Leons Coaches
Based in Stafford the business started back in 1951 running taxis only which it did for some years until it inherited a pair of coaches after buying Halls Coaches. 30 years after the taxi business had begun Leons acquired their first coaches from new in the early 80s, which were a Caetano bodied Ford, XRE491X in 1982, & Plaxton bodied Ford CRE560Y the following year. These were added to a few years later when in 1989 then acquired a Van Hool bodied Volvo B10M-60, F150SRF & a Plaxton bodied Scania K113CRB, G360XEH. From the early 1990s there were acquisitions of Volvos, bodied by Plaxton, Jonckheere & Ikarus. Late 90s-early 00s saw batches of Van Hool T8, then T9 bodied Scanias bought, as well as a handful of Irizar bodied Scanias. The start of the next decade saw 3 Berkhof bodied Volvos bought, W300LCT, W400LCT, W500LCT; as well as a pair of Van Hool bodied Scanias.
2001-2 saw 9 more Van Hool T9 Scanias arrive new. This era also saw them try out a small number of Setras, AT03LCT, BT03LCT, CT03LCT, AT04LCT, as well as a slightly larger batch of Bovas, BT04LCT, CT04LCT, AT05LCT, BT05LCT, CT05LCT, AT06LCT. Although this would prove to be the last new Setras bought by the company, they would buy another 4 Bovas BT57LCT, CT57LCT, AT08LCT, BT08LCT in 2007/8 bringing it to 10 new Bovas. During this time 5 more Berkhof Axials entered the fleet, BT06LCT, CT06LCT, DT06LCT, ET06LCT, FT06LCT, which had the Scania K114EB4 chassis.
2007 saw the arrival of what would be Leon's sole Volvo B12B, AT57LCT, which had Van Hool's T9 Alizée bodywork.
2008-9 would see 4 more Van Hool T9s arrive, 2 of them, CT08LCT & CT09LCT would be the last Van Hools with the Scania chassis acquired by then company for 6 years, as Van Hool took their time to make the Scania chassis available with their TX body. 2009 also saw the arrival of 5 Irizar Century bodied Scania K340EB4s, DT09LCT, ET09LCT, FT09LCT, GT09LCT, HT09LCT as well as 1 more, CT10LCT, in 2010.
2010 also saw the arrival of a Van Hool Acron, BT10LCT, 186. 2009/2010 saw them buy 3 Van Hool Astrons, AT09LCT, BT09LCT & AT10LCT.
Between 2010-2012 5 Van Hool T9 Alicrons were bought, FT10LCT, AT11LCT, AT61LCT, BT61LCT, CT12LCT. 2012 saw them buy their first, and sadly last, interdeck coaches, namely Van Hool T917 Altanos, AT12LCT & BT12LCT.
The company's first Van Hool TX came in the form of their 4th Van Hool Astron, AT13LCT, 205. This was followed by 6 more Van Hool TXs in 2013-14, albeit of the Alicron variety, regs, BT13LCT, CT13LCT, DT13LCT, CT14LCT, DT14LCT, ET14LCT.
2014 saw the company acquire a pair of the very striking looking Neoplan Starliner 2s, AT14LCT & BT14LCT.
2014 also saw their first King Long join the fleet BX64AEP; the XMQ6130C operates mainly on school work. The following year saw the arrival of their first Yutong, YC15WCP, being one of the TC9 variety.
Later in 2015 their first Van Hool TX bodied Scania, AT65LCT, entered the fleet. Another of these hit the road in 2016, RD16LCT.
2001-2 saw 9 more Van Hool T9 Scanias arrive new. This era also saw them try out a small number of Setras, AT03LCT, BT03LCT, CT03LCT, AT04LCT, as well as a slightly larger batch of Bovas, BT04LCT, CT04LCT, AT05LCT, BT05LCT, CT05LCT, AT06LCT. Although this would prove to be the last new Setras bought by the company, they would buy another 4 Bovas BT57LCT, CT57LCT, AT08LCT, BT08LCT in 2007/8 bringing it to 10 new Bovas. During this time 5 more Berkhof Axials entered the fleet, BT06LCT, CT06LCT, DT06LCT, ET06LCT, FT06LCT, which had the Scania K114EB4 chassis.
2007 saw the arrival of what would be Leon's sole Volvo B12B, AT57LCT, which had Van Hool's T9 Alizée bodywork.
2008-9 would see 4 more Van Hool T9s arrive, 2 of them, CT08LCT & CT09LCT would be the last Van Hools with the Scania chassis acquired by then company for 6 years, as Van Hool took their time to make the Scania chassis available with their TX body. 2009 also saw the arrival of 5 Irizar Century bodied Scania K340EB4s, DT09LCT, ET09LCT, FT09LCT, GT09LCT, HT09LCT as well as 1 more, CT10LCT, in 2010.
2010 also saw the arrival of a Van Hool Acron, BT10LCT, 186. 2009/2010 saw them buy 3 Van Hool Astrons, AT09LCT, BT09LCT & AT10LCT.
Between 2010-2012 5 Van Hool T9 Alicrons were bought, FT10LCT, AT11LCT, AT61LCT, BT61LCT, CT12LCT. 2012 saw them buy their first, and sadly last, interdeck coaches, namely Van Hool T917 Altanos, AT12LCT & BT12LCT.
