The Southern Vectis Unofficial Bus Enthusiasts' Website
Leyland Olympian/ECW (1982)
 
Technical & History Briefing
Chassis: Leyland ONLXB/1R Body: ECW Series 2
Registration
Mark		 Fleet
No.		 Type Chassis
Number		 Body
Number		 Date
New		 Date
Withdrawn
Other Owners
RDL686X [686] DPH40/30F
previously
H45/30F		 ON273 25215 04/1982 11/2002
02/2003: London Borough of Redbridge, London
RDL687X [687] DPH40/30F
previously
H45/30F		 ON274 25216 04/1982 11/2002
01/2003: London Borough of Redbridge, London
RDL688X [688] DPH40/30F
previously
H45/30F		 ON275 25217 04/1982 11/2002
01/2003: London Borough of Redbridge, London
RDL689X [689] DPH40/30F
previously
H45/30F		 ON287 25218 04/1982 11/2002
01/2003: London Borough of Redbridge, London
RDL690X [690] DPH40/30F
previously
H45/30F		 ON288 25219 04/1982 11/2002
01/2003: London Borough of Redbridge, London
RDL691X [691] DPH40/30F
previously
H45/30F		 ON289 25220 04/1982 11/2002
02/2003: London Borough of Redbridge, London
 
Detailed History
Six Leyland Olympian's with ECW bodywork were purchased new in 1982 which entered service in NBC Leaf Green & White livery. The Leyland Olympian was the replacement double-decker bus for the Bristol VRT.

Between 1985 and 1990 the entire batch had the front upper window vents replaced with non-opening fixed glass in:
September 1985: RDL691X [691]
1986: RDL686X [686]
July 1987: RDL687X [687]
By 1989: RDL688X [688]
March 1990: RDL690X [690]
December 1990: RDL689X [689]

In February 1989 RDL687X [687] received a UniBus advertisement for "Brickfields Equestrian Centre".

They were repainted into deregulation Emerald Green & Cream livery in:
January 1986: RDL690X [690] (the first vehicle to receive the early version of this livery, it subsequently received standard livery).
October 1986: RDL689X [689]
December 1988: RDL691X [691]
February 1989: RDL686X [686]
March 1989: RDL687X [687]
September 1989: RDL688X [688]

In March 1991 RDL691X [691] was repainted into a Colorbus advertisement for "Isle of Wight County Press".

At some stage RDL686X [686] had the nearside lower-deck second window (normally opening) replaced with fixed glass.

Around 1994/1995 the entire batch were converted to DPH40/30F by having the bus seats replaced with coach-style seats, those to the offside in the upper-deck being arranged back-to-back (RDL691X [691] in February 1995).

Also around 1994/1995 three of the batch were repainted into experimental Emerald Green & Cream livery thus:

  • RDL687X [687] was repainted in that the Cream area extended up to just below the upper-deck window frames. The area around the upper-deck window frames was Emerald and not Cream. It also featured a narrow Green band just above the lower-deck windows, sides and rear only.
  • RDL686X [686] was repainted in that it featured a green skirt then two different size and shade Green bands and Cream upto the lower deck windows. The side window surrounds were Green but the front and rear screen areas were all Cream apart from the grille which was Green. Above the windows was cream up to the bottom of the upper deck windows, the surrounds and roof were Green.
  • RDL689X [689] was the same as RDL686X [686] but the area around the front Windscreen and the drivers cab window were Green. [per Jeff Lyons]

They were repainted into Mushroom & Dark Green livery:
Between 1995 and June 1997: RDL688X [688]
Between 1995 and 1998: RDL690X [690]
In February 1996: RDL691X [691]
In November 1996: RDL686X [686] & RDL689X [689] were repainted into Cream (not Mushroom) & Dark Green livery
In November 1999: RDL686X [686] [per Jeff Lyons]
In January 2000: RDL687X [687] [per Jeff Lyons]
In March 2000: RDL689X [689]

In August 2001 the entire batch were fitted with Day-glow destination blinds. [per Gavin Rowney]

By 20 November 2002 all of RDL686X [686] / RDL687X [687] / RDL688X [688] / RDL689X [689] / RDL690X [690] & RDL691X [691] had been withdrawn from service. [per Gavin Rowney]

Subsequent History

RDL686X [686]:

  • By 21 February 2003 it had been sold to London Borough of Redbridge. [per Gavin Rowney]
    The seating was changed to DPH44/30F in that the back-to-back seating in the upper-deck was altered so that all seats face forward. [per Jeffrey Clayton]

RDL687X [687]:

  • By 15 January 2003 it had been sold to London Borough of Redbridge. [per Gavin Rowney]
    The seating was changed to DPH44/30F in that the back-to-back seating in the upper-deck was altered so that all seats face forward. [per Jeffrey Clayton]

RDL688X [688]:

  • By 15 January 2003 it had been sold to London Borough of Redbridge. [per Gavin Rowney]
    The seating was changed to DPH44/30F in that the back-to-back seating in the upper-deck was altered so that all seats face forward. [per Jeffrey Clayton]

RDL689X [689]:

  • By 15 January 2003 it had been sold to London Borough of Redbridge. [per Gavin Rowney]
    The seating was changed to DPH44/30F in that the back-to-back seating in the upper-deck was altered so that all seats face forward. [per Jeffrey Clayton]

RDL690X [690]:

  • By 15 January 2003 it had been sold to London Borough of Redbridge. [per Gavin Rowney]
    The seating was changed to DPH44/30F in that the back-to-back seating in the upper-deck was altered so that all seats face forward. [per Jeffrey Clayton]

RDL691X [691]:

  • By 21 February 2003 it had been sold to London Borough of Redbridge. [per Gavin Rowney]
    The seating was changed to DPH44/30F in that the back-to-back seating in the upper-deck was altered so that all seats face forward. [per Jeffrey Clayton]
 
Photo Selection

A nearside-front view of RDL686X [686] in original NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Newport Bus Station on 28 July 1982.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 
A nearside-front view of RDL686X [686] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Newport Bus Station on 30 January 2001. Note that the nearside lower-deck second window was replaced with fixed glass at some stage.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

A nearside-front view of RDL687X [687] in original NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Shanklin Bus Station on 30 June 1983. Shanklin Bus Station closed in April 1984 and was sold to be redeveloped as a supermarket.
[photo copyright of Peter J. Relf]

Colour prints may be available to buy - please e-mail Peter J. Relf for details
 
An offside-front view of RDL687X [687] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Freshwater during the summer of 1986.
[photo copyright of Mark Pitman]
 
An offside-rear view of RDL687X [687] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Ryde Bus Station on 28 June 2002.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 
A nearside-front view of RDL687X still in Mushroom & Dark Green livery after passing to London Borough of Redbridge at the Showbus Bus Rally at Duxford on 28 September 2003.
[photo copyright of Chris Stewart]
 

A nearside-front view of RDL688X [688] in Emerald Green & Cream livery at Ryde Bus Station on 29 May 1993.
[photo copyright of Peter Horrex]
 
A nearside-front view of RDL688X [688] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Newport Bus Station on 25 September 1998.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

An offside-front view of RDL688X [688] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Ryde Bus Station on 12 June 2002.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

An offside-rear view of RDL688X [688] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery at Ryde Bus Station on 12 June 2002.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

A front view of RDL689X [689] in original NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Shanklin Bus Station on 24 July 1983.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 
A nearside-front view of RDL689X [689] in Cream (not Mushroom) & Dark Green livery entering Newport Bus Station on 25 September 1988.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 

A nearside-front view of RDL690X [690] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Ryde Bus Station on 14 August 1985.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 
An offside-front view of RDL690X [690] in the early de-regulation Emerald Green & Cream livery at Ventnor Bus Station during August 1986. RDL690X [690] was the very first vehicle to be repainted into the de-regulation Emerald Green & Cream livery. The Cream area around the lower-deck window frames was shallower on the first vehicles so repainted.
[photo copyright of Malcolm Audsley]
 
An offside-front view of RDL690X still in Mushroom & Dark Green livery after passing to London Borough of Redbridge at Woodford on 20 March 2003.
[photo copyright of Mike Penn]
 

An offside-front view of RDL691X [691] on delivery to the Isle of Wight outside Clapham Common Station (South London) on 17 April 1982. Note the absence of the NBC double-arrow symbol beside the fleetname.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 

Three months later and RDL691X [691] still has the offside NBC symbol missing. An offside-front view in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Ryde Bus Station on 30 July 1982.
[photo copyright of BusSpotter!]

Visit BusSpotter! for UK Bus Operator's Fleetlists and South East England Bus & Coach photographs
 
An offside-front view of RDL691X [691] in NBC Leaf Green & White livery at Sandown High Street sometime during 1986. It was one of the first Olympians to have the upper deck front vents replaced with fixed glass. Worthy of note is the Savoy Hotel (on the right of this picture) which is no longer a hotel.
[photo copyright of Mark Pitman]
 
A close-up view inside the engine compartment of RDL691X [691]. This picture was taken at Nelson Road Depot, Newport, during the Open-Day on 17 April 1988.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 
In the white "Isle of Wight County Press" Colorbus advertisement, RDL691X [691] at Newport Bus Station on 13 June 1995.
[photo copyright of Ian Roberts]
 
Entering Shanklin Bus Station, a nearside-front view of RDL691X [691] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery on 29 August 2000.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 
Entering Newport Bus Station an offside-front view of RDL691X [691] in Mushroom & Dark Green livery on 30 January 2001.
[photo copyright of Mike Ginger]
 
More views of former SV Leyland Olympians can be found at Olympian Gold Fotopic
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