BUS PROGRESS 2002
James Munro, in the last edition, kindly gave progress on NJW719E, OTA632G, FRB211H, JOV613P, SDA757S and JKW290W. Much progress has been made in 2002 on other resident buses, however, and this article is intended to mop up as much as we can recall.
One significant development has been the retrieval from the back of the site of a number of vehicles intended for eventual restoration and display. This is good news because, with the best will in the world, it is true that the saying ‘out of sight, out of mind’ had come to apply to the vehicles around there. Well, they’re very much back in mind as should become clear. Kevin Hill, Pete Murphy and Alex Potts did the bulk of the extraction work. Also worthy of comment is the programme to improve our presentation by minimising the number of exhibits with partly stripped of tatty paintwork. Much work has been done in this direction and is gathering pace. Prime movers of projects are mentioned below but it is important to note that most exercises also received assistance from other volunteers. Apologies, of course, to anybody who has carried out some significant bit of work we’ve accidentally missed out.
CN2870:- The 1927 SOS Queen continues to make substantial progress although much of the very extensive work is not obvious. Dave Parry has been hard at work on the chassis, removing items for refurbishment, ahead of Mike Jordan who has had the uncomfortable job of painting the chassis. The bulk of our investment has been the preparation of patterns to facilitate castings to be made, which will then be finished and polished.
GHA333:- One of the retrievals from the back of the Museum, this is the SOS SON chassis shortened to form an AEC-powered works tug at Carlyle Road works. Alex Potts has effectively returned the tug to full vigour by taking the AEC 7.7 engine retained after a Matador was broken up and swapping appropriate parts from the engine formerly in GHA. Alex is now well advanced with reconstructing the very basic cab and is beginning to think about the wooden deck. What does it look like? Think of the moon buggy in ‘Diamonds Are Forever’.
GHA337:- Arguably the SOS SON is the Museum’s most frustrating restoration project because so much has been done yet much remains to do. Bob Scott kindly looked the vehicle over in the autumn to assist us in drawing up a programme to complete the body and Chris Hatton did likewise on the mechanical side. The list is sufficiently long to warrant professional rather than volunteer labour if it is to be completed by the BMMO centenary. This implies that a considerable lump of money needs to be raised somehow, he writes hopefully.
FFY402:- More substantial progress by Alwyn Marsden and Pete Murphy has the body of this 1947 Southport Leyland PD2 open-topper looking nearer its normal self. After any necessary attention to the frame, 80% of the panels, many new, have been fitted to the nearside and rear. Two window pans are seriously corroded and ideally need replacing; a source is presently being followed up. Meanwhile, the bus has recently been turned round to allow work on the offside.
GUE247:- The Stratford Blue Leyland PS1 was pretty desperate when it was parked around the back and it is reassuring that the years have caused little further harm. A thorough sheeting-up is intended.
HOV685:- The well-known PD2 was parked up some time ago for attention to upstairs window pans, now successfully completed. As reported in the last edition, the 1685 Group has now got it back on the road - still sounding and looking good, despite being restored as long ago as 1977.
NHA744:- Mike Jordan and Dave Brown, with input by John Lowe, continue to beaver away on the BMMO S12. New panels are now being applied to the repaired bodyframe and the bus is beginning to take shape.
KFM775:- Considerable detailed attention earlier in the year by Chris Hatton enabled a Class VI (PSV) test to be obtained on this Bristol L5G in the spring. In addition to being a popular move among enthusiasts, it gives the Museum a Class VI half-cab single-decker. The Class VI work included a total strip and overhaul of the front brakes. Some wiring attention took place and a tachograph was fitted. The battery carrier was refabricated and the interior tidied up, including the introduction of some cushions from a Bristol K6B broken up around 30 years ago! The engine has been retimed which involved removal of the radiator and part of the engine, but the unit now delivers more power (we’re talking Gardner 5LW here so every bit helps, although the bus lopes along quite well in overdrive fifth). The bus has massive destination blinds and Roland Slater has manufactured handsome new blinds, front and rear, appropriate to today’s Museum operations, and very fine they looked too in the January 2003 edition of Bus & Coach Preservation magazine.
JOJ245:- The Acocks Green Bus Preservation Group has made phenomenal progress on the Leyland PS2 Tiger this year. This is a top quality job, for which the word thorough is inadequate, repeating their splendid restoration of JOJ533. Largely externally complete again, many of the interior fittings are also now restored and refitted. It will soon be time to bring out that new BCT moquette manufactured a few years ago.
