May Update

Well for reasons best known to people clever than I, I have been unable to log on for a while but all issues now resolved so time to catch up a little...

Lets start with the 10T10...

Very late May saw her run up for the first time. She sounded great but required a few leaks solved, these were done and the next longer run up saw the start of the search for gears. None were forthcoming but the problem was diagnosed.... So third time lucky saw her run up, and then drive! No cab seat meant it was a bit of 'dance' and no second gear to start with gave us cause for concern but Jason, one of the resident vintage genuises, tweaked the settings and second was there. So a quick run up through the gears up and down was enough for 'day one' and she was returned to the shed, where a few other leaks can be dealt with and work now started in earnest on the braking system. This will be a stunner when its finished....

Staying with single deck, green half cabs, the Southdown TS7 continues its progress...

As can be seen she is back on her 'feet', the brakes are done, all the winding windows are back in and the interior has started to be put back. Next the radiator and front end will be finished so we can start testing some of the systems and get her ready for a proper road test prior to painting. There is not going to be a huge difference in finishing time for these two classics.

Meanwhile the Cub continues to have finishing touches completed and small issues ironed out that being out and about have highlighted. Something we have long wanted to do is reinstate the air-powered door that these had, which was something that we could not get set up quite right so it has until now been manual. However, we now have the motor in place and its balanced well and operating as it should, even utilising the original switch on the dashboard. It now needs 'boxing' up and this last 'big job' is done and the Cub becomes ever more complete.

In amongst these jobs of course all the routine maintenance and MOT's still go on, such as a new test on our latest open top 2203 which joined the fleet in time for Derby Day and was featured being worked on a few months ago. More however on that later...

Cheers for now

Steve

Cub goes back to work!

Leyland Cub C4

For the first time since the early 1950's, Leyland Cub C4 was on revenue-earning duty in London this time at the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

Show sponsors, M&G Investments, were looking for something eye-catching as a principal attraction for the show and they chose C4 to meet that need.

The bus windows were vinyl-wrapped with M&G publicity and the bus was to be seen around the show throughout the week.

On the first day, C4 was inside the grounds of the Royal Hospital for Press Day and really did cause a stir. Many visitors were impressed with the vehicle and expressed their delight at seeing her. Many others came aboard to admire the quality of restoration and some to reminisce. One gentleman recalled travelling to school on a Cub. His mother took him to school at the age of 5 for the first day and from then onwards, he was expected to manage the journey on his own! As C4 operated in the southern Country Area of London Transport, there is a strong possibility that he actually travelled on our bus. He alighted completely entranced and its events such as these that always remind us that personal stories are one of the reasons the vehicles are so special.

For the remainder of the week, C4 made occasional journeys into the City of London to provide transport for M&G staff and then spent most of the remaining time travelling around the Sloane Square area providing mobile publicity for the show or parked up near the Royal Hospital to allow the public to admire the vehicle. 

 So many appreciative comments were passed that it was impossible to keep count and at one point she was rather closely 'guarded'!

 Whilst the interior was seen as being hypnotic...

February Update

For a change thought we may start with a few Routemasters... In two of the three restoration bays currently are RM family vehicles, with 2203 being the open top that is being readied for the summer season and is being tidied up, having the awful cream interior repainted burgundy and has been converted from half top to open top. We have also removed the original type RMC/RCL doors that were fitted as they have been transplanted onto the vehicle next door to her.

RCL2226 has not operated as a bus for many, many years. It's last work was as a on location meal break vehicle for the crews and extras of TV and film work. With the interior largely gutted it has taken some time to acquire all the bits we needed but we are there now and the doors and rear end are being tackled first, although much of the interior is now already finished.

One of the reasons that we are preparing the two RM's for fleet use is purely the current and forward looking amount of work we have on. Some days in the summer will see up to 27 vintage buses out which is a record for us, so we need a couple of additional motors. One such job, in what seems like one of the only sunny days we have had in the month saw eight Routemaster family and two RT's head out. Seen here preparing for departure makes for a pleasing spectacle.

Now the reframing is complete DUF is moving along quite fast, which it needs to as it has work booked in June. Nothing like a deadline to focus attention we find. The paneling is now largely complete, wiring is going back in, the brakes have all been checked over and relined where necessary. The original sliding roof is being put back and all the runners and mechanisms have been made and fitted. The cab has been completed and the front mudguard is now back on having needed some serious repairs.

