Cornwall Bus Preservation Society (incorporating Western National Preservation Group)

Well here we are nearing the end of November and the weather is reminding us where we are in the year including the short hours of daylight but hey ho, not long before the shortest day will be with us and things improve.

Well here is an update of where the CBPSCornwall Bus Preservation Society - formed by a group of bus and coach enthusiasts who are involved in maintaining, restoring and preserving a number of buses which saw operational service in Cornwall that have been bought, donated or even loaned to members of the group is to date. We have now got the Royal Blue LHBristol Commercial Vehicles Light Horizontal engined single-decker bus chassis LH at 30' (9.1m); nearly 2,000 were built between 1967 and 1982 1318Royal Blue; BDV 318L | Bristol LH | Fleet No. 1318 | CBPG (BDV 318LRoyal Blue; BDV 318L | Bristol LH | Fleet No. 1318 | CBPG) and Western National Bristol LHSBristol LH chassis range introduced in spring 1968, 3 variants: LHS at 26' (7.9m); 1254Former Western National Bristol LHS 1254 (VOD 124K), one of six purchased for Mousehole - Penzance route; acquired privately by Steve and Paul towards the end of 2017 (VOD 124KFormer Western National Bristol LHS 1254 (VOD 124K), one of six purchased for Mousehole - Penzance route; acquired privately by Steve and Paul towards the end of 2017) safely undercover for the winter along with Bristol VRBristol VR Bristol's rear-engined bus chassis, designed as competitor to Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline. 1147Bristol VR AFJ 749T 1147/38749 (AFJ 749TBristol VR AFJ 749T 1147) and Dennis Dart 401Badgers and Flags Pointer Dart L401 VCV | Dennis Pointer Dart | Fleet No. 401 | CBPG (L401 VCVBadgers and Flags Pointer Dart L401 VCV | Dennis Pointer Dart | Fleet No. 401 | CBPG). At the moment Bristol VR 1141 (AFJ 706T), Mercedes VarioMercedes-Benz Vario (model designation W670) is a heavy van manufactured by Mercedes-Benz 52529529 became 52529 in national numbering system, fitted with 27 seats and soon received her current livery; S529 RWP | Mercedes Vario | Fleet No. 52529 | CBPG (S529 RWP), Dennis Dart 42430 (P430 ORL) and Bristol LHS 12551255 was last operational vehicle of this type with Western National and ended her service where began at Penzance depot. One of 6 vehicles bodied by Marshall (1250 - 1255 VOD 120K - VOD 125K) delivered February 1972 to operate between Penzance and Mousehole replacing the Bristol SUS's VOD 125K | Bristol LHS Marshall B33F | Fleet No. 1255 | CBPG (VOD 125KDelivered February 1972 to operate between Penzance and Mousehole replacing Bristol SUS's. 1255 was last operational vehicle of type with Western National and ended her service where began at Penzance depot VOD 125K | Bristol LHS Marshall B33F | Fleet No. 1255 | CBPG) are stored outside which is not ideal. We hope to sort the VR quite soon but if anyone out there can assist us with covered storage for a single deck bus, please let us know.

We have a group working day on Saturday 1st December 2018 at Redruth meeting at 10am if anyone would like to attend, let us know. It is a continuation of sifting, sorting and removing spare bus bits that we have gathered over the years so that we keep what is relevant to the Group to be stored at a new location.

To give a heads up of some plans for the new year, the group aims to get our Bristol VR 1226November 2009, CBPG took over ownership of Bristol VR 38873(LFJ 873W) from Western National Preservation Group. Originally numbered 1226, she was the last new Bristol VR bought by Western National in 1981 LFJ 873W | Bristol VR | Fleet No. 38873 (ex 1226)/38873 November 2009, CBPG took over ownership of Bristol VR 38873(LFJ 873W) from Western National Preservation Group. Originally numbered 1226, she was the last new Bristol VR bought by Western National in 1981 LFJ 873W | Bristol VR | Fleet No. 38873 (ex 1226)(LFJ 873WNovember 2009, CBPG took over ownership of Bristol VR 38873(LFJ 873W) from Western National Preservation Group. Originally numbered 1226, she was the last new Bristol VR bought by Western National in 1981 LFJ 873W | Bristol VR | Fleet No. 38873 (ex 1226)) and our LeylandLeyland Bus was a British bus manufacturer. It emerged from the Rover Group (formerly British Leyland) as a management buyout of the bus business. It was subsequently acquired by Volvo Buses in 1988 and the name finally disappeared in 1993 OlympianLeyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production 34754Former Western National 'Bristol' Leyland Olympian, A754 VAF in Barbie 2 livery and displaying fleet number 34754; This represents a very important 'save' for the CBPG as is last vehicle from initial batch of 8 first introduced in Plymouth in November 1983 to come out of service in Cornwall A754 VAF | Leyland Olympian | Fleet No. 34754 (ex 1807/1754) | CBPG (A754 VAFFormer Western National 'Bristol' Leyland Olympian, A754 VAF in Barbie 2 livery and displaying fleet number 34754; This represents a very important 'save' for the CBPG as is last vehicle from initial batch of 8 first introduced in Plymouth in November 1983 to come out of service in Cornwall A754 VAF | Leyland Olympian | Fleet No. 34754 (ex 1807/1754) | CBPG) back on the road in time for our Running DayEach year in April CBPG holds an Annual Running Day with free bus trips around West Cornwall - check our Events for more information at Penzance on Easter Sunday 21st April 2019. Add to that the Bristol LHS 1255Delivered February 1972 to operate between Penzance and Mousehole replacing Bristol SUS's. 1255 was last operational vehicle of type with Western National and ended her service where began at Penzance depot VOD 125K | Bristol LHS Marshall B33F | Fleet No. 1255 | CBPG (VOD 125K) which will boost the groups entry of vehicles for the event, our twelth in the town. A lot of work to be done but we are up for it. Watch this space for our progress.

Lee has been working on the site paying particular attention to the vehicles that fall under the groups umbrella. If you tap on the photograph of a particular vehicle you will find details regarding make, model, age and brief current situation status. It is our intention to keep you informed here and on Facebook of ongoing works. It's good to have Lee on board with these sites.

If you would like to become a 'friend' of the CBPS, please contact us (details on the site) as your subscription will help to get and keep these vehicles in preservation. Thank you.