Title

THE PRESERVATION SCENE 

MUSEUMS, RALLIES AND ROAD RUNS

An evocative view of the fourth BUS OF YESTERYEAR gathering, at St. Pancras in 1973. Over sixty buses and coaches can be counted on the original print here!  Among London vehicles in their earlier days of preservation can be seen G351, RTL1323, RF10, T792, TD95 and RT1431 in the company of entries from Birmingham, Midland Red, Royal Blue, Blue Bus, West Bromwich, Barton, Aldershot & District, Bournemouth and Halifax plus a good Tilling Group contingent. The Leyland TD1 in the foreground was part of the National collection then entrusted to the care of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club. It iremains so today and now resides at Wroughton I believe. I daresay this site has long been commercially developed - my guess is that its the site of the current British Library building. I can't remember though where I was to capture this shot, probably the balcony of a block of flats.

- 

In  the autumn of 1966 as a somewhat niaive 22 year old, I joined that brave (some might say foolhardy) band of impecunious* individuals willing to sacrifice their hard-earned money, their weekends, their girlfriends and sometimes their very sanity to be a bus preservationist.

In a joint venture with my late friend Bill Cottrell, Ian Sargent and Pete Nichols I purchased London Transport single-decker Q83 of 1935 and maintained an involvement with it for some thirteen years. Around this early/mid-1960s time three very important and irreplaceable types were lost forever to the London preservation movement, namely all-Leyland STD90, 'tunnel' STL1871 through lack of finance/secure accommodation and/or vandalism , and the unique RTC1 (ex-RT97) through commercial indifference, it being sold for scrap by Vernons Pools despite strong interest in it by preservationists, so we were happy to be keeping a pre-war capital fleet vehicle alive, even though not knowing what lay ahead and whether we would succeed or fail.

This created a major shift in my transport enthusiast priorities, for much of the time energy and money I might have spent chasing and photographing operational vehicles was channelled, week in, week out, into all the problems associated with trying, with limited funds and not enough knowledge, to safeguard and restore this historically important vehicle. Inevitably I went to a lot of rallies though and saw and photographed many preserved buses. Now, four decades plus down the line, as I look at my trannies, I often wonder what has become of some of the subjects.

 as now attained the status of an octogenarian, having first hit the road in October 1935. It is still capable of being confused with a modern bus! A few recent  mechanical problems aside that I understand have now been put right, kept her in 2012 as a static exhibit only at her new prestigious London Bus Museum home at Brooklands. She put in a welcome and (for me) surprise appearance at the recent Staines Transport Fair creating rather a lot of smoke on departure, but this, I recall, was always a feature of her cold starts. I very much hope that this wonderful survivor has regained its previous capability of attaining good speed on the A3 (albeit rather noisily).

This amply evidences a lasting testimony to Bill's dedication. It was privileged to know him, and to count him as a friend for not far short of forty years so it was a bonus to be invited to renew my acquaintance with Q83 and to take a ride, but be nevertheless saddened by the realisation that he was not to be at the wheel, on its seventieth birthday outing in October 2005. I'm looking forward to my next trip.

*The asking price was £100 and each of us laid out £25 to acquire Q83, which was more money then than can perhaps be easily imagined today (about half my monthly nett salary at the time)..To put inflation over the past four+ decades more into perspective,you could then, if you were a smoker, buy some 9,000 cigarettes for £100 (todays cost £2000+). It's interesting to recall too that just to get hold of a copy of the excellent OOC model of it in 2003 cost me nearly £20, and they were on offer in other places for the full £25!

For an opening selection I have, inevitably, as a small tribute to Bill, given pride of place to Q83 and other preserved London buses many of which he had a hand in restoring,or maintaining in later years. Following this is a paragraph showing the sterling work done over the years to preserve and operate trolleybuses, then a starting selection of preserved provincial buses and coaches. I fully expect that most are safe and sound somewhere but am not at all sure what has become of some of those shown.

At St, Albans c.1949 - It ran in operational service until mid 1953 

At St. Albans c.1949 -it ran in service till 1953

Smile please! - October 1966 and we are taking ownership of Q83 at the West Bromwich AEC Service Depot. Ian shakes hands with Harry Pick while the rest of us look pleased with ourselves. Pete is leaning on the sidelight, Bill looks over Harry's shoulder and I am extreme right. If I look a bit unsteady on my feet it's because I was recovering from picking (and convincingly losing!) a middle of the road fight with a speeding Ford Anglia on August 2nd and a huge plaster cast had not long been removed from my left leg! I still needed crutches but hid them from view on board for this record shot.me left is our willing mechanical expert and driver for the day John Warner. The photo was taken by another member of our party using a rather basic 1930s Agfa Billy folding camera that I had recently bought for 97/6d (approx £4.90) - I still have it today!

                                                       These colour views by Ian Sargent

By 1969-70 we had secured restricted (no work allowed) permission to park at the rear of Stonebridge Garage along with TD95 and RT1431. To make us feel as if something was being achieved around this time a none too professional attempt at representing LT country area livery was made. This was possible thanks to the kind help of Valliant Coaches of Ealing who allowed the use on a few occasions of their undercover facilities and pit on Sundays where it is here seen. LOTS Craven RT1431 also received its first red coats of paint here. At other times Bill and I took Q83 out on Sundays to an industrial site in the Hanwell area where some other enthusiasts were working on a WWII Fire Tender. They had a small garage into which it was just possible to drive 75% of her length if we needed cover to work.

This is what we achieved by 1973. Seen waiting for the 'off' at a rainy Crawley mid way point for the Brighton HCVC run of that year. There was however still much internal work to do. Parked behind is STL2093, which was bought for preservation in about 1958 from its second operator Reliance of Newbury. It is today part of the London Bus Museum collection but awaits a much needed restoration.

And here's a closer look at STL2093 seen many years ago at Brighton. Because it is more or less identical to STL2377 it is unlikely to be near the front of the queue for restoration I can only say though that a recently heard suggestion that it be done as a post-war country area bus would certainly be on my wish list as it would give the Brooklands museum its first pre-war green double-decker. It was never itself like that but many of the type were 1946-54. In the meantime however its now rather dilapidated state suits it well as the centrepiece of LBM's Wartime display.

photo to be re-instated 

Seen departing Horse Guards Avenue terminus in 1972 during its first week of service on Londons Vintage Bus route 100, former Tilling ST922 underwent major restoration after rescue from a scrapyard in 1965. It's now well over eighty (yes 80!) years since this bus was first licenced, and having undergone a thorough restoration it remains fully roadworthy in the ownership of the LBPT. Look in the ODDS & ENDS page to see what it was like at the time of initial rescue.

Also back on the road in 1972 following restoration was this former London Independent bus based on the Dennis 4-ton chassis built in 1925. Seen at Pimlico terminus of the the then and present day route 24 it was on a commemorative run over one of its former stamping grounds which in 1928/9 was numbered 529. When the bodywork of this was discovered having been used as a store shed for decades it was found that its original interior lightbulbs, marked LGOC, still worked! In the seventies this vehicle appeared in television dramas Upstairs Downstairs and Danger UXB and no doubt others. Downton Abbey followed more recently. Nowadays this bus is in the care of the LBPT at Brooklands and is frequently seen out and about. It is currently believed to be undergoing restoration and re-paint into London Public Omnibus Company colours to represent a vehicle from the 1920s Pirate Independents era which of course it originally was. -  

C111 is a Leyland Cub with a specially designed body for Interstation services 

Its livery is pale blue and cream with black lining and roof.

 A number of Fordson wartime fire emergency vehicles like the one adjacent were released by the Defence Ministry about this time early 1970s) and were auctioned off at bargain prices to preservationists having been in store since the 1940s. I'm not sure whether this was one of them - they reputedly had under fifty miles on their clocks!

