LB MUSEUM NEWS The Newsletter of The Bus Museum, Cobham Hall, Road, , Issue no. 8 August/September 2012

Well, the summer was a bit of a RTL139 visits Sheffield Park damp squib, in between bouts of The second of this year’s members’ excessive heat! The usually excellent outings was to the Bluebell Railway at event in Alton was cancelled because Sheffield Park. Always a good place to of the ground being waterlogged, visit, this time enhanced by an extra although the members’ trip went display at Horsted Keynes. The train ahead, as planned, as a limited vintage rides were up to the usual standard, bus service was reinstated and there so again it was a good day out. was always the railway to play with anyway. Incidentally, the RTL went with nowhere near a full load, so if you D142 and RTL139 visit the haven’t yet booked your seats on the Byfleet Village Day trips to Duxford on Sunday or the Damn! Do you think he’s seen me? 21st July was the day of the very Isle of Wight in October, now is the enjoyable Byfleet Village Day, which is time to do it. The RP will leave the usually supported by the Museum. Museum at 8am this Sunday for The mayor of Woking had his usual Duxford. ride on D142, although this year it was from the village hall and through the village itself to the showground. Many leaflets were handed out, thus pushing the Museum’s name into the front of people’s minds, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Although the ground was soft after previous rains, the weather was kind on the day, which brought out many to savour the delights of the show Engine 592 leading the double header and of riding around on RTL139. Almost awake on the top deck on the on the run-around to the other end of the train. Photos © Editor’s own Along with the Mayor and his party, way there! the day’s King, Queen, Prince and Princess were taken on the Dennis A Nice Line Up ! D142, STL2377, RT2775 and RM140 at the Wings & for the trip to the showground and Wheels event in Dunsfold on the August Bank Holiday weekend, showing four are seen in the photo below, being generations of the London double deck bus. Is there any more to add? entertained whilst awaiting departure time. Many thanks to the stewards involved in the outing: Alan Eggleton, David Kinnear, Colin Read, Graham Hayward and Jason Tandy, along with the editor, for helping to spread the word.

Photo © Editor’s own Photo © Editor’s own

UMP 227 : Heading for Cruise have added a second layer of Completion plywood to bring the floor back to its Work has been proceeding steadily original condition. John Hutchinson throughout the summer, as we’ve had made some special timber strips to a number of extra helpers carrying allow the floor to blend into the out specific tasks. A skilled workforce curved metal coving plates along the has developed at LBM, where we can edges of the saloon, beneath the seat now undertake substantial carpentry rail. The front section of floor, from projects, upholstery and external the second row of seats forward, coach painting using volunteer slopes down slightly to meet the top members. landing of the entrance steps; Peter and Phill have reconstructed this area Making the seats is a sub-project in from scratch, with no drawings to go itself, which David Erlam and Keith on! Most of the original floor trap Hales have taken on. The bus came doors (which give access, amongst to LBM with only 5 original seat other things, to the gearbox, rear frames, plus a set of frames of a differential and cooling water header similar type, but the seat rails Above: Parts for the seat coupling (left) tank) were missing or damaged, so required spherical grab-handles (note and coupled together (right) Brian Greenfield has made new floor the careful choice of words!) to be traps to fit the existing holes. The added. The rails were modified by an floor preparation work is now outside contractor and David set virtually finished [See picture] and a about devising a method of flooring contractor is due to lay 25 assembling the rails to the main square metres of a modern version of frames, which involved compressing hessian backed linoleum in the last copper tubes to the correct elliptical week of September. section to act as connecting pieces. [See pictures]. Once the gangway end A substantial amount of the electrical leg frames (H-frames) were fitted, we wiring has been done; the saloon and had to make new cushion and squab blind box lights and connections to bases to take the upholstery. As the the door operating switch unit have frames weren’t identical, John all been completed by Andy Baxter Hutchinson and Roger Shaw did the and Rod Lucas. Peripheral items such carpentry, making 18 sets of timber as indicators, external lights and bases, each one being a bespoke fit to windscreen wipers are in hand. a nominated frame. [See picture]. In The driver’s sliding signalling window the “trim shop” Steve Bigg and was fitted by Ed Warren; he and George Goodwin are in the process Chris Plested have trial fitted the of upholstering the cushions and driver’s windscreen frame and are squabs, which with 18 seats to do, is preparing patterns for new glass for a major project in itself. Meanwhile Interior view of UMP227 showing the both the front windscreen sections. Chris Plested, David Erlam and I have floor, wheelarches and interior trim. painted the seat frames undercoat and 1946 Brown gloss. A large amount of time and effort has been spent on renovating the saloon The wheels have been removed and, floor. The floor finish on UMP 227 thanks to arrangements made by was linoleum, glued to a fibre board Roger Stagg, within 2 hours they material, but because the bus became were collected by a contractor to an AEC test vehicle, most seats were have the tyres taken off, the wheels replaced with test equipment, with shot blasted and primed and new extra holes through the floor for tyres fitted, so UMP 227 is supported cables and pipes. Apart from the on blocks at present! extra holes, the sub-floor was in good condition, apart from the front Work has started on preparing the section by the entrance which was outside of UMP for coach painting. missing when the bus was delivered Peter Goodfellow, Ed Warren and to LBM. I cleaned and sanded the Chris Plested have been cleaning and sub-floor, filled the unwanted holes preparing the roof, with particular and painted the whole area with a attention to the ventilators. The PVA sealant. Peter Wall and Phill decorative trim (the “go faster

