Cambus VEX298X & Delaine DTL489D

[bristolsrus]

Evening all ! 

After sometime out of circulation I am back !

Now you may wonder what the devil has Bristol VEX298X & Willowbrook bodied Leyland Atlantean DTL489D got in common  with each other, apart from them being listed as preserved vehicles.    Well the answer is that I have not seen either of them for some considerable time - DTL,  I think I last saw at a Delaine running day in the early 90's & VEX, well that was some years ago too before it passed into preservation.

Anyone know if they are still surviving ?   Would be nice to know one way or other - I know VEX is listed on Rob Sly'S website as surviving, however I don't think it is owned by the organisation listed now.   Any thoughts would be gratefully received,

Cheers,

Chris

[Derrick Pancel]

I'm fairly certain that there was a comment made about 'VR298' (VEX 298X) on a Bristol VR Yahoo group - Apparently restoration had begun, along the lines of some repannelling and seating, although it was sporadic.

If I can find the comment in question, I will post the link.

[RT4531]

VEX301X is still running with Country Lion in Northampton in yellow livery - saw it this morning on the A45

[Big Bus]

VEX 301X, makes me drool with nostalgia every time I see It

[busman]

VEX 301X, makes me drool with nostalgia every time I see It

This is the only shot I have of VR301 which if memory serves me correctly was always a Peterborough car.
However as with a lot of the Peterborough based VRT's she received an all over advert, in this case for the computer centre in Peterborough. Date of photo is not recorded but the vehicle was being used by the PCC at a computer fair at the then newly open Trust House Forte hotel (since renamed Holiday Inn) at Impington, just out side Cambridge.

[Stonechat]

Big Bus, as a UCOC man, do you not recall VEX 301X, parked up in the yard at Bedford Road along with it's nine siblings, in it's ready for service condition as UCOC 974 (VVV 974W)?

Tony

[FF17355]

    Chris,
        Was not Delaine DTL489D the sister to Whippet FEW1D? Both being ordered and delivered at the same time?

        Also saw a picture of HFL672L sitting awaiting its last call in a Barnsley scrap yard.A not too fitting end for a fine machine that I drove many miles when new.
            David  FF17355

[Derrick Pancel]

Big Bus, as a UCOC man, do you not recall VEX 301X, parked up in the yard at Bedford Road along with it's nine siblings, in it's ready for service condition as UCOC 974 (VVV 974W)?

Tony

Does anybody know why the VVV 968-977W batch of VRs were never placed into service by United Counties, instead being transferred to Eastern Counties and re-registered VEX 295-304X ?

[FF 17285]

Eastern Counties were actually the beneficiary of 28 extra VRs in 1981, rather than just the ten from United Counties. The final batch to arrive should have been VR271-6 (TAH-W), but VR277-94 (VAH 277-82X, VEX 283-94X) arrived as diverted orders. I can't remember exactly but some if not all were diverted from Alder Valley.

If I recall correctly five of the UCOC VRs were repainted into at Norwich Central Works with the others being painted before transfer. It's a long while ago now (26 years and counting  ) but I remember seeing one of the green VRs at Cremorne Lane still with VVV-W plates.

[Stonechat]

I seem to recall that the transfer of the VVV 968W - VVV 977W batch was a directive from NBC.  In return, UCOC got (I think) 10 ECW/Olympians originally intended for (again I think) Alder Valley. Whether these were 601- 610  or 611 - 620, I don't know.
Tony

[busman]

If I recall correctly five of the UCOC VRs were repainted into at Norwich Central Works with the others being painted before transfer. It's a long while ago now (26 years and counting  ) but I remember seeing one of the green VRs at Cremorne Lane still with VVV-W plates.

Nigel
I think you you are right on that score mate.
Richard

[FF 17285]

Right... found my PSV Circle newssheets for the period (God bless eBay!).

VR277-94 are confirmed as being diverted from Alder Valley which conveniently dropped National Bus Company's last new VR into ECOC's lap. 

As for VR295-304/968-77 according to what I have, they were delivered to UCOC 6/81 and went into store at Desborough, passing to ECOC that September. Only five out of the ten went into poppy red however, as VR297-9 received allover adverts for National Holidays while VR303/4 were the two Cambridgeshire Pick-Me-Up VRs in allover white with a red band between decks. Didn't they succeed RLE 875 (YAH 875J) in that role?

The three Nat Hols VRs initially went to Norwich (297), Cambridge (298) and Bury St Edmunds (299) though the latter migrated to Peterborough a few weeks later.

Strange as it may sound these days, but the ex-UCOC VRs achieved untold heights of luxury as they sported moquette seats!

Should have a little more info on these soon if it's of interest. Stop me if you've had enough!

