A brief update 21/04/14

Quick progress report from 2599, and a bit of investigative work by Tim Moss into the situation regarding the springs revealed that some attention would be required. It was noted that the front springs would require some work, but the rears - although looking a little worn in places - still had some life in them.

After our visit from the man from Tanvic to put the new tyres on, we now had two spare tyres requiring rims. A word with our good friend Gary Crosby, another fellow enthusiast and another mechanical expert who has agreed to help with the project, revealed that he may be able to assist. Unfortunately this process has been slower than anticipated as it was around this time that your blogmaster (Dan) changed jobs, although now I am settling into a routine again this will be sorted imminently!

Gary very kindly offered his services to provide a pre-MOT inspection, and after much negotiation a date of 28 April was pencilled in the diary, when members of the 2599 group returned from Northern Ireland.

While your blogmaster enjoyed a suprise evening being supplied with many pints of falling down juice in a public house by his former colleagues for his leaving ceremony (shameful behaviour I know!), Paul and former shareholder Peter paid a visit to a gentleman who used to own Ulsterbus RE 2438, Mr Tony Challons, who has very kindly supplied the group with a large number of very useful parts that will assist greatly in the restoration process, including a shock absorber, two brake shoes, and a silencer system to list some of the major parts! If you read this Tony, or anyone should see this on his behalf, many thanks!

And last but certainly not least, I make no apology for once again extending our thanks to Robert Nogues and our friends of the Ards Bus Preservation Group for sending over a spare Emergency Exit handle and some wheel studs. The group have continually supplied us with parts throughout the restoration process, and have been most helpful with suppliying information and advice that have helped us to move the project forwards, so thank you once again.

'Project X' goes public 06/04/14

Since embarking on the adventure of preserving and restoring the penultimate Bristol RE ever built Paul, Calum and I had kept certain parties up to date with 2599's progress through the use of a facebook page. Initially, this page had been used between the original four members to discuss ideas and formulate plans, and had been shrouded in much secrecy, with the highest privacy settings and codenamed 'project X'. With it now being common knowledge on both sides of the Irish Sea about the bus, and with much interest being shown, the Ulsterbus 2599 group name was officially launched into the public domain on 6 April. At this stage, the facebook group had over 70 members and was expanding by the day as word spread and interest in the bus continued to grow...

Manifold update 21/03/14

One major component that had been causing the group a major headache since February was the exhaust manifold, which it was discovered was severed in two. The dilemma we had, as mentioned previously, was did we spend up to £500 and invest in having a new one produced, or did we go down the less expensive route of having the existing manifold welded. After many long chats and some sleepless nights, we concluded as a group that we should attempt to have the existing manifold welded and cleaned up. The job was handed to Carlton Sheet Metal.

On 21 March, we received news that the manifold was ready, and Paul was duly dispatched to collect it. And boy were we in for a shock! Alan from Carlton Sheet Metal had not only welded the manifold back together, but had also painted it, and the end result was fantastic. With any luck, the newly repaired manifold should give us a few more years of trouble-free use before we need to consider replacement.

Milestones & anniversaries 14/03/14

To open this feature, firstly a shout out to Ulsterbus 2599 group leader Paul Waplington, who celebrated his birthday on this day, and in style by paying a visit to the bus at Langar. Many happy returns leader, 21 again! And what better way to remember the day by than including a photograph of the man himself...

Anyway, back to business. A significant day for all concerned, as Tanvic sent an engineer to Langar to have the new tyres fitted to the bus. This was a major turning point, and an upturn in the group's fortunes after several setbacks. We finally had roadworthy tyres, that we all knew would last us for a number of years, and we had finally ridded ourselves of one of our greatest expenses - to the tune of over £1000!

Sadly all did not go to plan, and relationships with the storage site began to sour when a polite request for a coffee for the man from Tanvic resorted in hot liquids being thrown about and Paul having the door slammed in his face!! Thankfully, in a bizarre twist of fate, a chance text from Michael Rogan, a fellow preservationist, enthusiast and good friend of the group, informed us that there was space for 2599 on a farm near Watnall. Even better, having myself previously dealt with the parties at Watnall, I knew them to be friendly, accommodating and considerably cheaper than the site at Langar. Negotiations began.

While changing the offside front tyre, the man from Tanvic had problems removing the wheel nut, and after actually changing the tyre, told Paul that the wheel stud itself was damaged. Closer investigation revealed that, worst case scenario, the whole wheel and hub assembly would have to be removed from the bus, which was another setback we could have done without.

