Created 17-Aug-19
Modified 8-Mar-24
National Welsh bought significant numbers of Leyland Tiger coaches in the early 1980s. The history of the whole series is too complex to cover here, this narrative concentrates on those vehicles which operated for Rhondda Buses. All were based on the Leyland Tiger TRCTL11/3R chassis. The story is made complex by multiple re-numberings and re-registrations.
901 was new in March 1983 as National Welsh UC1196 with a Plaxton Paramount C51F body. Renumbered UC196 in early 1986 it was registered AAX 311A in January 1987. Its original body was burnt out in an arson attack at the Bulwark workshops in Chepstow on 17th November 1987 so it did not become UC896 in the March 1988 renumbering. Instead it received a new Duple 340 C50Ft body (later re-seated to C46Ft) in November 1988 and was then numbered UC896. When the bulk of National Welsh ceased trading in February 1992 this vehicle was sold to Tellings-Golden Miller and numbered 71. It transferred to Rhondda Buses at the end of 1994 along with the TrawsCambria service on which it was regularly used and was then numbered 901. It moved again about a year later to Parfitt's, Rhymney Bridge and was finally sold to Island Coachways on the Isle of Wight.
903/904/908 were all similar to 901 with Plaxton Paramount bodies when built with the exception that they been fitted with toilets when new and were thus C48Ft but were later converted to C51F. They were new as UC1203/1204/1208 (SDW 919/920/924Y) in May, June and July of 1983 respectively. They were re-registered AAL 622A, AAL 587A and AAL520A in late 1985 and became UC203/204/208 in early 1986. On 27th March 1988 they were renumbered UC903/904/908 to leave the 200-series numbers free for new Bustler minibuses. By mid-1991 they were downgraded as dual-purpose vehicles and renumbered UD903/904/908. The first two joined the Rhondda Buses fleet on its formation as 903/904 but 908 was one of the National Welsh vehicles based at Barry depot which remained with their original company until the closure of that depot on 7th August 1992, after which it joined the Rhondda fleet. 904 and 908 remained in service until 1996 whilst 903 lasted until the following year.
National Welsh's Leyland Tiger intake also included a number fitted with Duple Laser coachwork. Five of these ended up in the Rhondda Buses fleet and had been new as National Welsh UC1226/1228/1230/1232/1233 (A226/228/230/232/233 VWO) in May 1984 (except UC1233 which was new the following month). New with C49Ft bodies the toilets were later removed but the seating arrangement varied - it is believed that most become C53F but UC1230/1232 became C49F. They became UC226/228/230/232/233 in the 1986 renumbering and like the Plaxton-bodied examples they were also renumbered in March 1988, as UC926/928/930/932/933. They were re-registered AKG 213A, AKG 231A, AKG 265A, AKG 282A and AKG 293A respectively in late 1988 to early 1989. In 1991 they were downgraded with a UD prefix instead of UC and later that year UD928 and UD933 were re-registered again as A185/186 AHB. In the Rhondda Buses fleet they were numbered 926/928/930/932/933 and all were with withdrawn during 1995. They all passed to Road Car with 926 being rebodied by East Lancs before entering service becoming 458 in that fleet and later, in Stagecoach ownership, 25811, by which time it had been re-registered again as YDZ 3458. It saw further service with RML Travel of Cote Heath. 928/930/932/933 became 425/423/424/426 in the Road Car fleet.
© David Beilby
