Northern Counties Palatine

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Northern Counties Palatine
Keighley & District, Leyland Olympian, 906 K6 YCL - Flickr - Danny's Bus Photos.jpg
Keighley & District Northern Counties Palatine bodied Leyland Olympian
Overview
Manufacturer Northern Counties
Production1988 - 1998 (Palatine I)
1993 - 1999 (Palatine II)
Assembly Wigan
Body and chassis
Doors1 or 2
Floor type Step entrance
Chassis DAF DB250
Dennis Arrow
Dennis Dominator
Leyland Olympian
Scania N113
Volvo Citybus
Volvo Olympian
Chronology
Successor Plaxton President

The Northern Counties Palatine was a step-entrance 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus body built by Northern Counties from 1988 to 1999 in Wigan, England.

Contents

The Palatine was built mainly on Leyland Olympian and Volvo Olympian chassis, although smaller sized orders were also built for customers on DAF DB250, Dennis Arrow, Dennis Dominator, Volvo B10M Citybus and Scania N113DRB chassis.

Northern Counties were acquired by Plaxton in 1995, who eventually discontinued the Northern Counties name and replaced the step-entrance Palatine range with the low-floor Plaxton President in 1999.

History

Northern Counties Palatine/Countybus

Arriva Southern Counties Northern Counties Palatine 1 bodied Volvo Olympian in 2009 Arriva Southern Counties bus 5934 (P934 MKL), Showbus rally 2009.jpg
Arriva Southern Counties Northern Counties Palatine 1 bodied Volvo Olympian in 2009

The Northern Counties Palatine was launched in 1988, initially badged as the Countybus in line with other Northern Counties bus bodies at the time. [1]

The Palatine proved popular in London, with the biggest operators of the body type being Go-Ahead Group subsidiaries London General and London Central who purchased a total of 159 Palatines on the Volvo Olympian chassis, as well as 38 built on the Volvo Citybus chassis. [2] [ better source needed ] [3] Capital Citybus, and their predecessor Ensignbus, also operated Palatines, of which were built on both the Dennis Dominator and Volvo Olympian chassis. [4] [5]

Outside London, the Palatine proved popular with former PTE operations Yorkshire Rider, Busways Travel, Merseybus and GM Buses, who each purchased Palatines on both Leyland and Volvo Olympian chassis, as well as some on the Scania N113 chassis; [6] [7] [8] two of GM Buses' Palatines were uniquely built with wheelchair lifts on the Volvo D10M chassis. [9] The British Bus group also purchased a significant amount of Palatines on Leyland and Volvo Olympian chassis, with subsidiaries Maidstone & District, [8] [10] Kentish Bus, [11] Southend Transport and West Riding Buses making up the majority of orders. Five Palatine-bodied Volvo Olympians built to Stagecoach specification were delivered to Cleveland Transit in 1994, with three more also delivered to their subsidiary Kingston upon Hull City Transport. [12] [13]

Badgerline Group subsidiary Bristol Cityline took on 30 Leyland Olympians with Palatine I bodies in 1992, [14] while East Yorkshire Motor Services took on a large number Leyland and Volvo Olympians with Palatine I bodies between 1990 and 1998 to replace former National Bus Company buses. [15] Five were also delivered to their Finglands Coachways subsidiary in Manchester. [16] Thirteen Leyland Olympians with Palatine I bodies were delivered to Isle of Man Transport between 1989 and early 1990, [17] while Blazefield Holdings subsidiaries Keighley & District and Yorkshire Coastliner also purchased Palatines on Volvo Olympian chassis. [18]

Northern Counties Palatine II

A Volvo Olympian with Northern Counties Palatine II bodywork, operated by First Bristol 34008 Bristol - Flickr - megabus13601.jpg
A Volvo Olympian with Northern Counties Palatine II bodywork, operated by First Bristol

The second-generation Northern Counties Palatine II was launched in 1993. Visually similar in design to its competitor, the Optare Spectra, the Palatine II had a revised front fascia which also featured a curved windscreen and a rounded roofline, sharing similar design cues with the single-decker Northern Counties Paladin; wider and deeper windows and more interior headroom. The first-generation 'Countybus' was subsequently renamed the 'Palatine' and continued to be sold alongside the Palatine II as a low-cost alternative. [1] [19]

MTL Trust Holdings were a notable operator, purchasing an initial batch of 36 high-specification Palatine IIs in 1996 for both the 'Silver Service' through the Mersey Tunnels and for the Southport operation. [20] Another batch of 22, branded as 'The Millennium Fleet', entered service in Merseyside in 1998. [21]