JOJ976:- The planned lower saloon facelift of this tireless Birmingham Guy took place last winter as proposed and the bus was back together, ready in time for more Class VI work through the 2002 season. The work included preparation and revarnishing of all the woodwork – and there’s plenty of it – by Fred Withers and a ceiling repaint, which included some new panels, by Kevin Hill, assisted by Alex Potts. Some of the leathercloth trim was renewed too. Thanks to Chris Hatton for the Class VI preparation.
RDH505:- Not much news but it was reassuring to spot this Walsall PD2 outside, under its own power, during an Alex Potts shunting exercise in the Scania West Midlands Hall.
SHA431:- The 1685 Group continues to move towards completion of the Midland Red LD8 class Leyland, hopefully in time for the BMMO centenary. Renovating the upstairs interior is time consuming and does not offer obvious progress but a closer look reveals some of the detailed work, including rewiring, shiny bright ceiling, new window rubbers and a limited amount of stress panel replacement. New panels and refurbished window pans are lined up for fitting at the appropriate time. Not visible because they are off-site are the interior window cappings, with their replacement leathercloth. A major job now in hand is renewing all the areas very prone to rot behind the rear axle.
FRC956:- The very last traditional Leyland-bodied Leyland to be built (in 1954) has been a member of the Museum’s Class VI fleet for some years and had thoroughly earned the full repaint it received in the autumn. Special care was taken to replicate the original style of Trent lettering. Again, Chris Hatton undertook the Class VI preparation.
UHA255:- This BMMO S14 is now in undercoat ready for topcoating in the spring as part of the programme to present a smart BMMO display for the centenary. Preparatory work included replacement of the later style lower rear panels to achieve the original position of registration number. Some tidying of the interior paintwork is also to take place and the entrance area and cab have already been returned to the original brown.
XHA482:- This BMMO D7 is the only really bad news in this article. Inspection of the bus for possible Class VI test revealed the bodyframe to be in much worse condition than expected. The body has to join the queue for major work. This is a very long queue so, as the exterior is actually in tidy if faded condition, probably it will still be logical to repaint it for the centenary.
SUK3:- Very recent and welcome news is the transfer from the back of the Museum of this Wolverhampton Guy Arab. The mechanical specification combines a Meadows engine with a preselector gearbox – is there another bus left in the world with this specification? Alex Potts has got the spiders out of the Meadows unit and, now the exhaust has been patched up, we can hear what it sounds like, although the Meadows does need major work. Chris Hatton carried out a gearbox oil change and chassis lube, Kevin and Alex have replaced missing glazing and panels to reduce the effects of the weather, fitted the lower deck seats obtained with great foresight from withdrawn Arab Vs in 1979 and fabricated a rear platform which received a convincing finishing flourish of laths by Pete Murphy. Paint is on order to extend the facelifting into 2003.
5073HA:- The BMMO S15 is another popular new entrant to the Class VI fleet, and involved a fair amount of preparation work before it successfully got its ‘ticket’ in early summer. Extensive engine work was required to minimise oil leaks, and some of the seat mountings had to be repaired. Roland has also provided splendid new blinds.
6545HA:- The substitution of the S15 for this S16 in the Class VI fleet was prompted by a repeat of the earlier problem of ingress of water into those parts of the engine not intended to receive it. This involved much stroking of chins as to the definite cause and an endeavour not to leap to wrong conclusions. The engine was reassembled by Chris Hatton and refitted at the very beginning of 2003, and the bus successfully road tested, although a more thorough test is required to confirm all is well.
BHA399C:- Arguably the Class VI fleet’s most popular bus – visitors can’t get enough of this big red giant. The BMMO D9 desperately needed a repaint and, before that, some bodywork attention. The first area to be inspected was the rear offside wheelarch, which caused the Treasurer some heartache. Fortunately that proved to be the only really bad area. A summertime repaint transformed the D9’s appearance and particular attention was subsequently given to signwriting the correct styles of lettering. Finally, Roland added new museum destinations to the blinds.
Q124VOE (GHA326D):- The newly arrived Leopard tow truck, Tamworth garage’s former pride, has received a mechanical checkover and its tow bar reinstated.
