𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨!

I’ll start today’s update with our upcoming events to bring 2024 to a close. First is the North West Vehicle Restoration Trust’s annual Nocturnal Running Evening, this will take place on Saturday 9th November! We will be in attendance with ideally two vehicles. So let us know, what would you like to see, 4515, 21158 or 69154?

Secondly, we are attending the Southport Christmas Charity Parade on Sunday 1st December 2024. Whilst this isn’t a bus rally, it’s for a really good cause and many will remember the first year we had the B7, it was in attendance. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and helped raise money for an amazing cause. If anyone would like any details, drop us a message as the more people there the better!

Lastly, for 2024 anyway we’re hoping to see it out with a bang (hopefully not an engine) and unveil 60663 at Manchetser’s Museum of Transport’s Christmas Cracker event on Saturday 7th December. This event has always been a cracker (if you pardon the pun) and we’re positive 60663 will look lovely with their 17612. However, if 60663 isn’t ready by then, the B7 should be in attendance. (Providing the museum are happy to save us a space outside)

Finally, to kick off the New Year, we’re planning to be in attendance at the Chester & Wrexham Running Day with several buses. More will be posted about that sooner to the time!

So to reiterate:

𝟎𝟗/𝟏𝟏/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 - NWVRT Nocturnal Running Evening

𝟎𝟏/𝟏𝟐/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 - Southport Charity Christmas Parade

𝟎𝟕/𝟏𝟐/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 - Greater Manchester’s Museum of Transport’s Christmas Cracker

𝟎𝟏/𝟎𝟏/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 - Chester & Wrexham’s Heritage Bus Running Day

𝙁𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙐𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper fleet roundup, so…

𝟰𝟱𝟭𝟱 ‘𝗗𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘆’: little needs doing on the whole to Dafty. Jamie wants to fit more speakers, however that’s not a priority currently.

𝟮𝟭𝟭𝟬𝟰: work is still continuing behind the scenes with 21104, we’re working with the Wigan Transport Trust closely and have a move date in mind, this will allow us to progress along faster than currently as we can work at our own leisure. It’s still not wanting to select a gear, however we’ve got an idea it may be the air pressure sensor on the brake systems that isn’t work / jammed. We’re going to have a crack at replacing that, otherwise it’ll be pushed out. It’s still no where near, as you can imagine, fit for the road, and not going to be for some time. Who knows what 2025 will bring though!

𝟮𝟭𝟭𝟭𝟲: as you will have seen, we’ve finally had 21116 recovered, revealing the extent of the repairs that need undertaking. Currently it will not start, needs an extensive amount of welding, will need resealing everywhere as Niagara Falls is dryer. Realistically, it’s looking like it will be used for spares for our other Renown’s & B10s, however we haven’t given up completely yet.

𝟮𝟭𝟭𝟱𝟴: we’ve just debuted her at her first rally and went down a storm, so many people interested in what is quite an unusual vehicle, so we’re aiming to start cracking on soon with her. We’ve managed to get a full bus worth of beachball seats for her, removing that horrendous Velvet moquette, and once the poles and bars have been given a lick of red paint, it’ll look a million times better internally. We can then start prepping her for paint, repanelling, fibreglassing etc and hopefully done early 2025, all being well.

𝟮𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: now 60663 is virtually finished, we can finally crack on and get her on the road, she’s spent so long sitting around and it’s a real shame and regret of ours. Over winter she’s going to spend a lot of time in the workshop getting MOT prep, welded, electrical issues sorted the lot. That means hopefully, next year she should make her debut!

𝟲𝟬𝟲𝟲𝟯: as you can see from above we’re hoping to have it sorted and out for December. That gives us just less than 2 months to get her cab rebuilt and mechanically sorted. We’ve just received her cab wall and other bulkheads back from vinyling, so they can be refitted. Fingers crossed when we get her up on ramps we’re not unpleasantly surprised!

𝟲𝟵𝟭𝟱𝟰: finally, the trusty B7. As we’ve had her for over 2 years now, I think she’s long overdue a service. We’re planning on getting her in the workshop over the winter, oil changes, filter changes, new coat of under seal