For a change, rather than looking at the current Translink group fleets, we will travel nearly 20 years back in time, to 1978 and take a look at what vehicles were serving the travelling public back in the 'good old days' (I'm showing my age now!). The oldest vehicles in today's fleet (the ROI Leopards) were then brand new; the minibus and low floor revolutions had still to happen; Tigers, B10Ms, Darts etc were only a glint in their designer's eyes. Ulsterbus could turn out over 40 double deckers, including 9 ex BCT Fleetlines and 3 PD3s. Indeed, the legacy of the UTA still lingered (just), with 14 AEC Reliances, 17 Tiger Cubs and 2 Leopards carrying Duncrue Street bodywork still running, but not for long. Leopards and RELLs dominated the Ulsterbus fleet, but there were over 250 lightweight Bedford and Bristol single deckers, including 26 of the venerable VAM/Duples. Secondhand purchases put Swifts, Merlins and Leopards into the fleet; an earlier generation of used aquisitions remained in the shape of the last two ex WSMT L1 Leopards at Lisburn.

Potter bodywork was still represented, with examples on both Leopards and LHs. 7 Leyland engined RELLs plied the streets of Derry, whilst the solitary National 1600 was still at work on the Antiville town service in Larne.

In Belfast the RELL was starting to dominate the scene, as it would do for the next 15 years, although there were still nearly 90 'deckers in the Citybus fleet. These included 29 Atlanteans, with the remainder being Fleetlines of various types. These included 24 MH cars and 1 Potter examples. Single deck Fleetlines with Potter, Alexander (ex Potteries) and Willowbrook (ex Northern General) still ran, and there were still 5 ex BCT Swift/Potter in the fleet. Other Swifts were secondhand ex LT examples, together with assorted AEC Merlins.

Antrim

Leopard 112/3/481/1334/40/90/1/1401/2/92/3/1547/87/8/92/1936

Reliance 244 LH 1106/10/1639/40/1/7

YRQ 1757 RELL 2288/90/1

Atlanteans 916/7/8/29

Armagh

Leopard 101/43/56/491/3/513/4/5/ VAM 1256/9

1501/12/43/5/1908/77/8/9

YRQ 1703/4/5/6/12/9/20/1/2/37/8/67/8/9/70/1

Bangor

Leopard 1453/4/1515/9/20/1/2/55/1925/6/81/2

YRQ 1777/9/84/98/9 RELL 2037/8/9/2254/5/6/7

VAM 1256/9

Ballymena

Leopard 105/6/27/8/580/1444/89/90/1/8/1559/60/1/78/1913/37

Reliance 234/5/51/60/2/95

LH 1642/3/4/5/6/8/9/50/64/6/8/9/81/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/91/2/4

Craigavon

Leopard 140/1/1354/74/81/2/97/1406/62/3/1527/40/89/91/1919/20/1/2/83/4/5

RELL 2183/4/5/6/7/8/9/90/9/200/1/2/3/4/5/34/5/6/7

Atlantean 919/40/4/5/6/7/8/9/50

VAM 1265/9 YLQ 1859/60/1/2/3/4

Coleraine

Leopard 104/11/22/502/12/1191/2/3/4/5/6/1338/92/3/1446/78/9/85/1565/6/7/8/75

YLQ 1833/4/5/6/7/8/401/2/3/5/6/7/9/50/2/3/4/5/6/8

Leopard 1910/5/6/42 Tiger Cub 454

LH 1102 VAM 1201/3/5/17/8/36/9/42/7/9

RELL 2275/6/7/8 Atlantean 911/20/1/2/3/4/5/30

Fleetline 2716/9/22/3/6/7

Dungannon

Leopard 131/2/55/486/510/1187/8/9/1304/23/61/84/1433/58/1503/44/1974/5

YRQ 1714/27/8/30/73/4/5/82/3 Merlin 2511/2/3/5/6/7

VAM 1266

Downpatrick

Leopard 144/5/1434/71/1502/13/4/24/1960/1/2

LH 1603/7/8/10/1/29/33/5/6/7

RELL 2266/7 VAM 1216/28/38

Enniskillen

Leopard 118/9/46/7/51/506/7/20/72/7/1421/2/1904/68/9

LH 1672/3/4/95/6/7/8/9/1700

Glengall Street

Leopard 102/569/70/1/4/5/6/83/1911/2/90/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

YRQ 1701 YLQ 1830/1/2

Lisburn

Leopard 138/9/529/40/1362/71/3/80/3/8/9/98/1400/23/8/9/75/1538/75/1934/5/54/5

Tiger Cub 421/8/39/40/1/58/80 RELL 2195/6/7/8/2268/9

YRQ 1707/8/10/8/24/5/63/5/6/78/80/1

Londonderry

Leopard 103/14/25/52/3/517/8/73/1313/4/49/50/1417/25/39/40/2/81/2/3/4

LH 1101/3/1651/2/3/4/5/7/8/9/60/1/2/3/70/1/5/6/7/8/80

Leopard 1902/70/1/2/3 Reliance 248/50/79

YRQ 1736/86/7/8 RELL 2208/10/79/80/1/2

Swift 2518 Atlantean 914/35/9

Fleetline 2712/8/29 PD3 798

Derry City

RELL 1051/2/5/8/9/66/7/2003/4/5/6/7/8/11/2/4/5/6/7/8/9/20/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Swift 7/13/25/6/2490/1/2/7

