BVBG The non Bristols

The Bristol Vintage Bus Group (there is a link to their website at the end of the gallery) was formed 40 years ago when a group of people decided to purchase a bus which was Leyland Titan PD1 number LAE 13. Based at Flowers Hill in Brislington, Bristol the BVBG organises spring and autumn galas. In August for the last 9 years it has worked with the Avon Valley Railway and sponsored by The Bristol Omnibus Vehicle Collection [BOVC] to organise a running day based not only on the site at Flowers Hill but also utilising the Park and Ride facilities on the A4 nearby. A shuttle service runs between both sites and to / from the preserved railway with different services running from the Park & Ride and Flowers Hill, plus buses supplied by BOVC operate services. It’s an intensive operating day and has become more and more successful. This year it was formerly opened by the Lord Mayor of Bristol.
You will find many of my pictures from former running days on their website, and some from this year’s event will also go on line there.
For this Gallery I’ve chosen non Bristol buses as the group’s first bus was a Leyland, you will have to wait a week for 'The Bristols'.
Feel free to comment if you wish, but I hope you enjoy the following pictures.

Ken Jones
09/2012

RRU 903 is a former Bournemouth Corporation Leyland Tiger Cub from 1955 with a Park Royal B42F body its original fleet number was 98 but 266 in this shot, maybe renumbered after their trollybuses were withdrawn in 1969. It is seen arriving at the Park & Ride site.

MRL 765 is a 1950 Tiverton Coachworks mini-coach which worked in Cornwall up to 1987 taking children to school. On Wednesdays it also took villagers of Rosenannon shopping. Interior is original and the engine is an Austin A70 4 cylinder 2.2 litre petrol engine.

CYD 724C is the immaculate 1965 AEC Reliance 2MU4RA with a C41F Harrington Grenadier body formerly with Hutchings and Cornelius of Somerset.

JAM 145E is a former Swindon Corporation fleet number 145 a Daimler CVG6 with a Northern Counties H70F body from 1967 and is now part of Thamesdown Transport’s heritage fleet.

PAX 466F was the last lowbridge double-decker to be built and was bought in 1968 by Bedwas and Machen UDC, a small municipal bus fleet in south Wales. It is a Leyland Titan PD3/4 with bodywork built by Massey of Wigan. Following its sale by B&MUDC's successor, Rhymney Valley District Council, it was operated by Stevensons of Uttoxeter, and subsequently by M K Metro of Milton Keynes. It is preserved in the Stevensons Livery by Cardiff Transport Preservation Group

GNY 432C is Leyland Titan PD3/4 again with Massey L68RD body ex Caerphilly U.D.C 32, and was new 1965. It is also preserved by Cardiff Transport Preservation Group.

Devon General 518 registration CTT 518C is a reminder of their forward entranc AEC Regent V double deck buses – it was new in 1965 and had a Willowbrook H33/26F body.

MHU 49 is a 1949 Bedford OB with a Duple thirty seat bus body and was Bristol’s first post war OB. Restoration was only recently completed.

AY 81 is a 1957 Albion Victor FT39AN with a Heaver FB35F body formerly with Guernsey Railway Co Ltd it was their fleet number 60.

VLT 66 ex London Transport Routemaster RM66 is converted to a recovery tender and kept at The Swansea Bus Museum

KED 546F was Warrington Corporation fleet number 92 a 1968 Leyland Panther Cub PSRC1/1 with an East Lancs B41D and is seen in service during the event.

Here is the link to The Bristol Vintage Bus Group website.

20/10/12 - 17:29

I always liked the bonnet and radiator of the Routemaster until I saw the photograph above. Being able to see the actual radiator through the grill really does spoil it for me, is it the angle of the shot or not an original grill?
Very nice gallery though I do like the Mini Coach.

Trevor Knowles

21/10/12 - 08:22

If you look at the Northern General Routemaster on this site, the radiator can be clearly seen as it can on most vehicles not long out of the paint shop, but silver does tend go go very dark 'or dirty' so the rad would not be quite so visable after a while

Ronnie Hoye

21/10/12 - 08:23

I think my camera just managed to see through the grill from where I was taking the picture. To prove this is not an unusual radiator here is another Routemaster from the same day - same location although you can see part of the grill has been blanked off - you can see the shape of the radiator behind it

Ken Jones

21/10/12 - 08:28

MRL 765 - I always liked the Austin K8 'three-way' van, of which relatively few became coaches. They were made from 1948-54, but suffered from rust problems and we are lucky that any of them have survived at all, coach or vans. A good gallery of photos.

Chris Hebbron

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