East Lancs/Darwen/Optare Olympus
A Reading Buses Olympus, an example bodied by Darwen Group.
Overview
ManufacturerEast Lancashire Coachbuilders (2006-07)
Darwen Group (2007-08)
Optare (2009-11)
Production2006–2011
Body and chassis
Doors1 or 2
Floor typeLow floor
ChassisScania N230UD
Scania N270UD
Volvo B9TL (2 or 3 axle)
Alexander Dennis Enviro400
RelatedScania OmniDekka
Powertrain
Capacity68 - 100 seated [1]
Dimensions
Length10.2 to 11.9 m (33 ft 5+5⁄8 in to 39 ft 1⁄2 in)
Width2,535 mm (8 ft 3+3⁄4 in)[2]
Height4.2 to 4.3 m (13 ft 9+3⁄8 in to 14 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
Chronology
PredecessorEast Lancs Myllennium Lolyne
East Lancs Myllennium Lowlander
East Lancs Myllennium Nordic
East Lancs Myllennium Vyking
SuccessorOptare MetroDecker

The Optare Olympus (introduced in 2006 as the East Lancs Olympus) is a double-decker bus built by Optare, East Lancs and Darwen. It could be built as a body available on Alexander Dennis Enviro400, Volvo B9TL or Scania N230UD/N270UD chassis with the 2-axle and 3-axle variants. It is the double-decker equivalent of the Optare Esteem. Some 3-axle Olympus buses were built.

History

An East Lancs Olympus on a Scania N UD chassis operating for Transdev London.

The Olympus was launched by East Lancashire Coachbuilders in November 2006.[3] The first example, built on a Volvo B9TL chassis for Delaine Buses, was displayed at Euro Bus Expo 2006. It had been the intention to exhibit a higher specification model for Ham's of Flimwell, but this was not ready in time for the show, meaning the bus didn't show its full potential.

The Olympus replaced the OmniDekka on Scania chassis (though was still sold alongside the bus until 2011), which is 10.6 or 11.9 metres in length. On Volvo chassis, it replaced the Myllennium Vyking and the Myllennium Nordic. On Alexander Dennis chassis, it replaced the Myllennium Lolyne.

At the beginning of January 2007, Reading Buses ordered six Olympus with Scania chassis for their Loddon Bridge FastTrack park and ride contract to replace Optare Excels. They entered service in a yellow and blue livery in July 2007.

In London, some bus operators purchased Olympus with Scania chassis. Transdev London and Metroline had these buses operating on routes 148, 7, 90 and 297 respectively. Due to problems with the new Transport for London specified air-conditioning units, some buses failed the tilt test by one degree, and entered service late.

An East Lancs Olympus on a Scania N230UD chassis operating for Stephensons.

Acquisition by Darwen

An Darwen Olympus on a Scania N230UD chassis operating for Network Colchester. This has since left the fleet for other TGM Group operations.

East Lancs went into administration in August 2007 and was bought by the Darwen Group. The body was therefore renamed Darwen Olympus.

The first buses to be delivered under the Darwen name were those ordered by Cardiff Bus (one of which was shown at Coach and Bus live 2007) and Arriva Yorkshire.

Reading Buses has numerous examples bodied by Darwen, in addition to a few built by East Lancs before they went into administration.

Reverse takeover by Optare

Following the reverse takeover of Optare by Darwen Group in June 2008, the Olympus was again renamed, becoming the Optare Olympus. London General ordered the Olympus with Alexander Dennis Enviro400 chassis instead of Scania which Metroline and Transdev London had inherited. Metrobus have 30 buses on Scania N230UD chassis, which were used on London routes 54 and 75

In 2009, Optare announced that it had designed its own chassis for the Optare Olympus, with a Mercedes-Benz engine, as per previous products.[4] A single prototype integral Olympus, designated the Olympus O1030, was built; this later became the basis for the new Optare MetroDecker and was subsequently launched in 2014.[5]

Open top variant

An open-top double-decker bus version of the Olympus, named the Visionaire, was also built. Like the Olympus, it was also built on the same chassis.

See also

Competitors

References

  1. ↑ "Optare product information". Archived from the original on 17 August 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  2. ↑ "Olympus brochure" (PDF). elcb.co.uk/. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2006.
  3. ↑ Millar, Alan (2007) Bus & Coach Recognition : Ian Allan Ltd., ISBN 0-7110-3136-3
  4. ↑ http://www.optare.com/op_idd.htm Optare Integral Specifications
  5. ↑ "Bus Lists on the Web". www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk.
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