Leyland Nationals still in service with their original operators - or just in service

[robertclark125]

Big title for this thread. But, with the 40th anniversary of the Leyland national close by, I was thinking, are there any leyland nationals still in service with their original operator? Also, are there any nationals still in service at all?

 

[trentside]

I think Konectbus in Norfolk still have a National. It's mainly a reserve vehicle I think.

 

[anthony263]

Very unlikely that you will see a national being used in service these days apart from special services.

There was an operator running them regulary in Salisbury until a couple of years ago and we did have 1 or 2 operating in south wales I think til at least 2005.

These days the only leyland buses left in services are the leyland olympian and leyland lynz and those are very rarre now of course it is always nice when you get to drive 1 although I sadly have never driven a leyland national.

The Swansea bus museum has at least 3 examples although I think only 1 is closer to being roadworthy at the moment.

 

[trentside]

I think the last major operator must have been Chase, who sold out to Arriva Midlands in 2007. I visited Walsall a few weeks before this to sample some of their vehicles - in pretty great condition, considering that parts were becoming rare by that stage.

The last major operator in Lincoln was MASS Transit (now know as BrightBus) who operated a fleet of Nationals they'd acquired from Wellglade and Go-North East. The ex-GNE ones were apparently in appalling condition when they arrived, only made worse by their stay at MASS. After the Lincoln depot was sold to Dunn-Line the Nationals were withdrawn.

 

[johnnychips]

Gosh is it really 40 years ago? I have a vague recollection of the first one ever being a XXX999K registration for Cumberland. Is that one preserved?

 

[Eagle]

Do class 142s count? :P

 

[WillPS]

There's a couple of National Greenways knocking about (I think The Big Lemon had one or two).

 

[Ivo]

I don't think run now, but a couple of years ago there were still Nationals running around in Salisbury. (Eagle may be able to say more about this.)

 

[anthony263]

I don't think run now, but a couple of years ago there were still Nationals running around in Salisbury. (Eagle may be able to say more about this.)

That service was run commercially but didnt get the numbers of passengers to make it viable, shame as by the time I heard about it they had pulled the plug.

I wonder if someone could persuade North Somerset coaches to perhaps run a leyland national on a heritage service

 

[robertclark125]

The big lemon got rid of its greenways when it acquired some ex Stagecoach in Cumbria Volvo B10M-55s.

 

[flymo]

40th anniversary of the Leyland national

Crikey have they been around that long.:eek:

Seems like only yesterday I would go out of my way to take my 'usual' 09:28 Northern General 638 form Ryton to Sunderland on a Saturday morning. That run was always a Philadelphia turn as the driver used to change there on the way. As I got on at the then terminus I always got the front 'upper deck' seat, i.e. the front of the rear bit. Absolutely marvellous 1 hour 54 minutes, even if the heaters never worked !!

Phenomenal buses the Nationals, Happy Birthday....

 

[northwichcat]

The ones I've seen about in the last few years have been designated as driver training units.

There, however, the rail variants of the Leyland National still in operation - in the form of Pacers, 153s and 155s.

 

[trentside]

The ones I've seen about in the last few years have been designated as driver training units.

I think that most of these have also now vanished, due to more stringent requirements for training vehicles.

 

[anthony263]

I think that most of these have also now vanished, due to more stringent requirements for training vehicles.

True even Leyland Lynz's are not allowed to be used a training vehicles anymore and they in my opinion are 1 of the best vehicles to train bus drivers with.

Most operators use some of their older dennis darts or coaches.

That said I have seen an optare solo on driver training duties before now.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Wilts & Dorset in were using Nationals until fairly recently, I caught one to Salisbury not too long ago.

I remember the first Leyland Nationals, they were horribly unreliable, I always hoped for one to take me to school as I would be certain to be at least an hour late! For a time the Wiltshire countryside was scattered with broken Nationals. I don't know what they did to them to make them work properly, but eventually they did.

 

[GNERman]

Up here in Skipton, Pennine Motors had them in everyday service up until around 2009 (?), I believe they have kept at least one for preservation... Will have arrange a nosey around the depot to find out...

