Progress update 16/07/14

We are now well into July, and due to various family/work/holiday commitments, much of what has been happening within the group has been behind the scenes, with discussions taking place about the direction the project should move in next, more new contacts to aid in the restoration process being sourced and fundraising efforts being kick-started.

Up at the farm, Paul and Peter spent a Sunday afternoon continuing where I had left off on preparing the rear wheels for repainting, stripping down many years of Ulsterbus blue and applying grey primer. A quick test on one of the wheels using some blue paint donated to the group earlier in the restoration process revealed that the blue was the incorrect shade, being the later lighter shade of 'Ulsterbus Mk2' blue used in the early 1990's, rather than the darker shade used when the bus was new.


Behind the scenes, negotiations were in place with a company called Comet Dezigns of Clifton (Notts) to have some polo shirts made up for the group in a bid to try and raise awareness of 2599 as we travel around the country. Nicola and her team could not have been more helpful, with many emails and phone calls to discuss our requirements, and even a sample design created for us - the end results are fantastic! More information about Comet can be found here: www.cometdezign.co.uk

Turning our attention back to 2599 herself, Paul and one of his colleagues Nik, a mechanic, paid a visit to the farm to have a look at the damaged latch on the rear emergency door. Eventually the latch was removed, and plans are now being drawn up for the replacement latch and door handle sent by Robert Nogues of the Ards Bus Preservation Group to be fitted at a later date.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the final preparations were being made by myself and Paul to attend the 5th Alton Bristol RE and VR Running Day and Alton Bus Rally over the coming weekend.But more on that one later...