[Buses in Beijing]京华 Jinghua BK6126S1 (Step-entry) 北京公交集团 BPT #S60494 Front-left at Beijing South Railway Station South Square

A BK6126S1 (Note1) 12m mid floor double-decker bus built by the already diminished Jinghua in Beijing

 

Among the three double-decker models introduced in Beijing before the 2008 Olympic Games and BK6126S1, both the mid floor and low floor, is the most common. Also, BK6126S1 is the earliest new air-conditioned double-decker into service (Note2)---the mid floor version debut on March 8 2008 on Line Special 8 Inner Ring (on the 3rd Ring Road). Applying Jinghua’s latest, and also the last, exterior design with a face that vividly resembles a pair of glaring eyes and pouting mouse of a furious man, BK6126S1 gets its name “Double-decker King Kong” from bus fans.

 

The chassis is a product of Shanqi (Shaanxi Heavy-duty Vehicles), an expert in double-decker bus chassis. BK6126S1 is propelled by a national-made Yulin Diesel YC6L260-40 260hp Euro IV diesel engine. The gearbox is an Allison T325R, uncommon in Beijing. The power train is shared by the three new double-decker models, but the axles are different. BK6126S1 mid floor version’s axles are still unidentified, but the combination is believed to be a ZF steerable tag axle and Dongfeng-Dana conventional axles.

 

The bus applies a mid floor design with the engine longitudinally settled in the rear. Floor between the two doors is 500mm above ground, and the second step is much lower than that on other mid floor buses. Behind the rear door, the floor is raised another step and two rows of seats are placed longitudinally, facing each other; however the seats are inadequately raised above floor, and passengers have very limited space for legs and heads. The straight staircase faces backward, and the engineers in BPT believe that the design is able to lessen the possibility of passengers’ falling down when the bus makes sudden stops. The air conditioner is located above the engine, taking the position of rear windshields on both floors.

 

In the picture, Fleet No. S60494 (Double-deckers Division, Double-decker, code 0494) on Line Special 8 Express Inner Ring has just loaded its passengers on the south side of Beijing South Railway Station South Square street. It is leaving the street, heading for its full loop along the 3rd Ring Road.

 

Line Special 8 Express is an essential supplement of Line Special 8 while Line Special 8 is an essential supplement of Line 300, the most legendary in Beijing. Line Special 8 series and Line 300 series are extremely busy arteries circling 3rd Ring Road. Line Special 8 Inner Ring is 49.5km long with 46 stops; the express version has only 26 stops, all key exchange stops. Line Special 8 Express only exhibits "express" by fewer stops, but not by speed. On the bus lane on the 3rd Ring Road, this "Double-decker King Kong" travels at a speed as low as 40km/h. Passengers are always driven crazy especially the four sitting behind the upper-level windscreen.

 

Double-deckers on the busy 3rd Ring Road can hardly be found in original livery---most are wrapped in all-over advertising. In Beijing, the front of the double-deckers is left clear while the rear is covered with advertising.

 

Note1:

All units of BK6126S1 have plates writing BK6126S on their rear end.

Note2:

The earliest air conditioning double-decker bus in Beijing is Changjiang-Flxible; however, the model of few units was not put forward.

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