This magnificently restored Northern Counties Palatine-bodied single-decker offers a big surprise under the skin.
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One of the most handsome examples of early 1990s bodywork, you’d expect the chassis to be a Volvo B10M or Dennis Lance – but, dating from 1972 and new to Bradford City Transport, it’s a Leyland Atlantean, originally carrying Alexander double-deck bodywork. The conversion was one of four commissioned by Fylde Borough Transport, which inherited three Atlanteans when it was formed from Lytham St. Annes Corporation in 1974, and acquired 18 more between 1975 and 1984. Deregulation saw the fleet expand with 41 second-hand examples, mostly from Kingston-upon-Hull and Greater Manchester between 1985 and 1992. In January 1992 four 21-year-old long wheelbase Alexander-bodied Atlanteans were purchased from Kingston upon Hull City Transport, including TKU 469K, which had been sold to this operator by Bradford’s successor West Yorkshire PTE.
The buses were dispatched to AJS of Carlton where the bodies were removed and the chassis delivered to Fylde in January 1992. After major mechanical overhauls the chassis were delivered to Northern Counties for their new bodywork to be fitted. They entered Fylde service in May and June 1993, passing to Blackpool Transport following its takeover of Fylde in 1994.
Withdrawn in 1979, all four went for further service after being sold to Wactons of Bromyard in October 2000. TKU 469K was sold to Powell’s of Rotherham and carried registration UIB 3987.
The bus then worked for MacEwan of Amisfield, Dumfries in August 2001 and in December 2002 it joined the fleet of Shamrock of Poole, finally being sold to the Fylde Transport Trust for preservation in 2008.
After years in storage, new rear brakes have been fitted, and the engine has been stripped to sort head gasket issues and to resolve cooling system pressure problems. Finally, the bus has returned to the road as part of the Fylde Transport Trust’s collection of 17 trams and 14 buses.
Work including the repaint was carried out in house, with Autoline Graphics supplying the signage and PWC making up replica blinds.
Commented Fylde Transport Trust spokesman Philip Higgs: “We are very pleased to get this bus back on the road. Although it looks relatively modern it drives like a 1960s Atlantean!”
Several builders rebodied buses in the post-deregulation era – as well as Northern Counties, Willowbrook provided the Warrior body and there was the substantial Leyland National reworking from East Lancs, the Greenway.
fyldett.org.uk
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