Isle of Man Road Services Leyland National 24 (MAN 24H) has finally met its end - at the Cemetery Gates that is Manx Metals. It was one of a batch of seven delivered in 1976, and the last new buses added to that fleet prior to nationalisation later the same year. After withdrawal the bus initially found new use as an airside transfer bus at Ronaldsway Airport and was later acquired for preservation, which proved to be short lived. After having been painted back into its Road Services 'bus red', the vehicle gradually fell into disuse and was subsequently stripped for spare parts, the remains being dispatched back to Ronaldsway where it was 'transformed' into a mock plane for use in a fire rescue exercise.
Its final owner was David Callister, who acquired the remains of the vehicle to rescue the engine, gearbox and more for use on his own National, former Londaon Transport BYW 434V.
Find out more about the last days of No 24 by clicking here.
ABOVE: 24 pictured during happier times at Laxey August 2003. (Beside is similar vehicle 30, now the Island's computer bus.)