The North Midland Transport Collection
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Vehicle history page
Quick fleet guide (current vehicles intended for restoration or available for continued preservation):
Quick fleet guide (vehicles sold, scrapped or held for spares):
Vehicles for Restoration
209 IK Leyland Leopard PSU5/4R 7104627 – CIE / Metsec C50F (current seating capacity).
This coach is one of the batch of twenty touring coaches that rounded off the 213 strong M-class. It was delivered on October 11th 1972 as Leyland engined M209 but was placed in store until July 1974 due to over capacity in the tours fleet. Its original coach seats were fitted to Plaxton bodied Leopard PL17 and M209 entered service at Sligo on 19th July 1974 in the very attractive chocolate brown and cream coach livery. The coach went for its second overhaul in April 1978 during which it was an early recipient of the General Motors Detroit Diesel 6-71 two-stroke engine and Allison MT-644 automatic gearbox. This conversion required major alterations to the chassis. The newly overhauled coach re-entered service numbered MG209. The services that this coach worked on are still being researched but it did operate on the short-lived Sligo – Dundalk service at one stage.
MG209 received its third overhaul in March 1984 and in May 1985 was involved in a serious head-on collision but was repaired. In 1986 MG209 along with sister M207 were transferred to Athlone where they worked on Sligo and Longford services. By this stage the orange and red Expressway livery was carried. They both later returned to Sligo where MG209 was to become the last “M” to work in stage carriage service in that part of the country. In October 1996 it was transferred to the school fleet and was re-numbered MGS209, remaining in the Sligo operating area. During its life MG209 received many body modifications, an aluminium front replaced the fibre glass moulded one and the rear end was rebuilt with a smaller window, some side trim was removed and it became dual purpose rather than a coach, at some stage it gained two extra seats becoming a 50 seater. In November 2000 it was withdrawn with oil pressure problems and a blown compressor and I bought it for preservation in February 2001 to replace MG206 which was beyond restoration. Its new life got off to a bad start when it rolled across the yard and sustained front end damage including a broken windscreen.
This coach needs quite a bit of work doing to it. The front end has been repaired and after a long search a replacement windscreen was located and fitted. It is a runner but most of the piping needs to be replaced, some minor electrical work is needed as well as a full body overhaul. The aim is to return MG209 to full coach format in chocolate and cream livery (a critical point with some enthusiasts!). MG209 is the vehicle that # started off the collection and the only surviving Ballina / Sligo “MG”.
76-D-75 (LOI 1868) Bedford YLQ FW455702 – Alexander (Belfast) X-type B45F
New to Ulsterbus in November 1976 as number 1868, it was one of a batch of 48 identical buses (1833-1880) and was allocated to Newry depot from new. 1868 very nearly came to a premature end on the night of the 18th August 1978 during a bomb attack on Newry Depot when it and sisters 1876 and 1880 were damaged but later repaired, 1871 and 1872 were both destroyed along with several other buses. 1868 appears to have spent at least some of its service life out-stationed at Rathfriland, as did several others from its batch. It was de-licensed and placed in the reserve fleet on October 31st 1989. 1868 was sold to Bus Eireann the following month and was re-numbered BA6, one of fifteen buses from its batch to join this fleet as school buses. BA6 was allocated to Ballina on December 15th 1989 along with BA5 (1864) and BA7 (1834). BA6 was transferred to Waterford in December 1992 once again accompanied by BA5. BA6 appears to have spent most of its remaining service years out-stationed in Dungarvan before being withdrawn on 27th August 2000. It was stored in Dungarvan and placed on the next tender sheet of buses for sale.
I was determined to preserve one of this batch of Bedfords, the only chassis of their type to carry the Belfast built Alexander X-type body and I travelled to Waterford to inspect them. BA6 seemed to be the one with the more interesting history but I was also checking out BA11 (1867) and BA14 (1862) as well. The problem was I couldn’t find any of them! BA11 and BA14 were in Thurles and after a few phone calls by the foreman it was revealed that BA6 was still in Dungarvan. I was in a panic as the tender had to be posted the next day so I had to ask the staff there if they could tell me anything about any of them, whether they were runners or just wrecks. The only one they knew about was BA6 which had a good body but a rather poor engine. It was all I had to go on. A few weeks later BA6 was mine, bought and paid for sight unseen! BA6 drove under her own power all the way to Leitrim, a journey that ended up taking two days due to a burst oil pipe on the first day. It was also discovered that the fuel tank was full of all kinds of dirt so this had to be cleaned out and all the filters replaced before the journey could be continued.
BA6 might be returned to her original identity of Ulsterbus 1868 at some stage in the future although I'm also considering it would be nice to leave her as Bus Eireann BA6 to display this aspect of the Irish school bus scene in preservation. A workshop re-conditioned engine has been purchased to replace the one it currently has and a correct set of wheels have been acquired as it has the wheels off a Bedford SB5 at the moment. A body overhaul will be needed too but a full set of the correct type seats have been acquired.
127 IK Leyland Leopard PSU5/4R 7101608 – CIE / Metsec DP55F
This dual purpose bus entered service on November 25th 1971 with CIE in Ballina as number M127. It appears to have operated on the Ballina-Westport-Achill Island service for many years where it would have spent some time outstationed on Achill or at Westport. A programme to replace the engines of the M-class with Detroit Diesel engines in the late 1970’s later swung in favour of the DAF DKDL 1160 engine which had better fuel economy and fitted the Leopard chassis without major alterations to the latter. M127 was fitted with a DAF engine in February 1981 and re-entered service as MD127. During its life it has carried four liveries, CIE red and ivory, CIE orange and red with “Expressway” branding, Bus Eireann “TE” type “Expressway” and latterly Bus Eireann red and white. MD127 had several body modifications during its life, an aluminum front replaced the original fibre glass one and in common with many of its type the rear end was rebuilt using a smaller window in place of the original wrap around one, unusually and possible uniquely the new rear panels are in fibre glass rather than aluminium. Another unique feature is the roof marker lights, there are two above each dome and were probably specially added for service on Achill Island where visibility can be poor. MD127 was one of the last of its type in stage carriage service and became school bus MDS127 in 1996. During its school days it was based in the Ballinrobe area of Co. Mayo for at least some of the time. It was eventually withdrawn in July 2001 along with MDS143 and MS203, they were the last of their type in service in the area.
In late 2001 I was trying to save several buses for preservation and didn’t put a tender in for MDS127. As things turned out most of these went to other preservationists and while I was over in Ballina getting MS203 ready to move I went across to look at MDS127. The inside was a mess with seats thrown around everywhere but only a few minor items were missing, basically it was a good preservation prospect. I made an enquiry and was told that nobody had made an offer on it and it was likely to be shipped off to the nearest scrap dealer along with the large number of withdrawn ex Singapore Volvo B57s that were lying about. I knew that the bus that I had come to refer to as the “Achill Island M” was too good to go for scrap and made an offer for it the very next day. In February 2002 after all the formalities had been sorted out it was mine. Mechanically MD127 is very sound but the body needs major attention especially at the rear, all those years in the sea air were bound to have an affect on the framework and have left the rear end in a very poor state.
YIY 927 Bedford YRT EW455659 – Duple Dominant I C53F 517/2449 (originally C49F)
YIY 927 was new to Crosson Transport, Drogheda in the green and white livery used by Eirebus, then a co-operative of several Irish coach companies of which Crosson was a member. Although the coach is recorded as being new in April 1976 it is most likely a few months older than this and is thought to have carried the registration number XIY 642 for a short time when new. It was originally a 49 seater but gained four extra seats somewhere along the line. It was one of fourteen Duple Dominant bodied Bedfords bought by Crosson between 1975 and 1982. YIY 927 was briefly loaned to McFadden of Bunbeg, Co. Donegal in 1982 to cover for an accident damaged AEC Reliance that was under repair. In July 1983 it was sold to Park Transport International (Streamline), Stradone, Co. Cavan and it remained here until May 1987. Over the next three years it had four different owners in the Ladyswell area of Dublin and there are doubts if it operated for any of them! In March 1990 YIY 927 was acquired by Gerry Carroll of Drogheda and was totally refurbished, including the repair of minor fire damage to the rear. On March 11th 1992 it returned to service mainly on school work but also on private hire and rail replacement services. YIY 927 was now back in its original operating area and was parked only yards from its original garage. It was later to be joined by sister coach YIY 685. In December 1997 Carroll’s bought Bedford YNT Duple Dominant IV ZG 2323 from Sealandair Coaching (PAB Tours) and when it had been refurbished it replaced YIY 927 in front line service. YIY 927 served as a spare coach until sold to me for preservation on September 29th 2002.
