Created 21-Jun-19
Modified 8-Mar-24
These three coaches had the distinction of being the last new vehicles delivered to Rhondda Transport. Although newer vehicles were supplied in full Rhondda livery (with fleet names) they were new in 1971, by which time the company had been absorbed by Western Welsh. They were destined to have very short lives at Porth depot.
322-324 (YTX 322-324H) were Leyland Leopard PSU3A/4R with Plaxton Panorama Elite C49F bodies which arrived in July and August 1970. They were in the Rhondda cream and green coach livery.
Upon absorption by Western Welsh at the beginning of 1971 they were renumbered 2322-2324. In October that year 2323 and 2324 received the Western Welsh ivory and blue coach livery. In November 1971 they were renumbered again as 107-109. However, there is no record that YTX 322H ever carried either of these numbers and at the end of the year it was sold, via Western National, to Greenslades Tours, Exeter (another NBC Company) along with 108 (2323). They received Greenslades livery and were renumbered again, this time as 406/407. From February to May 1972 407 was loaned temporarily to Bristol Greyhound and carried their magenta and cream livery. By 1973 they were in National white, still with Greenslades fleet names then in late 1974 they moved again to National Travel (South West) which traded as Black & White and in January 1975 were renumbered again as 230/231. In 1981 they moved to National Travel (West) in Manchester with 231 returning to Black & White before they were sold.
109 (2324) followed a very different career path. In March 1973 it moved to Jones, Aberbeeg as UC170J, losing the J-suffix in 1974. Initially in an NBC blue and white coach livery, it also received the National white livery in 1975. It was loaned to National Welsh in June 1980 and was demoted to dual-purpose and renumbered UD170 in November 1980, becoming part of the National Welsh fleet from the beginning of 1981 with the takeover of Jones. It received the poppy red and white dual-purpose livery just before the takeover. In January 1983 it was renumbered again as UD1104 and was finally withdrawn later that year.
A small final batch with a complicated history for just three vehicles which managed to carry the fleet names of Rhondda, Western Welsh, Greenslades, Bristol Greyhound, Black & White, Jones Aberbeeg and National Welsh during their life, not forgetting National Travel!
© David Beilby
