7366 (YNA 321M)

Having secured 7147 (VNB 173L) one of a rare batch of only five flat screened Northern Counties Leyland Atlanteans Standards as reported at Item 9 in this newsletter, it seemed to us that the only variation of body style that we had not actually reflected in our extensive collection of ex-SELNEC/GMT Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline was a flat screened Northern Counties bodied Daimler Fleetline Standard with single door configuration. 

Although we have three Northern Counties bodied Daimler Fleetline Standards with flat windscreens, EX19 (TNB 759K), 7206 (VNB 177L) and 7232 (VNB 203L) all of these are of dual door configuration.  Consequently, it seemed that if no-one else was to preserve a flat screened single door Northern Counties Daimler Fleetline we ought to do so before there are no examples left.  It did seem that there is a considerable concentration by preservationists new and old interested in securing examples of the GMT Standard but these have principally concentrated on the last batch of alloy bodied fully automatic Atlanteans and very little attention has been paid to the �missing links�.   We therefore contacted Brecks who still had in ownership four 1973 Fleetlines, being:-

            7363 (YNA 318M)

            7366 (YNA 321M)

            7375 (YNA 330M)

            7391 (YNA 346M)

Initial contact with Brecks indicated that the vehicle that was in the best mechanical condition was 7363 and in best body condition was 7366 which was the last one of the four still in service. 

There were 146 flat screened Northern Counties bodied Daimler Fleetlines delivered in the batch 7206 to 7500.  7206 to 7251 and 7280 to 7281 were the 48 dual doored variants and 7348 and 7401 to 7500 depicted the Mark 1A wrap round windscreen design and were delivered to Greater Manchester Transport specifications.  This just left 146 flat screened single doored vehicles being 7252 to 7279, 7282 to 7347 and 7349 to 7400.

Our discussions with Brecks International Coaches led us to conclude that 7375 and 7391 were not viable projects as they had been out of service for some time.  Our attention then turned to 7363 and 7366.  7363 was in fact still in Greater Manchester�s white, orange and brown livery, having operated in those colours since being withdrawn from service at deregulation on 26^th October 1986. 

Although in slightly better mechanical condition than 7366 it had not had the amount of repair work to the body and repanelling or been repainted and consequently a decision was taken that 7366 would be the ideal preservation candidate and through discussions and negotiations we secured ownership of the vehicle on 8^th September 2002.  We did not, however, collect the vehicle immediately due to space problems and a number of other ongoing activities but, very kindly, Stuart Ulph, the Proprietor of Brecks International Coaches, allowed us to visit his premises whilst attending the Sheffield Bus Museum Rally at Meadowhall on Sunday 8^th September 2002, the day before our ownership was officially confirmed.  Having taken 408 (AJA 408L) to the Sheffield event we left several members there to look after it whilst others in our society van and on a local train service travelled across to Rotherham to visit Brecks premises where we looked over 7366, many of us seeing it for the first time in order to check that everything was in good order for its subsequent collection the following Friday 13^th September 2002, when it was to be taken to our new storage facility in Macclesfield.  Also on the day, very kindly, Stuart Ulph allowed us to remove a number of body parts, seat backs and other items of assistance in our rectification and preservation activities from the two scrap vehicles 7375 and 7391.  7363 was no longer in attendance as it had been sold previously for scrap to another operator who wished to use its Gardner engine.  We loaded up the van with the spare parts that we kindly secured in order to take them back to Leigh and put them into stock and then returned to the rally site at Sheffield Meadowhall and thence to Leigh in 408. 

Thereafter on the agreed Friday 13^th September 2002, 7366 was collected from Brecks premises in Rotherham and driven to our facility in Macclesfield.  The only difficulty experienced on the day was that the radiator sprang a leak requiring the water to be topped up more frequently than would otherwise be the case.  7366 is very much a long term project but does fill one of the gaps in the ongoing design and development of the Standard vehicle from EX1 in 1970 through to 7001 in 1990.  

It is the case that 7366 was delivered new on 18^th February 1974 to SELNEC PTE being one of the last vehicles delivered before the changeover to Greater Manchester Transport on 1^st April 1974.  By this time the four divisions of SELNEC; Central; Northern; Southern; and Cheshire had been disbanded and newer vehicles such as 7366 were delivered with an orange SELNEC flash.  It was taken out of service at deregulation  on 26^th October 1986 along with all 7000 series Fleetlines still in service and all semi-automatic Atlanteans up to 7559 and was held in storage with about 600 other vehicles withdrawn from service with the Greater Manchester PTE that were not required by Greater Manchester Buses and was eventually sold to the agent appointed to dispose of these vehicle, Kirkby Central, on 25^th August 1987.  

Thereafter, it was purchased by London Buses on 2^nd December 1987 and was operated in London in white, orange and brown then being sold to Samsons Coaches of Hoddlesden on 21^st February 1988 who kept it until 1^st September 1988 before selling it to Brecks International on this date.  

Brecks received it and ran it for many years in white, orange and brown before painting it in their white, blue and red livery and withdrew it in 2002 when, after 14 years service with them, it became available for preservation by the SELNEC Preservation Society formally acquiring ownership on 8^th September 2002.

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