Coventry Motor Museum - Bus exhibits

[Sandy Lane]

Popped in there and see they still have the open top decker on display as used by the CCFC cup final celebrations way back in time.

Got me thinking about buses used in Coventry and what looks like a lack of more recent ex Coventry buses.
Does NXC ever offer a retired Coventry bus to the museum? 
Would be good to see a more modern donation and a link to NXC who have been running Coventry services for quite some time now.

[Danthebusman]

Popped in there and see they still have the open top decker on display as used by the CCFC cup final celebrations way back in time.

Got me thinking about buses used in Coventry and what looks like a lack of more recent ex Coventry buses.
Does NXC ever offer a retired Coventry bus to the museum?
Would be good to see a more modern donation and a link to NXC who have been running Coventry services for quite some time now.

Would be amazing if one of the bendibuses made it into the exhibit, i know of a lot of people and enthusiasts alike who miss those buses so would be great to be able to see one again, although apart from 6015, i'm not sure if any other Citaros or Mercs were preserved.

[TGZac]

Would be amazing if one of the bendibuses made it into the exhibit, i know of a lot of people and enthusiasts alike who miss those buses so would be great to be able to see one again, although apart from 6015, i'm not sure if any other Citaros or Mercs were preserved.

I believe 6015 is the only Coventry bendibus left and all the others have been scrapped.

[Westy]

Surprised 4453 wasn't offered to the museum?

It was withdrawn for a mechanical reason wasn't it?

[Tony]

Popped in there and see they still have the open top decker on display as used by the CCFC cup final celebrations way back in time.

Got me thinking about buses used in Coventry and what looks like a lack of more recent ex Coventry buses.
Does NXC ever offer a retired Coventry bus to the museum?
Would be good to see a more modern donation and a link to NXC who have been running Coventry services for quite some time now.

Have you thought the Museum might not a more modern bus. Where would they put it?

[Justin Tyme]

The open top Fleetline, PDU 125M, was the very last Daimler bus built, and therefore the last full-size bus chassis built in Coventry.  Because of its history, West Midlands PTE donated it to the Coventry Motor Museum when it was withdrawn.

Then, when Coventry City won the FA cup in 1987, the museum ignored its history and controversially converted it to open top.  It was along time ago but even so I would hope that any operator donating a bus would include a clause requiring the vehicle to be kept complete.

[Sandy Lane]

Have you thought the Museum might not a more modern bus. Where would they put it?

Good point but their Collecting Policy says - We still collect actively. Our collection policy focuses on significant material relevant to the history of Coventry road transport ..........

Aren't Coventry buses therefore quite relevant? It would be a nice gesture for one of NXC's last remaining diesel vehicles to be offered before the whole fleet goes electric. Agree on the vehicle not being 'chopped' by the museum later on - make it a condition of handover.

[Westy]

The open top Fleetline, PDU 125M, was the very last Daimler bus built, and therefore the last full-size bus chassis built in Coventry.  Because of its history, West Midlands PTE donated it to the Coventry Motor Museum when it was withdrawn.

Then, when Coventry City won the FA cup in 1987, the museum ignored its history and controversially converted it to open top.  It was along time ago but even so I would hope that any operator donating a bus would include a clause requiring the vehicle to be kept complete.

Wasnt there any already open topped vehicle avaolable for use at that point in time?

(PDU is the vehicle seen in archive footage isnt it?)

Wmt still had theirs in 1987 didnt they, so why wasnt they contacted to provide an open topper?

[paulb1973]

Wasnt there any already open topped vehicle avaolable for use at that point in time?

(PDU is the vehicle seen in archive footage isnt it?)

Wmt still had theirs in 1987 didnt they, so why wasnt they contacted to provide an open topper?

4069 (or it might have been 3867) may well have been behind 125 in that FA Cup procession.

[j789]

4069 (or it might have been 3867) may well have been behind 125 in that FA Cup procession.

Talking about Fleetline 3867, there is a current article on the Worcester News website showing this vehicle being used as the promotion vehicle for the opening of the Worcester southern link road (bypass). 

Link: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/24233179.worcester-nostalgia-southern-link-road-carrington-bridge/

Apparently, it was the first vehicle that ran on that road. I'm sure a few Midland Red fans were put out seeing a WMPTE bus in core Midland Red territory!!!

[Sandy Lane]

The open top Fleetline, PDU 125M, was the very last Daimler bus built, and therefore the last full-size bus chassis built in Coventry.  Because of its history, West Midlands PTE donated it to the Coventry Motor Museum when it was withdrawn.

Then, when Coventry City won the FA cup in 1987, the museum ignored its history and controversially converted it to open top.  It was along time ago but even so I would hope that any operator donating a bus would include a clause requiring the vehicle to be kept complete.

There is a piece on this bus in today's Coventry paper. In it they say "The museum had acquired the bus in 1986 and, due to damage, the roof was removed to convert it to an open top".
https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/countdown-to-wembley-coventrys-1987-fa-cup-victory-bus-driver-recalls-his-memorable-day/

Could they simply have repaired the roof damage rather than go at it with a tin opener?

Does anyone know what was the original roof damage?

[Wumpty]

Talking about Fleetline 3867, there is a current article on the Worcester News website showing this vehicle being used as the promotion vehicle for the opening of the Worcester southern link road (bypass).

Link: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/24233179.worcester-nostalgia-southern-link-road-carrington-bridge/

Apparently, it was the first vehicle that ran on that road. I'm sure a few Midland Red fans were put out seeing a WMPTE bus in core Midland Red territory!!!

3687 was also used by Coventry radio station Kix96 before they acquired the Leyland Titan shared between Sunshine Radio Hereford, Radio Wyvern (formerly Youthcomm Radio) and the new BRMB Radio (formerly Big City Radio).

[Wumpty]

4069 (or it might have been 3867) may well have been behind 125 in that FA Cup procession.

Just checking some of the Coventry FA Cup procession footage and 125 appears to be on its own for the entirety of the celebrations, not to mention a very overloaded top deck!

https://youtu.be/J-mDPOObFa0?si=09nOuXEvd-a9ZPMo

[paulb1973]

Just checking some of the Coventry FA Cup procession footage and 125 appears to be on its own for the entirety of the celebrations, not to mention a very overloaded top deck!

https://youtu.be/J-mDPOObFa0?si=09nOuXEvd-a9ZPMo

Check out this link:
May 16th 1987. Coventry City's Cup Final, and the Victory Parade - Our Warwickshire 

I think I can spy another bus in at least one of those pictures - probably 4069 which carried the CCFC Youth team.

[Sandy Lane]

There is a piece on this bus in today's Coventry paper. In it they say "The museum had acquired the bus in 1986 and, due to damage, the roof was removed to convert it to an open top".
https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/countdown-to-wembley-coventrys-1987-fa-cup-victory-bus-driver-recalls-his-memorable-day/

Could they simply have repaired the roof damage rather than go at it with a tin opener?

Does anyone know what was the original roof damage?

Was the declared roof damage just a spoof to chop the full roof off 125?