Forum | Merseyside Dennis Dart Website

Ok, technically probably shouldn't be in the Merseyside forum but quite a few native Merseyside examples operated there. What I would like to know is if anyone on here is able to post a complete list of all the Leyland Nationals acquired for MTL Manchester please, my records from back then are long gone. I can get a few from Flickr, but there was approx 100 if I remember correctly.

Ta in advance!

this should of been posted in the bus history feed mate

I think you'll struggle to get a list of them all although old copies of Buses mag might prove reasonably useful in finding out which ones were acquired. Certainly some of the SKF-T examples ran in Manchester too but of the large number of Nationals which were purchased second-hand I think some never made it into service.

Then of course there were the ex-Blackburn(?) AN68s which also went into Manchester at around the same time a large number of VCU-T Fleetlines were purchased for ex-Fareway routes, along with the various second-hand Metrobuses which as I remember went to St Helens.

There was also a few ex MPTE East Lancs bodied Atlanteans sent to Manchester, I wouldnt know exactly which ones though.

(30/06/2012 17:42)MPTE1955 Wrote: [ -> ]There was also a few ex MPTE East Lancs bodied Atlanteans sent to Manchester, I wouldnt know exactly which ones though.

Most of 1726-1765 went over to Manchester.

HTH

(30/06/2012 21:31)gka472l Wrote: [ -> ]

(30/06/2012 17:42)MPTE1955 Wrote: [ -> ]There was also a few ex MPTE East Lancs bodied Atlanteans sent to Manchester, I wouldnt know exactly which ones though.

Most of 1726-1765 went over to Manchester.

HTH

Thanks I knew the S-Platers had gone over but was sure about the R's.

(30/06/2012 13:29)126th street Wrote: [ -> ]I think you'll struggle to get a list of them all although old copies of Buses mag might prove reasonably useful in finding out which ones were acquired. Certainly some of the SKF-T examples ran in Manchester too but of the large number of Nationals which were purchased second-hand I think some never made it into service.

Then of course there were the ex-Blackburn(?) AN68s which also went into Manchester at around the same time a large number of VCU-T Fleetlines were purchased for ex-Fareway routes, along with the various second-hand Metrobuses which as I remember went to St Helens.

I know a few SKF-T (6014/5/7?) were repurchased (from a Yorkshire independent?). One vehicle I would like confirmed if anyone is able to, is former Devon General VOD630S which I saw in Liverpool in MTL livery (no fleetnames), preume on test, but never got a number for it so I suspect it is one that never got into service, if it was a MTL one. I might have a look through Flickr and post a llist of ones I find and maybe gaps can be filled by others.....certainly an interesting period in MTL history!

IIRC most of the ex-MTL Manchester East Lancs/Atlanteans returned to GL and Garston in June/July 1995. Some of them got the MTL Manchester fleetnames hastily stripped to 'chester' before Merseybus transfers/repaints got done around the same time. Also didn't the large numbers of Leyland Nationals being bought for Manchester hold up the Leyland Titan refurbishment programme MTL was doing in 1993-95 with some examples eventually getting repainted but keeping the centre doors.

As far as I am aware nearly all of the titans purchased got refurbished with the exception of a couple of V platers that got withdrawn/sold on, for example 2127 & 2195/6 which never and maybe one or two others, 2124 is another that springs to mind. The ones that ended their days with GTL/Stagecoach with centre doors came a lot later on and as typical GTL buys went belonged in the scrap yard and certainly not in service.

MTL bought lots of secondhand Leyland National1s in 1993/94 from various sources including Cumberland, East Midlands, Red & White, Badgerline, Fishwick and BHT Buses of Bournemouth, as well as having the original MPTE stock.

They were all fleet-numbered in the 52xx, 60xx and 61xx series, leaving room for the Neoplans (64xx-series) and Strider and Wright-bodied Volvo B10Bs (63xx, 65xx series).

The full list of MTL Manchester National1s in 1994 was;

MTL 5208(YBO 148T), 5209(SPC 269R), 5210(AKY 610T), 5211(AKY 611T), 5212(AKY 612T), 5223(UPB 323S), 5227(UTX 727S), 5230(DDW 430V), 5263(LDW 363P).

MTL 6002(SKF 2T), 6003(SKF 3T), 6005(SKF 5T), 6006(SKF 6T), 6007(SKF 7T), 6008(SKF 8T), 6009(SKF 9T), 6010(SKF 10T), 6012(SKF 12T), 6013(DAK 613V), 6020(YFB 970V), 6021(YFB 971V), 6023(KHT 123P), 6025(FBV 525S), 6028(GLP 428T), 6032(UHG 732R), 6033(TTC 533T), 6044(URA 604S), 6047(BAL 607T), 6048(BAL 608T), 6049(BAL 609T), 6051(UTU 981R), 6054(PVF 354R), 6056(XCW 956R), 6061(WUH 161T), 6064(NWO 464R), 6067(VKE 567S), 6070(VKE 570S), 6071(HCW 761N), 6074(NWO 474R), 6075(PCD 75R), 6077(BSF 767S), 6087(VFX 987S), 6088(UHG 748R), 6091(RAU 601R), 6092(OTO 592R), 6093(PCK 193P).

MTL 6178(TTC 538T), 6179(TTC 539T), 6180(TTC 540T), 6186(WGY 586S), 6187(WGY 587S), 6190(OHW 490R), 6192(OHW 492R) and 6197(NFB 597R).
(Source; North West Bus Handbook 1994).

Hope this helps