Buses, coaches, & lorries

240 Gardner:
That’s absolutely right - some of the 36’ Leopards were reduced to 45 seats, with large luggage pens on each side at the front of the saloon, due to a union agreement about one-man-operation. This would be around 1970-ish. This was most inconvenient when an 11 year old boy, on the way home from school, wanted to sit at the front and watch the driver! :laughing: They were later reverted to 53 seat

Close scrutiny of one of Ray’s photos shows the absence of the front two rows of seats:

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240 Gardner:

240 Gardner:
That’s absolutely right - some of the 36’ Leopards were reduced to 45 seats, with large luggage pens on each side at the front of the saloon, due to a union agreement about one-man-operation. This would be around 1970-ish. This was most inconvenient when an 11 year old boy, on the way home from school, wanted to sit at the front and watch the driver! :laughing: They were later reverted to 53 seat

Close scrutiny of one of Ray’s photos shows the absence of the front two rows of seats:

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Yes Chris, These 36ft Leopards with 45 seats were very useful when it was " Wakes Weeks ", at which
time many Wigan people went to Blackpool for their " Wigan Holidays ". It was usual to load about 40
passengers, and their luggage was put in the steel frame area over the front wheels, and some cases
were loaded on and in front of the 4 front seats. Cheers, Ray.

Ray, There were two Lowlanders based at Penrith depot 1856 & 1857. I never thought they were as good looking as a 1500 Burlingham bodied PD3/4.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

Ribble fleet number 932, a Leyland Leopard DP Coach parked in the Ribble depot at Wigan, mid 1970s.
The vehicle appears to have been on local route 333 to Wrightington Hospital via Dangerous Corner.
The destination indicator is showing “Blank”, because 932 would have been at the time fitted with
a coach destination blind, bearing the names of Scarborough, Cheltenham, Torquay, and many other
far flung places. NMP.

This is the Wigan depot of Ribble on the A49 after it was rebuilt around 1970.
The building is now occupied by National Tyre Services, mainly for cars & vans. NMP.

Wigan Corporation fleet number 152 in Lord Street, Liverpool on route 320 from Wigan, Hope Street.
This Leyland Atlantean has bodywork by Northern Counties, Enfield Street, Wigan. NMP.

Wigan Corporation Leyland PD2 in the Platt Bridge area of Wigan, returning to
the town centre on route 320 from Liverpool. Bodywork by Massey Bros. NMP

These with permission from and thanks to Andrew Breedon.
Oily

Bielefeld Bridge Rochdale.
Oily

Bus Bielefeld_Bridge,_Rochdale,_Lancashire_Dr Neil Clifton cc by sa 2.0 -geograph.org.uk-_466486DrNC .jpg

A Leyland Atlantean, new to Wigan Corporation, and now part of Greater Manchester Transport
passing along Lime Street in Liverpool on route 320. The orange and white colour scheme was
never popular with most people in Wigan, they preferred the original Corporation colours of
Carmine Red and white, known locally as "Cherry & White. NMP.

Wigan Atlantean 320 Lime Street.jpg

The red car in the foreground must be a Renault 16. My Dad’ had two, when we were in London; a '69 and a '72 model. Fine, reliable and comfortable cars!

Froggy55:
The red car in the foreground must be a Renault 16. My Dad’ had two, when we were in London; a '69 and a '72 model. Fine, reliable and comfortable cars!

Spacious, comfortable and the first proper hatchback.
Oily

Wigan Corporation fleet number 20, DJP 468E, a Leyland Panther Cub, seen here at Melverley Street depot
on delivery from bodybuilders Massey Bros at Enfield Street, Pemberton, just 2 miles away.
The chap sat behind the wheel is Inspector Tom Taylor, who was the PSV driving instructor.
The date is July 1967, and one month later, fleet number 22 arrived, its reg number was EEK 1F,
it was the time when the change of “Year Letter” moved from January 1st to August 1st.
I believe that number 20, above, went to Malta after service at Wigan, and I have heard that
it is now back in the UK and being restored.
Picture is by local photographer, Frank Orrell.

Ray Smyth.

Liverpool Corporation bus fleet was almost an entirely double deck fleet of over 1000 buses.
In the early 1950s, 6 Leyland Royal Tiger single deck buses arrived, 3 of them with normal
bus bodies, and 3 with special bodywork to carry passengers and luggage to and from the
airport at Speke, and to and from the main railway stations and hotels in the city centre.
As required, these " AIRPORTERS ", as they were known, took passengers to and from the
Princes Dock near the Pier Head to connect with the Atlantic liners of Canadian Pacific,
and Cunard White Star which arrived and departed on a regular basis. This bus XL172 is in
Skelhorne Street at the side of Lime Street railway station. NMP.

XL172 Airport.jpg

Ray Smyth:
Wigan Corporation fleet number 20, DJP 468E, a Leyland Panther Cub, seen here at Melverley Street depot on delivery from bodybuilders Massey Bros at Enfield Street, Pemberton, just 2 miles away. The chap sat behind the wheel is Inspector Tom Taylor, who was the PSV driving instructor. The date is July 1967, and one month later, fleet number 22 arrived, its reg number was EEK 1F, it was the time when the change
of “Year Letter” moved from January 1st to August 1st.
I believe that number 20, above, went to Malta after service at Wigan, and I have heard that it is now back in the UK and being restored.
Picture is by local photographer, Frank Orrell. Ray Smyth.

Wigan Panther Cub 20 (DJP468E) was brought back to the UK from Malta by a group of bus preservationists based in Wigan. Initially, it was housed
at Freckleton where restoration work commenced. The group later acquired their own premises (closer to Wigan) and No20 was re-located there.

No20 on arrival at Freckleton:

No20 being towed out of the shed at Freckleton on its way to its new home:

sorry - double post

Wigan town centre in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The 3 Wigan Corporation buses are Leyland PD2,
two of them have bodywork by Massey Bros, and 1 with Northern Counties bodywork. The Ribble bus
heading this way is an Albion Lowlander with bodywork by Alexander of Falkirk. NMP.

Ray I believe this is Wigan Corporation Leyland Panther No 20 DJP 468E along with former Doncaster Corporation Tiger Cub 434 MDT which I photographed circa 1983 at the Malta Department of Education depot at Pembroke. Some of this information has been confirmed by Maltese Flickr members.
Cheers, Leyland 600.

Wigan No 20.JPG

Wigan Leyland Panther 20  DJP 468E.JPG

This Bristol RE bus of Lancashire United Transport is seen leaving Hope Street bus station in Wigan,
departing on route 557 to Leigh, about 7 miles away. On the left is the Ribble Motor Services office
and travel agency. NMP>

Arrive double decker bus arriving in Wigan town centre on route 375 from Southport
earlier this month. I think it is a Volvo, but I am not certain. Ray Smyth.