The company's first Van Hool TX came in the form of their 4th Van Hool Astron, AT13LCT, 205. This was followed by 6 more Van Hool TXs in 2013-14, albeit of the Alicron variety, regs, BT13LCT, CT13LCT, DT13LCT, CT14LCT, DT14LCT, ET14LCT.
2014 saw the company acquire a pair of the very striking looking Neoplan Starliner 2s, AT14LCT & BT14LCT.
2014 also saw their first King Long join the fleet BX64AEP; the XMQ6130C operates mainly on school work. The following year saw the arrival of their first Yutong, YC15WCP, being one of the TC9 variety.
Later in 2015 their first Van Hool TX bodied Scania, AT65LCT, entered the fleet. Another of these hit the road in 2016, RD16LCT.
As well as the main coaching fleet Leons have maintained a healthy fleet of smaller minibuses for school runs and private hire work. I shan't bore us all with details about those!
The company also runs Dragons International, a business dedicated to running school trips across the UK & Europe.
As well as the main Leons fleet they also own Happy Days, although the fleet has many older vehicles in it, for working mainly on school runs, as well as day trips & tours, they do also have some newer machines, including new Irizar i6, Neoplan Tourliner & Van Hool have all entered the fleet in recent years.
Finally the Dunwood side of the operations. Dunwood, a holiday organizer, had worked with Leons Coaches for a number of years, Leons branding a number of their own maroon Van Hool fleet with the Dunwod name. However in 2014 Dunwood decided to go it alone and bought 2 brand new blue Irizar i6 bodied Scanias, YN65AOJ, K. The following Spring saw 2 more identical blue coaches join the Dunwood fleet, YN15EHZ, YR15VBD.
The Leon's fleet are regular visitors to Torbay. Staying in Torquay at the Derwent Hotel & Headland Hotel. And in Paignton at the Palace Hotel and the Queens Hotel.
The Leon's fleet are regular visitors to Torbay. Staying in Torquay at the Derwent Hotel & Headland Hotel. And in Paignton at the Palace Hotel and the Queens Hotel.
ET09LCT, 181, heads past Livermead on Christmas Eve 2010. The coach is currently (as of April 2016) with Robnson's Coach Travel of Burbage.
5 Irizar Century bodied Scania K340EB4s were acquired by Leons in 2009, 180-184 DT09LCT, ET09LCT, FT09LCT, GT09LCT, HT09LCT.
The newest of their 3 T9 variant Astrons, AT10LCT, 185, pictured on Torquay Seafront next to the Abbey Meadows in June 2010 when it was only 3 months old. 185 would be sold on in 2014 to Jewitts Coaches of Humshaugh and re-registered to 3287EL.
As well as the more standard Van Hools the company has acquired over the years the 2009, 2010 seasons saw them buy 3 of the Astron variety of Van Hools, AT09LCT, BT09LCT & AT10LCT.
Leons Van Hool line-up at Lymington Road Coach Station. T9 Alicron AT11LCT, 211, TX Alicron DT13LCT, 208, T9 Alicron, BT61LCT, 198, TX Alicron, CT13LCT, 207. (December 2013)
One of several Leons Van Hool Alicrons to have the Dunwood branding, BT61LCT, 198 at Abbey Gates, Torquay (August 2014)
2 each of their T9 & TX Alicrons at Lymington Coach Station. CT13LCT, BT61LCT, DT13LCT, AT11LCT. (December 2013)
Between 2010-2012 the company bought 5 new Van Hool T9 Alicrons, 192, 193, 197, 198, 199. These were followed by 4 of the newer TX version of the Van Hool Alicron, BT13LCT, CT13LCT, DT13LCT, CT14LCT, DT14LCT, ET14LCT, 206, 207, 208, 212, 213, 214
BT12LCT, 200 approaches Kingskerswell Arch whilst on a day trip from Torbay. (March 2014)
2012 saw the company acquire 2 brand new Van Hool Altano interdecks, AT12LCT & BT12LCT, 199, 200. Sadly the pair were only to last for 2 years with them before being sold to Ellisons of St Helens, where they remain (as of April 2016)
AT13LCT, 205 loads outside the Derwent Hotel, Torquay, for a day trip. (June 2015)
As well as their 3 T9 Van Hool Astrons, AT09LCT, BT09LCT & AT10LCT, they bought a single newer TX version in 2013, AT13LCT.
AT14LCT-210 heads along the coast at Livermead bound for home after its week stay at Paignton's Palace Hotel. (October 2015)
The pairs first time staying at a hotel together, pictured outside the Headland Hotel, Torquay. (January 2015)
Left:
Interior of their Starliner, AT14LCT. (December 2014)
Right:
Rear view of AT14LCT at Plymouth's Bretonside Coach Station. (October 2015)
Starliner number 2, fleet number 211, BT14LCT, outside Torquay's Derwent Hotel. Firstly (June 2014) Before heading out on a day trip, then in the rain as night falls after arriving back from a day out. (November 2014)
BT14LCT & AT14LCT at the Headland Hotel (January 2015)
BT14LCT at the Headland Hotel shortly after its re-paint. (April 2015)
Spring 2015 saw both Leon's Neoplan Starliners get re-sprayed into a slightly lighter shade of red, also minor modifications such as the mirrors be painted red and Starliner stickers added.
BT14LCT & AT14LCT next to the Grand Hotel on Torquay Seafront head of on a day excursion. (January 2016)
Happy Days Irizar i6 Integral, LC15HDC, 230 at Torquay's Lymington Coach Station (December 2015)
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