香港巴士論壇

Hi and 很好的一天,

I'm Matthias from Berlin in Germany, I'm almost 40 years old and I'm an enthusiast of buses. My knowledges of the English language are not the best, but I hope everybody can still understand everything. Today I want to show you some pictures and videos from Berlin buses. Since I was a little boy, the double deckers were my favourites.

The first double deck motorbuses on Berlin public transport were some open deckers by Benz, they were in service since 1905. The second type was the "Robert-Kaufmann-Wagen" (RK-Wagen) by NAG, it was in service from 1916 to 1928. Here is a picture of a replica...


BVG 2069, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2012

...since 1925 the double deckers are closed, here is a "Büssing D2" from the year 1934...


DVN 698, Berlin-Schöneberg (Monumentenstr.), 2011.

In West Berlin the first new double deck bus type after second world war was the legendary "Büssing D2U"...


ATB 1629, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Luckenwalder Str.), 2011

...it was in service from 1951 to 1977. In 1963 and 1964 there came 28 cars of the "Büssing DF" type...


ATB 1658, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Tegel Airport), 2012

...followed by the "Büssing DE" type...


ATB 2437, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Tegel Airport), 2012

...they were in service from 1965 to 1987. Some of them are saved as traditional buses by -> Traditionsbus Berlin (ATB), sometimes you can see them in the streets...


ATB 2556, Berlin-Mitte (Jägerstr.), 2011.

In East Berlin they had only two series of "IFA/Horch Do54" and "Do56", here a photo of one saved Do54...


DVN 929, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Schönhauser Allee), 2011

...these buses were in service from 1954 to 1974, thereafter they had only single deckers and articulated buses by Ikarus from Hungary.

A typical West Berlin single decker of the 1950's and 1960's was the "Büssing E2U"...


ATB 415, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Tegel Airport), 2012.

In 1973 a new type of double deckers was developed, the "MAN SD200" was born...


ATB 2626, Berlin-Charlottenburg (Heerstr.), 2010

...Berlin had almost 1000 pieces of it...


BVG 1754, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Egon-Erwin-Kisch-Str.), 1996

...since 1982 the new ones got electronic displays...


BVG 3236, Berlin-Neukölln (Weigandufer), 1992.

If you wanna take a ride in one of the traditional buses of vintage 1974, enjoy this video that I filmed at the running day in May of 2012 on route 9E from Jakob-Kaiser-Platz to Tegel Airport...



The single deckers of the 1970's and 1980's were the "MAN SL200"...


ATB 1666, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Tegel Airport), 2012

...and the "Daimler Benz O305"...


ATB 1986, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Tegel Airport), 2012.

In 1979 it was developed a new DD type, in 1980 three prototypes were builded by MAN (SD202), Mercedes (S80D) and Neoplan (N424/2). MAN was the winner and in 1983 there came two additional SD202 to fleet. In 1985 the production of SD200 ends and in 1986 the first serial buses of SD202 came into service...


BVG 3529, Berlin-Charlottenburg (Jesse-Owens-Allee), 1993

...alltogether we had nearly 450 DD of this type...


BVG 3875, Berlin-Neukölln (Britz depot), 1992.

From 2003 to 2005 the SD202 got a redevelopment and the new designed livery...


BVG 3907, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Bernstorffstr.), 2005

...here is a short ride in BCT 3576 on route 104...



In 1980's and 1990's most single deckers were "Mercedes O405", "MAN NL202"...


ATB 2271, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Wichertstr.), 2012

...and "Mercedes O405N"...


BVG 1081, Berlin-Mitte (Mühlenstr.), 2011.

The next double deckers were the "MAN ND202"...


BVG 3043, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Hermannpl.), 1996

...from vintage 1995...


BVG 3049, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Schöneberger Str.), 1998

...they were really loud "roarers"...



Since 2005 we have the new "NEOMAN A39/ND313"...


BVG 3394, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Yorckstr.), 2011

...fleet includes 416 buses...


Berlin-Kreuzberg (Oranienstr.), 2010

...here you can see a short ride with kickdown in one of them on route M85...



Our newest single deckers are two "VDL LLE-120"...


BVG 1841, Berlin-Friedrichshain (Friedenstr.), 2012.

