334:
599:
41:
330:. It took almost a year to expand the facility, transfer the jigs and tooling from Park Royal and recommence production. 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.
284:
199:
346:
499:
232:, it was decided, from the outset, that 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. 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
976:
311:
skilled staff, who had left, with semi-skilled workers. Finally, Leyland announced in
October 1979 that Park Royal would close in May 1980. 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.
270:. 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. The prototype engine was a turbocharged version of the Leyland 500 series, although this was changed to
372:, who took delivery of five Titan demonstrators for use across its network and later ordered 80 production examples, later cancelling this order and purchasing 101 locally-produced MCW Metrobuses as well as 35 Leyland Nationals to replace the order, while the five demonstrators were later sold to London Transport as non-standard for use by
546:
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
274:
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. The engine was mounted vertically at the rear, with the radiator located separately in a compartment above the
447:
London's orders were split between the Titan and the MCW Metrobus, but production of Titan for London alone was proving uneconomic. Strong pressure was brought to bear to increase the Titan share of the London orders. As a result, Leyland received the entire order for 275 vehicles in 1982. This led
533:
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
310:
In
October 1978, Leyland announced the AEC factory would close, with the intention of keeping Titan production at Park Royal. The very slow production rate continued, causing cancellation of a number of existing orders. The industrial relations problems continued, as Leyland sought to replace the
522:. These Titans, following mechanical assessment by MTL Engineering and an initial period of running in London configuration, would be extensively refurbished to have centre exit doors removed, seats retrimmed into standard MTL moquette, fitted with accessibility features recommended by the
586:. All bus operators had to replace Titans with Volvo Olympians and subsequently low-floor buses, Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX400 for Stagecoach and Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President for London Central, while Titans were cascaded to other operators, spreading them throughout the country.
396:
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. However, planned orders for
589:
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 retired from
495:. 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.
452:. The 1983 order also favoured Leyland, with 210 Titan and 150 Metrobuses. The decision was made to end production, upon completion of a final batch of 240 ordered in 1984, with Leyland focusing on the Olympian.
612:
had replaced all
Leyland Titans by June 2009 in London with Volvo B9TL/Optare Visionaire buses, and most of them went abroad to places such as Melbourne, New Zealand, Las Vegas, Florida and Dubai for use as
594:
on 19 June 2003. Also, Blue
Triangle and Sullivan Buses had also withdrawn Leyland Titans in 2006 and other operators in United Kingdom have retired all of the Titans by 2013 due to age and not being DDA
262:
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
506:
Withdrawals began in
December 1992, just after the Daimler Fleetline buses withdrawal and large numbers passing to other operators. The most significant user of former London Titans was
307:. This caused industrial relations problems at Park Royal and some 200 skilled craftspeople left. Production was very slow and the first vehicle was not delivered until August 1978.
275:
engine. This led to an unusual off-centre square rear window. The overall design was advanced for the time and improved on noise and emission requirements by considerable margins.
251:
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.
432:. 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, with two
364:, who ordered 190 Titans in 1979 but only took delivery of 15 of the type due to the closure of the Park Royal factory, replacing the remainder with an order for 160
333:
633:
598:
40:
361:
338:
237:
436:
built instead. A demonstrator, built in 1982, failed to secure any further orders, operators preferring the flexibility and lower cost of the
523:
677:
322:
failed, again due to difficult industrial relations, so it was finally decided that production would recommence at an expanded facility in
1137:
645:
418:
369:
292:
20:
850:"BL's Leyland vehicles is to scrap its "Titan" bus, after London Transport dropped the vehicle, once the current order is completed".
692:
410:
1008:
406:
398:
247:(LT) as a major market, so the specification was heavily influenced by their preferences. LT was suffering problems with its
1225:
980:
526:(DiPTAC) and being painted into standard Merseybus livery before re-entering service in Liverpool to replace life-expired
908:
760:
555:. Further buses remained on London work under the ownership of independent contractors such as London Suburban Buses,
958:
937:
834:
802:
244:
187:
45:
662:
1059:
864:
734:
254:
Five prototypes (B15.01-B15.05) were constructed between 1975 and 1977, two of which were evaluated in London.
