MD60 moves again!

It has been a few years since MD60 moved under its own power but today it did so again after hours of refitting the engine and then remedying fuel, oil, air & coolant leaks finally allowed the bus to build up sufficient air pressure to allow the gears & brakes to fuunction. The momentus occasion was recorded on video!

MD60 - more progress

Work has accelerated on completing Metropolitan MD60 ready for its booked repaint in LT red & white livery in March. The offside is now completely repanelled, moulded and riveted. Due to extensive corrosion, the side bonnet and rear engine access doors have had to be completely rebuilt. The next significant area to tackle is the front end framing.

Lodekka SRU981 refurbished

Interior refurbishment on Lodekka SRU981, part of the Crosville Motor Services fleet, has been completed. The work has included new marmoleum floor covering, relined interior rexine panelling, powder coated seat frames and a retrim of the seats in original ribbed styling.

MD60 progresses for Ensignbus

MD60, one of the few survivors of the 164-strong batch of MCW Metropolitans, is making good progress in the workshop area, following the completion of offside and rear framework repairs. Following side repanelling, work is now progressing on the construction of new engine bonnet and side access door frames which were (like the rest of the bus) severely corroded.
Now that the rear framework sections are all renewed, we can safely refit the engine - the bus had almost broken its back due to the extent of framework corrosion and the original rear framework design, which has been improved upon.

MD60 is booked in for a respray in original LT red and white livery in early March which will completely transform its appearance.

Big Bus Olympians for USA

This winter, we are converting 10 tri-axle Olympians for Big Bus Tours for export to USA where they will replace older stock in San Francisco & Philadelphia. The ten buses started their lives in Hong Kong but after withdrawal by KMB the vehicles were exported to England for open top tour work with Big Bus in London. Now replaced by newer buses, the last of the Olympians are going for further life in the USA after a thorough refurbishment and new engines.

Almost ready for delivery back to Big Bus for export to USA

The work being undertaken in Blackpool includes conversion to full open top, reducing the overall height down to 4m, transposing the centre door to the offside, meeting USA lighting regulations, new glazing rubbers, a complete repanel and respray into Big Bus maroon & cream livery.

360 prior to respray but after an almost complete repanel

 

359 stripped for roof mod, door mod & repanelling

 

New blog - Classic Bus North West

Go to Classic Bus North West blog

Location, location, relocation!

The BusWorks and Classic Bus North West is on the move! Following a decision to focus more on the bus operation & hire activities, the BusWorks site has been taken over by Blackpool Coach Services and we have leased a 20-vehicle depot next door to the Lancastrian Transport Trust premises on Brinwell Road. The excellent premises are now being utilised for the operation of the private hires, Sea Front 12 and the soon to start 22 service.
A two-bay workshop on the former BusWorks' site is being retained for completion of Ensignbus projects RTW335 & MD60.

St Helens 29 repainted

A recent repaint at the BusWorks is former St Helens PD2 no.L29, a 1962 Leyland PD2 with East Lancs bodywork. 29 was one of several PD2s exported to Canada after retirement from St.Helens but was repatriated in 2004 and now proudly wears its original livery once more after a repaint by Dave Newsome, our coachpainter.
See http://www.flickr.com/photos/8013770@N08/sets/72157600114416585/ for pictures of 29 being returned to the UK.

Ex-Stagecoach Darts arrive

Two former Stagecoach East London Darts have arrived in Blackpool and are being prepared for a new service to be operated by Classic Bus North West from September. They will soon be joined by two ex-Transdev examples. All four vehicles are to be refurbished and resprayed in CBNW fleet livery of London red and they will retain their dual doors. The first two are V162MVX & V163MVX, new in 1999.

Leicester 100 reglazed

Former Leicester Dominator 100 has been transformed in appearance following the re-fitting of glazing with new window rubbers. They have proved to be the most awkward windows we have ever fitted with mitred corners.

London Metropolitan MD60 update

Work has restarted on London MD60 this week, after a lull whilst our London Routemasters were prepared for the "SeaFront 12" Promenade bus service. All the corroded upper deck steelwork has now been replaced and repanelling of the between decks is now in hand. Both platforms have also been replaced this week and MD60 is beginning to take shape once more after several years as a skeleton or corroded hulk.

RML2266 goes all red - for now!

Against a typically British summer sky (!), RML2266 was released from the spray shop today in all LT red ready for its journey home to RH Buses in Oxfordshire. The wheels, mudguards and cream relief stripe will be added later - it is booked in for a wedding on Friday!

RML887 likes to be beside the seaside!

Routemasters have made a return to Blackpool Promenade for Classic Bus North West Ltd which is now operating "Sea Front 12" between Pleasure Beach and Uncle Tom's Cabin in partnership with Oakwood Travel Ltd. Amongst the selection of Routemasters is former GENERAL liveried RML887 which is now in CBNW all-LT red livery. Other Routemasters occupied include RM1568, RML2290 & RML2734.

RML2266 gets a makeover

RML2266 has been partly repanelled and prepared for an external respray in LT red for RH Buses during June. This vehicle was once part of the Kentish Bus fleet of Routemasters operated on route 19 in the maroon and cream livery.

Reglazing starts on Leicester 100

100 in the poppy red, grey & white livery applied to Leicester buses from the mid-1980s

New glazing rubber has finally arrived to allow Leicester Dennis Dominator 100 to have its glazing refitted. The rubber has been supplied by COH Baines who had to remanufacture a die for the rubber section which was no longer a stock item.

DFG81 returns to Crosville

DFG81 reflects the evening sunshine on Blackpool promenade.

DFG81 returned to Crosville Motor Services after its partial repanel, interior tidying up and refurbishment and repaint in all cream livery. Before its trip back down the M6 and M5 motorways on the trip back to Weston Super Mare, the bus was posed in front of one of Blackpool's own iconic attractions, the Big One rollercoaster.

"Crosville" Lodekka SRU981 ready for paint

A workshop shunt allowed SRU981 to glisten in the Spring sunshine w/c 14 May. Since this photograph was taken the lower panel locker doors have been refitted and all glazing.

Former Hants & Dorset, but now Crosville Motor Services early Bristol Lodekka SRU981 has now had all its bodywork completed and is ready for a full repaint in traditional Tilling green & cream. The extent of the work to restore this vehicle has certainly exceeded original expectations with almost every piece of timber on the aluminium framework inserts being replaced and a complete external repanel. Recently, the window pans have been glossed allowing the glazing and new rubbers to be refitted and SRU now awaits a slot in the paint shop.

RML887 prepared for repaint



RML887 on 2nd May showing its London General heritage livery which will soon be changed to traditional London red.

Former "General" liveried RML887, latterly retained by Go-Ahead in London after retirement from front line service at Putney, is being prepared for a repaint in London red. Only a few minor panels have been changed and the bus is now fully rubbed down for a respray. RML887 will be operated by Classic Bus North West Ltd over the summer months on wedding and other private hire work.

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.