THE SELNEC/GMT NATIONALS AND THE PRESERVATION OF 105 (HNB 24N)

Except for the Manchester rear engined vehicles and the Mancunians that the SELNEC Preservation Society has procured, the principal objectives and historic approach chosen by the SELNEC Preservation Society for its vehicles, has been to reflect the design and development of buses operated through the formation of the SELNEC PTE on 1st November 1969, and subsequent operations.

The PTE was formed following the requirements of the Transport Act 1968 and 11 bus fleets were brought together, being Ashton, Bolton, Bury, Leigh, Manchester, Oldham, Ramsbottom, Rochdale, Salford, SHMD (Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley, Dukinfield) and Stockport.

However, having inherited over 2,500 vehicles from these 11 constituent companies, SELNEC PTE found that there was no interchangeability of body/mechanical parts, so decided to produce Standard vehicles which would be used throughout the entire PTE Region, and the first of these, being the prototype Standard EX1, has been preserved and restored by the SELNEC Preservation Society.

We also have a number of other Standard vehicles showing the on-going and continuing design and development of the double deck Standard PTE vehicle through the SELNEC PTE era from 1st November 1969 - 31st March 1974, Greater Manchester Transport from 1st April 1974 - 25th October 1986, GM Buses Ltd from 26th October 1986 - 31st March 1994 and GM Buses North and South Ltd from 1st April 1994.

Also in terms of double deck policy, the SELNEC Preservation Society has also secured examples of semi-integral and integral vehicles operated by GMT being the very first Metrobus 5001 (GBU 1V) and the last of the Leyland Titans 4015 (GNF 15V). We also have an Eastern Coachwork bodied Bristol VRT 408 (AJA 408L) delivered to SELNEC Cheshire, being the company based on North Western, subsequently added to the SELNEC PTE on 1st January 1972.

In terms of single deckers, although the SELNEC Preservation Society has four examples of the unique Seddon Pennine Minibuses used principally on the Pic Vic shuttle service between Manchester Victoria Station and Piccadilly Station (1700, 1711, 1733 and 1735), a Bristol LH6 ordered by Wigan but delivered to GMT after its incorporation on 1st April 1974 (1321), and the unique Dennis Domino, 1751, there was clearly a vehicle class missing from the SELNEC Preservation Society's collection, reflecting PTE operation through SELNEC and GMT days, that being the effective 'Standard' single deck vehicle, the Leyland National.

In this regard, we decided we should redress the situation and acquire a Leyland National for our collection, to complement our other single deck vehicles as mentioned above and also to complement the standard double deck vehicles we have.

We were conscious that the Museum of Transport in their excellent collection of vehicles in Boyle Street, Manchester, had the very first production Leyland National and the first of this class delivered to SELNEC in SELNEC livery, being EX30 which has the 11.3 metre long wheel base with dual door bodywork.

Consequently, we felt we might complement this example by securing a GMT liveried short wheel base 10.3 metre Leyland National with single door bodywork and this we have now achieved in securing GMT 105 (HNB 24N) which we acquired on 26th February 2000.

As stated above SELNEC/GMT designed their own Standard double deck vehicle in the form of 1,836 vehicles on Atlantean and Fleetline chassis, built in conjunction with Northern Counties and Park Royal. However, concerning single deck vehicles, they did not design their own (as single deckers had always been the minority in Manchester and were, for a very long time, the minority in SELNEC/GMT days, quite unlike the present-day arrangement where modern vehicles running for First Manchester and Stagecoach Manchester are predominately single deckers).

So SELNEC purchased two experimental batches of vehicles - 12 Leyland Nationals and 12 Metro Scanias for evaluation purposes in order to choose an 'off-the-shelf' vehicle for their single decker requirements.

The Leyland Nationals were delivered in the batch EX30 - EX41 and later re-numbered 1330 - 1341 and were registered TXJ 507K - TXJ 514K/VVM 601L - VVM 604L. The first of these, EX30 was the very first production Leyland National and is now preserved at the Museum of Transport in Manchester as mentioned previously. They all had dual door body work, the first eight, EX30 - EX37 were 1151/2R long wheel base 11.3 metres (B45D), although EX30 was B43D. The remaining four EX38 - EX41 were 1051/2R short wheel base 10.3 metres long (B39D).

The batch of Metro Scanias that were also purchased for evaluation, were EX42 - EX53, later re-numbered 1342 - 1353. They all had dual door bodywork, the first eight EX42 - EX49 (TXJ 515K - TXJ 522K) were BR111MH, long wheel base B44D and EX50 - EX57 (VVM 605L - VVM 608L) were BR110MH, short wheel base B40D, as was the 'hush bus', EX60 (1360) (VVM 609L).

