Scottish Vintage Bus Museum

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Scottish Vintage Bus Museum

Three-door Bus

Edinburgh Corporation

No 101 was a three-door Leyland Leopard, built for Edinburgh Corporation.  It entered service in 1961 and remained in service for 27 years.

An article in Transport News reported that this was the only 3-door bus ever used in the UK.   Here are some extracts from this article.

"YSG101 is Edinburgh's most famous bus.  ...  For some years the Italians had been using three door single deckers with some success.

No 101 made her debut appearance at the Scottish Motor Show in 1961 and entered service soon after.   Following a trial period, she was allocated to the No 1 route which was badly affected by low bridges.

Far from being the ideal solution, 101 was not well received by the public.  Wit 33 seats and 40 standee passengers, there was less chance of getting a seat at busy times

The rear entrance was too radical a concept for most passengers, and a tannoy system had to be fitted so the conductor could instruct people ...

By 1966, work on low bridges had made route 1 suitable for double deckers.  Thus in 1968, 101 was withdrawn from service and converted to a one door, 45-seat airport coach with large luggage boot.  It remained like this till 1975 when it was repainted in its original livery ad put back on passenger routes.

Ten years later, 101 was still running on passenger routes, then it was converted to a training classroom and cinema for the new Waverley ticket system.

After a year in this role, she proved healthy enough to re-enter passenger service yet again.  But by 1988 it was time for No 101 to retire and by now she was Edinburgh's longest serving bus.

The bus was then purchased by Douglas Soular, who set about restoring her to the condition in which she was first seen at the Kelvin Hall in 1961."

Transport News, March 1994:  pp.32-33

See details below.

Source of info above:  Scottish Vintage Bus Museum Stock List

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