Leyland Titan (B15)

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Leyland Titan
London Transport bus T64 (WYV 64T), 1979 Leyland Titan (B15), Gants Hill, route 66, 19 April 1980.jpg
London Transport Leyland Titan at Gants Hill station on route 66 in April 1980
Overview
Manufacturer British Leyland
Production1977–1984
Assembly
Body and chassis
Doors1 or 2
Floor typeStep entrance
Powertrain
Engine Gardner 6LXB
Leyland TL11
Transmission Leyland Hydracyclic 5-speed automatic
Dimensions
Length9.56 metres (31.4 ft)
Width2.50 metres (8 ft 2 in)
Height4.40 metres (14.4 ft)
Chronology
Predecessor
Successor Leyland Olympian

The Leyland B15 Titan is a rear-engined double-decker bus manufactured by British Leyland between 1977 and 1984, primarily for London Transport.

Contents

Development

John Fishwick & Sons pre-production Titan in the 1980s Leyland Titan B15.05.jpg
John Fishwick & Sons pre-production Titan in the 1980s

First exhibited at the 1973 Transport and Road Research Laboratory exhibition, the Titan was conceived by British Leyland's Truck and Bus division as project B15, intended as a replacement for the Bristol VRT, Daimler Fleetline and Leyland Atlantean and developed in direct competition with the forthcoming Scania Metropolitan and the Volvo Ailsa B55. Following the success of the single-decker Leyland National, it was decided that from the outset, the vehicle would be very standardised and of integral construction. This allowed more flexibility in the location of mechanical components and allowed a reduced step-height. [1] The move away from body-on-chassis construction caused concern for the bodybuilders, who had already lost market share to the Leyland National. Talks regarding licensing agreements were held with Alexander and Northern Counties, both major suppliers to their respective local markets, but no agreements were reached.

Leyland saw London Transport (LT) as a major market, so the specification was heavily influenced by their preferences. LT was suffering problems with its 'DMS' type Daimler/Leyland Fleetline one-person-operated double-deckers and wanted more input into the design. Leyland too wanted to gain more operator input than had been the case with the Leyland National.

Five prototypes (B15.01-B15.05) were constructed between 1975 and 1977, two of which were evaluated in London. [2] Upon the B15's public launch in June 1977, the Titan name, previously used for a front-engined double-decker, was formally revived for the B15. [3]

Specification

The Titan was 9.56 metres (31.4 ft) long, 2.50 metres (8 ft 2 in) wide and 4.4 metres (14 ft) high. The main body structure was aluminium and the body was assembled using Avdel 'Avdelok' rivets similar to the Leyland National. Single and dual-door layouts were offered, with a number of options for the location of the staircase. Mechanically, independent front suspension and a drop-centre rear axle were used, with air suspension and power hydraulic brakes as standard. [2]

The prototype engine was the Leyland 501, a turbocharged version of the Leyland 500 series, although this was changed to Gardner 6LXB for production as a result of customer preference and concerns over fuel economy and reliability of the 500 series. The Leyland TL11 engine was available for later production versions. [3] The engine was mounted vertically at the rear, with the radiator moved from the engine to a separate compartment above the engine in an effort to reduce noise emissions, and was mated to Leyland's all-new Hydracyclic five-speed gearbox. [2]

Production issues

Leyland-bodied Leyland Titans awaiting delivery to London Transport at Leyland's Workington factory in October 1984 Leyland Titan B15 buses, Lillyhall factory, Workington, October 1984.jpg
Leyland-bodied Leyland Titans awaiting delivery to London Transport at Leyland's Workington factory in October 1984

With the Titan chassis being produced at Leyland's Workington factory, which also built the Leyland National, it was intended that Park Royal Vehicles would body the first 100 Leyland Titans, with body production then transferring to AEC in Southall. [3] This caused industrial relations problems at Park Royal, with the factory's skilled workers not approving of assembling prefabricated Titan components, [4] and some 200 workers left. Production was very slow and the first vehicle was not delivered until August 1978.

