GCS54V

Parked up at Western’s Dumfries depot on Eastfield Road are a selection of recently delivered Alexander Y type bodied Leyland Leopards. Closest to the camera was DL54 (GCS54V) which received an all-over advert for the Stranraer / Dumfries – London Express services in September 1980.

By this time the “infamous” Leopard / Fleetline swap had taken place with Dumfries’ new deckers R70-9 (HSD70-9V) having been transferred to the Glasgow depots and replaced by more Leopards from the GCS-V batch: L53 (GCS 53V) from Johnstone in December 1980, L48-51 (GCS 48-51V) from Johnstone in January 1982 and L40-1/59-62 (GCS 40-41/59-62V) from Thornliebank in February 1982.

This particular batch of 40 Alexander Y type Leyland Leopards would prove to be Western’s last delivery of this vehicle type and were B53F seated (with standard red / black “Tartan” moquette), Leopard PSU3E/4R types with panoramic windows, wide “4 leaf” doors and finished in Western Scottish Red & Cream livery. The vehicles were initially allocated as follows:

Delivered	Fleet No	Reg	Depot		Delivered	Fleet No	Reg	Depot
February 1980	L30	GCS 30V	Greenock		April 1980	L50	GCS 50V	Johnstone
April 1980	L31	GCS 31V	Stranraer		April 1980	L51	GCS 51V	Johnstone
February 1980	L32	GCS 32V	Greenock		April 1980	L52	GCS 52V	Johnstone
March 1980	L33	GCS 33V	Greenock		April 1980	L53	GCS 53V	Johnstone
March 1980	L34	GCS 34V	Greenock		May 1980	L54	GCS 54V	Dumfries
March 1980	L35	GCS 35V	Greenock		May 1980	L55	GCS 55V	Dumfries
March 1980	L36	GCS 36V	Greenock		May 1980	L56	GCS 56V	Dumfries
March 1980	L37	GCS 37V	Ayr		May 1980	L57	GCS 57V	Dumfries
March 1980	L38	GCS 38V	Ayr		May 1980	L58	GCS 58V	Dumfries
March 1980	L39	GCS 39V	Ayr		May 1980	L59	GCS 59V	Thornliebank
March 1980	L40	GCS 40V	Thornliebank		May 1980	L60	GCS 60V	Thornliebank
March 1980	L41	GCS 41V	Thornliebank		May 1980	L61	GCS 61V	Thornliebank
March 1980	L42	GCS 42V	Paisley		May 1980	L62	GCS 62V	Thornliebank
March 1980	L43	GCS 43V	Paisley		May 1980	L63	GCS 63V	Thornliebank
March 1980	L44	GCS 44V	Cumnock		May 1980	L64	GCS 64V	Kilmarnock
March 1980	L45	GCS 45V	Cumnock		May 1980	L65	GCS 65V	Kilmarnock
March 1980	L46	GCS 46V	Cumnock		May 1980	L66	GCS 66V	Kilmarnock
March 1980	L47	GCS 47V	Cumnock		June 1980	L67	GCS 67V	Kilmarnock
April 1980	L48	GCS 48V	Johnstone		June 1980	L68	GCS 68V	Kilmarnock
April 1980	L49	GCS 49V	Johnstone		June 1980	L69	GCS 69V	Kilmarnock