Birminghams, Leyland Titans

[Bill Parker]

I have recently been looking at a few photos of the Titans delivered in 1949/50. They either had Park Royal bodywork with a small rear side window by the stairs or Leylands own body without the small window and other small detail differences such as front number plate placement. From the book,s text it appears that the Park Royal bodies ones were not delivered to BCT,s specification in that the lower of the two dark blue bands that run around the upper decks should have tapered down under the front destination aperture but were in fact delivered without this standard BCT feature and the destination aperture was placed higher than specified. The Leyland version was as ordered.

However I have also noted a few images of Park Royal version that have the lowered front destination aperture and along with that the correct, for Birmigham, lower blue band that tapers and dissapears. My question is did Park Royal correct their error with later deliveries in the batch? or were some modified at a later date?

 

[Lloyd]

The fact that BCT had these Leylands at all is interesting. At the time they were replacing the remaining pre-war fleet, the trams and trolleybuses and also took the decision to replace rather than rebuild or rebody the wartime utility buses, which meant that they could not get manufacturers to turn out enough new buses to their unique 'Standard' specification, which by then included the 'new look' concealed radiator cover (often referred to as the "tin front"!) so they had to accept 100 non-standard bodied Leyland Titan PD2s (there were alredy 100 similar chassis in the fleet, with 'standard' Brush bodies), along with 35 PS2 single deck varaiants (of which the last 5 were had their order amended to be the 'Olympic' underfloor engined vehicles). Leyland did not offer a concealed radiator at the time, and were not willing or able to include the Birmingham front into their chassis design (but did later for Midland Red's LD8 class of 100 buses - and used the design themselves as well) so BCT were stuck with the exposed radiator with chrome surround.
Similarly, Park Royal Bodies Ltd were heavily involved with building the huge fleet of London Transport RT class buses (as were Weymann) and could only accept an order for half of the BCT PD2s, so Leyland themselves took up the other 50%. Both bodymakers stuck to their own designs, with many non-standard (for Birmingham) features such as curved rather than straight staircases and destination box positions as you metion. The first 15 Park Royals had a slightly higher front box and two thick blue bands at the front, but the Leyland bodied ones were delivered with one thick and one thin blue band all round, which was soon repainted to normal fleet livery. None of the Park Royals were altered in Birmingham, the modification was made during construction at the factory for the other 35.

The first of the Leyland bodied PD2 Titans leaving the Leyland factory en route to Birmingham.
Note the non-standard livery, and unusual (for Birmingham) position of the side destination indicator, over the platform rather than just above the last lower deck window.

View attachment 70539

 

[DavidGrain]

Interesting that the Leylands left the factory completely fitted out with destination blinds. NS73 West Bromwich Minimum Fare 6d. That brings back memories!

 

[Bill Parker]

Thanks for that Lloyd, the only time I noted these buses, both types, was either on the B82 at bearwood or on visits to the city. I always rather liked them and did not realise, or had fogotten, that they gained the lower stripe later and in fact it was painted on to presumably a previously plane panel.

I also read somwhere that some ended up at Quinton at some point, I assumed Quinton was a "pre selector" garage and basing manual boxes would have caused problems, so can you confirm if this did happen? I dont ever remember seeing any at Quinton but that doesnt really prove much. If they did work from Quinton it must have been for a short time. Cheers Bill