The largest bus company in Berlin is "Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe" (BVG), it also operates tram and subway...


Berlin-Kreuzberg (view from Zossener Brücke), 2010.

Other bus companies in Berlin are inter alia "Bus Verkehr Berlin" (BVB)...


BVB 472, Berlin-Mitte (Grunerstr.), 2011

...wich is in service on shuttle routes, remote lines, public transport routes and City Circle route...


BVB 832, Berlin-Mitte (Karl-Liebknecht-Str.), 2010

..."Bayern-Express" (BEX), here one "Neoplan N122/3" Skyliner with old and one "Setra S431DT" with new livery...


BEX 209 and BEX 307, Berlin-Mitte (Bodestr.), 2010

...here the new "Viseon LDD14" on City Circle route...


BEX 526, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2012

...and "Haru"...


Haru B-HA 3600, Berlin-Mitte (Prenzlauer Allee), 2011

...here one "Volvo B9TL / UNVI URBIS 2.5 DD" on City Circle route...


Haru B-BS 6000, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Friedrichstr.), 2012.

A further bus company is "Berlin City Tour" (BCT), here on suburban rail replacement route...


BCT 3678, Zeuthen (Schulstr.), 2012

...here on public transport route 104...


BCT 3005, Berlin-Charlottenburg (Reichsstr.), 2011

...here on route A...


BCT 3275, Berlin-Mitte (Grunerstr.), 2012

...and here on route B...


BCT 3679, Berlin-Friedrichshain (Holzmarktstr.), 2012.

In the following video you can enjoy a 15-minute ride in BCT 3679 on suburban rail replacement route S9 from Schönefeld Airport to rail station Schöneweide, partly on motorway - btw: I love the whisteling sound of the retarder brake...
In 2012, when I filmed the video, the bus was 24 years old and it buzzes like a bee...



Another bus operator is "Magasch/Berolina", here with one "VanHool TD925 Astromega"...


Magasch B-CM 525, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2011

...and here with one MAN ND202 on City Circle route...


Magasch B-CM 344, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2012.

Now will follow some impressions of the berlin buses from older and newer times. The double deckers were and are in service on many routes. The M routes are the main routes...


BVG 3196, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Urbanstr.), 2007

...they are in service 24 hours a day...


BVG 3259, Berlin-Schöneberg (Potsdamer Str.), 2010

...the X routes are express routes...


BVG 3745, Berlin-Wilmersdorf (Teplitzer Str.), 2005

...and the N routes are night routes...


BVG 3528, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Mehringdamm), 2010.

The only numbered routes without any letter are regular routes. The 1xx and 2xx routes are normally in service from 4:30am to 1:00am and they drive in 5 - to 20-minute intervals...


BVG 3489, Berlin-Wilmersdorf (Blissestr.), 2011;


BVG 3365, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Wilhelmsruher Damm), 2011

...the 3xx routes mostly have lower priority, often they drive only at certain times...


BVG 3065, Berlin-Spandau (Seegefelder Str.), 2009.

U routes are subway replacement routes...


BVG 3191, Berlin-Mitte (Karl-Liebknecht-Str.), 2007

...S routes are suburban rail replacement routes...


BCT 3576, Berlin-Charlottenburg (Avus motorway slip road Messedamm), 2011.

Higher route numbers denote surrounding countryside routes...


BBG 382, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Prendener Str.), 2012

...and remote routes...


AK 102, Berlin-Friedrichshain (Karl-Marx-Allee), 2010.

Many buses have advertising in various forms, for example total advertising...


BVG 1722, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Hallesche-Tor-Brücke), 1990

...strip advertising...


BVG 3863, Berlin-Neukölln (Waltersdorfer Ch.), 2007

...Berlin Board...


BVG 3527, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Grellstr.), 2010

...and rear advertising...


BVG 3108, Berlin-Weißensee (Pistoriusstr.), 2011

...all forms also on single deckers, here one "Volvo B7000"...


BVG 1362, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderstr.), 2011.

Since about 15 years advertising excludes vehicle front...


BVG 3315, Berlin-Mitte (Mollstr.), 2010;


BVG 1678, Berlin-Treptow (Elsenstr.), 2010.

Berlin buses are on streets everytime and everywhere, in spring...


