Leyland Tiger / Alexander N-type gallery

The first batches when new:

Below: Two views of the first of the fleet - 340 (DXI 3340) on a very wintery day in Kilkeel on it's first Saturday in Service in January 1984

Below: Our own 343 (DXI 3343) at Alexanders early 1984 displaying it's rear windscreen wiper.

Below: 347 (DXI 3347) at the ITT Bus and Coach Rally April 1984.

Below: the final vehicle of the inital 'express' group - 369 (DXI 3369) at Portrush summer 1984.

Below: the sole Gardner-engined N-type 370 seen when new just before delivery to Coleraine.

 

Below: the second batch - 398 (FXI 398) when new at GVS - some of the registration marks of this batch live on with Scanias 2401-19

Below: The 3rd group - 445 (GXI 445) at Dubline Busaras awaits the long trek back to Derry. This was the first Tiger to be destroyed (on 8/11/86).

Below: 468 (HXI 468) penultimate of the second group of express tigers looks most smart at the 1986 Bus & Coach Rally.

Later batches:

Below: 1050 (KXI 1050) of the first batch of bus seated machines, seen at Lisburn just after the fitment of Buspak advertising panels but befor painting in to the brighter livery (although the livery treatment above the window is to the newer style - on some buses such as 1050 a smaller fleetname was applied because of the advert boards, on others the larger type was retained but moved forward).

Below: 1203 (NXI 1203) - a 48 seater built specifically for service in Derry. By this stage the rear emergency exit had moved forward one bay.

Below: 1231 (NXI 4231) at Armagh depot.

Below: 1255 (OXI 1255) at Banbridge, one of a group of 10 buses to feature the Rockwell style rear axle.

Livery experiments:

Below: 409 at Duncrue Street 1989. Thankfully this style of livery was not adopted.

Below: 371 at Duncrue Street 1990 with an experimental scheme - again not adopted (but see below):

Below: 371 (DXI 3371) - nearly there now - this scheme formed the basis of the livery adopted from 1990 onwards, with some minor alterations.
Only the final batch of Volvo engined N-types (1322 - 1339) carried this livery from new.

Below: 371 as seen in later years with the 'Translink' style fleetname and green logo.

Below: 371 with it's final livery variation without the blue cantrail band. In their final years may Tigers lost the gold transfer fleetnumbers which were replaced with utilitarian black ones.

Later years:

Below: The final 'express' Tiger was 1139, seen with the later style of livery but before reseating to a school bus, although the 'Express' portion of the fleetname has already been removed.

Below: 1178 is shown just after repainting to the brighter livery adopted from 1989 onwards.

Below: Tigers 2008 style - for a 20 year old 1174 (MXI 3174) is well presented. This bus was replaced by a new Scania in November 2008.

Below: Just about the end of the Tiger era - 1250 at GVS in November 2008.

Interior

Below: The interior of one of the 12xx buses built for Derry clearly shows the 48 seat layout, with the 'spotty dick' moquette applied in later years

Below: The interior shot of one of the express buses after conversion to 62 seaters clearly shows these were not designed for large people !

 

Advertising liveries

Below: 1179 was one of a number of buses delivered in base colours for later application of overall advertisements, in this case for the coal advisory service.

Below: The most travelled Tiger was 1196 which toured most depots with this advert for the then new Vauxhall Cavalier.

Below: Possibly the most attractive advertising livery was the one for Bass on 1208.

Below: Purrfection ??

Below: A 'Belfast' ending - 1187 maliciously destroyed when only 6 months old in April 1989.

 

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