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Ulsterbus and Citybus Leyland Tigers

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Following the ending of Leopard production by Leyland, Ulsterbus turned to its replacement model, the Tiger, for its bus and coach requirements for the years 1984 to 1993. The first Tigers were in fact new touring coaches with a mixture of Duple and Wright bodies. Meantime, Alexanders were busy designing a new service bus and express coach model to complement the new chassis.

A total of 797 vehicles were bought in total, of which 88 were for Citybus and 13 were coaches, which were acquired second-hand. Apart from the majority with Alexander bodies, the Tiger also introduced the products of Van Hool and Wadham Stringer. Various versions of Duple coachwork were acquired including Dominant IV, Laser, Caribbean and 320/340, as well as some vehicles with distinctive Wright Contour bodies.

Vehicles numbered from 1340 upwards (plus 1321 which was a prototype, and also Citybus 2636 to 2680) had a new Alexander Q type body specified, the earlier ones having the more angular N type body. N types were also fitted to seven Leyland Lynx chassis, these vehicles having a lower floor line and therefore a slight difference in external appearance could be seen in comparing the two models.

The long established Ulsterbus Express branding was replaced in 1990 by a new Goldline image and 16 Alexander TE coaches were purchased to launch it. Externally similar to the Bus Eireann TE class, they actually differed by having a Leyland engine and being built in Belfast, whereas the B.E. ones were products of Falkirk and had Cummins engines.

An order was also placed for N types by UK operator Shearings for local services around Manchester in 1988/89, these however were 12 metres in length, instead of the 11 metre ones in Ulster. Shearings used these to replace ageing Leyland Nationals before later selling the local bus operations to become Timeline Travel. Three years later a batch of Q type Tigers were delivered to Lowland Scottish, in a green and yellow livery.

After approximately six years service, the Lynxes were withdrawn and sold to Stevensons of Uttoxeter, later passing to the local branch of Arriva when Stevensons was taken over. During 2000, four of them were acquired by Keenan, Bellurgan (near Dundalk) thus becoming the only N types in the Republic. Within two years they had been disposed of, with at least two going for scrap. A fifth example was added to the Chambers of Moneymore fleet, leaving just 3007 and 3012 in the UK.

361 was new in June 1984 and spent seven years on express services before becoming a mobility bus in the Citybus fleet. Its seating capacity was reduced from 53 to 34, and it gained a centre door and wheelchair lift. It was entered in the ITT rally on April 29th 1995.

On September 13th 1984, I found 367 in Busaras, having just arrived from Derry on service 274. At this point it was only a few weeks old and had yet to receive a destination blind.

Seen at one of the timing points on the 1990 ITT rally, number 371 shows off a new brighter Ulsterbus image. The bus prior to this one, 370, was fitted with a Gardner engine instead of a Leyland unit.

In 1990, Ulsterbus bought 16 Tigers with Alexander TE bodies to launch the Goldliner branding for express routes. 520 was in Bangor on April 28th 1990, alongside the 1971 Leopard of the same number.

Duple 340 bodied 530 received transfers for the launch of the jointly operated Dublin to Belfast express service, along with Bus Eireann's CVH26. Both of these have since been replaced several times over as newer vehicles have been added to the fleets over the years.

Seen in Bangor on April 26th 1986, 539 was the sole Duple Laser bought in 1985. It was burnt out in July 1996 and sold for scrap.

The 1984/85 delivery of EXI registered coaches included four Wright Contours, of which this was the first one. 541 was photographed in CIE's Broadstone garage on September 8th 1984.

549 (and 550) were the final pair of the ten coaches mentioned above, these had Duple Caribbean bodies. 549 was acting as a back-up vehicle for the Belfast to Dublin express service, seen in Drogheda on the first day, August 21st 1989.

Despite having a later reg than the BXI coaches, 555 carries the earlier Duple Dominant IV coachwork. It was one of two in the fleet, and may have been supplied by a dealer rather than being specially ordered by Ulsterbus.

598 was one of seven ex Shearings vehicles acquired in 1990, and the vehicle was photographed in Bangor on April 28th 1990.

Bangor's 1059 about to depart on a service 4 journey on the afternoon of April 30th 1988. This bus was destroyed by fire in 1993.

