 |
 |
|
Hong
Kong Visit - October 1984
Part
1 - The Buses
In October 1984 Malcolm King made a three week visit to the Far East. Using a Super 8 sound cine camera he recorded the buses of Hong Kong, Lantau and Macau.
“Kowloon Motor Bus (1933) Ltd. in 1984, operated a large batch of Daimler CVG6s and AEC Regent V’s. Some of these being built to 34ft in length and a wheelbase of 21ft, carrying 120 passengers, several are seen wearing the 50th anniversary lettering from the previous year when KMB celebrated 50 years of service. Other KMB vehicles worthy of note are the ‘L’ class Albions. We take a brief look at the learner fleet with on board footage, and the rare Guy Victory ‘J’ class withdrawn. The new KMB overhaul centre and bus body construction depot was opened on 30th March 1984 at Tuen Mun - we look at the facilities some 7 months later. The new vehicles under construction are the 12 metre Leyland Olympians. These vehicles have recently been withdrawn, and some have been exported to the UK. The “Britain Today” British Transport Exhibition at the New World Plaza was visited. We see AEC Routemaster RM1873 operating a service to the exhibition and RM1288 is seen having been converted to right-hand platform. MCW were exhibiting the new Metrobus.
China Motor Bus is well represented on the film in the shape of Guy Arabs, Daimler Fleetlines and new Metrobuses. A large number of ex- London Transport DMS Fleetlines were still in service. The Guys are in original condition as well as ones rebodied by Alexander.
The buses of the New Lantau Bus Co. 1973 are in their bright yellow and red livery, and feature the Leyland (Guy) Victory, which were quite new when we visited.
Macau features buses of British origin. Those seen in October 1984 are an ex. United Counties Bristol LD5G and various Bristol ‘L’ types, ‘LS’ and Bedford SB’s - the single deckers being heavily rebuilt. Ten years earlier in 1974 the Macau City to Taipa bridge was opened to link the island by road. On the bridge we see an ex. Chesterfield Daimler CVG, as well as an ex. Bolton CVG running in service”.
Malcolm King, December 2003
| Filmed : | 2004 |
| Duration : | 50 minutes (approx). |
| Price : | Within UK - £16 |
| Rest of world - £18 | |
| Format : | DVD - Digital |
| Order Ref : | D039 - DVD format |
|
|
|
|
|