233:
708:
1034:
357:
1215:
543:
300:
360:
of the United Kingdom would ultimately take delivery of Titans, albeit in reduced numbers. These were the
1185:
1001:
820:
574:
Upon the privatisation of the London Buses subsidiaries, the remaining Titans were distributed between
514:, who between 1992 and 1994, purchased approximately 250 Titans in a deal with London Buses for use by
385:
579:
556:
560:
441:
1044:
349:
202:
49:
1220:
1157:
994:
539:
492:
488:
433:
467:
1980: 150 (T101–250) — reduced from 250 due to industrial relations difficulties at Park Royal
1196:
591:
449:
53:
1099:
1054:
240:, both major suppliers to their respective local markets, but no agreements were reached.
881:
8:
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315:
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116:
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381:
1147:
1142:
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527:
248:
226:
222:
218:
179:
440:. This vehicle was eventually sold to a Scottish independent operator, Ian Glass of
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1162:
1084:
649:
568:
437:
327:
267:
229:
166:
1177:
1074:
1064:
1026:
483:
The first production Titans were delivered in August 1978 and entered service at
429:
414:
352:'s preserved Titan in April 2009, this was the final Titan built in November 1984
564:
1017:
924:
575:
567:). One of the final Titan deliveries, fleet number T990, was destroyed in the
1209:
1119:
1104:
609:
602:
402:
393:
797:(Mk 2 ed.). London: The Promotional Reprint Company. pp. 443–448.
1114:
614:
373:
365:
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299:
would build the first 100 vehicles, with production then transferring to
214:
183:
121:
70:
283:
535:
507:
484:
389:
323:
198:
519:
511:
425:
319:
287:
Reading Transport Leyland Titan with Park Royal body in Friar Street.
380:. The first deliveries for each operator were displayed at the 1978
552:
515:
345:
304:
583:
498:
377:
986:
295:, was revived for production in June 1977. It was intended that
975:
111:
263:
793:
Jack, Doug (1992). "The late '70s: some sensible slimming".
824:. Vol. 26, no. 9. Meteor Books. pp. 16–21.
421:
were eventually cancelled due to the production delays.
818:Parker, Matthew (February 2024). "Titan take two".
460:The orders from London Transport were as follows:
951:Beyond Reality - Leyland Bus - the twilight years
1207:
362:Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
788:
786:
784:
782:
16:Double deck bus, produced between 1978 and 1984
1002:
524:Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
888:. No. 44. Peterborough: Emap. p. 8
779:
741:. Temple Press. 10 November 1979. p. 26
715:. Temple Press. 16 February 1979. p. 26
370:West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
209:The Titan was conceived in 1973 as project
21:Leyland Titan (front engined double-decker)
1009:
995:
502:Merseybus Leyland Titan at Anfield in 1994
213:and was intended as a replacement for the
39:
767:. Temple Press. 5 October 1979. p. 5
938:London's Leyland Titan Breathes its Last
678:On-off Titan is off but not finished yet
646:Park Royal closure: Titan future assured
597:
497:
344:
332:
282:
197:
19:For the earlier front engined bus, see
1208:
909:"Get on board with the double deckers"
879:
817:
693:Titan gets the kiss of life in Cumbria
291:The Titan name, previously used for a
990:
906:
186:between 1977 and 1984, primarily for
948:
792:
880:Jarosz, Andrew (19 December 1992).
852:Textline Multiple Source Collection
13:
542:, Liverpool City Coaches/Citybus,
314:Efforts to transfer production to
14:
1237:
1016:
968:
907:Neild, Larry (19 December 1992).
205:pre-production Titan in the 1980s
145:2.50 metres (8 ft 2 in)
974:
709:"Manchester buys new generation"
487:in December 1978 on routes 165,
356:Outside London, only two of the
266:'Avdelok' rivets similar to the
257:
931:
900:
873:
858:
843:
828:
811:
225:. Following the success of the
753:
727:
701:
686:
671:
656:
639:
627:
358:passenger transport executives
193:
1:
835:LT kills off Titan...and ECW?
