02/07/14: Six months on, and moving forwards...

As we celebrate six months of being involved with Ulsterbus 2599, Paul Waplington's 1983 Alexander-bodied Bristol RE, we have all been reflecting on what a fun-filled and emotional journey it has been so far. Its had ups and downs, stressful moments, and there have been times many where we have all wondered what we had taken on. But we have also shared many laughs, created many memories and made some fantastic new friends along the way, as we make small steps ever closer to bringing 2599 upto a roadworthy standard to one day do what she was designed to do - carry passengers once again. Anyway, I digress...

In our previous blog posts, you will remember we were going through a major dilemma about the brake anchor pins, with leads drawing to a dead end and the possibility of having to have new pins manufactured from scratch looking like an increasing reality. However, thanks to the efforts of Carl Ireland, we have the required pins for both front and rear brakes, plus a set of brake springs. Again, we cannot thank you enough for your efforts!

We have also had a brand new throttle support plate manufactured from scratch, as Gary Crosby's efforts revealed that the original support plate was not supporting very much at all, being badly corroded! This has now been collected, and all that remains is to drill the holes for the bolts and to refit it to the bus, a task that will probably take place during our next working party (watch this space).

In other news, we have also managed to source a complete set of front brake shoes which will be of great use to the group once work starts on the front brakes. In the meantime, it is our aim to complete the necessary work on the rear brakes, fit the throttle support plate, and hopefully look at forming a timeline to begin some of the other tasks awaiting completion, including looking into sorting out the problems with the emergency exit. Paul has also been out and about negotiating with BOC gas about hiring a supply of Oxygen Astelene and a blowtorch which will assist us with some of the work that needs doing.

Meanwhile, talks are underway about our next fact finding/fundraising trips over the next month or so. Calum is hoping to be running a stall at the Ruddington open day on Sunday 20 July in a bid to raise funds towards 2599's restoration, while Paul and myself are looking into the possibility of a visit to the annual Alton running day and bus rally over the weekend of 19/20 July in a bid to meet more Bristol RE owners and generate even more interest in the bus.