派車&時間表:http://www.wythall.org.uk/octoberbuses.pdf
當日嘅主角就係呢部DAF DB250LF/Optare Spectra,最近先至修復返做啱啱投入服務嘅模樣(同退役冇耐嘅狀態比較吓:https://www.flickr.com/photos/31973233@N08/21986418870/)。佢嘅身份有幾特別?佢就係英國第一部低地台雙層巴士,真正嘅「一哥」(車隊編號最初直頭係1):
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車尾亦係完全跟足原著:
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屬於Midland Classic嘅「二哥」R2NEG,同「一哥」都有行停車場接駁線:
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「二哥」嘅車尾:
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跟住到「珍寶happy hour」,不過陣容同前兩年比就有啲失色,只得三部車。第一部係WDA956T,特別在佢喺1994年畀West Midlands Travel改裝成單層,同時車隊編號由6956變成1956。改裝嘅原因並唔係撞橋之類,而係想減低營運成本(單層巴士司機人工低啲),不過後來取消咗個計劃(將所有司機劃一人工),所以只係改裝咗呢一部:
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同車頭嘅巨型牌箱比,車尾就冇咁唔順眼:
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除咗因為冇咗條樓梯而光猛咗少少之外,個感覺基本上同雙層版冇分別。另外,留意右邊加咗個水塘位/多用途空間:
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少咗一層之後,表現自然爽過雙層版,不過避震就硬咗同彈咗,而且我亦唔多鍾意司機嘅轉波手勢,雖然可能呢隻先係服役時最常見嘅揸法:
跟住係呢部1975年嘅Park Royal車身珍寶,丹拿嘅型號名同底盤編號,但係出產自利蘭廠房:
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細心聽嘅話,會聽到每當入空波時(尤其係由一波入空波),都會有一吓鬆開波箱brake band嘅放氣聲:
最後又再搭到呢部KOX780F:
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三部之中我最鍾意呢部,一來把聲最啱我口味,二來司機(同上兩次搭一樣)轉波轉得最好,喺空波停留得恰到好處,拖波又有補油,唔會挫亦唔拖泥帶水:
緊接住就到下一個環節,四部Birmingham City Transport嘅半駕駛艙雙層一齊去以前29A線嘅終點站The Baldwin合照:
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去程搭呢部1937年丹拿COG5,係Birmingham City Transport戰前主力之一。值得一提,呢個Metro-Cammell車身並唔係原裝,而係喺1950年換上去(因為當年維修制度似London Transport,將底盤同車身分開大修),原本屬於1939年出廠嘅同款車FOF216:
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車尾似乎加裝咗剎車燈同指揮燈:
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部車嘅歷史簡介:
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古色古香嘅車廂:
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COG5嘅駕駛室,先選式波棍當然係4961嗰隻舊式設計。錶板左上角並唔係風錶,而係真空壓力錶,顯示嘅係缸內負壓,因為剎車系統本身係液壓,再加真空servo輔助,唔似得而家直接用風壓剎車。左邊個手抽係撻車同熄匙用,而左下角枝棍有塊牌叫司機「撻車時推入,撻著咗拉出」,應該係用嚟操作個compression relief lever(去到早期6LXCT都重有),頂起部分氣缸嘅進氣閥,以減低撻車阻力:
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底盤出世紙:
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COG5大概可以算係戰前版CVG5,兩者都係用吉拿5LW引擎同Wilson先選式波箱(最鍾意空波同低波嘅聲),再加丹拿自家液壓飛輪,唔知把聲似唔似?部車狀態極好,引擎唔震,車身唔嘈,避震重好坐過珍寶(當然可能係因為珍寶行得快好多):
呢部CVA6(即係用AEC六氣缸引擎嘅CVG5)喺1947年出廠,都係用Metro-Cammell車身,望落明顯新過部COG5。回程就係搭佢,因為想試吓AEC+丹拿呢個組合,不過除咗空轉聽得出係AEC引擎之外,實在試唔出啲乜,因為唔知係唔係飛輪或直濕有事,一上高轉就猛咁震,所以冇拍到片:
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注意,部車冇指揮燈!因為嗰個年代嘅標準仍然係向左右伸出去嘅trafficator(左邊嗰枝舉起咗),會著燈但唔會閃:
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似乎嘥咗兩個位嘅直梯:
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呢部1950年出廠嘅Titan PD2/1配上Park Royal車身,同跟足Birmingham City Transport標準設計嘅Metro-Cammell車身有明顯分別:
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第四部就係用新款Metro-Cammell車身嘅阿拉伯四型,細節上仍然有上一代車身嘅影子:
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非常新淨嘅內籠:
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仍然係直梯:
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駕駛室一樣係閃令令,枝波棍係坐地式嘅先選式波棍?