620:
278:
940:London Bus Page 19 June 2003
821:Bus & Coach Preservation
455:
339:Greater Manchester Transport
7:
1226:Vehicles introduced in 1978
1186:Leyland-DAB articulated bus
293:front-engined double-decker
10:
1242:
615:open-top sightseeing buses
605:open-top Titan in May 2006
563:and London Coaches (later
424:One Titan was exported to
403:Lothian Regional Transport
386:National Exhibition Centre
153:4.40 metres (14.4 ft)
137:9.56 metres (31.4 ft)
18:
1194:
1176:
1128:
1025:
534:like Aintree Coachlines,
428:and entered service with
419:Tyne & Wear Transport
249:Daimler/Leyland Fleetline
162:
157:
149:
141:
133:
128:
110:
105:
97:
89:
84:
76:
66:
61:
38:
33:
953:. Venture Publications.
530:in the Merseybus fleet.
510:'s largest bus operator
407:Maidstone & District
203:John Fishwick & Sons
1060:Royal Tiger Worldmaster
882:"Merseybus gets Titans"
761:"Metrobus forges ahead"
434:Leyland Victory Mark 2s
350:Stagecoach in East Kent
326:, which also built the
949:Jack, A. Doug (1994).
606:
580:Stagecoach East London
503:
353:
342:
288:
206:
1197:List of Leyland buses
1138:Titan (front-engined)
1035:Tiger (front-engined)
601:
501:
479:1984: 240 (T886–1125)
450:Metro Cammell Weymann
348:
341:Titan in October 2009
336:
286:
201:
983:at Wikimedia Commons
886:Coach & Bus Week
636:Bus Lists on the Web
557:London & Country
476:1983: 210 (T676–885)
473:1982: 275 (T401–675)
470:1981: 150 (T251–400)
411:Merseyside Transport
1216:Double-decker buses
981:Leyland Titan (B15)
865:LT's new generation
569:Aldwych bus bombing
399:Greater Glasgow PTE
316:Eastern Coach Works
297:Park Royal Vehicles
607:
584:Stagecoach Selkent
549:Oxford Bus Company
528:Leyland Atlanteans
504:
464:1979: 100 (T1–100)
415:Southend Transport
382:British Motor Show
354:
343:
289:
207:
178:is a rear-engined
50:Gants Hill station
1203:
1202:
1110:Royal Tiger (B50)
1045:Royal Tiger (PSU)
979:Media related to
544:Merseyline Travel
394:Reading Transport
238:Northern Counties
223:Leyland Atlantean
219:Daimler Fleetline
180:double-decker bus
176:Leyland B15 Titan
172:
171:
48:Leyland Titan at
1233:
1011:
1004:
997:
988:
987:
978:
964:
941:
935:
929:
928:
922:
920:
904:
898:
897:
895:
893:
877:
871:
868:Commercial Motor
862:
856:
855:
847:
841:
838:Commercial Motor
832:
826:
825:
815:
809:
808:
790:
777:
776:
774:
772:
765:Commercial Motor
757:
751:
750:
748:
746:
739:Commercial Motor
731:
725:
724:
722:
720:
713:Commercial Motor
705:
699:
696:Commercial Motor
690:
684:
683:16 February 1980
681:Commercial Motor
675:
669:
666:Commercial Motor
663:Leyland's hiccup
660:
654:
650:Commercial Motor
643:
637:
631:
438:Leyland Olympian
328:Leyland National
268:Leyland National
245:London Transport
230:Leyland National
188:London Transport
182:manufactured by
167:Leyland Olympian
85:Body and chassis
46:London Transport
43:
31:
30:
1241:
1240:
1236:
1235:
1234:
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1231:
1230:
1206:
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1204:
1199:
1190:
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1021:
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971:
961:
945:
944:
936:
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918:
916:
905:
901:
891:
889:
878:
874:
863:
859:
854:. 29 June 1983.
