One of the 30 historic rear entrance Leyland Titan ‘PD2’ buses that carried thousands of people around the city of Leicester for many years is back at First Leicester’s bus garage for a mechanical and bodywork overhaul.
Back in 1975, bus 154 was sold to a farmer for use in transporting workers and strawberry’s in fields around the West Butterwick area of Scunthorpe. The condition of the bus gradually deteriorated over time but was rescued in 1981 and brought back to Leicester City Transport on Abbey Park Road.
In 1982 apprentices at Leicester City Transport restored the bus into its former glory, now 35 years on, the same engineers are passing on their skills to new apprentices who will undertake the work and get it ready in time to attend scheduled heritage events over the summer season.
Nigel Eggleton, Managing Director for First Leicester said: “Milestones don’t come around very often but this one is definitely an event that deserves recognition.
“Our engineers who helped restore the vehicle 35 years ago are still employed by First Leicester and are passing on their skills to our new generation of apprentices. They will be shown how to maintain and preserve a vintage bus, which is a totally different procedure than maintaining and looking after buses from our modern fleet.
“Our partners at the ‘Leicester Transport Heritage Trust’ do a fantastic job in looking after the vehicle and presenting it at shows and heritage events around the country. It is important for us as a local business that ran these buses all those years ago and for the city of Leicester, that we look after our heritage for everyone to enjoy”
Richard Worman, Chairman & Restoration Director of the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust said: “I would like to thank our friends and partners at First Leicester for this tremendous opportunity.
“A totally unique set of circumstances where a vehicle goes back to the same skilled engineers that restored the bus all those years ago and pass on traditional skills to a newer generation.
The work will help conserve this piece of Leicester’s Transport Heritage for generations to come and also play a part in shaping the skills of the new apprentices at First, a great example of old and new working in partnership ”
Link below to Leicester Mercury article on FJF 193
Brief history of bus 154
| 1970 | Bus was withdrawn by Leicester City Transport – one of the final Leyland PD2s in service. |
| 1975 | The bus was sold to MAW (Farmer) West Butterwick to transport strawberry pickers to the fields. |
| 1981 | The bus was rescued and re acquired by Leicester City Transport for restoration |
| 1983 | Restoration was completed by Leicester City Transport |
| 1993 | Leicester City Council owned 94% of Leicester CityBus Ltd acquired by GRT Holdings PLC |
| 1995 to 2015 | Various owners of the vehicle, the bus attended local rallies and events throughout this period. |
| 2015 | Donated to Leicester Transport Heritage Trust Ltd for continued preservation |
| 2016 | Delivered to First Leicester, Abbey lane for bodywork and mechanical overhaul to be carried out by apprentices trained by apprentices who were originally involved in its restoration in 1982/1983 |
I was the last driver to do a service run on this PF 2. One afternoon we were short of output so the inspector in charge “borrowed” both the PD 2 and also the PD 3/12 one legger to supplement that afternoons output. Both vehicles were parked in Central at Rutland Street. Both were used. I did a full round trip on the 26 route from the Pork Pie library to Beaumont Lodge. On returning to depot was met by Martin Felmingham with cleaning materials. Not a happy chappy that someone had the temerity to use said bus on stage carriage work. Alan Furse driver 711 now retired on the Costa Blanca
Thank you Richard for this tremendous opportunity.
I look forward to working on 154 during the overhaul, the skills as you say will aid in the skills myself and my fellow apprentices are currently developing here at First Leicester.
154 truely is a beautiful bus, I hope we do justice in restoring her to her prime for another 35 years.