Although in reasonable overall condition YIY 927 has suffered from lying up, especially in regard to the clutch parts. Due to # the fact that so many restoration projects have built up, it is a possibility that YIY 927 may be passed on to another preservation group in the future and some day be repainted back into its original green and white Eirebus livery complete with rabbit logos. Coaches that were new to Irish independent operators are rare in preservation and YIY 927 fills an important gap in this respect.
685 DID (KHU 318P) Bristol LH6L LH1172 – Eastern Coachworks 21727 B43F
KHU 318P was new in late 1975 to the Bristol Omnibus Company as fleet number 368. It entered service in February 1976 and appears to have worked from Gloucester Depot. Details of its years with Bristol Omnibus are surprisingly sketchy considering the fact that it worked for such a well known operator. It was part of the eighteen strong third batch of Bristol LH’s delivered to this operator. 368 may have passed to Robinswood Junior School briefly in 1982 but there is conflicting evidence of this. In November 1982 369, 370, 365, 372 and 368 all passed to Wharton’s Coaches, Crossdoney, Co. Cavan where they were re-registered 681-685 DID in that order. They were painted in an attractive red, cream and black livery with “Wharton’s Travel” fleetnames. In 1988 681-684 DID were all withdrawn and became storage sheds at Crossdoney but 685 DID continued in service and outlasted its sisters by some considerable time. 685 DID was Ned Corr's bus and was usually found parked by his house in Kilnaleck, where he cared for it well and was quite possesive of it; sadly Ned passed away suddenly at home in 1996 and 685 DID never worked in service again; by this time it had gained the front panel off sister 370 and the registration number 681 DID from 369.
At this stage Wharton’s decided to scrap the many withdrawn buses and coaches that filled their yard and 368 had a lucky escape being bought by Milton C. Hardcastle of Moyne, Co. Longford and driven away using a clothes line for an accelerator. 681-684 DID were all scrapped at this time. 368 was kept in secure but outside storage for the next six years and looked the worse for wear. After much persuasion and several false starts I persuaded its owner to sell it to me or rather to take Bedford YNT Plaxton Supreme IV Express 81-KE-329 in exchange, I had bought this coach specifically for this purpose. The exchange took place on November 10th 2002 and 685 DID drove under its own power to my yard.
The Bristol is in remarkably original condition but needs a complete overhaul both mechanical and body. Some of the body framing needs to be renewed and a few panels need to be replaced. Most of the mechanical problems have been caused from lying up for so long, both the brakes and the throttle need freeing up. 368 will be restored to its early Wharton’s condition and I am hoping to make up a destination blind with local destinations on it. The bus is very appropriately preserved in its final operating area. During 2010 the former owner of the bus and others have expressed an interest in helping with the restoration work, in return I will give them the use of 685 DID as an entrant in local rallies.
82-KE-588 (VJT 606X) Ford R1114 BCRSAT420260 – Plaxton Supreme V 8211FTS5C034 C53F
VJT 606X was new to Excelsior Coaches, Bournemouth in April 1982, it was numerically the first of a batch of twenty identical coaches with the new Plaxton Supreme V body introduced to celebrate Plaxtons Jubilee as they celebrated their 75th anniversary. The batch comprised of VJT 606-625X and were to C49F layout. Vernon Maitland, the Chairman of Excelsior, was a very enthusiastic Ford customer and played a large part in the development of the “tilted” engine Ford chassis that was launched in November 1977 with a host of other improvements to replace the earlier vertical engined R series. He was also very particular about body specification and Excelsior coaches usually had a number of modifications to suit the operator. The most visual difference on the 1982 Excelsior Fords is that they have the older type of front grille to the same design as Plaxton’s 1979/1980 Supreme IV. The side indicators are set further back to allow the Excelsior globe to be positioned beside the entrance door and this is one way of distinguishing a former Excelsior coach.
Excelsior generally sold off their coaches after two seasons and VJT 606X was no exception, being sold to Yeates (dealer), Loughborough in December 1983. It remained with Yeates until June 1985 when it was sold to Hamilton Travel of Stony Stratford, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire. In 1987 the Ford was sold to G. Evans, Manmoel, Gwent and stayed in Wales until it passed to Airbus Transfers Ltd of Bury, Lancashire whose name it still retains on the rear. In 1995 VJT 606X was sold to B.A. Bennett, Warrington, Cheshire but only stayed in this fleet for a year. In June 1996 the much travelled Ford was imported into Ireland by Jack Reilly Coach Hire, Carbury Co. Kildare and re-registered 82-KE-588.
In 2002 I was on the look out for a Ford R-Series coach to preserve, Fords were once very popular among Irish Independent operators and up until then none of them had been preserved even though their numbers were rapidly dwindling. I knew 82-KE-588 from passing by it in Carbury as I travelled over to Leitrim but when a friend phoned me to say he had located a suitable Ford that was just out of service I didn’t know its identity until I met up with it on the way to my yard after the deal had been done. It was to be another few weeks before I discovered the history of the coach that I had bought and I was surprised and very pleased that it turned out to be an ex Excelsior Ford as this company can be regarded as the most famous Ford operator of all. VJT 606X was the first Ford R-series coach preserved in Ireland. Since then a number of other Fords have also been preserved.
VJT 606X is complete but has been laid up for a number of years. The coach will be in need of both a body and mechanical overhaul.
SEL 247H Leyland Atlantean PDR1A/1 903002 – Alexander H43/31F J14/3268/8
SEL 247H was new on December 10th 1969 to Bournemouth Corporation Transport as number 247. It was part of a batch of ten (240-249) identical buses and entered service in the traditional Bournemouth livery of deep yellow and maroon bands. 247 was built as an OPO bus but would have been suitable for crew operation as well. In 1973 Bournemouth Corporation Transport introduced a new livery of allover yellow with a blue “flash”. Buses carried a roundel with the words “Bournemouth Transport” and the borough crest. The yellow was the same shade as the previous livery but the maroon bands were painted out. 247 received its blue “flash” livery in December 1974. Another livery change took place in 1982 when the “Yellow Buses Bournemouth” fleetname and identity was adopted. At this stage the blue “flash was removed and the wheels were repainted from blue to brown. 247 probably gained this livery in 1983.
A bus shortage at London and Country led to some Bournemouth Atlanteans being loaned to the former and 247 was in London during October and November 1986, where it worked in the Dartford and Northfleet areas before returning to Bournemouth on November 21st. It was then placed in store at Mallard Road Depot. On February 5th 1987 247 along with sisters 242, 245, 246, 248 and 249 were sold to Lancaster City Transport, Morecame where they retained their original fleet numbers. They were repainted into Lancasters attractive two tone blue and white livery. On withdrawal by Lancaster City Transport 247 passed to W.E. Jones, The Garage, Llanerchymedd, Anglesea on October 17th 1989. The bus was repainted in the red and white livery that it still carries today. SEL 247H was withdrawn in October 2002 after a service life of just under 33 years.
When I first heard that 247 was available for preservation I was amazed that a 1969 Atlantean had only just been withdrawn and a deal was agreed very quickly to secure the bus. Surprisingly there were no other seriously interested parties. SEL 247H drove to the ferryport at Holyhead and crossed the Irish Sea aboard the Stena Explorer. It arrived in Ireland in May 2003 and then as a result of insurance complications it had to be towed to Leitrim in spite of it being in perfect running order. The bus is in need of a light body overhaul but is in very good condition despite its rather scruffy appearance. The Atlantean has been stored since being acquired and needs attention to its fuel tank and power steering. It is hoped to pass it on for continued preservation.
