Copyright Unknown

Booth & Fisher
1952
Leyland Royal Tiger
Leyland C41C

The first Leylands bought new (in 1952) by this Derbyshire operator were two Royal Tigers; SNU 234 had this C41C body whereas SNU 235 was B44F. Chassis numbers were 520911 and 520179 respectively. School journeys to Creswell swimming baths were often on this superb vehicle, arriving far too soon for me! About seven Leylands had gone before but all were second-hand, and all buses, so this one was special. The coach only stayed until 1963 and was later with McGregor, a contractor. I’m unsure whether or not it served any other operator in-between. SNU 235 lasted until around 1969 but I have been unable to find any photographs of this one.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Les Dickinson

16/02/15 – 06:57

Nice!!! Thanks for posting. I wonder if Oxford Diecast can be persuaded to do a model of this one. I asked a while ago about the possibilities of having one of MTD235, but their reply didn’t leave me very hopeful. Still, the comments from Roger Cox when the Ribble version was issued – wrong shades used – might help them to get further issued right!

Pete Davies

16/02/15 – 06:58

Les, have a look at the posting of Booth and Fisher 612 JPU on this site,
SNU 235 is just visible in the background. I have another slide taken the same day where SNU is in a line of 3 vehicles at the front of the depot

This design of Leyland coach body must have come as quite a shock after many years of coaches with curved waist rails. The later Ribble treatment of the lower front sill enhanced the appearance still further. Note the opening windows, they appear to be of the half(?) drop type and also the semaphore trafficator under the driver’s cab side window. The multi pane windscreen arrangement must have been a recipe for water ingress.

Ian Wild

16/02/15 – 15:47

Here is SNU 234 later in life with McGregor, contractor. Not a great shot but still worth seeing. I bought this five decades ago and photo is not back-stamped so I have no idea of copyright etc.

Les Dickinson

19/02/15 – 07:17

I am pretty sure this coach was with Cherrys of Beverly.

Ken Wragg

14/02/18 – 07:49

Yes Ian Wild you are right, the front faceted windows of the Royal Tiger coach do leak quite a bit and always did from new. I am currently restoring MTD 235 the Leyland demonstrator that was in Pennine’s fleet, it has wind-down windows and semaphore indicators below the cab – it is a very well built all-Leyland coach and a credit to the manufacturer. We have got the mechanics overhauled and am presently well on with refurbishing the interior – I hope the coach will be back on the road before too long. If anyone has any Pennine posters, notices, timetables, photographs and the like relevant to MTD 235 I would be pleased to see them to complete its history.

Phil Clark

14/02/18 – 11:23

Cherry of Beverley was the intermediate owner, SNU 234 was with them from 1963 until the sale to McGregor in 1966.

David Hick

15/02/18 – 06:14

Wonderful news, Phil. I hope to see MTD at the Tram Sunday event in the near future!

Pete Davies

15/02/18 – 06:17

Phil,
Many thanks for your update re Pennine MTD 235, after the sad demise of Pennine Motors I and many others wondered what the fate of this special vehicle would be, after it being in store with Pennine for so long. I know it popped up for sale several times and then lost track of it, so well done for taking on the restoration and good luck with it!! Hope all goes well. I eagerly wait to see MTD 235 back on the road ,at the Pennine running day at some point maybe ?

Mark McAlister

21/02/18 – 07:00

It is very gratifying to know that MTD 235 is undergoing restoration & it will make a fitting tribute to Pennine & Leyland Motors (indeed Pennine was a very loyal Leyland customer).
Does anybody know what has happened to the Plaxton Elite bodied Leopard which came to Pennine when still quite new when Ezra Laycock was taken over in 1972?. Pennine had put this on one side for possible preservation.

Andrew Spriggs

09/04/19 – 08:47

Thanks for the memories regarding the run from Sheffield (Eyre Street stop) to Coal Aston. I used that bus when I was 9 until I was 11 (1959-1961) as I used to travel from my school to our home in Coal Aston on the, then, new Firthwood Estate.

