Lions in decline
by Tony Wilson
Added to website 13 March 2011
Recently in the trade press it had been recorded that the two Leyland Lion double-deckers operated by Andrews of Tideswell, deep in the
Peak District of Derbyshire, were on the sales list. Indeed there was no sign of either vehicle in the company’s environs, when your
correspondent passed by last week. The two buses re-registered as VIL 4686 and VIL 4784 were previously and originally operated by
Nottingham City Transport as their fleet numbered bus 386 and 384 with respective registrations F386/4 GVO.
For those with perhaps a longer memory the following little ditty sung to the tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, also known as “Wimoweh”, a
song written by a Zulu singer, Solomon Linda in the 1920s.
In the White Peak, the lovely White Peak
The Lion roams no more,
In the White Peak, the rolling White Peak
We’ll no longer hear the roar………….
I could go on, but perhaps it is better that I do not do so!
The modern Leyland Lion was a rare breed anyway with apparently only thirty-one of the type built for the British market during the late
1980s, the mechanics based on the DAB mid-engined design. Only three companies operated the type, two in Scotland, one in England. Of these,
five went to Clydeside Scottish as fleet numbers 160-164, ten to Eastern Scottish as ZLL 174-183 and twelve to Nottingham as their 382-394.
Whilst all the Scottish versions sported Alexander bodywork, the Nottingham ones were split between East Lancs (382-391) and Northern
Counties (392-4).
However, Lions from an earlier generation were much prolific, especially north of the Border, with many supplied to various Scottish
operators during the 1930 and 40s. Indeed one such served for a time many years later with one of our sponsors, namely Cumbria Classic
Coaches. Of course these were of quite a different type, being single-decked and half-cabbed in design.
Tony Wilson
March 2011
1. The nearside aspect of one of Andrews Lions is illustrated here as it passed through the quaint Peak District village of Foolow on
the number 100 school contract journey from Lady Manners School to the Hope Valley, with the sun setting on a March afternoon in 2009.
2. The offside of the same vehicle as it climbed the hills off of the A6 trunk road on way to take up the afternoon contract for
Lady Manners School at Bakewell on a later glorious day in 2009 before the end of the summer term. Note how the light on different
days has altered the livery. (Well that is my excuse any way!).
3 ABOVE & 4 BELOW. Two images of Nottingham City Transport fleet number 385 when operated by them during the 1990s in this rather mellow green livery.
Both images were taken on the roundabout at the eastern end of Upper Parliament Street where it met Maid Marian Way, back in April 1997.
5. Of the Clydeside vehicles one at least appeared in 1989 in the Citylink livery for express services between Edinburgh and Glasgow. By
that year 161 as was had become MB961 and is illustrated here as it was about to turn into the entrance of the main St.Andrew Bus & Coach
Station in Edinburgh.
6. The same year also saw others of the type with Clydeside in this silver and white livery for services marketed under the ‘Quicksilver’
banner. The offside is shown of IB965 as it arrived near to journey’s end along Princes Street in Edinburgh again in August 1989. For historians,
this part of Princes Street now features the tracks for the new tram system, whenever that is likely to start.
7. The nearside aspect of the same vehicle is then seen as it descended from St.Andrew Square into Princes Street. Note the advice of
headroom warning for the driver at the bottom of the windscreen, of 14’9”. This particular vehicle was apparently originally intended as a
demonstrator for Leyland Vehicles and then intended for Kelvin Scottish as were the remainder of this batch. However, that deal fell through
and they were all acquired by Clydeside Scottish.
8. Thirteen of the type were delivered to Eastern Scottish as their fleet numbers ZLL 174-186. Here 174 climbed the rise out of St.Andrew Square
Bus & Coach Station in August 1987 on a local city service.
9. ZLL 176 showed off the nearside as it turned onto the rise that led into the entrance of the same station having
returned from a run out on route 129.
10 ABOVE & 11 BELOW. And finally. The 1934 Leyland Lion originally operated by the Alexander company but by July 1999 firmly in the hands of the Cumbria
Classic Company. Two offside aspect images show the vehicle posed above one of the tunnels over the Settle & Carlisle Line in July, the other
at work on the Tuesday only seasonal 569 service between Kirkby Stephen and Hawes. Regrettably the vehicle is no longer owned by the company,
but does live on in the hands of a preservationist in Glasgow. So regrettably the sound of the Lion is no longer heard in all but a rare
location, perhaps though the Tiger might live on in other environs. Do I sense another article in the offing?