Berlin-Weißensee (Alt-Blankenburg), 2010

...in summer...


Berlin-Neukölln (view from Hugo-Heimann-Str.), 2004

...in autumn...


BVG 2252, Berlin-Lichtenberg (Frankfurter Allee), 2010

...and in winter...


BVG 3409, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Sigismundkorso), 2010.

And during the night some buses can go to sleep...


Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Indira-Gandhi-Str. depot), 2010.

I hope you liked the little excursion to my hometown Berlin...


TV tower, Berlin-Mitte (Alexanderplatz), 2012.

This thread will be continued next time.

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

Edit: I've updated some photo links.

本文章評分: +33

 

評分:

會員	時間	評分	評語
Chester.GL3607	2013年1月24日 09:20:30	+1
HT7335	2013年1月24日 10:00:11	+1	Welcome
henryfung1515	2013年1月24日 10:58:33	+1
2A23M	2013年1月24日 11:56:04	+1	Welcome to Hong Kong!
Andante EG	2013年1月24日 12:39:27	+1
每天都要影車	2013年1月24日 12:48:08	+1	Great job !
ATR300,ATE1 KX 675~~~~	2013年1月24日 14:59:08	+1
buslegohh	2013年1月24日 15:13:38	+1
LE8869	2013年1月24日 16:53:54	+1	A very nice introduction
R.H	2013年1月24日 18:10:01	+1
EV3201-AD17	2013年1月24日 18:39:08	+1
Sholong	2013年1月24日 22:31:51	+1
GX7063-eric	2013年1月25日 00:16:57	+1
HF3204	2013年1月25日 00:37:47	+1	Nice to meet you! Welcome to hkbf
simonslhui	2013年1月25日 23:56:40	+1	good explanation!
KS2234	2013年1月26日 04:31:06	+1
3AV151	2013年1月26日 20:21:59	+1	Good Job
NU9285	2013年1月26日 22:15:01	+1
louispoon	2013年1月27日 20:08:42	+1	marvelous photos!
LN 6648	2013年1月27日 20:21:04	+1
魔法先生 Super Bus	2013年1月28日 01:13:16	+1
Naphthalene	2013年1月28日 11:54:20	+1
FB8663@72	2013年1月29日 21:23:55	+1
thomas1109	2013年1月31日 17:20:20	+1	welcome
chrysler	2013年2月2日 00:01:52	+1
h1	2013年2月2日 11:21:21	+1
SBS9806J	2013年2月3日 18:10:43	+1	nice
梁天琦@290A	2013年2月4日 17:28:47	+1
白蘭氏冰糖雞精	2013年2月4日 17:54:41	+1
KT Jeremy	2013年2月4日 21:22:28	+1
nwfb2075	2013年2月5日 11:21:49	+1	hello, and nice photos
Fu8336.	2013年2月6日 10:56:15	+1	Nice foto!:)
*~BB Dragon	2013年2月7日 01:24:48	+1	Welcome mate!

This is epic!
Brilliant photos and great story telling.
They can be possibly bound together to create a book for sale.
I only know some hints of Berlin bus information only from playing omsi game. What a shame that German brand buses are not popular in Hong Kong.

Hi,

thank you very much for the nice words and all the positive ratings!

@henry80m: I don't think that anyone wanna buy a book like this.

Oh yes, OMSI has raised the worldwide degree of known of the Berlin city bus very much.

I'm happy about the Neoplan Centroliners and the MAN buses in Hong Kong, but I like the other double deckers too. My favourites of the newer HK DD are the Dennis Trident with Duple Met-Sec body, the Enviro 500 and the MAN 24.310 HOCLNR with Berkhof body. And also the CTB 2500 and the CTB 2800. In 2007 a long time friend of mine visted Hong Kong and some time later I wrote two reports about HK buses and tramways for some German forums. If you wanna see the reports, you can find them here in English language versions, translated by google...

-> Hong Kong buses (in English / with many pictures)

-> Hong Kong tramways (in English / with many pictures)

...and (if the translated links are not work) here the German language original versions...

-> Hong Kong buses (in German / with many pictures)

-> Hong Kong tramways (in German / with many pictures)

I think that Hong Kong is the paradise for all fans of the double deckers. I wish KMB or Citybus were here in Berlin too.

