AFJ 692T | Bristol LH6L | Fleet No. 3131

This Bristol LH, 3131 (AFJ 692T) was new in November 1978 and was part of a batch of five full width Plaxton bodied coaches, the last full width LH coaches bought by the Company. They were fitted out to bus grant specification which allowed half the purchase price to be paid by the government as long as a certain percentage of its use was on local bus services hence it being fitted with dual purpose seating. Upon the four way split of Western National, it remained in the Southern National area where it had always worked. In November 1991 it was withdrawn and converted into a driver training vehicle but by April 1992, a need for vehicles saw it reinstated into the service fleet. Driver training beckoned again in August 1997 but when competitor Weybus went out of business in August 1998 its services were once again required. 

In May 2000, final withdrawal came, by now a rare survivor within Firstgroup of which Southern National was now part. Initially, 3131 passed to Colin Billington but by 2002 was with Paul Derrick in Plymouth who restored it back to original livery and had the seats retrimmed in original moquette. In July 2011 it was sold again to Bernard Sealey from Hythe and then in 2017 to Maurice Bean from Romney Marsh.

In January 2022, five members of the CBPS purchased the coach from Maurice and drove her home to Cornwall for continued preservation.

It was a busy year for 3131 attending many events throughout the year culminating in being the chosen mode of transport to take CBPS members to the annual October bus running day on the Isle of Wight where she performed well and got us all back home safely!

Currently, 3131 is awaiting attention to her engine and gearbox to be 'fully fit' for 2024..