Thankfully, the news did get a bit better, as upon closer inspection the Tanvic engineer informed us that the two inner tyres were not as worn as we had first anticipated, and would make ideal spare tyres. So not only did we have a bus sat on six brand new tyres, we now had two additional spare tyres that would reduce future expense.

So all in all, a day of mixed feelings, but still a milestone in the project's fortunes. However we still had a lot to consider, particularly with regards storage of the bus. We went away and talks began.

The fundraising begins...01/03/14

In an attempt to generate some much needed funds for the Ulsterbus 2599 fund, Paul and your blogmaster set out on a very cold Saturday morning to Nottingham Bluecoat School for a toy fair, armed with a large selection of models Paul had collected over the years. We were also aided in our quest to raise funds by Paul Seaman of Nottingham Bus Enthusiasts, who supplied us with additional models to sell.

We spent an enjoyable morning meeting numerous people, enjoyed several cups of coffee and a cake (thanks Leader!) and managed to sell a small number of models, and overall we felt that for our first attempt we hadn't done a bad job, coming away with around £70 to put into the fund - not a massive figure, but every little helps (as they say at Tesco!)


The fundraising had begun...

The tyres arrive 24/02/14

A bit of positive news after our previous upset with the manifold, with news that 2599's new tyres have arrived. A major step forward, and one of the biggest costs out of the way, as the tyres we returned from Dorking on are on their way out now!

The group has now got to get the funds together to pay for them and have them fitted, and thanks must go to Tanvic Tyres of Nottingham for all their assistance and agreeing to store them until payment can be arranged.

Developments and setbacks 15/02/14

A few developments from a trip to the bus undertaken by Paul and Tim on 15 February, with Tim doing some investigative work into 2599's exhaust problems. Sadly, this uncovered a major problem when it was discovered that the exhaust manifold was broken in two! This was another setback at a time it was felt where everytime we took a step forward, we took another two steps back.

On a more positive note, Tim managed to fit the Coleraine Depot destination blind into 2599, shipped from Northern Ireland courtesy of Robert Nogues, and Paul managed to change the rear bulbs so that all rear lights now worked. 

There were mixed feelings all round, and it was a setback we really did not need. We now had a dilemma on our hands. Did we dig deep and invest in having a new manifold manufactured at great expense, or did we go for the cheaper option of having the existing broken manifold welded back together, which may last a matter of weeks, or a matter of years, depending on who we spoke to! There was much to discuss, and some tough decisions to be made...

A little help from our friends across the Irish Sea

Not much to report from 2599 herself as we enter the month of February, with most of the action being behind the scenes away from the bus. Thanks to Robert Nogues and the Ards Bus Preservation Group over in Northern Ireland, our group now has a number of useful parts to aid in the restoration of the bus, including a Bristol RE badge, some original Ulsterbus-spec vinlyls for the emergency exit to replace lettering damaged over the years, as well as a number of other useful bits. Other memorabilia sent over includes some Ulsterbus timetables which will live with the bus.

2599 will also be sporting an authentic Coleraine Depot destination blind, which Robert has kindly shipped over for us, with the Citybus blind currently in the bus making the journey 'across the water' to live on in Robert's Citybus RE 2446.

Many thanks to all concerned!

 

Getting our hands dirty...18/01/14

A visit to the bus by Paul and Tim on Saturday 18 January - 2 weeks after moving her to her new home at Langar - allowed for measurements to be taken for a number of components that needed replacing. This also presented an opportunity for Paul to get some detailed photographs. A start was also made on the cleaning of the interior too, with the dashboard area given a good tidy up, and an attempt made on cleaning the seats and floor (with little success at this stage, advice being sought from friends in Northern Ireland with similar vehicles on the best way to go about the cleaning process).

The adventure begins: Saturday 4 January 2014

The new year arrived, and was shrouded in a little sadness when Peter, for personal reasons, decided to leave the group at an early stage. A major blow for the group, but he does still assist with odd jobs and takes a keen interest in the project. This just left three of us, Paul, Calum and your blogmaster, Dan.

So we'd done it. Rumours among coach drivers and public house pipedreaming had turned into a reality - 2599 was now the property of Paul Waplington, with Calum and myself acting as shareholders, and the Ulsterbus 2599 group was slowly becoming established behind closed doors (unbeknown even to us at the time!). In the days leading upto the purchase of the bus, those who needed to know had been kept informed via a secret page on facebook called 'Project X' (how fitting, as 2599's bodywork is classed as Alexander X-type!). With the festivities of Christmas and New Year out of the way, we set a date of Saturday 4 January 2014 to conduct an inspection of the bus, in an attempt to see what we were taking on.

