And another one.....!!

Martin Curtis and his son Tom have added another one to the collection! They have acquired former B.O.C. 5150, AHW201V, from David Hoare, where it was latterly used for special events under the name "Orangeade"! It is a 1980 dual doorway former Bristol City bus, and will be the first VR in the collection, although ABus's remaining VR is often included in the Collection's running days because it is of course owned by one of the Collection's members. A great deal of work is necessary to get 5150 back to its original condition, but Martin and Tom hope to have it running by the summer.

FIRST EVENT OF THE SEASON!

Everything went well on Sunday, March 27th, at the Bristol Vintage Bus Group's open day, and the Collection was represented by 353, C2736, L8089 and C8320,the latter two taing part in the timetable of free bus routes operated by the Group.

9552's night of fame!

On the weekend of March 17/18/19 9552 was used by The Avon Scouts to support their annual Night Navigational Exercise, for the "Rickard Shield": photos by Tom Curtis

9552 - a sanctuary through the night!

The season starts!

There has been no post here for a while, although behind the scenes things have been going on to ready the collection for the season. I will soon post some details of a new acquisition and what has been happening to the fleet during the really bad winter, but this post is to remind everyone that the Bristol Vintage Bus Group (www.bvbg.org.uk) is holding their first open day of the season this Sunday, March 27th, at Flowers Hill. The Collection will be represented by:

L8089, which will be brought up by Peter Davey
C8320, which was used earlier this week as a "backdrop" to the memorial service for former FirstGroup manager Alan Willoughby
353, which still has a slipping second gear, but arrangements are in hand to repair that.

The next major event for the Collection will be the Bristol Habourside Rally on May 22nd. If all goes well we hope to have up to EIGHTEEN vehicles there! More than some independent operators actually own!

More For the Collection!

Photo: Ken Jones

Although the Collection has owned three new vehicles for some months now, the opportunity has not been available to update the blog.

During August the Collection purchased two former Bristol Omnibus Bristol MW buses - 981EHY (2969) and 990EHY (2978) - which have been stored after being used as fruit pickers transport. One has good running units, but requires body attention, whilst the other has engine problems but a good interior. David Hoare and his colleagures moved them from Central Scotland to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at the time opf the Museum open weekend, and they have been stored there until the Collection decides what to do with them Hopefully, at least one will be on the road and attending rallies by late 2011. Mike Walker and Alan Peters share ownership of the buses.

During the late summer Mike also acquired Bristol Omnibus KSW6B C8319 (UHY359) from William Stanifort: she is a sister bus to the Collection's C8320 - C8322 is also preserved, by Adrian Hunt. The Bristol AVW engine has been removed and is shortly to go to Winkleigh to put in to LWL coach 2815 - whose engine has a cracked block. When C8319 eventually reaches the end of the queue for restoration, she will be fitted with a Gardner 6LW engine, in common with many of her sisters when they were running in service.

Winter Update

With temperatures plunging to well below freezing, some extra checks have been made on the antifreeze of those vehicles whose parking places leave them to be most vulnerable to the dropping temperatures, and hopefully we shall get through this bad spell without losing an engine! Thanks to Pete Simper and John Hitchings for turning C8320 around so that her engine is now well inside the shed at Marksbury rather than facing out into the snow and winds!

Good news is that after much work on the brakes (and I believe a big bill to come!), LH 353 has now been returned to the road, and has gained a class 6 MOT into the bargain: she has been returned to store at Keynsham.

Attention is now turning to MW coach 2150: she is being prepared for a class 6 test in mid January, but because she has dropped off of VOSA's list of PCVs she has to have a full Certificate Of Initial Fitness (C.O.I.F.): attention will then turn to Lodekka LC8518, which will also need a C.O.I.F. If they pass, we will have two MW coaches, two LHs and two LDs with class 6 tests!

Olympian 9552 has been removed from under cover storage to Burnett with a view to getting her to Chepstow in early January: her MOT expired in mid December. Bedford OB 219 will need a new MOT on January 4th, and Lodekka L8515 at the end of the month.