• New to: Doncaster Corporation Transport no175 (SYPTE 1175)
• Chassis: Leyland Titan PD3/4                              Number: 621017
• Body: ROE (originally H38/32F)                          Number: GO5549
• New: December 1962                                          Converted: June to Oct. 1979
• Reregistered: 4/4/86
• Renumbered to: 9003 July 1994
• Depot allocations: Herries Road, Sheffield 10/79 - 2/94
•                             Herries Road, Sheffield (stored) 2/94 - 9/94
•                             Greenland Road, Sheffield (stored) 9/94 - 11/94
•                             Sold for preservation: 11/94

M3 was new in December 1962 to Doncaster Corporation Transport as number 175. It was part of a batch of four identicalLeyland Titan PD3/4's with Roe H40/32F bodywork, which were numbered 174 - 177 (474-7 HDT). They led uneventful service lives and passed to South Yorkshire PTE (SYPTE) in April 1974, when the Doncaster undertaking was absorbed by the new SYPTE. They were renumbered to 1174 - 1177. All the vehicles were repainted into the SYPTE'S new livery soon afterwards, This being the cream and brown livery (nicknamed "coffee and cream"), having previously been painted all over red with a purple stripe which was lined in white. When new these vehicles were painted all over red with a white band at cantrail level. 1175/6 were withdrawn in September 1979 and were converted into driver training vehicles.

Their conversion to driver training vehicles involved few alterations,the main being the entire removal of the staircase to the upper saloon and all of the seats. A small window was added behind the drivers cab together with an extra set of mirrors for the instructor. The buses entered service in their new roles in October 1977 renumbered to M3/4. At this time the remaing vehicles from the batch were withdrawn and converted to driver trainers; 1174 becomming M1 and 1177 became M20, both returning to use in November 1977.

This new lease of life for them was shortlived though, for in March 1978 M1/3/4 were withdrawn again and sent to Central Works in Sheffield for conversion into gritter/ recovery vehicles. M3/4 were converted almost identically and re-entered service again in 1979. M1 (1174) was initially allocated the number M15 but was found to be in poor condition, and was sold for scrap in March 1981. M3 was allocated to Herries Road garage in Sheffield.

When it was converted M3 was painted into SYPTE cream and brown, later being repainted in 1986 into the new post-deregulation livery of cream, red and brown. M3 was also re-registered in April 1986 and became OWJ353A; its original number (475HDT) was transfered to coach 75.

M3 continued in use until February 1994 when it was withdrawn to become the spare tow wagon. It was renumbered to 9003 in July 1994, being transfered to Greenland Road garage in September 1994 when Herries was closed.

It was purchased for preservation in November 1994 and moved to it new home, at the St.Helens Transport Museum, later that month. Over the following four years M3 recieved a complete exterior body and mechanical overhaul, being totally repainted by Preston Bus in May 1998 into its final SYT livery. The interior was then similarly treated, being completed some two years later, although as with most projects small improvements are still being done.