There were originally fifteen of these ECW bodied private hire coaches built on the AEC Regal IV chassis (same as the RF) Most were exported to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) when LTE finished with them, but this one (RFW14) must have been one of the pair that stayed to work subsequently for St Thomas's Hospital. London

Seen, I think at the same time as the RFW above, possibly at a Showbus event at Woburn in the mid-1980s. I don't think any GS's were ever painted red but I do recall serious considerations to this effect in about 1967 when prolonged bridge reconstruction at Selsdon was going to split the operation of Route 54 in two, and these lighter vehicles could have been used for a bridge crossing shuttle during the rebuilding work, however it didn't happen.

The RF type has always been well represented in preservation. A smart RF458 is seen at Woburn

The tendency nowadays to restore buses to a standard befitting them for commercial use can only be a good thing. This is well exemplified by TIMEBUS RLH32 seen a long way from its home ground operating a service during the September annual Heritage Open Days event in Northampton six or seven years ago.   This bus is currently exhibiting the blue/grey livery of the Leeds area operator Samual Ledgard who ran some of the type after sale by London Transport in the 1970s. 

The tendency now to restore buses to a standard befitting them for commercial use can only be a good thing. This is well exemplified by Timebus travel's RLH 32 seen a good few years ago a long way from home on Heritage Day service in Northampton. It later, for a while exhibited the smart blue & grey livery of Samuel Ledgard of Leeds who operated a number of the type after LT disposal

RTW467 was the last of its type to run in service and was bought direct from LT for preservation very soon afterwards  in 1966. Then too young to be an official entrant it is seen parked up at a late 1960s Brighton HCVC Rally

RT593 is a nice survivor with an early roofbox body

My enthusiasm for photographing the London scene waned somewhat in the seventies and I did virtuually nothing to record the changing country area scene.  The RTs began to disappear there quite quickly but a couple did get into the National Bus corporate colour scheme and it is good that one is preserved as such. RT604 is seen alongside RT3183 in the'proper' country area livery

RTW29, always immaculately maintained, is here seen at Wisley. Its full set of nicely arranged blinds does it credit though I can't say I ever remember them on the 19 road.

An excellent job of restoration was carried out a long time ago on Private Hire RF10 in the 1970s. It's been off the road and looking a bit rough in recent years but hopefully it will be put right in the not too distant future. London Bus Museum at Brooklands has however now restored identical RF19 and RF13 also survives smartly. RF10 still has its original owner in preservation. A view of RF10 with its independent owner during the 1960s, Osbornes of Tollesbury, can be seen on the ENGLISH INDEPENDENTS page

Another Londoner with a long history of preservation is TD95. This 1948 Leyland PS1 has undergone a major rebuild in the ownership of LBPT. I well remember it and the few other last survivors trotting up and down the 240A route from Edgware Station until September of 1962

---ooo000ooo---

In the late 1960's and early 1970s we all marvelled at the re-emergence of a wonderfully reconstructed 1920s London General double-decker in the shape of S454. This is still with us and, following he death of its original restorer and owner remains safely in the UK in new hands.

Smaller sister  K502 was also privately rebuilt showing what could be achieved with appropriate private skills and funding. Then, in quite quick succession  a 9T9 and 10T10 came into LBPT hands following the  restoration by Prince Marshall of former Independent Dennis D142 and Tilling ST922  ( both  now in LBPT ownership) and then the repatriation of STL433 from Holland.

 It was perhaps forgivable to assume that the last miracle discoveries of pre-war former London buses had, by the 1970s then been made, but the 1990s and the start of the twenty-first century have heralded the emergence of yet more magnificent London discoveries and restorations - rear-engined  Leyland Cub CR16 has been lovingly restored from the ground up having been repatriated from Cyprus a few years ago and the famed EnsignBus organisation have brought back and fully restored RT8 from the USA . They've also well sorted normal control Leyland Cub C6, an RTW and a T that came all the way back from Australia. Waiting in their wings is a Leyland TD decker formerly of Maidstone and District that passed in 1933 to LPTB. The famed Mike Sutcliffe Collection (see separate paragraph) includes two very early examples including a former Chocolate Express Leyland LB5.  A London Tilling -Stevens double-decker was re-constructed by the late Michael Banfield some years ago and this now is in the same safe ownership as S454. Below is seen  S433 from the Barry Weatherhead stable, representing a final form of the S type, as used after about 1930 with pneumatic tyres and drivers' cab. Barry has just completed  a B type double-decker (see below) and the LT Museum has performed a superb job on a second example acquired and restored, now commemorating the WW1 centenary by being presented as a 'battle bus'. Their 'Scooter'  AEC Renown LT1076 was magnificently restored a few years ago - pictured below on its first Brighton excursion.

Now we must wait for the certain to be breathtaking re-birth at Brooklands of NS174 (body re-construction now progressing very well) and one day, hopefully not too distant, perhaps the re-emergence of that amazingly re-discovered and repatriated from France T357 (picture below) and also LT1059. Not sure if this in fact was but it would be nice, given the livery choice for LT 1076, for LT1059 to eventually be represented as a 'Marshall rebuild'. The LBPT also had an RLH repatriated from the USA, but has passed this to a new owner after acquisition of fully restored RLH48.  The LT Museum has done a nice job on Leyland Cub C94 and also apparently has the remains of early Greenline T252, a photo of which in its derelict state forty years ago can be seen on my  'ODDS & ENDS' page. We are now spoilt for choice in a way that earlier generations of preservationists could not have even dreamed about - of course we all continue to mourn those types that are lost forever don't we? (or are they?) so when will it finally all come to a halt - who can say? If anyone knows of the existence of a pre-war STD please shout out very loudly now! 

I think this was 2002 or 2003, anyway the first public appearance of T357 as recovered from France. My brief internal examination seemed to indicate that much of the original window capping and beading has survived under melamine coverings fitted subsequently. I recall there was something strange about the engine which had some odd extra pieces, but it was running - whether it was the original later adapted or another I know not but It still looked like a 7.7

                                                                                                                   ---ooo000ooo---

Two examples survive of the 'S' type in its original incarnation as an open topped solid-tyred workhorse of the 1920s but this superb reconstruction by Barry Weatherhead is of a later in the decade development as a pneumatic-tyred saloon - the type remained in service use until about 1933.  Seen at rest at Pease Pottage on its way to Brighton about eight years ago.

More from this intrepid and well respected preservationist below............

He managed, much to everyone's delight, to bring no fewer than four to the recent Showbus event at Woburn Abbey..........

S433 Is seen again alongside his Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric, originally with the fleet of Thomas Tilling and operating in South London until the early thirties.

I believe that K502 was Barry's first restoration, being completed nearly forty years ago. It appeared alongside the LT Museum's K424 in the 1983 London Transport 50th Anniversary celebrations and much more recently in the 'Year of the Bus' event in central London.

................ and here's his latest - definitely deserving of two views at Woburn 2015, one of its first outings, was his B 1609, originally of 1912 vintage and adorned in the darker red livery introduced that year.

---ooo000ooo--- 

The existence in (I think) Hertfordshire of a remarkably complete AEC Renown LT1076 was known about for probably well over thirty years and initially its owner who used it as a summer house would not part with it, however it eventually came under the wing of the LT Museum which lavished considerable amounts of money on it with the result seen above. It is captured arriving on its run to Brighton about six or seven years ago. 

 During my time of involvement at Syon Park and then Covent Garden I often stared at B340 and thought that it had been over-restored. I well remember that the original staircase stringer panels, wings, destination boards and other parts were replaced but had been retained and were really good enough to have been restored and re-use Museum of British Transport and the BTC were responsible for this as it made a fine exhibit at Clapham on its raised pedestal. One thing I never thought I would see was it running again, let alone its amazing excursion all the way to Brighton in 2006. All credit is due to the London's Transport Museum staff for making this possible. Next time you see it count the spokes on one front wheel and then do the same with the other!

