bus or tram?

I note that the roof of the vehicle is at an angle to whatever building is behind it. Are there any sections of the tramline that have such a steep slope?

If not then a bus seems more likely, or possibly the Peak Tram?

Regards, David

Hello,

The vehicle has a large beige band under the window which is consistent with bus liveries of the time. Underneath are Chinese characters, the portioned shown in the photo means 'company', so I assume this is the name of the company operating it. I believe HK Tramways has never painted their company name in Chinese as part of their liveries. Therefore I think the vehicle in the photo is a bus.

However I note that post 1933 franchise bus liveries almost never carried Chinese characters as shown in this photo. Also both CMB and KMB tended to paint the windows frame/sill area beige in old photos I have seen. Therefore I think this may a pre-franchise / private bus.

The bus body is of a wooden construct. CMB last built wooden bus bodies in 1954 before switching to metal bodies bought from Metal Sections. I note the roof appear very flat, you can see a sharp angle at junction of roof and window. Also the interior ceiling seems to be timber slats. These point to a pre-ww2 bus body design such as this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingtonian/8257115737/in/pool-1851890@N22
(1925 AEC 411 with Strachan body)
Compare this to a 1949 CMB design
http://www.chinamotorbus.com/bus/jumbo/retire/HK104.php

There is number partial shown in the photo, it reads '62'. This might be the vehicle registration/fleet number, or part of it, of this bus. China Motor Bus bought a number of buses from the Hong Kong Hotel fleet when their bus franchise began in 1933 and the reg numbers include:
620-622 Vulcan Duke (Strachan bodied, new 1928)
623-625 Vulcan Prince (Strachan bodied, new 1928)
Source: http://busdatafile.atenviro.com/CMB/pre-1945.htm
But I think when the photo was taken, the bus was still owned by the Hotel due to livery differences stated above. I do not know whether the Hotel had buses numbered 626-629.

According to Cheng Po Hung in Early Hong Kong Transport, the Hong Kong Hotel Garage of the Hong Kong Hotel Limited had three bus routes:
Central to Repulse Bay (did not transfer to CMB after 1933)
Blake Pier to University
Whitty Street to Causeway Bay via Happy Valley

With the available info I believe this is a bus operated by the Hong Kong Hotel either before 1933 or part of the fleet retained by the Hotel after 1933. The photo was taken between 1928 and probably 1941 as most buses were lost during ww2. The bus is likely to be a Vulcan (model unsure) with a Strachan body. Finally the people in the photo appear young and cheerful and many had glasses, perhaps a group of students to/from University?

Regards,

Wayne