11/01/2024
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of First Registration for A74 LHG
Forty years ago, on the 1st January 1984, Leyland Atlantean Bus Chassis No.8300798 was officially registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre (DVLC) and assigned the vehicle registration A74 LHG. Delivered to the municipal bus operator Fylde Borough Transport shortly before Christmas 1983, it was allocated as their Fleet No.74 and would enter service at the start of January 1984 for Route 11/11A.
The chassis was built in late 1983 by British Leyland, under their Commercial Vehicle Division, at the Leyland Buses plant in Leyland, Lancashire. At this point, the Atlantean production line for UK bus operators, which had originated from 1958, was well into its final year. According to Leyland's chassis numbering system, whereby the first two digits denote the year of build, only a further 103 Atlantean chassis for the UK numerically followed - 74, coincidentally, built in 1983 and the final 29 built in 1984.
A total of 21 Leyland Atlanteans were produced for Fylde Borough Transport and its predecessor, Lytham St Annes Corporation. The first 3, delivered to the Corporation in 1970, were of the earlier and original PDR1 variant of the Atlantean, as well as being the first municipally-owned rear-engined double-decker buses to be delivered to the Fylde Coast. Following the formation of Fylde Borough Transport, upon the creation of the Borough of Fylde on 1st April 1974, a further 18 would be delivered between 1975 and 1984 - these were of the later and newer AN68 variant, which succeeded the PDR1/PDR2 in 1972. All 21 Atlanteans were bodied by the Wigan-based Northern Counties Motor & Engineering Company, in keeping with the local production theme.
Whilst the majority of Fylde's Atlantean were provided with standard bus specification, the last 5 (including No.74) were ordered with dual-purpose specification for both public service and private hire work, with the council owned Fylde Borough Transport looking to explore the possibility of expanding its fleet for private hire capabilities. Delivered individually between 1981 and 1984, they were long wheelbase AN68/2R examples - measuring 33ft (10.2m) in length, equipped with power assisted steering (this being included as a standard feature on the AN68/2R model) and fitted with a seating capacity of 76 high-backed dual purpose coach seats in a CH43/33F configuration, denoting a Coach Highbridge Double Deck vehicle with front entry/exit.
A74 LHG was the penultimate Atlantean new to Fylde Borough Transport and the first to be delivered brand new in the revised blue and cream livery, which had been introduced in 1983 and saw the removal of the mustard band. It would be the first of two Atlanteans to enter service for them in 1984 - the second one, B75 URN (Fleet No.75), was first registered on 1st October 1984. As well as being the last Atlantean new to Fylde, it would be the last of the final 6 original production Atlanteans to be registered for service in the UK, and one of only 4 Leyland Atlanteans to be registered by DVLC with a Prefix Letter B vehicle registration.