Superbly re-created Leyland LB5 of pioneering London independent operator Chocolate Express, seen alongside D142 at Cobham a few years ago. Although they have different chassis the bodies on these two are more or less identical products of Dodsons of Willesden London NW10 which supplied many independent (pirate) operators in the capital. That of D142 still has most of its original framing.

It says much for the enlightened attitudes now prevalent amongst the big players in London bus preservation that scenes like this are made possible. Left and right at Cobham are LT Museum's K424 and S742 and in the centre is Barry Weatherhead's privately preserved K type K502, One day perhaps we shall see this trio together again alongside NS174 to illustrate a remarkable survival story of typical 1920s capital buses. To my knowledge there will soon be 12 (!) open-top double deckers of London origin in preservation - what a sight it would be to have them all together!!

The LBPT's T448c not very long after being extricated from a Hertfordshire scrapyard in the seventies and after its initial mainly cosmetic restoration. It can now be seen at the Cobham Hall, Brooklands, London Bus Museum and has in more recent times undergone further rebuilding.

RECENT GOINGS ON - BROOKLANDS 2012-2015

Now that the London Bus Museum is safely re-located to its new premises the opportunity is being taken to stage major events within the Brooklands complex though the opportunity to use Wisley airfield was taken for the last time recently. Here are a few photos from excellent recent gatherings.........................

Live operation of one of the Museum's horse-buses around the Brooklands site is eternally popular, paired as usual by a beautiful pair of horses. In addition to these greys there's a pair of dark brown. Not sure which but one of the pairs is named Laurel & Hardy!

Already recorded elsewhere on this website, here's a different viewpoint on the much reconstructed but nevertheless superb Leyland of London Central, part of the famed Mike Sutcliffe Collection.

Another of Mike Sutcliffe's fleet is this wonderful Leyland of Chocolate Express, the original London 'Pirate'. It is seen here in the company of RT8, skillfully rebuilt and restored after repatriation from America by EnsignBus.

In addition to XU 7498 (above)  pre-war (just) Leyland rear-engine Cub CR16, privately owned, and rebuilt after return from Malta, spent some time on display at Cobham Hall

One of only two survivors of the original fleet of 15 RFW AEC Regal IV/ECW (1953) Private Hire Coaches of LTE, RFW 14 put in an appearance. It looks in reasonable fettle though appearances are often deceptive. Certainly the front panel seems to have been in the wars but rectification of this will be relatively straight forward as and when the owner desires it. Apparently in the same (preservation) ownership since 1974.  RFW6, the other survivor has recently joined the LBPT 'Brooklands' collection. All but one of the rest were exported to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where they were no doubt run into the ground quite quickly.

RT1 waits at the stop outside the Museum building partly obscuring the magnificent Concorde exhibit

RT2775, the only survivor of the trio of buses that undertook a major tour of the United States and Canada in 1952 has been very carefully restored by the London Bus Preservation Trust. The completion of work was achieved in time for the sixtieth anniversary of the tour and the bus carried family members of the original tour crew as guests from the Museum to Wisley

'GreenLine' RT3491 shares the dock area with STL 2377

GS34. It is thought that around a third of the original 84 members of this class have survived into preservation

RF 146 shows off the livery used for 'modernised' RF's when they were demoted to bus work

The weather at Wisley was, to say the least, not good with much rain and wind. Later when the sun came out with a background of more threatening heavy rain it was posssible to capture this nice shot of RF401.

Much unloved in their service,days the infamous AEC Merlins are, though, thankfully represented by a small number of survivors. MB90 is, incredibly, now 45 years old but really wouldn't look out of  place or in any way old-fashioned in the company of today's Dennis Enviro's

Coming more up to date but still worthy of preservation by virtue of each being more than thirty years old each we see an example of the ubiquitous Leyland National as used by London Country Bus Services and also MCW Metropolitan M6 which has been well restored in the ownership of the LBPT

RT1 meets RM1. There's only fifteen years between them, and six of them were at war!

Lastly, two more shots from a rainswept Wisley. In the first RT1 and RM1 are paired whilst the second shows RM1 again in the distinguished company of prototype 'Borismaster' LT1, and appropriate classification for the new bus for London named after the first of another distinguished type in London bus history, the AEC Renown  LT class introduced in 1929

The LBPT 'fleet' can at last boast inclusion of a standard Routemaster. Very original in appearance RM140 is being acquired by a membership fundraising appeal. Seen here at Wisley  during the 2012 big event

LTE bought three of these Willowbrook bodied AEC Reliances in 1961 to test the dual-entrance/exit concept but their tenure was not a very long one and they were disposed of within a few years going to Chesterfield Corporation. Acquired from there many years ago RW3 is now the only survivor. Its current owners have very nicely restored it and placed it on long-term loan to the LBPT collection

RT2657 was exiled to France in about 1965 for display in the Paris Transport Museum which, in 2013 donated it to the LBPT. It adds an early RT3 bodied example to the 'fleet'

............and D142, in its fortieth year of preservation still works hard for its keep! It is worth noting that much of the original built frame of the 1926 Dodson bodywork still remains under the skin 

Although originally acquired in the 1970s it is good that Bedford Staff Canteen 702B now puts in appearances. LTE had a number of these which dated from 1948/9 and replaced the motley collection of converted NS and Tilling ST types (ST922 was briefly one such). A number were bought by Liverpool Corporation Transport when LTE finished with them and this one then came back 'home' Under the skin however its condition is not good so a re-build of the frame must be undertaken eventually.

The former Samuel Ledgard operations were always good users of former London buses and it is good here to see former RLH 32 preserved in that guise

When one is well old enough to have seen the entry into service of a vehicle type it comes as a stark reminder of passing time to see that same type enter the ranks of preservation. These little early 1970s Bristol LHs were the replacements for some RF's in the central area and the GS type to its left on some country services.

I am not as well in touch with goings on in the preservation world as I used to be nowadays and when I came across this oddity at the Spring 2014 event I have to admit that I was completely unaware of its existence. It is a commendable working replica of one of Hancock's steam powered carriages of the 1830s. I don't know whether the owners had done some research as to the colours but they certainly do not accord with that of the vehicle as depicted in presumably of the time frequently published colour illustrations.

---ooo000ooo---

......................and here's a trio of visitors to the event,  all of which are true seniors in the league of London bus preservation:-

The very comprehensive restoration of RT113 began in the 1960s and took very many years. Now almost half a century later it is still looking good!

RTL1323 was an early saving, by the late Alan Allmey, way back in about 1966. One of its last working allocations had been Cricklewood and I photographed it substituting for an RM on route 16. It is good now so many years later to see it like this because my last sighting of it was when it was painted quite incorrectly in Green Line colours

Disposed of in the late 1960s the former Tree-Lopper conversion of

front-entrance country area STL1470 went straight into preservation. I had my closest look ever at this at Brooklands earlier this year and it seems to be in remarkably good condition. I had always thought that the conversion entailed complete removal of the upper deck but it seems that only the roof and windows was removed. There's even some seats left inside and the front destination screen looks unaltered. It's had a number of owners since being saved but is now in the safe hands of Roger Wright. It is a real gem and hopefully will one day be fully restored. New top decks don't come cheap but this old girl definitely deserves to have her hat on again!

TRANSPORTFEST 2015

The theme of this year's event, on October 18th was 'Anniversaries' Normally very well patronised this year's London Bus Museum event seemed a little thin on the ground with both visitors and entered vehicles compared to previous years. It celebrated  the significant 'birthdays' of three of the Museums main exhibits. Dennis D142 was ninety, Q83 eighty and G351 a comparative youngster at seventy. I had camera troubles and managed only to get a few decent shots.

