Surviving Leeds city transport buses

Otleybard · Post by **Otleybard** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 3:51 am

Wow, some memories here! I worked on the buses out of Headingley as a guard (conductor) in the early 70s and well remember the exhilharaton of hanging off the back up Otley Road on balmy summer evenings (the phasing out of the back loaders killed the job). Lots of laughs and some brilliant characters, from gnarled old tram drivers to dopehead students to a few borderline psychotics - all human life was there! Must have worked with a thousand people; where did they all go?

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 4:08 am

Phill_d wrote: 72 Memory lane Aye, memory lane indeed. If my mum and I missed the 16 we used to drudge over to the parade opposite the St Beades and get either the 72 or the 65 into town!!

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 9:27 am

Here's an upstairs interior shot of 514 built in 1959. Health & safety these days would never allow the light bulbs sticking out like that. I bet a few got smashed by some clumsy drunks!!

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 9:42 am

A downstairs comparison shot with 980 built in 1966, One of the last rear open platform buses delivered to L.C.T as the new Leyland Atlanteans or 'Tommy lord boxes' as they were nicknamed were already on the drawing board, One man operated vehicles that would sound the death knell to our larger than life character conducters by the end of 1976. There's only 7yrs between the build of the 2 buses but already you can see the use of flourescent lights & veneer finish interior. Luxury in that day & age when the Beatles were strutting there stuff with there new album Revolver

geoffb · Post by **geoffb** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 1:47 pm

memories, smoking allowed on uperdeack only, remember sign at front upstairs, spitting is forbiden, I used to get No52 from Moortown to topcliffe mill Morley and then walk to work at Tingley Gas Works or change in Leeds walk to Soverign Street and get Yorkshire WD No 3 to White Bear at Tingley

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 1:56 pm

like this Geoff

Otleybard · Post by **Otleybard** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 2:36 pm

You can tell it's a repaint - in my youth the Ps had at best been scratched out and at worst replaced with Hs!

Scandy Bramley · Post by **Scandy Bramley** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 11:40 pm

Sammy Leggards' blue buses! ½ way up every steep hill.."everyone out and PUSH!" Had a quick seach on Leodis, but no records found Would love to see a pic - anyone, please?

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 11:52 pm

There are 2 Samuel Ledgard single-deckers on this 1937 pic from Leodis. The view is the corner of Shire Oak Road and Otley Road. Most of the buildings you can see are still there - the shop on the corner, a draper's at this time, is now a branch of 'Subway'

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Fri 24 Aug, 2007 11:56 pm

And a double decker from 1937. this pic on Leodis carries the following comment added :The Bus is of particular interest. It was manufactured entirely by Leyland and the body was the first of what was then a revolutionary style whereby a lower overall height was achieved by having the top deck gangway on the right and the seats on a raised platform in rows of three and four on the left. Disadvantages were a tendency to roll to the nearside when fully loaded on cambered roads, and a "sunken" gangway which protruded into the lower deck caising many a sore head for lower deck passengers arising carelessly from their seats. Samuel Ledgard had two batches, four in each, of these petrol engined TD1 models - UB2386-9 in 1930 and UB 5746-9 in 1931.(Chris Youhill)