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驟眼睇落,呢兩部伯明翰咀雙層冇乜分別,原來一部係阿拉伯四型,一部係CVD6:
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三部都係利蘭half-cab,單層係Tiger而雙層係Titan。HOV685個車身係Brush跟住Birmingham City Transport自己嘅設計而造,至於點解JOJ222嘅Park Royal車身唔使跟個設計就不得而知:
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當日最令我驚喜嘅就係呢部矮身Ailsa,從來只得一部,絕對係珍禽異獸。部車本來屬於Derby City Transport,原車牌RTO1R,兩次被現車主4738 Group由劏車邊緣救返出嚟並修復:
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車尾望落冇車頭咁唔合比例,但係咁細隻下層側窗同咁大嚿行星齒輪尾軸總係唔太夾:
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車主帶咗我同朋友上車參觀,先影錶板,一見到枝手掣推咗上去真係嚇一嚇:
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上到車先知原來矮身Ailsa除咗上層車頭之外,連下層都咁勉強,最明顯嘅係車廂中間凸咗個波箱冚出嚟,而左前輪拱旁邊亦比一般Ailsa多咗一級:
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受個波箱冚影響,走廊要偏埋左邊,結果啲凳要左窄右闊,似乎真係整3+2排列都唔過份:
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由車尾太平門望向前,除咗見到走廊偏埋一邊之外,亦可見到車頭天花板係平而唔係拱起,因為要為登車通道同司機位提供足夠headroom:
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矮身Ailsa嘅上層車廂,後半部同一般Ailsa大同小異。另外,車主話車頭左邊四張單丁位嘅凳背塊墊都係來自Tyne & Wear PTE嘅Ailsa:
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正因為下層車頭天花板係平而唔係拱起,所以上層車頭嘅凳(包括右邊樓梯前嘅二人位)都升高咗一級,亦令到上層車頭天花板都要變平嚟保持返個headroom,結果就係車頂望落腫起咗:
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同一般Ailsa唔同,條樓梯係向後上,所以樓梯前可以裝到一張二人位。另外,頭窗係少見嘅平頂版(香港除咗AV1同V1都係平頂,但本土尖頂Alexander AV/L系列車身絕大多數都係用向中間斜上去嘅頭窗):
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梯級比一般Ailsa普通得多:
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車主跟住帶埋我哋上去呢部West Midlands PTE嘅Ailsa(就係4738):
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上埋司機位,留意咪錶係VDO出品,其他都係英國車常用嘅Smiths:
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水撥掣同波棍,算盤子左下角除咗係撻車時要入嘅S波,同時係開門要用嘅door lock:
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車主話部車賣過去倫敦,當年曾經換過電牌(唔清楚係咩牌子),修復時裝返攪牌:
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下層車廂工整過矮身版好多:
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正常嘅波箱冚,車主話蓋上面嘅地板冇翻新過,因為佢哋搵唔到啲咁薄嘅地板:
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同最典型嘅Ailsa上層車廂相比,WMPTE呢批50部車有兩樣嘢唔同,一係平頂頭窗,二係樓梯後裝咗倒頭位,而凳底嘅係上下層共用嘅暖風機:
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因為樓梯係向前上,所以車頭比矮身版少一張單丁位:
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最典型嘅Ailsa樓梯:
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參觀完兩部Ailsa之後,已經過咗四點鐘,先至有時間去搭758呢條停車場穿梭線:
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6835係West Midlands PTE喺1978年引入嘅頭五部樣辦Metrobus(6831-6835)之一,同MC同期,隻色亦巧合地同MC有七八成似。個人認為,咁似嘅原因係黑窗框、忌廉腰線同黑裙腳都係MCW當年出樣辦車時,喺巴士公司基本塗裝上面加上去嘅「創意」,結果中巴照單全收,WMPTE就改少少再用落量產版度。前幾次嚟都見佢泊喺倉入面,今次終於整返好有得搭:
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修復得幾原汁原味,美中不足係頭燈框用咗新款(最早期嘅頭燈比較近中間,即係MB/MC嗰隻,同舊款長形霧燈對齊,新款頭燈就同圓形霧燈對齊),同埋下面個網冇咗向左右伸出嗰截(呢樣真係罕見,現存修復得最原裝嘅車咀可參見SELNEC Preservation Society嘅5001:https://www.flickr.com/photos/31973233@N08/27549058615/):
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內籠就當然唔會似MC:
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一直想搭6835,今次終於如願以償。搭咗半日葉片懸掛嘅車之後,突然坐返部軟綿綿嘅都城,嗰種反差實在好正;而喺停車場返博物館嗰程幾乎係空車,行車表現就更加爽:
最後搭尾班車走嗰陣,補多張車尾相:
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多謝點閱,歡迎討論
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