MNW 343F Leyland Leopard PSU4/4R 801394 – Plaxton Panorama I C43F 689153
MNW 343F was new to Wallace Arnold of Leeds in June 1968. It was part of a batch of six identical 30ft long Leopard coaches (MNW 341-346F), the first three of which were purchased to operate on tours of the Scottish Islands particularly Dunoon and Rothesay where both smaller ferries and narrow roads necessitated the use of shorter coaches. The other three were allocated to the Devon fleet for tours of that area of England. These Leopards were the last coaches delivered to Wallace Arnold in its traditional “summer ivory” livery with orange wheels. The next coaches received the new two-tone grey livery and many earlier coaches including MNW 343F were later re-painted in these colours. This Leopard stayed with Wallace Arnold until November 1977 when it was exported to Ireland. It first operated for the Violet Bus Service of Blackrock Co. Louth and later passed to Sean Finlay of Ardee, Co. Louth. Around this time the coach was re-registered IBI 789. After withdrawal the Leopard was retained by Finlays for preservation but in the event it was never restored and later suffered from being in outdoor storage, particularly in relation to its wooden framed body. The coach was rescued by Paddy Carroll in December 2003 and after problems were experienced in storing it MNW 343F joined the collection in April 2004. The Leopard is in very good mechanical order but does need an extensive body overhaul. The hope is to pass this coach on to somebody with the skills and dedication to restore it in original Wallace Arnold guise but it is very much a long term project for whoever takes it on.
77-LK-536 (MBE 612R) Daimler Fleetline FE30AGR 7605666 - Roe H45/29D G07773
MBE 612R was built in late 1976 and first registered on 1st January 1977. It was one of a batch of six identical buses delivered to Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport where it became fleet number 112. Grimsby Cleethorpes were enthusiastic customers for Roe bodied Fleetlines and other batches were to follow. One curious feature of 112 and its sisters was that they had drain holes in the sides of their upper deck from new of the type usually associated with open tops. The batch 111-116 had mixed fortunes with 111 and 114 being withdrawn and scrapped in 1985, however 112 lasted in service until sometime in 1993 when it was fortunate to become one of the few Grimsby Cleethorpes Fleetlines to be sold for further service, to R. Kimes of Folkingham in this case where it was once again used on stage carriage work repainted in a smart green and cream livery. Kimes tend to re-register their buses with Northern Irish “ageless” plates and MBE 612R became SJI 6322 during its five years in Folkingham. In March 1998 the Fleetline was sold to O’S Coaches of Hospital Co. Limerick (many other Kimes buses were to follow the same path) and on 27th April 1998 it was re-registered 77-LK-536 and allocated fleet number 100. Although Kimes livery was retained for a couple of years it was to become the first Fleetline to receive the new light blue and cream fleet livery, it was taxed as a school bus and was confined to those duties. 77-LK-536 continued in service along with a trio of former West Midlands Fleetlines until the end of the school term in June 2006 when all were withdrawn and replaced with Leyland Lynxes.
77-LK-536 came to my attention while it was still working away in service, its now quite rare style of body set it apart from the other Fleetlines and I added it to my forward preservation list. My interest was made known to the operator’s brother who duly notified me when the bus was withdrawn. Due to various circumstances it was February 2007 before I got down to Hospital and spent a very enjoyable day looking over the buses. In the end I expressed an interest in acquiring 77-LK-536 for preservation along with MCW bodied 78-LK-578. A deal was agreed where I would purchase both buses as soon as I had cleared yard space and organized a driver. On July 14th 2007 77-LK-536 left Hospital for the last time having been prepared for the 140 mile journey to Leitrim, this bus was never fitted with power steering so the driver took a while to get used to it but the journey was completed without problems just under five hours later. Although 77-LK-536 was built after production was transferred to Leyland this bus is both licensed and badged as a Daimler so it is hoped to re-instate the front badge it carried when new. Research has found that this bus is the only surviving Fleetline double decker from Grimsby Cleethorpes that is in a complete state, the other two are both open-top. Perhaps unusually it retains a fully functional set of centre doors, a feature usually eliminated when a bus changes hands so many times. In view of the bus's rarity, an offer of a home in its original area would be looked at sympathetically. I would like to thank most sincerely Sean O’Sullivan, Val O’Sullivan, Eddie Murphy and the maintenance staff at Hospital for all their help in making the preservation of this bus possible.
78-LK-578 (WDA 918T) Daimler Fleetline FE30AGR 7802125 - MCW H43/33F
In August 1978 West Midlands PTE allocated twenty new Fleetlines to Sandy Lane Garage in Coventry, the same road where the former Daimler works were located. 6916-6935 replaced open platform crew operated Daimler CVG6’s and were painted in the standard and very attractive monastral blue and cream livery. Further Fleetline deliveries went to the other Coventry garage at Harnall Lane. WMPTE later decided to build a new Coventry depot at Wheatley Street and this building was ready for use in March 1986 at which time Harnall Lane closed and its allocation moved over. Bus services in the West Midlands were due to be de-regulated on October 26th 1986 after which West Midlands PTE would become West Midlands Travel, this resulted in the closure of some depots as well as withdrawals of vehicles and staff redundancies, Sandy Lane closed on the last day of PTE operations, 25th October 1986 and its fleet which included 6916-6935 moved to Wheatley Street. Coventry buses worked flat, less arduous routes than most other areas in the West Midlands and coupled with a deserved reputation for good maintenance their buses remained in good condition. The PTE had intended withdrawing Fleetlines by the end of 1991 but when serious corrosion problems were discovered in newer Metrobuses, requiring substantial rebuilding, many Fleetlines had their lives extended by a number of years. However by May 1997 only 29 Fleetlines remained and with a total of ten Coventry had the greatest share of them. At this stage the lowest numbered bus at Wheatley Street was 6918 (WDA 918T), only one of three of the original Sandy Lane allocation to remain at Coventry. 6918 was the last Fleetline at Coventry to get a full mechanical overhaul and was the second last of its type in service finishing up on June 11th 1997 on route 20 to Bedworth. Sister bus 6986 which passed straight into preservation, was selected for the farewell tours, bringing to an end the proud name of Daimler in its home city.
6918 along with some of its sisters (including 6919 & 6985) passed to Martins of Middlewich (dealer) in the hope of finding new homes. In September 1997 three buses 6918, 6919 & 6985 were purchased by O’S Coaches of Hospital Co. Limerick and preparations were made to ship them to Ireland. On December 19th 6918 was re-registered 78-LK-578 and entered service on school contracts still in full Travel West Midlands livery, which it retained for a few years before repainting into fleet livery of light blue and cream. Throughout its time at O’S 78-LK-578 (fleet no. 99 on paper but never carried physically) was driven by a lady that I only know as Mary and who didn’t take too kindly to anyone else driving “her” bus! At the end of June 2006 78-LK-578 was withdrawn along with the other Fleetlines to await its fate.
In February 2007 I travelled to Hospital to look at the Fleetlines and with the aim of acquiring Roe bodied 77-LK-536 for preservation, parked next to it was 78-LK-578 facing an uncertain future. There were four ex WMPTE Fleetlines in the yard including the heavily stripped 6306 but 6918 stuck in my mind as the pick of them, retaining many original features. At that point I kept my thoughts to myself to consider whether I could take two Fleetlines instead of one. The next day I expressed an interest in 77-LK-536 and 78-LK-578 and over a jovial discussion a deal was agreed. After careful preparation by the maintenance staff at Hospital 78-LK-578 was declared ready to tackle the 140 mile trip to Leitrim. On August 4th 2007 the bus left for its new home and arrived just under 5 hours later after a faultless performance with the driver having fun getting used to the air steering (fitted in 1985). I have a lot of interest in West Midlands Fleetlines and travelled over specially to say farewell to them before they all finished up in service and this coupled with my family connections in Coventry make it appropriate for me to have a former Coventry bus. Over time it is hoped to restore 78-LK-578 back to its early Coventry condition as a Sandy Lane bus, the earliest surivior of its batch. I would like to once again express my deep thanks to Sean O’Sullivan, Val O’Sullivan, Eddie Murphy and the staff at Hospital.