The evaluation of these two batches ended up with a preference for Leyland Nationals. So, consequently, SELNEC placed an order for a further 20 of the shorter 10.3 metre wheel base but this time with single door front entrance. These were delivered as 1300-1319, but in all-over white at that stage, as in 1974 it was uncertain precisely what the forthcoming GMT livery would be in light of the proposed change-over from SELNEC.

They had the Leyland National 1051/1R/0502 chassis and B41F bodywork and were registered XVU 367M - XVU 385M, although 1319 was delivered after the registration change on 1st August 1974, and therefore became GND 511N.

When first delivered they actually came in not only all-over white but with orange SELNEC flashes, but these were quickly removed and metropolitan orange paint applied and GMT legal lettering after the reorganisation and re-naming of the company on 1st April 1974 when the boundary was altered and Wigan was incorporated into the fleet.

With the 12 experimental vehicles and the 20 production vehicles a total of 32 Leyland Nationals were delivered to SELNEC. Then in 1974 GMT ordered a further 70 of the short wheel base Leyland Nationals. These were delivered in a new fleet number sequence starting at 101, commencing after the last numbered single decker, in the coach fleet 97 (JND 997N).

The registration numbers were quite varied at the time as this was the period when it was impossible for large blocks of registration numbers to be allocated and vehicles had to be registered in the batches as they were delivered.

The batch was made-up as follows:

Having received these 70 short wheel base 10.3 metre Leyland Nationals, the next order placed by GMT was for the long wheel base 11.3 metre variety being vehicle numbers 171 - 205.

Lancashire United Transport had been purchased by GMT on 1st April 1976 and consequently, vehicle policy was influenced by GMT design and development which is why the last 90 Fleetlines, although being delivered in red/grey and a different version of orange/white to GMT's specifications, were GMT Standard vehicles. Although receiving LUT fleet numbers, they were eventually re-numbered 6901 - 6990 in the standard double deck series.

The same was true in terms of single deck policy in that although LUT had previously purchased a number of Seddons, Bristols and Leyland Leopards, new vehicle deliveries between 1977 and 1979 were influenced by PTE policy, so consequently, they received the 11.3 metre long wheel base Leyland Nationals of which 45 were delivered in this two year period being LUT fleet numbers 465 - 479/530 - 536/543 - 565. These were re-numbered after 1st April 1981 when the LUT fleet was fully integrated into Greater Manchester Transport as 206 - 250, following on from the last true GMT National 205 ABA 30T.

An early withdrawal was vehicle 168 (KBU 903P) due to accident damage and some time later, 113 (HNE 637N) also received some damage.

However, the two vehicles were combined and a new bus was built from both of them, which was relaunched as 113 (HNE 637N) and this was the first single decker and the first Leyland National in the new corporate white/orange/brown GMT colours in 1981.

Many of the Leyland Nationals were taken out of service at de-regulation, and did not pass into the hands of Greater Manchester Buses Ltd on 26th October 1986.

Those that did so were: 132-134, 136-141, 145, 147, 148, 150-151, 153-154, 157, 159-162, 165-167, 169, 170, 176-180, 186-195, 197-203, 205, 228, 232, 234-240, 243, 245, 250 being a total of 60.

105 was, in fact, withdrawn at de-regulation and was stored at a PTE Depot, until such time as it was sold to the Kirkby Central arrangement on 27th February 1987 and then on to Bolton Coachways on 3rd March 1987.

It was then purchased by Ronald Charles Bott in Abergynolwy on 13th October 1990, and then by a dealer Martin Perry, Streamhill Garage, Bromyard, on 2nd May 1994, eventually passing to Caves Bus Service in Solihull on 4th October 1994.

After the split of GM Buses to North and South on 1st April 1994, each company then purchased a number of second-hand Leyland Nationals as follows:

When reviewing vehicle acquisition policy and rectification procedure, it was decided during the 1999 Rally season that we at the SELNEC Preservation Society did need to concentrate on acquiring a Leyland National, and in order to complement the SELNEC liveried long wheel base dual door vehicle EX30 in the ownership of the Museum of Transport, a GMT liveried short wheel base single door version was the key target.

An analysis of what vehicles were still available in reasonable condition showed that the best option was 105 (HNB 24N) the fifth short wheel base Leyland National delivered to GMT in 1975. After being withdrawn from operation in Greater Manchester, it ran for Bolton Coachways, a company in Wales, then Caves Bus Services in Solihull since 4th October 1994. Contact was made with them and consequently negotiations with the Dealer to whom the vehicle had been sold by Caves Bus Services ensued, with an agreement being made in February 2000 to purchase the vehicle.

Then arrangements were made to pay for the vehicle, so that ownership passed to the SELNEC Preservation Society on 26th February 2000.

Members of the Society, having visited Caves premises in Solihull, identified that there had been some front end damage to the vehicle and there were certain parts missing, such as an alternator, silencer and also that the bus had been re-trimmed in N. B. C. spec green vinyl seats.

