BusWorks Blog

VRT emigrates to Florida, the Sunshine State

2012-01-31T10:15:00.001-08:00

Former Alder Valley, but latterly Western Greyhound and then Classic Bus North West, Bristol VRT reg CJH119V is getting ready to pack its bags and report to passport control for a one-way journey to Florida. The bus has been sold for sightseeing open top tours and this summer it will join other expats in the Florida sunshine. CJH119V was originally converted with an offside doorway for export to Budapest but in the event the vehicle was not required and the bus was offered for sale. In the next few weeks the VR will report to Liverpool docks once the shipping has been arranged.

Signed, sealed & delivered

2012-01-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

Former Stagecoach Dennis Dragon was delivered back to the "Message Trust" in Manchester today following its 3-month refit into a mobile limo & multi-media entertainment bus. The "Eden Bus" will enter service with the trust after its official launch on 6th February.

Philip Higgs, Managing Director of the BusWorks said “we felt that young people could be engaged by a bright and contemporary limo style vehicle whereas the upper deck features wifi computers, X-Box games consoles, a music room and even a nail boutique”. Julie Mason, who has project managed the bus for the Message Trust commented “the Busworks has been a genius in capturing our vision and delivering it”.

Eden Bus almost ready to spread the message

2012-01-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

The limo lounge and entertainment vehicle being prepared for The Message Trust in Manchester is now almost complete. Dennis Dragon M680TDB, donated to the Trust by Stagecoach, arrived at the Busworks in mid-October and the vehicle has now been prepared for its multi-functional role. The picture above shows the bus released from the paint shop prior to the application of graphics for the "Eden Bus" project. The Message Trust works with the hardest-to-reach young people through innovative and effective work in the schools, communities and prisons of Greater Manchester, and beyond through the UK-wide Eden Network.

Ginger Beer Routemaster gets a refresh

2012-01-26T11:29:00.001-08:00

Former RMC1459, which assumed a new life as a promotional bus for Crabbies Ginger Beer back in 2009, has entered the workshop for a refresh after travelling several thousands of miles on advertising duties. The work includes interior alterations, panelling repairs and a new fibreglass front dome after several knocks with trees on its travels. Whilst off the road, RMC1459 is also receiving mechanical repairs preparing it for a very busy summer ahead on promotional work.

Crosville FSF stripped for makeover

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

Crosville FSF DFG81 is being treated to a complete lower repanel as part of its makeover for our client Crosville Motor Services of Weston-Super-Mare. Whilst the between-decks are being left untouched, save for repaint preparation, the lower panels are being replaced after the typically aged and soft horizontal timbers have been renewed. Some interior improvements are also planned and the lower deck window rubbers replaced.

Duple Viceroy arrives for restoration

2012-01-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

A very unique vehicle to arrive at the BusWorks is a Duple Viceroy of 1969 origin that started life with Premier Travel of Much Wenlock. Registered UOX533G, the vehicle is bodied on a Ford R192 lightweight chassis and the body was built only a stones-throw away from the BusWorks' site in Blackpool where Duple was based.

The coach arrived at the BusWorks on 23rd January for a complete restoration. It is certainly a challenging job - the coach body is completely rotten below the waistrail and will need a complete rebuild, whilst the body itself has literally "broken its back" around the rear axle.

A genuine Crosville gem arrives

2012-01-13T06:57:00.001-08:00

Your writer has fond memories of trips on open top Bristol FSF Lodekkas operating on the Llandudno to Colwyn Way sea front service in the late 1970s/early 1980s. It is therefore simple fate that a vehicle I last rode on back in 1983 has turned up at the BusWorks to renew my acquintance with these superb vehicles! DFG81 now belongs to "Crosville Motor Services" at Weston super Mare which has assembled an impressive fleet of Bristol/ECW heritage buses that are earning their keep on private hire work. The BusWorks has been commissioned to repanel, repaint and prepare the bus for a return to pcv use after many years in preservation.

More Big Bus exports

2012-01-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

We have been kept busy during November and December converting Big Bus Tours' Olympians for export to their expanding sightseeing businesses overseas. Although in superb condition for their age, these ex-Hong Kong tri-axle Leyland Olympians are now surplus to requirements in London because, although converted to low emission engines some years ago, they no longer comply with the latest London LEZ regulations. D525UGT & D690UGT have been painted red for export to the USA where they will help to update and expand operations.
As part of the work, the BusWorks has transposed the centre exit from nearside to offside, reduced the overall roof height to 4m, repanelled the buses and then completely resprayed them. In the picture shown, D525UGT awaited only its upper deck glazing to be fitted.

Crosville SRU981 progresses

2012-01-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

Former Hants & Dorset, but now Crosville Motor Services of Weston-Super-Mare, Lodekka SRU981 is making good progress at the BusWorks. When SRU arrived it was originally envisaged that its interior would be restored and only the lower panels replaced. However, upon stripping the bus it soon became apparent that although the aluminium frame was very sound, the timber inserts were rotten from top to bottom. Also, unlike later Lodekkas these "LD" series had timber vertical inserts, not just confined to the horizontals as later Lodekkas. This view shows SRU's timbers all replaced with the upper deck window pans refitted and ready for repanelling to commence.

Big Bus olympians update

2011-12-03T06:19:00.001-08:00

A view of resprayed Big Bus Olympian F90SYE and sister bus E338NUV about to be resprayed following the completion of bodywork. As part of the work the buses have been reduced in height to 4 metres, the n/s centre door has been transplanted on the offside for european use and fuel tanks have been relocated and modified. Buses are receiving internal repainting as well as a full respray in Big Bus Tours maroon and cream livery prior to export to Budapest.

Picture: David Umpleby

UCOC Lodekka 651 - painted

2011-12-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

A view of UCOC Lodekka 651 being shunted out of the paint shop earlier this week. Its repaint had actually been completed back in October but it has been stored in the paint shop whilst other minor work was finished off. 651 now awaits a full inspection to update our client on the likely costs of mechanical and electrical work required to get 651 into running order again.

Lodekka SRU981 progresses

2011-12-03T05:55:00.001-08:00

The restoration of Bristol Lodekka SRU981, now in the heritage bus hire fleet of Crosville Motor Services in Weston Super Mare, is progressing at the BusWorks. Extensive rot of all bodywork inserts, between the robust ECW aluminium framework, has been found and this will now result in the bus having a complete exterior repanel. Unlike later Lodekkas, even the vertical framework sections have timber inserts. Other work discovered includes rotten platform flooring, particularly under the staircase area. In this view, the window pans have been removed from SRU981 in preparation for further stripping of the exterior between deck panelling.

Crosville acquired this ex-Hants & Dorset bus during 2010 but despite its very tidy paintwork, this had merely 'papered over the cracks' of the rotten timber inserts underneath which had resulted in panelling that was insecure and causing further water ingress.

