派車&時間表(同實際有出入):
X21(Upminster - Brentwood - Ongar):http://www.ensignbus.com/uploads/1/5/6/5/15657682/x21-running-day-2017-bus-allocations2.pdf
X55(Upminster - Lakeside - Bluewater - Gravesend):http://www.ensignbus.com/uploads/1/5/6/5/15657682/x55-running-day-2017-bus-allocations2.pdf
X81(Shenfield - Brentwood - Lakeside - Tilbury):http://www.ensignbus.com/uploads/1/5/6/5/15657682/x81-running-day-2017-bus-allocations2.pdf
由Upminster開出嘅第一班X55係呢部RT8,佢喺1961年運咗去芝加哥展出,之後嗰四十幾年都留咗喺美國,直到2006年先至由Ensignbus買返嚟英國並修復。RT8係RT2-151呢150部「戰前版RT」(其實開咗戰先起,成個RT家族得原型車RT1先係真正喺戰前起)之一,同其他RT喺結構上最大分別在於佢哋嘅底盤大陣伸延到車尾,而且車架骨架有用到木;所有其他RT(包括RT1)嘅大陣都係過咗尾轆就完,車尾平台純粹由全金屬車身骨架吊住。至於外觀,佢哋同RT1嘅司機位窗底都係向右A柱斜落去,望落優雅過平底嘅其他RT,另外車頭嘅牌箱佈置係上下調轉:
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清楚見到RT系列嘅頭幅有幾斜:
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留意車尾都有車頂牌箱,戰後版就算係車頭有車尾都唔會有(我覺得有車頂牌箱靚好多):
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RT8嘅駕駛室,右邊響咹望落幾得意,至於左下角嘅指揮燈掣應該係後加,因為嗰個年代指揮燈唔係標準(睇返前面張相,會見到指揮燈係細細粒LED,車頭嘅喺倒後鏡附近,車尾嘅就喺下層尾窗下面廣告嘅底,好唔起眼):
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RT8下層車廂,有啲奇怪點解佢落車鐘係撳掣而唔係拉繩:
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由Lakeside拍到去河對面嘅Bluewater(窗上面嘅雨點好令人困擾,搞到成日失焦),表現相當有驚喜,以一部七十幾歲嘅巴士嚟講算幾快,落暗斜時(例如1:03,把聲窒窒吓而且有種共振)覺得佢過咗極速(我諗大概30mph/50kph左右),難得搭一部咁耐歷史嘅half-cab都咁有速度感:
搭到去Bluewater落車,見到當日第二個目標 — Southend Transport 263。佢原本係一部1944年出廠嘅戰時版丹拿CWA6,車身因資源緊張而極度簡化,並交畀都普建造(當年間廠喺倫敦北部),喺倫敦運輸局嘅車隊編號係D27。雖然戰時車身嘅壽命好短,但底盤依然好襟用,於是有啲「非標準」丹拿CWA6就喺1953年賣咗畀Southend Transport,後者就為佢哋裝上呢款Massey矮車身:
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上層用四人長凳 + 沉降通道,喺車外睇都已經好有壓迫感:
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原本諗住搭佢返Lakeside,可惜條龍太長上唔到車:
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於是繼續喺Bluewater等下一班Upminster方向嘅X55,等到另一個方向嘅呢部標準版Weymann車身RT3251,都係有車頂牌箱靚得多:
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等車期間,喺Bluewater總站影吓啲TfL以外嘅巴士 — 有呢部Go-Coach嘅Optare Solo:
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跟住有Ensignbus嘅Optare Olympus車身B9TL,雖然可以搭佢返Lakeside,不過冇理由有舊車唔搭㗎:
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等到嘅就係呢部1984年出廠嘅利蘭泰坦B15,全紅色車身真係毫不討好:
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由Bluewater坐返去Lakeside,過河時唔係行Queen Elizabeth II大橋,而係行Dartford隧道,因為兩者都係單程,呢個安排幾特別。可以聽到部車係用自動波模式嚟行,二波起步逐個波上到五波,再逐個波拖返落二波先至停定。不過個波箱好似壞壞地,特別係個cut油裝置,轉波時如果油門踩得深,引擎轉數就會飆咗上去:
另一個主要目標 — Metro-Scania Metropolitan。顧名意義,佢係MCW同Scania合作嘅產物,由Scania提供BR111DH底盤(只得前後副架),MCW就負責起一個全鋼焊接結構嘅integral車身。動力系統當然係Scania出品 — 190匹嘅D11C06 11公升自然吸氣引擎 + HR501兩前速自動波 + RA651尾軸。而佢嘅全氣墊懸掛佈置就類似後繼者Metrobus — 頭軸同大陣之間夾住兩個氣袋,尾軸就裝喺個H形架上面,再加四個氣袋(http://commercial-motor.cdn.netcopy.co.uk/issues/2nd-november-1973/47.jpg?size=x&token=23e285e00016798a3fded02d1df02e6a)。由於車身重(10.06噸)、易生鏽、油耗高,所以164部MD喺倫敦服務嘅時間都唔長,由76年行到83年就已全退:
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同Metrobus相比,Metropolitan地台稍高(好似仍然比DMS低少少),軸距較長(5131mm vs 4950mm),而且窗位亦更長(1638mm vs 1600mm):
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引擎室比較細,所以尾排可以裝得更近尾窗,而且下層兩邊側窗亦可伸延到車尾:
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直接同M1比較,MD60除咗下層擋風玻璃更深更曲、車頭冇水箱網而成個車咀唔同樣之外,上層頭窗原來亦都高啲:
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跟住比較車尾,分別冇咁多但依然明顯 — 引擎室通風系統喺車頂、引擎蓋細啲、下層尾窗深啲、一個「凹位」圍住晒上下層尾窗:
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靚靚Lucas大燈同霧燈,都係唔知個型號叫乜名?
