1959 Leyland Olympic in Cuba

I visited Cuba recently. I have photos and video about this bus, its driver and the other Leyland Olympic (1964) coach, with No. 30 in your last web site.
If you like those photos, pleas send a email to me.

Cordialy

Julian

My recollection is that this model of Leyland bus went into service in Havana in the mid 1960's, replacing a large number of GM "old look" buses and newer (but not so long-lasting) Skoda buses from Czechoslovakia. I specifically remember that the Leylands replaced GM stock on the #10 (Jacomino-Vedado) and #20 (Ceiba-Vedado) lines. At that same time there was also an influx of Pegaso buses from Spain. The #76 line which ran from central Havana, past the airport, to the nearby town of Santiago de las Vegas, switched from noisy Skodas to the much more comfortable Pegasos. Also I distinctly remember that, for a short period in the mid 60's, there were some Leyland double-deckers running along the 76 line to Santiago but leaving from Avenida de los Presidentes in the Vedado section rather than from central Havana. I have a vivid recollection of riding the double decker with my mother to visit her aunt in Rancho Boyeros near the Havana airport.

I remember these buses in Buenos Aires. They replaced a number of tram lines during the great tramway "slaughter" in 1962. I rode them on the #30 route Constitucion station to Puente Saavedra. They shared the route with some Royal Tigers. They were also on the 31 the 30 sister route and the 99 and various other routes and were gone by the mid 1970s. The front of the bus proudly displayed "El Omnibus Ingles"

I was born in 1972, butn in many areas of Cuba we still have buses like this still running! Specially in central Cuba santa Clara &Sagua La Grande, in Varadero we still have one transporting construction workers, In Havana they were used for local transportation in late 60s and early 70's

I remember similar buses like the above ones in my native "Jamaica" ! They also had lighted advertisements running above the windows the lenght of the bus. I cannot find pictures anywhere of the former Jamaica omibus Service "olympic" buses however!