FOKAB 419 in for painting

2011-12-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

King Alfred Panther 419 entered the paint shop last weekend following the rebuild and repanelling of its roof structure. The BusWorks has matched the interior matt plastic laminate and once the interior work and painting is completed, 419 will be delivered back home ready for the FOKAB event in Winchester.

Two early RMLs meet again...

2011-11-25T01:31:00.000-08:00

This week was a chance opportunity to take a picture of two early batch RMLs together at the BusWorks - RML885 & RML887. The first is being returned to owner Mike Mitchell after some remedial work to paintwork on the crown of the roof whereas this maybe the last opportunity to see RML887 in GENERAL livery.
RML887 will soon receive an all-over advert for a national advertising campaign and will be touring the country in January so adorned. After that, it will be repainted in traditional London red to join our wedding hire fleet.

A Crosville Lodekka arrives

2011-10-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Crosville Motor Services' owned Lodekka SRU981 arrived at the BusWorks today for interior refurbishing and a partial repanel, plus full repaint. Built in 1956 for the Hants & Dorset fleet, the vehicle has had several owners since 1997 and at some point the original interior was stripped out and replaced with soft trim.

Although more commonly associated with North Wales and Cheshire operations, the name Crosville is now used by a family owned private hire business in Weston-Super-Mare and SRU981 is amongst their classic bus operating fleet.

UCOC Lodekka 651 gets painted

2011-10-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Painting of United Counties Lodekka 651 back into Tilling Green & Cream has now started, completing the Busworks' work programme for the restoration of this vehicle to operating condition. During its time at the BusWorks, 651 has had its rear axle area completely rebuilt to remedy severe corrosion of the subframe and has had timbers replaced prior to repanelling. All glass and window rubber is new, whilst the interior has been restored including specially commissioned green treadmaster.

Upon the completion of painting 651's owners, the Rushden HTS group will complete the engine, gearbox and electrical work required to complete the vehicle's restoration to an operating condition.

FOKAB 419 - roof reframed

2011-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

FOKAB Panther 419's roof has now been reframed following the arrival of the kit of parts from our specialist joinery contractors. Our newly recruited joiner assembled the parts and shaped all the joints last week, with the result that the body frame of 419 is no much more robust. The next step is to repanel the roof and reassemble the interior panelling and light fittings.

BusWorks gets the Message

2011-10-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Isn't it just typical - you wait ages and then three come at once! We now have three 3-axle buses at the Busworks as the two Big Bus Olympians are joined by an ex-Stagecoach Dennis Dragon, M680TDB.
The Busworks has won a £75,000 contract with the Message Trust, an award-winning Christian organisation working to improve the lives of young people in deprived areas of Greater Manchester. Over the next few months, the bus will be converted to include computer, games and wifi terminals, beauty boutique, recording studio and a state of the art "limo lounge" and counselling area. The BusWorks was chosen after other competitors were eliminated from the bidding process. Two additional jobs have been created at the BusWorks to deliver this project, both of whom have significant experience in bus conversion work.

Big Bus Olympians arrive for conversion

2011-10-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

The first two tri-axle Olympians have arrived at the BusWorks this week for conversion work prior to export. They are part of a batch of former Hong Kong 12-metre Olympians recently withdrawn from London service in advance of higher emission standards in the London Low Emission Zone. As part of the preparation work, the BusWorks will move the centre door to the offside, reduce the overall height to 4 metres and respray the buses. E338NUV and F90SYE made the journey north to Blackpool on 11 October. Though now 24 years old, both buses are in excellent condition, having been well looked after by Big Bus Tours.

The summer fruits of Busworks...

2011-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

One of the rewards of running the challenging business of bus restoration is seeing the 'fruits of our labour' at events and running days throughout the country, particularly during the summer months. With 150+ projects now completed, the chances of bumping into these buses again is obviously quite high, but two noteworthy projects spotted recently are the Eastern Counties RE864 and London Country Routemaster RML2456.

864 was exhibited at Showbus where it has been described as "one of the stars of the show...it positively sparkled" whereas RML2456 in NBC green was busy carrying passengers at the recent Amersham running day.

UCOC Lodekka 651 retrimmed

2011-09-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

Not previously reported on this blog is the retrimming of the interior seating on UCOC Lodekka 651. The seats supplied with the vehicle prior to restoration were very badly worn, the foam cushions were life expired and many of the plywood bases were rotten - after suffering water ingress when the bus was vandalised some years ago.

The BusWorks has replaced 80% of the plywood backs & bases, replaced all foam cushions, retrimmed in traditional moquette and replaced the rexine backs. The result certainly recreates the period feel of the 1960s when these Lodekkas were new.

CBNW Metrorider

2011-09-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Former Blackpool Transport Optare Metrorider 502 is the most recent addition to the ClassicBus North West operating fleet. Given the number of ex-London Routemasters in the CBNW private hire fleet, LT red has been adopted as the standard fleet livery and 502 has been treated to this, even down to the indian red wheel centres. 502 is now available for private hire work.

Leicester 100 ready for next stage of restoration

2011-09-19T12:33:00.001-07:00

Leicester Dominator 100, now externally repanelled and refitted with exterior mouldings, is now ready for the next phase of its restoration to original condition. The first phase has already revealed that sealing the panel joints prevents water ingress - when 100 arrived with us, it suffered from chronic water ingress because of no seals between panel joints. This was apparently typical of East Lancs output of this era.

The next stage is to restore the original interior lighting and replace the window rubbers. 100 will then start approaching repaint stage.

CJH119V ready for export

2011-09-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Bristol VRT reg CJH119V has been prepared for export to Budapest to join the three ex-Lothian Olympians acquired from Ensignbus in June. The BusWorks has inserted an offside doorway for european use and CJH will soon be delivered to Hungary.

Return to the BusWorks

2011-09-02T07:58:00.001-07:00

The BusWorks is scheduled to reopen after a summer recess during the w/c 12 September. Problems with staff shortages, following a recruitment drive for a short-term contract at Optare in Blackburn, coupled with funds owed to the BusWorks by some clients resulted in the summer recess. However, the BusWorks will be resuming work under new management and looks forward to adding to the 150+ projects it has handled since 2007.

Dominator 100 repanelled

2011-07-09T03:47:00.000-07:00

Leicester Dominator 100 has returned to the workshop and a pause in its restoration whilst other projects progressed. The offside is now being repanelled and the restoration will depart from the original East Lancs specification, by using sealent to stop water ingress! Another major exercise though is the replacement of all glazing rubbers. The original design used standard claytonrite rubbers with mitred corners to fit the square-edged frames instead of the more typical radius corners. Unfortunately, as the rubbers shrank this gave rise to four points on every window where water ingress could occur!

