Dennis Dominator

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Dennis Dominator with Paladine construction from Northern Counties

The Dennis Dominator was a chassis for double-decker buses , trolleybuses and single-decker buses from the British commercial vehicle manufacturer Dennis Brothers . The type was built from 1977 to 1996. The chassis was available in several variants tailored to the needs of the respective operator. The Dominator replaced the Daimler Fleetline for many operators .

background

Dennis hadn't built any buses since 1967. The Dominator was Dennis' first double-decker chassis with a transverse engine at the rear. This construction had already largely prevailed in the 1970s, as it made it possible to have a low floor in the passenger compartment and, in contrast to the engine installed in the front, like the one in the Dennis Jubilant , offered easier access to the engine and the power transmission. The entry point in front of the front axle for one-man operation without a conductor was also easier to implement. The Dominator was available in many variants.

construction

The Dominator was powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine from Gardner in conjunction with a DIWA automatic transmission from Voith . The Gardner 6LXB made 127 bhp with a displacement of 10.45 l  . Other diesel engines such as the supercharged Gardner 6LXCT, the Rolls-Royce Eagle, the Cummins L10 or engines from DAF were also available as options. Instead of the rear axle with a normal differential gear , a rear axle with an external planetary gear could also be ordered. The Dominator differed from the Fleetline in that it had a radiator on the front of the vehicle. The placement of the radiator in the rear area, as it was still common in the Fleetline and other buses of the first generation of buses with rear-engined buses, had led to problems with the engine cooling, especially in subtropical and tropical climates.

The Dominator was succeeded by the Dennis Arrow . 1007 buses were built from 1977 to 1986. After the deregulation of bus traffic by the Transport Act 1985 , the production figures sank drastically, the Dominator was only built sporadically from 1992 onwards. Eight buses were built in 1992, three in 1993, production of the Dominator ceased entirely in 1994/95 and the last four buses were built in 1996.

From 1978 until the appearance of the Dennis Falcon in 1980, the Dominator was also built as a monoplane. The three-axis version Dennis Dragon was derived from the Dominator . The midibus Dennis Domino was also based on the Dominator.

use

United Kingdom

Dennis Dominator building East Lance

The largest buyer in the United Kingdom was South Yorkshire PTE , who bought a total of 323 buses, including a trolleybus that was procured for test purposes in 1985. Many of the buses got the Rolls-Royce engine and a planetary rear axle. The bulk of the buses were delivered between 1981 and 1986 and received the RH body Alexander . The other buses had bodies from East Lancs or Northern Counties . The Dominator was delivered in different lots to replace the scheduled decommissioned Fleetline, Leyland Atlantean and Volvo Ailsa B55 . From the last lot, 20 buses were fitted with coach seats. These buses were used under the Fastline brand on national express connections. In South Yorkshire , the Dominator was decommissioned by July 2006.

Another important customer was Leicester City Transport , which purchased 143 buses from 1977, mostly with a body from East Lancs . Seven buses but got a build-up of Marshall & Co . Leicester City Transport put the buses out of service in 2005. Central Scottish also procured the Dominator from 1981, traditionally with an Alexander body. The RL due to the local conditions -Aufbau had a lower overall height. In addition, other bus operators also purchased the Dominator in smaller numbers.

Hong Kong

Dennis Dominator of the Kowloon Motor Bus in Hong Kong

Dennis traditionally had a strong position in what was then the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and, with the Jubilant, designed and produced it specifically for this market. The Dominator was also sold to Hong Kong. China Motor Bus (CMB) launched the first Dominator with a body from East Lancs in 1979 . In 1982, six buses with the RL body from Alexander followed . Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) procured a total of 40 buses with bodies from Duple Metsec between 1983 and 1984 .

Singapore

A single Dominator with a DAF engine was exported to Singapore in 1982 and tested at Singapore Bus Services . After the test was completed, the bus went to Kowloon Motor Bus in Hong Kong and was used there as a driving school vehicle.

Web links

Commons : Dennis Dominator  - Collection of images, videos and audio files