849:
848:
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833:
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816:
812:
805:
791:
780:
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768:
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758:
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728:
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716:
707:
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691:
687:
676:
672:
668:2 February 1980
661:
657:
653:26 October 1979
644:
640:
632:
628:
623:
603:Big Bus Company
458:
430:China Motor Bus
281:
260:
196:
120:
98:Floor type
57:
29:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1191:
1189:
1188:
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1165:
1160:
1158:Victory Mark 2
1155:
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999:
991:
985:
984:
970:
969:External links
967:
966:
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959:
943:
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925:Newspapers.com
913:Liverpool Echo
899:
872:
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778:
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619:
576:London Central
481:
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477:
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468:
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457:
454:
448:to layoffs at
366:MCW Metrobuses
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27:
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3:
2:
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1221:Leyland buses
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960:1-898432-02-3
956:
952:
947:
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926:
914:
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887:
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876:
870:20 April 1979
869:
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846:
839:
836:
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823:
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804:1 85648 103 4
800:
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697:
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689:
682:
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667:
664:
659:
652:
651:
647:
642:
635:
634:Leyland Titan
630:
626:
618:
616:
611:
610:Big Bus Tours
604:
600:
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585:
581:
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273:
269:
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258:Specification
255:
252:
250:
246:
241:
239:
235:
231:
228:
227:single-decker
224:
220:
216:
212:
204:
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156:
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104:
101:Step entrance
100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
79:
75:
72:
69:
65:
60:
56:in April 1980
55:
51:
47:
42:
37:
34:Leyland Titan
32:
28:Motor vehicle
26:
22:
1152:
1100:Super Viking
950:
933:
923:– via
917:. Retrieved
912:
902:
890:. Retrieved
885:
875:
867:
860:
851:
845:
837:
830:
819:
813:
794:
769:. Retrieved
764:
755:
743:. Retrieved
738:
735:"Gap filler"
729:
717:. Retrieved
712:
703:
698:5 April 1980
695:
688:
680:
673:
665:
658:
648:
641:
629:
608:
588:
573:
532:
505:
482:
459:
446:
423:
374:London Buses
355:
313:
309:
290:
261:
253:
243:Leyland saw
242:
210:
208:
175:
173:
67:Manufacturer
25:
1178:Articulated
1153:Titan (B15)
1130:Double-deck
1105:Tiger (B43)
1080:Panther Cub
1070:Lion (PSR1)
1027:Single-deck
915:. p. 8
840:2 July 1983
795:Leyland Bus
376:subsidiary
215:Bristol VRT
194:Development
1210:Categories
919:2 February
621:References
595:compliant.
536:Avon Buses
508:Merseyside
485:Hornchurch
442:Haddington
390:Birmingham
368:, and the
337:Preserved
324:Workington
279:Production
158:Chronology
129:Dimensions
106:Powertrain
77:Production
1148:Fleetline
1143:Atlantean
1050:Tiger Cub
771:5 January
745:5 January
719:5 January
571:in 1996.
565:Atlas Bus
547:included
520:Liverpool
518:depot in
512:Merseybus
456:In London
426:Hong Kong
320:Lowestoft
234:Alexander
163:Successor
80:1978–1984
1163:Olympian
1085:National
1055:Olympian
892:21 April
592:route 40
553:Kinchbus
516:Gillmoss
305:Southall
62:Overview
54:route 66
1075:Panther
1065:Leopard
1040:Olympic
1018:Leyland
384:at the
378:Selkent
272:Gardner
184:Leyland
122:Leyland
117:Gardner
71:Leyland
957:
801:
150:Height
134:Length
112:Engine
93:1 or 2
1120:Swift
1020:buses
264:Avdel
142:Width
90:Doors
1168:Lion
1115:Lynx
955:ISBN
921:2024
894:2024
799:ISBN
773:2024
747:2024
721:2024
582:and
551:and
491:and
417:and
236:and
221:and
174:The
124:TL11
119:6LXB
1095:Cub
1090:B21
561:BTS
540:GTL
493:252
489:246
388:in
318:in
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