Leyland National

The February 2002 copy of The National Press, the newsletter of the Leyland National Group, carried an item concerning a group of 5 National buses for sale. Walter Ritchie, who runs a driving training school in Glasgow, was advertising the vehicles for sale after finishing his contract with a major bus operator. Two, with Volvo engines, had gone to Lothian Buses in Edinburgh for refurbishment and further service.

The 3 remaining buses were stored under cover at Glasgow Bus Museum, a redundant corporation bus garage at Bridgeton. Link to www.glasgowbusmuseum.co.uk. We were interested in an ex-Cumberland Motor Services Mark 2 - KHH 378W which was first registered on 1st October 1980. The asking price was £500 which included tyres but not batteries. Joe Moore, John Burrow & Alistair Grey went to Glasgow on 10th February, along with John Graham, to investigate. We were armed with a set of batteries from Alistair's National VKU 78S and Stagecoach's trade plates.

The two we left behind. National Mark 2's YFS309W & MDS199V 10/02/2002

A Rebodied National Greenway 10/02/2002

The bus was painted in Stagecoach's green and cream Western Scottish subsidiary Dodds of Troon livery. Most seats were the orange & brown moquette type, with just a few being more recent grey with orange/red chevrons. Bodywork was in generally sound condition with only patches of surface rust, although a strip under the windscreen had corroded badly.

A Line-up of Liveried Leyland Leopards at Glasgow Bus Museum   10/02/2002

Sorting a Battery Problem at Glasgow, caused some head scratching   10/02/2002

The bus has become a keystone member of the Trust's fleet of preserved vehicles.

For more information on National buses, visit www.leylandnational.co.uk