The heritage fleet has been approved to expand to 4 vehicles.
to add to 2957; 3035; 3225
I cannot say yet what the fourth addition will be because NX have been offered a couple of vehicles to choose from by different owners and it would be unfair on the existing owners at this stage, but expect another nice addition in the next few months.
Pity a Fleetline cannot be added to the heritage fleet to add a semi auto to the mix of pre-select & Voith vehicles already in the fleet. But we will have to wait to hear from your good self
@Tony on the outcome
Whilst all this is well and good I hope these vehicles actually 'earn their keep' and do not end up as part of someone's toy chest.
Quote from: Straightlines on May 09, 2018, 08:37:07 PM
Whilst all this is well and good I hope these vehicles actually 'earn their keep' and do not end up as part of someone's toy chest.
All four of them have got to cover their costs on hires and special services
Quote from: Squiz1971 on May 09, 2018, 08:13:30 PM
Pity a Fleetline cannot be added to the heritage fleet to add a semi auto to the mix of pre-select & Voith vehicles already in the fleet. But we will have to wait to hear from your good self @Tony on the outcome
Who says a Fleetline can't be added?
Apart from 4041 at Aston Manor(which I believe is off the road at the moment anyway!), is there any other Fleetlines preserved locally?
Quote from: Westy on May 09, 2018, 10:07:16 PM
Apart from 4041 at Aston Manor(which I believe is off the road at the moment anyway!), is there any other Fleetlines preserved locally?
Loads
Quote from: Westy on May 09, 2018, 10:07:16 PM
Apart from 4041 at Aston Manor(which I believe is off the road at the moment anyway!), is there any other Fleetlines preserved locally?
Wythall have a few & there are 2 G reg dual doors somewhere too.
@Gareth a fleetline would make a great addition to the fleet I guess I was being optimistic about it really
Quote from: Squiz1971 on May 09, 2018, 10:22:07 PM
Wythall have a few & there are 2 G reg dual doors somewhere too. @Gareth a fleetline would make a great addition to the fleet I guess I was being optimistic about it really
There is 101H; 3430; 3880; 3913; 3997; 4041; 6600; 7000 amongst a few others
And remember the Bristol VRs and Volvo Ailsas....
And quite a few single deckers from Fleetlines to Volvo B6s too.
Wythall has 1956, 3436, 3472, 3780, 3796, 3913, 4613, 6311, 6986, Walsall 116 plus Midland Red 6015 and West Brom 101. And Walsall 56. Fuzz Townsend has Walsall 119. Wythall sold 3474 recently for further preservation.
Quote from: Stevo on May 11, 2018, 09:39:01 PM
Wythall has 1956, 3436, 3472, 3780, 3796, 3913, 4613, 6311, 6986, Walsall 116 plus Midland Red 6015 and West Brom 101. And Walsall 56. Fuzz Townsend has Walsall 119. Wythall sold 3474 recently for further preservation.
That's why I couldn't see 3474 at Wythall either at Easter or May Day only 3472 in the Midland Red Hall.
Someone also owns 3880 as well there's 3997
3035 now arrived.
Here's the current fleet all together
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/3225-3614/3035.html
Quote from: Tony on September 05, 2018, 06:45:00 PM
3035 now arrived.
Here's the current fleet all together
http://wmbusphotos.com/NXWM/3225-3614/3035.html
Looks like a fair bit of work is required to bring 3035 up to 3225's standard. Nice to see 3035 with 3225 & 2957 and be nice to see her back on the road in the near future
Quote from: Squiz1971 on September 05, 2018, 07:01:50 PM
Looks like a fair bit of work is required to bring 3035 up to 3225's standard. Nice to see 3035 with 3225 & 2957 and be nice to see her back on the road in the near future
They might get the same livery
@Tony can u confirm Wat livery please
Something inbetween 3035 and 2957s age would be great for the next addition 😊
Quote from: B.C Driver on September 05, 2018, 07:55:30 PM
Something inbetween 3035 and 2957s age would be great for the next addition 😊
Working on it!
3035 has to go into WMPTE livery to represent the early 1970's. It would be unique as all the other preserved BCT Standards are in BCT livery.
Quote from: Steve3229vp on September 05, 2018, 08:51:06 PM
3035 has to go into WMPTE livery to represent the early 1970's. It would be unique as all the other preserved BCT Standards are in BCT livery.
I agree, will give it a contrasting look compared to 3225. Plus more people will remember the WMPTE livery rather than the BCT one.
Are you planning to get a VR, a National & a Lynx too?
exactly the same livery its in now
The 4th heritage bus has to be a WMPTE standard MCW, Park Royal fleetline.
Fleetlines were the backbone of the fleet in the 70s and 80s and outside London WMPTE had the biggest fleet.
