Leyland Atlantean/Van Hool McArdle NAK431R (Read 5,602 times)

[swfcforever]

Sorry for going back to an old thread, I only just noticed, but the Leyland Atlantean was bodied by Van Hool not Van Hool McArdle with the Body Number, from 5624 NAK431R Ld AN68A/1R 7602877 H45/25D 2/1977 South Yorkshire PTE 431.
The Van Hool McArdle's all had Body Numbers starting with 04/. The Original Ailsa had this bodynumber etc:-5675 LWB369P Aa B55-10 75128 H44/31D 8/1976 South Yorkshire PTE 369.

Dunno if this helps, or muddies the water with regards to 431.

[Deleted]

it wasn't a spare body, it was different to the Ailsas, just compare the roof profile

common on Goole and Arksey routes in its last days

[Deleted]

To explain 431 you need to go back a bit further.

The introduction of the bus grant in the late 1960's which, to put it simply, meant operators could get buses half price if the majority of the mileage was on stage carriage work resulted in numerous supply problems. Initially chassis were in short supply but by the mid 1970's you could get chassis but the body builders were years behind with deliveries. When SYPTE was formed in 1974 the Ailsa and Scania Metropolitan chassis were available with short delivery times. Both were trialled by the PTE although the Scania Metropolitan appears not to have not been thought particularly suitable as only four were purchased. The Ailsa clearly found more favour but you had to find a body builder. Alexander who were the only ones bodying them at the time could not oblige and were in the 'dog house' anyway for being so behind with deliveries of Fleetlines ordered some years previously by STD. The only option available was to gamble on what Van Hool were offering. One of the Dublin Atlantean's was trialled in South Yorkshire but as has been mentioned the Ailsas ended up with a completely different body style.

On the back of the SYPTE Ailsa order Van Hool hoped to gain more business in Britain but needed a rear engine demonstrator. As SYPTE would do anything to get suitable new buses at the time, they were responsive to buying a one off Atlantean / Van Hool at a discounted price which could be delivered quickly and spend most of its time in South Yorkshire when not on demonstration elsewhere. Thus 431 came about. It should be noted that if Van Hool had owned the bus it would not have been eligible for the new bus grant and would have cost twice as much.

As it was, although several operators took an interest in 431 no orders were forthcoming and Van Hool lost interest in the British double deck market. Things by then were changing anyway with other chassis becoming available and body delivery schedules reducing. Anecdotally it was said that 431 did have several design faults which manifested themselves later. I am not sure how true this was but do recall it having several long periods out of service.