458 - Leyland Atlantean (Metro-Cammell) "PLYMOUTH ADVENTURER"

On 17th September 1962, 158 was involved in an incident while on service 25 whereby a Mrs. Warren’s stockings were torn on a seat. A month later on 8th October 1962, around 9am, it collided with a bus stop in Crownhill while on service 12.

After 13 years, in April 1975, it was converted to open-top, along with 159 (WJY759) and 160 (WJY760). They were fitted with brackets for destination boards to be carried on the front and rear before being repainted into a yellow and white livery with red lining and all three were named. 158 was named “PLYMOUTH ADVENTURER” which was the name chosen by pupils of Class 3 East of St. Peters Church of England Secondary School, Wyndham Square in Plymouth. 159 was named “THE SPIRIT OF PLYMOUTH” and 160 became “GOLDEN HIND”.

The 3 open-toppers were put to work on a new summer special service 53 between Stonehouse (Western King) and Bovisands via the City Centre (a resurection of old old '53' from 1958 which operated between Bretonside Bus Station and R.A.F. Mount Batten), replacing Western National's service 62. They also covered for the open-top 1956 Leyland Titan no. 358 (MCO658) on service 54, the Sea-front Circular via The Barbican and The Hoe. In 1975 the adult single fare for the new service from Stonehouse to Bovisands was just 22p! Click here to download a copy of the summer 1977 timetables. The half-hourly service was supplemented by ordinary closed-top buses during the busy school summer holidays due to the enormous popularity of the service and very often 3 or more buses were required for the last journey back to Plymouth.

At 12:45 on 8th June 1975, the driver reversed 158 into a parked car at Bovisands while on service 53.

The 3 open-toppers were also used on Dockyard and Industrial specials during the acute vehicle shortages of 1978 - even during the winter months! They were also driven to Epsom for Derby Day horseracing on several occasions. And by 1978, 158 had received advertising for Plymouth Sound Radio applied to its yellow livery and was renumbered 458 to make way for the new East Lancs bodied Atlanteans being delivered to Plymouth.

By 1982 the final conductors were being phased out at Plymouth City Transport, and 458 was modified for one-man operation in November 1981 – one of the last in the fleet to be done. As a result, 458 was fitted with a three-piece rear engine bustle incorporating reversing lights, a Bell Punch coin vault and Setright motor was fitted next to the drivers cab (for the fares collected), a “Pay as You Enter” illuminated sign was fitted to the front above the nearside headlight, and a periscope was fitted enabling the driver to view the upper deck. The work meant that from the start of the 1982 summer season, 458, 459 and 460 would be operated by just a driver.

In 1982, the Plymouth bus network was the subject of a major market analysis project which resulted in big changes to the routes operated. At the launch of the new services, Plymouth City Transport adopted a new livery and new Plymouth CityBus fleetnames. 458 received a repaint in 1984 into a new yellow and white livery based on the standard version of the red and cream used on the main fleet of buses. The “PLYMOUTH ADVENTURER” name was also applied to the side of 458 – above the drivers cab window and above the front entrance door – along with newer gold leaf style fleet numbers and a new Plymouth CityBus fleetname.

In May 1989, 458 received a new livery of white and purple, with various logos promoting Plymouth’s tourist attractions. But by 1991 458 was facing an uncertain future. Guide Friday had taken over the open-top service around the Barbican and The Hoe, which had now become The Plymouth Tour, using drivers provided by Plymouth CityBus, and the summer service 53 to Bovisands transferred to Western National, who renumbered it 17 and used ordinary stage carriage buses. Guide Friday brought in their own fleet of buses for The Plymouth Tour, and 458 was withdrawn from service in June 1991 after 29 years serving the people of Plymouth.

458 was subsequently sold to J. Stephenson and C. E. Spalding of Scarborough who operated it on the Scarborough sea-front service. It was repainted yellow and blue and carried the fleet name of Shoreline Suncruisers. It subsequently found service on The Whitby Tour, in a two-tone blue livery, and then finally The York Tour in a blue, ivory and green livery before being impounded by Ebor Trucks of Acaster Malbis for non-payment of repair work carried out.