What happened to 4133?
Quote from: Wolves256 on September 05, 2018, 11:09:05 PM
The 4th heritage bus has to be a WMPTE standard MCW, Park Royal fleetline.
Fleetlines were the backbone of the fleet in the 70s and 80s and outside London WMPTE had the biggest fleet.
What happened to 4133?
Sent abroad & is now a mobile home I believe
@Wolves256. I believe 3913 is up for sale so maybe that could be one for consideration?
Quote from: Squiz1971 on September 06, 2018, 07:39:08 PM
Sent abroad & is now a mobile home I believe @Wolves256. I believe 3913 is up for sale so maybe that could be one for consideration?
We are very close to taking on a 4th at the moment so don't need any more offers just at the moment
Quote from: Squiz1971 on September 06, 2018, 07:39:08 PM
Sent abroad & is now a mobile home I believe @Wolves256. I believe 3913 is up for sale so maybe that could be one for consideration?
I only discovered fairly recently that the preserved 3913 SOE913H, is in fact ex Wolverhampton 'jumbo' Fleetline 3986 TOB986H, their identities having been swapped when 3913 was found to be in poor condition when acquired for preservation.
Disappointed to find that one of my local SOE—-H Fleetlines from my childhood is actually a northern division imposter.
It would be nice to see a BCT bus in WMPTE livery, one of 3796 or 3880 perhaps as they spent most of their working lives in those colours. Ideally 3436 but I have no idea how long that will take to restore!
I know one of the 3 prototype Volvo Ailsa's is owned privately, but do any of the production batch still survive, as they went down London didn't they?
In fact, does anyone know what doesn't survive from the various types operated by the PTE?
From memory & reading various books on the subject, I can think of the following:
The Northern Counties Fleetlines ordered by Walsall & West Brom.
Ex Hull Atlanteans from the mid 70's(Some were in Walsall, I believe?)
The DMS style Fleetlines operated by the old South Division in the early 80's.
Quote from: Westy on September 08, 2018, 09:23:15 PM
I know one of the 3 prototype Volvo Ailsa's is owned privately, but do any of the production batch still survive, as they went down London didn't they?
In fact, does anyone know what doesn't survive from the various types operated by the PTE?
From memory & reading various books on the subject, I can think of the following:
The Northern Counties Fleetlines ordered by Walsall & West Brom.
Ex Hull Atlanteans from the mid 70's(Some were in Walsall, I believe?)
The DMS style Fleetlines operated by the old South Division in the early 80's.
Ailsa 4738 is owned by the same group as 4527, also one of the ex Hull Atlanteans survives too but I can't give any details of it at the moment, can anyone else.
ex Dudley Hull Atlantean 6342KH was preserved but having checked DVLA this registration is now on a Land Rover so it may have bitten the dust
Quote from: cardew on September 08, 2018, 10:18:39 PM
ex Dudley Hull Atlantean 6342KH was preserved but having checked DVLA this registration is now on a Land Rover so it may have bitten the dust
Still survives
Quote from: Tony on September 08, 2018, 10:21:04 PM
Still survives
As recorded on Busview, now registered BAS287.
Would love to see a trollybuses or a leyland national single decker.
Quote from: Ginger66 on September 09, 2018, 03:57:00 PM
Would love to see a trollybuses or a leyland national single decker.
go to the Black Country living museum to see a Walsall and Wolverhampton
Talking of Nationals, does anyone know if OOX825R is still extant?
Quote from: cardew on September 09, 2018, 07:36:44 PM
Talking of Nationals, does anyone know if OOX825R is still extant?
It was in storage with Aston Manor's other exhibits like 7000 I believe
@cardew
Quote from: cardew on September 09, 2018, 07:36:44 PM
Talking of Nationals, does anyone know if OOX825R is still extant?
I believe 1825 was scrapped a few years ago with its parts being used for the restoration of 1849 TVP849S. The owner purchased 1825 off Aston Manor to make a good bus out of two. I'm not sure how much progress has been made on this but 1849 had a wheelchair lift so that will need removing
Quote from: Dylanbusboy45 on September 10, 2018, 03:50:47 PM
I believe 1825 was scrapped a few years ago with its parts being used for the restoration of 1849 TVP849S. The owner purchased 1825 off Aston Manor to make a good bus out of two. I'm not sure how much progress has been made on this but 1849 had a wheelchair lift so that will need removing
Thanks. I'd forgotten about 1849
If NX had the contract still for metro it would have been nice to had a old hertiage tram but the gauge is costly to convert to standard gauge.