Bye,
Matthias

Guten Tag Matthias,

You have mentioned the protoytpe double-deckers built by Mercedes and Neoplan,
but I couldn't find any sort of information about them on the internet.
Can you tell me more about them?

I usually like UK buses a lot, but I would say I mostly interesting on the European buses as well,
and now see Germany also has so many vintage buse have been preserved like UK does,
but sadly almost all buses which service in Hong Kong are not that lucky as they are mostly
have to be retired after 17-18 years of service and either been scrapped or for some of them,
if they are lucky, maybe shipped to the other country to continue their rest of their life,
it's impossible to preserved the retired buses in HK especially now the law regulation and the place concern.

for the old buses, I mostly interesting the old MAN buses, especially SD200 double-decker and SL200,
some SD200 also can be found in Mainland China as the second-hand buses,
Citaro by Mercedes-Benz also are my favorite, as you can see them service in UK,
as well now in Singapore, I mostly like O530G "bendy bus" in London but unfortunately they all gone in December 2011,
as Boris, the current mayor in London doesn't like to see Germany buses service in London,
instead to design the other new bus for Londoner.

Hi, I would like to know your comment on the 2-speed Voith gearbox on the MAN SD200 and also the even earlier Bussing examples, because as a Hongkonger, the earliest examples of Voith gearboxes I encountered are already the 3-speed DIWA8xx ones.

kmb_68x :Guten Tag Matthias,

You have mentioned the protoytpe double-deckers built by Mercedes and Neoplan,
but I couldn't find any sort of information about them on the internet.
Can you tell me more about them?

很好的一天 kmb_68x,

sure, I'll try. The Mercedes S80D was builded in 1980. The height was 4,0m, the width was 2,5m, the length was 11,4m and it has 84 seats. The VIN was: WDB30700013DD0001. First time the bus had livery from BVG, then in middle of 1980's it got a white/blue coloured livery and was used as conference bus by Mercedes-Benz. In 1990's it left from Berlin to Hamburg area (it's in the north of Germany) and was in sightseeing service there for many years. Recently I read it was scrapped in 2008. I found a picture of it on web from Hamburg time, you can see it -> here.

The Neoplan N424/2 was builded in early 1980's, first registration of the bus was in 1983 by bus operator "Württembergische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft" (WEG). Height is 4,0m, width is 2,5m and about the legth I can't say anything (I think it's about 11,5m). VIN is: WAG838794. The bus was used in public service from 1983 to 1993 by WEG and from 1994 to 1999 by "Ruckes-Reisen", both in southwest Germany. Since some years new owner is a child hospice in Münster/Germany. On web I found some photos of the bus, when it was used by WEG, so -> here and -> here.

When the Mercedes S80D went to Hamburg in 1995, I was on this ride from Berlin to Hamburg with a friend, because we knew the new owner. It was a nice ride on this unikate bus, also if it had a kitchen in the back of upper deck...

Anytime later I can show some other photos of these both buses, but after last Window system crash my scanner actually doesn't work, because I can't find the Epson drivers CD and it don't want to accept the drivers from Epson homepage...

Bye,
Matthias

Edit: I've updated two links.

魔法先生 Super Bus :I usually like UK buses a lot, but I would say I mostly interesting on the European buses as well,
and now see Germany also has so many vintage buse have been preserved like UK does,
but sadly almost all buses which service in Hong Kong are not that lucky as they are mostly
have to be retired after 17-18 years of service and either been scrapped or for some of them,
if they are lucky, maybe shipped to the other country to continue their rest of their life,
it's impossible to preserved the retired buses in HK especially now the law regulation and the place concern.

for the old buses, I mostly interesting the old MAN buses, especially SD200 double-decker and SL200,
some SD200 also can be found in Mainland China as the second-hand buses,
Citaro by Mercedes-Benz also are my favorite, as you can see them service in UK,
as well now in Singapore, I mostly like O530G "bendy bus" in London but unfortunately they all gone in December 2011,
as Boris, the current mayor in London doesn't like to see Germany buses service in London,
instead to design the other new bus for Londoner.