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BMAC Type 759尾燈:
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Metropolitan水牌:
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右頭轆,另外留意銀色裝飾條嘅寬度漸變:
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兩邊尾轆前面各有一個散熱水箱,另外似乎Scania尾軸hub位一直係呢隻尖尖地嘅樣?
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由Lakeside搭到去Gravesend(前半段太多人聲,所以由Bluewater開始拍),再次感受Metropolitan嘅超腍棉花糖懸掛設定,行舖咗磚嘅路同瀝青路冇乜分別,只係行過渠蓋同駁口位時先有明顯感覺
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去到Gravesend之後有差唔多半個鐘等回程開車,可以慢慢影內籠。首先影吓駕駛室,錶板最左邊粒扭掣就係波掣:
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軚柱係ZF出品(我諗風油軚都係),左邊兩粒掣一粒係高燈(前),一粒係前門開門掣(左),另外見到油門底好似有kick-down掣:
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望去上面,見到伸出「STOP」牌嘅係Westinghouse低風壓警告器,而右邊寫住高度闊度嘅蓋後面就係牌箱攪棍:
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Westinghouse低風壓警告器特寫,呢件「倫敦標準」就係標板上面冇風錶嘅原因:
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燈掣:
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指揮燈掣同門掣,係唔見前門開門掣嘅:
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下層車廂:
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「Please Mind Step in Gangway」— 因為尾牙太大嚿,所以下層車廂後半部走廊要上一級;再加上水箱裝喺尾轆前面,令兩邊嘅凳都要升高一級嚟裝,同AS一樣:
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尾排後面嘅「REVERSING」燈:
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之前部RT8下層用鐘掣,反而呢部MD60用拉繩:
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中門緊急門掣:
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上層車廂:
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得一個鐘掣:
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潛望鏡:
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鐘掣:
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返到Lakeside,見到呢部1935年嘅利蘭Cub,Short Brothers車身可以容納20個乘客,當日喺Lakeside附近載客兜咗幾圈:
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Cub嘅車尾,細心睇會見到兩粒好唔起眼嘅LED指揮燈仔:
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Roe車身利蘭泰坦PD3/5:
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郊區Green Line版標準RT,都係Weymann車身:
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罕有嘅Cravens車身RT,喺全數4825部嘅RT入面只得區區120部,出現嘅原因乃係當年Park Royal同Weymann造唔切車身,先至有呢批完全唔標準嘅Cravens車身RT出現 — 最明顯嘅分別就係佢哋比任何其他RT都多一隻窗位,而且上層車頭冇向前收窄。正因為佢哋唔標準,所以係率先被淘汰,喺120部車之中只有RT1431同RT1499存世,而兩部都喺Ensignbus旗下:
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倫敦運輸局買過76部Weymann矮車身AEC Regent III(紅綠都有),用嚟行少數經過矮橋底嘅路線。佢哋嘅車身完全唔似得RT咁精緻,車頂骨架更加係外露,而鬼面罩亦比RT高身:
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望落似足個盒嘅Park Royal車身AEC Regent V,頭轆嘅胎紋好似誇張得滯:
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另一部喺Lakeside附近兜圈嘅單層,係原屬Crosville嘅ECW車身Bristol SC4LK — 據聞SC係指「small capacity」,4LK就係比LW系列細一個碼嘅吉拿4LK引擎:
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睇地台高度應該都係最基本嘅貨車陣設計:
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車尾好得意,中間一盞巨型倒車燈:
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Simms倒車燈特寫,同頭燈一樣咁大盞:
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車廂都算靚,不過表現就乏善可陳,一來部4LK引擎完全唔夠力(57匹馬力,3.8公升,連Land Rover都裝得落,有幾細部可想而知),二來唔知係尾軸定直濕問題,總之行起上嚟係好嘈,乜都錄唔到:
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倫敦第一部Metrobus(唔計喺1977年12月短暫借過畀倫敦試車嘅原型車TOJ592S),喺1978年4月交付,初時車隊編號係MT1,不過喺11月正式投入服務之前就已經改為M1,如果唔係就有一堆「empty」嘅都城
