872 ATA (872) is a 1959 Leyland Atlantean with Metro Cammell 76 seat bodywork.

Donated to the Trust by Stagecoach South West in 2025, 872 ATA was numerically the first of 72 Leyland Atlanteans that Devon General purchased new between 1959 and 1968, with batches bodied by Metro Cammell, MCW, Roe and Willowbrook. Mostly associated with the company’s Torbay operations, the Atlanteans had long service lives, with withdrawal not starting until 1980.

The Atlantean was a revolutionary design of bus chassis that placed the engine at the rear and had a set back front axle that enabled the passenger doorway to be placed opposite the driver’s cab, improving safety. It offered high passenger capacity, which Devon General needed during the busy Torbay holiday season.

Leyland developed it from its PDR1 ‘Lowloader’ prototype, which Devon General tried out in March 1955.  STF 90 had a rear-mounted engine and was of semi-integral construction with a rear entrance full-fronted Saunders Roe body, but sat only 61. With Construction & Use regulations changing in 1956 to permit two-axle vehicles of up to 30 feet length, Leyland built a second prototype, 281 ATC, with a more powerful engine and a front-entrance, low-height MCW body that sat 78. This was of integral construction and was the star of the 1956 Commercial Motor Show. Devon General did not try out this demonstrator, but other operators felt it was overcomplicated and too expensive. Leyland launched a further iteration of the design at the 1958 show – the PDR1/1 – and this had a separate chassis/body arrangement, with the engine and gearbox contained in a ‘bustle’ at the rear.

Devon General evidently felt this met its requirements, and was one of the first BET group companies to place an order, with an initial batch of 17, bodied by Metro Cammell. 872-888 ATA (DL872-888) arrived in June and July 1959 and went into service from Torquay, Brixham and Kingsteignton depots, replacing the ‘Light Sixes’ on Service 12. The full capacity of  78 was reduced by 2 with the provision of a larger rack for passengers’ luggage. A second batch of 23 x 75-seaters, 895-917 DTT (DL895-917), this time bodied by Roe, arrived in April and May 1960 and were put into service on local Torquay routes. Two further batches arrived in 1961. 7 were bodied by Roe – 918-924 GTA (DL919-924) – and 9 were convertible open-toppers bodied by Metro Cammell – 925-933 GTA (DL925-933). The latter were painted in a ‘reversed’ ivory / red livery, given the names of seafarers, and hence known as the ‘Sea Dogs’. In the summer they ran on newly-enhanced Torbay seafront Services 12A, 12C and 12D and then had their roofs refitted for the winter. The bad 1962/63 winter weather saw some being damaged and in subsequent years they were stored during the winter months.

Unfortunately these early Atlanteans suffered mechanical issues, leading to Devon General bringing them all up to the ‘Mark II’ standard in 1962. The Roe versions also had to have modifications due to body movement and leaks. For a while, Devon General reverted to AEC Regent Vs for its heavyweight double decker needs, and the next 6 Atlanteans did not arrive until May 1966: Willowbrook-bodied EOD 526-531D (526-531), which had the more powerful O680 engine to tackle hilly routes around Paignton and Torquay. The final batch of 10 Atlanteans, NDV 532-541G (532-541) arrived between October 1968 and February 1969. These also had the O680 engine, with MCW bodywork built at the former Saunders Roe Factory on Anglesey. 6 entered service at Exeter on Service R to Rifford Road, with the rest going to Torquay for Services 32 and 33 to Chelston.

872 ATA was delivered on 23rd June 1959 and spent most of its Devon General career at Torquay and Newton Abbot depots. It was converted for one-man-operation in 1972, which entailed lowering its front destination display so that it could be operated from the driver’s cab, and emerged from Plymouth bodyshop repainted without the customary ivory band below the upper deck windows. The batch was repainted into NBC poppy red in 1973/75, and taken out of service in 1977/78. After two years off the road, in November 1979 872 ATA received red and white ‘Unibus’ livery and moved to Cornwall, running from Truro, Helston and Newquay depots. It ran briefly in Torquay in the summer of 1982 and was finally withdrawn from service that October.

It passed straight into preservation and had several owners before Stagecoach Devon acquired it in 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restored and repainted in traditional Devon General livery in time for the 50th anniversary of Exeter bus station in 2014, 872 ATA has been part of Stagecoach’s heritage fleet and was recently repanelled and repainted again.

The Trust is very grateful to Stagecoach South West for donating 872 ATA. It is currently in storage and the Trust plans to take the bus to events from 2026, giving people the opportunity to view it and to travel on it.