New To: Nottingham City Transport

Chassis: Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R 8100280

Body: Northern Counties 2087 H47/31D

History

Delivered in November 1981 to Nottingham City Transport as part of a batch of 20 similar vehicles, 442 is fitted with a Northern Counties Double Deck body, seating a total of 78 passengers, 47 upstairs and 31 downstairs. It was one of the penultimate batch of Atlanteans supplied to NCT.

It is built to what is known as the “Nottingham Standard” design, which gave Nottingham’s buses a distinctive look for many years. The Nottingham Standard included many features such as, an angled destination allowing it to be viewed easier, higher internal ceilings, a front bumper to reduce accident damage, curved upper deck front windows, curved windscreens and a standardisation of parts between different vehicles for ease of maintenance.

442 was operated from Sherwood and Bulwell depots for its service life, being repainted in September 1987 and April 1990. It had the staircase window panelled over in August 1993 prior to the application of a between deck advert for Palmers Kitchens & Conservatories of Trent Bridge. This was replaced in March 1994 with one for Loot, a local classified paper. By June 1995 an advert for Nottingham’s Merry Markets on behalf of the City Council was applied. This was followed by one for the City of Nottingham Council Centenary in June 1997.

After withdrawal in March 1999, 442 passed to Franks of Markfield, trading as Fleetline Buses on the 12th of April 1999. Here it was to operate for six years on Leicestershire school contracts.On the 9th of November 2005 442 joined ourselves. As we were heavily occupied on other projects the vehicle was dispatched in June 2006 to Winsons at Loughborough for a complete mechanical overhaul. Unfortunately this proved to include the need for new springs, brake actuators and a replacement gearbox. The nearside roof had sustained heavy damage, so we took the decision to convert it to partial open top.

442 over time has received plenty of attention. The entire lower deck floor has been removed to allow full refurbishment of the chassis and floor bearers. Whilst undertaking this work we have taken the opportunity to replace the power steering pipes from front to back. Road wheels have been overhauled and repainted. New tyres have been fitted. The bus has also been completely re-panelled. 442 returned from painting in 2022 and is awaiting completion.

Relevance To The Collection

This is another example of the Nottingham Standard bus, and 442 represents one of the last styles of the Leyland Atlantean supplied to NCT. 442 is (as far as we are aware) the newest Nottingham Standard Leyland Atlantean in existence.