Subject: Western Welsh HR4668 (RTX 498G) and HR3469 (VTG 508G)
Chassis: Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 (RTX 498G) and PDR1A/1 (VTG 506G)
Body: Northern Counties H42/31F
Location: Porth depot
Date: 11–Dec-1977

This pairing of buses allows comparison between the two batches of Northern Counties-bodied Atlanteans and it can be seen that the differences were minor, relating mainly to the position of the one-man operation sign and registration plate, although these are part of the 'face' of the bus making it possible to differentiate between the two batches from a distance without always being able to understand why.

Another difference introduced in Western Welsh days was the position of the moulding for the top of the white band, fitted when the NBC poppy red livery was applied. For some reason this was lower on the RTX-series and thus the white band is narrower, this being particularly noticeable above the windscreen. RTX 499G was for some reason an exception to this rule.

Photograph by courtesy of John Jones