A King Alfred discovery - Panther 419

2011-07-09T03:33:00.000-07:00

King Alfred the Great is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England from the vikings. Now the picture shown could be mistaken for the carcass of one of the long boats that the invading vikings travelled in, but it is actually the skeleton roof structure of King Alfred Panther 419!

The roof framing of 419 was loose and the original Plaxton construction can, at best, be described as flimsy! We have stripped down the main longitudinal areas for renewal but, as part of the process, the structure will be improved upon.

Budapest Tour buses go blue

2011-07-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

All three of the ex-Lothian open top Leyland Olympian buses acquired through Ensignbus have now been exported to Hungary for use on a new sightseeing tour in Budapest. The buses are former Lothian E303/304/335MSG, built in 1988.

The BusWorks has converted the buses for right-hand drive operation with additional door and door opening/closing warning devices required for passenger service in Hungary.

After their successful 1,000 mile road trip across Belguim, Germany and Austria, the buses have passed their certification in Hungary and the first two buses, E303MSG and E304MSG have been re-sprayed in the operator's blue livery and await vinyls for the Budapest tour.

UCOC Lodekka glazed

2011-06-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

UCOC Lodekka 651 has been transformed by the fitting of the newly manufactured cream window rubbers and new glazing, making the bus look much more complete. 651 has not been fully glazed for many years, having suffered badly at the hands of vandals who had smashed almost every window on the bus before it was rescued by Rushden HTS and despatched to the BusWorks for restoration.

Work has also commenced on the re-flooring of the bus in specially commissioned green Treadmaster.

King Alfred Panther roof rebuild resumes

2011-06-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

After devoting many man hours to the extensive restoration & conversion work on two ex-London RML Routemasters, work is now progressing apace on other projects, including the King Alfred Panther 419.

The bus has come to the BusWorks for a complete roof rebuild and as can be seen in this view, the roof has been stripped down to its basic frame. This revealed that many of the roof joints were rotten or broken, but also the exceptional amount of timber and little strenthening steelwork. This was a feature of the traditional Plaxton coachwork of the period, but even so the full length timber cant & waist rails were unusual by the early 1970s.

Unfortunately, the stripping of the roof has revealed weaknesses elsewhere in the structure of the bodywork - typical though of the 36ft. long 'Derwent' style bodies.

Bristol VRT prepared for export

2011-06-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Former Alder Valley, but latterly Western Greyhound Bristol VRT CJH119V is being prepared for export to Budapest, Hungary where it will be used on sightseeing work alongside the recently converted ex-Lothian open top Olympians. An offside door is being fitted to the vehicle before it makes the journey to the Hungarian capital, whilst the upper deck seating is being replaced.
Acquired by the BusWorks' parent company back in 2008, CJH119V has been in store and never used by the ClassicBus North West subsidiary and so the vehicle has been selected as a reserve bus for a new sightseeing venture.

Olympians exported to Hungary

2011-06-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Two of the three ex-Lothian open top Olympian buses have been exported to Hungary in readiness for sightseeing work this summer in the capital city, Budapest. E303MSG and E304MSG made the journey to Hull and then by P&O ferry to Zeebrugge, before the 1,000 mile road trip across Belguim, Germany and Austria. They arrived in Budapest on Sunday 19 June and are now being resprayed in the sightseeing operators' colour scheme. Both buses were fitted with offside platform doors for European use by the BusWorks before export.

Stagecoach Olympian surfs back to Devon

2011-06-12T06:56:00.000-07:00

The first of the North Devon "Surf & Cycle" buses has now been completed by the BusWorks in Blackpool after successfully passing its VOSA test for the notifiable alterations. The lower deck has had all seating removed and replaced by surf board, cycle and general storage racks for a summer service that will link Barnstaple and Ilfracombe and various watersports developments along the North Devon coastline. Stagecoach in Devon will operate the new service from their Barnstaple depot.

The project is European funded as part of the trans-national project to develop sustainable marine leisure activities along the Atlantic Coast, and North Devon Plus was successful in bidding for funds to stimulate watersports activities in the area.

Eastern Counties RLE864 launched

2011-06-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

Eastern Countries Bristol RE No.RLE864 was launched at the North Norfolk Railway event in April following the completion of its restoration at the BusWorks. It had left us the previous month for the 230 mile journey back to its owner Julian Patterson of Konectbus fame, but on a low loader. RLE864 has been internally restored, repanelled, re-glazed with new cream rubbers, repainted into NBC express livery and had its engine rebuilt during its time at the BusWorks. No doubt it will be appearing at many rallies this summer.

RML885 arrives at the BusWorks

2011-06-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Isn't it just typical - you wait ages and then two come along at once! The Busworks has never handled one of the original 24 RML type Routemasters during its first four years of trading, but now, following closely behind the arrival of RML887, RML885 arrives for a makeover. Owned by former FirstGroup Director Mike Mitchell, RML885 arrived in 'as withdrawn' condition but is being treated to Class VI PCV preparation and test, replaced glazing rubbers and respray into London red and Chiswick cream.

6LXB engine for Lodekka 651

2011-05-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

Work on United Counties Lodekka 651 has progressed very well over the last couple of months, but the challenge of fitting an overhauled Gardner 6LXB engine into the vehicle is currently delaying the process of 651 roaring into life once more. Although some of the chassis cross members and mountings are the same as a Gardner 6LX (and these have been sourced to replace the former mountings since 651 was originally Bristol engined). The 6LXB is, however, a bigger unit and some major components on the engine are in different places compared to a 6LX requiring some modifications to the vehicle.

Meanwhile, we have managed to persuade Tiflex to manufacture a run of the original green Treadmaster flooring for this vehicle - this flooring, once common on PSVs is only manufactured to special order and generally only in the more common brown colour. This is an example of the problems in vehicle restoration - sourcing materials that are no longer in regular production and the costs of procuring short production runs. Glazing with cream coloured window rubbers will soon be refitted.

Olympian Export to Hungary

2011-05-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Three former Lothian Buses’ Leyland Olympians are passing through the BusWorks before export to Hungary. The buses have been acquired from Ensignbus and are in a superb condition, having been fully overhauled by Lothian and well maintained following open-top conversion. The Olympians have been replaced on sightseeing tour work in Edinburgh by early generation low floor buses.

The work being undertaken by the BusWorks includes the fitting of an offside door for use in Hungary where they are intended for sightseeing work in Budapest. Other work will involve the reduction of the overall height to 4 metres and a repaint in the Hungarian operator’s colour scheme.

BusWorks wins Surf & Cycle bus contract

2011-05-06T12:18:00.001-07:00

The BusWorks has won a contract with North Devon Plus to convert two double deck Volvo Olympian buses into 'Surf & Cycle' carriers for a new bus service in the county. Stagecoach Devon has supplied the buses and won the contract to operate the summer service which will start in June.