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M1嘅正右面,可見條方梯(冇錯係打橫上兩級再直上嘅方梯,所謂嘅ADL創意喎...)佔用長度略多於一隻窗位,樓梯位亦有一個散熱系統入水口:
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車尾唔夠原汁原味,Britax尾燈有啲礙眼,引擎蓋更係土炮感覺:
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下層車廂:
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Southend Transport喺1983年引入嘅三部Van Hool TD824 Astromega之一,專門用嚟行來往Southend同Heathrow嘅X1線:
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12米長、4米高嘅歐陸標準車身,相當修長:
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Astromega嘅駕駛室,手掣前面係Allison波棍:
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音響同通風系統控制台:
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引擎係Mercedes-Benz OM422A 14.6公升V8,最大馬力330匹,波箱就係Allison HT740四前速。車廂隔音唔錯,行車好靜,懸掛穩而唔硬,不過張凳其實唔算非常舒服:
喺Grays落車本來係想搭對頭嘅Bristol KSW6G,不過趕唔切,於是喺Grays總站影一影車,先係First Essex嘅Plaxton President車身Trident:
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跟住有Ensignbus嘅BCI Excellence(三軸版叫Enterprise),都係吸引唔到我去搭:
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全車長10.88米,高4.25米,淨重12.5噸,用縱置ISB6.7 + Ecolife嘅偏左T-drive佈置,尾跨都唔算太長:
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First Essex嘅富豪7900H:
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Green Line版標準長度Routemaster,比市區版多一對頭燈,而且用兩幅式牌箱:
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至於內籠,除咗有行李架同埋用光管代替燈膽之外,座墊亦特別厚同軟熟。當日稍後時間坐佢由Brentwood返Lakeside,尾軸懸掛唔太舒服,但頭轆獨立懸掛就真係好正,行高速嘅順滑同平穩度比葉片懸掛嘅RT高幾個層次
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因為RMC同RCL都有電動尾門,所以要另加一隻太平門:
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用利蘭O.600引擎嘅RM1843,比一般用AEC AV590/AV690引擎嘅Routemaster嘈好多,聽聞係因為倫敦運輸局要求唔裝air filter之故:
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換埋Scania D9引擎嘅RM25,聽落就更加冇癮:
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Routemaster嘅正右面,平直嘅車頭同一開頭部RT8有明顯分別:
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牌箱下面隱約見到Arriva標誌:
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最後一部DMS — 編號DM2646嘅「減噪版」B20型珍寶:
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為咗減噪音,B20改用有渦輛增壓嘅利蘭O.690引擎同密封式引擎室,右邊個網吸氣而左邊嗰個排氣:
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搭M1由Lakeside去Upminster,唔算係一部靚聲嘅都城,但聽吓殘殘地嘅波箱retarder聲都唔錯,而乘坐感係一貫嘅舒適:
跟住搭呢部Metro-Cammell車身AEC Regal IV,同RT一樣係用AEC 9.6公升引擎 + 四前速先選式波箱,所以行山路幾好飛,去到Brentwood再轉之前提過嘅RMC1461返Lakeside:
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最後由Lakeside搭返Upminster嘅係呢部Cravens車身RT,先前講過佢有幾另類同埋外觀上有乜嘢特別,而家就上車睇埋個內籠:
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尾窗細過正常RT:
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留意先選式波棍上面有塊鐵片刻住波位:
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內籠明顯冇正版RT咁精緻,尤其係窗框,而且成個天花板形狀都唔同:
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呢條鐵嘅感覺就更粗糙:
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上層車廂,線條比正版RT硬:
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望向車尾,尾窗真係好細隻:
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同朝早部RT8相比,呢部RT1431把聲更響更靚;而部車只係坐咗幾個人,但司機仍然下下都一波起步,再拖一拖波先停車,所以亦更加「剌激」。值得留意嘅係12:06明明係想三轉四,但唔小心入咗二波,成個人即刻舂向前。緊接住12:56又入唔到四波,19:42甚至要停低再入過波,可見個四波位真係要揼幾下先至會啱位:
多謝點閱,歡迎討論
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