Hi,

the most preserved vintage buses in Germany are saved by groups of enthusiasts. 20 years ago, BVG had a big and great collection of old buses, subways and tramways at Britz depot. Then the collection was disbanded. Something of the vehicles went to museum, something went to two groups of enthusiasts and some others were going with the wind. Here are two views to "Monumentenhalle", it's the depot of "Technikmuseum Berlin" (museum of transport and technology), first some buses...


Inside Monumentenhalle, Berlin-Schöneberg (Monumentenstr.), 2011

...and here some trains...


Inside Monumentenhalle, Berlin-Schöneberg (Monumentenstr.), 2011.

One charge of buses went to "Traditionsbus Berlin" (ATB), they are sometimes in service. Every year there is a running day, then many of the old buses are on service at regular route(s) of public transport network. In 2012 they drove to the routes 109 and 128, in earlier times, these were the routes "City-Bus", 8, 9 and 9E...


ATB 2626, Berlin-Charlottenburg (Kurt-Schumacher-Damm), 2012.

One of the ATB vintage buses is in regular service on route 218 every day, the last time it is mostly this SD200 from vintage 1985...


ATB 3413, Berlin-Charlottenburg (Heerstr.), 2012

...route 218 leads from "ZOB" (central bus station) through Grunewald forest to "Pfaueninsel" (Peacock Island). If you want, you can enjoy a short ride into this bus here...



Another group of transportation enthusiasts is "Denmalpflegeverein Nahverkehr Berlin" (DVN). They preserve the vehicles from time before second world war, the buses of East Berlin, all subways and trams and they got another charge of the old vehicles from BVG. The depot of the museum of transport an technology is opened at the weekends in september of every year only. At this days there is a shuttle route betwen main building of the museum and depot hall, wich is operated by ATB and DVN...


DVN 698, Berlin-Schöneberg (Monumentenstr.), 2011.

And Hong Kong has no vintage buses?
Do you have any informations about the SD200 in Mainland China? Are they still in service? On web I found some pictures of this buses, -> here you can see surrender of them in Guangzhou.

Since some years, in Berlin we have some bendys too, but I don't like them, because they haven't enough seats and they are simply to long for the streets of a big city. This cars are complete unpracticable and just terrible. I'm very happy that these buses have exited london. Here is one exemplar of O530G wich was stuck in snow...


BVG 4066, Berlin-Neukölln (Flughafenstr.), 2010

...and here are two videos from that action...





The "Borismaster" is 1000 times better then the bendys.

Btw: Here are two photos I've taken two days ago on M41 route...


View from BVG 3416 to BVG 3421, Berlin-Neukölln (Sonnenallee), 2013;


BVG 3477, Berlin-Neukölln (Sonnenallee), 2013.

Bye and 再见,
Matthias

Edit: I've updated some photo links.

本文章評分: +1

 

評分:

會員	時間	評分	評語
LN 6648	2013年2月4日 22:22:24	+1

Naphthalene :Hi, I would like to know your comment on the 2-speed Voith gearbox on the MAN SD200 and also the even earlier Bussing examples, because as a Hongkonger, the earliest examples of Voith gearboxes I encountered are already the 3-speed DIWA8xx ones.

Hi,

the first both series of MAN SD200 had the MAN-D-2556-MXUH engine and the Voith-506-Diwa gearbox, from the third series the buses got the MAN-D2566-MUH engine and the Voith-DIWA-851 gearbox. If you want more informations, you can get it -> here.

From the Büssing DE type some buses had the U7D engine and Voith 145/150 U2 DIWA gearbox, others had Voith Diwabus 502-2 gearbox, more informations you can find -> here.

The DF type had the Büssing U7 engine and Voith Diwabus 145 U2 gearbox, more informations -> here

...and the D2U type had the Büssing U10 engine with ZF 5-gear manual (series from 1951 to 1955) and with Voith DIWA 200S (series from 1956 to 1964), -> here you can get more informations.

Btw: You can hear the 2-speed gearbox in the video of the ride into ATB 2626.