Saturday dawned, and in a cold and damp Hucknall Market Place Paul introduced me to Tim Moss for the first time, a fellow enthusiast, part-time coach driver and the man who was to perform 2599's first 'health check'. We set off to pick Calum up and arrived at the bus' temporary home at Tiger European of Colwick. A quick chat with the management there revealed that the bus had been generating rather a lot of interest amongst local enthusiasts, many of whom at this stage were oblivious to what was happening. Payment for storage was made, many words of thanks uttered in the direction of the staff at Tiger for their assistance at such short notice, and we set about the task in hand. The bus was to be driven, again on trade plates, just down the road to Silverdale Coaches where a thorough inspection would take place over their pits - thanks to them once again for all their assistance.

The short journey was uneventful, and once at Silverdale, 2599 was parked over a pit in the workshops and the task begun. Now I'm no engineer so at this point I left Tim to do his stuff and proceeded to pour through the finances and get everything up to date, as well as offering assistance where required. Initial inspection turned up the following:

• A full set of replacement tyres needed
• A couple of securing brackets on the front springs requiring replacement to get through MOT, but the front springs themselves would need changing longer-term
• Rear brake shoes required relining
• Exhaust manifold was broken by the flexible housing
• Hinges for the access panels around the engine bay
• Small oil leak near flywheel
• Horn and speedo
• A little welding work needed on the chassis/body mounts at the rear of the chassis - couple of brackets to replace

All in all, not mammoth tasks, but expensive ones, most of which could be sorted over a few weekends if we put the graft in. Inspection complete, we set about moving the bus onto the wash bay next door to smarten her up a bit - several years of dirt having collected on the bodywork. A couple of trips through the bus wash and a thorough hosing down, and she looked a lot better for the wash! From doing this, it allowed us to see that the paint was fading in places, and that long-term the bus would require a full repaint. But that is all cosmetic and for a later date. Our minds were focussed on the mechanical elements that required sorting to get 2599 to the next step - MOT. 

Paul reversed 2599 off the wash and parked her in the middle of the yard, and Tim set about writing up his findings for us. Arrangements were then made to move the bus to her permanent storage at Langar, after the disasters of the weekend previously. Once complete, we set about starting her up for the next leg of the journey, which is where we discovered our next problem. A charging issue meant that, for the first time since buying the bus, she required a jump start. Once Tim had sorted this, he took his place in the cab, Calum joined Paul in 'Starship Focus', and once I joined the bus we set off for Langar.

The trip went smoothly, and on arrival we were introduced to the relevant people and given the necessary information about the site. Finances were sorted out, and other formalities completed, and once again all was well. We now knew what was required to get 2599 up to MOT standards, all we had to do now was work out a plan of how we were going to sort it all out. The adventure begins...

Into the unknown...the adventure begins

In the days after our Christmas meal in Peachykeens, there was a sense of excitement building between the four of us - much like children with a new toy (I'm sure the lads will really thank me for saying that!). Paul had been in touch with Mike Nash and arrangements were in place to pay 2599 a visit on Saturday 28 December 2013. As day broke, we set off for the long drive to Dorking (Surrey), with a couple of pit stops en-route, and after a pursuit in the car through Dorking Town Centre that would have done The Sweeney proud to photograph an ex-Crosville Leyland Olympian on Rail Replacement duties, we arrived at the farm just after lunch.

I can still remember the cheshire cat grin on my face as we drove into the farm to see 2599 sat there, waiting for us. I think to this day that Calum, Paul and Peter all had similar expressions. After the formalities were out of the way, we set out to have a look around. Mike told us a bit about how he came to be involved with the bus himself, through friends on the Irish preservation scene, and that it had been in his custody for around seven years, in which time it had seen limited use. From initial inspection, it was clear to see that beyond the weather-beaten exterior here was a vehicle that had been well looked after through its life in preservation. After an inspection of the vehicle, we regrouped to discuss the formalities, and a plan was formed. Our pre-Christmas drunken ramblings were actually turning into a reality - it was actually happening. 2599 was ready to go, and ours for the taking. And so the deal was done. Paul purchased 2599, with myself (Dan), Calum and Peter acting as shareholders and paying into the cause, and once the relevant paperwork was done, walk-round checks completed and trade plates affixed, our minds turned back to the long journey home to Nottingham - with an extra vehicle and financially lighter!

Standing at the end of the road to the farm, camera in hand, I recall Mike Nash turning to me and his parting words were "He'll love that". And Mike, if you read this, you weren't wrong! He does - we all do! And many thanks for everything you did for us. Several photos and videos were taken as we left the farm, and once we said our goodbyes, our minds became focussed on the journey home. Calum had the honour of driving the RE, with Peter riding shotgun on the bus in a support role should any disaster unfold, while I joined Paul in 'Starship Focus' following behind, and we hit the road.

