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LOTHIAN

LEYLAND

ECW

OLYMPIANS

 

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LAST  LEYLANDS

In the early and middle 1980s Lothian Regional Transport, now Lothian Buses, received a total of 127 long-wheelbase Leyland Olympian buses with Eastern Coach Works (Leyland) bodywork and Leyland TL11 engines. They were numbered 668-794. These were followed by hundreds more Olympians but with Alexander R-type bodywork and Cummins engines. 668-794 were the last double deckers with Leyland engines in Lothian, and among the last in the UK. They were the
 last real Leylands.
671 on Silverknowes Road, May 1998
In 1952, Edinburgh Corporation Transport received a batch of 21 Leyland PD2/12s with Leyland bodywork, numbered 240-260. From then on, apart from a batch of 70 Guy Arab IVs in 1956, and Bedfords for the coach fleet, only Leylands were bought by ECT and its successor Lothian. From 1954 onward there were the 300 PD2/20s with Metro Cammell Weymann 'Orion' bodywork, followed by 50 PD2A/30s, 103 PD3s, and 591 (?)  Atlanteans, plus some Leopards, Nationals, Tigers and Lynxes, and the Olympians. Fifty years after the arrival of the first Leylands, the
last Leylands
have been withdrawn.

After fifty years of hearing the distinctive ringing sound of Leyland engines in Lothian, you will no longer hear that sound, in Lothian or anywhere else in the world, except at preservation rallies.

The last in service at the time of setting up this web site in summer 2002 were some of 763-794. 

Surprisingly, in July 2003, some of 776-794 were still in service. This was despite the introduction of more Dennis Tridents with Plaxton bodywork numbered in the 600 series.

 At the end of October 2003, most of 777-794 were still in service, appearing on 2, 12, 19, 42 and even on 4 (791), 5 and 22 (785), as well as X47.

Many thanks to staff at Lothian Buses Marine and Longstone depots for access to take the detailed photographs in June and August 2002, and to Lance Cahill for street  photographs from 1998 and 1999.

 

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