Welcome to our
website
Exactly what is the 484
Preservation Group? We are a group of enthusiasts in
Scotland who acquired and restored a 1954 Leyland Titan double decker
bus. It was initially acquired by a member of the
group in October 2005 and the group itself was
officially registered as the owner in October 2006.
The vehicle we
restored is registered GM
6384 and
carried the Central SMT fleet number L484
(hence the name of our group). Out of 631 Leyland
Titan half-cab double deck buses operated by Central
SMT, L484 is the only remaining example. The first
started service in 1929 and the last one was
withdrawn in early 1976, a span of over 46 years.
There were ten basic models from TD1 to TD7 and PD1
to PD3. Of the early range, Central only operated
TD1, TD4, TD5 and TD7 models and later had different
variations of the PD1, PD2 and PD3. Fleet numbers L1
to L496 had exposed radiators and L497 onwards had
the 'tin fronted' version. Eight different companies
supplied the bodywork, the main three being Leyland,
Northern Counties and Alexander. Over half the fleet
(328 in number) had Leyland bodies all with exposed
radiators, which makes L484 typical of the fleet. It
is in fact a PD2/10 model with Leyland body, exposed
radiator, vacuum brakes and synchromeshed gearbox. |
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First
registered on 30th September 1954, it entered
service on Monday 4th October 1954. Leaving the
Bothwell Road depot at 4.00am, it ran private (no
passengers) to Cambuslang and then did a short
working to Newton. From there it started the full
service to Carlton Place, Glasgow on the 75/76
routes. The 75 travelled through Westburn to
Cambuslang then on though Burnside, Rutherglen and
Shawfield to Clyde Place, Glasgow where all
passengers had to disembark. It then crossed the
River Clyde and laid over in Carlton Place for a
short break before returning on service 76. From
Newton, the 76 travelled through Hallside and
Halfway to Cambuslang then followed the same route
to Glasgow reverting to 75 on the return journey.
The reverse process was repeated at Newton. Each
route provided a 20 minute service, leaving at
alternate 10 minute intervals.
After
a full day it returned to the depot at midnight. An
oil and water check by the nightshift staff and it
was off again at 4.00am. This pattern continued
every day, seven days a week for over three years
when it was withdrawn for a minor overhaul and
subsequently removed from the Newton run. Although
it did return occasionally, it also ran on other
routes from different areas of Lanarkshire to
Glasgow including 52/53 Coalburn; 54 Strathaven; 55
Netherburn and 56 Shotts.
From
March 1967 it was transferred to Nerston at East
Kilbride and was used on various routes before being
withdrawn and sold on 29th May 1969 to George Wilson
of Stonehouse, a local builder. There it was used as
a crew bus for 11 years taking workers to building
sites in East Kilbride and Cumbernauld, finally
ceasing work on 10th December 1980, its working life
having operated for an amazing 26 years. For the
next 25 years it was owned by several private
individuals and stored at the Scottish Vintage Bus
Museum in Whitburn, West Lothian, subsequently
moving to the museum's current premises at
Lathalmond, Fife in 1992.
Although it was only associated with two Central SMT
depots, it is nevertheless representative of the
fleet from all the other depots, i.e. Traction
House, Motherwell; Burnbank Road, Hamilton;
Stewarton Street, Wishaw; Gavinburn, Old Kilpatrick
and sub depots at Carluke and Muirkirk. It therefore
represents the history and heritage of bus travel
throughout west central Scotland from the 1930's to
the early 1950's.
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