78-LK-580 (WDA 985T) Daimler Fleetline FE30AGR 7804783 - MCW H43/33F
This bus entered service with West Midlands PTE as number 6985 at Harnall Lane Garage, Coventry in December 1978. It was to be one of the last Fleetlines to enter service in Coventry as part of the batch 6984-6989. 6985 remained at Harnall Lane until this depot was replaced by a new one at Wheatley Street, the changeover took place on 30th March 1986. By May 1997 Coventry was down to its last ten Fleetlines and 6985 was one of these, they were all withdrawn the following month and sold to dealers. 6985 ended up with Martin’s of Middlewich (dealer) along with 6918 and 6919 (and probably others) and in September 1997 it was bought by O’S Coaches, Hospital, Co. Limerick where it became fleet number 97 (not carried). It was re-registered 78-LK-580 on December 19th 1997 and entered service on school contracts. This bus was withdrawn with the remaining Fleetlines at the end of the school term in June 2006.
When I had a thorough look around my first ex WMPTE Fleetline (6918) I realized that I was going to need some body parts for it and especially some interior parts in order to be able to restore it to an acceptable standard and the obvious sources were the remaining Fleetlines in Hospital. Taking into account that two other former Harnall Lane Fleetlines from this batch (6971 and 6986) are preserved in original condition and another (6965) is an open top with an Irish preservation group it made sense to view 6985 as a source of parts rather than 6919 which is one of only two Sandy Lane survivors. 78-LK-580 was bought and collected on 13th October 2007 and after an eventful journey (we had to make two diversions due to road closures caused by road works and an accident respectively, the second involving a further diversion through a housing estate to avoid a low bridge) we arrived safely in Leitrim. During 2010, after careful thought, I have decided to upgrade this bus to preserved status. After comparing the overall condition of 6985 with 6919, I decided that 6985 had by far the better body even if it is not quite as good mechanically, recent reports suggest that its restored sister 6986 may have fallen on hard times, thus making the survival of 6985 more important. I will hopefully over time gather the parts needed to restore it. Incidentally recent chats with Coventry drivers have revealed that 6985 was an unpopular bus to drive.. Once again Sean O’Sullivan, Val O’Sullivan and Eddie Murphy are the guys to thank for making this all happen.
ZS 8621 (YOX 130K) Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX 64945 - Park Royal H43/33F B58155
ZS 8621 was new to West Midlands PTE as no. 4130 in December 1971. It was allocated to Quinton depot as part of the batch 4109-4135 mainly for route 9 from Birmingham City Centre to Quinton. 4130 was one of the first Fleetlines delivered with a cream rather than a khaki roof. In early 1985 4130 was withdrawn and converted to a playbus by WMPTE, this included the provision of a rear staircase and a second emergency door. It was also fitted with “air steer” power steering at this time. 4130 was handed over to the National Playbus Association, Bristol in April 1985. However it was transferred to Barnardo's, Dublin in December 1986 and re-registered ZS 8621 on December 23rd 1986. The Daimler was one of the last vehicles (possibly the last bus?) to get a traditional Irish registration (excluding heritage vehicles which can still get them today). ZS 8621 was to be a familiar sight in the Dublin suburbs for the next 14 years painted in an attractive yellow livery as it entertained children where it parked. Barnardo’s ceased operating playbuses at the end of 2000 leading to the retirement of ZS 8621 and a former Cardiff Fleetline. The bus passed to Philip Bedford of Celbridge in March 2001 for use at the Cavan & Leitrim Railway where it arrived on December 16th 2001. After spending a number of years as living accommodation and a store at the railway the former WMPTE 4130 was offered for disposal. Initially there was a danger that the engine would be sold separately but on November 13th 2009 the Daimler was sold to me complete with engine. At the moment 4130 remains at the Cavan and Leitrim Railway where remedial work including a repaint will take place before it moves to its new home.
Very few early West Midlands Daimler Fleetlines have survived as company policy was to remove re-usable parts from withdrawn buses before disposing of the remains for scrap. My aim is to restore 4130 as a service bus and to this end a number of parts have been collected including seats and doors but many more items will be needed for this major restoration.
Vehicles sold, for sale, or used for spares
206 IK Leyland Leopard PSU5/4R 7104624 – CIE / Metsec C48F
New to CIE on June 14th 1972 as M206, this was one of a batch of twenty identical touring coaches. M206 worked on coach tours from Broadstone when new. It carried the brown and cream coach livery but in experimental reversed form with the cream above and the brown below. M206 was overhauled in July 1974 when its original coach seats were transferred to Plaxton Elite bodied Leopard PL24 (NZO 24). M206 was then transferred to Sligo. It had its second overhaul in April 1979 and it was probably then that it was fitted with a G.M. Detroit Diesel 6-71 two-stroke engine and Allison MT-644 gearbox becoming MG206. By now MG206 had the orange and red Expressway livery that it was to retain for the rest of its days. It became a school bus in 1988 and was renumbered MGS206. This coach was withdrawn in June 1999 as a result of mechanical failure. I bought it in December 2000 in the hopes of restoring it to its experimental livery. However it was in very poor condition, the body needed major work, the engine was beyond saving and many vital parts had been removed. Soon afterwards sister MG209 became available and was purchased, this was complete and in much better order. As many useful parts as possible were removed from MG206 before its remains were dispatched to Galway Metals for scrap in March 2001.
203 IK Ld Leopard PSU5/4R 7104621 – CIE / Metsec DP50F
M203 was new to C.I.E. on July 15th 1972, another one of the same batch as MG206 and MG209. It carried the brown and cream coach livery in its standard form (brown above and cream below) and operated on coach tours from Broadstone. After a couple of seasons it was transferred to Ballina where it was to remain for the rest of its service life, often working on the Ballina – Dublin service. It gained the red and ivory livery at quite an early stage which was unusual for these coaches as most of them were repainted into “Expressway” red and orange. In late 1987 M203 along with sister M211 were the first of their type to be transferred to the school fleet where they were renumbered MS203 and MS211, both of these retained their Leyland engines as did M207, all the other “coach Ms” gained Detroit Diesel or DAF engines during the re-engining programme. However in 2000 MS203 was “unofficially” fitted with a DAF engine, possibly from MD145 without any change to its fleet number, although I have since seen it quoted as “MD203” on other websites it was never at any stage allocated this number either physically or on paper. MS203 was withdrawn in June 2001, it was one of the last three Ms in service at Ballina.
I had been already made up my mind that I was going to try to buy MS203 when it was withdrawn and put in a tender for it, up until then I hadn’t realised that it had gained a DAF engine until I had a casual look underneath. I bought MS203 for preservation in December 2001 and it drove to Leitrim under its own power. At this stage I had two of these coaches albeit with very different mechanical units. Realistically I only had enough parts to restore one of these properly. M203 was in poorer condition than MG209 especially when the body was taken into account and because MG209 was the bus that started off the collection it had and still has a special status so if one of them had to be sold it would be M203. Soon after I acquired MD127 for preservation and decided to pass M203 on to another preservationist who has the parts to restore it.
YZY 233 (LAE 892L) Bedford YRQ CW452081 – Duple Dominant I C45F 266/257
LAE 892L was new on the 13th March 1973 to Wessex of Bristol as part of a batch of five identical coaches (LAE 891-895L) and LAE 890L which was a Bedford YRT. It was new as a 41 seater but was later converted to 45 seats. On August 1st 1974 the Wessex fleet was absorbed into National Travel (South West) and LAE 892L was given fleet number 492. It served as the Bristol City Football Club team coach for the 1974-75 season, it was noted at Anfield on the 16th October 1974 for the match between Liverpool and Bristol City. The coach served with National Travel until the latter part of 1978 when it was withdrawn and offered for sale. In early 1979 LAE 892L was sold to Byley Stores and Garage Ltd of Middlewich, Cheshire. In 1984 it passed to Kirkby (dealer) and in August of that year was sold on to Gerry Carroll, Drogheda. Carrolls refurbished the coach and placed it in service in 1985, re-registered as YZY 233 where it replaced their last Bedford SB. It served here for many years and in the late 1990’s it became the spare coach and only saw occasional use. When the coach was originally advertised for sale I didn’t have the storage facilities to take it on but when circumstances improved I decided to check to see if it was still available. I bought YZY 233 in September 2002, it was the first vehicle from an Independent operator to join the collection.
