Leyland Titan TD1

111 is the oldest bus at Bridgeton and is believed to be the oldest remaining Leyland Titan TD1; one of only three with open staircases; and possibly the oldest double decker ever operated by a Scottish operator still in existence.

The Titan was a landmark design. It was introduced in 1927 with a six cylinder 6.8L petrol engine. Regarded as the most advanced passenger transport chassis ever produced it was adopted into many bus fleets as their first ever double decker.

Among other aspects it originated the “lowbridge” design patented by Leyland which provided bench seating and rows of four with a sunken gangway on the top deck. This permitted the overall height of the vehicle to be kept just over 13 feet. Many TD1s were built to this style by Leyland and other manufacturers under licence. The early examples all had rear open staircases. Innovations included four-wheel brakes and self-starters, which were soon copied by other manufacturers and many other features became standard bus practice. Over 2,300 Titans were built between 1927 and 1932. Glasgow Corporation were enthusiastic early users taking 15 Titans almost as soon as the model became available. This was followed by a batch of a further 100, delivered over 1928 and 1929.

This bus was new in 1928 with a petrol engine, and ran in Glasgow until May 1940 at which point it was requisitioned as a Civil Defence ambulance. By the mid-1940s, it had been converted to a static caravan in Kent where it remained for almost 50 years until it entered preservation in 1989.

The owner could only say that the old bus had been lying there for about 40 years. It was derelict and although it was mechanically complete the top deck was totally missing and what remained of the body had been extensively adapted for its role as a caravan.

The original body was beyond restoration so a new body to the original design was constructed, initially by SBG Engineering, then later being completed at the SVBM ready for the bus’s launch at the Strathclyde Buses Centenary celebrations in 1994.

The chassis survived in its original condition and required only superficial refurbishment and the fitting of a reconditioned engine although the original model of petrol engine at 70 years old was never the most reliable so in recent years the bus has been further upgraded to a Leyland diesel engine of similar vintage.