A further three Leyland National's with 11.3 metre length bodywork were bought new by Southern Vectis in 1976 and entered service in standard NBC Leaf Green & White livery. Again, all three of the batch were fitted with the longer ventilation pod, fitted to the roof at the rear of the vehicle. Externally they were virtually identical to those delivered previously in 1973, but internally they featured tan vinyl seats and coffee colour seat backs as opposed to the green vinyl seats with white seat backs which featured on the 1973 batch.

Leyland National's were disliked by most drivers, as they could be unpredictable in wet or icy conditions.

From 1976 all five of the 1973 batch received a White waist band to relieve the vast bulk of Leaf Green. They also had their bumpers repainted from silver to White, which enhanced their appearance enormously.

They were withdrawn from service in:
April 1984: XDL796L [872] / XDL797L [873] & XDL798L [874]
September 1984: MDL881R [881]
May 1985: XDL794L [870] / XDL795L [871] & MDL882R [882]
September 1986: MDL880R [880]

Subsequent History

XDL794L [870]:

• Around July 1985 it was sold to Bristol Omnibus Company Limited. It was converted to B46D by Carlyle and entered service in October 1985 as their number [1466].
  In June 1989 it was withdrawn.
• By 1990, it had passed to Athelstan Coaches Limited of Overland.
• By August 1990 it had been sold to K.J. Morgan (t/a Bygone Buses & Coaches) of Biddenham.

XDL795L [871]:

• Around July 1985 it was sold to Bristol Omnibus Company Limited. It was converted to B46D by Carlyle and entered service in October 1985 as their number [1467].
  In June 1989 it was withdrawn.

XDL796L [872]:

• In July 1985 it was sold to Bristol Omnibus Company Limited. It was converted to B46D by Carlyle and entered service in October 1985 as their number[1468].
  In July 1988, following fire damage, it was re-numbered to [1900], was withdrawn and cannibalised for spares.
• In October 1988 the remains were scrapped by PVS of Carlton (dealer).

XDL797L [873]:

• Around July 1985 it was sold to Bristol Omnibus Company Limited. It was converted to B46D by Carlyle and entered service in October 1985 as their number [1469].
  In May 1989 it was withdrawn.

XDL798L [874]:

• Around July 1985 it was sold to Bristol Omnibus Company Limited. It was converted to B46D by Carlyle and entered service in October 1985 as their number [1470].
  In June 1989 it was withdrawn.

MDL880R [880]:

• In March 1987 it was sold to South Midland of Witney (dealer).
• Also in March 1987 it passed to Martin of Middlewich (dealer).
• In April 1987 it was sold to Halton Borough Transport and operated as their number [2], having been converted to B49F.
• It subsequently passed to East Midlands Vehicle Preservation Group.
• In 1999 it was donated to the Isle of Wight Bus Museum and was stored in Northamptonshire, still in Halton Borough Transport livery. [per John Haines]
  By 8 February 2005 it had been towed south to Barton Park (Southampton) on route back to the Isle of Wight where it duly arrived during April 2005. [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
• In 2005 or 2006 it was sold to J. Watts, Isle of Wight, for preservation. [per Chris Lewis]

MDL881R [881]:

• In January 1986 it was sold to Wilts and Dorset operating as their number [3758].
• At an unknown date it was sold to Lunt (presumably trading as ABC Travel) of Olney. [per Tim Weatherup]
• In March 1994 it was sold to Sahota & Sarai (trading as Falcoln Travel) of Smethwick. [per Tim Weatherup]
  In March 1995 they changed entity to Falcoln Travel Ltd. of Smethwick. [per Tim Weatherup]
  In October 1996 it was withdrawn following accident damage - it was sent to Ripley of Carlton (dealer) for repair but had not returned by the time that Falcoln Travel Ltd. ceased trading in February 1997. [per Tim Weatherup]
• By February 1997 it had passed to Ripley of Carlton (dealer) and was likely scrapped by them.

MDL882R [882]:

• In January 1986 it was sold to Wilts and Dorset operating as their number [3759].

An offside-front view of XDL794L [870] Southern Vectis's first Leyland National in the unrelieved Leaf Green livery (as delivered) with silver bumpers at Ryde Esplanade on Driver Training duty, 20 March 1973.
[photo copyright of Peter J. Relf]

Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details

A nearside-front view of XDL794L [870] after it had received a White band and bumpers, which suited the Nationals very well, in NBC Leaf Green & White livery entering Ryde Bus Station on the Sunday of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Fleet Review weekend in July 1977.
[photo copyright of Michael Taylor]

A nearside-front broadside view of XDL794L [870] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Seaview on 1 July 1978.
[photo copyright of Peter J. Relf]

Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details

An offside-front view of XDL794L [870] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Ryde Depot on 25 July 1983.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs

A nearside-front view of XDL798L [874] in the original unrelieved NBC Leaf Green livery at Newport Bus Station during June 1975.
[photo copyright of Malcolm Audsley]

A nearside-front view of MDL882R [882] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Apse Heath on 27 July 1982.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs