The Leicester Transport Heritage Trust are pleased to report that our Leyland Titan PD2 No.154 has made a return to the road after a major mechanical and body overhaul. The LTHT would like to thank First Leicester for undertaking the majority of the work which also involved Thornton’s Refurbisments for providing a superb repaint into Leicester City Transport maroon & cream livery.
First Leicester offered to undertake this work as part of an apprentice training scheme. Interestingly several of the people that worked on 154 in the early 1980’s were still employed by First Leicester, some 35 years later. This included two who were apprentices in 1981 and worked on the bus when it was originally restored. With First taking on new apprentices there was a very unique opportunity for those men who had worked on the bus 35 years ago to now teach the new apprentices body building and mechanical skills on the very same bus they had learnt on! This is something that we believe has never happened before.
After a voluntary MOT we hope FJF 193 will be appearing (subject to availability) at the Bus & Rail Spectacular at Quorn & Woodhouse station on Saturday 25th April 2020.
The LTHT would like to thank City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and Deputy Mayor Cllr Adam Clarke for attending today’s 154 relaunch and a big thank you to Nigel Eggleton and the team at First Leicester.