Leyland Victory Mk2
Encyclopedia
Leyland Victory Mk2 is a front-engine double-decker bus
chassis that was built by Leyland between 1978 and 1981. Like its competitor Dennis Jubilant
, Volvo Ailsa B55
, it was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment (hilly roads and one-person operation with a farebox) in Hong Kong
.
The chassis was developed from the Guy
Victory J, which was also chosen by Bus Bodies (South Africa) Limited for the development of its own double decker (four examples had been delivered to Kowloon Motor Bus
for evaluation). It could be fitted with Gardner 6LXB engine and Voith
D851 gearbox, but one Victory Mk2 for China Motor Bus
had been experimentally fitted with SCG
GB350 gearbox.
Almost all Leyland Victory Mk2s built for Hong Kong were fitted with Alexander
bodywork, but the last 20 buses built for China Motor Bus were fitted with Duple Metsec
bodywork.
(KMB) introduced 540 Victory Mk2s between 1979 and 1983, including one air-conditioned coach which was unsuccessful and had the air-conditioning unit removed. China Motor Bus
(CMB) purchased 167 Victory Mk2s between 1979 and 1982. New Lantao Bus
(NLB) also purchased nine between 1980 and 1983, with a further six buses acquired from KMB in later years. In 1993 NLB sold 10 of its Victory Mk2s to Citybus
which took over 26 routes
from CMB since 1 September 1993.
This model of double-decker bus has served nearly all regions in Hong Kong, including New Territories
, Kowloon
, Hong Kong Island
, and Lantau Island
.
All NLB and Citybus's Victory Mk2s were withdrawn in mid-1990s. KMB gave up its last Victory Mk2 in early 1998. CMB operated Victory Mk2s until the takeover of its routes, as well as these buses, by New World First Bus
on 1 September 1998, the ex-CMB Victory Mk2s were gradually replaced by new low-floor bus
es, the last Victory Mk2s were withdrawn after the last day of service on 31 August 2000.
Four Citybus's Victory Mk2s became service vehicles after withdrawal. On the other hand, some withdrawn KMB/CMB Victory Mk2s were sold for use on rescue training.
and high centre of gravity, which makes it prone to overturning.
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
chassis that was built by Leyland between 1978 and 1981. Like its competitor Dennis Jubilant
Dennis Jubilant
The Dennis Jubilant was a front engine double decker bus chassis built by Dennis between 1977 and 1981. It was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong....
, Volvo Ailsa B55
Volvo Ailsa B55
The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis built in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British commercial vehicle agency. It was in production from 1973 to 1985, and was a relatively successful alternative to the ubiquitous rear-engined Bristol VR, Leyland Atlantean and...
, it was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment (hilly roads and one-person operation with a farebox) in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
The chassis was developed from the Guy
Guy Motors
Guy Motors was a British company based in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton that made cars, lorries, buses, and trolleybuses.-History:Guy Motors Ltd was founded in 1914 by Sydney Guy who had been the Works Manager of nearby Sunbeam. A factory was built on the site at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton...
Victory J, which was also chosen by Bus Bodies (South Africa) Limited for the development of its own double decker (four examples had been delivered to Kowloon Motor Bus
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
for evaluation). It could be fitted with Gardner 6LXB engine and Voith
Voith
The Voith GmbH, which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations....
D851 gearbox, but one Victory Mk2 for China Motor Bus
China Motor Bus
China Motor Bus Company Ltd. , often abbreviated as CMB, was the first motor bus company in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the introduction of double-decker buses to Hong Kong Island....
had been experimentally fitted with SCG
Self-Changing Gears
Self-Changing Gears was a British company, set up and owned equally by Walter Gordon Wilson and John Davenport Siddeley to develop and exploit the Wilson or pre-selector gearbox...
GB350 gearbox.
Almost all Leyland Victory Mk2s built for Hong Kong were fitted with Alexander
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to...
bodywork, but the last 20 buses built for China Motor Bus were fitted with Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec is a former bus bodywork builder based in West Midlands of the United Kingdom, which usually supplied body kits for assembly overseas....
bodywork.
The orders
Kowloon Motor BusKowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
(KMB) introduced 540 Victory Mk2s between 1979 and 1983, including one air-conditioned coach which was unsuccessful and had the air-conditioning unit removed. China Motor Bus
China Motor Bus
China Motor Bus Company Ltd. , often abbreviated as CMB, was the first motor bus company in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the introduction of double-decker buses to Hong Kong Island....
(CMB) purchased 167 Victory Mk2s between 1979 and 1982. New Lantao Bus
New Lantao Bus
The New Lantao Bus Company Limited – known as New Lantao Bus, or NLB – is a franchised bus company operating in Hong Kong.-History:...
(NLB) also purchased nine between 1980 and 1983, with a further six buses acquired from KMB in later years. In 1993 NLB sold 10 of its Victory Mk2s to Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
which took over 26 routes
Network 26
Network 26 is a network of 26 bus routes on Hong Kong Island previously belonging to China Motor Bus being annexed to Citybus by the Government of Hong Kong on 1 September 1993.-Background:...
from CMB since 1 September 1993.
