David Slater (Spoddendale)'s photos with the keyword: Leyland Royal Tiger

Tuesday 31 May 1966 – Ramsbottom Urban District Council 30 (MTC 999) seen in the garage yard in Stubbins Lane, Ramsbottom. It was a Leyland bodied Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13 new in May 1952. The registration number plate would no doubt be worth a handsome price today! There is some railway rolling stock in the background where the preserved East Lancashire Railway now runs.

Unknown date early 1960s - One of my early schoolboy photographs. Ribble 378 (ERN 701) paused at the traffic lights at the junction of Mellor Street and Bury Road, Rochdale bound for Blackburn on service 158. Service 158 was an hourly double deck service through to Blackpool via Blackburn and Preston but there was an extra short trip operated Mondays to Fridays only ‘for workpeople and liable to suspension if not so required’ that was always worked by a one man operated single decker departing Blackburn at 1650 returning from Rochdale at 1810. It is a Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13 with Leyland built bodywork new in 1952, one of 110 such buses bought in 1951 (60) and 1952 (50).

Mid 1950s at Blackpool - KDK 62, one of the three Burlingham Seagull bodied Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/15 coaches which Yelloway bought in 1953. These were to be the last Leylands acquired by Yelloway for many years – until the demise of the AEC marque in fact under British Leyland (1980).

Early 1954 – KDK 61 about to leave Weir Street on the first winter run of the Rochdale-Cheltenham service This photograph features the driver (Cliff Holt I think his name was), Hubert Allen (the Yelloway Chairman and General Manager), Jack Wilson (Yelloway Traffic Manager) and Vincent Reeves (Road Steward). The coach was standing in the open air on ground close to Slack Street which would later become covered when the garage and coach station were extended forwards.Prior to this time the Rochdale-Torquay ‘Devonian’ service was summer only and Yelloway had to fight to obtain a licence to run between Rochdale and Cheltenham during the winter months. In fact this first winter season didn’t commence immediately after the close of the previous summer timetable and there was a gap of some months before the new winter operation could commence. This resulted in only a short winter period before the already licenced summer service began again.

Early 1954 – KDK 61 about to leave Weir Street on the first winter run of the Rochdale-Cheltenham service. Prior to this time the Rochdale-Torquay ‘Devonian’ service was summer only and Yelloway had to fight to obtain a licence to run between Rochdale and Cheltenham during the winter months. In fact this first winter season didn’t commence immediately after the close of the previous summer timetable and there was a gap of some months before the new winter operation could commence. This resulted in only a short winter period before the already licenced summer service began again. Hubert Allen, the Yelloway Chairman and General Manager, had a tradition of ‘launching’ a new service by cracking a bottle of champagne over the front nearside wheel (there was always a shovel and brush on hand to sweep up the glass before the coach departed!). In these regulated days it was often cause for celebration to have obtained new road service licences which sometimes required a lot of preparation work to present a case in the Traffic Courts. Justifying the need for new services could often involve lengthy traffic court battles. One of the first passengers on the new service performs the task of ‘launching’ the service watched by Hubert Allen and Jack Wilson.

Mid 1950s - KDK 61, one of the three Burlingham Seagull bodied Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/15 coaches which Yelloway bought in 1953. These were to be the last Leylands acquired by Yelloway for many years – until the demise of the AEC marque in fact under British Leyland (1980). It was photographed alongside the wall of Falinge Park in Rochdale.

Early 1950s (1953?) - In 1952 the stylish Burlingham Seagull entered the fleet and continued to do so until Burlingham was acquired by Duple at the end of the 1950s. This impressive line up shows eight of the type parked on the ground owned by Rochdale Corporation Transport for town centre bus parking (Duncan Street is in the foreground and Baillie Street along the rear of the coaches). On the left is KDK 61 new in 1953 whereas all the others, in numerical order, are JDK 320 to JDK 326 bought in 1952. Close examination of the chassis manufacturer badges will reveal that the coaches at each end of the line-up are Leyland Royal Tigers whereas the six others are AEC Regals.

Mid 1950s at Blackpool - In 1951 the first under floor engined coaches were added to the Yelloway fleet which carried this style of bodywork built by the Yelloway associated company, Trans-United Coachcraft of Rochdale. There was one solitary AEC Regal IV and four Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/15 like this one seen at the front of the Blackpool coach station

This photograph appeared in a catalogue published by Leyland Motors and features a Leyland Royal Tiger Worldmaster coach operated by Midland Motorway Services on their 'Starliner' service between Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand.

Press photograph by Manchester Weekly Newspapers Limited (Manchester City News) North Manchester Motor Coaches NVM 444, a Trans-United bodied Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/16, new 1953. The frontal treatment is more sophisticated than similar style coaches bought by Yelloway.