Volvo B59 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Volvo |
Production | 1970–1979 |
Assembly | Sweden |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Bus chassis |
Floor type | Step entrance |
Powertrain | |
Engine | Horizontally rear-mounted I-6 Volvo THD100 [1] |
Capacity | 9.6 litres (2.1 imp gal; 2.5 US gal) |
Transmission | Voith or 2 speed ZF |
Chronology | |
Successor | Volvo B10R |
The Volvo B59 was a rear-engined bus chassis manufactured by Volvo in Sweden between 1970 and 1979.
The first Volvo B59 was delivered to the Københavns Sporveje (The City Transport Authority in Copenhagen, Denmark) in 1970, and was fitted with a bodywork built by Aabenraa Karrosserifabrik in Aabenraa. Originally operated as a prototype, it came later entered ordinary service. After withdrawal, It was purchased by Volvo for preservation at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg. At least 89 were subsequently purchased. [2]
The B59 was popular with Australian government operators. Brisbane City Council placed 98 in service between 1976 and 1978, [3] State Transit Authority, Adelaide 307 between 1977 and 1979 [4] and the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board 100. [5] The State Transport Authority's 1002, was sent to Sweden for almost two years as a demonstrator.
Only one was built to UK specification, with Marshall bodying a demonstrator for Ailsa Bus, the UK Volvo dealers, in 1972. It was demonstrated across the country, but compared with the Leyland National, it was too expensive with no orders placed. [6] [7] [8] Subsequent operators included Parks of Hamilton and Stag Garage of Lochgilphead.
A trolleybus version of Volvo B59 was also built. A batch of 17 vehicles, fitted with Ansaldo electric equipment and Mauri bodywork, was delivered to ATAM of Italian city Rimini between 1975 and 1978, for use on the Rimini–Riccione trolleybus line.
The B59 was also sold in Belgium, France, Holland, Portugal and Switzerland. It was succeeded by the B10R. [7]
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo from 2002 until 2018. It superseded the Volvo Super Olympian and the Volvo B7TL. The 2-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B5TL in 2014 and the 3-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B8L in 2018.
Wrightbus is a Northern Ireland based bus manufacturer and a pioneer of the low-floor bus. The company was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and was run by his son William Wright.
The Mercedes-Benz O305 was a single deck, double deck and articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in Mannheim, West Germany from 1969 until 1987. It was built as either a complete bus or a bus chassis and was the Mercedes-Benz adaptation of the unified German VöV-Standard-Bus design, that was produced by many different bus manufacturers including Büssing, Magirus-Deutz, MAN, Ikarus, Gräf/Steyr, Heuliez, Renault, and Pegaso. The O305 was designed for use as a single-decker bus, however it was later redesigned to accommodate double-decker bodies.
The Dennis Dominator was Dennis's first rear-engined double-decker bus chassis, it was launched in 1977.
The Scania N112 was a transversely-engined step-entrance single-decker bus, double-decker bus and articulated bus chassis manufactured by Scania between 1978 and 1987.
The Volvo B7RLE is a low-entry single-deck bus chassis manufactured by Volvo. It was superseded by the Volvo B8RLE in 2013.
Volvo B57 was a front-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1966 and 1982. Since 1970 it was also available as the Volvo BB57, with the engine mounted on top of the front axle, giving the buses very little front overhang. The BB57 became a kind of replacement for the smaller B54, but as it was larger, the B54 got its true replacement later. The predecessor to BB57, the B615 had gone out of production in 1965, but apparently the demand for such a model was so high that they had to bring it back almost half a decade later, as the B54 proved to be too small.
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floor double-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-deck Wright Eclipse design. The second-generation Eclipse Gemini 2 was launched in 2009, followed by the third-generation Gemini 3 in 2013. Additionally, the body was available on Volvo Super Olympian chassis in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2005, marketed as the Wright Explorer. Production of the Gemini have been suspended as Wrightbus entered administration in September 2019.
The Leyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production.
The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis manufactured in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British subsidiary in which it owned 75%, from 1974 until 1985.
The Volvo B58 was a mid-engined bus chassis manufactured by Volvo in Sweden from 1966 until early 1982. It was succeeded by the B10M.
The Volvo B10M was a mid-engined city bus and coach chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1978 and 2003. It succeeded the B58 and was equipped with the same 9.6-litre horizontally mounted Volvo diesel engine mounted under the floor behind the front axle. An articulated version under the model name Volvo B10MA was also offered, as was a semi-integral version known as the C10M, with the engine in the middle of the chassis.
The Leyland Atlantean is a predominantly double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland Motors between 1958 and 1986. Only 17 Atlantean chassis were bodied as single deck from new.
The Leyland Leopard was a mid-engined single-decker bus and single-decker coach chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1959 and 1982.
The Volvo B6 was a 5.5-litre (1.2-imperial-gallon) engined midibus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 1999. It was also available as the low-entry Volvo B6LE.
The Leyland Lynx was a stepped-entrance single-decker bus manufactured by Leyland in Workington, England between 1986 and 1992. After the takeover by Volvo, it was succeeded by the Volvo B10B.
The Leyland Panther was a rear-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between the years 1964 and 1972. A version with a smaller engine was released as the Leyland Panther Cub.
The Volvo B5LH is a low-floor hybrid electric bus chassis for both single-decker buses and double-decker buses manufactured by Volvo since 2008. It is the basis for Volvo's integral 7700 Hybrid full low floor city bus and its successor, the 7900 Hybrid from 2011. In 2008, pre-production batches of both types of chassis were manufactured. Serial production started in June 2010. From 2013 it is also available as an articulated bus chassis. First entering service in London, the B5LH is the only current double decker type in service in the United Kingdom that uses a parallel hybrid drive system.
The Volvo B10R is a rear-engined bus chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1978 and 1992. It was as its predecessor, the B59, aimed as a citybus chassis, and was succeeded by the B10B in 1992.
The Volvo B8RLE is a 7.7-litre-engined low-entry bus chassis manufactured by Volvo since 2013 for Euro VI markets. It was designed as a replacement for the B7RLE and the B9RLE. The right-hand drive version was launched in November 2014.