Both buses will have their lower deck seating removed completely and replaced with racking for surfboards, bikes and general luggage but retain their upper deck seating. The BusWorks will also repanel as necessary before an attractive vinyl wrap is applied, sub contracted to Fylde Autolines.

A Routemaster for Burton Agnes

2011-04-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

The BusWorks is once again a bit of a mecca for Routemasters. The latest one going through the works is RM348 for Burton Agnes Hall, near Bridlington. After several years of outdoor storage, the bus looked in a sorry state - despite being one of the Arriva London refurbishments from as recently as 2002 and generally operated on the 137 service. Despite being refurbished in 2002, RM348 was withdrawn by July 2004 after route 137 was converted to OPO and later passed to Burton Agnes Hall, via dealer Ensign. Seats were removed and the bus was initially used as a stationary art gallery for artists to display their paintings. However, as the appearance deteriorated the Hall decided to get the bus spruced up for 2011 and mechanically sound once again. The BusWorks is therefore overhauling the brakes and steering for MOT work and repanelling the bus. RM348 will return to use as an art-gallery for 2011 summer season, but at the end of the year it will return to the BusWorks to be internally restored so it can once again be used as bus in 2012.

BINKY goes Dartmaster retro

2011-04-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

After three seasons of being kept busy on weddings and other private hires, our Classic Bus North West division decided it was time to treat RM1568 to another repaint ready for the 2011 summer season. Affectionately known as "Binky" because of its non-standard registration plate letters, it lost its original 568CLT upon withdrawal from London service in 1999.

We wondered whether to keep it with a cream band or have a change and go for the later LT livery with white band. Undecided, we have opted for the third option of going Dartmaster Retro! Binky has therefore adopted the all-red style applied to the Dartmaster conversions by Marshall and the guise in which this vehicle operated in London with Sovereign & Transdev on the 13's until withdrawal in October 2005.

After life in London, Binky operated for Oxford Bus Tours briefly before passing to FizzBus Promotions in Bury as a promotional bus. However, it was soon up for sale again and was acquired by Classic Bus North West back in March 2008. Now gleaming again, Binky is ready for a busy schedule of hires over the summer months - but we may apply some typical London adverts to the bus corners to break up the expanse of red.

Bristol J gets ready for all the fun at the fair!

2011-04-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Bristol J-type BHW432's thorough restoration at the BusWorks is now almost complete, and all it awaits now is new cream glazing rubber which is on order - and awaited. Although the aluminium framed ECW bodywork, actually a rebody dating back to 1947, every single piece of timber insert along the sides and roof has been replaced by the BusWorks. Following this, BHW was repanelled and the BusWorks fabricated new fibreglass window pans to replace the badly corroded originals.

BHW432 has been returned to its vintage fairground style livery of mainly cream, but this time with Tilling red as opposed to the maroon it carried in later years. The bus will soon rejoin the vintage fairground for the summer after missing a summer season whilst under restoration.

More news on the two re-engineered RMLs

2011-04-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

The thorough re-engineering and overhaul of RMLs 2590 and 2680 at the BusWorks continues. Both buses have dominated the workforce over the last two months, as the buses are rebuilt from the skeleton frames they had become. This view shows RML2590 during a shunt around ready for the next phase of work - interior repainting and then exterior repanelling.

Catching up with the London RMLs

2011-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

Back in September, two London RMLs 2590 & 2680 arrived at the BusWorks for which may possibly be the most extensive rebuild and restoration work ever carried out commercially on a London Routemaster. Both were stripped right down to the frame and the thorough rebuild process continues.

RML2680 (nearest the camera) has had its rear platform rebuilt to RCL standard and new platform doors will arrive soon. It is also being "Dartmastered" and the new engine mountings and prop-shafts are now on hand for this.

Meanwhile, RML2590 is going retro and will be restored to almost as-new condition - even being refitted with an offside illuminated advertising panel.

UCOC Lodekka 651 - rear end stripped

2011-02-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

Another good week of progress on 651. The rear wheelarch sub-frame has been welded up this week and the timbers have returned to reassemble the sides - but some of this work will need to await the fabrication of the semi-circular wheelarch frame in aluminium and surrounding sections. An assessment of the rear end revealed some further timbers that needed replacement and the rear platform doors and emergency door have been stripped for renewal.

Reframe of London MD60 moves to new heights

2011-02-07T15:02:00.001-08:00

The reframing of London Metropolitan MD60 continues to progress and now that the substantial work on the lower sections are nearing completion, work has moved to a new level - the top deck. Upper deck glazing has been removed to access the steel rail below the top deck windows, which is corroded at the joints between the vertical pillars. Like the lower sections of framing, there is little evidence of any quality protection of the steel, with only etch-primer applied at construction stage.

UCOC Lodekka 651 - further progress

2011-02-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

Work continues to progress on UCOC Lodekka FS 651. The timberwork under the canopy was found to be rotten requiring the removal of the front nearside between deck panel to access the timbers. The offending section has been removed and sent to our specialist joinery contractors. Similarly, one of the timbers above the lower deck windows was also rotten, requiring a window pan and between deck panel to be removed to remedy.

Meanwhile, the wheelarch framing is being treated for corrosion and the aluminium stress panels are being fabricated.

FOKAB Panther - roof stripped

2011-02-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

King Alfred Panther 419 has had its roof stripped to reveal the cause of water ingress and body movement. To put it simply, most of the timber joints are either snapped or rotten and few timbers are connected to anything else - only the aluminium exterior and plastic interior panels seemed to have been holding the structure together. There are some steel supports to the roof coving but now the exterior panelling has been removed the roof structure is very delicate.

It is particularly surprising how little 'structure' there is to the roof of a Plaxton Derwent and how much of the structure is timber. Now the job of the BusWorks is to completely rebuild the roof structure and we are proposing to increase the strength of the structure to increase the robustness of this 36ft. long Panther.

UCOC Lodekka progresses

2011-02-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Work is now progressing well on UCOC Lodekka 651 after a return to the main workshop last week. Rotten timbers underneath the half cab canopy are being replaced whilst the nearside panelling has been stripped off, revealing oxidised stress panelling and corrosion of the main wheelarch frame.

The offside had previously had to be stripped off and completely rebuilt, but thankfully the nearside frame should be repaired in situ.

UCOC Lodekka 651 returns to BusWorks

2011-01-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

Ex-United Counties Lodekka 651 (651EBD) has been returned to the main BusWorks site today for the bodywork restoration to resume. Restoration of this vehicle stalled during 2010 due to problems with the engine/gearbox combination. Recently, however, the brakes on both axles have been relined and the skimmed brake drums refitted and a decision was taken to resume the bodywork restoration whilst the running unit problem is solved.

Metropolitan reframe progresses

2011-01-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

The reframing of London Metropolitan MD60 continues to make good progress at our Brinwell Road site. A freelance welder/fabricator has been dedicated to the project and has reached the stage where the steel supports that were bracing the upper structure whilst the waistrail was rebuilt have now been removed.

