[Buses in Beijing]大金龙 King Long XMQ6122G (Low-entry) 北京公交集团 BPT #83062 Front-left at Zhanlanguan Road South Crossing

A King Long built XMQ6122G 12m low entry diesel bus

 

This bus is among the first low entry, accessible buses debuted in Beijing in 2005, with companions like DD6129S11 and JS6123H1. A low entry bus, according to European classification, has a non-step floor area as well as a raised area, usually above the driving axle. XMQ6122G's non-step area streches from the very front to the rear door, allowing both the entrances stelpless; from the rear door to the back, the floor is two steps from the non-step area.

 

Driven by a 220hp Cummins ISBe220 31 diesel engine, XMQ6122G is one of the first air-sprung city buses that had joint BPT in large numbers. The gearbox is a common Allison T270R that equips numerous units of various models. The ZF front axle, center-lowered, and an unidentified conventional rear axle provide a fairly absorbing ride. The body outline very much resembles that of XMQ6125G (actually released later), most obviously the air-conditioner position, but the face and tail are totally different. Overall the bus is sleek, although some point out that the face and tail is copied from Irizar Century coach.

 

A low entry bus costs much less than a low floor, but BPT had abandoned this design since 2005. According to the engineers, BPT received numerous complaints about tumbling down from the stairs connecting the raise floor and the non-step area, owing to surprising passenger-jams inside buses during rush-hours. The complaints drawn attention from the city government which impelled BPT to solve that problem. The solution was to turn to the costy low floor buses. From then on, not a single model of low entry bus was ordered in large orders, but a few prototypes did apprear.

 

In the picture, Fleet No. 83062 (Trolley-buses Division, diesel rigid bus, code 062) on Line 121 is passing Zhanlanguan (Exhibition Center) Road South Crossing from east to west. Workers Pioneer Bus Line 121 is the route for various demo buses including Ankai battery-electric buses in 2004, Jinghua battery-electric buses in 2005, ten diesel-electric hybrid buses from five manufacturers in 2008, etc. Now the main fleet of Line 121 is made up of Foton AUV hybrid buses, but a few charter-version XMQ6122Gs remain in service.

 

Since in early 2010, all transit diesel buses in Trolley-buses Division has been given out, at present only 30 charter-version XMQ6122Gs with cushioned seats and curtains bear the Fleet No. 83XXX.

 

Low entry XMQ6122Gs are owned by Division 1, 5 and Trolley-buses. There is also a mid floor version of XMQ6122G in Division 3 but it is sprung by the obsolete leaf spring structure.

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