Wishing to introduce "one man operation" the Corporation Transport department tried various demonstrators and decided in favour of purchasing a sole "Roadliner" fleet number 86. Delivered in 1967, this bus, together with a second-hand purchase (Leyland Panther Cub ex-demonstrator) converted one service to OMO. At the time it was illegal to run double deck buses with just one driver/conductor and, therefore, single deckers were the only way forward.

No. 86 had a smart two door body with only one step up to the saloon floor (but three down at the separate exit!) and it was believed that this was to be the way forward, indeed two more "Roadliners" were purchased the following year together with three Leyland "Panther" vehicles.

Unfortunately in the eyes of many, the technology of the chassis was just too radical; the vehicle had a Cummins "vee six" engine which was really intended for long distance high speed coaches and trucks and it did not perform well on stop start bus work. The suspension was a form of rubber cone which, when set correctly worked ideally but it did induce unusual bounces on bad road surfaces - it rarely broke however (unlike the standard leaf spring) - we have to remember we are in 1967, well before Cummins became well known in Britain and reliable air suspension was available.

In order to overcome the problem of having tons of weight (engine, fluid flywheel and gearbox) right at the back of the bus - a design that had caused problems with other models and led to severe body damage - the body was not fixed to the chassis behind the back wheel arch and, consequently, if behind the vehicle, one could see the sump of the engine gently rocking and rolling on the chassis frame. Some of this "shake" did get through to the bus and, when stationary, sometimes passenger were treated to a gentle massage!

No 86 left the fleet, after a short life, in 1978 (along with the other two "Roadliners") and as far as we know, was scrapped - a sad end to what could have been with just a little more thought, a fine vehicle.