Larne

Leopard 107/8/20/509/1376/7/8/9/1405/27/47/8/88/1548/9/50/1/2/77/82/1943/4/5

YRQ 1739/40/1/51/2/3/4/89/90/1/2/3 National 1600

YMT 1801/2/3/4/14/5/6

Magherafelt

Leopard 109/10/21/1317/20/33/7/52/3/1409/50/99/1500/76/9/80/3/4/6/1939/40/1

YRQ 1743/4/5/6/55/6/8/96/7 YMT 1806/10/1/3/21/2/3 Atlantean 913/26/8 VAM 1246

Newcastle

Leopard 133/4/492/1399/1456/64/5/9/70/1511/23/6/35/1963/4/5

LH 1601/2/4/5/6/9/30/1/2/8 VAM 1251/3

Tiger Cub 453

Newtownards

Leopard 129/30/1342/8/55/6/64/5/6/1411/2/3/35/57/1504/6/8/10/90/1927/8/57

RELL 2171/2/3/4/5/6/2231/2/3/70/1 Tiger Cub 466/73/8

YRQ 1715/6/7/23/6/31/2/3/4/42

Newry

Leopard 142/1327/30/51/9/1431/2/68/1533/4/42/6/1917/8/86

YLQ 1865/6/7/8/9/70/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/80

Tiger Cub 422/7/34/62 LH 1612/4/6/7/9/20/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Swift 2506/7/8/9/19/22 RELL 2241/3/4/6/7/8/72/3

Omagh

Leopard 116/7/494/5/7/519/79/1385/6/1403/43/76/95/1571/1903/76/7

YRQ 1735/47/8/9/50 YMT 1807/8/17/8/9/20/4/5

Atlantean 931/2/3/4 PD3 821/46

Oxford Street

Leopard 124/36/1190/1368/9/70/94/5/6/1414/6/36/41/59/66/7/73/1923/4

RELL 2029/31/2/3/4/5/6/2177/8/91/2/3/4/2239/62/3/4/5

Reliance 237/43/68

Smithfield

Leopard 126/37/1301/2/3/5/6/7/11/2/8/21/2/35/6/45/57/60/7/75

1424/37/45/52/72/94/6/7

RELL 2122/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/30/1/2/3/4/5/2238/45/9/50/1/2/3/93/4

Leopard 1516/36/7/41/81/1948 Swift 4/14/5/7/8

Reliance 245 VAM 1248/50

YRQ 1759/94

Gt Victoria Street

Leopard 123/35/48/9/50/511/81/4/5/8/9/1195/7/8/9/1341/3/87/1419/51/74/80/7

Leopard 1507/28/30/9/1905/9/32/8/51/8/9/80

RELL 2240/2/74 Tiger Cub 437

VAM 1212

Ardoyne

Swift 2/5/6/48/57/68/74/80

RELL 2105/6/7/9/10/2/3/4/5/6/7/67/9, 2211/2/6/7/8/9/20/1/2/3/4/7/8/9

Merlin 2495/8/9, 2502/23/51/2/3/4

Fleetline s/d 2929/30/1/2/5

Fleetline d/d 2670/90/5/9, 2703/33, 2830/2/5/8

Atlantean 2873/5/6/7/8/9/80/1/3/4/7/8/9/91/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9, 2902/3/4/5/6/7/11

Falls

Swift 20/1/2/3/4/8/9/30/1/2/4/5/6/7/8/9/41/2/3/4/5/7/9/50/1/2/3/4/6/8/71/3/5/8

Merlin 621/3/4/6/7/8/9/30/1/2/3/4/5/9/40/1, 2528/9/46/7/8/9/50

RELL 2088/90/1/2/3/4/5/7/9/100/1/2/3/4/20

Fleetline s/d 2775/8/80/3/5/6/7/9/90/4/6, 2800, 2937/8/40/1/2/3/4/5/7/8/9/50

Fleetline d/d 2562/71/3, 2600/1/15/20, 2803/4/15/9/21/5

Short Strand

RELL 2041/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/50/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/60/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/70/1/2/3/4/5/6/8

2078/9/80/1/2/3/4/5/6/7, 2136/7/8/9/40/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/50/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

2160/1/2/4, 2306/7/8/9/10/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/20

Merlin 2532/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/40/1/2/3/5

Swift 2758/60/3/4/8 Fleetline s/d 2920/1/2/3/4/5

Fleetline d/d 2576/8/9/84/5/7/9/90/2/3/6/8, 2839/42/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/50/1/2/4/5/6/7/8/9/61/2/3

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