1863 - 1967 (Bristol LD Lodekkas)

25th February 2003

The combined fleets of Western National and Southern National ran an extensive fleet of Lodekkas, with a large number of Bristol FLF/ECW 70-seat front-entrance buses.
They included the first pre-production Lodekka, 1863 (OTT 2), a pair of LDL and another pair of FS, a secondhand fleet consisting of half Bristol's FSFs - but not a single FL.
Many of the FLFs survive in the United States, masquerading as London red buses. Nothing could be further from their real operating territory in the largely rural areas of Devon and Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

1863 (OTT 2) [WN] at The Lizard terminus - as far south as you can get on a bus in britain 640x392 005.123_53.jpg 1967-06-19 00:00:00	1863 (OTT 2) [WN] in a Helston street lineup 640x412 005.480S_4-66.jpg 1967-06-19 00:00:00	1863 (OTT 2) [WN] in Poldhu Cove 640x207 005.122_53.jpg 1967-06-19 00:00:00	1863 (OTT 2) [WN] leaves Poldhu Cove 640x364 005.122_51.jpg 1967-06-19 00:00:00
1863 (OTT 2) [WN], the pre-production Lodekka [WN]and 2206 (VDV 749) 640x385 005.132_42.jpg 1967-06-18 00:00:00	1864 (OTT 3) [WN] in Newquay 640x432 005.124_43.jpg 1967-06-20 00:00:00	1864 (OTT 3) [WN], later Royal Navy 07 RN 70 640x446 005.133_45.jpg 1967-06-18 00:00:00	1866 (OTT 5) also went to the Royal Navy, becoming their 07 RN 71 640x431 005.134_41.jpg 1967-06-18 00:00:00
1868 (OTT 7) [WN] in Penzance 640x425 005.239_12.jpg 1968-12-09 00:00:00	1870 (OTT 9) [WN] in Penzance rail station 640x426 005.120_42.jpg 1967-06-19 00:00:00	1870 (OTT 9) [WN] outside Penzance rail station 618x480 106.009b_42.jpg 1967-06-19 00:00:00	1872 (OTT 11) [WN] at Buckfasteligh 640x425 005.05?_101.jpg 1966-07-25 00:00:00
1877 (RTT 996) after transfer from Southern National to Western National, but still at Weymouth depot 547x480 005.494_148.jpg 1971-03-09 13:06:00	1879 (RTT 998) [WN] later became United Counties 926. Here it is seen in a wet Weymouth. 640x443 005.459_63.jpg 1971-03-09 00:00:00	1880 (RTT 999) [SN] 640x428 005.202_71.jpg 1968-06-07 00:00:00	1884 (RTT 963) is here seen in Bridgwater depot, but it later went to Devonport as Royal Navy 63 RN 63. 640x425 005.436_140.jpg 1970-03-27 23:06:00
1884 (RTT 963) [WN] later became Royal Navy 63 RN 63. It is seen resting in Bridgwater depot. 319x480 005.436_140.jpg 1970-09-27 00:00:00	1885 (RTT 964) [WN] later became the Royal Navy's 63 RN 64 640x445 005.496c_56.jpg 1966-03-23 00:00:00	1894 (TUO 498) [WN}at Barnstaple 640x425 005.024a_99.jpg 1965-08-02 00:00:00	1897 (TUO 497) [SN] parked at Bideford 593x480 005.023d_68.jpg 1965-08-02 00:00:00
1897 [SN] reverses at Westward Ho! 640x401 005.055_27.jpg 1966-07-28 00:00:00	$1898 (TUO 499) [SN] at Ilfracombe$ 1898 (TUO 499) [SN] at Ilfracombe 640x428 005.090_70.jpg 1966-07-26 00:00:00	1899 (TUO 500) [SN] 640x425 005.018a_12.jpg 1965-08-03 00:00:00	1899 (TUO 500) [SN] - lower saloon 640x423 005.017_12.jpg 1965-08-03 00:00:00