There is still much work to do but MD60 is certainly on the road to recovery. Further horizontal steel sections are required and upon completion, the lower structure steel stress panelling will be welded to the frame structure.

FoKAB Panther 419 arrives

2011-01-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

FoKAB's Panther 419 (UOU419H) has arrived at the BusWorks for a roof rebuild. Built in 1970 with a Plaxton 'Derwent' style body, the construction includes a substantial amount of timber, which was very uncommon for buses even by the 1960s.

The FoKAB group had become increasingly concerned by body movement and water ingress on 419; sister bus 417 owned by the group had its roof extensively rebuilt many years ago, but the extent of the work meant that 417 was off the road for several years.

An initial inspection of 419 shows that there is soft or rotten roof timbers and the sealent between the roof panels and timber has broken down, leading to loose panelling, corroded screws to secure panel mouldings and water ingress. The BusWorks has therefore been tasked to rebuild the roof of this fine vehicle.

Lodekka 651 and New Year resolutions

2010-12-31T09:58:00.000-08:00

Work is due to re-start on United Counties Lodekka 651EBD early in the new year after several months in store. Work ground to a halt after difficulties in matching the Gardner 6LX engine and Bristol gearbox supplied but, thanks to Carl Ireland of Hull, we now think the problem has been resolved. To fit the 6LX engine, the engine mountings and supporting cross-members will need to be changed and Carl Ireland thinks the correct ones have now been sourced - they differ from the pattern used for Bristol or Gardner 6LW engines. So, our new year's resolution is to get this Lodekka project back on track and returned to its home with the Rushden Historical Transport Society.

Southend 232 takes shape

2010-11-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Resembling a scene more akin to Northern Counties' works, Southend 232 is taking good shape. The roof has been completely repanelled after discovering several areas of severe oxidisation, and the window pans have also been renewed. This work follows replacement of the typical Northern Counties 'top-hat' section around the main steel framing, which all had to be replaced. Work is progressing from top to bottom - but there is still much work to be done, particularly on the front and rear framing which is badly corroded.

National 1000 repanelled

2010-11-30T11:34:00.000-08:00

Repanelling is well under-way on ex-Merseyside PTE Leyland National 1000 (OHF858S). The Busworks has been busy snapping up Leyland National panels from contacts around the country, to assist with 1000's restoration - but I think we could build a few from scratch now as well! We have also had some new side panelling made for 1000 using templates supplied to a local fabrication company.

Catching up with the Bristol J-type

2010-11-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since we caught up with progress on Bristol J-type BHW432. Following the fabrication of a complete new timber framed rear end and the replacement of all side and roof timbers, repanelling is well advanced. We have made new fibreglass window pans, to replace the original ones that were steel and badly corroded. BHW432 will return to its role within a vintage fairground company upon completion.

Routemaster overhauls progress

2010-11-12T08:11:00.001-08:00

The complete overhaul and restoration of two Routemasters continues at the BusWorks and the photograph illustrates the extent of the work being undertaken. Both RML2590 and RML2680 have been stripped down to their basic framework ready for rebuilding. Both vehicles are expected to receive new roof panelling as well before major re-assembly work begins.

Routemaster stars at EuroBus Expo

2010-11-04T04:14:00.001-07:00

London Routemaster RM1152 is one of the stars of EuroBus Expo at Birmingham's NEC following its restoration at the BusWorks. The bus features on the Omnibus Systems stand, the leading supplier of bus and crew scheduling software to the bus industry.

The sell-out show features 260 vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, more than 100 coaches and buses, a dedicated technology zone, and a programme of seminars hosted by leading industry professionals. Running from 2 to 4 November at the NEC in Birmingham, this annual bus motor show gives visitors the chance to bring themselves completely up to date with all the latest developments and talk to the companies that are shaping the industry.

The BusWorks is very proud to have completed RM1152 for the show and the bus has certainly been turning heads amongst the contemporary buses surrounding it.

Merseyside 1000 making good progress

2010-11-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

The BusWorks has several major restoration projects in progress at the moment that are amongst the most extensive for their class type - the London RTW, London Metropolitan, Leicester Dominator 100, Southend Fleetline 232, Bristol J-type BHW432 and Merseyside Leyland National 1000 all fit into this category. None of them are 'quick-wins' and often I hear criticism from enthusiasts bemoaning our progress - we can't turn these kind of restorations around like a production line!

In this post we catch up with Merseyside Leyland National 1000 which is now being extensively repanelled after framework repairs. Note in this view some new side panelling which we have had specially commissioned.

London RTW467 arrives for work

2010-11-02T04:37:00.000-07:00

London RTW467 is currently at the BusWorks for some mechanical work and MoT submission - but also to have its seats completed retrimmed. We have taken the opportunity to take lots of detailed pictures of this vehicle to inform the detailed re-assembly of RTW335 for Ensignbus, a major restoration project started in January 2010.

Lambrini bus is in the pink

2010-11-02T04:28:00.000-07:00

Ex-City Sightseeing, but formerly London Transport, MCW Metrobus M945 has now been launched in its all-over advertising livery for Lambrini cherry. The bus, part of Classic Bus North West's operating fleet, is to star in a TV-advert for the brand. Promotional tours using the bus are planned following the success of the Crabbies Ginger Beer bus for the same manufacturer, Halewood International.

In between these commitments, M945 will be available for hire and see use on Sea Front 12 in Lytham St.Annes next summer.

Routemasters gather at the BusWorks site

2010-10-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

There are currently 8 Routemasters at the BusWorks site for various reasons. Amongst them are two RMLs owned by Nick Rose of Bournemouth that are undergoing probably the most thorough restorations/rebuild of the RML class - unless, of course you know different. RML2590 is being restored as near as possible to original condition, whereas RML2680 will be outwardly original but internally is being fitted out for corporate use.

The Routemasters are:

RM1152/RML2590/RML2680 - undergoing restoration at the BusWorks

RMC1459 - operated on behalf of Crabbies Ginger Beer brand

RM1568/RM1583/RML2290 & RML2734 - in ClassicBus North West operating fleet

Interestingly all the RM type vehicle are from the ***CLT registration series (although RM1568 was re-registered BNK324A after exile from London).

Routemaster RM1152 for EuroBus Expo

2010-09-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

RM1152 is now in the workshops and has already been stripped out internally. Externally, the bus will be completely repanelled. The restoration has been commissioned jointly by its owner John Pryer and Omnibus Systems, the bus industry's leading passenger transport software supplier. Upon completion, the bus is scheduled to appear in the EuroBus Expo event at the NEC in Birmingham (2-4 Nov).

