Leyland National 50

17/10/2025

27/09/2025

Leyland National/BREL prototype rail bus RB004 of 1984; operated as a demonstrator in the USA before returning home to the UK. Preserved during the 1990s at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway it passed via Telford to the remnants of the Waverley Line at Whitrope Siding where it was preserved in BR local brown and cream livery. After years of disuse it was transferred to the heritage line at the Scottish Bus Museum yesterday. Lathalmond 27.9.2025

27/09/2025

Leyland National on the Circle Line! 27.9.2025

19/07/2025

Welcome Home: quite a surprise to see West Cumbria bathed in glorious sunshine following a return home from a very wet day at the Newton Aycliffe running day in the north east. 48 year old Leyland National REV01 (WHH556S) makes light work of the A66 approaching Cockermouth with the Vale of Lorton and imposing summit of Grasmoor to our left. 19.7.2025

09/05/2025

LEYLAND NATIONAL 54
2-3 May, 2026 - Whitehaven

Our Leyland National events follow a theme loosely based on what was happening in the bus industry 50 years ago, especially with respect to the locally built Leyland National.

Next year there will be two themes - the second will be covered by a future post. However, the main theme relates to the year 1976, perhaps best known for the extended heatwave that gripped the country and resulted in drought, hosepipe bans, fires and more. Some of the key events in the bus industry included:

- First Alexander T-type coaches entering service

- Deliveries of Foden NC and Volvo Ailsa, including the Van Hool McArdle bodied examples to South Yorkshire PTE

- NBC Trialing the Ailsa and Metropolitan against the Bristol VR

- Adoption of the iconic blue and white 'Scottish' saltire livery on the M-type motorway coaches of the SBG

- Minor update to NBC livery and logo on buses

- Duple Dominant II

- delivery issues, especially related to Leyland resulting in buses being loaned from other operators to fill gaps, e.g. at Tyne & Wear PTE

and ...

- Leyland National Mk1 phase 2: redistribution of weight with batteries moved forward, brake and engine compartment updates, and passenger enhancements to interiors including a better seat rake. Most notable on these later Mk1s is the shorter roof pod

- SuperNational

- Airport Nationals - unusual half-cab variant!

and ... the theme of LN54: Clash of the Titans

The Leyland B15 prototype entered service in London and was displayed at the 1976 Commercial Motor Show before going into production in 1977, when the name Leyland Titan was adopted. This highly advanced double decker was perhaps over-engineered for mainstream operators, having been developed in connection with London Transport for use in the capital.

07/05/2025

“KENNETH HARGREAVES”

CMS Cumberland 378 (KHH378W) - Leyland National Mk2

A few more images from our tribute to Ken Hargreaves at Lillyhall on Sunday. 4.5.2025

06/05/2025

Former Cumberland Mk2 Leyland National 378 (KHH378W) has been named “Kenneth Hargreaves” in honour of the man that has become a legend to anybody with an interest in this famous bus. The ceremony, the grand finale of Leyland National 53, took place with Ken’s friends and family present, in front of his former office at the erstwhile Leyland National plant in Lillyhall, Cumbria. Afterwards Ken took the wheel and effortlessly guided his Leyland National round the former factory site and out onto the road!

“KENNETH HARGREAVES

Ken Hargreaves started at Leyland Motors Ltd in 1955 as an apprentice. He rose through the ranks, and was eventually handpicked for a small, elite team within the research, proving and development department at the Spurrier Works in Leyland, where he worked on the secret FPB7
project to create a revolutionary, new bus, of integral construction.

Ken was instrumental in the development and comprehensive testing of the prototype Leyland National, in all manner of conditions, including in
temperatures down to minus 30C north of the Arctic Circle in Finland.

In 1970, Ken and his family, including young children, relocated to Cumbria to become one of the Lillyhall plant superintendents under General Manager John Clarke, with Brian Gemson and Brian Humphries alongside him. He played a hands-on role, training assembly workers,
many of whom were unskilled, to build a high quality product in the world's most modern bus factory - the Leyland National.

Overseeing other projects such as the B15 Titan and Railbus, Ken became General Manager of the Lillyhall factory. He witnessed ownership transcend from being a state owned business to a management buyout and final ownership with the Volvo Corporation. A sad time came in 1993 after an extended period of plant run-down when he had the task of switching off the lights and locking all the doors.”

06/05/2025

STOP PRESS - BAG FOUND - AS SUSPECTED, IT HAD JUMPED ON A BUS AND NOW HAS TO BE REPATRIATED🤣

Huge thank you to all that responded. Reassuring to see how the enthusiast community comes together. As for LN54 … a decision will be made at the end of the week but you can be sure if it goes ahead it will be bigger, better and - as always - expect a few surprises. So - WATCH THIS SPACE!

06/05/2025

We want to say a massive thank you to Leyland National 50 for having us at their fabulous event at the weekend celebrating 53 years of the Leyland model bus release!

A big thank you also to Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners for use of the space and our neighbours for the weekend Lakeland Life Events going from success to success, amazing to see for the town!

Also the hard work from Goodlives West Cumbria/ Works4you putting up the gazebos for us and Tom Kay Photographic for some amazing pics from the day! and of course the wonderful traders and local support 🙂

More pics to follow....

05/05/2025

LEYLAND NATIONAL 53 TWILIGHT - the wonderful Cumberland 291 - BRM596 - heads through Harrington on the first leg of its long journey home, this morning. This was undoubtedly a highlight of the show. A huge thank you to STEPHEN MORRIS is due for bringing this beautifully restored machine back home for the weekend. 5.5.2025