Great War Truck Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 I suspect that most of the grant will be used up as follows "It will also fund a five-year programme of learning and participation activities with volunteers and apprentices across the entire centenaries of the war. Once completed, in August 2014, the vehicle, finished in its wartime livery, will take part in a programme of commemorative events and a touring roadshow." It could be toured around the UK, or just London, but i think it is more likely to be across the UK if it was to benefit from such a generous grant. The idea of a modern replica seems completely pointless. Just show a routemaster and say it was an earlier version of that if they want a replica. At least if they have an identifiable chassis they can trace some of its war history. Which part of the bus would be original anyway? They were stripped down and rebuilt with different drive train and body while working for the LGOC and the WD. Even Old Bill at the IWM is a mixture of different busses and not the original bus it might be made out to be. My thoughts are as someone else is paying for it just do it, do the best job you can with what is available and do it quickly before someone changes their mind. If it is not done for this centenary it never will be. The previous owners have had it for years and not done it so here is your chance. Saying that, in my humble opinion they bought the wrong bus to restore. They should have bought (or hired) the Locomobile that sits outside at Caister which is a genuine WD lorry, which were fitted with the B Type bus body and wouldnt need much work to get going. But no one seems to know about its existence or history. What a shame. You referred to an "unmitigated disaster". What do you think would make the event avoid such an ignoble title? Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Tim Is this the Locomobile of Caister? If so, yes it would have been a better project. Maxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 No, thats another one. Hold on, i will find you a photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Here it is Would not need much doing to it. i am not sure about the body though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Tim Thanks for the photo. Does it function? I take it it does and if so, then this would do nicely and not London centric (for you Norman). Maxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 It worked when it was parked, but has been left a litle exposed to the elements for the last 20 years or so. Wouldnt take much to get it going i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Is there no local activity to get this marvelous vehicle involved in the centenary of the Great War? Maxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 Caister Castle and Motor Museum is the worst museum I've ever visited. That bus and a horse drawn tram absolutely rotting away in the open air. Cars that are inside aren't faring much better, photography banned, staff that hawk eye the few public that attend, awful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 22 April , 2013 Share Posted 22 April , 2013 RobL That is so sad. Does anybody know the local MP for the Caister area? I feel a campaign coming on. Maxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spconnolly007 Posted 23 April , 2013 Share Posted 23 April , 2013 There is a B340 at Beaulieu that you can ride on around the grounds. Is it original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 23 April , 2013 Share Posted 23 April , 2013 Nope, mock up. A similar B340 mock up is at Beamish, however they also have a perfect replica of a 1913 Daimler - in the summer season when it's fitted with the solid tyre wheels there's nothing to show it was built in the 1980's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spconnolly007 Posted 23 April , 2013 Share Posted 23 April , 2013 Cheers Rob, I had my doubts at the time but I do remember it being a quite convincing ride, that was of course until it backed into its space singing 'beware vehicle reversing' that certainly wasn't period Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 23 April , 2013 Share Posted 23 April , 2013 Smell of diesel would likely be a giveaway too (at least with the Beamish ones). Looking forward to hopefully seeing more vehicles out and about over the centenary, there's some great ones in museums hidden away in corners etc that will hopefully become more prominent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Foster Posted 23 April , 2013 Share Posted 23 April , 2013 Daimler at Beamish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 23 April , 2013 Share Posted 23 April , 2013 I understand there were various bits of bus on display at the LT museum's outstation at Acton at the weekend - including parts of three B-type buses and other spare parts which will form the basis of the project. Apparently B214 is amongst them - though looking far worse that it did when pictured at Cobham. See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 6 May , 2013 Share Posted 6 May , 2013 I have just heard that LT initially purchased the rolling chassis but then bought a complete B Type which had come back from Australia. Unfortunately the termites have been at the woodwork on that one and i dont know how much of that is salvagable. On the plus side the drive train is complete so it will be much more original than i first thought. This makes it a much more expensive acquisition, but less expense on the restoration. Anyway, it is all good news in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 21 April , 2014 Share Posted 21 April , 2014 There is a clip of the bus B2737 running for the first time on Youtube. It looks and sounds great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7gAjRb-7-4&feature=youtu.be The body is coming along well I understand, so it should be ready soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 14 June , 2014 Share Posted 14 June , 2014 The restoration has been completed ahead of schedule. Here is a link to the London Transport museum website showing how it currently looks. http://blog.ltmuseum.co.uk/category/battle-bus/ In September they are going to convert it into a troop carrier and then take it to France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Phillips Posted 14 June , 2014 Share Posted 14 June , 2014 Excellent work to bring the bus back to life. Mobile pigeon loft? How does that work then? How do the pigeons find the bus? The loft in the photo. looks far from mobile it looks like it has been there awhile and the soldier sitting in the drivers seat is there for effect. Surely a pigeon loft is there to receive pigeons, not send them off. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 14 June , 2014 Share Posted 14 June , 2014 Don't know much about pigeons but I think if they are left in a loft which is parked in the same location for about two weeks then they become acclimatised to that location and it becomes "home". The loft would be set up near a headquarters and left there (which seems rather a waste of a bus chassis) and then receives pigeons let loose from the front. If they have to relocate it they wont be able to use any of the pigeons for a couple of weeks as they will go back to the previous location. Previously they used horse drawn ones which does seem to be a great deal more sensible. The state of the grass around the chassis does show that it has not moved for some time. Pigeons would be collected in whicker baskets for transportation to where they would be required. As you say the photo is rather set up and does look slightly ridiculous. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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