GUW 444W

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GUW 444W was new to London Transport in May 1981 as fleet number LS444. She was a 10.6m A series Mark 2 Leyland National fitted with a Leyland L11 (680) engine. She was used on the network of Red Arrow routes in central London and was allocated to Victoria Red Arrow Garage. In August 1987 she was transferred to Walworth Garage and then in September 1988 she went to Waterloo Red Arrow Garage where she stayed until she was taken out of service and put into store in April 1989.

She then headed west to Centrewest at Uxbridge and was converted to single door layout and fitted with dual purpose seats for operation on the 607 Express service from Uxbridge to Shepherds Bush. She entered service on the 607 in November 1991 and worked this route until she was delicensed in November 1996. In April 1994 she was re-engined with a Volvo engine. In September 1994 Centrewest was purchased from London Buses by a management-led team. Then in March 1997 Centrewest was sold to FirstBus. Circa April 1997 LS444 was repainted into a red and yellow livery, re-licensed and used by Centrewest as a Driver Training vehicle. However despite being fitted with a Volvo engine she was lucky as she is one of the few Mark 2 Nationals from the LS class that escaped being rebuilt as a Greenway.

In August 1999 she was purchased for preservation by Keith Wright of Hitchin. Since then Keith has converted her back to her original dual door layout and refitted her with bus seats. She has also been repainted into London Transport 'Red Arrow' livery.

London Transport LS444 - GUW 444W, pictured in London Transport 'Red Arrow' livery in Oxford Street, London in 1982.

© Photograph by Richard Field.

Preserved GUW 444W pictured in Centrewest livery at Showbus, Duxford on the 24th September 2000.

© Photograph by Paul Barrett.

Preserved GUW 444W pictured in London Transport 'Red Arrow' livery at Showbus, Duxford on the 22nd September 2002.

© Photograph by Paul Barrett.