In October 1978, Leyland announced the AEC factory would close, with the intention of keeping Titan production at Park Royal. [5] The very slow production rate continued, causing the cancellation of a number of existing orders. The industrial relations problems continued, as Leyland sought to replace the skilled staff, who had left, with semi-skilled workers. [6] Finally, Leyland announced in October 1979 that Park Royal would close in May 1980. [7] Once this decision had been made and a productivity-related redundancy package negotiated, production increased dramatically; whereas Park Royal had taken 14 months to build the first 100 vehicles, it took just seven months to build the final 150.

Efforts to transfer production to Eastern Coach Works in Lowestoft failed, with ECW's skilled workers rejecting the hiring of unskilled and semi-skilled workers to assemble Titan bodies, [4] [8] so after considering moving production to Charles H. Roe in Leeds, Leyland finally decided that production would recommence at an expanded facility at their Workington factory, consisting entirely of a semi-skilled workforce. [9] It took almost a year to expand the facility, transfer the jigs and tooling from Park Royal and recommence production, with the first thirteen Titans initially built in a temporary facility near the Workington factory. [10] [11]

As well as the production difficulties, other aspects of the Titan specification, which was strongly influenced by London Transport, were unpopular. Power hydraulic brakes, a fixed height of 14 feet 5 inches (4.39 m) and an inability to specify local bodywork all limited the Titan's appeal. The continued delays and unpopular specification both caused the loss of further Titan orders.

London Transport's orders were split between the Titan and the MCW Metrobus, but production of Titan for London alone was proving uneconomic. Leyland lobbied for London Transport to increase the Titan share of its double-decker orders, and as a result, Leyland received the entire order for 275 vehicles in 1982, leading to layoffs at Metro Cammell Weymann. [12] The 1983 order also favoured Leyland, with 210 Titan and 150 Metrobuses. After London Transport decided not to order any more Titans, deeming it too expensive for its needs, Leyland ended production of the Titan upon the completion of a final batch of 240 in 1984, refocusing production towards the new and cheaper Olympian chassis. [13]

Operators

London Transport

London Central Leyland Titan in Forest Hill in May 2001 London Central bus T991 (A991 SYE), 1994 Leyland Titan B15, Forest Hill, route 171, 5 May 2001.jpg
London Central Leyland Titan in Forest Hill in May 2001

The orders from London Transport were as follows:

The first production Titans were delivered in August 1978 and entered service at Hornchurch in December 1978 on routes 165, 246 and 252. The Titan's London Transport service career saw it working in the eastern and south eastern half of the capital, though a surplus of the type following tendering reverses in the later 1980s, saw Titans spread to some north London garages. Withdrawals began in December 1992, just after the Daimler Fleetline buses withdrawal and large numbers passing to other operators; one of the final Titan deliveries, fleet number T990, was destroyed in the Aldwych bus bombing in 1996. [15]

Upon the privatisation of the London Buses subsidiaries, the remaining Titans were distributed between London Central, Stagecoach East London and Stagecoach Selkent. All bus operators had to replace Titans with Volvo Olympians and subsequently low-floor buses, Alexander ALX400 bodied Dennis Trident 2s for Stagecoach and Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs for London Central, while Titans were cascaded to other operators, spreading them throughout the country.

Stagecoach East London's last Titans were withdrawn in September 2001 and Selkent's in November 2001, leaving London Central with a small number of spare buses which were eventually whittled down. Amid a small ceremony, the last one, T1018 was withdrawn after completing service on route 40 on 19 June 2003. [16] [ self-published source ] Other operators in United Kingdom have retired all their Titans by 2013 due to age and not being compliant with PSVAR requirements. Big Bus Tours had replaced all Leyland Titans by June 2009 in London with Volvo B9TL/Optare Visionaire buses, with most exported abroad to places such as Melbourne, New Zealand, Las Vegas, Florida and Dubai for use as open-top sightseeing buses.