Bye,
Matthias

Berlin-Skyliner :

魔法先生 Super Bus :I usually like UK buses a lot, but I would say I mostly interesting on the European buses as well,
and now see Germany also has so many vintage buse have been preserved like UK does,
but sadly almost all buses which service in Hong Kong are not that lucky as they are mostly
have to be retired after 17-18 years of service and either been scrapped or for some of them,
if they are lucky, maybe shipped to the other country to continue their rest of their life,
it's impossible to preserved the retired buses in HK especially now the law regulation and the place concern.

for the old buses, I mostly interesting the old MAN buses, especially SD200 double-decker and SL200,
some SD200 also can be found in Mainland China as the second-hand buses,
Citaro by Mercedes-Benz also are my favorite, as you can see them service in UK,
as well now in Singapore, I mostly like O530G "bendy bus" in London but unfortunately they all gone in December 2011,
as Boris, the current mayor in London doesn't like to see Germany buses service in London,
instead to design the other new bus for Londoner.

Hi,

the most preserved vintage buses in Germany are saved by groups of enthusiasts. 20 years ago, BVG had a big and great collection of old buses, subways and tramways at Britz depot. Then the collection was disbanded. Something of the vehicles went to museum, something went to two groups of enthusiasts and some others were going with the wind. Here are two views to "Monumentenhalle", it's the depot of "Technikmuseum Berlin" (museum of transport and technology), first some buses...

-skip-

And Hong Kong has no vintage buses? [ 圖檔 ]
Do you have any informations about the SD200 in Mainland China? Are they still in service? On web I found some pictures of this buses, -> here you can see surrender of them in Guangzhou.

Since some years, in Berlin we have some bendys too, but I don't like them, because they haven't enough seats and they are simply to long for the streets of a big city. This cars are complete unpracticable and just terrible. I'm very happy that these buses have exited london. Here is one exemplar of O530G wich was stuck in snow...

[ 圖檔 ]
BVG 4066, Berlin-Neukölln (Flughafenstr.), 2010

...and here are two videos from that action...

-skip

Bye,
Matthias [ 圖檔 ]

Hong Kong do have preserved vintage buses, but just in limited number,
for example the KMB's first double-decker bus in Hong Kong -- Daimler CVG5, or called "Daimler A" type in KMB,
the first successful air-conditioned double-decker bus in HK --Leyland Olympian 11m,
there are also some other vintage buses have been preserved by private personal,
like Mercedes-Benz O305 double-decker bus of KMB, but just only in small amount compare with like UK, and Germany as well.
not just only because it's hard to maintain and the place concern,
it's not easy to find a place to keep these big buses in Hong Kong such a small place,
the regulation of Transport department of HK government also is the problem,
and now the policy of the bus companies in Hong Kong, all the buses once retired,
they will sold to the other company, either to scarp them all or ship to oversea,
and not allowed to run in HK again, all of these make people to buy them to keep and preserve become more impossible and more difficult.

And for those MAN double-deckers in Mainland China, I haven't been there for a long time,
but all I know is they all are retired at long time ago, as well for those second-hand Daimler Fleetline buses which from Hong Kong,
Also retired for a long time.

魔法先生 Super Bus :Hong Kong do have preserved vintage buses, but just in limited number,
for example the KMB's first double-decker bus in Hong Kong -- Daimler CVG5, or called "Daimler A" type in KMB,
the first successful air-conditioned double-decker bus in HK --Leyland Olympian 11m,
there are also some other vintage buses have been preserved by private personal,
like Mercedes-Benz O305 double-decker bus of KMB, but just only in small amount compare with like UK, and Germany as well.
not just only because it's hard to maintain and the place concern,
it's not easy to find a place to keep these big buses in Hong Kong such a small place,
the regulation of Transport department of HK government also is the problem,
and now the policy of the bus companies in Hong Kong, all the buses once retired,
they will sold to the other company, either to scarp them all or ship to oversea,
and not allowed to run in HK again, all of these make people to buy them to keep and preserve become more impossible and more difficult.

And for those MAN double-deckers in Mainland China, I haven't been there for a long time,
but all I know is they all are retired at long time ago, as well for those second-hand Daimler Fleetline buses which from Hong Kong,
Also retired for a long time.

And don't forget the officially preserved AL1 which is the first successful air-conditioned double decker buses.
The poor AL1 is now being parked in the middle of nowhere in the KMB depot and seems to be abandoned for maintenance and was eliminated from
exhibitions held by KMB. Just make us sad, really sad.

Berlin-Skyliner :Do you have any informations about the SD200 in Mainland China? Are they still in service? On web I found some pictures of this buses, -> here you can see surrender of them in Guangzhou.