Meanwhile the rear end, luggage bay and entrance have also been completed. Whilst there is always a compromise between originality and modern requirements we try to blend the two as well as we can. Indicators is a classic example and whilst clearly an absolute necessity these days something brighter and safer yet more subtle is what we try to achieve. In this case we have removed the 'caravan' type modern rear lights that DUF had fitted in preservation and returned to a much earlier type rear end display. However all the rear end lights will be powered by extra bright LED's so whilst subtle looking they will be far safer in the dark and poor weather than what was there, so hopefully a win-win situation.

Offsite, the 10T10 continues to make staggering progress, whilst here at PT, our little Cub did her first job earlier this week now that we have completed 95% of the detail. All in all a busy period as always.

Cheers
Steve 

Winter is upon us

With all the efforts made to get vehicles ready for our Running Day on December 1st, I thought for this months blog I would stick to the 'new' vehicles that were either finished or debuted at the event, as well as welcoming you the new style blog that is now embedded within our new website, where we have more room for additional pictures info and a full update means all the recently acquired or available vehicles are now represented.

So first up here's our long standing restoration project finally back on the road in a fine photo taken by Kevin Smith on its very first journey. Restored into the first London Transport Country Area livery the vehicle looks resplendent. It was scheduled to do, and duly completed without fault a few trips with passengers on around Lakeside.

Capturing the cold evening well and just before its departure back for home is this shot sent in by John Lidstone. The vehicle is now back having a few minor adjustments sorted as well as having the powered door reinstated, but overall after a gap of some 60 years since it last ran on passenger carrying duties we were very pleased with its performance

 Another seasonal shot from John, is from our latest from the Routemaster family RMC1513 to join us. Equipped with original type engine and having had the luggage racks reinstated and having been returned to the X15 type livery, she will make an excellent partner for our ever popular RMC1485 which is always popular.

Our longest serving vehicle, which has now been with us for 33 years got a repaint back into one of her previous liveries, in this case the Green Line version. Equipped with X81 blinds in yellow she looked every part one of the 'elite' vehicles these were when they entered service on the busy commuter runs into the capital.

Staying with green, a local vehicle for many years is our Bristol MW from Eastern National. New to them in the late 1950s she worked out of Braintree, Chelmsford and Prittlewell. We know the vehicle well as for many years it was garaged with us at London Pride and indeed we repainted it many years back. Not only has the vehicle been recertified but also repainted as well as having a number of seats retrimmed. Its seen here in a picture taken by Russell Young on the X55 with a healthy load.

Meanwhile RTL1014 that we repatriated from California earlier this year hit the streets. We have kept alot of its USA heritage on it as it has spent some 45 years of its life there, hence the large nearside mirror, marker lights, rear California number plate, Unitrans logo's and even air assisted hand brake! A London with a real Californian accent looking resplendent in another of Russells pictures.

Even with all this going on work didnt stop on other projects and I am delighted to report that RMC1485 is back in service, RT1431 has had all the rot removed new timber work in the rear end and is now away being repainted, whilst DUF179 has started to get panels put back and is no longer as skeletal as she has been for many months. I will however do some more updates on those next month, but until then have a great Christmas and New Year and see you all in 2013.

 

October Update

Been a really busy month with an even busier one to come as we get ready for our Winter Running Day on Saturday December 1. As always we like to try and get vehicles out that haven’t been seen before to add something different. This year if everything comes together we should get out no less than five of our own vehicles that have not yet been out and at least two and possibly three guest vehicles, so if you fancy a ride on something different then December 1 is the day for you.

Lights camera action…one that won’t be out this year but will return to the road next is long time Australian resident and repatriated 1938, 10T10 T499c. The interior as can be seen is coming along in leaps and bounds and will recreate the pre-war period and feel of these illustrious motors, with every detail from the period being faithfully recreated.

But buses are far more than just mechanical beasts, they are about the people, those who traveled on, drove, conducted, or worked on but that is often largely overlooked as no official record will ever add a personal story. So it was with great delight that we were sent this picture by Mr J. Harding whose grandfather had driven T499c during the war whilst it was an Ambulance based out of Hendon. I’m sure you will agree a great shot and one for which we are very grateful to have received.

And whilst on the subject of long term 1930s London Transport projects here’s our own ‘right little pain’ that has now departed us for painting. It was successfully COIF’ed last week and whilst we do still have some minor some issues to solve, the next time you see a picture of her she will be resplendent in the chosen livery and complete with all the finishing touches….

And with the move of the Cub away for a couple of weeks we are able to catch up on a few jobs that have been pressing now for some time. RT1431 was pulled off the road by us until we could re-frame the rear end. This is now being done requiring new steel work as well as much new woodwork. All is progressing well though and following this remedial work she will probably go for repaint having had a busy season and being a popular vehicle.