Outside London

Preserved Greater Manchester Transport Titan in October 2009 Preserved Greater Manchester PTE bus 4002 (ANE 2T) 1979 Leyland Titan B15, SELNEC 40 weekend, 31 October 2009.jpg
Preserved Greater Manchester Transport Titan in October 2009
Reading Transport Leyland Titan with Park Royal body in Friar Street Reading Leyland Titan.jpg
Reading Transport Leyland Titan with Park Royal body in Friar Street

Outside London, only two of the passenger transport executives of the United Kingdom ultimately took delivery of Titans, albeit in smaller numbers than originally ordered. The largest operator of the two was the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), who ordered 190 Titans in 1979, [17] however after only 15 were delivered due to the closure of the Park Royal factory, GMPTE cancelled the remainder and replaced the Titans with an order for 160 MCW Metrobuses. [18] The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) also took delivery of five Titan demonstrators for use across its network and ordered 80 production examples, however WMPTE also cancelled this order upon the closure of Park Royal and purchased 101 locally-produced MCW Metrobuses, as well as 35 Leyland Nationals, [19] later selling the demonstrators as non-standard to London Buses subsidiary Selkent. [20] [21]

Reading Transport took delivery of two Park Royal Titans to full London specification in 1979, later taking delivery of a further ten Titans from Workington in 1983, five of which had high-ratio rear axles and coach seats for express services into London. [20] Planned orders for Greater Glasgow PTE, Lothian Regional Transport, Maidstone & District, Merseyside Transport, Southend Transport and Tyne & Wear Transport were eventually cancelled due to the production delays. [20]

One Titan was exported to Hong Kong and entered service with China Motor Bus. A 36 feet (11 m) long version of the Titan had been planned for this operator but that too was cancelled as a result of the difficulties at Park Royal, [20] with two Leyland Victory Mark 2s built instead. A demonstrator, built in 1982, failed to secure any further orders, operators preferring the flexibility and lower cost of the Leyland Olympian. This vehicle was eventually sold to a Scottish independent operator, Ian Glass of Haddington.

Ex-London vehicles

Merseybus ex-London Transport Leyland Titan in Anfield in 1994 Merseybus 2374.jpg
Merseybus ex-London Transport Leyland Titan in Anfield in 1994

The most significant user of former London Titans was Merseyside's largest bus operator Merseybus, who between 1992 and 1994, purchased approximately 250 Titans in a deal with London Buses for use by Gillmoss depot in Liverpool. These Titans, following mechanical assessment by in-house engineering company MTL Engineering and an initial period of running in London configuration, were extensively refurbished before re-entering service in Liverpool to replace life-expired Leyland Atlanteans in the Merseybus fleet, having centre exit doors removed, seats retrimmed into standard MTL moquette, accessibility features fitted under the recommendations of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DiPTAC) and being painted into standard Merseybus livery. [22] [23]

Parent company MTL Trust Holdings Ltd also transferred ex-London Titans to Merseyside from its London division, and ultimately, approximately 400 ex-London Titans came to Merseyside with Merseybus and the other companies within MTL. as well as many other bus companies within the Merseyside region like Aintree Coachlines, Avon Buses, GTL, Liverpool City Coaches/Citybus, Merseyline Travel and Village Group. A few of these Merseyside operators also used ex-Greater Manchester and West Midlands Titans as well and Village Group also operated the B15 prototype, NHG 732P, for a brief period during 1997-98 before being acquired by MTL in 1998.

Other users of ex-London Titans around this time included the Oxford Bus Company and Kinchbus. [24] [25] Further buses remained on London work under the ownership of independent contractors such as London Suburban Buses, London & Country, Borehamwood Travel Services and London Coaches' Atlas Bus subsidiary.