3035 was started up and driven for the first time in around 20 years today. There is a video of it on the NX Historic Society Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/frank.palmer.58/videos/10210283749129068/
Next addition will be Daimler Fleetline 3997
Great news, I remember these new at PL, so modern compared to all the half gab Guys
I think this went into preservation early 1990s but not seen for many years
Excellent that it will be restored, according to my notes it was new to Bilston Street and moved to Park Lane in May 1971 with 3980-3996 but if anyone could correct that I'd be grateful. Looking forward to seeing it in action
Quote from: Tony on December 06, 2018, 09:01:39 PM
Next addition will be Daimler Fleetline 3997
That's great news - I remember these not only in the early days on the 90 (Wolverhampton to West Bromwich along with West Brom's jumbos) later becoming part of the 79, but on the 25/26 Circular from PL - and then on schools services from villages in Suffolk into Ipswich (along with 3913 and one or two others).
These looked incredibly odd in Wolverhampton initially - South Birmingham style dual door Fleetlines - with the to/from City indicator showing blank or Pay As You Enter.
Will be great to see it in its WMPTE guise (like 3913 but in the third version of PTE livery initially - yes there were three or maybe even four across 3896-4004 if the last few started with the larger PTE numerals - plus 3881-3895 were in BCT livery!!)
3035 body frame looks to be solid I assume it's been refurbed in the past to be in such good condition
Latest addition 3997 TOB997H now at Walsall
In the absence of a picture currently, I was trying to place what 3997 looked like.
Is it the same as the picture of 3983 on page 23 of the Malcolm Keeley 'West Midlands' book from 1988?
Quote from: Westy on December 12, 2018, 09:26:22 PM
In the absence of a picture currently, I was trying to place what 3997 looked like.
Is it the same as the picture of 3983 on page 23 of the Malcolm Keeley 'West Midlands' book from 1988?
There's pictures on the main site from last Wednesday
Quote from: Tony on December 12, 2018, 09:36:27 PM
There's pictures on the main site from last Wednesday
I see.
Were all the ex open toppers 3867, 4069 & the Metrobus scrapped upon withdrawal, or did any pass into presavation?
What's the chance of an open topper in future, or does the unpredictable UK weather knock that on the head?
(Convertable open topper maybe?)
Not sure of time or place.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127014871@N06/46297735191/in/dateposted-public/
4069 still survives, albeit in Spain I think.
We had a few Jumbos at Acocks Green mainly for the 36 which had huge peak time loadings. In fact so busy that there were usually 3 buses loading at Tyseley Rover works alone plus all the other Lucas sites along the route! Anyway the picture is at the old Stechford terminus. Nice addition to the heritage fleet.
Last two days I have spent tidying up, then cleaning the top deck of 3997. Starting to look like how a 1970s bus should now
Quote from: Tony on December 28, 2018, 06:03:27 PM
Last two days I have spent tidying up, then cleaning the top deck of 3997. Starting to look like how a 1970s bus should now
Looking a lot cleaner I would imagine than when you picked her up. A lot of hard work sweat, tears & elbow grease used to get 3997 to looking better
@Tony.
Good to see the top deck of a Wolves jumbo again! You can see one of the two differences between these and the BCT ones - the opening windows had a little round knob rather than the long lip that BCT had. Some of the windows have been replaced, of course. The only other difference I saw was white steering wheels instead of BCT's black.
Are there plans to hire out the vehicles to tv & film companies, as an additional source of revenue?
With the addition of 119L to the NXWM heritage fleet. Does any one have a list of preserved pre WMPTE municipal & Midland Red, WMPTE, West Midlands Travel and NXWM preserved vehicles?
Glad to see 119L rescued. This was with Fuzz Townsend and appeared in the background of a lot of earlier Car SOS episodes. As Wythall's 116 is in Walsall livery could 119L be in WMPTE livery please?
Unfortunately I have been informed the 3 part restored vehicles have got to leave.
All are going to good homes where restoration will restart.
119L is going to a private owner (with the consent of the previous owner) who will initially keep it at Wythall.
3997 is going to a private owner (with the consent of the previous owner) who will carry on the restoration under cover in the Droitwich area
3035 is going to Aldridge Museum.
I have posted the information but will not be answering any questions about these.
2957; 3225 & 4125 are not currently affected by this decision.
Least theres a good chance sooner or later of seeing the one at Aldridge!
Will 1834 and the other heritage liveried veichles join the fleet or is it to early to say
Quote from: BlackCountryBusSpotter on January 15, 2025, 09:31:33 AMWill 1834 and the other heritage liveried veichles join the fleet or is it to early to say
There is no proper heritage fleet anymore. There's two buses used for private hire and one that's still in service.
Will there be a new heritage Fleet replacing 4679 at WB🤔
Apparently no due to it being too costly 6148 was to be the last so it was mentioned some time ago on here.