1196 was entered in the Bangor rally on April 24th 1993, having been new in January 1989. It's an allover advertisement for Lane's Oil Supplies of Derry, hence the unusual "route number" of OIL which can be seen. This bus has also advertised other products as well.

Ulsterbus Tigers built from 1990 onwards, apart from having the new Q type body, also had Volvo engines fitted. 1321 was snapped in O'Connell Street, Dublin on May 25th 1991.

The Citybus equivalent of Goldliner was City Express, distinguished by the rainbow stripes on the sides. These eight Tigers were later joined by both rigid and artic Volvo coaches on this work. 1400 is seen at Bangor on April 25th 1992.

Between June and October 1992, 25 of these Wrights bodied Tigers were introduced for the Goldliner network. 1415 is seen at Connolly Station in Dublin on November 1st 1992, having displaced 530 on the Dublin express. The next vehicles with Goldliner branding would be Volvos, as these were getting close to being the last ever new Tigers to enter service.

Citybus's first Tigers comprised ten vehicles, then 2611 started the next batch of 25 buses delivered in early 1989. Pictured in Bangor on April 29th 1989, it has been decorated to look like a Vauxhall Cavalier car, one that is 35' long and 10' high that is!

Citybus took 88 Tigers in total, the first 35 having N type bodies and the others being Q types. 2656 is a 1991 delivery seen near Belfast City Hall. It passed to Ulsterbus in 2000.

Leyland Lynxes

3006 was one of five red and two blue Leyland Lynxes with a lower height N type body. After six years in Ulster and eight in Staffordshire, this bus ended its days in the Anchor Tours fleet in Dundalk. It was in the ITT rally on 26th April 1986.

Manchester N types

Finally, these two pictures were taken by Caroline Mathews during 2000 (see Mad Annie's website for many more of her excellent photos) and show two of the longer N types ordered by Shearings.

G61 RND became part of the South Lancashire Travel fleet and was seen in Leigh, Greater Manchester.

First Manchester's 407 (G65 RND) with its "tomato soup" colouring was seen in Bickerstaffe Street, Saint Helens.

Ulsterbus Tiger and Lynx fleetlist

New vehicles (in registration order)

• 551 – 554 BXI 5551 – 5554 TRCTL11/3R – Duple Caribbean C51F new 1983

• 555 – 556 CXI 1555 – 1556 TRCTL11/3R – Duple Dominant IV C53F new 1983

• 340 DXI 3340 TRCTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1984

• 341 – 369 DXI 3341 – 3369 TRBTL11/2R – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1984

• 370 DXI 3370 TRBTLXCT/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1984

• 371 – 379 DXI 3371 – 3379 TRBTL11/2R – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1984

• 541 – 544 EXI 5541 – 5544 TRCTL11/3RZ – Wright Contour C57F new 1984

• 545 – 548 EXI 5545 – 5548 TRCTL11/2RZ – Duple Laser C49F new 1984

• 549 – 550 EXI 5549 – 5550 TRCTL11/3R – Duple Caribbean C51F new 1984

• 380 – 419 FXI 380 – 419 TRBTL11/2R – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1984/85

• 420 – 459 GXI 420 – 459 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1984/85

• 537 – 538 GXI 537 – 538 TRCTL11/2RZ – Wright Contour C49F new 1985

• 539 GXI 539 TRCTL11/3RZ – Duple Laser C53F new 1985

• 540 B272 AMG TRCTL11/3RZ – Wright Contour C49F new 1985 (reregistered RXI 5540 in 1990)

• 460 – 479 HXI 460 – 479 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1986

• 3011 – 3012 HXI 3011 – 3012 LX5636LXBFR – Alexander (B) B53F new 1986

• 480 – 499 IXI 1480 – 1499 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1986

• 536 IXI 1536 TRCTL11/3RZ – Duple Laser C53F new 1986

• 1000 – 1009 IXI 1000 – 1009 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1986

• 534 – 535 JXI 534 – 535 TRCTL11/3RZ – Duple Laser C53F new 1987

• 1010 – 1039 JXI 1010 – 1039 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1986/87

• 1040 – 1059 KXI 1040 – 1059 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) B53F new 1987

• 1060 – 1068 KXI 1060 – 1068 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1987

• 1069 – 1099 KXI 2069 – 2099 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1987

