Road: Road Transport, Roads, Manufacturing
Updated 28th March 2024
This section includes Leyland Motors, Atkinson Vehicles, Ribble Motor Services, Roads, Transport Events.
The first motorway in the UK was built around Preston to ease travel to Blackpool, the Lake District and Scotland from points south and east. Just a short stretch of the M6 at that time called the Preston By-pass. The A6, London to Glasgow, being the main road through Preston before then.
The once famous vehicle name of Leyland is based on the town of the same name just 5 miles south of Preston. It is preserved there in the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. Paccar now own the plant which still makes thousands of lorries a year under the name of Leyland Trucks and labelled DAF.
Road Index of Pages:
Leyland Motors cont / LeylandTrucks
British Commercial Vehicle Museum
Leyland Society and Leyland Trucks 120th event 2016
BCVMLeyland Bus and Coach Show 2013
Morecambe Ribble Bus Running Day 2016
Morecambe Ribble Bus Running Day 2017 (new)
Kirkby Stephen Vehicle Rally 2013
Blackpool Totally Transport 2005
Blackpool Totally Transport 2006
Blackpool Totally Transport 2007
Blackpool Totally Transport 2009
Blackpool Totally Transport 2011
Blackpool Totally Transport 2013
Recent additions in our not Preston section:
Skipton Bus Running Day Oct 15
Beaulieu National Motor Museum
New roads by-passing Penwortham south west of Preston and the Western Distributor from the M55 north west of Preston have been completed.
Preston Bus Station has had an update and only the bus stands on the eastern, and southern side for coaches, are now open.
In Preston centre, Fishergate, restrictions on car use are in place, in particular the time phased restriction between Chapel Street and Corporation Street.
The following section was written before 2018:
.
Leyland Trucks when it produced the 125,000th DAF LF at its state-of-the-art factory in Leyland, Lancashire.
It is believed that more trams were produced in Preston than anywhere else in the UK. At the English Electric plant on Strand Road which later made aircraft, locomotives and large electric traction motors.
Ribble Motor Services of Preston were the North West's major bus company. Atkinsons Vehicles were also based just outside Preston in Walton Le Dale. TVR cars were built in Blackpool. Bond Motors made their 3 wheelers in Preston.
Several bus body builders existed in the area, only East Lancs Coach Builders (now Optare) in Blackburn remain.
Preston is a focal point on the M6, M55, M61, M65, also the former major through routes of the A6, A59 and just south the A49. To the south on the M6 is Charnock Richard Service Station and to the north is Forton Service Station.
Photo M6 Junction 31 heading north:
Forton Services, M6, just north of Preston an interesting design. Not a bad service station with a Costa and M&S although in need of a lick of paint.
