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Leon Motor Services, Finningley - Apr 18 | Oblivion State Urban Exploration

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Leon Motor Services, Finningley - Apr 18

farmer.ned

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leon motor services were formed in 1922 and ended in 2004 when it was sold to mass transit/brightbus which is another of my to do yards.

leons main stage carriage route was the 191 doncaster to finningley services which they worked daily for 82 years with additional services serving the outlying villages of wroot and misson on doncaster market days of tuesday friday and saturday .

the other core of leons work were school services and the coaching side of the business with day trips and holidays in the uk and abroad and also private hire work with a booking office in doncasters south bus station for many years

towards the end leon also took up contract work as a long established operator on the 152 to skellow joint with yorkshire traction and a service to west bessacar as well as other local doncaster services & schools on contract to the local authorities .

the last time i visited the sheds were shared with brightbus today it is a very sad sight as the pictures show with the vandals smashing what they can even a bus stored in the garage and abandond rubbish all over the site and nature starting to reclaim part of the yard it marks the sad passing of one of doncasters last true independent bus operators  visited in  april 2018  18 months after the demise of  its parent company brightbus.

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one of leons more elderly buses waits at its turn around point at wroot with a market day service to doncaster

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as stated leons core route was the 191 service between doncaster and finningley here ORR 263 L leaves doncaster southern bus station to return to finningley

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a leon line up at the depot with various atlanteans note the advertisement for brockholes farm riding centre this is now the yorkshire wildlife park.

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after 82 years doncasters last long serving independent bows out the depot is now in the hands of mass/brightbus

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mass schoolbuses stand alongside leon service buses on the depot forecourt.

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the present view shows the depot empty and abandoned the long bus shed has gone and the offices on the right hand side have also been demolished.

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even the diesel pumps have attracted the attention of the vandals.

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leon optare metrorider M926 TYG stands at the warning tongue lane turning point en route to west bessacarr the turning point still exists but is no longer used and a stones throw from the main entrance of what is now the yorkshire wildlife park .

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926 sits sadly dumped in the undergrowth at the depot still in its leon livery.

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 great risk to my legs and you should see the scratches i decided to get some interior shots of 926.

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after removing all the crap i managed to get a shot of 926,s rear panel showing her sad legacy.

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2 of leons fitters pose for the the camera outside the repair shed with 733 and a unidentified daimler over the pits

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now boarded up and abandoned.

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2 leon deckers rest at the side of the garage and some beautifull bedford coaches with plaxtons bodywork..  1529225_b2cd2820b4e69ec8caa230ec7c6143d9.jpg 1529227_789591e80e518c44a4d609a08a5774ab.jpg 1529229_064a802eb46d59a8e20a3de54383ed75.jpg

now just a rubbish tip.

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the wash ramp at the side of the depot now full of rubbish and barrels 

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the final two pictures show the rear of the depot and the damage caused by vandals to a stored bus when they broke into the pit shed this has now been re secured .

 
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Lenston

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Nice first post, welcome along ?

 

The_Raw

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Yeah that's a nice first report mate. Cheers for sharing :)

 

hamtagger

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Welcome to the forum :)  Nice thread, you sure do like your buses! 

 

Urbexbandoned

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Welcome to the forum :)  Nice to see the 'then and now' pics, thanks for sharing (y)  

 
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