Stagecoach Western Buses Leyland Titan
One of the few Leyland Titans to remain in service with any Stagecoach subsidiary, 11083 (B83WUV) was new to London Transport (LT) as its T1083 in 1984. It then passed to Stagecoach when it acquired two of the operating companies that LT had become, East London and Selkent, although this bus was allocated at the time to the Selkent company. Converted to open top, the bus was retained as a special events vehicle and until recently it carried a pseudo Western SMT livery of black and white. Now repainted in standard colours, it carried advertising for the Scottish Airshow, which takes place at Prestwick Airport having moved there from the former RAF Leuchars, which is being converted into an Army base.
The Titan was British Leyland's (BL's) double-deck equivalent of the National. Originally known as the Leyland B15, it was supposed to be a replacement for the first generation of rear-engined double-deckers, the Leyland Atlantean, Daimler Fleetline and Bristol VRT. It was delayed by the cashflow issues the bedevilled BL and was eventually launched in 1977. However as it turned out it was unwisely influenced by key target customer LT and as a result was deemed too advanced by almost all other customers, although some were ordered by other operators including Greater Glasgow PTE and the Scottish Bus Group, for Fife Scottish. Production issues around the Park Royal factory led to delayed deliveries and most other operators cancelled these orders, bought elsewhere - generally Metrobuses- or chose wait for the more straightforward Olympian. Indeed in some cases, Leyland itself encouraged them to do this.
In the end, Titan production resumed at Workington (where this bus was built) but by then the Titan was seen as a LT-exclusive bus only. It was ultimately replaced by Olympian. A pity, as it's a really nice bus to travel on, even today.
Stagecoach Western Buses Leyland Titan
One of the few Leyland Titans to remain in service with any Stagecoach subsidiary, 11083 (B83WUV) was new to London Transport (LT) as its T1083 in 1984. It then passed to Stagecoach when it acquired two of the operating companies that LT had become, East London and Selkent, although this bus was allocated at the time to the Selkent company. Converted to open top, the bus was retained as a special events vehicle and until recently it carried a pseudo Western SMT livery of black and white. Now repainted in standard colours, it carried advertising for the Scottish Airshow, which takes place at Prestwick Airport having moved there from the former RAF Leuchars, which is being converted into an Army base.
The Titan was British Leyland's (BL's) double-deck equivalent of the National. Originally known as the Leyland B15, it was supposed to be a replacement for the first generation of rear-engined double-deckers, the Leyland Atlantean, Daimler Fleetline and Bristol VRT. It was delayed by the cashflow issues the bedevilled BL and was eventually launched in 1977. However as it turned out it was unwisely influenced by key target customer LT and as a result was deemed too advanced by almost all other customers, although some were ordered by other operators including Greater Glasgow PTE and the Scottish Bus Group, for Fife Scottish. Production issues around the Park Royal factory led to delayed deliveries and most other operators cancelled these orders, bought elsewhere - generally Metrobuses- or chose wait for the more straightforward Olympian. Indeed in some cases, Leyland itself encouraged them to do this.
In the end, Titan production resumed at Workington (where this bus was built) but by then the Titan was seen as a LT-exclusive bus only. It was ultimately replaced by Olympian. A pity, as it's a really nice bus to travel on, even today.