Leyland-MCW Olympian
Encyclopedia
The Leyland-MCW Olympian was an integral single-deck bus built by Weymann Coachbuilders of Surrey for the Metro Cammell Weymann
group using Leyland Tiger Cub
units.
British Electric Traction
subsidiary Western Welsh Omnibus Co
took 1 in 1954, 40 in 1956 and six in 1958. Trinidad
Bus Service had four in 1956 and John Fishwick and Sons
of Leyland took six in 1957. The 1954 show bus and prototype went to Jones, Aberbeeg whilst a single example was exported to Ceylon, the sole left hand drive example was sold to China in 1958, all 60 were single door.
In his Classic Blunderbus column on the type in Classic Bus 63, the current Buses Magazine editor Alan Millar explained that it was a lightweight version of the Leyland-MCW Olympic
, and as that used Leyland Royal Tiger or Royal Tiger Worldmaster components, so this used Leyland Tiger Cub
units. The name Olympian was he says adopted because Olympic Cub would have sounded "plain daft"; that said Leyland coded the type HRC (or, for the sole left hand drive version, ELC) where HR or EL was a mnemonic for "Olympic" and C meant "Cub". Completed examples were only 3cwt lighter than Tiger Cub chassis with the same maker's body. In appearance there was little to tell them apart save that the Olympian was differently badged and had a water filler cap mounted behind and slightly above the centre line of the nearside front wheel. With 60 built and six exported this was the least successful postwar Leyland single deck. But Leyland kept hold of their registration of the name, and it came in handy for the Project B45 Leyland Olympian
in 1980.
LW was the bodybuilder's identity for the vehicle, it could have stood for Leyland Weymann, or Light Weight, probably the latter. One of the Fishwick buses is preserved.
The example for China was completed sometime in 1957. If it had succeeded then no-one would now be remembering Sir Donald Stokes in connection with Cuba...
Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann was once a major player in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was formed in 1932 by Weymann Motor Bodies Ltd and Metro Cammell's bus bodybuilding division to produce bus bodies....
group using Leyland Tiger Cub
Leyland Tiger Cub
The Leyland Tiger Cub was a lightweight underfloor-engined chassis built by Leyland Motors between 1951 and 1970, most as 44-45 seat buses, with a smaller number as coaches...
units.
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.- Early history :The company was founded as...
subsidiary Western Welsh Omnibus Co
Western Welsh
Western Welsh was a Welsh bus operating company, based in Cardiff covering South Wales and the northern parts of the West Country. Formed in 1920, it was nationalised and became part of the National Welsh Omnibus Services in 1969....
took 1 in 1954, 40 in 1956 and six in 1958. Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
Bus Service had four in 1956 and John Fishwick and Sons
John Fishwick and Sons
John Fishwick & Sons is a bus company based in Leyland, Lancashire. The company operates around the central Lancashire area with buses travelling to Chorley in the south and to the city of Preston in the North. JFS is also the major bus operator to the South Preston areas...
of Leyland took six in 1957. The 1954 show bus and prototype went to Jones, Aberbeeg whilst a single example was exported to Ceylon, the sole left hand drive example was sold to China in 1958, all 60 were single door.
In his Classic Blunderbus column on the type in Classic Bus 63, the current Buses Magazine editor Alan Millar explained that it was a lightweight version of the Leyland-MCW Olympic
Leyland-MCW Olympic
The Leyland-MCW Olympic was a successful underfloor-engined single-deck bus built for at least eighteen countries from 1949 to 1971. 3,564 Olympics were built at four factories from 1949 to 1971, with 1,299 Olympics built as right hand drive and 2,265 as left hand drive...
, and as that used Leyland Royal Tiger or Royal Tiger Worldmaster components, so this used Leyland Tiger Cub
Leyland Tiger Cub
The Leyland Tiger Cub was a lightweight underfloor-engined chassis built by Leyland Motors between 1951 and 1970, most as 44-45 seat buses, with a smaller number as coaches...
units. The name Olympian was he says adopted because Olympic Cub would have sounded "plain daft"; that said Leyland coded the type HRC (or, for the sole left hand drive version, ELC) where HR or EL was a mnemonic for "Olympic" and C meant "Cub". Completed examples were only 3cwt lighter than Tiger Cub chassis with the same maker's body. In appearance there was little to tell them apart save that the Olympian was differently badged and had a water filler cap mounted behind and slightly above the centre line of the nearside front wheel. With 60 built and six exported this was the least successful postwar Leyland single deck. But Leyland kept hold of their registration of the name, and it came in handy for the Project B45 Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
in 1980.
LW was the bodybuilder's identity for the vehicle, it could have stood for Leyland Weymann, or Light Weight, probably the latter. One of the Fishwick buses is preserved.
The example for China was completed sometime in 1957. If it had succeeded then no-one would now be remembering Sir Donald Stokes in connection with Cuba...