 11m air-con
  • ADS - Dennis Dominator 6x2 9.9m air-con
  • AF - Dennis Falcon 11m (1985-2001)
  • AL - Leyland Olympian 11m air-con
  • AM - Mitsubishi MK117, MK217, MK218 air-con
  • AMR - MCW Metrorider air-con (1988-1993)
  • AN - Dennis Lance air-con
  • AS - Scania N113 air-con
  • AT - Toyota Coaster 24-seater (1987-1997)
  • AV - Volvo Olympian 11m air-con
  • 3AD - Dennis Dominator 6x2 12m air-con
  • 3AV - Volvo Olympian 12m air-con

[edit] Age of Super Low Floor buses

From the advent of the first Super Low Floor double decker in Hong Kong, the Dennis Trident, the rules are even more ambiguous. It is commonly perceived that there is no real rule for the fleet code for new buses, excepted for the initial A since KMB does not buy non-air-conditioned buses anymore.

Dennis Dart (AA)
Dennis Dart (AA)

[edit] List of the fleet codes of the SLF buses in service recently

Dennis / TransBus / Alexander Dennis family
Volvo Super Olympian 10.6m (ASV)
Volvo Super Olympian 10.6m (ASV)
Volvo family
  • ASV - Volvo Super Olympian 10.6m
  • 3ASV - Volvo Super Olympian 12m
  • AVW - Volvo Super Olympian 12m (Wright-bodied)
  • AVD - Volvo B9TL (Demonstrator)
  • AVBE - Volvo B9TL with Enviro 500 body
  • AVBW - Volvo B9TL with Wright body
Neoplan / MAN family
Scania K310UD 12m (ASU)
Scania K310UD 12m (ASU)
Scania family

The code was followed by a number of unspecified digits without initial zeros, to serve as a serial number. Nevertheless, the serial number is just to differentiate individual buses and might not match the actual sequence of either production, arrival or licensing. For example, ATR101 is one of the first Tridents, and not anywhere near the 101st Dennis Trident.

[edit] Long Win Bus

Long Win Bus uses codes in the ABB format, both A and BB being digits. The class is given by A and the serial is given by BB.

301 is a unique case in Long Win. It is special because it is the only Dennis Trident 12m with Duple Metsec bodywork in the fleet. When Dennis Trident 197 was damaged by fire in 1999, and was found out that it was due to the fault of Dennis, Dennis decided to send a replacement to KMB, and thus 301 was given to Long Win Bus.

[edit] See also