Chris Hunt

Newcastle Corporation
1950
Leyland Titan PD2/3
Leyland H30/26R

Another from Newcastle City Libraries archives. From the caption at the bottom, the location is West Clayton Street Newcastle, which is literally just round the corner from the Central Station. The date is 1952; the buses are lined up ready to depart for Gosforth Park Racecourse, about three miles north of the City. I suspect it would be on the day of the Northumberland Plate, know as the Pitman’s Derby, this race meeting always attracts huge crowds, and is run on the last Saturday in June. An interesting line up, headed by an all Leyland Titan PD2/3 from 1950, NVK 304; then two MCCW bodied Daimlers, the one in front is one of the 1947/8 KVK registered CV6G series, the second could be from the same batch, or it could be a 1938 FVK registered CW5G. Next in line, looks like a 1947/8 Roe bodied Daimler CV6G, they were also KVK registrations. Looking at the outward swoop of the lower body panels, my guess would be that number five is a 1946 Weymann bodied AEC Regent II. I can’t make out enough detail to have a stab at the rest.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ronnie Hoye

23/12/14 – 17:12

A very appetising line-up! Never realised until recently that Newcastle had had any Birmingham-style MCCW-bodied Daimlers. How did that come about? One of my very favourite bus designs, by the way.

Ian T

06/01/15 – 16:24

I believe Newcastle Transport was desperate for new stock, and Daimler and Metro-Cammell could offer quick delivery. The bodies were to Birmingham spec, including the single aperture front destination blind, though livery and upholstery were to Newcastle standard. They were delivered in the blue and cream livery. There’s a photo of one in the later yellow and cream livery but with its Birmingham style indicators in Alan Townsin’s Best Best of Brirish Buses volume 11, post war Daimlers.
The destination blinds must have been changed to the standard Newcastle pattern quite quickly. I’ve seen a photo of one on Facebook dated 1950 so,fitted.

Richard S

06/01/15 – 16:26

There is a follow-up to this post with pictures at this link.

Peter

Copyright Unknown

Newcastle Corporation
1950
Leyland Titan PD2/1
Leyland H30/26R

A 1950 H30/26R all Leyland Titan of Newcastle Corporation. One of 52 of the type delivered between 1948 and 1950.
PD2/1
1948 registrations LVK 115/136 fleet numbers 115/136
1950 registrations NBB 281 – 300 fleet numbers 281/300
PD2/3
1950 registrations NVK 301/310 fleet numbers 301/310
In addition, there were six L27/26R PD2/1 low bridge versions
1949 registrations LVK 6/11 fleet numbers 6/11
The all Leyland Titan was well built and reliable, and as good a looking vehicle as anything else that was around at the time, but sometimes its what’s in the background that makes a photo interesting rather than the subject matter itself. NBB 286 is heading south towards Newcastle City Centre and is about enter Barras Bridge. The large building is the Hancock Museum, which is at the junction of Claremont Road, what looks like a Duple butterfly ’chassis unknown’ heading north on the Great North Road, which at that time was still the A1. A 1949/50 MCCW bodied BUT 9641T trolleybus is coming out of Jesmond Road, so the year is pre 1966. Behind it is a Percy Main vehicle which will be on the service 3 – 5 or 11, it could be either an Atlantean or a Weymann bodied Daimler Fleetline. One Titan from the Newcastle fleet has survived LVK 123 and is in its original 1948 blue livery, but bearing in mind the number that were produced, it seems that not that many are still around.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Ronnie Hoye

02/12/14 – 05:29

Ronnie, I think that this photograph was taken before May 1965 when the trolleybus services along Jesmond Road were converted to motorbus operation.
I always thought that there was something magical and special about the cypher A1 and name ‘Great North Road’.
Over the years the A1 has had quite a few different routes through Tyneside and the numbers now allocated to former sections of the route give few clues to their former glory.

Kevin Hey