RM1152 was new to London Transport in May 1962 and survived in service in the capital until September 1986, passing to Clydeside Scottish the following year. It was sold to PVS in Barnsley upon final withdrawal in 1990 but was purchased for preservation in July 1991. Returned to LT livery, it passed to John Pryor in 1996. Mechanical problems have resulted in RM1152 being laid up since 2008 and the BusWorks has fitted a replacement B-frame, new exhaust and steering units and overhauled brakes.

Southend 232 Progress Report

2010-09-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Southend Fleetline 232 has been stripped right down to its basic frame for its thorough restoration to original condition. The lower deck saloon floor has been stripped out, revealing extensive corrosion around the wheelarches and platforms, which will be replaced. The 'dismantling' phase is now complete and work on the re-assembly is now able to start.

Repanelling of National 1000 starts

2010-09-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Following framework attention and the fitting of a new saloon floor, repanelling of Merseyside Leyland National 1000 has started. Some of the original panelling is suitable for refitting, but other panels are being sourced to replace corroded panels.

...and Southend 232 is stripped

2010-08-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

This week, Southend Fleetline 232 has been stripped of external panelling and lower deck flooring to reveal the extent of the rebuilding work required. The floor supports are severely corroded, particularly around the front & rear wheelarches and centre door (which doesn't leave much in good condition!) and this area will require complete renewal and then a new floor.

Externally, the main frame is in good condition but the steel 'top-hat' section where the panels rivet onto are badly corroded - and again will need renewing. The BusWorks has fabricated a template for the top-hat section that will suit other Northern Counties bodies.

Southend Fleetline 232 arrives

2010-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Southend Transport, after switching to rear engined double deckers became enthusiastic users of Daimler's Fleetline, in particular the more un-usual 33ft long examples with lowheight Northern Counties bodywork. Southend also specified Leyland 680 engines for a number of their deliveries, marrying what was broadly the Atlantean engine to the more simple and straight foreword Daimler transmission.

232 is one such example and latterly was used by an independent operator on school contracts following exile from Southend - and painted in this metallic maroon livery. It is now at the BusWorks for full restoration to its as-new condition in Southend's attractive blue and cream.

Metrobus gets Lambrini Cherry treatment

2010-08-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Former City Sightseeing MCW Metrobus M945 (A945SUL) has entered the BusWorks for repanelling and some internal refurbishment and will be outshopped in an all-over advertisement for Lambrini Cherry.

M945 will join the Classic Bus North West operating fleet but will also undertake promotional trips for drinks manufacturer Halewood International, who also produce Crabbies Ginger Beer (their Routemaster is also a product of the BusWorks). M945 is due for completion in early September.

Open-top Bristol LH ready for service!

2010-08-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

The conversion of ex-London Bristol LH BL91 (OJD91R) to open-top configuration was completed some weeks ago, but today was an ideal opportunity to capture it in the sunshine. Now in green & cream livery, the bus looks superb and certainly caught the eye of tourists after a few runs along Blackpool Promenade!

MPTE National - now down to bare frame

2010-07-25T04:04:00.000-07:00

The appearance of 1000 now reminds me of the East Lancs factory in Blackburn during the early 1990s when the lives of many Leyland Nationals were extended during the 'Greenway' refurbishment.

We have stripped the saloon floor out of 1000, partly because the floor covering needed replacing and it was considered more cost effective to fit new boarding, but also to assess the condition of the steel chassis sections.

Contrary to the notice illustrated in the pictures - I think £20 and £50 notes will definetly be required for this project!

Blackpool MetroRider goes Scilly

2010-07-23T14:09:00.001-07:00

When the rebuild of the ex-London LH for Island Rover went beyond the client's budget, a low cost alternative was suggested and so the "Scilly Pony" project has mutated into the Scilly MetroRider! The answer was an ex-Blackpool Optare Metrorider withdrawn from service in 2009.

The glazing was removed and the window pans capped, vinyl seating replaced moquette seating and grab rails were fitted to meet VOSA guidelines. The end result has been repainted in Island Rover's light blue and cream livery and the bus was VOSA approved on 14 July ready for despatch to Penzance, where it will be shipped across to Isles of Scilly sto start its new life.

Leicester 100 - repanelling in progress

2010-07-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

The nearside of ex-Leicester Dennis Dominator 100 has been repanelled in recent weeks, as seen in this view during a recent workshop shunt. 100 is expected to be a long term project to fit with our clients' budget spend, but we are looking forward to seeing the vehicle back in the red, grey and white livery that Leicester adopted around deregulation.

During its time at Warrington, the destination display was lengthened to take standard Warrington blinds. A display from a scrapped ex-Blackpool MetroRider has been fitted, explaining the "Fleetwood" destination!

Ex-London Metrobus for Unity Radio

2010-07-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Former Arriva London Metrobus M1327 (reg. C327BUV) has been painted all-black for Unity Radio in Manchester and graphics have been applied for this Community Radio Station. An inverter has been fitted to convert 24v dc to 240v ac supply but the bus is expected to return to the BusWorks in the near future for an interior refit.

MPTE National 1000 - stripped for restoration

2010-07-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Former Merseyside PTE 1000 (OHF858S) has now been stripped down to its basic framing in what may become one of the most extensive Leyland National restorations. The basic steel frame is in good condition but the steel panelling and window pans were badly corroded, in addition to the skirt panel framing.

Crabbies RMC is Tickety boo!

2010-07-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Routemaster RMC1459 has a busy schedule over the next few months touring for Crabbies Ginger Beer. It has just been launched at the Scottish Open and, following appearances at the English Picnics outdoor concerts near Cambridge, the bus is due for a 24-day stint at the Edinburgh festivals during August.

What are Metropolitans made of?

2010-07-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Anyone with any doubt why the Scania Metropolitans quickly vanished from operators across the country need only look at the severe corrosion that was lurking behind the rear end fibreglass panelling on MD60. Rust! There must have been a few sleepless nights at LT when the corrosion eating away at their 164-strong MD class became all too apparent.

Work resumes on London Metropolitan

2010-07-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Work has resumed this week on the extensive restoration work on London Metropolitan MD60. The chassis has already been shotblast and silvered, with some corrosion also attended to. Now, the upper deck has been stripped of old treadmaster whilst the grey lining panels have been removed to assess the framework condition.

As evident elsewhere, MCW only etch-primer treated the steel box-section framing - little wonder these vehicles corroded so rapidly. The old interior adverts have been steamed off and the glazing rubbers scrubbed. New treadmaster will be fitted upstairs and new lining panels as required.

Crabbies Ginger Beer powered Routemaster

2010-06-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

RMC1459 has now been completed as part of a contract for Halewood International, promoting the Crabbies Ginger Beer brand. The lower deck features a drinks bar, servery and bar stools whilst the upper deck has been re-modelled for corporate hospitality but retaining some RMC seating.