Notes

  1. ↑ Reduced from 250 due to ongoing industrial disputes at Park Royal [14]

References

  1. ↑ Hayes, Martin (13 April 1973). "Leyland answers Swedish challenge with B15". Commercial Motor . Vol. 137, no. 3509. London: IPC Transport Press. p. 27. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Watkins, Martin (21 November 1975). "B15 glides into business". Commercial Motor. Vol. 142, no. 3626. London: IPC Transport Press. pp. 31–43. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "B15 will be a real Titan". Commercial Motor. Vol. 146, no. 3711. London: IPC Transport Press. 8 July 1977. p. 21. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 "On-off Titan is off but not finished yet". Commercial Motor. Vol. 151, no. 3847. London: IPC Transport Press. 16 February 1980. p. 22. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Leyland faces fight over job threat". Acton Gazette. 12 October 1978. p. 11. Retrieved 3 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Superbus - only once a week". Acton Gazette. 30 November 1978. p. 6. Retrieved 3 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Park Royal closure: Titan future assured". Commercial Motor. Vol. 150, no. 3831. London: IPC Transport Press. 26 October 1979. p. 6. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Skilled-work storm puts 300 new Titan bus jobs in peril". Eastern Evening News. Norwich. 25 January 1980. p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Titan gets the kiss of life in Cumbria". Commercial Motor. Vol. 151, no. 3854. London: IPC Transport Press. 5 April 1980. p. 16. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  10. ↑ "Raise the Titan!". Commercial Motor. Vol. 153, no. 3895. Sutton: IPC Transport Press. 17 January 1981. p. 25. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Godwin, Bill (February 1981). "Titans rising in the hills". Coaching Journal & Bus Review. Vol. 49, no. 4. London: Travel & Transport Ltd. p. 40. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "LT order threatens MCW". Commercial Motor. Vol. 153, no. 3917. Sutton: IPC Transport Press. 13 June 1981. p. 26. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Millar, Alan (2 July 1983). "LT kills off Titan...and ECW?". Commercial Motor. Vol. 158, no. 4023. Sutton: Transport Press. p. 22. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "LT's new generation". Commercial Motor. Vol. 149, no. 3804. London: IPC Transport Press. 20 April 1979. p. 6. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  15. ↑ Williams, Mark (24 February 1996). "Bomber on video?". Coach & Bus Week . No. 206. Peterborough: Emap. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Wharmby, Matthew (19 June 2003). "London's Leyland Titan Breathes its Last". London Bus Page. Archived from the original on 23 June 2003. Retrieved 7 January 2005.
  17. ↑ "Manchester buys new generation". Commercial Motor. Vol. 149, no. 3795. London: IPC Transport Press. 16 February 1979. p. 26. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Gap filler". Commercial Motor. Vol. 150, no. 3833. London: IPC Transport Press. 10 November 1979. p. 26. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "Metrobus forges ahead". Commercial Motor. Vol. 150, no. 3828. London: IPC Transport Press. 5 October 1979. p. 5. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Jack, Doug (1992). "The late '70s: some sensible slimming". Leyland Bus (Mk 2 ed.). London: The Promotional Reprint Company. pp. 443–448. ISBN   1 85648 103 4.
  21. ↑ Parker, Matthew (February 2024). "Titan take two". Bus & Coach Preservation . Vol. 26, no. 9. Meteor Books. pp. 16–21.
  22. ↑ Jarosz, Andrew (19 December 1992). "Merseybus gets Titans". Coach & Bus Week. No. 44. Peterborough: Emap. p. 8. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  23. ↑ Neild, Larry (19 December 1992). "Get on board with the double deckers". Liverpool Echo. p. 8. Retrieved 2 February 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Relaunch for Oxford ops". Coach & Bus Week. No. 137. Peterborough: Emap. 8 October 1994. p. 5. Twenty new single deckers will join the [Oxford Bus Company] fleet this year, while improvements will be carried out to the ex-London Transport Titans.
  25. ↑ "CityBus orders more as Kinch faces delay". Coach & Bus Week. No. 41. Peterborough: Emap. 28 November 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 3 January 2026. Nevertheless [Gilbert Kinch] has just bought eight Leyland Titan deckers from London Buses and hopes to have these in service for the new Rusheymede route on January 1.
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