[busman]

Right... found my PSV Circle newssheets for the period (God bless eBay!).

 VR303/4 were the two Cambridgeshire Pick-Me-Up VRs in allover white with a red band between decks. Didn't they succeed RLE 875 (YAH 875J) in that role?

Correct for the record the other vehicles used on the Cambridgeshire-Pick-Me service was Alexander bodied Ford A Series MB997 (I think) NAH 914P, which was replaced by ex UCOC but new to Luton Corp but never used by either ECW bodied Bristol LHS who's registration number has skipped my memory.

[bristolsrus]

Great info there  Nigel,

I must admit I had forgotten what registerations the VEX--X's were going to have, had they not been transferred to ECOC. Just going through my pics, I have found the id of the LHS used on the Cambridgeshire Pick Me Up Routes, it was LHS936, registered WNG105H

Later in their Cambus years, when the company were going through a period of allocating specific vehicles to outstations ( I think this was the mid to late 90's), St.Ives outstation got allocated with  less than 295,296 ,303 & 304 + two others, which meant it got rather boring VR wise from a enthusiast perspective. , especially if one of the others also happened to be a VEX---X  vehicle !  The 6th one allocated initially was OPW180P, howeever as time moved on, it was changed to YWY830S, for once not a native vehicle !

I wonder if anyone did find anything else out re VEX298X, would be nice to know, as its no longer listed with the preservation group I thought it was, according to the Buses Restored 2008 book.  

Chris

[Derrick Pancel]

I had a look at 'Bus Lists On The Web' or similar a while back, which mentioned the Alder Valley VR divert.

As I was typing my query, I did wonder if any of the ARP 6**X Olympians were received by UCOC in exchange for the diverted VRs - Thanks to those above who have provided information  

[Stonechat]

From "Fleet News", Buses, September 1981

"Further Bristol VRTs with 6LXB engines and ECW H43/31F bodies to note are 968-977 (VVV 968W etc). Although they have been fitted with United Counties numberplates, omo equipment and tachographs, etc, they are to be transferred to Eastern Counties and replaced by six Leyland Olympians diverted from Alder Valley and five from Southdown."

The first three Olympians, 601 -603 (ARP 601X etc) arrived in August 1981

Tony

[Big Bus]

Big Bus, as a UCOC man, do you not recall VEX 301X, parked up in the yard at Bedford Road along with it's nine siblings, in it's ready for service condition as UCOC 974 (VVV 974W)?

Tony

Unfortunately never saw them like that,  . Read about it though. Were they not parked in the old Desborough garage for storage whilst the first Olympians were being delivered?

[RT4531]

Delaine DTL 489D was at the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society's Rally on 23 March per UK Bus East Midlands Group

[Julia_Hayward]

Starting to drift off topic, but I vaguely remember seeing Look East showing a news report of ARP603X ending up in a ditch not that long after delivery? (It was almost certainly while I still lived in UCOC territory, so 1984 or earlier?)

[Stonechat]

Big Bus,   I have learned from this thread that 968-977 were stored at Desborough for a while. But before that they were all in the yard at Bedford Road which is where I saw them. At the time I had no reason to believe that they were anything other than yet another batch of new VRs. Had I but known the truth then I would have photographed them (Pauses to kick Self!...)

Julia, yes one of the new Olympians did end up in a ditch. Memory is pretty hazy here but I think that it was 602. Didn't it return from repair as a prototype Coachlinks vehicle? (Somebody with a better memory, or records, please help!!)

Tony

[bristolsrus]

Delaine DTL 489D was at the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society's Rally on 23 March per UK Bus East Midlands Group

Thanks for letting us know -  the last time I saw DTL, was at a Delaine Running Day back in 1993.  Great to know its still around,  its a shame its twin FEW 1D at Whippet went for scrap many years ago.

[busman]

Julia, yes one of the new Olympians did end up in a ditch. Memory is pretty hazy here but I think that it was 602. Didn't it return from repair as a prototype Coachlinks vehicle? (Somebody with a better memory, or records, please help!!)

Tony

That sounds very familiar, you could be right there.

[Big Bus]

Starting to drift off topic, but I vaguely remember seeing Look East showing a news report of ARP603X ending up in a ditch not that long after delivery? (It was almost certainly while I still lived in UCOC territory, so 1984 or earlier?)

Just from memory, 603, one of the better limpalongs, went off the road down a steep hill and ended up in someones garden near East Hunsbury. That caused its demise, sure it was in the late 1980's.

[EasternBusEnthusiasts]

Bringing this up to date, VEX298X has been rescued for preservation with Nathan Merryweather and Michael Brent and is now undergoing restoration.
www.easternbusgroup.co.uk/vex298x.html