GHA415D:- John Lowe has been unobtrusively working on this Midland Red Fleetline for some time and is well on the way to completing major works to the lower saloon floor and nearside. Latterly John has been replacing the platform area, including a new cab floor and refurbishing cab fitments.
HBF679D:- Another candidate for the BMMO centenary, albeit in Harper Brothers colours, this Leyland PD2 was later taken over by Midland Red. Thanks to private sponsorship to meet the costs, it is now in undercoat awaiting a topcoat in the spring, introducing Harper Brothers to the liveries on display at Wythall. The last person to paint the upstairs ceiling failed to provide a firm key and there was serious flaking. Geoff Hodkinson kindly volunteered to do the awkward job of getting the ceiling back to a firm layer and, in his enthusiasm, has moved to preparing areas lower down. A failed lift pump has been repaired by Chris Hatton.
NEA101F:- The West Bromwich Fleetline has had its starter motor rebuilt to cure a long-term problem.
XDH56G:- Dave Taylor’s huge Walsall rear-engined Daimler (no, it ain’t a Fleetline!) continues to progress – a task of Forth Bridge proportions but it’s getting there. One of the biggest jobs has been to manufacture new window pans, remounting the glass in new white rubber. As is sometimes the case, despite the importance and cost of the task, and the time involved, sadly the new pans have little impact on the overall appearance because big holes are cut in them for the glazing. The surplus aluminium pieces thus produced have been useful for all sorts of other projects, though!
SOE913H:- Not quite as big but still a 33-footer and definitely a Fleetline! The Bristol Road Group’s Jumbo is a recent arrival at Wythall. These buses were prematurely withdrawn by WMPTE and the corrosion identified is hardly a surprise. A new body pillar and manipulated steelwork have been made, and await fitting.
UHA941H:- This S23 was the very last bus to be built entirely by BMMO and, with an unclear future, had been parked around the back where some parts cannibalisation had taken place. It is now on the frontage and exterior lights have been refitted. The interior had become filthy with dust and condensation. No mention has yet been made of the hard work by Mick Green and Phil Hoole on all the exhibits, in particular keeping interiors clean. The S23’s interior was soon restored to unbelievably immaculate state and the windows so clean that some thought at first glance they had been removed! With other S23s much nearer to roadworthiness, it is not intended to put 5941 on the road in the near future but this is clearly a historically significant bus so it is hoped to give it a quickie repaint, signwritten to its original style, for the BMMO centenary.
UHA956H:- In addition to Dave Parry’s earlier frustrations with the wiring, other work has included floor scraping by Mike Doolan, Phil Ireland and others. Replacements for certain worn parts have been purchased. This work is gradually moving towards an intention to Class VI test this BMMO S23 before the centenary.
OWE271K:- Phil Ireland continues to labour on his Sheffield Bristol VRT with East Lancs body. Latterly he has been completely rebuilding the platform but, like so many other exhibits, he is entering the fiddly stage where lots of small bits are being restored for refitting. Not a lot of first glance impact, but absolutely vital.
PDU135M:- Geoff Hodkinson’s ex-Coventry Fleetline is a recent arrival at the museum and completes representation of the operators absorbed into the West Midlands PTE. Geoff has owned it for some time and is continuing the good work towards finishing its restoration.
PHA370M:- This bus represents Midland Red’s last design exercise of significance whereby a couple of dozen of these Fords were shortened to form midibuses. Another retrieval from the back, the Ford is mobile again and work is being carried out on the front end prior to a repaint for the centenary. Its period of storage has necessitated a complete overhaul of the rear brakes, the opportunity also being taken to replace the clutch release bearing.
KON311P:- James Munro is steadily working towards a Class VI renewal for this Fleetline. The bus still looks good but was let down by that Fleetline tendency to flake paint on the rear engine cover; James rectified this by repainting the entire cover.
NOE544R:- The proposed attention to the window pans and other work prior to repainting in Midland Red West livery began at the very end of 2002. This Leyland National is also receiving the benefit of interior renovation and mechanical attention by Tim Moss, a National owner in the North West but currently locally at university and very happy to have a real bus rather than theory to work on.
BOK1V:- Bit by bit, James Munro is gathering original, good condition, specification items for the first production Metrobus supplied to WMPTE. Metrobuses may still be about but, with facelifting during their lives, those original bits and pieces are already hard to source.
Malcolm Keeley
Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcs B47 6JX
Tel : 01564 826471 e-mail us
A registered educational charity no 507191
