"Morley Wildcats"
The Leopards, Lynxes and Tigers of Black Prince
In February 1975, Black Prince welcomed the first Leyland Leopard to the streets of Morley
when VUB405H joined the fleet, coming from another famous Leeds coach firm, Wallace Arnold.
This Stylish coach, built in 1970 and fitted with the Plaxton body of the day, the Panorama Elite, heralded the start of the big cat era, with no less than 28 Leopards, 4 Tigers and 3 Lynxes passing through the fleet at Black Prince between 1975 and 2005.
Each machine of course has it's very own interesting history before arrival at Black Prince - some of the buses and coaches listed thankfully have history after Black Prince, too!
Here I present such interesting vehicles as 4774NE, a Royal Tiger Worldmaster (the export version of the Leopard) and ECK885E, stripped down by Brian Crowther and friends in a barn near Morley and rebodied by Plaxton.
Whilst preparing this part of the website, it was astonishing to observe the sheer variety of Leyland "Wildcats" operated by Black Prince - I hope you enjoy browsing the photographs as much as I have preparing them - if any of our readers are aware of any of these big cats still "prowling" the streets, please get in touch, I'd love to know!
Brian's Leopards
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C53F EX-WALLACE ARNOLD, LEEDS
VUB405H
LEYLAND ROYAL TIGER WORLDMASTER (EXPORT MODEL) DUPLE CONTINENTAL C51F
4774NE
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C51F EX-SHAW, DOBCROSS
RWW122L
LEYLAND LEOPARD/ALEXANDER DP49F EX-SMITH & MAY, BENFLEET
VDB953
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C43F EX-WALLACE ARNOLD, LEEDS
JUA311E
LEYLAND LEOPARD/DUPLE C53F EX-WALLACE ARNOLD, LEEDS
FUB479K
LEYLAND LEOPARD/DUPLE C53F EX-WALLACE ARNOLD, LEEDS
EUG474K
LEYLAND LEOPARD/MARSHALL B51F EX-WESTERN NATIONAL
110CUF
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C49F EX-NATIONAL TRAVEL (RIBBLE)
ECK885E
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C53F EX-COOPER, STOCKTON HEATH
JED60N
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C53F
ECK885E (RE-BODIED)
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C53F EX-WALLACE ARNOLD, LEEDS
EUG458K
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C53F EX-WALLACE ARNOLD, LEEDS
UNW31M
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON DP51F EX-BINGLEY, KINSLEY
DWW433H
LEYLAND LEOPARD/ALEXANDER C49F EX-WESTERN SMT
RSD745J
LEYLAND LEOPARD/DUPLE C55F EX-MARCHWOOD, TOTTON
BHO7R
LEYLAND LEOPARD/DUPLE C53F EX-EASSON, SOUTHAMPTON
BHO57R
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C49F EX-BLEANCH, HETTON-LE-HOLE
OWU583P
LEYLAND LEOPARD/ALEXANDER C49F EX-YORKSHIRE TRACTION
LHL245P
LEYLAND LEOPARD/MARSHALL DP49F EX-MIDLAND RED SOUTH
PHA332M
LEYLAND LEOPARD/MARSHALL B53F EX-PRESERVATION
KHD916K
LEYLAND LEOPARD/MARSHALL DP49F EX-IRVINE, LAW
GOH361N
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C49F EX-YORKSHIRE RIDER
GWY714N
LEYLAND LEOPARD/PLAXTON C51F EX-YORKSHIRE RIDER
JWU241N
LEYLAND LEOPARD/ WILLOWBROOK WARRIOR B55F EX-STEVENSON, UTTOXETER
HWY718N
LEYLAND LEOPARD/WILLOWBROOK DP49F EX POOLE, ALSAGERS BANK
NRE582L
LEYLAND LEOPARD/MARSHALL B53F EX-PRESERVATION
KHD921K
LEYLAND LEOPARD/MARSHALL B53F EX-IVY, HUDDERSFIELD
KHD921K (RE-AQD)
LEYLAND LEOPARD/EAST LANCS (ON LOAN)
NMB71P (ON LOAN)
RSD745J (745) (Western SMT 2320)
Leyland Leopard PSU3/3R (Chassis No. 7003315)
Alexander "Y-Type" C49F (Body No. 1AY/3469/21)
This fine Leyland Leopard entered service with Black Prince in January 1982. The Leopard had been delivered in 1970, new to Western SMT as fleet number 2320. It carried the black and white WESTERN livery then acquired a red and cream version.
At Black Prince, the bus was painted into an attractive version of the then current fleet livery, with a different sort of fleetname consisting of letters from large to small with the white rose logo in between the two words BLACK@PRINCE.
745 remained in the fleet until September 1983, when it was withdrawn and disposed of, moving on to Geoff Ripley, Carlton (Bus Dealer)
The photograph, taken from Brian Crowther's collection shows 745 parked in the Mermaid Fisheries car park, Morley.
