AAT Kings' "Piano Bar Bus" at Armidale Mall

[Randommann]

Hello All,

While I was on my lunch break from work on Wednesday (20/07/2016) I was quite surprised to see this bus parked and exhibited in the mall!

http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15494
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15495
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-15503

Luckily I had enough time to go home, pick up my camera, come back and take these pictures before my lunch break ended!

The bus in question, AAT Kings' fleet number 165, is a Scania K440EB with Coach Concepts bodywork built in 2015. When I walked inside the bus (As I first saw it), it had bar-like seats as well as a functioning piano and microphone/speaker system towards the back. A petrol generator was there, probably powering the electric system, though it was not present in the photos. At the front it had 24 seat-belted coach seats.

I was intrigued when I saw writing that read "LICD. TO SEAT 50 PASSENGERS" at the back even though it's actually 24. That leads me to believe that it was converted from an ordinary coach recently. This theory made more sense when I since saw 165 in AAT Kings' fleet list having an SA registration (Even though it now has NT plates) as well as C50DTL listed as its seating arrangement.

The bus must be touring around cities at the moment (For promotional purposes) given that it visited Armidale. Have any of you seen this coach?

Thanks,
The Man of Randomness

[Centralian]

They had another unit about 2 years ago doing the rounds with an indoor lawn bowls set up inside. Novel promotion of Co.

[Bedford-29]

Nothing like tickling the Ivories while moving along the road.

[Randommann]

Found this on AAT Kings' website if you haven't already, detailing the Piano Bar Bus' travels:
https://www.aatkings.com/piano

Seems like a weird concept to me (And fairly impractical too for anything other than promotion) and would cost a lot of money to convert and then convert back to an ordinary coach once finished. But at least it's been presented very well! And needless to say quite the original idea too.

Also, for a correction, 12 passenger seats were inside, not 24 (I remembered incorrectly unfortunately ).

[8 SPEED]

Nice coach,terrible livery.

[Swift]

Nice coach,terrible livery.

Good to see an Australian Coach builder with something as good looking as the Chinese imports.
Forced to make an effort?

[stu69]

It is a short time marketing exercise. Will be back to normal 50 seat configuration, and on tour work soon.

[Apollo]

Here are a couple interior shots ive managed to take.

IMG_7652 copy.jpg (193.5 KiB) Viewed 3679 times

IMG_7655 copy.jpg (198.15 KiB) Viewed 3679 times

[Swift]

Not worthy of a grand piano with a black finish?