Leyland Titan (front-engined Double-decker) - Titans in London

Titans in London

When London Transport was established in 1933 it inherited about three hundred TD1 and TD2 Leyland Titans from independent bus operators in London and the home counties, which they classed TD. It also commissioned a batch of 100 TD4s bodied by Leyland with the standard Leyland steel framed body of the time modified to LPTB requirements in 1936 (STD1-100), to evaluate against the board's standard AEC Regent double-decks (STL-class) most of which had hardwood-framed bodies built by LPTB. STD91-100 were TD4c with torque-converter transmission as built, but on first overhaul were converted to standard Leyland manual gearboxes.

In 1941, LPTB were allocated ten TD7 Titans (STD 101-11), which received early Ministry of Supply Utility Style bodies by Park Royal Vehicles. The London Fire Brigade, and some other Fire Brigades, as well as the National Fire Service also had Titan TD7s fitted with turntable ladders (see above).

After World War II, a batch of 65 standard Leyland-bodied PD1 were delivered, to provide a stop-gap until RT-type buses could be delivered in quantity, these arrived in 1946 and were numbered STD 112-76.

As part of the RT programme (see above) London Transport bought 2,131 Leyland Titans specifically designed for use in London. They were designated as the RTL (1,631 built) and the wider variant RTW (500 built). In appearance they were very similar to the AEC-built RTs (4,825 built), the radiator shell being the most obvious difference (aside from the greater width of the RTWs). The RTL carried Weymann, Metro-Cammell and Park Royal hardwood-framed bodies identical to those on RTs, whilst the RTW carried Leyland steel-framed bodies.

In 1963/4 London Transport purchased two batches of service tenders for the London Underground, based on Leyland Titan PD3A/2 chassis; these carried crew-cabs by Sparshatt of Portsmouth and van bodies by Mann Egerton of Norwich, the first batch was registered 571-5 EYU and the second ALM841-3B. These were the last front-engined Leyland Titans bought new by London Transport, London Coaches, then a wholly owned subsidiary purchased an East Lancashire bodied PD3 and a Metro-Cammell bodied PD2 in the late 1980s for driver training and some were used by private operators on tourist services in London in the 1970s and 1980s.