Created 11-Oct-21
Modified 8-Mar-24
The three most recent batches of National Welsh coaches briefly came into the Rhondda Buses fold and had in common Plaxton high-floor coach bodies.
The first was a batch of six Leyland Tiger TRCTL11/3RH with Plaxton Paramount 3500 C48Ft. New in March 1986 they were numbered XC259-264 (C259-264 GUH) but from 27th March 1988 were renumbered XC959-964. Their seating capacities varied over time.
Between April and June 1987 four DAF MB230s entered the fleet. These were XC265-268 (D625-628 YCX) which carried Plaxton Paramount III C51Ft (except that XC267 was C50Ft). These were leased from dealer Stanley Hughes, hence the unusual registrations. These were also renumbered from 27th March 1988, as XC965-968. This quartet were all re-registered by National Welsh, as AAX 528A, AAX 562A, AAX 231A and AKG 293A respectively, the latter two registrations having briefly also been carried by the coaches that became Rhondda Buses 928 and 933 before transfer to the DAFs.
The final batch comprised five Volvos that proved to be the last new vehicles delivered to National Welsh, 969-973 (G969-973 KTX). These were new in July 1990 to full National Express specification and were Volvo B10M-60 with Plaxton Expressliner C46F bodies.
At their demise, National Welsh were still operating two National Express services. At the outset these came into the Rhondda Buses fold but only remained for short time such that they were only ever operated under the Tellings-Golden Miller licence. The services were 507 (Cardiff-London) and 549 (Cardiff-Glasgow) and operation passed to Tellings-Golden Miller in Cardiff on 25th April 1992. As a consequence most of these coaches passed on very quickly with only one surviving long enough to operate for Rhondda Buses.
This was one of the Tigers which became part of Rhondda Buses fleet, but only briefly. In August 1992 it passed to Edwards, Llantwit Fardre and lasted long enough to be bought for preservation around 2015 and is now restored. The five other Tigers were quickly exported to Eire where they were re-registered. XC259 and XC260 eventually returned to the UK with De Courcey Travel in Coventry. XC259 seems to have regained its original registration but XC260 was re-registered C914 AWK.
The DAFs were presumably all quickly returned to Stanley Hughes by Tellings-Golden Miller and passed to a variety of new owners, most gaining further new registrations along the way. The Volvos were also dispersed, with the former XC969 even being exported to Zambia in 2012!
© David Beilby
