Leyland Society Event 2005
10 July 2005
See also the 2006 event click here
We made a visit to the Leyland Society Event at Leyland on a hot, sunny Sunday. The show had a good turn out of old and relatively new Leyland buses and trucks, hard to say how many, must have been around 150. There are a lot of great examples and the whole turn out was a tribute to the hard work and enthusiasm of the owners and organisers. I'll definitely go again.
Parked at the free on a Sunday, council car park outside the British Commercial Vehicle Museum and caught the free shuttle bus (voluntary contribution). Outbound on a London Bus, inbound on a Fishwick bus both quite full.
Noticed a couple of good looking old green buses, probably Fishwick, in the BCVM car park as we went past.
Journey about 2 miles to the Leyland (Paccar) Farington Works car park north of Leyland. Easy to drive there instead but we didn't know where it was.
Quite a lot of stands selling books, video's' etc. Even some bus spare parts and ticketing machines.
There was a programme describing the display, and only £1, produced by the Leyland Society but we somehow missed it. The vehicles are shown without signs as it enables better photographs.
Got a copy of the programme from the Leyland Society. It is a well produced softback booklet of 24 pages and contains a concise history of each vehicle at the event. I can see that I missed a trick; for example the first production Atlantean was at the show but I didn't take a full photo, although I did catch its front on one shot. Also I didn't photograph the Lioness Fire Engine owned by the kind treasurer of the Leyland Society, David Berry, who sent me the programme and the photo.
First production Atlantean. Wallasey Corporation. Entered service in 1958 and operated for 18years to 1976. Now on long term loan with the 201 bus group.
1931 Leyland Lioness Fire Engine. Sole survivor of 10 LTB1 based fire engines built by Leyland Motors. In service in Bristol until 1963. Owned by Mr D.Berry of Swindon. 8,800cc, 4 speed.
1950 Beaver. Good functional shape. Nothing fancy. 9,800cc, 125bhp, 5 speed.
Came over from Keighley,Yorkshire.
Long trailer. Don't know how it got there as I think you could be shocked if you met an apparently unattached rear axle 20yds behind a lorry. Presumably it tucks in.
Lytham St Annes Leyland Gearless. This is a fine old bus. Needs a coat of paint, a case for the lottery fund. I think this could become a great bus.
Ribble. In great condition. Owned by the Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust, it was at the Blackpool show. The RVPThad a display and office at the event.
Wigan Corporation. Seem to recall seeing this in the Manchester Transport Museum.
Interesting to see newer buses at the show. Not quite got the enthusiasm for them being brought up in the 50's.
I think the owners kept to themselves a bit too much as it would have been interesting to know how they bought them and keep them. For example the person sat on the steps of the bus in this photo could perhaps have been more inviting. It's difficult to draw a line between covering a bus with information and being able to take photo's.
Ribble. Rather high and narrow look. Good solid door, not the folding type.
Blackburn Corporation. Very nice. Great job on this. Get a BV number plate. I had a relative who was a mechanic in the Darwen Depot. I think this gets my vote as bus of the show.
Octopus. Great metal work on the front.
British Road Services, I read they were a nationalised lorry company in the 50's. Sounds sensible; who but a nationalised industry would operate lorries to remote places like lighthouses.
Hippo. Great example, well done. Hadn't seen one of these. Very chunky and angry, the stuff of lorry nightmares.
Leyland Octopus, BRS again. Good metalwork. Nice windows in back of cab my wife says.
Well kept. Remember these as a fairground towing vehicle. A bit Indian in look, a lot of elaboration in the shape. Probably quite expensive to build.
Opening windscreen. Good solid functional design. A real lorry. More beer held in by chains.
I like this truck. Looks a bit sporty. Elaborate shape.
This is good. Functional shape but well proportioned. Great finish. I think this gets my vote as lorry of the day.
Don't remember which company this livery is but reg HD was Dewsbury. Nice condition. Preston Corporation was this colour but I havn't seen any.
Leyland Society Events
Heritage Leyland trucks and bus meetings. Next event to be announced, is sometimes not local.