stripes”!) have been fitted both sides we have operated bus trips from the Archive News around the wheel arches and a timber museum throughout the school Archive volunteers have started to pattern has been made for bending a summer holidays. I would like to mount displays of some of the new piece of guttering for the re cord my appreciation to all the smaller, interesting items that have nearside front. The rear emergency members who have assisted with been stored since the move from door has been hung and Brian these events. Cobham. Showcases on the Greenfield has worked out how to fit mezzanine and in the Conference the operating mechanism. Later in the As we move into the autumn, we Room have a broad range of objects, year, the coach painting (Lincoln have still more events to attend. On of which some have never been Green with Broken White around 11th September, our red RF and TD previously exhibited. the windows and Black around the will be attending the commemoration wheel arches) will be done in our of the 210 route in north London. In liaison with Roger Stagg, we have workshop by Steve Burns, a new On 22nd September several vehicles commenced reviewing, sorting and member of the team. will be going to the Stagecoach event recording the numerous small spares being held at Leyton Bus Garage and that are stored in the ground floor We expect that UMP 227 will be on 7th October we will be supporting secure caged area. If anyone can ready for an official launch in April the Amersham Running Day. We will contribute plastic storage 2013. also be supporting the Lord Mayor’s boxes/containers to store sorted Show on 10th November with a spares those would be very welcome. Peter Smith (inc photos) horse bus and D142. There is an encouraging inbound flow of new donations of photos, books LBM Upholstery Section In addition to those, Alan Heasman is and general memorabilia, much of Update running trips to Showbus at Duxford which is broadening the scope of our The upholstery team is working on on 16th September and to the Isle of existing collections. the new seats for UMP 227, and the Wight on 14th October for delivery of the component materials members, their families and friends. Our "Modes" computer database is arrived from our supplier mid August. Places remain on both trips and Alan being progressively expanded to would be pleased to hear from you. If allow ready identification of items The first priority is to upholster the you wish to attend either of these owned by LBM with information seat backs, and to that end we have two events, please book with Alan concerning their location and finished fitting the piped edging and using the booking form on the condition. foam blocks to the 18 new plywood website. bases provided by the UMP team. Brian A L Jones The next activity will be to cut and fit The major event in the autumn is the Archive Manager the backing cloth to the rear of the Transportfest, further details of ply bases, then cut and machine the which have been published elsewhere. Quiz time piped leather bolsters to the RT As promised in the last newsletter, You daft lot! Nobody bothered to moquette covers prior to fitting the we are trying to make some of our send in an entry last time, so I’m not covers over the foam base. away visits available for our members going to tell you which vehicle it was. to join in. If you would be interested This month’s should be easy, entries Once the 18 backs have been to me at [email protected]: completed, we will fit them to the in travelling on one of our vehicles to newly chromed frames ready to be the 210 commemoration, the Leyton installed in the vehicle. Attention will Garage event or the Amersham then turn to the seat cushions. Running Day, please email me direct ([email protected] ) giving Steve Bigg your name, your membership number and the number of places you wish to Away Events Update – August book. You will receive an 2012 acknowledgement and, later, joining instructions. This can only be The museum has been busy attending operated by email though and not by away events this summer. We have telephone. Please note that the start sent vehicles to the Farnborough Air time from the museum is often quite Show, Event, Byfleet early, pickups cannot be made en LB Museum News Village Fayre, the Hemel Hempstead route as the driver must have Edited by : Kevin Hibbs Running Day and Wings and Wheels freedom of choice of route and the at Dunsfold. Unfortunately, the Bus departure from the event will be Published by : and Coach 15th Anniversary at determined by the driver. The London Bus Museum, Newbury was almost rained off but Cobham Hall, Brooklands Road, we still had a presence. In addition, Peter Brown Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN