London Bus Museum Display

23 October 2011

The buses on display are well reported elsewhere, but the Leylands from Mike Sutcliffe's collection can't pass without a record here as well.

The oldest surviving British-built bus, this 1908 Central Omnibus Leyland X-type carries a Tilling 1906 body originally fitted to a Milnes-Daimler that was converted to a lorry. At 34 seats, the design is reminiscent of the horse bus. Central was one of the may operators introducing new motor buses in London, prior to the rationalisation of 1912 that saw the General reign supreme.

The LT Museum's 1920 K-type, although still on its solid tyres, shows considerable development of bus design, in particular the siting of the driver next to rather than behind the engine, which increased capacity to 46. The similar but larger S-type increased this to 56.

Chocolate Express was the first of the so-called 'pirate' operators who sprung up after the first war. This 1924 Leyland LB5 carries a 48-seat Dodson body. The pneumatic tyres were fitted in 1930. The RT next to it was designed 15 years after the Leyland was built.