1936 BLACKPOOL LEYLAND TITAN TD4 DOUBLE DECK BUS

In November 1935, at the 12th Commercial Motor Show at Olympia, a centre entrance streamlined double deck bus appeared on the English electric stand, in Blackpool Livery.  The streamlined, full-fronted body was mounted on the latest Leyland Titan TD4 chassis, specially adapted to take the centre entrance favoured by Blackpool Corporation Transport.   No order had been placed by Blackpool Corporation at this time, thought English Electric had supplied the new fleet of streamlined trams in Blackpool’s modernisation programme.

 The bus was purchased by Blackpool in 1936 and earned the nickname “Queen Mary” by crews at the time, but when Blackpool purchased 25 new buses later that year the order for the bodies went to local body builder Burlingham.  The bodies of the new buses (121 to 145) were obviously inspired by “Queen Mary” but were different in almost every respect.   They featured a sliding roof, very unusual for double deckers, and seated 48 passengers, 25 upstairs and 23 downstairs.   They had a long life, the last one being withdrawn in 1958.