The bus has a very busy schedule of events starting with the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on 8th July. It's 60 mph capacity will certainly be required to keep pace with its booked appearances.

Open Top LH nears completion

2010-06-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

After the project stalled for the original customer, the ex-London Bristol LH is now nearing completion following open-top conversion and mechanical overhaul. Formerly London Transport BL91, the bus was acquired for an operator on Isles of Scilly but a new buyer is now in the frame. Watch this space!

ECOC RE back in dual-purpose NBC livery

2010-06-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ex-Eastern Counties RLE864 has returned to dual-purpose red and white livery after its first coat of gloss was applied this week. 864 has been extensively repanelled, glazing rubbers replaced and interior seats refitted. Still to complete is a major front end rebuild and engine/gearbox overhaul, before the final top coat is applied.

Merseyside National into workshop

2010-06-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

After some preparatory work, ex-Merseyside Leyland National 7000 (OHF858S) has now moved into a workshop slot within the main Busworks. Over the next few months, ex-7000 will be stripped down, requiring a full body and mechanical overhaul.

Leicester 100 stripped for restoration

2010-05-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

Leicester Dominator 100, reg C100UBC, has been completely stripped of external panelling for restoration to Leicester CityBus red, grey & white livery. Water ingress was certainly a problem partly because of the mitred glazing rubbers (that shrunk with age) and partly because East Lancs. never used any sealent behind the panels. The decision was taken to completely repanel, because every panel was dented and it was considered more cost effective than rubbing down/filling for our client - and the finished job will look superb.
100 will receive a complete repanel and attention to some areas of corroded framework behind the wheelarches and in the engine compartment - the fibreglass engine covers almost fell off! After years on school contracts in Warrington, 100 will return to Leicester as good as new!

Ribble VRT 1997 nears completion

2010-05-16T03:31:00.001-07:00

Work on the restoration of Ribble 1997 at the BusWorks site has now been completed and the vehicle has moved back to the LTT's Brinwell Road.

1997 still requires MoT preparation work including brake servicing, accelerator repairs and other minor work before being submitted to Class VI test at VOSA Kirkham.

248 passes VOSA CoIF test - and now complete

2010-05-16T03:18:00.000-07:00

Southdown TD5 No.248 successfully passed its Certificate of Initial Fitness on Friday 14th May and is now certified for passenger carrying use to Class VI psv standard. The work was not without its frustrations, particularly getting the 1939 braking system to pass a 2010 performance test on a VOSA rolling road!

248 now awaits collection for the return journey back home to West Sussex.

London MD60 returns from shotblasting - at last!

2010-04-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Few of the once 164 strong batch of Scania Metropolitans survive - largely because they rotted away whilst in service! MD60 was new in 1976 but by 1982 it was in store and withdrawn and sold during 1983. Luckily it was acquired for preservation but the vehicle was still in 'as withdrawn' condition when it arrived at the BusWorks in November 2008.

The engine and gearbox was removed in 2009 and the lower deck interior stripped before the bus was sent away for shotblasting and chassis attention. Unfortunately, this has been a prolonged process but MD60 returned to the BusWorks today. Although much of the chassis is now in 'as new' condition, the hard work really begins now. The all-steel framework, poorly treated against corrosion when built, is in very poor condition which was the reason these buses had such a short operational life in London.

WYPTE 8534 Leopard roars again

2010-04-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Ex-West Yorkshire PTE 8534's restoration at the BusWorks is almost complete. Now back in original livery style, 8534 was one of 35 Plaxton 'Derwent' bodied Leopards delivered in three batches 8501-8513, 8514-8525 and 8526-8535. They were commonly associated with the Todmorden and Halifax areas of the "Metro" operations.

8534's restoration has included a complete lower repanel, new polished mouldings, rebuilt rear end, new Treadmaster flooring and completely retrimmed interior seating. An MoT awaits and application of WYPTE "Metro" fleetname.

Classic livery for Open Top VRT

2010-04-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ex-Ribble VRT 1995 (OCK995K) has been repainted in Classic Bus North West fleet livery of the Southdown inspired apple green and cream livery. This vehicle is on long-term loan to the trading company from the LTT and recently 1995 passed through the BusWorks for rear panelling and upper deck floor repairs. It was decided to repaint 1995 in advance of the 2010 summer season, its first since 2007 when reverse Ribble livery was applied.

Nearly there - Southdown 248

2010-04-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

The complete restoration of Southdown TD5 No.248 is almost complete. The interior and glazing is all refitted with re-trimmed seating and the bus is being submitted for a "Certificate of Initial Fitness" (CoIF) so that it can be used on psv work in the future. New destination blinds are being manufactured by McKenna Brothers in Manchester whilst a period advert is being prepared for the offside. Following its CoIF, Southdown fleetnames will be applied and then 248 will rejoin Eric Stobart's fine collection of former Southdown buses.

RMC1459 becomes Crabbies Ginger Beer bus

2010-04-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

The BusWorks in Blackpool has been commissioned by drinks manufacturer Halewood International to convert Routemaster coach RMC1459 into a corporate hospitality and promotional vehicle.

RMC1459 has been selected because of its high speed rear axle and back doors for security when parked. As part of the work the interior will be stripped out but the seat frames/cushions and other fittings will be stored for conversion/restoration back to a genuine RMC at the end of the contract. Initially the bus will be promoting Crabbies Ginger Beer for a 2010 marketing campaign.

The BusWorks will garage/maintenance/operate the vehicle which will attend shows/functions for drink tasting as well as being a mobile promotional bus in its own right.

Scilly Pony takes shape!

2010-03-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Ex-LT Bristol LH OJD91R is making good progress being converted to open top for its new role as a sightseeing tour vehicle on Isles of Scilly. The bus is now panelled, windscreens refitted and the interior is now being assembled. The bus is due for handover in May and will be painted in light blue and cream livery.

Rebodied by the BusWorks!

2010-03-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Two extensive coach restorations have been completed this month - a Duple Dominant and a Plaxton Supreme. Both vehicles have been long term restorations partly because of the extensive rebuilding required and the need to slot work around other "quick-win" projects but also a requirement to program work around our client's budget. Both vehicles have been completely reframed by the BusWorks - so they are half original builder and half BusWorks now!

The AEC Reliance was new to Derek Randall European Enterprises of North Acton in 1979 and was used extensively on work involving taking holiday makers to the South of France Spain and Italy. JIW is now in as-new condition once more with the original livery faithfully recreated and work including a complete interior refurbishment . But far from settling into retirement, JIW will soon be earning its keep once more with "Knights Out" on private hire work from its Hemel Hempstead base. See http://www.knights-out.co.uk/

TSL94S was originally built only a stones throw away from the BusWorks at the Vicarage Lane plant of Duple. Now looking as good as new once more, TSL just awaits application of Tayside graphics before it is handed back to its owner Jim Crowe of the Tayside Transport collection. Like the Plaxton Supreme, work on TSL has included a complete lower half re-frame, a new saloon floor and a complete repanel. The BusWorks had to overcome the problem of restoring the polished moulding with the original plastic backing plates having deteriorated with age. Although originally operated by McLaughlins, TSL has been restored to Tayside livery and will soon be returning to Perth.

