)LLGATE is scathing about le eyland Atlantean and aim er
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Fleetline rear-engined )uble-deckers of the early 3ve ties. -These buses were di astrous that the order (by e C pe Tramways Group) was du•ed to the 50 buses already pr duction and the balance as •ancelled.The transrnison as principally at fault.
Fi st efforts to produce a ant engined double-decker are scarcely more successful, Jt fir different reasons. A Guy ict ry single-decker chassis as dapted for front-entrance DU le-deck bodywork by ,du•ing the overall height from lm o 9m, but the air-operated
door gear was so unreliable that buses broke down all over the place. Front tyre wear and steering were also heavy because of the long front overhang.
By moving the wheels right up to the front, eliminating the front door and replacing the air door-operating system by a simple mechanical linkage, the problems were solved. The revised design was so successful that the Kowloon Motor Bus Co in Hong Kong bought 154.
The result, says Tollgate, is that Leyland has seen the light and resumed production of a front engined double-decker in the Victory Mk 111 — "a bus that actually goes.'"