Latest News
28th June 2026
Succesful Society Gathering at Leyland Trucks
‘Family Fun Day’ a huge success attended by thousands
After a heatwave the previous week Sunday 28th June dawned damp with a cool breeze blowing around the Leyland Truck factory on Croston Road. But as the gates opened at 11am for the Family Fun Day to commence the clouds parted and the sun came out.
Unusually for a Leyland Society Gathering trucks outnumbered buses this year with just six buses on display plus one running a shuttle service between the factory and the British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland.
Two of the trucks attracted much attention. The 1941 Beaver had spent much of its revenue earning life operating on trade plates moving materials around the five sprawling factories Leyland Motors had within the town. After entering preservation the historic vehicle was stored for many years on the East Lancashire Railway at Bury. The Gathering marked it’s first outdoor public appearance in 40 years.
The other eye catching vehicle was 1978 Octopus YUJ456T with a bulk blower body restored to an extremely high level and probably in better condition now even than when it left the factory.
There are many more photographs of the 2026 Gathering on the Gathering page of the website – just click through from the menu above or follow this link – https://www.leylandsociety.co.uk/leyland-society-gathering/
5th May 2026
Ken Hargreaves becomes Honourary Life Member
At Leyland National 54 on 3rd May The Leyland Society awarded Ken an Honourary Life Membership
Ken Hargreaves is Mr. Leyland National – often referred to as the first man into the new factory at Lillyhall and the last man out. But his involvement with the National project pre-dates the opening of the factory.
Ken started at Leyland Motors as an apprentice in 1955. He joined the elite team within the research, proving and development department and worked on the FPB7 (National) project from the outset. He was involved in building the prototypes and testing them in the extreme heat of Spain as well as at temperatures of minus 30 degrees centigrade in the Arctic Circle!
In 1970 he moved to the new Lillyhall plant as a Superintendent and became heavily involved in training the factory’s workforce. He oversaw projects such as B15 Titan and the Railbus before becoming General Manager. He saw ownership of the company pass to a management buy-out and then to Volvo.
With deregulation of the UK bus industry demand for new vehicles plummeted. Sadly in 1993 after an extended period of plant run down Ken switched off the lights and locked all the doors for the final time.
A career leading to a very well deserved award from The Leyland Society.
5th March 2026
Manuals donated by D C Woodhead of Pudsey
The Leyland Society is very grateful to D C Woodhead and Partners Limited for their kind donation of a variety of Engine Service Manuals
D.C. Woodhead and Partners Limited is a specialist in diesel fuel injection equipment and the sole UK supplier of battery master switches.
Diesel fuel injection equipment is at the forefront of their business and in Pudsey they repair, maintain and recondition a vast variety of fuel injection equipment from some of the World’s leading brands. They work along side customers and suppliers to provide a service as efficient as possible. Visit their diesel fuel injection sub-section to find out more.
The manuals will all be scanned as PDFs and made available through the ‘Members Area’ where they can be downloaded free of charge. The full list of manuals is below.
8.6 litre engine manual
O.300 marine unit manual
O.370-O.400-O.401 engine manual
O.600 marine unit manual
O.600-O.680-O.690 engine manual
O.500-O.510-O.520 engine manual
LOPS Tiger manual
Super Hippo Manual manual
Octopus manual
Comet CO1 CO2 CO3 manual
Engineering Handbook (wartime edition)
20th February 2026
Unusual Industrial Application at NRM Shildon
Tamping Machine, British Railways (Eastern Region), Matisa Ltd tamping machine, No DB74007, of 1949, formerly located at Boston, Lincolnshire.
The “New Hall” at The National Railway Museum’s site in Shildon contains a number of interesting items relating to rail freight and infrastructure equipment. This Leyland powered 1949 Matisa Tamper was manufactured under licence in the UK. The engine is quoted as being rated at 70HP and powered both the unit’s self propulsion and the air compressor that drove the tamping tools.
31st December 2025
Society Gathering date and venue announced
We are delighted to announce that we have been invited to hold our 2026 Gathering at the Leyland Trucks Assembly Plant on Croston Road, Leyland on Sunday 28th June. Our display will form part of a Family Day organised by Leyland Trucks for their employees and invited guests.
Details are still being finalised but it is expected that there will be different activities taking place around the outside of the factory whilst the Assembly Plant will be open to show how trucks are produced at the Leyland site.
For full details including a downloadable copy of the entry form please click on the ‘Gathering’ tab in the menu at the top of the page.
17th September 2025
Tiger Launch Event Flag Donated
The Leyland Society has today received a very rare item donated by the estate of the late Eric Heywood a life long Leyland employee. The Leyland Tiger Flag is believed to be one of those used at the Tiger launch event in March 1981 which took place in Morocco and Gibraltar – described as the best product launch ever.
The Leyland Society is very grateful to Eric Heywood who worked at Leyland Spurrier Works in the stores for 28 years. it’s believed his boss gave him the flag and his granddaughter Emma said his last wish was for it to come back to Leyland.
The flag is believed to have been one of those used at the Tiger launch in Gibraltar. David Burnicle who held the position of Engineering Director and Technical Director, Rail, with Leyland Bus Limited during the period 1977-1987 did the technical presentation of the Tiger in Gibralter and talked about the event at a Leyland Society AGM.
He described it as the best product launch that he had ever attended, before or since. It took place in a hangar on Gibraltar airfield, with two batches of potential customers being flown in during the week to enjoy the experience. The highlights were lunch, served across the Med. in Morocco, where the demonstration vehicles were, and an evening concert by the Leyland Vehicles Band in the cave within the Rock itself. It requires a lot to impress hardened coach operators, but there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when John Hudson, the lead cornet player, gave a superb rendering of Ave Maria in the stillness of the Rock. It was truly memorable. (As an aside, the Leyland Band under their conductor Richard Evans was an asset to Leyland on many occasions – competitors could not produce anything to match them.)
15th August 2025
Phil Jones - The Leyland Society Hon. President
The Leyland Society is delighted that Phil Jones – Managing Director of Leyland Trucks – recently agreed to take the position of Hon. President of the Society. We look forward to working with him in the future and developing our links with Leyland Trucks.
Phil joined Leyland Trucks in 1993 and has extensive experience across truck operations including Assembly, Materials, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering and Facilities. He also spent 7 years establishing PACCAR Parts Distribution Centre at Leyland. Phil earned his undergraduate engineering degree from the University of Nottingham and his MBA from Manchester Business School. He is registered with the Engineering Council in the UK as a Chartered Engineer.