Leyland Olympian History

[Strathclyder]

Yes, you are correct, memory has kicked back in, the C-GKE batch ended up with Northumbria and then one or two ended up at Clydeside later on in life

All 3 of the C-GKEs ended up with Clydeside, then into the Arriva Scotland West era. Images below from their CS days (from the Neil Gow, David Devoy & Dunfermline Dave Flickr collecetions respectively).

Clydeside Buses Leyland Olympian coach 892, Paisley, 27th May 1998

Most of the newer M&D Olympian coaches were transferred away to fellow British Bus fleet Northumbria when the requirement for double-deckers on the Invictaway routes declined. Former 5452 (C452 GKE) was pictured at Paisley in May 1998 after moving on again to Clydeside Buses.

www.flickr.com

CLYDESIDE 896 C453GKE

This Leyland Olympian ONTL11/2RSp/ ECW was bought new by Maidstone and District for Kent commuter routes, before passing to Northumbria. Bought by sister company Clydeside. It also ran with F&L fleetnames on Paisley locals, but in order to fully realise it's potential , it got Clydeside names...

www.flickr.com

Clydeside 894 - C454GKE

Clydeside 894 rests at Glasgow's SECC during June 1997 having transferred delegates attending the Rotary International Convention from their hotels and guesthouses within Invercylde.

www.flickr.com

 

[Journeyman]

First Olympians I remember seeing and travelling on were London Country LR class buses. They seemed more modern than the Atlanteans, but quite spartan and crude compared to the London Transport Metrobuses I usually travelled on. I thought they were rather more comfortable and attractive inside, but that's just personal preference. I later rode quite a few of LT's production L class buses, and found them superior to the LRs, so it's clear LT put some effort into making sure they got comfortable vehicles. They had the Ogle Designs split entrance and straight staircase as well, as experimentally trialled on a rebuilt DMS.

 

[JModulo]

Dunbar had three Olympians allocated in Eastern Scottish days - LL116/43/59. All passed to Lowland in 1985, with LL160 joining them the following year. When 901/2 arrived in 1987, LL143 was upgraded with coach seats then transferred to Galashiels for use on the 62.

Hopefully 902 will be restored one day.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

All 3 of the C-GKEs ended up with Clydeside, then into the Arriva Scotland West era. Images below from their CS days (from the Neil Gow, David Devoy & Dunfermline Dave Flickr collecetions respectively).

Clydeside Buses Leyland Olympian coach 892, Paisley, 27th May 1998

Most of the newer M&D Olympian coaches were transferred away to fellow British Bus fleet Northumbria when the requirement for double-deckers on the Invictaway routes declined. Former 5452 (C452 GKE) was pictured at Paisley in May 1998 after moving on again to Clydeside Buses.

www.flickr.com

CLYDESIDE 896 C453GKE

This Leyland Olympian ONTL11/2RSp/ ECW was bought new by Maidstone and District for Kent commuter routes, before passing to Northumbria. Bought by sister company Clydeside. It also ran with F&L fleetnames on Paisley locals, but in order to fully realise it's potential , it got Clydeside names...

www.flickr.com

Clydeside 894 - C454GKE

Clydeside 894 rests at Glasgow's SECC during June 1997 having transferred delegates attending the Rotary International Convention from their hotels and guesthouses within Invercylde.

www.flickr.com

Also, there were some examples that Northumbria had that ended up with Kelvin Central at Cumbernauld for the Glasgow expresses

 

[Whisky Papa]

One of the differences between those built at Bristol verses elsewhere was the location of the radiator cap. On Bristol built buses it was on the rear at the offside, while later buses has it on the offside at the rear. Both were 'fun' for the vertically challenged to top-up due to being over 5 feet above the ground, which invariably resulted in a lovely trickle of antifreeze down your arm as you struggled with the watering can held above your head

The higher radiator cap position compared to a Fleetline led to Yorkshire Rider installing a filler hose system at Todmorden once the NCME-bodied lowheight Olympians arrived there in late 1988 / early 1989 .

The other thing that was altered in short order was fitting nylon brushes to the wheelarches. There was something about the aerodynamics of these buses that pulled road dirt onto them in a quite remarkable manner, often leaving all the lower deck windows covered and complaints from passengers being overcarried as they could not see where they were.

 

[MotCO]

The other thing that was altered in short order was fitting nylon brushes to the wheelarches.

Metrobus had 5 MAN East Lancs Esteems. The body semed to have larger wheelarches than the wheels required - maybe the MAN had smaller wheels than normal - and these nylon brushes were fitted. They soon got manky and tangled!

 

[Strathclyder]

Also, there were some examples that Northumbria had that ended up with Kelvin Central at Cumbernauld for the Glasgow expresses

Not sure if they ever served with Kelvin Central proper, but a few ended up in SB Travel private hire fleet and were liveried accordingly. They ended up in the First Kelvin side of FiG (which is what you were referring to I think) before it all was brought under the uniform name of First Glasgow. Believe a few of them lasted long enough to get national fleetnumbers too. Here's C448 BKM in both SB Travel and First Kelvin liveries (from the haley111 & David Devoy Flickr collections respectively).

Strathclyde's Buses LOC102 (C448BKM)

A former Maidstone & District ECW coach bodied Leyland Olympian in Strathclyde's Buses' private hire fleet SB Travel. Caught in Bath Street, Glasgow in May 1995.

www.flickr.com

KELVIN CENTRAL BUSES LOC102 C448BKM

C448BKM was transferred from the GCT fleet to KCB after both operators had become part of Strathclyde Buses Holdings and part of Firstbus. It is seen leaving Buchanan Bus Station on an X1 Express Service to Hamilton.

www.flickr.com