YZY 233 was one of the earliest Duple Dominant bodied coaches in existence and could have maybe been the earliest in preservation as well. Unfortunately early Dominants were quite prone to corrosion, the wide ribbed moulding below the window line had a habit of holding water and this led to corrosion in the box section behind. YZY 233 was found to be very heavily corroded and several body parts had started to drop off. The coach was very sound mechanically and had retained its Bedford 466 engine, many similar chassis had their engines replaced with the more powerful 500 engine. The body of YZY 233 was dismantled after expert opinion declared that it was too heavily corroded to rebuild and the chassis was cut up in the summer of 2006.
79-WW-61 (EPC 898V) Bedford YMT JW456329 – Duple Dominant II C53F 017/2435
EPC 898V was new on November 1st 1979 to Fleet Coaches of Fleet, Hampshire as their number B46. It was painted in their very attractive two tone blue livery with gold fleet names. B46 remained with Fleet Coaches for exactly ten years before being part-exchanged with an ex Excelsior, Bournemouth Volvo B10M Plaxton Paramount in November 1989. EPC 898V then passed to Kirkby Bus and Coach Dealers, Sheffield. The Coach was imported into Ireland in June 1990 by Thomas Murphy (formerly Scragg’s Coaches) of Kilbride House, Bray, Co. Wicklow. On August 13th 1990 it was re-registered 79-WW-61. It was sold to John Walsh (Irish School of Motoring), 14 Lower Dorset Street, Dublin on February 13th 1995 and was converted into a driver trainer. After serving as a trainer for four years 79-WW-61 was sold to Carroll Coaches, Drogheda in March 1999. It was given a complete mechanical overhaul which included a replacement engine, gearbox and axles. The seats were also re-trimmed but the coach never returned to service. I bought it for preservation in October 2002.
79-WW-61 was mechanically very good but the body was severely corroded and it is now (2010) in the final stages of scrapping.
81-KE-329 (HRL 626W) Bedford YNT LW451018 – Plaxton Supreme IV Express C53F 8111TX503
HRL 626W was new in January 1981 to Deeble, Darleyford in Cornwall. It came to Ireland in November 1993 to Cross Coaches,
Sallins, County Kildare where it was re-registered 81-KE-329. In April 2001 the coach was sold to Colm Ahearne, Kilnamanagh, Dublin. I acquired it in
November 2002 for the purposes of exchanging it for a Bristol LH and a Bedford TK lorry that were owned by another enthusiast. The exchange took place on
November 10th 2002 when the immaculate 81-KE-329 passed to Hardcastle, Moyne with Bristol LH 685 DID and Bedford TK 2587 IR coming the opposite way.
81-KE-329 has been well cared for by its new owner but may be offered for sale in the near future.
80-D-648 (MHP 14V) Bedford YMT KW451567 – Plaxton Supreme IV 8011TC116
MHP 14V was new to Harry Shaw, Coventry in June 1980. It came to Ireland in 1996 and worked for Fanning, Skerries before moving
on to Leonard, Donabate and latterly for McKenna, Lusk, all three operators being located in north County Dublin. I acquired the partially stripped remains
in December 2002 as a source of spares. The coach was carefully dismantled over a number of months and was scrapped in September 2003. The body framing was
carefully removed and now forms the basis of a shed with a classic car enthusiast.
81-D-1875 (CSU 941, originally PNW 313W) Leyland Leopard PSU3F/4R 8031148 – Plaxton Supreme IV C53F 8111LC034
PNW 313W was new to Wallace Arnold of Leeds in April 1981. It was allocated to Leeds for coach tours and was part of a large
order that comprised of Leyland Leopards and Ford R1114’s as well as a solitary Bedford VAS5. In 1982 PNW 313W was transferred to the Evan Evans subsidiary
in London where it received Hoverlloyd livery. It was new as a 49 seater but later gained four extra seats probably after sale by Wallace Arnold. In May 1987
the coach was sold to Overland and Country (Athelsan) Coaches of Malmesbury. 313 was then repainted blue and white and re-registered CSU 941. Its last U.K.
operator was Ryan of Langridge, Somerset after which it came to Ireland in August 1997 to Kelly Coaches, Dublin. By now it was in a quite attractive green
livery and gained the registration 81-D-1875. The coach was then sold to J.F. Travel, Annagasson, Co. Louth in April 2001. In December 2002 I bought two sets
of seats from J.F. Travel and the Leopard which had been withdrawn by this time came free with them. At this stage I didn’t know the history of the coach and
this was traced from its body number. For a time I considered preserving the Leopard rather than use it for spares but its overall condition was quite poor
except for the engine which runs well. This coach was used as both a greenhouse and a source of spares until April 2007 when it was broken up for scrap.
476 ZY (CTM 405T) Bedford YMT JW452445 – Plaxton Supreme IV C53F 7911TC162
CTM 405T was new on April 25th 1979 to Ben Stanley Coaches of Hersham, Surrey, a very long established operator. It was painted
in their distinctive and attractive pink and cream livery. Ben Stanley ceased trading on July 23rd 1985 and all of the fleet was sold off through a dealer,
seven of them came to Ireland. McCormack Coaches of Drogheda Co. Louth bought CTM 405T through Pierce Kavanagh (dealer) of Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny and the
coach travelled directly from Hersham to Drogheda. It was re-registered 476 ZY on January 3rd 1986 but had been in Ireland for several months before that.
The coach retained Ben Stanley livery for about a year before being repainted white. 476 ZY operated for McCormacks for many years and was very highly
thought of by its owners. It was sold on to Headway Transport, Drogheda on March 31st 2000 but was re-purchased by McCormacks on August 25th 2000 who felt
that the coach that they thought so highly of was not being cared for very well by its new owners. 476 ZY continued to work on school contracts and private
hire work until it was retired at the end of 2002.
McCormacks were very anxious that 476 ZY had to go to a good home and they mentioned this to me during its last months in
service. After withdrawal I was asked if I would take the coach for preservation and it became mine in February 2003. 476 ZY was the smartest looking Supreme
IV that I had ever seen and its overall condition was very good. My intentions were to restore it to Ben Stanley livery to represent its first year in
Ireland and to retain it in the collection. However out of the blue I was contacted by a former Ben Stanley driver who had driven CTM 405T from new and who
was very anxious to buy it and restore it to original condition. His restoration plan for the coach was so impressive that I decided that it would be better
if 476 ZY passed to him and received the restoration it deserves. On October 16th 2004 the former Ben Stanley coach left Dublin Port aboard the cruise ferry
“Ulysses” and arrived in Holyhead in the early hours of October 17th. Although I was sad to see it leave the collection I knew I had made the right choice,
476 ZY is currently going through a no expenses spared restoration to original condition. Its re-appearance in Ben Stanley livery as CTM 405T is to be
eagerly awaited.
MVC 12P (LCC 589P, new as MVC 12P) Bedford YRT EW456391 – Plaxton Supreme Express C53F 7611TX537
MVC 12P was one of a trio of coaches that entered service with Chapel End Coaches Ltd of 107 Camp Hill Road, Nuneaton in
January 1976. MVC 10P was a Bedford YRQ with Plaxton Supreme C45F body while MVC 11P was identical to MVC 12P. They replaced older Bedfords with Plaxton
Elite bodies which were sold on. Chapel End Coaches had a blue and grey livery at the time and this might well be similar to the livery that MVC 12P still
carries today. On August 20th 1982 the coach was sold to Alun Wyn Lewis, The Garage, Carreglefn, Amlwch, Anglesea. The coach was to remain here for over
twenty years and in the latter stages was re-registered LCC 589P when its original number was transferred to Alun Lewis’s car.
