One Careful Owner...

The influx of second hand Leyland Atlanteans to Cornwall in order to satisfy Western National‘s requirements for one-man buses took place between 1975 and ‘77. The vehicles fell into two main types, standard height and lowbridge. Here we look at the standard height examples.
This group numbered 30 vehicles, 26 originating with Maidstone & District and the balance with Trent Motor Traction. The ex Trent vehicles had been Trent Nos. 435, 444, 451 and 452. Their registration marks were RRC69/78/85-6 and they became Western National Nos. 1002-5. They carried 78 seat highbridge bodies by Roe and had been new to Trent in February and March 1960.
The Kent buses came together from what had been 4 separate deliveries to M&D between 1959 and ‘61. The first 16 were from a batch of 35 which had been delivered new between May and October 1959. These had 78 seat Metro-Cammell bodies and in the M&D fleet had carried fleet Nos. DH491/3/4/7/8/502-4/6-9/11/5/6/21. They carried registration marks 491/3/4/7/8/502-4/6-9/11/5/6/21DKT and became Western National Nos. 980-992/994-996.
The remaining 10 also carried Metro-Cammell bodies, all having 77 seats. 6 were from a batch newly delivered between April and July 1960. These had been M&D fleet Nos. DH528/32/3/6/8/9. These were registered 528/32/3/6/8/9HKJ and became WN Nos. 976/7/8/97/8/9. Two were from a batch delivered between November 1960 and January 1961. Originally M&D Nos. DH553/567 they were registered 553/567LKP. They became WN Nos.979 and 993. 567LKP was unusual in that it passed to Western National via Hants & Dorset, who had repainted it into their fleet livery of poppy red. It remained in this livery once in WN hands receiving “Devon General” fleet names and operating from Exeter, looking very much at home among DG’s “native” Atlanteans. The final machines of the 26 to arrive from the Garden Of England were originally M&D DH580/1. These had been part of a batch delivered new in November 1961 and were registered 580/2RKJ. These received fleet Nos. 1000/1 from Western National. All but No.993 were allocated to Camborne, Penzance and St. Austell (Snozzle!) depots. They gave sterling service before the sands of time finally caught up with them in 1980 when withdrawal commenced. The by now 21 year old Atlanteans were finally themselves replaced by 38 DMS Fleetlines acquired by WN from London Transport. Unfortunately not one of these nomadic Atlanteans survived into preservation. However, one of M&D’s vehicles did avoid the scrap man and is today in preservation. It is DH558 (558LKP) and can be seen HERE