Doncaster 33
(433 MDT)
| Chassis: | Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1/11 |
| Chassis No: | 626934 |
| Engine: | Leyland 0.400, 6.54 litre |
| Bodywork: | Roe B45F |
| Body No: | GO5744 |
| Length: | 30ft |
| Width: | 8ft |
| Unladen Weight: | |
| Entered Service: | 1963 |
| Withdrawn: | 1979 |
| Owner: | Doncaster Omnibus and Light Railway Society |
Brief History
After some not entirely successful AEC Reliances, Doncaster Corporation Transport ordered five Leyland Tiger Cubs with Roe bodies. They were 30 feet long by 8 feet wide and were fitted for one-man operation from the outset. They were delivered in red with white window pans. Unusually they were fitted with half-synchromesh gearboxes, with synchromesh on 3rd and top gears only, making them a very rare Tiger Cub variant. In October 1967 numbers 31 and 32 were given high-backed seats from the three Regal III's (qv), reducing them to 41 seats, and painted in a pseudo coach livery.
Apart from the dual purpose pair the Tiger Cubs were used on town services, particularly Hexthorpe, Hyde Park and Racecourse. Number 33 became South Yorkshire P.T.E. number 1033 after passing to the Executive on 1st April 1974 with the Doncaster undertaking. Upon withdrawal in late 1979 it was placed on permanent loan to D.O.LR.S. and in 2005 ownership passed to the Society outright.
Of these five Tiger Cubs 33 was the only one that was never altered; it also never carried the S.Y.P.T.E. livery, becoming the PTE's last bus in Doncaster colours. It was later restored by Cobalt (a government job creation sheme), being repainted in the last Doncaster livery of red with purple/white upswept band. Although never 100% reliable 33 became the regular service motorbus at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft; it has also rallied extensively. However, all the hard work took its toll and 33 was off the road for several years until given a thorough mechanical and some bodywork restoration, including a repaint into its original livery. 33 again re-entered service at the Museum but after a subsequent head gasket failure the engine has had to be overhauled. The vehicle is now roadworthy once more.
The vehicle can be viewed at the Museum.
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