VAN HOOL A300
CGFTE, Nancy no. 182 (8484 XD 54) - September 2001
Low floor buses appeared in the Van Hool range in the early 1990s and the
'wedge' theme was retained. This bus in Nancy is an A300, the side-engined
version of the Van Hool low-floor range. These followed a batch of A500s into
the CGFTE fleet. Nancy have 12 of these buses, but again Dijon have the largest
fleet of the type in France. Note that the lowered floor line leads to a lower
window line and heavier-looking roof than on the A500.
VAN HOOL A320
TCRB, Boulogne no. 305 (254 SJ 62) - March 2000
Side-mounted engines don't suit all customers, so a rear-engined version of
the A300 range was launched in 1996. In appearance the rear-engined buses are
very similar to the side-engined A300, with only the lack of the engine air
intake on the offside (and the corresponding addition of a grille on the
nearside at the rear) giving the game away. TCRB in Boulogne is gradually
replacing its ageing fleet of PR100s with new Van Hool low-floors - this one was
new in 1999. Boulogne now operate an A508, several A320s, A308 midis and most
recently gas-powered examples of the New A330.
VAN HOOL AG300
CTS, Strasbourg no. 548 (1558 XW 67) - September 2001
The articulated version of the A300 range is impossible to ignore - they're
big, noisy things. The type is based on the side-engined A300, and the drive
goes to the second axle. In order to improve manoeuvrability, the axle under the
trailing section also steers. The largest users in France are Strasbourg and
Rennes, both towns having over 50 buses of this type, but there are also batches
in Tours, Clermont Ferrand and Dijon and odd examples elsewhere. Those in Tours
are LPG-powered. This is one of the Strasbourg buses and as with most recent
deliveries to CTS it has air conditioning fitted to the roof.
VAN HOOL A308
CFC, Cambrai no. 40 (130 AAB 59) - May 2000
The smallest member of the Van Hool wedge range is the A308 low-floor midi.
They are unusual in France, most being concentrated in the North (6 in Boulogne
and 3 in Cambrai). Since 2001, the 'wedge' appearance of the Van Hool range has
disappeared, replaced by an entirely new look. 'Wedge' A308s are thus unlikely to
increase in number.