This model of double-decker bus has served nearly all regions in Hong Kong, including New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
, Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
, Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, and Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
.
All NLB and Citybus's Victory Mk2s were withdrawn in mid-1990s. KMB gave up its last Victory Mk2 in early 1998. CMB operated Victory Mk2s until the takeover of its routes, as well as these buses, by New World First Bus
New World First Bus
New World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong.NWFB was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus...
on 1 September 1998, the ex-CMB Victory Mk2s were gradually replaced by new low-floor bus
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
es, the last Victory Mk2s were withdrawn after the last day of service on 31 August 2000.
Four Citybus's Victory Mk2s became service vehicles after withdrawal. On the other hand, some withdrawn KMB/CMB Victory Mk2s were sold for use on rescue training.
Accidents
Leyland Victory Mk2 has a notorious reputation as an unsafe bus, mainly due to its soft suspensionSuspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
and high centre of gravity, which makes it prone to overturning.
| Date | Company | Route | Fleet Number | Accident type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August 1980 | CMB | 4 | LV11 | rollover Rollover A rollover is a type of vehicle accident in which a vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. The most common cause of a rollover is traveling too fast while turning.- Dynamics :Vehicles can roll over in several ways... |
Pok Fu Lam Road Pok Fu Lam Road Pokfulam Road, or Pok Fu Lam Road, is a four-lane road in Hong Kong. Built on Hong Kong Island, the road runs between Sai Ying Pun and Wah Fu, through Pok Fu Lam.... near Pok Fu Lam Pok Fu Lam Pok Fu Lam or Pokfulam is a residential area on Hong Kong Island, at the western end of the Southern District.Pok Fu Lam is a valley between Victoria Peak and Mount Kellet, around Telegraph Bay.... Tsuen |
| 1 December 1980 | KMB | 70 | G217 | rollover | Junction Intersection (road) An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more... between Nathan Road and Waterloo Road, Kowloon Kowloon Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of... |
| 23 August 1981 | KMB | 66M | G94 | collision Collision A collision is an isolated event which two or more moving bodies exert forces on each other for a relatively short time.Although the most common colloquial use of the word "collision" refers to accidents in which two or more objects collide, the scientific use of the word "collision" implies... and fire |
Tuen Mun Road Tuen Mun Road Tuen Mun Road is a major expressway in Hong Kong which connects Tuen Mun in the New Territories with Tsuen Wan. It is part of Hong Kong's Route 9, which circumnavigates the New Territories... near Sham Tseng Sham Tseng Sham Tseng is a coastal area in Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong, between Ting Kau and Tsing Lung Tau.In 1982, the Government launched a new town project for the area. There were proposals for a massive housing scheme, where the population of the village, then estimated at 6,000, was set to increase... |
| 24 November 1981 | KMB | 45 | G58 | rollover | Junction between Fat Kwong Street and Chung Hau Street |
| 25 January 1982 | KMB | 36M | Unknown | rollover | Junction between Castle Peak Road Castle Peak Road Castle Peak Road is the longest road in Hong Kong. It runs from Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon to the very north of the New Territories, serving south, west and north New Territories, being one of the most distant roads in early Hong Kong.-Name:... and Wo Yi Hop Road |
| 17 August 1982 | KMB | 85 | Unknown | rollover | Lion Rock Tunnel Road |
| 12 October 1982 | KMB | 48 | G442 | rollover | Junction between Tai Wai Road and Lion Rock Tunnel Lion Rock Tunnel The Lion Rock Tunnel, being the first tunnel in Hong Kong, is a twin-bored toll tunnel, connecting Sha Tin in the New Territories and New Kowloon near Kowloon Tong. It has two lanes in each direction, with toll booths located at the Sha Tin end. It is a vital component of Route 1.The Lion Rock... Road |
| 14 November 1982 | KMB | 60M | G440 | rollover | Tuen Mun Road near Siu Lam |
| 2 February 1985 | KMB | 82M | G208 | rollover | Junction between Lion Rock Tunnel Road and Tai Chung Kiu Road |
| 10 April 1985 | KMB | 72 | G224 | rollover | Tai Po Road Tai Po Road Tai Po Road is the second longest road in Hong Kong . It spans from Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Tai Po in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Initially, the road was named Frontier Road.... near Caldecott Road |
| 5 November 1986 | KMB | 61A | G470 | rollover | Junction between Ming Kum Road and Shek Pai Tau Road, Tuen Mun Tuen Mun Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle... |
| 17 March 1990 | CMB | 94 | LV21 | rollover | Ap Lei Chau Bridge Ap Lei Chau Bridge Ap Lei Chau Bridge is a highway bridge in Hong Kong connecting the island of Ap Lei Chau and Aberdeen of the Hong Kong Island.This bridge was made up of two lanes for each direction across and later expanded to four lanes in 1994.-See also:... (Exit at Aberdeen side) |
| 9 October 1991 | KMB | 43X | G493 | rollover | Entrance of Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier bus terminus |
| 25 July 1993 | KMB | 69M | G305 | rollover | Junction between Hung Tin Road and Ping Ha Road |
Trivia
- Leyland Victory Mk2 was also known as "chicken" in Hong Kong because its soft suspension made it behave like chicken when accelerating or decelerating.