Not far outside Dorking, at the approach to a busy roundabout, our fears that something could go wrong were seemingly realised, when 2599 stalled in the middle of the approach. After a couple of attempts, and some choice expletives in the direction of an abusive car driver, she fired up again and all seemed fine once again. We pressed on, with the stall issue embedded in our minds. Was this going to be a problem? Could it lead to worse?

We pulled in at Clacket Lane Services on the M25 and brimmed the tank with fuel. At this point, Peter joined Paul in the car, while I took up my position with Calum on 2599, and we hit the road once again. Darkness began to fall, and a new problem befell us - before departing Dorking Mike had suggested that it be best to use the lights sparingly as we were not sure how this would affect the electrical systems. With Paul and Pete in front and 2599 on sidelights, we took the plunge to use the bus' headlights as total darkness descended. Our fears were unfounded - she carried on with no problems.

After another break at Peterborough Services, we continued our journey, our fuel starvation glitch and potential electrical issues pushed to the back of our minds. And then, total disaster. As we made our way into rural Leicestershire, a phone call by Paul revealed that the storage site where 2599 was to be kept was unable to receive the bus that evening. We were in a major dilemma. It was getting on for 2030 in the middle of nowhere, pitch black, amd we had a bus but no storage! Crisis point! Calum and Paul made some frantic phone calls and after around half an hour we got the break we were looking for. Tiger European of Colwick agreed to store the bus on a temporary basis until her new home at Langar was ready to take delivery. Panic over, the loud pedal was applied once again and we made our way ever closer to home.

Around 2100, nearly six hours after leaving Surrey, we finally made it to Tiger European's yard at Colwick, with a quick visit to Silverdale of Nottingham for Paul to show 2599 off to some of his colleagues. We'd done it. She was home. Not completely without incident, but she was in Nottingham in one piece - a great weight off our minds. The next job was to have her mechanically checked over, but that's another story. We had ventured into the unknown...the adventure begins.

Welcome Aboard

Welcome to the Ulsterbus 2599 group blog page, a light-hearted insight into the tales of three men and the restoration and preservation of 1983 Ulsterbus Bristol RE 2599 (BXI2599). Follow our adventures here, keep up to date with restoration progress and join us on the rally circuit as we generate awareness and interest in our bus. We have several ideas in the pipeline so watch this space...

And so our project was born...

A cold night in December 2013, and as the four of us sat around the table in Peachykeens World Buffet Restaurant in Nottingham having a laugh, enjoying our respective Chinese and Indian curries and becoming slowly more inebriated as the pints rolled in to celebrate Christmas, I can recall somewhere in proceedings Paul Waplington announcing to us that a chance conversation with a mutual friend of ours, Thomas Mitchell, a few days before while on a layover on a National Express run to Newcastle had revealed the possibility that an ex-Ulsterbus Bristol RE may be for sale. The vehicle in question was 2599 (BXI2599), the penultimate RE built and the highest numbered survivor of hundreds of such vehicles supplied to Citybus and Ulsterbus in Northern Ireland, after its sister vehicle 2600 was sadly destroyed in a terrorist firebomb attack on the Ulsterbus Depot at Ballycastle in 1995.

Therefore, 2599 is a significant vehicle. At the time, the bus was on a farm near Dorking (Surrey) and owned by well-known vehicle dealer Mike Nash. As the alcohol continued to flow, and our empty plates were cleared, the four of us discussed the pros and cons of possibly getting involved with the vehicle and purchasing it for preservation. As we did this, Paul and Peter fondly reminisced about a trip around the museum site at Lathalmond back in the Summer on board Ulsterbus RE 2438, and how much he enjoyed it, while Calum and myself spoke fondly of a trip the previous Summer around Central Bristol on a similar Ulsterbus RE (the number of which escapes me at this moment). So from this, it became clear we all had something of a soft spot for late model Irish Bristol RE's.

As the night progressed, the idea became stronger, and that burning desire to investigate more into the possibility of owning an Ulsterbus RE - a significant survivor at that - grew stronger. We stumbled away from Peachykeens in a drunken stupour with the idea still fresh in our minds, and before we knew it, contact was made by Paul with Mike Nash, and a date set of Saturday 28 December to pay 2599 a visit. Were we mad? Was it just the alcohol-induced musings of four bus cranks? Did any of us really know what we were taking on? Or was the pipedream of preserving an Ulsterbus RE about to become a reality? And so our project was born...