matt.oxon
Birmingham 243DOC
Birmingham bought ten Leyland Atlanteans and ten Fleetlines for evaluation in 1961/1962 before placing orders for rear-engined double-deckers. The ten Coventry-built Fleetlines (3241-3250) arrived in early 1962, and were very early production examples (3243 had chassis number 60006). 3246 was used for demonstration purposed by Daimler when new. Like the Atlanteans (3231-3240, and ex demo 3230), they were initially shared between Liverpool Street (for the 43 service) and Hockley (for the 96), By the time 3243 was seen in Colmore Circus in around 1968, it was operating with the rest of the batch from Perry Barr garage.
The Metro-Cammell bodywork had several detail differences from that fitted to the earlier Atlanteans, most notably the overall height of the vehicle was lower. Delivered as H39/33F, they were converted to 76 seaters in 1968 (3241-4) and 1969 (3245-50). Unlike other rear-engined vehicles, including the Atlanteans, these ten Fleetlines were never equipped for one-man operation due to a lack of height between the top of the windscreen and the upper saloon floor for access to the destination gear.
Both the Fleetlines and Atlanteans featured an interior design that would become standard for several years, with a yellow formica ceiling and red and grey pvc seating. However, as a result of the trials, Daimler was awarded a contract to supply 300 Fleetline chassis at the rate of 100 per year in 1963, 1964 and 1965, 24 of which materialised as Marshall-bodied single-deckers.
Birmingham 243DOC
Birmingham bought ten Leyland Atlanteans and ten Fleetlines for evaluation in 1961/1962 before placing orders for rear-engined double-deckers. The ten Coventry-built Fleetlines (3241-3250) arrived in early 1962, and were very early production examples (3243 had chassis number 60006). 3246 was used for demonstration purposed by Daimler when new. Like the Atlanteans (3231-3240, and ex demo 3230), they were initially shared between Liverpool Street (for the 43 service) and Hockley (for the 96), By the time 3243 was seen in Colmore Circus in around 1968, it was operating with the rest of the batch from Perry Barr garage.
The Metro-Cammell bodywork had several detail differences from that fitted to the earlier Atlanteans, most notably the overall height of the vehicle was lower. Delivered as H39/33F, they were converted to 76 seaters in 1968 (3241-4) and 1969 (3245-50). Unlike other rear-engined vehicles, including the Atlanteans, these ten Fleetlines were never equipped for one-man operation due to a lack of height between the top of the windscreen and the upper saloon floor for access to the destination gear.
Both the Fleetlines and Atlanteans featured an interior design that would become standard for several years, with a yellow formica ceiling and red and grey pvc seating. However, as a result of the trials, Daimler was awarded a contract to supply 300 Fleetline chassis at the rate of 100 per year in 1963, 1964 and 1965, 24 of which materialised as Marshall-bodied single-deckers.