Category:Leyland-DAB Lion

Leyland-DAB Lion 

a mid-engined double-decker bus
Upload media
Wikipedia
Instance of	bus model
Manufacturer	Leyland Bus
Authority file  Q20973683 Reasonator Scholia Wikidocumentaries PetScan statistics WikiMap Locator tool KML file Search depicted

The Lion (LDTL11/1R) was a 1980s underfloor-engined double decker bus chassis produced by Leyland-DAB. Just 32 built between 1986 and 1989. Scottish Bus Group subsidiaries Eastern Scottish and Clydeside Scottish, and English municipal operator Nottingham City Transport, took batches of 13, 6 and 13 respectively. The Scottish buses were all built with commonplace Alexander RH bodywork, albeit with coach seating. Nottingham took 10 with East Lancs bodies (5 coach seated) and 3 by Northern Counties with dual doors, all built to their own standard specification.

• The 13 Eastern Scottish buses: built in 1986/7, registered C174-83 VSF & D184-6 ESC, numbered ZLL174-ZLL186. All but three (ZLL175/184/186) remained in service long enough to receive First Edinburgh corporate livery and national numbers, 31689-697. Just one bus survives - C177 VSF went to the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust in early 2005, now restored to original.

• The 3 Northern Counties bodied Nottingham buses: built in 1986/7, registered D392-4 TAU, numbered 392-4. All three passed to Gibsons of Renfrew (392 re-registered GIB 6135), and apparently still exist.

• The 6 Clydeside buses: originally ordered by SBG subsidiary Kelvin Scottish, they got July 1987 registrations D851-5 RDS and Kelvin livery of blue & yellow, but the order was cancelled, so five were put into store, and D852 RDS was loaned to South Yorkshire PTE and Bournemouth Yellow Buses as a demonstrator. All 6 later went to Clydeside, with the 5 stored buses receiving the later December registrations, E160-4 YGB, numbered 160-4 (demonstrator 165). Cherished re-registrations at Clydeside (five of six): VLT 166 (160), FSU 661 (161), WLT 364 (163), VLT 204 (164) and 705 DYE (165).

• 160-4 passed to Chester City Transport, numbered 16-20 (re-registered E889/925/941/938/935 CDS prior to sale). They then passed to Nottingham City Transport, becoming 399/397/396/398/395. They then began to go their separate ways:

• 399 & 396 to Cedar Coaches, becoming no.s 7 & 1. In 2007, No. 1 lost its roof in a bridge strike.
• 397 and 398 to Marshalls, Sutton on Trent, becoming DD57 & DD58 (DD58 re-registered A3 YRR).
• 395 to Dunn-Line, then Helms of Eastham, then a morris dancer transport bus.
• 395/7/8 then went to WJC Buses (DD58 becoming no. ZLL163, re-registered E9 WJC). All three are now scrapped.

• 165: re-registered by Clydeside as D160 UGA, passed to Cottrells of Mitcheldean, then Fowlers Travel (Ambers) of Spalding, Lincs (re-registered YDO 823, named "William Harold"). In July 2013 it passed to the Swansea Bus Museum, still in Fowlers livery (with former plate D160 UGA).

• The ten East Lancs bodied Nottingham: built in 1989, registered F382-91 GVO, numbered 381-91.

• 381-6 (coach seated)- all re-registered by Nottingham with cherished plates, VIL 3382/2983/4784/4685/4686. Sold to Andrews of Tideswell, then to Moving People of Accrington, (named "Tom", "Dick", "Stan", "Harry" and "Ollie").
• 387-91 moved on to Tyrer Bus (387), Bank View, Freckleton (388), Helms of Eastham (389), Decker Bus, South Mimms (390) and VIP Contracts Ltd of Birmingham (391) - converted to the "Beauty Bus", trading outside Birmingham's Rag Market (now withdrawn). Their subsequent fate is unclear.