 

[Blindtraveler]

best place for those bits of junk if you ask me. Are anywhere e.g. Transport museams etc still opperating nationals for punters to travel on? Other than pacers have never done one but would love to!

 

[150222]

Yep I remember the Pennine ones in Burnley a few years ago. It's Dennis step-entrance single deckers on the 215 now.

 

[GNERman]

Aye, always used to be a National on the Embsay service in their later days, now just the plain Handybuses knocking about. Having had a look on Flickr, it seems that Pennine still have their old "ancilliary" vehicle.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29411541@N03/6385872117/in/pool-37577262@N00/

Anyone care to explain what on earth it is and does???

 

[Lrd]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29411541@N03/6385872117/in/pool-37577262@N00/

Anyone care to explain what on earth it is and does???

I can see two hooks on cables, so presume they extend and latch on to something, presumably a broken down bus and then used as a tow truck? Or even a winch?

At a guess anyways.

 

[83G/84D]

Not a very popular bus with drivers or fitters from what I recall,some of the NBC's got lumbered with them despite being happy with LH's and RE's.

P&O used to have a good number at Dover I seem to remember although don't know any details...........

 

[A0]

Not a very popular bus with drivers or fitters from what I recall,some of the NBC's got lumbered with them despite being happy with LH's and RE's.

P&O used to have a good number at Dover I seem to remember although don't know any details...........

I think it depended on what the alternatives were for the drivers. Certainly one of the books on London Country reckons that their drivers were happier to get hold of a National in preference to a Swift or Merlin.

The engineering bug-bear was the 510 engine - dubbed by some 'the teenager' on the grounds it drank alot, smoked alot and made alot of noise if asked to do any work.

Certainly it was an engine with design problems which didn't help. Had Leyland been less dogmatic and fitted the 0680 or Gardner 6LXB from the beginning, the problems would have been fewer. Instead Leyland protested it couldn't be done until one of the NBC company (can't recall which, but think it was either Eastern National or Crosville) disproved that. Leyland took note and the National 2 came with either as an option and the 510 disappeared.

 

[TRN481V]

I've been driving buses for 14 years now and the National is easily my favourite. I last drove one in 2004 and would dearly love to drive one again. I'm really looking forward to the Leyland National 40 event at the Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland in June - I'll be like a kid in a sweet shop!

 

[MarkyMarkD]

On my schoolday journeys to/from Manchester, my favourite bus of all was a GM National 1305. Always seemed a far sprightlier performer than the ancient 2xxx Fleetlines (and even more ancient 47xx Fleetlines, on occasion, although I had a soft spot for them too).

 

[martinsh]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29411541@N03/6385872117/in/pool-37577262@N00/

Anyone care to explain what on earth it is and does???

It's a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard that was new to Fishwicks as OCK452T - or isn't that what you mean ?

 

[DavidBusDriver]

Regarding the LN40 event at Preston March 17/18th - I shall be there with Hants & Dorset 3645, GLJ 681N, hope to get the chance to exhibit her on the road as much as in a display, you don't get the feel without the sound of the engine and rumbling of the road!

 

[GNERman]

It's a Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopard that was new to Fishwicks as OCK452T - or isn't that what you mean ?

Well knowing it was a Towbus, thanks to the post above, was what I meant, but I didn't know it was a Leopard and I didn't know its original identity or previous operator. Can I ask how you know this? Are we talking books and websites that can list these sorts of things???

 

[martinsh]

Well knowing it was a Towbus, thanks to the post above, was what I meant, but I didn't know it was a Leopard and I didn't know its original identity or previous operator. Can I ask how you know this? Are we talking books and websites that can list these sorts of things???

My source is Busview from Busdata Computing Services http://www.busdata.co.uk/index.html I do data input work for them, but you can get the same info out of the commercially available product.

I could have told you it wass a Leopard without even looking at the photo though - Pennine fleet was 100% Leopard for many years !

 

[NS_Coaches]

If anyone has a PSV tested National we will gladly play with it in service...