In London, the Palatine II proved less popular than the Palatine I. However, Capital Citybus were early adopters of the Palatine II, ordering the only Leyland Olympian to receive a Palatine II body, as well as further examples on the Volvo Olympian and Dennis Arrow chassis. [22] CentreWest Buses purchased 15 Palatine IIs on Volvo Olympian chassis for the 607 Express in 1996, [23] while the Cowie Group purchased 13 Palatines IIs on the DAF DB250 chassis in January 1996, [24] with an additional two being acquired from dealer stock in 1999, by which point Cowie London had become Arriva London. Additional Palatine IIs were purchased by London General, who purchased only 27 of the type, [2] Armchair Passenger Transport, [25] Harris Bus [26] and London Suburban.

Other operators of the Palatine II on the Volvo Olympian chassis include Go North East, who purchased a total of 23 in 1997;[ citation needed ] Northumbria Motor Services, who took eight in 1994; [27] East Yorkshire Motor Services, who took six in 1995, [28] and Eastbourne Buses, who purchased the first Palatine II bodied on the DAF chassis. [29]

Exports

As a result of high demand for bodies on air-conditioned tri-axle Volvo Olympian chassis outstripping rival manufacturer Alexander's production capacity, between 1996 and 1998, Northern Counties assembled a handful of heavily modified Palatine bodies for export to Hong Kong, which were badged as Plaxtons upon completion. [30]

Citybus took delivery of 55 Northern Counties-bodied Volvo Olympians on 12 metres (39 ft) chassis, which were specified to have Alexander-style front ends and windscreens, while the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation received 15 11 metres (36 ft) with conventional Northern Counties windscreens. Two 12 metres (39 ft) Northern Counties-bodied Volvo Olympians were also delivered for use as staff shuttle buses by Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaxton President</span> 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus body

The Plaxton President was a low floor double-decker bus body built by Plaxton at the former Northern Counties factory in Wigan, England. It was first unveiled in 1997 on the longitudinal Volvo B7L chassis and later built between 1999 and 2005 following a body redesign. When it became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under the TransBus name. The President was built on the Dennis/TransBus Trident, the DAF DB250 and the Volvo B7TL chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VDL DB250</span> Twin-axle double-decker bus chassis

The VDL DB250 was a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by VDL Bus & Coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyland Olympian</span> 2 and 3-axle step-entrance double-decker bus chassis

The Leyland Olympian is a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis that was manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optare Spectra</span> Double-decker bus bodywork on DAF DB250 chassis

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volvo Olympian</span> Step-entrance double-decker bus chassis

The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engined 2-axle and 3-axle double decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo at its Irvine, Scotland factory. The first was built in 1993 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyland Bus</span> British bus manufacturer

Leyland Bus was a British bus manufacturer based in Farington, Lancashire. It emerged from the Rover Group, formerly known as British Leyland, as a management buyout of the group's bus business. Leyland Bus was subsequently acquired by Volvo Buses in 1988, with the Leyland name eventually dropped by Volvo in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Lance</span> Step-entrance and low-floor single-deck bus chassis

The Dennis Lance was a single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF was built between 1993 and 1996. Between 1995 and 1998, Dennis also built its double-deck variant, the Dennis Arrow, as the replacement of the Dennis Dominator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyland Lynx</span> Step-entrance integral single-deck bus

The Leyland Lynx was a step-entrance integral single-deck bus manufactured by Leyland in Workington, England between 1986 and 1992. After the takeover by Volvo, it was succeeded by the Volvo B10B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optare Delta</span> Step-entrance bus body on DAF SB220 chassis

The Optare Delta was a single-deck bus body manufactured by Optare between 1990 and 1999 on the DAF SB220 chassis. The Delta was Optare's first full-size transit bus body, with the company having previously built minibus bodies on Volkwagen LT55 and Mercedes-Benz 811D chassis. The Delta was succeeded by the Optare Excel from 1995 onwards, with production of the Delta body ceasing in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optare Vecta</span> Single-deck bus body on MAN 11.190 chassis

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaxton Verde</span> Step-entrance single-deck bus body

The Plaxton Verde was a step-entrance full-size single-decker bus body built by Plaxton between 1991 and 1997. It was built on a rear-engined chassis, the most popular of which was the Dennis Lance which accounted for over half of the Verdes built. The rest were on Volvo B10B, DAF SB220 and Scania N113 chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lancs EL2000</span> Motor vehicle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaxton Prestige</span> Low-floor bus body on DAF SB220 and Volvo B10BLE chassis