Former 'Pirate' Dennis D142 (left) was new in 1925. originally with solid-tyred spoked wheels which were replaced when pneumatics became available from about 1928. G351 was a later 'utility' specification bus built at the end of WW2 hostilities in 1945.

Q83 (right) came along in October 1935. It is seen alongside the only other survivor of it type, the London Transport Museum's Q55. This was their first pairing for many a year and possibly the first since Q83 was painted red.

London Transport Museum also bought along for good measure its Daimler Fleetline DMS1. It looks modern but, launched as 'The Londoner' in 1972 it is in fact now 43 years old and well deserves its place in preservation.

AT MEMBERS DAY 2016

About thirty fortunate members were given the chance of a quite lengthy ride on S454, some 48 years after the late Michael Banfield restored and rebuilt it. It is now on loan to the Museum by its new owner Des Maybury. I also, many years ago, had a (shorter) ride on the LT Museum's S742 but cannot recall anything from that to compare them.

Amazing progress with NS174 which now has side panelling and (not visible) a staircase 

Some more modern members of the Museum fleet

Des Maybury's other ex-Banfield machine, Re-constructed Thomas Tilling TS3 Petrol Electric

Knifeboard type horse bus - not real horses this time!

RTL139, now a 'pensioner' at over 65 years old is a regular public rides performer 

Red RLH rescued and shipped back from America was awaiting restoration but has now been sold to a member because the Museum has acquired a nicely restored country area version RLH48.

When originally saved, back in the 1970s, I think by Alan Allmey, MLL740 was in the last and least attractive orange/white colours of BEA . It is good to see it now in its 1950s scheme. These special design one and a half decker AEC Regal IVs of 1953 were replaced in the mid-sixties by 

front-entrance Routemasters which towed a luggage trailer.

WORKING TROLLEYBUSES PRESERVED 

There's something rather special about preserving trolleybuses. When, four decades ago and more, action to save examples for the benefiit of future generations was so greatly needed it took a very high level of faith and dedication on the part of many enthusiasts who rose admirably to the occasion, but could not have known then whether they would actually ever be able to see their restoration handywork in action again. Fortunately for us all that very dediction and astute vision has also given us a few excellent places where these vehicles can operate and be sampled.

Here's a few shots over the years of trolleybuses restored and working at three operational museums in England. If you have never been to Sandtoft or Carlton Colville or the Black Country Living Museum ( on its special trolleydays) then please get there if you can. They deserve your support.

ONE OF THE ONLY TWO THEN  UNRESTORED SURVIVING PRE-WAR LONDON TROLLEYBUSES, LEYLAND K2 No 1348 WAS RETURNED TO BRITISH SHORES IN 2009 AFTER ALMOST HALF A CENTURY IN THE CUSTODY OF THE TRANSPORT MUSEUM SOCIETY OF IRELAND WHICH AGREED TO A TWENTY-FIVE YEAR LOAN. .ITS CARE IN THAT TIME FELL WOEFULLY SHORT OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN A RATHER POOR STATE. THIS LARGE PHOTO HOPEFULLY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF THE RESTORATION TASK THAT WAS FACING ITS INTREPID RESTORERS. WHO WERE DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE FIT, WELL AND RUNNING IN TIME FOR THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF LONDON TROLLEYBUSES IN MAY 2012.

1348 at Sandtoft in 2009

Did they succeed..................................to find out we must move briefly to Carlton Colville

1348 at Carlton Colville May  8th 2012

You bet they did! - although some work was still necessary on the upper deck 1348 put in a welcome appearance at the Fiftieth Anniversary event at Carlton Colville on Tuesday 8th May 2012. This excellent highly evocative event brought together, almost certainly for the one and only time, all but one of the UK surviving London trolleybuses.

More pictures below...................................... 

Long time Carlton Colville residents 1201 and 1521 share the stand with tram 1858

Also making its appearance was H1 796 repatriated from the Paris Transport Museum and still externally in 1960 as withdrawn condition.

LT Museum's 1768 takes a rest

Seven Londoners were in action that day. 1201 heads 796 with 1348 bringing up the rear

Two of the preserved Leyland K type trolleys together for the first time. 1253 missed out on the day through being 'landlocked' in the Museum at Covent Garden

1812 lays over but remains poled up

Just prior to a short re-enactment of the ceremonial run of 8th May 1962 Diddler 1 and 1521 pose together

Diddler No.1 is poled up for the re-enactment

Turning under its own 81 year old power into Herting Street the Diddler was followed by 1521 and a Routemaster. Now considered to be very frail this was possibly the very last time that this vehicle will run under wires, maybe even to leave the confines of Acton or Covent Garden. It had not been operational all day due to serious mechanical and electrical concerns and was just allowed this last circuit late in the afternoon.

Comparatively recently nicely restored by the London Transport Museum, pre-war tower wagon 89Q put in a most welcome appearance

Later in the day the latest restoration project of the London Trolleybus Preservation Society came out for a couple of circuits. No.628 of Newcastle Corporation is more or less identical to the London Q1 class. An earlier batch of these vehicles in the Tyneside city had identical two aperture indicators to London.

About twenty-two years in service and  now fifty-five in preservation - Reading 113, a Park Royal bodied AEC of 1939 was the first British trolleybus to be privately preserved, in 1961

Huddersfield Corporation 631 - Sunbeam S7A with East Lancs bodywork - 1959

Another, more recent shot of 631 resting and showing good progress on former Cleethorpes Corporation AEC No.54 which dates from 1937.  Hopefully this will be ready for service before too long.

Maidstone Corporation 72 Sunbeam W of 1947 with a Northern Coachbuilders body ran highly decorated in the last days to commemorate trolleybus operation in the town in  1967.It has seemingly quite recently (2011) undergone a professional repaint and looks really fine. A shot of it running in its home town on the last day has now been added to the MUNICIPAL TROLLEYBUSES page.

St. Helens Corporation 387 - This was sold to Bradford and fortunately escaped re-bodying so (seen here in 1983) was returned to its original colours. Now, more than two decades later, she needs a lot more work and is not in current use.

Aachener Strassenbahn (Aachen West Germany) 22 of 1956. Preserved at Sandtoft since the 1970s and currently undergoing some work to return it to use there.

Nottingham City Transport 578

Bournemouth Corporation 212 Sunbeam MS2 of 1935 (seen in 1983) - recently restored to running order but in need of further work.

Derby Corporation 172 - 1945 Sunbeam W which retained its Utility specification bodywork throughout its service life. Derby was the last operator of such vehicles using vehicles like 172 until 1966.

619 - Another fine example from Huddersfield. An East Lancashire Coachbuilders bodied BUT 9641T of 1956.

Prize exhibit - London Q1 1812 of 1948 - repatriated from Spain and fully restored, a task that took over twenty years.

Hopeless cases - don't believe it - A nice pair of Karriers. South Shields 204  (right) is now fully restored and operational. The other one, which I believe to be Nottingham City No. 367 (c.1934) has some way yet to go, however it will be done.  This photo was quite a few years ago since when a major lower deck and  re-framing exercise has been undertaken. When found however it was completely devoid of mechanical and electrical components so unfortunately is likely to be some years off completion.

October 2012

No.1348 came 'home' after the Carlton Colville event and on 27th October there was a special ceremony to celebrate the completion of its restoration. In addition agreement was made with LTPS for a short term loan of No.260 enabling, for the first time three London vehicles to be seen and sampled there.

Three together - The loan of LTPS No.260 makes up the trio here as BTS Chairman Graham Bilbe talks to the invited audience about the project to restore 1348.