Those MAN SD200 were probably withdrwan in year 2000.

Hi,

魔法先生 Super Bus :Hong Kong do have preserved vintage buses, but just in limited number

I see. But I think that's normal. How many vintage buses are kept in Hong Kong as a whole?

魔法先生 Super Bus :there are also some other vintage buses have been preserved by private personal,
like Mercedes-Benz O305 double-decker bus of KMB

Is this the bus, wich was in Sydney?

魔法先生 Super Bus :not just only because it's hard to maintain and the place concern,
it's not easy to find a place to keep these big buses in Hong Kong such a small place,

In Germany we have hundreds of groups wich collecting vintage buses, but they have the same problems like HK enthusiasts: not enaugh money and no places to keep the buses. In Berlin, ATB has rent an old industrial area with some halls, there are about 60 vintage buses. DVN has rent an old tram depot for their vintage buses and trams, the subway trains are kept in a depot of bvg, which is still in operation.

魔法先生 Super Bus :the regulation of Transport department of HK government also is the problem,
and now the policy of the bus companies in Hong Kong, all the buses once retired,
they will sold to the other company, either to scarp them all or ship to oversea,
and not allowed to run in HK again, all of these make people to buy them to keep and preserve become more impossible and more difficult.

Oh, that's a real problem. Vintage cars in Germany are even taxed favorably if they are older than 30 years. Then they can get a license plate with "H" as last letter (H means historical) and they are legitimated to drive into environment zones (in Berlin it's the area within the suburban railways circle line) too.

魔法先生 Super Bus :And for those MAN double-deckers in Mainland China, I haven't been there for a long time,
but all I know is they all are retired at long time ago, as well for those second-hand Daimler Fleetline buses which from Hong Kong,
Also retired for a long time.

青山居士 :Those MAN SD200 were probably withdrwan in year 2000.

Does anybody know what became of them? Were they scrapped or are they still in service anywhere else? Maybe some of them were sold to other areas in Mainland China...
Are there new Chinese double deckers in Guangzhou now?

Btw: Here are four photos I've taken two days ago on Friday. I usually ride my bicycle, but sometimes I take bus and railway...


Inside BVG 3474, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Wilhelmsruher Damm), 2013.

Here is a picture of route 124...


BVG 3431, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Wilhelmsruher Damm), 2013

...here another of route 120...


BVG 3382, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Senftenberger Ring), 2013

...and last but not least a view to route 220...


BVG 3509, Berlin-Reinickendorf (Oranienburger Str.), 2013.

Bye,
Matthias

Berlin-Skyliner :I see. But I think that's normal. How many vintage buses are kept in Hong Kong as a whole?

魔法先生 Super Bus :Is this the bus, wich was in Sydney?

I can't tell how many vintage buses have been keep in HK, but I will say not even 50 - 60 of them,
just KMB (Kowloon Motor Bus, one of the franchised bus operators in HK) alone itself,
there are not even 10 buses are preserved by the company so far as far I know, like I say above,
Daimler CVG5 (Daimler A), Air-conditioned 3-axle Leyland Olympian 11m, AEC Regent V 34ft,
Daimler CVG6-34ft (Daimler E), and the last two non-air conditioned buses just retired last year.
there are also some withdrawn KMB buses had been preserved by private personal,
but due to some reason, he can't keep those buses anymore and all been sold and scrapped.

CMB, China Motoe Bus, one of the ex-franchised bus operators in HK but now not anymore,
also still keeping a 1949 Tilling Steven single-deck bus.
For the KMB Benz O305 double-deck, as I know but maybe wrong there are at least 3 of them still in perserve,
included the one in Sydney.

Berlin-Skyliner :Does anybody know what became of them? Were they scrapped or are they still in service anywhere else? Maybe some of them were sold to other areas in Mainland China...
Are there new Chinese double deckers in Guangzhou now?

All were scrapped. All 2nd-hand imported double deckers around the whole Mainland China were withdrawn in 2008.

Currently there's an electricity-powered double decker (ANKAI HFF6110GS3EV) on trial in Guangzhou,
and there will be a batch of not more than 20 LNG-powered open-top YUTONG ZK6105HNGS1 on road this week