0261

0261 seen when it was being collected from Speke Garage in 2006.

HISTORY

0261 is one of 80 Leyland Olympians delivered to Merseybus during 1988 and 1989. Ten were delivered to the Fareway division as 0159-0168 but the rest came to the main fleet as 0201-0270. They were bodied by both Alexander and Northern Counties, the full 70 comprising two batches of each. 0201-0215 were bodied by Northern Counties in the current GM style. 0216-0230 and 0231-50 were bodied by Alexander being delivered in 1988 and 1989 respectively. 0251-70 were bodied by Northern Counties to a newer style with a flatter front grille.

All of Olympians passed to Arriva who renumbered them into their 3xxx series, replacing the first 0 with a 3. The E-reg examples were quickly sold, a large batch going to Happy Als of Birkenhead. 0224 and 0227 survive with Arriva to this day as open toppers at Rhyl depot. The Alexander bodied F-reg examples (0231-0250) were the next to go with 6 going to Arriva North East. Five of these, and one they bought directly off Arriva Merseyside, now operate with Avon Buses on the Wirral. The 19 surviving later Northern Counties examples (as 0270 was stolen by youths and was wrecked) lasted in service right upto 2006 when they were withdrawn en masse and sold, with five transferred to Arriva Midlands North.

0261 was new to Southport depot in 1989 where it led a pretty uneventful life before being transferred to Speke depot in 2001, just after the sale of MTL to Arriva.

It was bought by Dave Wright for preservation in mid 2006.

0261 seen not long after arriving at Burscough.