On return to Sandtoft outstanding work on 1348 was completed. This included nicely signwritten side and front advertising and completion of upper deck seating.

The local MP was on hand to call a vote of thanks and present a certificate to Brian Maguire (right) who led the extensive restoration operation.

Stranger in the camp - 260, on loan from Carlton Colville, makes a circuit at Sandtoft. 

The Sandtoft Transport Centre's current project is Doncaster 375, non-operational for many years and seen here in the Autumn 2012 sunshine. Not such a daunting task as London 1348 it seems, and work is already well under way. Sadly though completion was not at all possible for the fiftieth anniversary of Doncaster's final abandonment in late 2013. Perhaps 2015 will see it come to pass. Donations are still surely welcome so

if you would like to give to help this then please go to the Sandtoft Transport Centre website. 

Also on show and running on 27th October 2012 was Huddersfield 631 which had been painted earlier in the year to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. By the time you are reading this it will already have been returned to proper Huddersfield livery.

..........and here's an interesting shot, probably late seventies, along the back straight. the trolleys parked on the left, had they been left there would now have tree trunks growing through them! This illustrates, when compared to the shots above, just how much hard work over three decades and more has gone into developing a superb location for a working museum. Two Walsall vehicles, one laying over, vie for attention here. If you have never visited Sandtoft do try and get there - it will not disappoint.

BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM - Dudley

Schaffhausen ex-Lucerne (Switzerland) 207. I believe that this vehicle has now been repatriated to its home country for continued preservation there.

Walsall Corporation 862. Pioneering two-axle thirty footers, these were affectionately know as 'Goldfish Bowls'. Willowbrook built the unusually designed bodywork on a Sunbeam F4A chassis in 1955. 

Derby Corporation 237, also a Sunbeam F4A, built 1960 has Roe bodywork. The Black Country Living Museum is a fascinating place to visit. The houses behind 237 in this view are made mainly of cast iron!

Bradford City Transport 735 - a 1946 Karrier W that was rebodied in the late 1950s.

Wolverhampton Corporation 433 - 1946 Sunbeam W with a later replacement body by Roe.

................and heres a few from the 2008 event

Wolverhampton 433 is one of  the museum's resident trolleys and continued to perform well.

I had hoped to ride on  Carlton Colville's London 1201 on the superior circuit offered at BCM but unfortunately she was out of use with an electical fault on the day of my visit.

Manchester 1344 is a BUT of 1955 which is now operational at Sandtoft.

Newcastle 501, from Beamish Museum, though latterly resident at Sandtoft puts in an appearance at the BCM.

Carlton Colville's Belfast 246 was a welcome sight too.

Sadly, scenes like the above are unlikely to be repeated in the near future. The museum has changed its policy and trolleybus operation there will be less significant now. Many of the operating vehicles have been removed and dispersed.

EAST ANGLIA TRANSPORT MUSEUM

CARLTON COLVILLE (Lowestoft)

LONDON TROLLEYBUS PRESERVATION SOCIETY COLLECTION

The London trolleybus Preservation Society has its base here and has superbly restored three London Trolleybuses to full working order. Two of the trio are seen here. No1521 (right) was London's ceremonial last trolleybus on 8th. May 1962.

Here's the last member of the trio -1201, a Leyland LPTB70 of 1938 survived the attentions of scrap merchant George Cohen and was rescued from usage by a used car lot as a store in the mid-1960s.

.

Well, no - This isn't Carlton Colville and this trolleybus sadly is not working. I place this shot here for continuity - Leyland/MCW H1 No.796 (1938) was sent over to France for the Paris Transport Museum in 1960 and has been dormant since. I snapped it there in 1984. Shoving it up against a wall like this and obscuring its nearside too with RT2657 did rather show that they did not then have a high regard for it. Both have however now been repatriated, though 796s journey to Carlton Colville is officially regarded as long-term temporary. RT 2657 however has, I think, been officially 'donated' to the LBPT Museum at Brooklands.

Former National collection Ipswich 44 - seen in 1984 aalongside Ashton-Under-Lyne 87. 

TROLLEYBUS WEEKEND 2008

Portsmouth Corporation 313 is a post-war Burlingham bodied BUT. A much missed link here would be one of the much loved 1934-35 Cravens bodied AECs, however despite their survival in service until 1963 none escaped the cutters torch.

This is the former No.1 in the Solingen (Germany) fleet. It is a Henschel with Uerdingen bodywork.

more to follow...................

---ooo000ooo---

This one was not working either! - One of Portsmouth Corporation's earliest trolleybuses was saved but spent rather too long in the open not being cared for properly by the Montagu Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Thankfully it survived this ordeal and went back to its home town but now rests on loan at the Milestones Living History Museum at Basingstoke.

PROVINCIAL BUSES & COACHES

There must be hundreds, nay even thousands of them, I know, and scores of the later ones were either among the latest operational designs or were not even built when many of the following shots were taken, but they have held my fascination for over five decades now. Most of the transparencies and negatives  from which this first selection has been taken were recorded between about 1967 and 1980 but there are records right up to the present day. The appearance of every one of these vehicles at a rally indicated that someone, somewhere made, for the time, not inconsiderable financial and other sacrifices to save it from the cutters torch and it is a testimony to to many of them that their vehicles are in most cases still around for us to see and enjoy today. Of course some have sadly not survived and each loss is significant because sometimes they were the only ones of their kind left in existence when they were originally acquired. If, like me, you are of that certain age group how many of the types shown here can you remember in actual revenue service in the sixties, seventies and eighties?

Albion buses, particularly double-deckers were never very common south of the border. I remember having quite a long ride on this when it departed the open day at the Colin Shears Collection in about 1972. Not sure where I snapped it here but I then didn't see it again until about ten years ago when it was parked at the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire railway premises.

This Eastern Counties Bristol L is unusual in having a 4-cylinder Gardner engine. Seen at Weymouth Rally about 1973.It's now at Ipswich Transport Museum.

Leyland Tiger TS7 of 1936.

In the early sixties I can remember seeing this and another similar vehicle of Eastern Belle coaches parked up in the operators yard near Stratford Broadway, but could never get my camera to it. It was pleasing therefore to be able to see it preserved and to buy an excellent OOC model of it a few years ago.

AEC Regal in the distinctive livery of Hull Corporation Transport.

For many years Northampton Corporation 154 of 1947 was retained as a driver training vehicle and at one time was even fitted with a snow plough! In the early eighties it was decided to give it a makeover for publicity purposes which included for many years afterwards horrible 'GO BUS'slogans painted on the sides. In the years after deregulation when NT sold out to First Bus 154 was passed to an enthusiast group for continued preservation. Alongside it at the St. James depot in 1990 is later Daimler CVG6 267 which was I think just about the last normal control conventional double-decker supplied to a British operator.

Still in fine fettle fifteen years or so after the above shot, 154 is running a special service in connection with Northampton's annual Heritage Open Days event in September 2005. Three more of the buses in use for this are seen below...

.

.....

Barton Transport AEC Regent V XAL784.

OK Motor Services (Bishop Auckland) AEC Reliance coach 129 DPT of 1959.

---ooo000ooo---

AEC Regal of Welsh municipal operator Bedwas & Machen UDC.

Bedford OB formerly of Jersey Motor Transport.

Smartly attired AEC Regal of Burtons Coaches. New to Trent in 1948, this is now part of the Quantock Heritage Collection.

A Daimler COG5 of 1939, this superb looking beast is seen here over forty years ago.  New to the much missed Derbyshire based Blue Bus Service (Tailby & George) in whose colours it has rightly been preserved.

Leyland Titan JUB29 was a regular rally and road run performer in the sixties and seventies and is seen here at an early Trans-Pennine event about 1969. I believe this was a later pairing of body and chassis which were not originally together and this may explain that obviously later registration mark.