• 1100 – 1119 LXI 1100 – 1119 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1987

• 1120 – 1129 LXI 1120 – 1139 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) B53F new 1988

• 1130 – 1139 LXI 1100 – 1139 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1988

• 1140 – 1154 LXI 7140 – 7154 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1988

• 1155 – 1179 MXI 3155 – 3179 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) B53F new 1988

• 1180 – 1199 NXI 1180 – 1199 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) B53F new 1988

• 1200 – 1209 NXI 1200 – 1209 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) B48F new 1988

• 1210 – 1249 NXI 4210 – 4249 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1989

• 530 – 531 OXI 530 – 531 TRCTL11/3RZA – Duple 320 C55F new 1989

• 532 – 533 OXI 532 – 533 TRCTL11/3RZA – Duple 320 C53Ft new 1989

• 1250 – 1259 OXI 1250 – 1259 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1990

• 1260 – 1299 OXI 1260 – 1299 TRBTL11/2RP – Alexander (B) B53F new 1990

• 1300 – 1320 PXI 1300 – 1320 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1990

• 514 – 529 PXI 5514 – 5529 TRCTL11/3RZA – Alexander(B) C53F new 1990

• 1321 – 1339 RXI 3321 – 3339 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1990

• 1340 – 1359 TXI 1340 – 1359 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1991

• 1360 – 1369 UXI 1360 – 1369 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1991

• 1370 – 1379 UXI 1370 – 1379 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1992

• 1380 – 1399 WXI 4380 – 4399 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1992

• 1408 – 1432 WXI 4408 – 4432 TR2R56V16Z4 – Wright DP53F new 1992

• 1450 – 1454 WXI 4450 – 4454 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1992

• 1433 – 1449 XXI 1433 – 1449 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) B64F new 1992

• 1483 – 1500 YXI 5483 – 5500 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) DP53F new 1993

Acquired Tigers

• 500 – 503 RXI 5500 – 5503 TRCTL11/3RZ – Plaxton C53F (new 1985) ex Shearings 499,503/05/07 (B499 UNB etc.) in 1990.

• 596 – 598 RXI 5596 – 5598 TRCTL11/3RZ – Van Hool C57F (new 1985) ex Shearings 308-10 (B308 UNB etc.) in 1990.

• 591 – 595 OXI 521 – 525 TRCTL11/3R – Van Hool C53F (new 1983) ex Northern Ireland Railways 1 – 5 in 1991 (new to Shearings as A160/61/65-67 MNE).

• 540 HAZ 3540 (64 KD 88) TRCTL11/3RZ – Wadham Stringer B54FA new 1985 ex Ministry of Defence in 1995.

Citybus Tiger and Lynx fleetlist

• 3006 HXI 3006 LX5636LXBFR – Alexander (B) B43F new 1985

• 3007 – 3009 HXI 3007 – 3009 LX5636LXBFR – Alexander (B) B38F new 1986

• 3010 HXI 3010 LX5636LXBFR – Alexander (B) B43F new 1986

• 2601 – 2610 LXI 6601 – 6610 TRBLXP/2RP – Alexander (B) B42F new 1988

• 2611 – 2635 NXI 4611 – 4635 TRBLXP/2RP – Alexander (B) B43F new 1988/89

• 2636 – 2660 SXI 2636 – 2660 TRBLXP/2RP – Alexander (B) B51F new 1991

• 2661 – 2680 VXI 2661 – 2680 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) B38F new 1991

• 1400 – 1407 WXI 1400 – 1407 TR2R62V16Z4 – Alexander (B) C53F new 1992

• 1455 – 1482 YXI 1455 – 1482 TR2R56V16Z4 – Alexander (B) B51F new 1992/93

Reregistrations

Keenan, Bellurgan

3006 to 85-LH-1520; 3008 to 86-LH-1507; 3010/11 to 86-LH-1494/95

Kerslake, Trethomas

500/01 to B499,503 UNB

Freeway, Mountmellick

542,556 to 85-LS-631, 83-LS-432

Flaherty, Ardmore

543 to 85-WD-642

McEwan, Amisfield

553 to GSM 188Y

Ulsterbus

591 to JCZ 5225

Thomas, West Ewell

592 to W386 HKL

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