This page created 31st December 2008
by Ian Smith Leaside Buses DBS1-13
In 1995 Leaside Buses, now part of the Cowie Group, were awarded the contract for the 263
(Archway Station - Barnet General Hospital),
to start in February 1996. For this they ordered thirteen DAF DB250RS
with single-doorway Palatine II bodies,
presumably because Hughes DAF was part of the Cowie empire.
It was the start of a long history of DAF DB250s with Cowie companies in London
and the still-to-emerge Arriva organisation,
although most would be the later low-floor version.
The buses arrived from stock during 1995, so were used for contracts, and in January 1996 the 221, until the 263 was ready for takeover. The new buses displaced MTL's Scanias, which went north to Fareway in Liverpool.
The DAFs stayed on the 263 until April 2001, when the route was lost by Arriva.
The displaced DAFs were ineligible to take up other TfL contracts, being step-entrance
as well as single doorway, so were transferred north to Arriva in Liverpool.
Arriva London North DBS1-15In 1999 DBS1-13 were joined at Wood Green by one of the dual-doorway DFDs from Leatherhead, DFD13, deemed redundant when the 85 operation was taken over by London United. This was renumbered as DBS14.Also received was DBS15, also dual door, which was bought from dealer stock. This was something of an oddity, as the chassis was in the 1993-4 sequence, and it was a Palatine II in this era of new low-floor buses. Yet it was newly registered with a V-registration.
When the 263 was surrendered in April 2001 these two dual doorway DAFs were in a slightly different position
from the single door variety. It was rumoured that one would go to Palmers Green for the 125,
but in the event both stayed at Wood Green for the 141. They remained there until October 2003,
when they transferred north to Bootle.
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