LDC66P (H66) Daimler Fleetline Cleveland Transit.This vehicle has an unusual History. It started out as a 33ft exhibition chassis and was shown as such at the 1972/3&4 Comercial Motor shows at Earls Court in London. Many of the parts were actually made of wood! It was purchased by Cleveland Transit for a 'special price' and was shortened at Middlesbrough Depot with a kit of parts from the Motor Engineering Company called Rubery Owen. It was then sent to Northern Counties of Wigan where it was tagged on to the end of an order for fifteen Bristol VRs then in build for Cleveland Transit. It entered service in 1978, but with a 1975 registration to keep the continuity between a batch of ex Ribble Leyland Atlanteans (H54-H65)then still in service, and a batch of Daimler Fleetlines (H67-H86) which had been new in 1975. This Fleetline was withdrawn in 1989 along with most of it's sisters, and passed with a couple of others to Applebys of Bridlington in East Yorkshire. Unfortunately in early 1990, whilst working a works contract, the vehicle was caught in a severe storm and blown off the road into a tree. The damage was terminal to it (and the tree) and it was cannibalised for spares, with the remains going to a breakers at Barnsley in South Yorkshire. H66 is seen on Stockton High Street on a Sunday afternoon in 1986.
Picture added on 25 March 2010 at 11:00
