Crosville Diverted 35: The Leyland Tigers 1949-1964

Crosville is the story of the Crosville Motor Company and the Leyland Tiger buses they operated in the post world war II period. As with many other operators nationwide Crosville Motor Services based in Chester faced difficulties in re-establishing both stage carriage and private hire bus and coach services in the early years following the second world war. The need to support a weakened economy by exporting goods meant the supply of new vehicles was limited, while existing fleets had suffered through the war years because of a lack of spares, skilled personnel to fit them, and general maintenance. At the same time, the general public needed to see not only local but long distance travel re-established. The latter, in terms of holiday travel, was particularly important to Crosville, who in pre-war times had built up a network of services in the Merseyside and North Wales areas, with a special need to provide transport along the North Wales coast. The many resorts there were now beginning to re-establish their status as holiday centres required holiday makers to be transported to them. In order to fulfil that need Crosville took delivery in 1949/50 of 35 single deck buses, classed as dual-purpose (bus/coach) vehicles.

Government intervention had redirected these 35 Leyland Tiger PS1/1 vehicles (originally ordered by Midland General) to Crosville to assist with their vehicle shortage. They were Leyland's first post-war design, but because of nationalisation which occurred in the transport industry at the time of their delivery they would eventually become non-standard in the Crosville fleet. Crosville shows how political decisions enforced changes to the organisation of public transport and vehicle design and the book will appeal to anyone interested in vintage motor vehicles and the history of transport in the United Kingdom.