When Edinburgh Corporation decided to abandon its trams and replace them with buses a large intake of new buses was required. The most numerous were 300 Leyland Titans with Metro Cammell ‘Orion’ bodies. Deliveries started in 1954 and were completed in 1957 shortly after the last trams had been withdrawn. 777 was one of the last forty, entering service in January 1957. The Orion became Edinburgh’s typical double decker for the next 15 years. 777 was withdrawn from normal service at Central garage in June 1974 and became driver training bus T9 (later TB9), continuing in that role until 1983. After passing into private ownership, it was subsequently acquired by Kelvin Scottish Omnibuses Ltd in the mid to late 1980s for further use as a driver trainer, acquiring Kelvin fleet number 0997. Kelvin used it until 1991 when it was finally retired and sold to the LBC who carried out restoration work, including repainting it back into ECT livery. It has been a stalwart member of the collection ever since.
