Bolton Corporation 277
1968 Leyland Atlantean PDR1
East Lancashire
In 1952, following on from the front engine PD1, 2 & 3 Leylands, the rear engined Atlantean was introduced, the prototype being numbered 530001, with the second vehicle (542209) following in 1954. It was initially named the “Lowloader” and designated PDR1, the “R” indicating rear-engine.
Bolton Corporation 277 entered service new in 1968 but was transferred to the Northern Division of SELNEC (South East Lancashire/North East Cheshire) PTE on the 1st November 1969 where it acquired the new fleetnumber 6777 in their March 1970 re-numbering scheme. Allocated to the Bury depot, the body mouldings were removed to bring it into line with the appearance of the standard Atlanteans in the fleet at that time. With local government reorganisation on April 1st 1974, the bus was absolved into the new Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), and carried a BY sticker, designating it’s Bury allocated depot.
In 1984 it was withdrawn from service and sold to the University of Salford to become a mobile computer/exhibition unit together with its sister vehicle MWH 274G and bore fleet number 01-Flamefast. It then passed to the New Life Church in Scunthorpe who owned it until 1996 when it was acquired by present owner Ian Amarnani & stored on a farm in Westhoughton. It was then moved to Keighley Bus Museum for a short period before landing here at Town & District Transport Trust.