GNU568N History

GNU 568N

Chassis                                                   Leyland National 11351/1R

Bodywork                                                Leyland National B49F

Engine                                                     Leyland 510

Unladen Weight                                        8750 Kg

Built                                                         December 1974

Chassis Number                                       01753

Registration                                             GNU 568N

Original Operator                                      Trent Motor Traction Company Ltd

Fleet Number                                           421

Capacity                                                  49 seated + 13 standing = 62 total

GNU 568N was new to the Trent Motor Traction Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Bus Company (NBC), in December 1974. The bus received the fleet number 421, which it carried for all its life. The bus entered service with Trent painted in NBC poppy red livery. This bus was the first Leyland National purchased new by Trent, although the company had already acquired some of the type as part of the Trent take-over of Midland General. It was to be the first of 112 Mark 1 Leyland Nationals delivered new to Trent between December 1974 and January 1980. These were followed by 26 Mark 2 Leyland Nationals delivered new to Trent between September 1980 and January 1983. These have since been followed by various second hand Mark 1 Leyland Nationals.

Trent was privatised on the 30th December 1986, being sold to a Trent management team known as Wellglade. Wellglade acquired Barton Transport of Chilwell in 1989 and the Trent and Barton fleets have been integrated, although both retain their separate fleetnames. Wellglade acquired Kinchbus of Barrow-upon-Soar in 1998.

Following deregulation of UK bus services in October 1986 a bus war broke out in Loughborough when Leicester CityBus set up a subsidiary company, Loughborough Coach & Bus, with its Trippit minibuses competing with Trent in Loughborough. As part of Trent’s battle plan 421 and the other Nationals allocated to Loughborough depot had their NBC poppy red livery modified with the addition of a white band on the cove panels which carried the slogan ‘Trent The Best in Town’. In January 1988 Trent agreed to pull out of Loughborough town services in return for a shareholding in Leicester CityBus. The Trent vehicles allocated to Loughborough were transferred to other Trent depots with 421 being allocated to Derby. It was subsequently repainted in the Trent Buses red and silver livery, followed by the new (and very attractive) Trent Buses red, cream and black livery. During 1997 it was stored serviceable at Langley Mill depot, although it did see some use here and was also occasionally used by Nottingham (Barton) depot.

The bus was withdrawn from service in September 1997 and stored at Langley Mill depot until it was sold. In May 1998 it was purchased for preservation by the current owners, Paul Barrett and Alan Fairbrother. It was acquired in Trent Buses red, cream and black livery with Trent Buses fleet names, the interior is still fairly original with chrome poles, red vinyl seats and none of the DiPTAC features that most of Trent’s Nationals received. The bus was collected from Langley Mill depot in early May 1998 and the plan was to drive it to its new home near Woking, Surrey. However it got no further than Leicester Forest East services on the M1 Motorway where it suffered terminal engine failure. The bus was towed back to Langley Mill depot and a replacement Leyland 510 engine was subsequently fitted. On the 30th May 1998 a second attempt was made to bring the bus down to Woking, fortunately this time all went well and the bus arrived safely at its new home.

The bus was rallied between June 1998 and April 1999. It was then taken off the road so that work could be carried out on it. Unfortunately due to a lack of spare time and money and also due to the owners’ other Leyland Nationals keep developing faults; no work was done on the bus until 2004, when a few minor tasks were carried out. It then languished until October 2007 when it was adopted by Claire Barrett and work finally started on its restoration. After three and a half years work it passed its first MOT in thirteen years in March 2011. The bus was repainted in June 2011 into its current livery; ‘Trent The Best in Town’ modified NBC poppy red livery which was known as ‘Loughborough Livery’. Restoration is still ongoing, although the vast majority has now been done.

 

Depot allocations

Loughborough                                      1974 to 1988

Derby                                                   1988 to 1991

Langley Mill / Ilkeston                            1991 to 1997