Fylde 79 restoration progresses

Some further steps forward on the restoration of Fylde Atlantean 79 (HRN99N) have been made in recent weeks and during a shunt to move Ensignbus sponsored restorations of RTW335 & Metropolitan MD60 into the newly designated workshop area, 79 was captured on camera. The extent of the strip down can be seen and the next stage is to grind off the corroded steel "top-hat" sections for replacement. The BusWorks has commissioned a local fabrication company to make the replacement Northern Counties style top-hat sections.

Lodekka SRU981 shunted for next stage of work

Now substantially repanelled, ex-Hants & Dorset Lodekka SRU981 was shunted today in preparation for the final stages of preparation for repainting. It is the bus' first appearance back in daylight since arriving at the Busworks with work incluuding a full interior restoration, all external timbers being replaced and rear platform rebuild.

A less fortunate Lodekka...

OPN807 today, wearing the Brighton & Hove colours applied in September 2010

Back in September 2010 we suspended work on former Brighton & Hove Lodekka OPN807 and have been in dispute with its owner ever since. Now no business is ever perfect, you cannot please all the people all the time and you cannot produce a Rolls Royce on a Ford Fiesta budget. I think we are mature enough to understand that there are always two sides to ever story - but the victim in all this has been the bus with all attempts at reconciling the issues and arbitration with its owner having failed so far.
Unfortunately, we are aware that the bus is being used to damage our business reputation and the legal fees being clocked up could be better spent on the real task of bus preservation. 18 months later - OPN807 remains with us! Funny world isn't it...During a shunt round today, OPN807 was captured on camera.

March 2010 and OPN807 is rescued from East Sussex

Crosville FSF complete - well almost!

Lodekka DFG81 out on test and for official photographs posed near the entrance to Blackpool Zoo. It was 1983 when DFG81 last operated in Rhyl on service M87.

Crosville FSF6G DFG81, one of two survivors out of a trio of FSFs converted to open top for use in Llandudno & Rhyl, is now essentially complete - apart from a few minor items and the fitting of the perspex windshields. The bus will soon be returning to the new Crosville Motor Services based further down the British coastline from DFG81's former territory in North Wales  - Weston Super Mare. At the request of our client, the Lodekka has adopted the Bristol Omnibus open top cream & black livery, a throwback to the days when Weston Super Mare was a bustling seaside resort with convertible open toppers in charge of the sea front bus service.
Click here for a picture of restored Lodekka from Weston Super Mare.

Ribble VRT out for test

1997 out on test in former Ribble territory at Wrea Green village

The restoration of the LTT's ex-Ribble Bristol VRT no.1997 has been a stop/start affair in between other business commitments, but this week we undertook further preparation work on the bus in the hope that it can return to passenger use this summer. The accelerator and fuel problems have finally been rectified whilst the air door system is now fully functional once more.

Leicester 100 in for painting

Repainting of Leicester Dennis Dominator 100 is now progressing well in the paint shop. Although it is a quite attractive livery, it is also quite complicated with plenty of masking to make up the red, white, grey and matt black layers. It will make an interesting throwback to the mid-1980s in Leicester when the municipal undertaking made the transition from its characteristic maroon & cream before the undertaking was sold into the private sector.

Beamish and the Boat

The LTT's former Blackpool "Open Boat" tramcar car 605(233) entered service at Beamish Museum in County Durham on Thursday 12th April, the first day of the museum's popular Great North Steam Fair. It is the tram's first passenger carrying duties since withdrawal from service in Blackpool back in October 2009 and subsequent preservation by the LTT. It was exactly 6-weeks previously that 605 had arrived at the museum and in the interim period the tram has been fully repainted and commissioned for duty.

Leicester Dominator to paint shop

Leicester Dennis Dominator has now entered the paint shop for repainting in the red, grey, white & matt black livery in which the bus entered service. 100 has been tidied up internally and we look forward to seeing 100 back as original.

It's not just buses at the Busworks!

It's not just buses at the BusWorks! Dave our professional coachpainter has been working off site on a Blackpool tram at the Beamish museum. The tram is one of the famous "Open Boat" trams now in the ownership of the Lancastrian Transport Trust and placed on a two-year loan for operation at Beamish. No.605 is being repainted by Dave back into its 1934 style livery.