In early 2003 LCC 589P was withdrawn and offered for sale. It was in danger of being converted into a mobile fish and chip shop
before I came to hear about it. All I had to go on was some photos and a description over the phone before deciding to take it on. The coach reverted to its
original registration number of MVC 12P before it was sold to me in April 2003. It was officially imported into Ireland on April 22nd 2003. When I first saw
it I knew that I had made the right decision, MVC 12P is in excellent overall condition and all that is needed is some minor work to the body which mainly
involves the repair of some of the chrome trim. The interior is very neat with that classic 1970’s look about it. This coach has now been for sale for a
number of years and at the moment mechanical problems are preventing it being collected by a prospective new owner.
MCH 352W Bedford YMT JW452132 – Duple Dominant B55F 020/2962
MCH 352W was new to the National Coal Board in September 1980, being registered in the Derby area. It has the service bus body
of the popular Duple Dominant range and was allocated fleet number LP1442 with the N.C.B. whose livery at the time was royal blue with a canary yellow front.
Later on the National Coal Board became British Coal and this bus served with the organisation throughout the gloomy days of the miners strike. In early 1990
MCH 352 W, which by now had exchanged identities with sister MCH351W, was sold to Andrews, Sheffield where it stayed for an as yet unknown period before
passing to George Edwards, Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham. Its second Welsh owner was B. Japheth t/a Berwyn Coaches, Trefor near Caernarfon. In January 1999 it was
acquired by Alun Wyn Lewis of Carreglefn Coaches where it joined up with MVC 12P among others. In early 2003 MCH 351W was offered for sale along with MVC 12P
and I was offered both of them before they were sold for conversion to chip vans.
MCH 351W (as it is now) was sold to me for preservation on April 22nd 2003 and travelled over on the boat with MVC 12P. It is
in excellent overall condition and only needs minor restoration work. The number LP1442 is still present in the cab even though the bus has had at least four
operators since the National Coal Board. This bus was sold for continued preservation and is currently in the Kells Transport Museum collection.
863 MIP (NMC 600R) Bedford YMT FW457048 – Duple Dominant I C53F 717/2310
NMC 600R was new to Thatched House Coaches of London in November 1976. It has the restyled Duple Dominant I body with the
new-style front end. The coach was imported into Ireland by Pierce Kavanagh, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny in February 1983 and re-registered 863 MIP. It then
passed to Muddiman, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin and then on to O’Reilly, Duleek, Co. Meath in March 1988. 863 MIP was then sold to Jimmy Cudden, also of Duleek by
October 1993. It was then sold on to Carroll, Drogheda in October 1997 who used it as a spare coach before it was used as a source of spares and a store shed.
I acquired 863 MIP in September 2003 and weighed up whether to restore it or use it for spares. However a check on the body
revealed the framing to be totally rotten and beyond repair. It served as a spare parts store until it was broken up in July 2005.
BLZ 4599 (XWX 170S) Leyland Leopard PSU3E/4R 7800312 Duple Dominant II C53F 833/5192
XWX 170S was new in June 1978 to the Evan Evans (Woburn Garage Ltd) subsidiary of Wallace Arnold. It was delivered as a 47
seater but later in life became a 53 seater. In late 1983 the coach was sold to J.L. Harrison of Baildon, West Yorkshire. In November 1985 it was sold on to
Baty of Frizington, Cumbria who kept XWX 170S until October 1996 when it passed to Heslop of Whitehaven, Cumbria. In May 1997 the coach found itself at
dealers, North East Bus Breakers and passed to Agnew of Lurgan, Co. Armagh the same month. Four months later it had been sold to Kelly of Gilford, also in
Northern Ireland. The next owner recorded is P. Mallon, 31 Terraskane Road, Armagh and from him it passed to Joe McParland of Newry in mid 2003.
I bought the by now withdrawn Leopard in October 2003 with the strong hopes of restoring it, but disappointingly it proved to
be in poor condition. The body was badly corroded in places and mechanically the rear axle and gearbox both needed to be replaced not to mention major
electrical work being needed. XWX 170S was broken up in late 2004.
80-D-1162 (NIW 6489, new as ECK 678W) Ford R1114 BCRSWP480450 – Plaxton Supreme IV C53F 8011FC237
ECK 678W was new to Bolton-By-Bowland Motor Services Ltd of Pendle Trading Estate, Chatburn in the Ribble Valley in August 1980.
This operator was associated with Hodder Motor Services, Clitheroe and this coach is sometimes listed under this operator. ECK 678W would have been delivered
in their then livery of maroon and cream, the Ford would have been used on excursions and tours in the main and continued with this operator until May 1984
when it was sold. Its subsequent history is unclear and under research but it eventually ended up with Goodyear, Mapplewell in South Yorkshire carrying the
registration NIW 6489. It was imported into Ireland in April 1996 and worked for Redmond, Baldoyle, Dublin who re-registered it 80-D-1162. It later passed to
James Dowling of Raheny, Dublin and in 2001 was sold to Wharton Travel, Crossdoney, County Cavan. 80-D-1162 was used on the stage carriage service between
Cavan and Longford, possibly the first time that the coach was used on stage carriage work. I travelled on this coach several times usually on my excursions
to work on the first few buses that I had acquired. Wharton’s are the local operator to where the collection is based and their only stage carriage service
runs within a couple of miles of my base. In mid 2002 the Ford was withdrawn with gearbox failure but it was initially planned to return it to service. To
this end the clutch and gearbox were replaced and the brakes were re-lined. However in the end it was replaced with a newer bus.
The first time I travelled on 80-D-1162 I remember thinking it would be a good future preservation project, the fact it had
local connections and that I had travelled on it reinforced this idea. With these thoughts sticking in my mind I made a visit to Wharton’s yard in late 2003
to source spare parts and see what was salvageable. As luck would have it 80-D-1162 was the pick of the crop. It had slight front end damage to the offside
which would have been easily repairable and it needed to have the clutch cylinder replaced before it could be driven for any distance but overall it was a
very good coach. Soon afterwards a deal was struck and the Ford was acquired for preservation in February 2004. Sadly before it could be collected it was
removed from the yard and never recovered, it appears it was scrapped in error although this has never been admitted.
83-C-2626 (HEY 78Y) Ford R1114 BCRSAY331970 – Plaxton Paramount C53F 8311FTP1C010
HEY 78Y was new to Williams of Llanberris, Wales in March 1983. It appears to have remained
with its original owner until April 1997 when it came to Ireland. The coach was sold to Glenferry Coaches, Passage East, Co.
Cork and re-registered 83-C-2626. By March 2002 the Ford had passed to Wharton’s Travel, Crossdoney, Co. Cavan. It saw little
use here and was withdrawn with mechanical problems. This coach was acquired in February 2004 by myself and an operator
friend of mine as a source of both Ford mechanical parts and Plaxton Paramount body spares. The remains of this coach were
dispatched for scrap in the summer of 2005.
FDU 806T Bedford YMT JW454786 – Plaxton Supreme IV Express C53F 7911TX568
FDU 806T was delivered new to J. Lloyd and Son Ltd,, Avenue Road, Nuneaton in May 1979. It was one of a trio of identical
coaches that would have carried Lloyd’s blue and cream livery. At the moment the coach’s full history is still being pieced together but Ward Bros fleetnames
were uncovered on the front and rear destination glasses so it is probably safe to assume that FDU 806T worked for Ward Bros of Lepton at some stage. This
firm was most famous for developing its own coach chassis in 1981 which became known as the Ward Dalesman. FDU 806T later worked for J.C.S. Coaches (Burton)
of Corby where it operated on both school and work contracts. On August 29th 2001 the coach passed through British Car Auctions and crossed the Irish Sea to
Northern Ireland when it was bought by McParland Coaches of Newry. It saw little use here and was withdrawn in 2002 after a minor mechanical failure, the
clutch cylinder needed replacing and the coach was taken out of service and the seats were removed and transferred to another vehicle. While laid up in the
yard FDU 806T suffered scorch damage when a lorry parked next to it was set on fire by vandals. Luckily the damage was only minor, one side window was broken,
a panel was blistered and part of the luggage rack was melted. The coach could very easily have been destroyed. Towards the end of 2003 McParland Coaches
were vacating the yard and all the withdrawn coaches had to be removed.