Gilford coach GW713 was initially superbly turned out in the livery of Valliant Coaches of Ealing but when taken over by Evan Evans Tours received this rather drab repaint.I had the dubious pleasure in the early seventies of a bum-numbing ride on this all the way from Crich to London via the M1! It was by then rather neglected bodily with sagging and propped rear roof. It was retained for many years by the national collection and stored at Wroughton and it had deteriorated even more by 2009 when I saw it there. It has however  more recently gone back into the care of the son of its original (in preservation) owner who will no doubt keep it safe and restore it in due course.

A rare one indeed is this Foden PVR model of 1951 with Metalcraft body. Seen at a Crich Extravaganza in the early seventies. I was delighted recently to see that this one has survived the ravages of time and is now nicely restored in a red and deeper cream livery of its original owner Hollinsheads Coaches. It was present and running about at the October 2009 Buses 60 Rally at Wroughton.

Unusual too for a coach - an exposed radiator Crossley SD of 1950 which has a Brockhouse body.

This early Bristol was once part of the national collection cared for by the British Transport Commission. Later when in alternative charge I think it was damaged by fire so hope that it has now been put right. Seen here at a Clapham Common rally c. 1971.

The classic lines of the Harrington'tailfin' body design are well illustrated here by this example of  Lymers Travel of Staffordshire. This is an AEC Regal with a full-fronted style of Harrington coachwork. Not many of these have survived but there's another AEC Regal (illustrated further down this paragraph) and at least one other in preservation is on a Leyland Comet Chassis.  This one has thankfully also endured and is still on the rally circuit today.

See also page on municipal buses. I photographed this in its home town garage about 1963. It was in preservation not long after and paid a visit to Cobham in the early 1970s.

The Leyland Badger chassis was normally used for lorries and it is thought that this Bradford Corporation bus of c1930 was unique.

This ex-East Kent vehicle belonged to an LT acquaintance who adopted this personal livery with his name on the side. Sadly I don't think it lasted very long although GFN273 was also preserved and is still around, the last I heard, very appropriately with the East Kent Road Car Heritage Trust. These buses were interesting in being post-war rebuilds using pre-war Leyland TD5 running units.

When photographed at the Ardingly Rally about 1968 this ex-Thames Valley Bristol L was owned by an LT colleague. I was pleased a couple of years back to see that it still survived under cover on display at the Oxford Bus Museum at Long Hanborough though it may now have moved on elsewhere.

The two-tone blue livery and the destination COGENHOE (koot-noe to us locals) on this nice little Albion immediately mark the ownership of it out as York Brothers of Northampton. It was usually taken to Rallies by Bob York. The Yorks Travel concern (as it later became) has undergone ownership changes over the years and, as far as I know the York family are no longer involved.  I don't recall seeing this vehicle since I photographed it above well over thirty years ago, however I believe that it currently resides on the Isle of Man.

US6798's claim to fame in the early 1960s was that it was used in the Television series Dr. Finlays Casebook.

At a wet and windy Weymouth Rally 1973 - Bristol Tramways & Omnibus Co Bristol L coach.

When I first saw this Cravens bodied AEC Regal 1 it was part of the national collection and was kept at Clapham Museum. When seen here at an early Trans-Pennine run it was in the care of the well-known professional transport engineer and enthusiast, the late Geoffrey Hilditch at Halifax.

All-Leyland PD1 of Southdown Motor Services at the Belle-Vue Zoo starting point of the Trans-Pennine Rally in 1969. I am fairly certain that this has regrettably not survived. There's lots of all-Leyland PD1s like this still around it can be said, but this one looked impressive in the former Southdown hues arguably one of the most attractive of all UK provincial liveries. 

At an event in the Birmingham area in the eighties. I don't know anything about the miniature tram which was able to carry two children inside. Overhead current collection was, understandably, not used so this must have involved live rails. Nowadays this would presumably not meet required health & safety standards for a public event.

Seen a long time ago was this ex-Aberdeen Corporation Daimler. Who would have believed what this operators successor would become in the free-for-all world of de-regulation in the 1990s.

This genuine old Daimler, albeit with replica charabanc type body, was owned by the important Nottinghamshire Barton Transport concern in the early 1970s.

You could always count the number of surviving AEC Q types on the fingers of one hand. There are, I think now two identical London examples, a chassis  formerly owned by the Science Museum but now in private hands, and this one, making only four in total. ARA475 was owned and operated for a long time by Silver Service (J.H Wooliscroft) of Darley Dale Derbyshire. It went into preservation in the 1960s but from memory was not well looked after then so I hope it is ok now. It's the only one of the surviving complete trio with a petrol engine.

I think this ex Sydney (Australia) Albion came to England in the 1970s with some students, but what happened to it - surely they didn't take it all the way back?

The pre-eminence of Dennis in modern day bus manufacture is a far cry from their limited market appeal before the 1990s. This Lance model K3 of Alderhot & District is therefore a rare bird indeed. This is a view at Brighton of many years ago but it's still going strong.

Foden double-deckers were also very much a minority and JGD 475 of Garelochead Coach Services Scotland was a good example. It is seen here at a Trans-Pennine run about 1969 but does it still survive?

This 1945 Huddersfield Daimler CWA6 is a real old stager on the preservation scene. I recall its presence at the last day of trolleybuses in its home town forty years ago and its still going strong. Oddly, I think it is now preserved in Somerset! It once came all the way to London from its then Yorkshire base for a rally I organised at Covent Garden. It is seen here even earlier at an anniversary celebration run for Halifax Corporation Transport in 1967. It's recently been repainted to resemble a London utility Daimler 'D' class which is ok for a while.  I think it was also operated for a time by West Bridgeford UDC -  If its owners have an urge to give it a different look how about that livery? 

The popular Delaine concern is frequently represented at rallies noawadays. This shot of a Leyland Tiger Cub coach with Yeats bodywork was however snapped in the 1990s.

Douglas (IOM) Corporation AEC Regent, again at a (brighter) Sandtoft event. It is such a pity that such buses coming to the mainland have to lose their original registrations. A little imagination by the Island authorities (or is it the DVLA?) could enable them to be retained. The same happened many years ago I recall with a pre-war Regent having to suffer imposition of the silly SWU222F.

1949 Daimler CVG5 of West Bromwich Corporation. I recall seeing these in service in 1963. This one is now, rightly, part of the Black Country Museum collection.

St. Helens Corporation was the only operator to take delivery of RT type AEC Regent double-deckers that were virtual copies of the London standard.

This is a  1934 Leyland Lion LT5A

Uncommon combination of Guy Arab chassis with Crossley bodywork on this former Blackburn Corporation vehicle.

Was this Fuggles of Benenden? I thought they were not in business until the 1980s.

A  Leyland Lion which was repatriated from Jersey Channel Islands. As with a number of such others from there it had to relinquish its registration although I'm not sure how Leyland TD2 J6332 has managed to hang on.  It's really another example of pre-DVLA local registration authority silliness with its JCP60F registration. I do know however that it received this representation of Edinburgh Corporation colours for the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in the mid-1960s.

'Snow Hail Muck & Dirt' as the former operator of this Daimler was sometimes referred to. Formerly with The Stalybridge, Hyde Mossley & Dukinfield Transport & Electricity Board operating in the Manchester area. I have some in service views of SHMD buses including a couple of these Daimlers (maybe even this one) to upload to the MUNICIPAL BUSES page, but don't remember the cream painted radiators so perhaps this was an earlier version of the livery than 1963/4 when I was there. It might be a trick of the light here or a peculiarity of the particular colour film I was using but I also think that the green shade used was lighter than this in the mid-1960s.

