However work is has continued throughout the month...
RT1499 finally was finished in readiness for the running day. All the rot was sorted, new gear box fitted, serviced and MOT'ed. Some one noted that the rear end of a Craven looks like the rear end of the Borismater, and have to say I can see the resemblance!
Also through for annual test was our 'front line RT' 4421, seen here from the offices looking down onto the test lane as she goes through...
Meanwhile with RT1499 out of the main restoration bay the next job to be done was identified. In this case it was RT3232 which has over the past few years become very tatty. One of its major issues was the upstairs ceiling, which is sagging heavily. There appears to have been a period when RT ceilings were refurbished by way of sticking a foam to the ceiling and the internal wood panels to the foam. A number of the RT's that remained in service into the late 1970's seem to be done this way, perhaps someone out there can add some information on this? Anyway to give you an idea of what I mean here is RT3232 during the strip down...
Earlier in the month, we had a large private hire for a corporate client, and as the buses were being cleaned and readied they looked well, all lined up, so I snapped it and the result is below...
And we did manage to COIF and MOT a suprise vehicle for tomorrow, which sadly now won't debut, and no it wasn't what was photographed inside last month... Was going to post a shot, but thinking about it maybe its good to hold it on reserve until we decide when we are rescheduling the running day for...
Well enjoy the snow, Christmas and New Year, and see you in 2011
Kind regards to all
Steve and all at Ensignbus
hi there Steve looking at your comment on 3232s ceiling RT190 had the same set up,is 3232 a Park Royal? if so when we finished 190 we took her to Park Royal Coachworks just before Leyland closed them down We spoke to a coachmaker there who remembered the RTs being built and told us the roof and ceilings were made in one on a gig on the floor and lifted up in one peice and placed on the completed veicle!! hope this is of interest to you GEOFF SINGER
ReplyDeletejust to add a bit more to my comment, the ply ceiling would have been in one full length and not in sections,looking at your photo it looks like it had the ply in sections so was probably repaired at some time due to the roof joints letting water through, so the sagging was caused by having no woodwork in the roof to screw to, to hold the ply in place.... does that all make sence?
ReplyDeleteHi Geoff,
ReplyDeleteThat makes perfect sense! Indeed part of the problem was exactly that in putting up a ceiling that had nothing to screw into. 3232 is a Weymann by the way but looks like they all were done the same way
Steve