Hi,

I've noticed on a couple of days this week a bus operator near me has
had a Leyland National out.  It's an S reg, and looks to me to be a
National 2 rather than a Greenways National - I remember these on
Eastern Counties a few years back and they look different with a flat
roof, whereas this still has the roof 'box' for cooling.

Are many of these still in use?

Took me right back to my childhood with National Welsh running these
on Pontypridd-Bridgend/Porthcawl.

Cheers

James

On 17/10/09 12:16, James Heaton wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've noticed on a couple of days this week a bus operator near me has
> had a Leyland National out.  It's an S reg, and looks to me to be a
> National 2 rather than a Greenways National - I remember these on
> Eastern Counties a few years back and they look different with a flat
> roof, whereas this still has the roof 'box' for cooling.
>
> Are many of these still in use?
>
> Took me right back to my childhood with National Welsh running these
> on Pontypridd-Bridgend/Porthcawl.
>
> Cheers
>
> James

A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R reg if 
I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather 
tedious at 50mph down the M1..!

I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public 
service.

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:7jtq8kF357asjU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 17/10/09 12:16, James Heaton wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've noticed on a couple of days this week a bus operator near me
has
> > had a Leyland National out.  It's an S reg, and looks to me to be
a
> > National 2 rather than a Greenways National - I remember these on
> > Eastern Counties a few years back and they look different with a
flat
> > roof, whereas this still has the roof 'box' for cooling.
> >
> > Are many of these still in use?
> >
> > Took me right back to my childhood with National Welsh running
these
> > on Pontypridd-Bridgend/Porthcawl.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > James
>
> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R
reg if
> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
>
> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in
public
> service.
>
> Ivor

Wow, so this might be unique then?  I've seen it a couple of times on
this particular service, it's an once a day run to the local technical
college - I think they were travelling on the local express coach but
that's usually pretty rammed with Norwich pax - and doesn't go that
near the college - so this seems to have been put on as an extra
service to relieve it.

James

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:7jtq8kF357asjU1@mid.individual.net...
> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R
reg if
> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
>
> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in
public
> service.
>
> Ivor

Wow, so this might be unique then?  I've seen it a couple of times on
this particular service, it's an once a day run to the local technical
college - I think they were travelling on the local express coach but
that's usually pretty rammed with Norwich pax - and doesn't go that
near the college - so this seems to have been put on as an extra
service to relieve it.

James

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@nospam.invalid> wrote in message 
news:7jtq8kF357asjU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public 
> service.
>
> Ivor
>
>

Costal Liner, Wolverhampton still use Leyland National AYR330T, seen last 
week in public service, in Wolverhampton.

On 18 Oct, 14:50, "RF Burns®"
 wrote:
> "Ivor Jones" <i...@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
>
> news:7jtq8kF357asjU1@mid.individual.net...
>
>
>
> > I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public
> > service.
>
> > Ivor
>
> Costal Liner, Wolverhampton still use Leyland National AYR330T, seen last
> week in public service, in Wolverhampton.

And WJC buses, Glasgow have an ex Eastern LN2 I think in Kelvin style
livery.

On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:05:40 +0100, Ivor Jones wrote:


> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R reg if
> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
> 
> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public
> service.
> 
> Ivor

Last time I drove one in public carrying capacity was while working on the 
London Underground Central Line replacement bus service in East London 
about 2002. A pile of crap, but it was way past its prime.  

Have to say I've driven them before that, and I was never particularly 
impressed with them.



-- 
Beware of sneezing pigs

"Eyebee"  wrote in message 
news:JLKdnQu3_7tccEDXnZ2dnUVZ_gNi4p2d@giganews.com...
> On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:05:40 +0100, Ivor Jones wrote:
>
>
>> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R reg if
>> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
>> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
>>
>> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public
>> service.
>>
>> Ivor
>
> Last time I drove one in public carrying capacity was while working on the
> London Underground Central Line replacement bus service in East London
> about 2002. A pile of crap, but it was way past its prime.
>
> Have to say I've driven them before that, and I was never particularly
> impressed with them.
>
>
>
> -- 
> Beware of sneezing pigs
>
I drove them at Reigate when they they were brand new they were crap then. 
LN's had a habit of locking up on the front and then going where ever they 
felt like going.

On 20 Oct, 18:32, "Pat O'Neill"  wrote:
> "Eyebee"  wrote in message
>
> news:JLKdnQu3_7tccEDXnZ2dnUVZ_gNi4p2d@giganews.com...
>
>
>
> > On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:05:40 +0100, Ivor Jones wrote:
>
> >> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R reg if
> >> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
> >> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
>
> >> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public
> >> service.
>
> >> Ivor
>
> > Last time I drove one in public carrying capacity was while working on the
> > London Underground Central Line replacement bus service in East London
> > about 2002. A pile of crap, but it was way past its prime.
>
> > Have to say I've driven them before that, and I was never particularly
> > impressed with them.
>
> > --
> > Beware of sneezing pigs
>
> I drove them at Reigate when they they were brand new they were crap then.
> LN's had a habit of locking up on the front and then going where ever they
> felt like going.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

There was anarticle about the LN by an early user/critic David Cox
(Cheif Engineeer Of Northern Group at the time) and how he managed to
solve that and other problems, it was in Classic Bus a couple of years
ago.

"Stephen Allcroft"  wrote in message 
news:f030a231-4067-4912-b3b8-cf805e2eb0c1@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
> On 20 Oct, 18:32, "Pat O'Neill"  wrote:
>> "Eyebee"  wrote in message
>>
>> news:JLKdnQu3_7tccEDXnZ2dnUVZ_gNi4p2d@giganews.com...
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:05:40 +0100, Ivor Jones wrote:
>>
>> >> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R reg 
>> >> if
>> >> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
>> >> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
>>
>> >> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public
>> >> service.
>>
>> >> Ivor
>>
>> > Last time I drove one in public carrying capacity was while working on 
>> > the
>> > London Underground Central Line replacement bus service in East London
>> > about 2002. A pile of crap, but it was way past its prime.
>>
>> > Have to say I've driven them before that, and I was never particularly
>> > impressed with them.
>>
>> > --
>> > Beware of sneezing pigs
>>
>> I drove them at Reigate when they they were brand new they were crap 
>> then.
>> LN's had a habit of locking up on the front and then going where ever 
>> they
>> felt like going.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> There was anarticle about the LN by an early user/critic David Cox
> (Cheif Engineeer Of Northern Group at the time) and how he managed to
> solve that and other problems, it was in Classic Bus a couple of years
> ago.

At Reigate we got them the same time as High Wycombe and they gave us back 
RF's whilst they sorted the problem.
In fairness to the Leyland Nationals the SNC's were OK but never as nice as 
RF's.

Ivor Jones wrote:

> On 17/10/09 12:16, James Heaton wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've noticed on a couple of days this week a bus operator near me has
>> had a Leyland National out.  It's an S reg, and looks to me to be a
>> National 2 rather than a Greenways National - I remember these on
>> Eastern Counties a few years back and they look different with a flat
>> roof, whereas this still has the roof 'box' for cooling.
>>
>> Are many of these still in use?
>>
>> Took me right back to my childhood with National Welsh running these
>> on Pontypridd-Bridgend/Porthcawl.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> James
> 
> A mate of mine used to have an ex-London Transport National, an R reg if
> I remember rightly. It was a very good bus to drive, although rather
> tedious at 50mph down the M1..!
> 
> I know of a few restored ones but I'm not aware of any still in public
> service.
> 
> Ivor

Does this count?
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yguhrp4