Paul is continuing with stripping the paint off of his ex London Transport DMS with the warm weather proving to be a real help removing it. Once the bus has been parked in the sun for a while the old paint comes off in long strips!
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Another year gone and we're a step closer to the big 100th anniversary of East Kent Road Car in 2016. This year we're hoping to finish the work on 1178 (EFN178L) and also 7980 (TFN980T). Other buses in the collection that should be on the road at some point this year are 1145, 1255, 5137, DMS550, BOO and 40306. Work will be focusing now of getting the East Kent vehicles (7041, 7681 and 7980) back on the road and fit for service ready for 2014. Whilst this is our aim, as we saw with last year NOTHING can be guaranteed...
Work will also continue on 'store shed' 7656 which will release 5807 and 7041 for work - hopefully with a view to hitting the road in 2015/6. Nuw is going to be given a much needed break this year in that time she will be mechanically serviced and tidied up inside and out. All in all another busy year is looming. Also, in the coming months Nick Moore will be upgrading our website, making it even better and more personal to us too. More information on that later. The main news this month is the collection of 40306 (N306XRP) Bernard's minibus. The axle change has been completed and we are just left with a few minor jobs to sort out for an MOT. Although all of our buses a currently resting, work continues apace. Q255GRW has had a tyre change and will also be on the road for next year. DMS550 is getting redder and redder with every week as Paul continues to paint her. Also, the smallest member of the collection, the Metrocab taxi is having extensive work on her for her MOT. Paul and Jake have been busy replacing the kingpins, bushes and ball joints and to date just have the exhaust and rear brakes left. The kingpins alone having taken 3 days solid work. Following news that the MOT test no longer lift the front wheels to check the kingpins, this has given us hope that Bristol LH 3131 may well pass the test with out packing them out. Although only listed as an advisory on the previous test, we wanted to sort it out, however, talking to the testing station, it would seem that she is likely to pass as she is which sounds very promising.
Aside from all the vehicle news, all of here at Southern Counties Omnibus Collection would like to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Apologies for this update being a little later than planned. We've finally moved East Kent Leyland National EFN178L in to secure undercover cover storage in the east of the county. Here she will be returned to the road and work on her windscreen and wheelchair lift door can continue in the dry.
The fuel starvation issues with WKO137S seem to have been resolved. Her fuel tank was given a clean out and her filters changed. All the fuel system is now being put back together again and then we can give her a local test run to check she works.. Paul has been very busy with his two buses. The door area on DMS550 is now complete and he is currently re-fitting the indicator units to the side of the old girl. He has also serviced a faulty leveling valve on B124BOO, his ex Hedingham Leyland Tiger. Paul still has a few minor jobs to do on her but she is proving to be a very fine addition to the collection. Meanwhile, in our other unit in the west of Kent, Nick has been on somewhat of a buying spree. He's saved former Maidstone & District / Arriva Volvo Olympian M916MKM (5916). She is bodied with a Northern Counties bodywork and currently carries and all-over advertisement for 'The People's Trust'. She requires some work to be undertaken on her chassis but Nick is hoping to get that sorted out quickly. We're currently working on our 'works runabout', a 1999 Metrocab taxi. Although only on loan to the collection following our FX4 Fairway popping a gearbox seal, we're hoping that TOL the taxi will join the collection full time from early next year. Here she will attend the longer distance rallies and shows and help promote Southern Counties even further afield as well as being used as a daily runabout and works motor. Paul Tripptree has been hard at work on his DMS over the last weeks or so since the new year. He has finished repairs to the front inside roof and now has all the panels back in place. Paul has also sourced some more hard to find DMS seats and 550 now has virtually a full set. Paul has started to fit these in place now and the inside of 550 is looking much more like a bus. Latest work today saw Paul refitting the drivers cab side window. The windscreen still needs fitting but Paul is hoping to get that done at the same time as 1178's is changed over.
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Current NewsHere you will find out the latest news about our buses and future events we hope to attend. In addition we will add any interesting bus and coach related news we come across.
SOUTHERN COUNTIES OMNIBUS.A collection of retired buses living in southeast England owned by a group of friends. Archives
May 2022
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