I was told about the availability of FDU 806T and thought it was worth taking for its engine anyway. It was towed to a yard in
Drogheda where I went to inspect it. The coach was in very good overall condition, when the scorch damage is overlooked the body was in very good structural
condition and the engine ran very sweetly. The second part of the tow to my yard didn’t go so well, a loose stud destroyed the nearside rear hub and the
nearside front was damaged while negotiating a tight bend. After careful thought and a thorough examination it was decided to use FDU 806T as a source of
spares, the damage caused during the towing was worse than originally thought and the coach became immovable in the yard. It was finally scrapped in July
2005.
A543 XLG (FSU 804, originally A953 FHH) Bedford YMP ET101997 – Plaxton Paramount C35F 84.8MQP1C001
This coach, the smallest and newest in the collection was registered on June 13th 1984. It has one of the Bedford YMP chassis
that were specially shortened by Tricentrol to an overall length of only 8 metres and designed for 35 seat coachwork. The type is often referred to as a YMPS.
Its original operator was Messenger Coaches, Aspatria, Cumbria, who then sold it on to Simon’s Coaches and Taxis (how ironic!), Badgers Balney, Higham Cross,
Hansloe, Milton Keynes on September 2nd 1986. It then passed to Barratt’s Coaches, 48 London Road, Nantwich, Cheshire on July 14th 1992. In January 1997 they
re-registered it to FSU 804. In April 2000 the Bedford was sold to J.F. Travel, Annagasson Co. Louth and officially exported on April 27th 2000. Before
export it was re-registered to A543 XLG. It never received an Irish registration and passed to Carroll’s Coaches, Drogheda around March 2002 but was never
operated. I bought it in November 2002, my initial feelings were that it was a bit on the modern side but because it is a type that is quite rare I felt it
deserved to be added to the collection. Its overall condition is very good, some light repairs are needed to the body but nothing major. It is a very
appealing little coach even if the plain white livery is a bit dull.
In September 2005 this coach was sold to Kells Transport Museum of Cork for continued preservation and during 2010 passed to a
heritage operator who has prepared it for further service.
YIY 685 (NEH 917P) Bedford YRT EW454945 – Duple Dominant I C53F 517/2419
NEH 917P was new to Stoddard, Cheadle in March 1976 and remained with its original operator for about 13 years, gaining the
registration XAM 104A during that time. The coach came to Ireland in about March 1989 when it was bought by Finlay Coaches, Ardee Co. Louth. It was then
issued with the registration YIY 685 that had originally been carried by an identical coach that was new to Crosson Transport, Drogheda. In April 1995 YIY
685 was sold to Carroll Coaches, Drogheda and was fully refurbished and returned to service.
Although YIY 685 was sold to me for preservation in June 2003 its replacement at Carrolls was not yet ready for service. By
mutual agreement YIY 685 continued in service until September 30th 2003 when it was finally withdrawn. At this stage it was the last known Bedford YRT to
operate in Ireland and very likely the last coach with Duple Dominant mark I coachwork as well. YIY 685 is in very good overall condition and just needs some
minor mechanical attention. As part of my collection trimming policy YIY 685 has been sold to Kells Transport Museum of Cork for continued preservation.
UZY 705 (NSD 423L) Bedford YRQ CW453365 – Plaxton Panorama Elite III 732249 C45F
NSD 423L was new in March/April 1973 to Conway, Irvine in Ayrshire. It continued with its original operator until early 1983
when it passed to T. E. Docherty, Irvine, a member of the AI service consortium. However it passed unused to S.M.T. (dealer), Glasgow before returning to
Docherty, where it was used briefly in service before it crossed the Irish Sea to Ross Coaches, Ardee, County Louth in May 1983. NSD 423L was then
re-registered UZY 705. It was used mainly on private hire work by its new owner and regularly brought pilgrims over to Knock Shrine in Co. Mayo. In early
1995 UZY 705 was withdrawn and held as a back up coach, being kept fully operational. However since then it had become derelict, losing its rear windows and
seats but remaining mechanically complete. In June 2003 Ross Coaches had ceased trading and the owner was emigrating, all of the coaches in the yard were put
up for sale and in danger of being scrapped. At this point I was alerted to the plight of UZY 705 and travelled over to see it. The coach was in the back
corner of the yard surrounded by wrecked cars and buses as well as nettles and other greenery.
After getting over my initial shock I began to see the positive points about it. The coach was mechanically complete and the
interior was in good order apart from the lack of seats. When all the rubbish and dirt were overlooked it wasn’t so bad really. The body was straight but
much of the lower woodwork needed replacing. The screw heads holding the chrome trim had rusted so much of it had fallen off. After a bit of delicate
negotiating a deal was struck and UZY 705 was to be towed over to join the rest of the collection a week later as the bulldozer was due to move into the yard.
Unfortunately both nearside rear tyres blew out when it was being towed leading to further damage to the nearside framework and the loss of some body trim
that wasn’t recovered. Further problems were encountered when the boot grounded on the slope up to the shed resulting in damage to both the boot and the
front steps. After the rear wheels were changed the coach was successfully started and moved undercover. After a few years dry storage the body of UZY 705
was inspected and found to be in very poor condition especially at the rear, this is a result of its previous open storage and the damage sustained while
being towed. Regrettably it has been decided to dismantle this coach for spares and to allow another vehicle in restorable condition to be placed undercover.
81-LH-379 (formerly LDA 713W, SIB 3258, OYD 424 and new as SNM 441W) Bedford YNT LW450578 - Duple Dominant III C53F 117/2600
SNM 441W was first registered on January 20th 1981 and was one of the first Bedford YNTs built as well probably the first to
receive the Duple Dominant III body. It was new to J.R. Dell of Chesham, Buckinghamshire who traded as Rover Bus Service. The coach carried the blue Rover
livery and traces of this can be seen beneath its current white livery. In May 1986 the Bedford gained “ageless” registration OYD 424 and continued in
service with Rover until about May 1990 when it was sold to Gore of Worksop, Nottingham. In July 1993 the coach moved to the West Midlands in the ownership
of Moore of Pesnett, at the same time it gained its third registration SIB 3258. While still with Moore the Bedford was re-registered yet again in September
1996 becoming LDA 713W and passed to dealers Caetano of Heather at the same time. In January 1997 LDA 713W was sold to Phillips, Dormston and it remained
here until August 2002 when it was sold on to Crest Mini Coaches of Victoria Road, Bromley, Kent. In October 2003 the coach crossed the Irish Sea to Alan
Clarke of Drogheda, Co. Louth. On November 4th 2003 the Bedford gained its fifth registration 81-LH-379 but only a few months later its owner ceased
operations and the coach was surplus to requirements.
I heard that 81-LH-379 was in grave danger of being scrapped and was being vandalised at its parking place, the drivers
windscreen had been shattered by a rock and it could only have got worse if I hadn’t decided that it had to be saved. The coach joined the collection in June
2004 and has since been beset with clutch and brake problems. Several attempts to re-home it have failed and it is currently in use as a storeshed.
UEY 441T (PJI 3044, new as AKK 172T) Bedford YMT FW455496 - Duple Dominant B63F 820/2960
This bus was new to Maidstone Borough Council in October 1978 as its number 72 (AKK 172T), part of a batch of six identical
buses numbered 71-76 (AKK 171 – 176T). They were unusual in being fitted with Allison automatic gearboxes and were fitted out as 61 seaters with three plus
two seats in the rear half of the interior. The batch was notable in that they replaced Maidstone’s last Atlanteans, the idea being that their large seating
capacity would compensate for the lack of an upper deck. They were painted in Maidstone’s new blue and white livery. In 1980 the batch was re-numbered
171-176 and in May 1983 they were further re-numbered 271-276. In the mid-1980’s all of the batch except 271 were thoroughly overhauled including the
replacement of all major mechanical units, 272 was the last to be treated and it re-entered service in February 1988 carrying a blue and white advertising
livery for M2 Business Supplies.
