The Leyland National Fleet
The Leyland National Fleet |
| Leyland Nationals that have seen some service with Nu-Venture
Greenway Nationals that have seen service with Nu-Venture
PMY 177W ex IUI 2138 (06/04), PMY 177W (09/02), WLT 648 (07/02), GUW 448W (04/93) (u) = delicenced |
The first Leyland National to join the Nu-Venture fleet was dual doored (AYR 345T) from Boroline of Maidstone in October 1992. Later on in life it had its centre door removed and became a 40 seat single door bus. At the same time it was repainted into this livery with route 78 and 79 route branding. It is seen here at Penenden Heath, The Hedges terminus of route 79 on 17th June 1997. It left the fleet during October 1999. |  |
| The second and last Mk 1 Leyland National to join the fleet was (PVF 361R) in April 1996 for a Tesco courtesy bus contract to the Lunsford Park store where it is seen on 17th June 1997. For this role it received special route branding. I became the first Leyland National to leave the Nu-Venture fleet three years later in April 1999. |
The first mk2 example to join Nu-Venture was former Brighton Blue Bus 29, (XFG 29Y). Initially it was used on route 82 between Park Wood and Maidstone Hospital, although latterly it has been the regular on route 58. It attended many bus rallys whilst in Nu-Venture ownership including this one at North Weald in July 2002. |
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| A further two Mk2 Nationals joined the fleet in 1999. The first of the two was (EWX 212Y) from Arriva Cymru in April, followed in July by (EWX 211Y) from the same source. The latter became the replacement for the Tesco bus service and received small Tesco lettering towards the top rear of the vehicle. It is pictured here at Nu-Venture's Aylesford depot on 26th August 1999. |
Withdrawal of the Mk2 examples began during early 2003. (EWX 211Y) had been delicenced since July 2002 and was heavily cannibalised in the corner of the Aylesford depot. (EWX 212Y) was withdrawn after a special day in service on 26th April to mark its last day.
| Here (EWX 212Y) is about to leave the depot for the very last time to take up passenger service with Nu-Venture, being suitably decorated internally for the day. |
| Exactly one month later having been parked up delicenced, the bus was decommisioned and sold. It is seen at Aylesford the evening before leaving the fleet. |
On the 26th April 2003 both remaining Nationals were rostered on to Maidstone duties for the day, this being (EWX212Y)'s last day ever in passenger service. The day was advertised as the last day of the National in Maidstone, however since then (XFG 29Y) was given a reprieve but now remains delicenced still with Nu-Venture.
END
OF THE LINE FOR EWX 211Y |
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During March 2004 the last original Leyland National (XFG 29Y) to survive with Nu-Venture was delicenced but (using another of its nine lives) remains in store.
The National is back! On 21st July 2004 (LFR 873X) arrived for a period on loan from Farleigh Coaches and was pressed into service on route 58/78. It went back to its owner in time for schools at the end of August 2004, ending this short spell of National operation in Maidstone. |
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Where are they now?
(PVF
361R)/(AYR 345T) were both scrapped upon withdrawal.
(EWX 211Y) was broken
up at Aylesford by Nu-Venture, Wigleys for scrap (08/03)
(EWX 212Y) was broken
up by West Kent Coach Sales (05/03)
(LFX 873X) returned to Farleigh Coaches (08/04) off loan
(XFG 29Y) Scrapped
(PMY 177W) Scrapped
(SKM 181W) Scrapped by Aylesford Metals (08/08)
(SIB 6706) Mr Lefevre for Preservation (09/08)
Leyland National Greenway
Two
Greenway rebuilds joined Nu-Venture in September 2002 from Red Arrow. These were
originally Mk2 Nationals in the London Buses "Red Arrow" fleet. In 1995
they were both rebuilt by East Lancs to Greenway specification for further use
on London Buses "Red Arrow" network. During early 2004 these can be seen operating on route 205 in Tonbridge, and ad-hoc in the Maidstone and Medway areas. During June 2004 GLS448 sustained major accident damage, and as a result was re-registered and delicenced. In September 2005 a third Greenway joined the fleet. This one was not one of the Red Arrow examples, but one from London & Country, hence the interior layout and bodywork differs slightly. The last red arrow example was scrapped at the end of August 2008. The last National in the Nu-Venture fleet was (SIB 6706) this passed into preservation at the start of September 2008, ending an era removing the type from the fleet.
5 September 2008
