An eye-catching convoy of 11 heritage Leyland buses took part in a road run to and from Keswick via Cockermouth on Sunday.
The first of more than 7,000 ground-breaking Leyland National buses rolled off the production line at a new factory located at Lillyhall, near Workington, in early 1972.
To celebrate 50 years of the Leyland National, Workington Transport Heritage Trust organised a festival in 2022 which took place on and around the historic harbour front at Whitehaven.
The event attracted bus enthusiasts from all over the country and has now become a fixture on the calendar. Leyland National 53 will take place over the early bank holiday weekend, May 3-4, and will feature an additional free service on top of the existing park and ride, Whitehaven town tour, scenic and beach runs via a feeder service to and from Cockermouth. There will also be a fairground, street food village with live music, craft market and various exhibitions.
To celebrate the planned feeder service to Cockermouth and to ‘stretch the legs’ of some of the heritage vehicles in preparation for the event, Workington Transport Heritage organised Sunday’s road run from Keswick. This comprised 11 buses running in convoy through Cockermouth and Embleton, then via the A66 to the top roundabout at Keswick.
They then returned via the town centre, Thornthwaite and Bassenthwaite Lake station where there was a pause to take in the fabulous views and weather, and refreshments at the train.
In pride of place were six Leyland Nationals ranging from one of the earliest examples –Cumberland 353 of 1973 to three Mark 2 Nationals dating from the 1980s. These included a former Cumberland vehicle painted in Western SMT (Scottish Motor Traction) livery which had been preserved in Glasgow, and a bus recently repainted in the blue and cream livery of its former operator, Barrow Corporation.
In addition there were five Volvo B10M vehicles including two buses in the familiar Stagecoach stripes livery of the 1990s, and, back on home turf, was the ‘Cumbria Connexions’ coach which operated the express Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith service during the early 2000s.
Volunteers were involved at all stages, in planning the route, cleaning, preparing and maintaining the buses, and driving and taking photographs for posterity. They were supported by members and friends from the North East who drove over with one of their own preserved buses. The run finished back at the main Lillyhall base.
Volunteer co-ordinator Dave Wallace said: “I looked at the photo of 353 I took at Thornthwaite and thought this is what the trust is all about. We have enthusiasts from various locations coming to West Cumbria to drive our buses, an autistic lad who is now a fully qualified, professional coach driver, plus volunteers who put their heart and soul into preserving our transport heritage.”
A special witness to the parade at Cockermouth was Ken Hargreaves, who started his career at Leyland in the 1960s, rose to overseeing the development and testing of the Leyland National, then managed the factory at Lillyhall right until he closed the door when it was shut down by Volvo in the 1990s.
“Every credit to all drivers and volunteers for putting on a good show. The vehicles looked superb,” he said.