I was able to ride to Brighton on this elderly AEC Regal which, for a time in the 1970s was in the care of the London Bus Preservation Group, although still then owned by the family of its original operator, Provincial of  Leicester.

The business end of this AEC Regal of Bevan Brothers is very attractive in its own right though this photo does not show that the bodywork is of the classic 'Tailfin' design by Harrington. Seen at a rally in the Birmingham area about twenty years ago.

There are probably more hens with teeth than there are surviving AEC Renowns and this former Leicester City Transport example is one of only two double-deckers now extant.

The vast majority of the former LT RTW class were exported to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). A few went to Ayrshire independents and this fine example was with Stevensons of Spath (Uttoxeter) who added the smart platform doors I think it continues in preservation in this livery.

Wimbledon next stop! If you can forgive the antics of Great Uncle Bulgaria, Madam Cholet and the rest of the Wombles there's a nice bus under here! Ex Brighton Hove & District pre-war Bristol converted to open top for Thames Valley.

A worthy candidate indeed for preservation, Ipswich Corporation's No.1 was, as its number does not necessarily suggest, its very first motor bus. Ipswich was perhaps UK unique in operating only trolleybuses, which it had bought to replace its trams from the late twenties until 1950 when ADX 1 came along.

Since the late 1960s  his delightful Dennis saloon of West Bromwich Corporation  has been seen at rallies and runs

Wonderful! - I cannot remember where I saw and photographed this but I believe it was in the mid-seventies. I cannot recall seeing it since. It is of interest to me because the vehicle I was involved with shared a barn with this and others in the late 1960s,  and, if you had seen its poor condition then you, like I was here, would be most impressed. I recall it originally in a knocked about state still bearing a blue livery which I think was of an operator named Gilberts Coaches 

--ooo000ooo---

One morning, I think it was 1972, I was collected from home at a very inhospitable hour because I had volunteered to help rescue a most interesting bus from a location somewhere near Royston  It had been used as a dwelling and its owner had built a substantial outer shell covering the structure in corrugated iron panels supported by railway sleepers etc.which had to be removed. All this was to the good however because it had helped preserve it for about four decades and much of the original open-top body structure was remarkably intact. The bus was a Tilling-Stevens Petrol electric, minus mechanics and radiator and sadly not of London origin. Much to my personal disappointment it was whisked off and quite quickly underwent a complete high quality restoration  to be destined for the USA though in the end for various reasons it did not actually go but I have never seen it again.  It is actually the Manchester Museum's example DB5070. I suppose its origin was mentioned to me in 1972 when we were getting it out, but I could not recall until this was recently confirmed. Many thanks to Dave Hurley for this update.

DB5070's location here appears to be at the former Cobham Bus Museum site. This is from a commercial postcard so someone may not be pleased to see this here. If there is any copyright problem I will remove it immediately on request.

---ooo000ooo---

........and here's a few quite recent ones at Brighton 2006-2009. I shall add several more in due course

THE MIKE SUTCLIFFE COLLECTION AND OTHER LEYLAND BUSES AT THE

LEYLANDS DAY EVENT AT CRICH TRAMWAY MUSEUM

JULY 2008

OTHER VEHICLES, OF SOMEWHAT LATER VINTAGE WERE ALSO PRESENT

PRESERVED BUSES AT THE SANDTOFT GATHERING 2008

As ever a superb event though it seemed that there were many fewer participants this year. Probably the high fuel costs deterred quite a few. They were also displayed away from the main site this time due to temporary space difficulties there.

I have to admit that when photographing these, and being of a certain age group, I asked myself  'why on earth preserve some of them', however Hull 180 was, incredibly, then 42 years old, the Leyland Nationals and the GMT Atlantean are well over thirty and even Halton's Leyland (Lynx?) 35 was approaching a score. Mustn't have double standards I thought for Q83 was a mere 31 years old when I eagerly jumped at a chance to be involved with that!

SHOWBUS 2015

AFTER A COUPLE OF DECADES AT DUXFORD THIS EVER-POPULAR EVENT RETURNED FOR 2015 TO ITS FORMER HAUNT AT WOBURN ABBEY. NEARER AND EASIER TO GET TO FOR ME I MADE MY FIRST VISIT TO THE EVENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SAD TO SAY I THINK THERE WILL BE MUCH TO RE-THINK IF THE SHOW IS TO CONTINUE THERE IN FUTURE. I CHOSE TO MAKE MY OWN WAY THERE BY CAR BELIEVING IT WOULD BE A STRAIGHTFORWARD JOURNEY BUT THE PROBLEMS BEGAN WITH LONG SOLID JAMS WHICH INCLUDED MANY ENTRANTS AND CAUSED MUCH DIFFICULTY FOR RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC TOO - THE EXPECTED 15-MINUTE JOURNEY FROM  M1 J13 TOOK WELL OVER AN HOUR!

ONCE THERE THE SIGHTING WITHIN THE VAST ABBEY GROUNDS LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED WITH ALL PARKING AT THE FOOT OF STEEP HILLY GROUND AND A LONG DISTANCE AWAY TOO. I USED TO ATTEND REGULARLY IN THE EIGHTIES  AND DON'T RECALL THESE DIFFICULTIES BEFORE. PROBLEMS WERE NOT OVER THOUGH AS THE JAMS CONTINUED WITHIN THE GROUNDS AND MEANT THAT MANY ENTRANTS WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS THEIR ALLOTED SPACE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

ALL THAT SAID  IT MUST BE STATED THAT THERE WAS A VARIED AND NICE DISPLAY, ALTHOUGH THE POSITIONING OF MANY VEHICLES, AGAINST THE SUN AND IN THE MIDST OF TREES, WHERE A LITTLE THOUGHT COULD HAVE IMPROVED THINGS, DID NOT FAVOUR PHOTOGRAPHERS.

HERE'S A FEW VIEWS THAT I MANAGED TO CAPTURE................

The vehicle purchased by Stagecoach as a direct replacement for the one destroyed by the 7/7 attacks 

AEC Regent V - Eastbourne Corporation 

Northampton Corporation 267 is a worthy preservation candidate. A 1968 Daimler CVG6 with Roe body, its place in omnibusological history is that it was the last ever normal control double-decker built for a UK operator, coming at a time when rear-engine designs had gained a substantial hold on bus manufacturing activity.

 I never liked open-top conversions of Routemasters - I presume this one to still be class 6 active - though surely nobody will want to preserve it?

Leyland Lion - Eastbourne Corporation 

A classic London pair 

The unique Malta scene is sadly now at an end but there's at least these two that are in the UK . 

I know they were the early ones but I have to admit that I have always felt that this version of the ECW body, fitted to Bristol VRs was better looking than the later design. It was much better on the eye too than the boxy Metro-Cammell bodies fitted to early Atlanteans and Fleetlines 

Formerly owned by the late Jack Mulley who rallied it occasionally in the sixties in his familiar orange & cream colours DX9547 is a Gilford that has recently had a chassis up re-build

TRAMS IN PRESERVATION

New paragraph - development just starting 9/2010

Having ignored this aspect of transport preservation so far I thought it time to get something done so here will follow a starting selection.

Back in 1964 I was introduced to the work of the Tramway Museum at its then rather featureless quarry site at Crich. I spent a couple of weekends working there but, regrettably now, did not persist, turning my attentions to bus preservation in the years that followed. I did help out with marshalling etc for several years at the Grand Transport Extravaganzas at this location though. Following the introductory photo I shall, over time,post a good selection here aiming to start with a few shots of Crich in its earlier days in the 1960s 1970s and 1980s.

I thought this photo was a good starting image. Although it was not the first tram to be preserved outside of museums and operator collections it comes probably a close second, having been originally acquired by a private individual direct from London Transport back in 1952. This view of London HR2 1858 is from 1984 at Carlton Colville, Lowestoft when it was just a static exhibit. Since then as we know it has been refurbished and now works hard for its living carrying museum visitors up and down there.

