The London Country TD Leyland Tiger / Duple Coaches

This page created 18th June 2003, updated 18th February 2009 by Ian Smith

1983 saw the retirement of many more of the leased RS and RB coaches, these now being five years old and therefore no longer at the cutting edge of luxury coach travel. Fashions in coaching change very quickly, and Greenline now had to run very fast to keep up with a modern image. After the TL Leopard intake in 1982 Greenline looked to a heavier chassis in the shape of the Leyland Tiger and ordered 70: 45 with Duple Dominant IV bodywork (TD1-45) and 25 with Plaxton Paramount 3200 bodies (TP1-25).

The TDs were ordered with three different seating capacities and liveries:

TD1-24 seated 49 or 53 and were in a new Greenline livery in accordance with the new NC style: the basic colour was white, with a waistband of mid green, pale green at the front. A diagonal NBC comb of mid green and pale green was applied, and large Green Line fleetnames applied above the rear wheels. They were for private hire or Greenline stage express work, and went to various parts of the London Country system. Some were immediately branded for the Flightline 777 service and downseated to 49 with luggage rack.

TD25-28, 39-45 were 53 seaters for National Express services, and wore the white with red/blue combs of the NatEx fleet, with Green Line fleetnames. They were initially allocated to Reigate, and worked to exotic locations such as Manchester, Bradford and Cardiff.

TD29-38 were 46-reclining-seaters for the 747 Jetlink non-stop link between Gatwick and Heathrow airports. These had yellow instead of pale green in the livery, and were prominently sign-written for Jetlink 747. These ten were allocated to Staines.

But the initial situation did not last long. Those on 747 Jetlink duties were displaced by new BTL coaches at the end of 1984, and were quickly taken into works for a repaint into National Holidays white livery (except TD37, which gained National Express livery).

September 1986 saw the politically-inspired break-up of London Country into four small companies, who were then too busy competing for business to be mindful of co-operating over Greenline services. Tendering brought new problems and opportunities, with the demise of much of the Greenline network. On the other hand it brought new requirements for 49-seater coaches on certain school bus runs, which saw TDs in operation on the rural 384 from Stevenage.

But their five-year leases were up in the autumn of 1988 and they returned to Kirby Leasing for a new lease of life further afield. Some did return to the London fringes: TD20, 21 and 45 were acquired by BTS at Borehamwood by sometime in 1990, while TD4, after a while with The Delaine, reappeared at Southlands Coaches at Swanley.

TD4 was acquired by Southlands Coaches in March 2002, and in June was in their garage at Swanley being repainted. Two years later, also in June, it was lurking behind one of their Javelins in the garage yard.

TD1 has entered preservation. After a period in North Wales as a school bus it appeared at Stevenage during the June 2009 Running Day, and in September at Showbus.

In Green-Line's 8oth year TD1 was repainted in Green Line colours, making an appearance at the Stevenage & Hertford Running Day in June 2010.

Bus Stop Index TL TD text histories photo refs TP