Leyland WN 7754

This machine looked marvellous in Wooliscroft's silver and blue livery. It obviously started life in the immediate Swansea area as neighbouring Llanelli and Carmarthen had their own marks. Most likely is South Wales Transport, or maybe it was one of the small units that were taken into United Welsh. Picture from RHG Simpson. Who can identify this one?

Les Dickinson

31/05/12 - 08:21

I've dug up the following. WN 7754 was new to South Wales Transport in 1935, when new it was fitted with a Weymann C28F body, but after it was sold to Silver Service it was rebodied by Willowbrook. It was later sold to Farrows, Twickenham for preservation. Current whereabouts unknown

Ronnie Hoye

31/05/12 - 08:23

You've opened up a can of worms with this one Les! It is listed as being new in 1935 to South Wales but acquired by Woolliscroft in 1942 via the War Dept. That sounds a little strange in itself, being made available for disposal at such an early stage in the war, but no doubt a good purchase, being only seven years old. It originally had a Weymann B32F body but the body in your picture is obviously a post-war Willowbrook, from around 1947. But that's not all, in 1961, it was fitted with an AEC 7.7 ltr engine which came out of another Leyland (!) That one was EWA 538, a TITAN TD5 which was re-bodied by Woolliscroft, also with Willowbrook DP35F body and the AEC unit was fitted in 1959. When it was withdrawn in 1961, the engine was removed and transplanted to WN 7754.
So there you have it, it's an ex-South Wales AEC engined Leyland TS7. Silver Service had a fascinating fleet!

Chris Barker

31/05/12 - 08:25

As you suspected, Les, this Leyland TS7 was new to South Wales Transport in 1935, originally with a Weymann body. However, it’s seen here after being rebodied by Willowbrook, after sale to Silver Service. This Darley Dale operator had a wonderfully eclectic fleet of around 15 single deckers

Chris Hebbron

31/05/12 - 08:28

A vehicle with an interesting history here. New to South Wales as their 354 in 1935 it was originally fitted with a Weymann C28F body for touring. There were six in the batch (354-9) and in 1939 they were renumbered 701-6, although not in order.
The following year 701/2 were withdrawn and sold to the War Department. The remainder of the batch stayed with South Wales and were rebuilt in 1948 as 32-seat buses. One was withdrawn in 1950 but the other survived until 1955, all going for scrap after sale. The attached photo, of unknown origin and a very old print, shows 705 in final condition in Llanelli.
702 passed through the Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Works before being fitted with a new Duple C33F body and operating for York Brothers, Northampton as their No. 40 "HMS Illustrious". It passed to Eayrs of St. Neots in 1956 and two years later became a caravan.
Returning to 701, this didn't stay as long with the War department and joined the fleet of Wooliscroft of Darley Dale in 1942. It received the Willowbrook DP35F body seen in the picture in 1949 and ran until 1965, when it was sold for preservation. However, I haven't heard of it so does it still survive?

David Beilby

31/05/12 - 10:55

Wow! Beyween the four of you (Ronnie, Chris, Chris & David) you have painted an almost perfect picture.
Only 2 things remain unsolved; why did the War Dept offload so soon? and did it survive beyond Farrow's? You've provided more detail than I could have hoped for. Thanks to you all.

Les Dickinson

05/06/12 - 08:32

There are comments about the preservation of this bus. I have the 1978 Preserved Buses by Keith Jenkinson, but it isn't mentioned in there. I'm waiting for my 2012 "PSV Circle" version to arrive, but I can't help wondering if it had been scrapped by the time KAJ compiled his listing.

Pete Davies

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