However, very kindly, it was agreed that we could secure spare parts from scrap Nationals in the yard and so, having also obtained some spares from Barnsley, members of the SELNEC Preservation Society re-visited 105 on Saturday, 26th February 2000 to fit the alternator on the bus, plus a new set of batteries and also secure the silencer and other parts to restore it to reasonable condition.

Also, we were kindly allowed other spare parts to put into stock for future renovation requirements from the other Leyland Nationals at Caves and a supply of these parts was put on the bus on 26th February 2000.

A week later, three members of the SELNEC Preservation Society, visited once again, put on trade plates on 105, then drove it with the store of spare parts secured, back to our storage facilities in Wigan, where 105 is currently kept.

The front end damage will be addressed shortly and at some point in the future, the bus will be restored to its 1975 condition.

Since our acquisition of the vehicle last year, several rectification tasks have commenced.

It was decided that due to 105 being constructed entirely from steel, it would need thorough treatment of all framework and panelling, so the whole vehicle would need stripping down in order to do this.

The first job was to remove all lower skirt panels. These are all screwed into place on a National, and most didn't prove a problem to remove, however, some needed a little encouragement (and plenty of WD40!). Mud had gathered behind these skirt panels and had built up enough over the years to fill the gap between them and the inner shell of the bus! Luckily, however, there is no corrosion to worry about, amazingly so after 24 years in service.

Whilst removing the panels, both front and rear bumpers were taken off, along with the bonnet lid which is a flat aluminium replacement.

The broken nearside windscreen was also removed, caused by accident damage, which had taken the bus out of service with Caves of Solihull Lodge. The front end has been partly stripped down for rectification work and is soon to be completed. New panels for this have been sourced from Greengate Fabrications.

When we collected the vehicle its batteries were dead, so, upon arrival to collect it, we used a spare set to bring the vehicle back from Birmingham on its uneventful trip to Wigan, and since then all batteries have been removed and all battery connections have been cleaned. The battery cradle has had slight welding to it, and now the whole thing has been treated with two coats of zinc phosphate primer and one coat of Hammerite silver. The cradle now looks like new again.

When this was completed two new 12 volt batteries were sourced from Castlefield Batteries and a main joining lead was also acquired. These have since been fitted to the bus.

More recent work undertaken was the replacement of the lower section of one offside pillar due to accident damage and a piece welded into the back panel above the bonnet to fill a hole cut in the panel for additional lighting wiring.

The flasher unit has been replaced as this was found to be faulty and preventing indicators and lights from working. All wiring to the starter solenoid has been renewed with new connectors, as after 25 years it had all split and perished and was causing bad connections.

One big task which has just been started is to remove all the window pans, all the originals had no sills left at the base, due to damp getting in. On a National you have to remove all interior panels in order to replace the rivets which all go in from inside. Once these window pans were removed by an outside motor body repairer, Ian Hodson, and as all the interior seats and panels had been taken out earlier, it was decided that any other panels which needed replacing had to be done whilst they were accessible. Therefore, new panels were sourced from Greengate Fabrications.

When all the panels were off, all framework was treated with two coats of zinc phosphate primer and two coats of gloss black over the top. This will prevent it from corroding in the future.

In the working days at Wigan since 12th January 2003 through to 18th May 2003 a number of areas of progress have been undertaken with some spare parts being obtained from scrap yards as follows.
        - Vents fitted.
        - Floor painted.
        - Left power door re-hung.
        - Panel above air door fitted.
        - Replaced glass screens.
        - Painted stripped green bars back to silver.
        - Fitted window pans internally.
        - Fitted internal melamine
        - Cleaned internal melamine
        - Rubbed down, red oxided and painted seat frames.
        - Steering column and indicator unit replaced.
        - Red oxided mid deck step and wheel arches.
        - Sanded down and red oxided all wheels
        - Fitted front and rear licence plates.
        - Fitted all side windows, some with new rubbers obtained from scrap yard.
        - Rewired the start/stop solenoid.
        - Removed all external vinyls and markings.
        - Some skirt panels refitted.

On the working day on 2nd February 2003 spare seat cushions in green leather and spare seatbacks with the right style of melamine obtained from a scrap vehicle were taken to Gordon Morris at GLG Coachtrimmers in Wigan in order that they could be stripped down and entirely re-covered in the appropriate Greater Manchester orange moquette which we had also supplied to him.  We had a quantity of this made some years ago in order to re-trim the lower deck of 408 (AJA 408L), both decks of 5001 (GBU 1V) and 105 (HNB 24N).  Unfortunately, on 105 the seat cushions were of poor quality and consequently we also ordered from Vitafoam a full set of new rubbers for the cushions as part of this renovation.