In December 1989 number 272 was advertised for sale along with 273-276 (271 had been sold previous to this) but the sale didn’t
go through and all the Bedfords continued in service. By now Maidstone Borough Council had been re-branded Boro’line Maidstone and this new company began to
re-introduce double deckers and run London contract services. However in 1992 Boro’line went into receivership and its assets were sold off. Only two of the
batch 271-276 were still owned at this stage, these being our featured bus 272 and sister 275. The two Bedfords along with several other buses were absorbed
into the fleet of Maidstone and District on May 29th 1992, 272 and 275 were then sold unused by M & D to Wealden PSV (dealer).
272 then passed to North Wales operator Japheth of Trefor and almost immediately on to Alun Wyn Lewis of Carreglefn Coaches,
Amlwch, Anglesea. This meant that 272 had five different owners, all in 1992. AKK 172T was painted in the Carreglefn fleet livery of pale blue and off-white,
a scheme quite like the one it carried in Maidstone and fitted with a local Bws Gwynedd destination blind. In November 1997 AKK 172T was re-registered with
“ageless” plate PJI 3044 and it retained this number until April 1999 when it gained the registration UEY 441T which is a local Gwynedd number.
The Bedford was mainly employed on “Bws Ysgol” (School Bus) work during its later years and it was upseated to B63F by placing
a seat at the front nearside replacing the luggage pen. At some stage the bus was fitted with a standard five speed manual gearbox but as yet it is unclear
when this conversion was done. UEY 441T was withdrawn and retained as a spare bus in March 2004 and was offered to me in August 2004 during a telephone
conversation about another bus. 272 (it never lost its number) was collected at Holyhead on the night of September 27th and set sail for Dublin on board M.V.
Ulysses in the early hours of 28th September. Alun Lewis had very kindly included several spare seat cushions and left the destination blind in place which
was a nice touch. The bus is very sound mechanically and needs some light body repairs and a repaint to put it into top condition.
An hilarious incident happened when we were about to dock in Dublin Port, a group of foreign tourists mixed up their brand new
Eurolines coach with the 26 year old Bedford and started to pile into the latter expecting it to take them to Dublin and they took some convincing that it
wasn’t their bus, some even came back a second time!! As part of my efforts to reduce the size of my collection UEY 441T was offered for sale and eventually
sold to Francis Dempsey for continued preservation in October 2005. A short time later it was resold to Kells Transport Museum in Cork.
82-CN-149 (AFL 534Y) Bedford YNT LW452072 - Plaxton Supreme V C53F 8211NTS5C003
AFL 534Y was new to Kiddle of St. Ives, Cornwall in August 1982. The Plaxton Supreme V body was only produced for one season so
not too many of these Bedfords were to receive it. There is a bit of a gap in the known history of this coach but it arrived in Ireland in May 1991 and
joined the fleet of Park Transport (Streamline) of Stradone, Co. Cavan where it was re-registered 82-CN-149. In October 1992 the Bedford passed to Christy
McCormack of Drogheda where it was maintained to the usual high standard associated with this fleet. Again the history of this coach gets a bit sketchy but
it ended up with Tom Flynn of Tullamore and was finally withdrawn from service in April 2005.
After a brief spell with Rory McCullough of Drogheda, who intended using it for spares, 82-CN-149 passed to me in early 2006.
This coach is now in the final stages of scrapping.
4050 ZW (WFU 707V) Ford R1114 BCRSWS369920 - Plaxton Supreme IV C53F 8011FC067
WFU 707V was one of a number of Ford R Series coaches that were new to Granville of Grimsby, this one being delivered in
January 1980. In December 1984 this coach was imported into Ireland by dealers Bartons of Maynooth and re-registered 4050 ZW. This company were well known
importers of Fords, some they operated themselves while others were sold on to other operators. Over the years Barton’s became well known for their Plaxton
Supreme IV bodied Fords, the last one was only withdrawn in August 2004.
4050 ZW later passed to O’Connell of Ballinasloe and by August 1994 had joined the fleet of John Healy in Rochfortbridge. After
a number of years the Ford was sold yet again, this time to Farrelly Coaches of Kenagh, Co. Longford by April 2000. In late 2001 4050 ZW was withdrawn from
service after nearly 22 years service, however this coach was not ready to die just yet.
In March 2002 the Ford was sold to a traveller who drove it to Gormanstown, Co. Meath and set about converting it to a caravan.
The conversion was very professional and included a stove, toilet and electric shower as well as a double bedroom, various cupboards and a water tank. The
coach was jacked up and blocks placed under the axles to preserve the tyres, all mechanical parts were left intact but the steering wheel was removed and
stored in the boot. Unfortunately after only a few months the traveller departed and 4050 ZW was left abandoned and slowly began to deteriorate, the
landowners used it as a store and over time it lost its drivers windscreen. In late 2005 I was informed of the existence of this coach and identified it but
at the time no plans were made for a rescue.
In early 2006 4050 ZW came back into the limelight again as I sought a suitable replacement for stolen Ford 80-D-1162. A
thorough inspection was made of its overall condition and while it was and is quite rough it was still a viable restoration project, in fact a replacement
windscreen and a good wash worked wonders for its appearance. The Ford was carefully prepared for removal, this involved involved disconnecting it from
electrical wires and drainage pipes as well as removing concrete steps and tractor wheels from around it. On 9th August 2006 4050 ZW finally left its place
of rest behind a tow lorry, after a few weeks storage at an offsite location it arrived safely in Leitrim. It was later decided to use it as a source of
spares for the other Fords and Plaxtons and it is now being dismantled
I would like to express my thanks to the Shuttleworth family for donating 4050 ZW to me and for their help in the recovery
operation.
78-LK-579 (WDA 919T) Daimler Fleetline FE30AGR 7802041 - MCW H43/33F
The vast majority of the life of 78-LK-579 (WDA 919T) mirrors that of its sister 78-LK-578 (WDA 918T), it also entered service
in August 1978 as fleet number 6919 with West Midlands PTE at Sandy Lane Garage, Coventry. 6919 was only a few months old when a riot took place on the upper
deck while on route 13, seats were thrown out and windows broken, since then it has had non-standard window arrangements on the upper deck. When Sandy Lane
closed on 25th October 1986 6919 moved to Wheatley Street depot with its sisters. 6919 was destined to be one of the last ten Fleetlines to work in Coventry
as was 6918, where in May 1997 they were two of three of the original Sandy Lane allocation to remain at Coventry. During June 1997 the remaining Fleetlines
were withdrawn at Coventry bringing to an end the proud name of Daimler in its home city. 6919 along with twin 6918 and others passed to Martin’s of
Middlewich (dealer) in the hope of finding new homes. In September 1997 three buses, 6918, 6919 & 6985 were purchased by O’S Coaches of Hospital, Co.
Limerick and preparations were made to ship them to Ireland. On December 19th 6919 was re-registered 78-LK-579 and entered service on school contracts still
in full Travel West Midlands livery, which it retained for a few years before repainting into fleet livery of light blue and cream. 78-LK-579 (fleet no. 98
on paper ) eventually became a spare bus to cover for the other Fleetlines when they were off service (which was seldom) and it was kept taxed and ready for
service. At the end of June 2006 78-LK-579 was withdrawn along with the other Fleetlines to await its fate.
In February 2007 I travelled to Hospital to look at the Fleetlines and as a result purchased Roe bodied 77-LK-536 and MCW
bodied 78-LK-578 for preservation. After safely collecting these two buses I was offered the two remaining roadworthy Fleetlines at an attractive price.
78-LK-579 as previously mentioned had up to then spent its entire life with its sister and this more than anything persuaded me to try to keep them together.
This bus had its destination box panelled over at one stage after the glass was broken which made it stand out from the other Fleetlines but otherwise it
looks practically identical. Although 6918 has more original features 6919 has a more original interior as it was never fitted with a driver's sliding
assault screen. 78-LK-579 was purchased from O’S Coaches on 13th October 2007 along with 78-LK-580 (WDA 985T). The latter, being immediately roadworthy, was
collected that day, but 6919 only followed on to Leitrim in May 2008 after some remedial work. In the summer of 2010 I fully assessed the body of 6919 and
realized it was in much poorer condition than sister 6985, therefore it was decided to downgrade 6919 to spares status although one line of thought is to
convert it to open top as a treelopper/building maintenance vehicle.
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