The Plaxton Prestige is a low-floor single-decker bus body built by manufacturers Northern Counties and Plaxton between 1996 and 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Counties Paladin</span> Single-decker bus body

The Northern Counties Paladin, also badged as the Plaxton Paladin towards the end of production, is a step-entrance single-decker bus body built by Northern Counties of Wigan, UK, between 1991 and 1998. The replacements for the Paladin are the Prestige and the Pointer as low-floor models for the Paladin LF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright Endurance</span> Step-entrance bus body on Scania N113 and Volvo B10B chassis

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaxton Pointer</span> Single-deck midibus body built on Dennis and Volvo chassis

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dash</span> Step-entrance midibus body on Dennis Dart and Volvo B6 chassis

The Alexander Dash is a step-entrance midibus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders of Scotland from 1991 to 1997. Unveiled by Alexander at the 1991 Coach and Bus exhibition in Birmingham, it was one of the variants of Alexander's AM-type body, also using components from the Alexander PS type, and was usually combined with the Dennis Dart and Volvo B6 step-entrance single-decker bus chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Ultra</span> Low-floor bus body on Volvo B10L chassis

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References

  1. 1 2 "Buses named". Commercial Motor . Temple Press. 5 March 1992. p. 16. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Ian (18 November 2006). "London Central, London General Volvo Olympians". Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Fleet Additions". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 69. Spalding. 24 August 1990. p. 12.
  4. ↑ "Road Test". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 15 October 1992. p. 36. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Ensign flies the flag with Dennis". Coachmart. No. 581. Peterborough: Emap. 29 March 1990. p. 7.
  6. ↑ "Full-height buses for Yorkshire". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 22 March 1990. p. 17. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Busways buys ten doubles". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 10 January 1991. p. 18. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Brighton doubles up". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 26 November 1987. p. 24. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "GMB's wheelchair initiative welcomed". Coach & Bus Week. No. 32. Peterborough: Emap. 26 September 1992. p. 13. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "M&D orders 10 Volvo Olympians". Coach & Bus Week. No. 100. Peterborough: Emap. 22 January 1994. p. 10. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Kentish invests in new routes". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 21 September 1989. p. 22. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "Olympian goes back to original" . Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "Important role for CT's deckers". Coach & Bus Week. No. 176. Peterborough: Emap. 15 July 1995. p. 6.
  14. ↑ "Cityline orders deckers". Coach & Bus Week. No. 27. Peterborough: Emap. 22 August 1992. p. 5.
  15. ↑ "Scarborough feels chill". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 13 September 1990. p. 20. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  16. ↑ "Five again for Finglands". Coach & Bus Week. No. 209. Peterborough: Emap. 16 March 1996. p. 28.
  17. ↑ Morris, Stephen (October 1993). "Isle of Man Transport". Buses . Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 13–17.
  18. ↑ "Blazefield's first deckers". Coach & Bus Week. No. 34. Peterborough: Emap. 10 October 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  19. ↑ "Spectra rival from Northern Counties". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 3 September 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  20. ↑ "First 16 of 36 MTL deckers join Silver Service route". Coach & Bus Week. No. 201. Peterborough: Emap. 20 January 1996. p. 28.
  21. ↑ "Palatines at MTL". Bus & Coach Preservation . Vol. 24, no. 9. Meteor Books. February 2022. pp. 2–3.
  22. ↑ "Hopes rise for bodybuilder". Coach & Bus Week. No. 19. Peterborough: Emap. 27 June 1992. p. 10.
  23. ↑ "CentreWest invests in 15 more NC Olympians". Coach & Bus Week. No. 208. Peterborough: Emap. 9 March 1996. p. 8.
  24. ↑ Morgan, Mike (6 January 1996). "New look for new year". Coach & Bus Week. No. 199. Peterborough: Emap. p. 9. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Armchair take Palatine IIs". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 444. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 30 January 1998. p. 46. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  26. ↑ "Deckers upgrade Harris fleet". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 381. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 25 October 1996. p. 22.
  27. ↑ "New Olympians serve Metro Centre". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 277. Spalding. 14 October 1994. p. 8. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  28. ↑ "Fleet Additions". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 328. Spalding. 13 October 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  29. ↑ Jones, Stuart (14 October 1994). "Hughes DAF unveil the DAF DB250 - Northern Counties Palatine II". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 277. Spalding. pp. 15–18. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  30. 1 2 "Wigan-built Olympian sails back to UK". Buses . No. 789. Stamford: Key Publishing. 19 November 2020. p. 63. Retrieved 14 April 2024.

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