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| May 2004 |
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Coat
of many colours
Stagecoach Western 25771 (TSJ71S), a Leyland Leopard with erstwhile
Alexander Y-Type bodywork, is now the oldest single-decker in the
Stagecoach fleet.
Recently along with its colleagues at Stranraer and Girvan it was
repainted from stripes into the latest group livery. Looking resplendent in
blue, red, orange and white, it is hard to believe that it is over 25
years old (right). |
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One
and one is one
TSJ71S
was delivered in 1978 as part of a batch of 60 vehicles, originally
numbered L2704 to L2763. These buses were unusual in that they were built in two
batches and with non-consecutive registrations and different because they
were the first semi-automatic Leopards for Western. The first
lot to appear were 2704-2733 (TSJ 64-91S, TSJ32, 33S) in early 1978 and
they carried standard bodies with panoramic windows and bus
seats. They were also the last red/cream buses to be delivered
with the Western scroll name (left). |
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Soon after in Spring 1978 the
second 30 appeared, namely L2734-63 (VSJ216S, TSJ35-63S), and they
differed in having wide entrance doors (left), which were adopted as the norm
thereafter [VSJ216S was so registered because TSJ34S was given to the
first Northern Counties Daimler Fleetline]. |
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Parting
Company
The allocations were split fairly evenly with most of the wide-door
vehicles going to the Glasgow based towns of Johnstone, Paisley and
Greenock, and the narrow-door ones going to the Ayrshire towns of
Kilmarnock and Ayr (upper left and right).
When the companies were divided into Clydeside and Western in the
late 1980’s the TSJ-S batch went their separate ways.
Despite their age Clydeside used them well into the mid 1990’s
when many of them went to Lough Swilly in Ireland after withdrawal. |
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| When
Stagecoach bought Western in 1994, older vehicles soon started
disappearing, but as the Seddons were top of the list, Leopards lingered
longer than would have been expected.
By the late 1990’s only 10 members of the TSJ-S batch were left
with Western and today only one remains – TSJ71S at Stranraer (above). |
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Sole
Survivor
TSJ71S was originally allocated to Kilmarnock (right), and after
serving at Ayr and Dumfries it eventually moved to Stranraer in December
1996 as part of the Seddon replacement program.
The TSJ-S batch wore many liveries from the original Western SMT
red/cream, through the Western Scottish variation and various black and
white liveries to the Stagecoach stripes and today’s version.
Along with BSJ917T and GCS61V at Stranraer and GCS69V at Girvan,
TSJ71S |
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one of the last remaining Y-Type Leopards in service with any of the major
UK bus groups.
It is mainly used on schools duties, as are the other examples, and
with Stranraer’s usual TLC, who knows how long it could survive yet. |
| TSJ
71S |
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| Click to enlarge photos. |
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| Photo
Facts (top to bottom) |
 | Stagecoach Western 25771 (TSJ71S)
at Stranraer depot in March 2004 (photo - Tom Macfarlane) |
| Western SMT AL2726 (TSJ76S)
when new in Ayr's Sandgate bus station in August 1978, on the service
to Butlin's Camp. |
| Clydeside PL655 (TSJ65S)
outside Buchanan bus station in Glasgow in December 1989.
It is on a cross-river service to Garthamlock. |
| Western Scottish AL733 (TSJ33S)
on an Ayr local service in April 1987. |
| Western Scottish CL664 (TSJ64S)
at Cumnock bus stance in December 1988. |
| Stagecoach Western 661 (GCS61V)
and 671 (TSJ71S) at Stranraer depot in August 2002.
The difference between the wide and narrow doors can clearly be seen. |
| Western Scottish KL711 (TSJ71S)
about to embark on a big adventure in Buchanan bus station in
September 1984. It was a duplicate on the Scottish
Citylink service to Kennacraig in the West Highlands on the busy (and
wet) holiday weekend. |
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