Footnote: Yours truly hanging on - I wish I was as slim as that nowadays!

CRICH - THE EARLY DAYS

I visited this excellent place several times during the sixties and seventies, mostly on special event occasions but, as previously stated, a few times also as a volunteer helper. To start with here's some shots from my earliest presences showing the undeveloped site in 1964.

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM AND BEFORE

I was perhaps lucky to have experienced a fulfilling fifteen years working in connection with London Transport's historical collections. One of the 'perks' of this was to be in on many behind the scenes activities including the retrieval, though 

 not in this case actually involved) of Metropolitan Railway coach 353's  body from Wiltshire, and later a horse-tram - we looked at two, the first, sixty years and more a shed was on the embankment behind Stoke Newington Station and had deteriorated too far, and then one on a Kent farm. This is the one that was, after my time, superbly restored and displayed at Covent Garden. I was also much involved with the research, design and setting up of both Syon Park and Covent Garden, and the running of special events such as the Syon Park Gala Days and also the 1979 and 1983 anniversary celebrations.

I got very involved with the search for a new venue when the closure of Clapham was confirmed and eventually the setting up and day to day management of the display at Syon Park from 1973-78. When Clapham was being run down and it was realised that there would be unlikely to be space for both K424 and S742 at wherever they would be going subsequently, the latter was sent on extended loan to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. A hasty repaint by LPC Coachworks was arranged replacing what must have been an original then scruffy 1930s coat. (last overhaul 1931  - the body was the ninth recorded to be fitted to the chassis since new in 1923) It is seen here after outshopping at LPC Coachworks Hounslow awaiting its low-loader transport to Hampshire

Later on, of course, we learnt that our application to take over the redundant Flower market building at Covent Garden had been successful.  For this A major programme of refurbishments of many of the vehicle exhibits was put in hand 1978-80 and opportunities taken to acquire new photographic records. Here the resplendant Knifeboard Horse-bus is posed after its repaint at Kew Gardens complete with Victorian gas lamp. Members of the LT Dramatic Society were the passengers. We had two goes at taking this photo I recall because nobody first noticed that the curly haired chap behind the driver was still wearing his reactolite glasses!

At about the time when Covent Garden opened, the Museum featured twice on the popular childrens TV programme Blue Peter. During filming at the Museum which had involved John Noakes arriving aboard K424 I well remember having the famous much loved retriever Goldie fast asleep on my office floor. From a privileged high level viewpoint in the studio at White City later I caught the entry on to the set of the Knifeboard alongside K424.

We took the Garden Seat Omnibus, with Royal parks permission into Regents Park to capture this scene on the Carriage Road - note the absence of yellow lines! The elegant Georgian mansions behind form an appropriate backdrop. I was dreading a certain action by the horses but they thankfully behaved. Museum staff dressed up for the occasion

We really enjoyed setting this one up with LT165, somewhere in the back streets of Fulham I think. With a colleague I spent some time crafting the Emergency Water Supply notice to stick on the wall. We also did some smaller 'Shelter Here' ones that are visible on the left of the official colour view. Rolling Stock staff dressed up for the occasion - I even donned wartime police officer garb but the results were far from flattering so thankfully were not used. 

It always surprised me that there was no country area double-decker in the official collection, especially as ST821 was an ideal candidate spending most of its life in that sphere of operations. I well remember pleading to have it painted green for Syon Park display but it was not in fact done until it moved in at Covent Garden. Seen here in 1973 ready to be taken from Clapham to its new west London home.

.......and here, early in 1980, ST821 shares an inspection  area with one of the ill-fated Metro Scanias. Then being prepared for Covent Garden display in a more appropriate livery, that of early post-war country bus services. All buses of this type, save for a handful with lowbridge type bodywork, were withdrawn for scrap by 1950 

Yours truly with the now sadly removed mural on the end of the covered way at Covent Garden in about 1984. This part of the building then housed the heavy rail exhibits but during subsequent major rebuildings these were moved to high pedestals inside and the area became a restaurant I believe.

In 1970 it was decided by the diminishing ranks of the Old Contemptibles, custodians of B43 ('Ole Bill') that it should be transferred to the care of the Imperial War Museum in London. Always maintained in running order it had been used a year or two before to convey some Chelsea Pensioners in the Festival of London Stores parade. With some WW1 veterans as passengers and that great character George Gwynne, (himself then an octogenerian WW1 veteran who had driven the type on the western front), and was later a crew member of the 1952 USA tour, at the wheel, she arrives at her new Lambeth home for an official handover ceremony

Attempts to publicise the new venue for London Transport's relics at Syon park in 1973 led to some excursions for NS 1995 to local events. One sultry summers day it is seen at Greenwich Carnival. The day was so hot that fuel evaporated before it could do its job and we must have crank started it over a dozen times during the parade! I have read that it will, in 2013 be bravely making the run to Brighton. I've not seen it mobile since the 1979 commemorations occasion, though I believe it's done the run before so lets hope it gets no problems like it had forty years ago at Greenwich!

PASSENGER VEHICLES PARTICIPATING IN THE HCVC RUNS TO BRIGHTON  c.1963-1966

This, I think, is a Chevrolet LQ. VF 8157 was originally acquired for preservation in the late1950s. It is in fine fettle today having more recently been dresseed in the attractive cream/orange of the former Mulleys Mortorways

Because of my work I was lucky to have the chance to ride on several exhibits within the London Transport collection. This has included K424 S742 NS1995 ST821 STL469 T219 Q55 and TF77 (lately trolleybus 1253!) but sadly not LT165. It made a number of runs to this event in the mid-1960s when still attached to the then operational Clapham Museum. It then spent about three decades dormant but I believe it has made the run at least once since the 1990s and I think it also made it to there in 2010 

 This imposing Gilford belonged to the late Jack Mulley. Recently, in new ownership, it has undergone a major body rebuild and will hopefully put in appearances at events in 2014

This is a Maxwell small charabanc then owned by the then Montagu Motor Museum and now presumably at NMM Beaulieu. It was a regular visitor to Brighton on HCVC rally occasions in the sixties -  one year I well remember it had the chart topping singer Roy Orbison as a passenger

Charles W Banfield, the founder of what eventually became the Banfields Coaches/ Empires Best business had been an LGOC driver in the 1920s before setting up on his own account. This little Chevrolet, restored superbly by his son, though depicting his livery of the period was probably not originally in his fleet

Early automatic? - I think this is an example of what was know as a 'Gearless' Leyland

Bedford WLB of c.1933 - I recall that this was resplendent in red & cream livery

Can't be sure about this one, but it might have been one of a number of similar age Southdown vehicles that went for further service on Jersey C I and then came back home for preservation

RT44 was the first London RT2 to be preserved and rallied

You don't nowadays see much of this very nicely presented Leyland TD2, another Jersey Motor Transport vehicle but this time supplied new in about 1932.   Though I'm sure it remains safe , now in new handsit is sad to record that HCVS stalwart Michael Banfield, its original in preservation owner who acquired it around fifty years ago has passed away recently.

Then, and still, in the fleet of the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society - KW474 is a Leyland Lion c.1929-30

These antiquated  former Paris Renault buses dated from the early/mid 1930s and a few remained in service there until about 1969. Prior to this though the preservation opportunities they presented resulted in two or three coming over to the UK. Presumably still about, I have not seen one for decades

GW 713 is a Gilford in the livery of Valliant Coaches. It has an American Lycoming engine and those large appendices under the headlights are Gruss airsprings. It is now (2015) in the hands of Seb Marshall and is undergoiung a substantial restoration