Well the last of our fleet buses are having their final 'spring cleans' before the main private hire season kicks off. Over the winter numerous vehicles have had floors varnished, wheels painted etc. One vehicle that has had more done is RM25 which has been stripped down to start the gradual retro look by losing the yellow poles, repainting the platform area and then being retrimmed in old style RM moquette (although it will re-enter service in blue/grey as we are still awaiting delivery of the last of the moquette!).
Whilst we are on RM interiors, RCL2226 is now just about complete. Its been a long job this as the conversion to film location cafe had seen a lot of the wiring removed and holes cut in various places you didn't want it to have been cut. With all the other jobs going on the RCL is often the one we 'pull off' of. A new compressor has just gone in as well as all the electrics and powered doors, its at the point now where systems are being checked and ironed out, hopefully the next 14 days or so should see a road test and then its MOT time and into the fleet for the summer.
Another new entry for the summer will be MD60. A long term restoration project that we are now completing here having had much done in Blackpool. We are readying her for paint now with windscreens, wipers and lights all going in to make it road legal, the remaining windows we will leave out for paint to get a better finish. There are some detailed bits that we are redoing to ensure the finish is as accurate as it can be for these rather splendid albeit much maligned at the time vehicles.
The 10T10 appears to have gone backwards but that is sometimes the way with these things to get them finished properly. Now we don't have the running day deadline we can finish it to the standard the vehicle deserves. So as well as the bodywork now being flattened, straightened and prepared for painting, the hooks for the route running boards are being added, some interior trims remade to fit better as well as the bonnet and wings areas being adjusted to fit as they should. Whilst some of this wartime 'shabbiness' worked for the ARC livery, 1930s Green Line would not have accepted it as such! We plan for her to debut at the year of the bus event in Regent Street on June 22, so all things being equal if you are going you will be the firts to see her in the 1938 Green Line livery.
Other jobs we have been on is replacing the engine on the Leeds PD, which sadly suffered a partial seizure but a reconditioning of the original has taken place and is due to be road tested next week.
RT8 spent a fortnight in Hull, which is why it didn't join the RT75 celebrations. It was there for filming for a forthcoming movie. The BBC covered the transformation of Hulls streets to wartime London with some footgae of 8 poodling about here
Lastly we did a major 'refreshing' on RTW467 which entered service back on RT75 22's looking splendid. So all in all a busy period, and with more tube strikes threatened for next week and the week after we are busy preparing many of them to go out and help Londoners get to work or out and about.
Cheers for now
Steve