And whilst I am on RT’s, well an RTL in this case, here’s ex California based RTL1014 having been recovered from the ‘awaiting restoration’ line to having her first inspection prior to the journey back to being made UK road legal.

Meanwhile despite all the other work and time requirements on the restoration team for the Cub and others work has continued on the re-framing of DUF179. As can be seen the cab is now completed and we are just waiting for some leather than the backed on to the radiator to be delivered before the last part of the front can be finished. We also found some live woodworm rot today that means part of the bulkhead we had no intention of removing now needs to be replaced to stop the spread. Once that is done and the rear door framing completed we will start to put her back together, starting with the cab door, emergency exit etc, so hopefully by next month she may be starting to look less skeletal.
Added to all this the RMA B frame was completed and RMC1485 is now undertaking the same work, so as I have said (more than once) a really busy time lately which hopefully has given a good insight as to what goes on behind the scenes to keep them all on the road.
Next update will be after our running day so as not to ruin any surprise vehicles that may (or may not) be ready so look forward to seeing you there and if you do capture any shots that you think we could use on the blog or on the vehicles history page then we would love to see them.
Cheers for now
Steve

Autumn Arrives

Its been a really bus period for bookings, hires and general work for the vintage fleet. Some is probably down to the fact that a lot of people seem to have held off getting married during the Olympics and chosen Sept as the month to tie the knot.
On top of that we have been catching up with some long term off the roads, such as RT624 which now has a replacement reconditioned engine fitted, as has RMC1513 which can be seen in the final stages before being road tested, which was successfully completed earlier this week. The vehicle now needs repainting and some interior TLC to bring it up to fleet standard.



Meanwhile another long term off the road that is about to reappear is RMA50 which had the  B frame requiring a great deal of work on it and means the rear axle and diff all need to be removed whilst the work is undertaken as can be seen from the rather forlorn looking vehicle thus marooned in the air.



However, the work has been completed after some weeks now, the units all reassembled and finally this week she has been put back together and will be road tested either today or perhaps next week now.



Meanwhile of the larger projects both make progress albeit with the Cub in a very ‘one step forwards two back kind of way. That said we are now finishing off all the remaining body work issues, fitting mirrors, wipers, wiring in headlights etc. That will leave us with two outstanding issues mechanically, which is a now a minor leak and excessive smoke, but to be able to test the vehicle we need to be able to drive it now further distances than around the yard, hence the push now to complete it so it can be passed over to the mechanics and to enable it to clear its final few hurdles, but as can be seen from below, its certainly looking like a Cub now. 

Which brings us onto T499 which is starting to not only take shape but also colour! As can be seen some of the interior rexine is in as it has to be fitted before the luggage racks are fitted. Originally these had a diamond pattern embossed/stitched into the ceiling rexines, something we have faithfully recreated by studying the original pictures and working out how many diamonds match up again known sized parts, such as the air intakes, so we could recreate the exact pattern. The visual is starting to prove that this extra time on detail is paying dividends in my opinion

 













We also now have another RML on the fleet, 2588 but I will add a bit more about her in my next update
Cheers
Steve


 

Busy Time

… But less so on the vintage bus restorations and more on the operations with the Olympics in town and the work that has created. But what a wonderful time to have been British, great show put on by everyone, from the atheletes to the organisers, great effort.

 

Not as fast across 100m as the competitors but nevertheless certainly with more longevity three of our Routemasters were in service everyday with Bosco, who make the kits for a number of the competing nations and rebranded the buses into the national kit of Spain, Ukraine and Russia. They were used for all kinds of publicity for the teams and sponsors and traveled all across London for the past fortnight.

Meanwhile back here at PT we started on the cab of the TS7 before having to cease work on it for a few weeks due to the demand for regular sales buses that require single dooring before the new school term starts. The cab however as can be seen has over the years been rather bodged! Bits of a chair, pallets and all kinds of assorted wood have been nailed, whacked, pushed and squeezed into every available space to try and stop the sagging… 

However the 10T10 moves on… and these shots taken some four weeks back now, show the end of the reframing with the rear end and emergency door now in place. Since these photos have been taken a lot of the interior has started to go in and following a lot of research into how these looked when new and a lot of hunting for someone who can make it the way we wanted it to look, some lovely features have beeen going in these past few weeks…

The cab is the last section that needs completing in terms of framing and then with the wheels going back on, she will be allowed to stand on her ‘feet again. We still actively target July next year for her, hopefully thats an achievable date.
Cheers for now
Steve