Leyland Titan (B15)
Leyland Titan B15 5 May 2001 in use in London
The Leyland Titan (B15 ) was a double-decker bus in a self-supporting design for left-hand traffic by Leyland Motors and was produced from 1978 to 1984 mainly for London Transport.
History of development
The Titan was first conceived in 1973 as project B15 and was originally developed as a replacement for both the Leyland Atlantean and Bristol VRT for. After the Leyland National, a self-supporting single deck, could be sold successfully Leyland decided because of the austerity measures by the British Leyland Motor Corporation ( BLMC ) not to develop new own platform, but to be used for the construction of the National as a base. Thus many existing mechanical components would have been used and also the entry lower than in previous double-decker buses. In the body shop company caused the departure from the usual body-on - chassis construction concern about the stability. Discussions with the two largest British Busaufbauherstellern Walter Alexander Coachbuilders and Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Company about possible bus bodies led to no result.
Leyland saw London Transport ( LT) as an important market for the new model, so that the specification has been strongly influenced by LT- specifications, which in turn were influenced by their problems with previously supplied Daimler / Leyland Fleetline double-decker buses. Between 1975 and 1977 five prototypes ( B15.01 - B15.05 ) were built, of which two at the London Transport Executive (LTE ) ran in trial operation on the city bus lines 24 and 16.
The bus was 9.56 meters long and 2.5 meters wide with a height of 4.4 meters in the standard version. In this case, the smallest possible turning circle and a low floor height was given. In the lead frame of riveted construction was secured from an aluminum alloy, similar to the Leyland National. Possible were versions with double doors at the front and in the middle ( London) as well as just the front and various options for the location of the stairs to the upper deck ( directly behind the driver's seat, or more towards the middle ). The front wheels were independently suspended rear there was an inverted portal axle with air suspension. The brakes were standard hydraulically operated.
The housed in the rear diesel engine of the prototype was still one of the Leyland 500 series version with turbocharger and 170 bhp (127 kW), which was not considered reliable at that time because of problems with the fixed cylinder head. Therefore, other engines were used in the series production, first of Gardner 6LXB, and later the Leyland TL11. Reading received a number of regional bus version with Gardner 6LXCT engine. The engine is transversely placed upright at the rear, wherein the radiator was placed in a separate compartment to the right through the motor. This resulted in an unusual arrangement of the relatively small, almost square in the rear lower deck. Another distinguishing feature of the end of the 1970s constructed Leyland Olympian ( double-decker chassis) is the greater height of the side windows on the lower deck compared to those in the upper deck.
Series Production 1978-1984
The name " Titan" was from 1927 (TD1 ) to 1942 ( TD7 ) or 1969 ( PD3 ) for a successful double-decker bus number used Leyland Titan and also re-elected as a name for the new double-decker model.
The production of B15 was launched in June 1977, initially should at Park Royal Vehicles 100 units are produced. Thereafter, production should be shifted to become the Leyland Group belonging to former AEC factory in Southall. This led to difficulties in the Leyland - owned enterprises Park Royal, where 200 skilled workers besteikten the work because of the uncertain future. This production began very slowly, the first vehicle was delivered in August 1978 LT. The production was not moved to Southall, since Leyland decided in October 1978, because of the difficulties in BLMC Group to close the plant and keep the titanium production at Park Royal. The slow production continued further, leading to the cancellation of a number of existing contracts by itself. Leyland tried to replace them with semi-skilled workers to continue previous professionals. Finally, Leyland decided in October 1979 to close the Park Royal plant in May 1980. Once that decision was made and a productivity -related social plan was negotiated, production increased significantly. While Park Royal had 14 months used to build the first hundred vehicles, it only took another seven months by a further contingent of 150 to build.
Because of the same problems with lack of skilled workers in ECW in Lowestoft, there continue production, it was finally decided that the production in an expanded facility in put back into operation plant in Workington, where the Leyland National was built to continue. It took until the plant expanded and the production facilities of Park Royal were transferred and installed and the production could be resumed almost a year. The ongoing delays caused the loss of further orders.
In addition to the production difficulties were special titanium specifications that were influenced by London Transport, unpopular with other municipal bus company and has also a sales success outside London. This was in addition to the hydraulic brakes in particular, that no other, mostly locally tailored to the respective bus companies, car body could be established. To Greater Manchester PTE acquired only 15 instead of the 190 originally ordered, which were later sold to other operators such as Wrights of Wrexham and South Midland, and West Midlands PTE only five instead of 80, which were later taken over by London Transport. Other customers were not local companies bound Read Transport, the two Park -Royal- titanium - with a raised roof, seats with fabric upholstery and no standing area for overland tours - as well as Workington ten Park -Royal- Titans acquired.
A titanium B15 Probebus was exported to Hong Kong and operated by China Motor Bus as TC1 ( CD1213 ). A long version (3 copies) was planned for this customer, but as a result of difficulties in Park Royal canceled two orders and purchased a Leyland Victory Mk 2 instead. A revised and improved model was presented in 1982 the bus company, but could not move any further orders. The company preferred the flexibility and lower cost of the Leyland Olympian and the copy was eventually sold to the Scottish company Ian Glass of Haddington.
The orders for new double-decker buses of London Transport Leyland shared with the Metro Cammell Weymann and titanium with the MCW Metrobus, the production of titanium just for LT, however, would have been uneconomical. Until December 1981 only 370 Titans had been delivered to London (compared to this time were already 700 Metro buses in stock). Leyland therefore made pressure on London to increase the titanium - orders. As a result, Leyland received the entire orders for 1982 by 275 vehicles. This led to layoffs at Metro Cammell Weymann ( MCW ). Also in 1983 Leyland was favored with 210 titanium specimens over 150 Metro buses. After another batch of 240 copies was ordered for 1984, it was decided to end the production of titanium after this order fulfillment. The last Titan was taken in November 1984 as a carriage No. T1125 in operation.