Last Of The Many

What turned out to be the last new to Devon General Leyland Atlanteans were delivered to the company in 1968. The batch consisted of ten PDR1/1 chassis with 75 seat bodies by Metro-Cammell / Weymann. They were numbered 532-541 and registered NDV532-41G. They were , like the previous batch, powered by Leyland’s 0680 engine.
By the time of their construction Metro-Cammell was part of the Cammell-Laird concern. The ship-building group was also the owner of the former Saunders-Roe factory on the Isle of Anglesey and the bodies were fitted out there due to MCW‘s Elmdon factory being seriously overstretched. The bodies themselves were fitted with the rather attractive “Manchester Front” which featured a moulded panel below the dash.
To facilitate boarding the bodies were equipped with a lower front step than previous deliveries and care had to be taken by drivers to prevent grounding. On arrival four were allocated to Exeter, where objections to the operation of front entrance buses on City services had been withdrawn, with the balance being based at Newton Rd., Torquay. All ten passed into the ownership of the Western National Omnibus Co. on Jan 1st 1971. Between then and 1973 they were converted for one man operation, receiving NBC poppy red livery at the same time. At various times, all bar 538/40 lost their moulded front panels either at overhaul or following collision damage. In May 1971 DG introduced the 3X express service between Exeter and Tiverton. Due to the Atlanteans’ comfortable ride one of Exeter’s allocation would always be rostered for this duty.
In 1980 Western National commenced a policy of repainting vehicles into NBC green livery. All bar Nos.535/9 were so treated that year with these two following suit in ‘81. In June 1981 an unfortunate incident occurred in Old Mill Rd., Torquay when No.541 was decapitated by the Sharon House railway bridge at Chelston. No one was hurt and the vehicle was cleverly repaired by DG engineers at Bideford using the roof from “sea-dog” convertible No.933 , enabling its return to service within a month. In 1982 No.537 suffered terminal engine failure and was withdrawn by Western National. It then, rather unusually, passed directly into preservation meaning that it did not join the remaining nine when they became the property of the new Devon General Ltd. upon deregulation on Jan 1st 1983. By the beginning of 1984, following an influx of second-hand Bristol VRs, all but Nos.535/8, had been withdrawn. These 2 continued to work the Rifford Rd. service in Exeter until the end of January when VRs took over. The following month all 9 were driven to a Barnsley dealer and promptly cut up. As previously mentioned No.537 had passed into preservation in 1982. Fortunately its body retained its moulded front panel meaning that it could be restored to original specification. It has now been in active preservation for over 20 years and looks superb in its original livery.