Central SMT

Following the closure of East Kilbride Depot in December 1989, the remaining Ailsas were transferred to Cumbernauld. A small number were repainted into the yellow and blue Kelvin Central livery, including 1953 (LHS753V), originally Central AH29, photographed in Killermont Street, Glasgow on 3 March 1990.

A pair of Caetano Algarve bodied Volvo B10Ms were acquired from Newton, Dingwall in 1985, when only a few months old. Both were initially used in Newton's livery, but later received Scottish Citylink livery. C8 (C348LVV) is seen as Kelvin Central 4591, still in Citylink livery but minus fleetnames. It was photographed in Argyle Street, Glasgow on 4 June 1990, shortly after Kelvin Central had withdrawn from Citylink work.

The only Dennis Dominator to receive EK Chieftain green and cream livery was D35, later Kelvin Central 1715. When East Kilbride Depot closed at the end of 1989, it was transferred to Stepps Depot. It remained in Chieftain livery until June 1990, latterly running with only KCB fleetnames, as seen in this view taken in Killermont Street, Glasgow on 7 April 1990.

Upon the merger with Kelvin Scottish in Summer 1989, Dennis Dominator D50 was given fleetnumber 1740 in the Kelvin Central series. Early in 1990, when allocated to Stepps Depot, it received a front grille from a withdrawn MCW Metrobus, with the MCW lettering intact! It was photographed in Argyle Street, Glasgow on 3 April 1990.

LT36 carried an overall advertising livery for Trust Motors, a Ford car dealer. It is seen as Kelvin Central 1236 in Anderston Bus Station, on 23 March 1990.

LT59, a coach-seated Alexander bodied Leyland Tiger, had a brief spell as Kelvin Central 2277, before moving to Strathtay Scottish in 1989. It is pictured at Buchanan Bus Station, Glasgow on 26 May 1990, still in Central livery.

Alexander bodied Leyland Tiger 1289, new as Central LT74, received the Monklands Bus blue and grey livery in 1989. Although a yellow front was later applied, it retained Monklands Bus fleetnames following its transfer to Old Kilpatrick Depot. It was photographed a considerable distance from Monklands District, at Clydebank Bus Station , on 10 May 1990.

The only Leyland National new to a Scottish operator to be rebuilt by East Lancs as part of the National Greenway refurbishment programme, was Central N29 (MDS862V). Transferred to Kelvin Scottish in 1986, it was pictured in Kelvin Central ownership in Rutherglen Main Street on 7 August 1992, still in original condition. It was rebodied in 1994 and survives in preservation.

Leyland National N34 (MDS867V) passed to Kelvin Scottish in 1985, together with the operations of Old Kilpatrick Depot, where it is pictured on 23 May 1990, by which time it had become Kelvin Central 1141. Note the local Dumbarton Bus fleetname on the side.

A number of Alexander Y-type bodied Leyland Leopards moved to SBG Engineering, including T182 (AGM682L), which was converted to a tow wagon. Upon the closure of SBG Engineering, it joined the Kelvin Central fleet. It is pictured at Anderston Bus Station, Glasgow on 23 March 1990.

One of the oldest Leyland Leopards to pass into Kelvin Central ownership was 1409 (MHS27P), originally Central T249. It still retained full Central livery in this view taken on 17 May 1990 in Glasgow's Argyle Street, outside Anderston Bus Station. Cross-Glasgow services 5/5A became partly worked by Leopards earlier that year, following withdrawal of a number of Routemasters.

Before the red and cream livery was selected for fleet-wide use in August 1990, a number of Airdrie- and Motherwell-based vehicles were repainted in these colours. Those concerned were given the gold Lanarkshire Bus fleetname, introduced the previous year, as well as the Kelvin Central Buses fleetname. Among the repaints was Airdrie-based Leyland Leopard 1517, seen at Glasgow's Buchanan Bus Station on 14 May 1990, shortly after its repaint.

Seen with the yellow front treatment as applied to Central livery is T430 (TSU653W), Kelvin Central 1553 in this view taken in Killermont Street, Glasgow on 28 May 1990.

The early days of Kelvin Central are best remembered by the yellow fronts which were applied to vehicles in Central, Fife, Midland and Strathtay liveries, as well as the EK Chieftain, Lanarkshire Bus and Monklands Bus schemes. Pictured at Glasgow's Buchanan Bus Station on 19 April 1990 are two former Fife Leyland Olympians with this treatment, the sides and rear retaining Fife livery.

Kelvin Central withdrew from Scottish Citylink work in May 1990. Pictured in Great Western Road, Glasgow on 11 April 1990 is Duple 340-bodied Leyland Tiger 4302 (D323RNS), new to Kelvin Scottish in 1987. All of the newer coaches were transferred to other SBG fleets following the end of Citylink duties. This vehicle moved to Highland Scottish.

In their early years, many of the Central Dennis Dominators received broadside and overall advertising liveries. The practice was carried on by Kelvin Central in the early 1990s. Originally Central D9 (TYS262W), which carried a broadside livery for Solid Fuel Advisory Service in the early 1980s, this Dominator is seen in KCB ownership shortly after receiving a Penicuik Window Systems broadside livery. It is seen in Argyle Street, Glasgow on 30 October 1991.

 The last of the first batch of Dennis Dominators was D21 (TYS274W). It is seen as Kelvin Central 1714 departing Glasgow's Anderston Bus Station while allocated to Old Kilpatrick Depot.

Upon repainting into the red and cream Kelvin Central Buses livery, Alexander-bodied Leyland Tiger 1288 (D373OSU) was given the fleetname "Central Central Buses" on the offside! It is seen in Buchanan Bus Station on 11 February 1991.

Originally Central N23 (MDS856V), this Mark 2 National is seen as Kelvin Central 1132. In the interim period, it had also operated for Kelvin Scottish.

At the time of the privatisation of Kelvin Central Buses in 1991, the oldest Central vehicles in the fleet were a number of 1976 Alexander Y-type bodied Leyland Leopards. 1424 (MHS42P) was originally Central T264 and is seen in Clydebank Bus Station on 29 October 1991.

The only Scottish Bus Group Leyland Lynx was supplied to Kelvin Scottish in 1986 as 1401 (D401MHS). It became Kelvin Central 1101 in 1989 and was repainted into the red and cream livery. It is seen towards the end of its KCB career in Hope Street, Glasgow on 24 January 1991.

The native Dennis Dominators were joined by 10 Alexander-bodied full height examples acquired from Merseybus in 1992. 1754 is seen in Argyle Street, Glasgow, still in its previous owner's livery.

A wide variety of vehicles were acquired by Kelvin Central, including a number of Plaxton Paramount-bodied Leland Tigers. 3215 (A104EPA) came from London Country (North West) in 1991. It is seen on local service work from Motherwell Depot on 30 October 1991, in Argyle Street, Glasgow.

Taken from above Anderston Bus Station on 27 February 1991, this view shows Alexander TS-type Leyland Tiger 1288 (D373OSU) in red and cream Kelvin Central Buses colours, a pair of Alexander Y-type bodied Leyland Leopards in Central livery, 1522 (GSU862T) and 1474 (EGB74T), together with Alexander R-type bodied Dennis Dominator 1733 (FGE433X) in Glasgow European City of Culture 1990 / Easterhouse Initiative overall advert livery. These vehicles were all new to Central as LT73, T380/42 and D33 respectively.