1899 (TUO 500) [SN] at the Holsworthy rest stop 640x425 005.018_12.jpg 1965-08-03 00:00:00	1900 (TUO 501) [SN] 640x418 005.053_27.jpg 1966-07-28 00:00:00	1900 (TUO 501) [SN] heads out of Bideford, bound for Plymouth 531x480 005.052var1_27.jpg 1966-07-28 00:00:00	1902 (TUO 503) [WN] 640x425 005.462_31.jpg 1971-03-10 00:00:00
1903 (TUO 504) [SN] 640x425 005.191_130.jpg 1968-06-07 00:00:00	1905 (TUO 506) [WN] 640x425 005.240_97.jpg 1968-12-09 00:00:00	1908 (UOD 491) [SN] turns at Appledore, North Devon 640x423 005.022_68.jpg 1965-08-02 00:00:00	1908 (UOD 491) [SN] wearing Western National fleetnames 640x425 005.460_148.jpg 1971-03-09 00:00:00
1909 (UOD 492) [SN] lays over in Bideford 640x421 005.054_4.jpg 0000-00-00 00:00:00	1910 (UOD 493) [SN] had passed from Southern National to Western National by the stime this photo was taken in Bideford 500x480 005.463_149.jpg 1971-03-10 13:06:00	1916(UOD 499) [SN] after transfer to Western National 607x480 005.464_149.jpg 1971-03-10 13:06:00	1920 (UOD 503) [WN] in Appledore 640x466 005.179_56.jpg 1967-03-01 00:00:00
1920 (UOD 503) [WN] was eventually exported to Germany. Here it is seen in Bideford, North Devon 640x423 005.089_97.jpg 1966-07-26 13:06:00	1925 (UOD 479) [WN] about Bretonside bus station 640x425 005.056_3.jpg 1966-07-28 00:00:00	1925 (UOD 479) [WN] in Buckfastleigh 640x421 005.051_29.jpg 1966-07-25 00:00:00	1927 (OUD 481) 640x421 005.138_43.jpg 1967-06-21 00:00:00
1932 (UOD 486) 640x476 000.119b_29.jpg 1966-07-23 00:00:00	1942 (VDB 759) [WN] , here seen near Trowbridge, later went to Hawaii 640x458 005.075_35.jpg 1966-09-08 14:57:00	1943 (VDV 760) [WN] 462x480 005.437_134.jpg 1970-09-22 00:00:00	1947 (VDV 781) [WN] 419x480 103.339a_148.jpg 0000-00-00 00:00:00
1948 (VDV 782) as trainer TV 3. It is now thought to be in Denmark 514x480 005.628Cb_362.jpg 1983-12-01 13:06:00	1948 (VDV 782) as training bus TV 2 428x480 005.626Cb_362.jpg 1983-12-01 00:00:00	1950 (502 BTA) [WN] 462x480 005.433_134.jpg 1970-09-23 00:00:00	1950 (502 BTA) [WN] ended up in the US of A 453x480 005.432_134.jpg 1970-08-23 11:30:00
1954 (506 BTA) 487x480 005.435_134.jpg 1970-09-23 11:30:00	1954 (507 BTA) [WN] 408x480 005.438_134.jpg 0000-00-00 00:00:00	1955 (507 BTA) [WN] 640x420 005.434_134.jpg 1970-09-23 00:00:00	1957 (509 BTA) is seen in Totnes. It was later exported to Hawaii 500x480 005.431_134.jpg 1970-09-22 11:30:00
1958 (510 BTA) [WN] in Chippenham was to end up in the US 640x421 005.033_30.jpg 1966-04-07 00:00:00	1960 (512 BTA) is in Bretonside bus station, Plymouth 565x480 005.438a_134.jpg 1970-09-23 11:30:00	1960 (512 BTA) [WN] 640x437 005.438_48.jpg 1970-09-23 00:00:00	1965 (517 BTA) in the afternoon glare at Newuay 640x411 005.131_41.jpg 1967-06-18 00:00:00
1966 (518 BTA) was one of the two Bristol FS deckers acquired by Western National. As shown it operated as driver trainer TV 4 478x480 005.627Cc_362.jpg 1983-12-01 13:06:00	1966 (518 BTA) [WN], one of only two FS's in the fleet, is seen in Taunton 640x388 002.054_56.jpg 1967-07-23 00:00:00	An unknown LD Lodekka climbing out of Appledore, north Devon 640x372 Appledore.jpg 0000-00-00 00:00:00