Ribble VRT 1997 emerges

2010-03-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

Looking superb in cherry red, Ribble 1997 emerged from the BusWorks' paint shop today gleaming in the spring sunshine. There is still quite a bit of finishing work to do, but we are looking forward to 1997 returning to the road for the first time since 2002.

Bristol J-type BHW432 for body overhaul

2010-03-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

BHW432 is a remarkable survivor. Built in 1935 for Bristol Tramways and delivered in the tramway blue livery, the bus was rebodied by ECW in 1947 and the more typically Bristol Omnibus "Tilling Green" livery applied.

After retirement from passenger use in 1958, BHW432 became a showman's bus but after being laid up for several years (and already 59 years old), the bus was acquired by Simon Harris & Kevin Scrivens in 1994, operators of vintage fairgrounds. Fitted with a generator to power rides and a large storage area to the rear, BHW432 took on a new life with the travelling fairground which includes an unusual set of chair rides.

By 2009, BHW was getting rather delicate both mechanically and structure. The BusWorks has been commissioned to fully overhaul the bus and this has involved sourcing many rare mechanical parts and not inconsiderable time and expense. The next major phase is stripping down the ECW body - a 63 year old body on a 75-year old chassis.

See http://www.vintagefunfairs.com/galleries/bristol-bus-bhw-432/#viewgallery for more details.

ECOC Bristol RE progresses

2010-03-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Eastern Counties Bristol RE RLE864 is progressing well at the BusWorks. Some external panels have been selected for replacement whilst all the window rubbers are being replaced by new silicon cream rubber. More significantly, the cab area has been stripped down to its basic aluminium frame to allow renewal of the timbers that were rotten.

Lincolnshire 1431 departs

2010-02-28T01:54:00.000-08:00

Lincolnshire 1431 departed from the BusWorks yesterday after a reasonably lengthy convalescence in Blackpool. It had arrived at the BusWorks after many years of outside storage had taken its toll on the bus and with many mechanical parts seized.

We were commissioned to partly repanel, re-rubber and repaint the vehicle back into Tilling green and cream livery whilst on the inside the side panels were relined in green rexine and the interior ceilings repainted. Unfortunately, our client's budget could not stretch to reupholstered seating - the coach seats being in very poor condition.

As other Bristol RELH owners will testify, the air suspension on these vehicles is very expensive to replace (the air bags of the correct dimensions are no longer available requiring substantial modification to the vehicles) but this issue aside, the BusWorks prepared the bus for MoT Class V including substantial rewiring.

Leicester Dominator arrives

2010-02-28T01:31:00.000-08:00

This East Lancs bodied Dennis Dominator spent more years in Warrington than its native city of Leicester. The East Lancs bodywork styling superseded the traditional box shape applied to Leicester's previous batches of Dominators but the thin body sides and square gasket glazed windows meant that body movement soon resulted in excessive water ingress.

C100UBC is part of the Leicester Transport Heritage Trust collection (see http://www.ltht.org.uk/). The Trust owns four ex Leicester City Transport buses, but the Trust's current membership can muster a further 15 vehicles ranging from 1950 to 1982, and all of these have connection with Leicester and the County. Indeed, this Dominator is privately owned by Andrew Harris but considered as part of the LTHT collection.

The bus is to be partly repanelled and all glazing rubbers replaced prior to a complete repaint back into mid-1980s Leicester livery of red, light grey and white.

Merseyside Leyland National commissioned

2010-02-15T23:50:00.001-08:00

Merseyside PTE was a late convert to the Leyland National and apart from a batch ordered by Southport (but delivered to the PTE) in 1974, it was not until 1977/78 that significant numbers were ordered.

1000 was the PTE's first dual-purpose seated example and entered service in May 1978 at Southport garage with NBC-style moquette for 45 passengers. Later renumbered 7000 and latterly garaged at St.Helens, the bus later found its way to Aintree Coachlines. Now preserved, the BusWorks has been commissioned to start restoration on the vehicle back to its original Merseyside livery. The photo above shows it when new on a private hire in Southport.

Repaint for Ribble VRT 1997

2010-01-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ex-Ribble VRT 1997 (OCK997K) achieved celebrity status after clocking up 29 years passenger service and being the oldest bus (outside London) with FirstGroup. After life with Ribble, 1997 operated with Crosville and then Devon RedBus before finally becoming part of First Western National. It was withdrawn from service, still in RedBus livery, in January 2002 and returned north in August after acquisition by the Lancastrian Transport Trust for preservation.

Full restoration of 1997 commenced in September 2006 by LTT volunteers and now a vacant slot in the BusWorks' paint shop has allowed repainting in cherry red to commence.

Final re-assembly for Southdown 248

2010-01-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

Following an engine and axle strip down, Southdown 248 has returned to the paint shop for final re-assembly. Although originally intended to return to use in september of last year, our client decided to upgrade the bus to full Class VI pcv status and to reach this standard it was decided to undertake a significant amount of mechanical work.

Glazing, seat frames, re-upholstered seating and re-chromed handrails and other fittings are now being put back with a view to submitting 248 to VOSA for a Certificate of Initial Fitness (Coif) in March. Ex Southdown 248, GCD48 is a 1939 Leyland Titan TD5 rebodied in 1950 with a Park Royal H28/26R body.

RTW335 makes good progress

2010-01-30T03:49:00.000-08:00

The extensive restoration of London RTW335 is progressing well at the BusWorks. Commissioned by Ensignbus, the bus arrived with us in late November and already the bus is stripped down and rebuilding work well in hand.

View RTW335's own blog at http://www.rtw335.blogspot.com/ and keep fully up-to-date with its restoration.

The view opposite was taken in December 2009 - much has changed since!

London LH BL91 becomes Scilly Pony

2010-01-30T03:43:00.000-08:00

Remember the Shanklin Pony 'open top' Bristol RE that operated on the Isle of Wight and is now preserved - well it is possible that the design may influence a Scilly Pony!

The BusWorks were approached by Island Rover on the Isles of Scilly to consider options to replace an open top 27ft. long PD2 that was reaching the end of its operational life without a thorough overhaul. The narrow country lanes required a vehicle less than 8ft. wide and 30ft. long. The answer? An ex-London Transport 7ft. 6ins. wide Bristol LH converted to open top inspired by the Shanklin Pony. Former BL91 was acquired in October 2009, transported from Norwich to Blackpool and is now under open top conversion ready for tour duty on the Isles of Scilly from summer 2010.