Technical details:
Chassis (integral) - Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen - RTC87.28
Body - C53F
Date new - 1988
Owner - Julie Aylward
This Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen E50 TYG was one of a batch of eight similar vehicles delivered to the West Riding Automobile Company of Wakefield in 1988 for their Ridings Travel operation. They were allocated to the Dewsbury, Castleford, Sheffield and Savile Street (Wakefield) depots. Numbers 46 & 47 were in National Express Rapide livery and were used mainly on the 564 service between Halifax and London.The rest were all in Ridings Travel livery, as seen in Simon Beeston's superb photograph (above), taken at the Alton rally in 2019.
50 was based at Savile Street but was frequently used by Castleford as they did more coach work there.
After disposal by West Riding in 1989, 50 went to Wilkins travel of Port Talbot. Initially, they retained the basic livery but removed the letters of "RIDING" from the sides and replaced
them with "WILKIN" in the same style. They then removed the grey and blue stripes leaving a white base before finally receiving Majestic Holidays branding for a holiday contract
Steve Morris was the next owner with his Quantock operation.
In later years, 50 passed to Ashley Wakelin who had acquired the rights to use the name "Midland Red Coaches", and he painted her red and black in the style of the erstwhile BMMO coach fleet, and numbered it 6150.
The interior of 50 is original and in reasonable condition for its age. The bodywork was in good condition but the luggage compartment floor and several bracing cross-members have been replaced.She is a regular attender at rallies and events up and down the country, including the 85th Anniversary celebrations at Victoria Coach Station on Saturday 11th March 2017. The following morning, she had a scheduled departure at 06:00 from Gate 2 of the Coach Station with a feeder service to the Spring Open Day at the Dewsbury Bus Museum. This is believed to be the longest free feeder service ever provided to a preserved bus event....
E50TYG is seen parked on the island in Victoria Coach Station after the 85th Anniversary event
The departure board in the lobby of Victoria Coach
Station showing the 06:00 X64 departure for Dewsbury
Sandwiched between two National Express Caetanos, and visible through the doors of Gate 2, E50TYG does not look out of place, even though she is thirty years older than her two companions. The screen above the doors shows her ready for the 06:00 X64 departure to Dewsbury and the operator is Leyland R - sadly, you cannot capture scrolling text on a photograph.
West Riding 50 (E50 TYG)
Click on this image to see more photographs of E50TYG
In the mid-1980s, the Leyland Royal Tiger Doyen was the first luxury motor coach to have a piece of music written specifically to commemorate its launch.
"Doyen" is a sort of musical journey which includes sounds of the coach starting but without the fumes.
It was created by the renowned Cornish brass band arranger and composer Goff Richards pictured above, who had a long relationship with the Leyland Band.
You can hear a rendition of Doyen played by the Black Dyke Band by clicking the Doyen symbol above....
