THE UK MIDLANDS BUS IMAGE GALLERY
Trent

		TB website	Trent-Barton index	Midlands buses
Page 5

ECW bodied Daimler Fleetlines were something of a novelty, but NBC had several in the early seventies with Trent taking a batch to run alongside their Alexander bodied examples. Here is 564 (OCH564L) in Derby Bus Station with the Derby City fleet's Plaxton Supreme coach behind.

Tragedy beset some of the fleet in the Derby depot fire and Fleetline/ECW 569 (OCH569L) was one of several buses destroyed by flames. The bus alongside is unidentifiable, but the position of the filler portals below the driver's offside screen suggest it is not another of the same batch as 569.

This Derby depot view shows what a mix the Trent fleet became, the Chief Enginerr must have had several headaches! Two Lodekkas can be seen and a billeted NBC standard early Leyland National. There are three Daimler Fleetlines, two with native bodies by ECW and ALexander, but in the middle of the doubledeck line up is an Alexander bodied example transferred in from Midland Red, no doubt with dual door bodywork. Two National liveried Leyland Leopards are on the left, one with the lass than successful Willowbrook Spacecar inspired body and the back of another Willowbrook bodied Leopard from an earlier era, in NBC DP livery, 249 (ECH249C).

The advent of the National Bus Company brought about some rationalisation with former Tilling companies merging with former BET ones. Trent was affected in several ways. The trio of closely associated Tilling companies - Notts & Derby, Midland General and Mansfield District, with their quirky liveries - was disbanded. Mansfield District was merged with BET East Midland, whilst the other pair with their blue and cream livery applied in Brighton, Hove & District style, was merged with Trent. This brought standard Tilling buses like this Bristol Lodekka FLF6G, 741 (TRB571F), into the Trent fleet and NBC poppy red livery.