Although Devon General’s initial deliveries of Leyland Atlanteans suffered with more than a few early gremlins, once rectified they went on to become stalwarts of the DG fleet. However, the fact that they were underpowered for some of Torbay’s hillier routes meant that any subsequent batches would require a higher engine power output.
To this end the next batch of Atlanteans ordered by the company, this time the PDR1A/1 variant, were fitted with the more powerful 11 litre 0680 engine, producing 150 bhp at 2000rpm. This power output was selected as suitable following tests over the appropriate routes in 1963 using a Daimler Fleetline demonstrator (4559VC) fitted with a 10.5 litre Gardner engine.
Gear ratios for these vehicles had been determined during November 1965 following trials over the routes using the 11.1 litre 0680 engined Park Royal bodied Atlantean demonstrator, KTD551C. This vehicle subsequently ran for Woods of Mirfield, Yorkshire, in whose livery it is pictured above
The 6 new vehicles were delivered in June 1966 and incorporated all the improvements which had been required to rectify the 3 previous batches. They carried fleet Nos. 526-531 and were registered EOD526-531D. 75 seat bodies were fitted, built by Willowbrook of Loughborough. Their style of bodywork incorporated a rather stylish moulded fibre-glass front panel below the dash. The arrival of these buses enabled the turbochargers to be removed from the 5 earlier Atlanteans.
With the formation of the NBC the 6 became the property of Western National on 1st Jan 1971. All became poppy red with four (526/7/30/1) becoming some of the earliest double deckers in the fleet to be converted to one man operation. Early in their lives Nos.526/7 lost their moulded front panels, presumably following accident damage. Plain flat aluminium panels were substituted, no doubt easier to make and fit and certainly enabling the application of a larger advert!
All 6 operated in the Torbay and Newton Abbot area until 1979 when Nos.526/7 were allocated to Exeter for use on the Rifford Rd. services. In 1981 these 2 only were repainted into NBC green but retained “Devon General” fleet names.
At deregulation on 1st Jan 1983 all passed to the newly formed Devon General Ltd. Within a month No.526 was withdrawn due to mechanical failure. The remainder were distributed between Newton Abbot, Exeter and Exmouth. All had been withdrawn from service by January 1984.
Unfortunately they were immediately sold to a scrap metal dealer in Barnsley who dismantled them within a week, providing no opportunity for preservation and meaning that none survive.
The 6 new vehicles were delivered in June 1966 and incorporated all the improvements which had been required to rectify the 3 previous batches. They carried fleet Nos. 526-531 and were registered EOD526-531D. 75 seat bodies were fitted, built by Willowbrook of Loughborough. Their style of bodywork incorporated a rather stylish moulded fibre-glass front panel below the dash. The arrival of these buses enabled the turbochargers to be removed from the 5 earlier Atlanteans.
With the formation of the NBC the 6 became the property of Western National on 1st Jan 1971. All became poppy red with four (526/7/30/1) becoming some of the earliest double deckers in the fleet to be converted to one man operation. Early in their lives Nos.526/7 lost their moulded front panels, presumably following accident damage. Plain flat aluminium panels were substituted, no doubt easier to make and fit and certainly enabling the application of a larger advert!
All 6 operated in the Torbay and Newton Abbot area until 1979 when Nos.526/7 were allocated to Exeter for use on the Rifford Rd. services. In 1981 these 2 only were repainted into NBC green but retained “Devon General” fleet names. 
Unfortunately they were immediately sold to a scrap metal dealer in Barnsley who dismantled them within a week, providing no opportunity for preservation and meaning that none survive.
3 comments:
These were lovely buses, my favourite batch, a real shame they were all cut up within a week or so,there was a second batch built, painted, even named with fleetnames, registered etc, but they were diverted to somewhere else, Yorkshire or somewhere rings a bell? But wonderful buses in my opinion!
Yes, in 1969 the NBC in their infinite wisdom diverted these 4 to Yorkshire Traction, which ran them in full DG livery with YT fleetnames. They were originally to be DG542-5 with registrations OTA542-5G. On arrival in Yorkshire they were re-registered RHE447-50G and ran until 1982 when they were all scrapped. RHE447G can be seen here;
http://www.rnbustrampics.fotopic.net/p10447988.html
I too grew up in Teignmouth in the seventies so this has been happy memories of the Regents climbing the hill up Dawlish Road past the house, and the Atlanteans on the Teignmouth town services and on the route to Torquay.
Richard
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