dannyboy1807 Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-22173782 A bus once driven from the streets of London to the battlefields of France to help the World War I effort is to be restored. The B-type bus was one of more than a thousand taken to the trenches of the Western Front. It will be restored to full working order with a £750,000 lottery grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 £750,000?, you could buy a new one for that and have change! If this is the one on the page below it looks in pretty good nick to me. http://www.ltmcollection.org/vehicles/type/type.html?IXtype=100 Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur J Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 I think this is great, not only that a bus has been identified, but funds found to restore it. While I acknowledge the buses used were primarily “London Buses”, they were used to transport troops and Battalions from across the UK. Over the years I have seen several comments regarding local (36th Division and other Irish units) being transported by bus. As the bus restoration is being funded by the National Lottery, would it not be a good idea to have the bus on display across the UK, at some time during the centenary period of 2014 to 2018? AJC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 I assume the vehicle is the one depicted in post 2, if so it is already in the correct livery as when it operated on the streets of London. Why ruin this by repainting it to look as it was in the Great War and why restore it to working condition, are they seriously contemplating actually driving this and if so where, I bet not outside of London?. I must admit that I can think of far better uses for £750,000. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 Probably just like the one my granddad drove. I have deep admiration for these men who got behind the wheel of those rickety old machines and virtually drove them anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 The photo is of one already restored. This one is being built from spare parts etc acquired. I think it's a great tribute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 The photo is of one already restored. This one is being built from spare parts etc acquired. I think it's a great tribute If this is the case Rob then I totally agree with the plans to create what would appear to be a replica but I still think that the sums involved are somewhat excessive to say the least. It would be good to see confirmation of the source of the intended reconstruction something which is lacking in the BBC report. Regards Norman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 This is what it should look like once completed, with boarded up windows and in khaki http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30019529 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 If this is the case Rob then I totally agree with the plans to create what would appear to be a replica but I still think that the sums involved are somewhat excessive to say the least. It would be good to see confirmation of the source of the intended reconstruction something which is lacking in the BBC report. Regards Norman. "In little over a year, London Transport Museum will transform B1056, the bus being brought back into service, from a heap of thousands of spare parts to a fully-restored vehicle in its original wartime livery." http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/390824/Britain-s-last-surviving-First-World-War-Battle-Bus-to-be-restored-to-former-glory The bus in the photograph is B340 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 Thanks Rob. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spconnolly007 Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 This is what it should look like once completed Gutted, I was hoping for one of the pigeon-loft conversions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 Why is it costing so much? The Rosa Park Bus restoration is costing around $300,000 as detailed here http://www.thehenryf...restoration.asp Maxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 I suppose Maxi it all depends on the quantity and quality of the parts that have survived. If many new parts have to be fabricated then this will push the cost up and if the numbers of new bits are excessive then this will in my opinion create a replica of the original. Here in Bristol Docks the paddle steamer Medway Queen is being "rebuilt" with a new hull and all internals except for I believe the engine creating what to me is a replica and in so doing devaluing the final result again in my opinion. Are there any photos of the actual vehicle in question available?. More here: http://www.hlf.org.uk/news/Pages/Capitalsgrantwindfall.aspx Quote: "The project will be undertaken by the London Transport Museum making use of surviving original parts and replica components". Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 17 April , 2013 Share Posted 17 April , 2013 This is what it should look like once completed, with boarded up windows and in khaki http://www.iwm.org.u...object/30019529 Will Airfix release the plastic model again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 18 April , 2013 Share Posted 18 April , 2013 The BBC says the busses were commandeered. No so. Broadly the B susbsidy, under which the B type and similar commerial vehicles were were built, was a innovative scheme under which payment made by the government to aid those purchasing vehicles built to a particular specification. In the event of military need they could - and were - called upon to serve. As well as assisting the military it also helped vehicle manufacturers by helping sales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 21 April , 2013 Share Posted 21 April , 2013 The one they plan to restore is just a rolling chassis, two axles and four wheels. No engine, gearbox or drive train. If they plan to make a replica engine etc, that will justify the £750,000 grant. I dont know who they plan to use to restore it, but if it is to be ready for next year they better get on with it sharpish. They should have started this five years ago if they wanted it for 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 21 April , 2013 Share Posted 21 April , 2013 I take it that it is also lacking a body if so will basically end up as a replica. If this is the case then in my view it is a serious waste of money and surely a modern ground-up replica with a modern engine etc would have been a much better bet and the residue of the cash could be spent on some other less London-centric WW1 project. Don’t you just get the feeling that the 100th anniversary is shaping up to be an unmitigated disaster! Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 21 April , 2013 Share Posted 21 April , 2013 In some ways this is a positive project - recreating an iconic vehicle from WW1. I guess we should hold fire until we know what parts will be original and which might need to be re-created. Several others survive as well as the chassis of B1056 B43 (Ole Bill) - the chassis served in France - and the body it carries started life on another bus and was stored in London during the war. Now at the IWM, but out on the road from time to time up until 1971 B340 (pictures as above) - and which carried troops in the UK during the war - London Transport Museum B214 (a little bit hybrid) but which, I believe, saw service. B 1609 B 5103 I wonder if any other WW1 vehicles are likely to re-appear as projects. It never ceases to amaze me what some people have squirrelled away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Hardly London centric as these buses were a common sight on the western front. I think it's one of the best uses of lottery funding so far. Martin, do you have any photos or other information on B124, B1609 and B5103? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 By London centric I mean that the only people who will get an opportunity to see this replica will be those in the London area, not where the bus operated!, unless of course it tours the UK. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 There's no mention whatsoever of where it will be based or operating yet, no point jumping to conclusions. If it's a return to working order I hardly imagine they'll only drive it within the M25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Forum members may also be interested to know that a 1916 Maudslay chassis is undergoing restoration at Coventry Transport Museum: http://covtm.blogspot.co.uk/p/restoration-projects.html http://friendsofctm.blogspot.co.uk/p/maudslay-project.html TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 In some ways this is a positive project - recreating an iconic vehicle from WW1. I guess we should hold fire until we know what parts will be original and which might need to be re-created. Several others survive as well as the chassis of B1056 B43 (Ole Bill) - the chassis served in France - and the body it carries started life on another bus and was stored in London during the war. Now at the IWM, but out on the road from time to time up until 1971 B340 (pictures as above) - and which carried troops in the UK during the war - London Transport Museum B214 (a little bit hybrid) but which, I believe, saw service. B 1609 B 5103 I wonder if any other WW1 vehicles are likely to re-appear as projects. It never ceases to amaze me what some people have squirrelled away. I found an old (1980) pic if B214 on Flickr - I have a feeling that it may now be somewhere on the continent. I think (?) that B5103 may have been a single deck version and know almost nothing about B1609 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Fantastic, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 There's no mention whatsoever of where it will be based or operating yet, no point jumping to conclusions. If it's a return to working order I hardly imagine they'll only drive it within the M25 Fair point Rob but surely it will have to be transported to its various destinations which will hardly cost peanuts don’t you think and as for the Lottery Grant I understand that for £750,000 you could buy three new state of the art double deckers and have money over. The cost of this seems to be excessive to say the least and I bet that no such sums will be spent on the 100th thingy outside of London. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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