270 KTA

sadism [sa-diz-em]

2012-02-27T14:42:00.010-08:00

- noun
2. The derivation of pleasure as a result of ... watching pain inflicted on others.

I’m delighted that 270 KTA’s blog is proving to be of service. A quick glance at the stats reveals that, every month, some 500 regulars return to this site to enjoy the latest terror inflicted by our friend. Bravo, I say. One objective of this blog is to showcase all aspects of preserving an old vehicle to anybody who’s interested, shiny and less so, and it would appear there’s an appetite for it.

This weekend’s tale will definitely feed the sadist. Having arrived at 270 KTA-HQ intent on removing injector pipes (spare ones to be made), today’s first job was to move 270 KTA to a space where she could be left immobilised for a week.

Ironic, given the state of the batteries…

Now, it’s not unusual for an infrequently used vehicle to have flat batteries, especially in the Winter, but our friend has history. Since I’ve had it, we’ve had no fewer than four battery disasters; I also have a friend who remembers the endlessly immobile 270 KTA clogging up Bridgwater depot in the early ‘70s because “she’d go through whatever batteries they put on”. Reason tells me there can’t be anything to that, and even if there was at the time, surely it wouldn’t still be doing it 40 years later?

And yet, they were doing their bit for pancake day. A dead cell was identified.

To spare you the hours of fruitless charging that, sadly, I wasn’t spared myself… we now have new ones. An expensive return trip to Plymouth and back in the car, and the problem was sorted.

But as we know, out of pain comes pleasure. A celebratory drive into Kingsbridge in glorious early-evening sunshine made everything okay.

Even if I didn’t get to touch an injector pipe today.

Since I announced plans for the 50th Anniversary tour last week, several of you have been in touch to arrange meetings en route. Our friend looks forward to seeing her followers – human and canine - in Weymouth, Taunton and Bridgwater so far, and would welcome more. Drop me a line to let me know you’re ‘out there'...

Gestation Jubilee

2012-02-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

If you’re bad at remembering birthdays, think yourself lucky you don’t own a bus.

270 KTA has three tangible ‘birth’ days, the first of which – if perhaps the least tangible – is today. 50 years ago, on 15th February 1962, chassis number 190033 left the Bristol Commercial Vehicles factory in Brislington and embarked on the 250-plus mile journey to Eastern Coach Works in Lowestoft, where it would become a coach.

It wouldn’t have been recognisable as our friend. This tiny portion of a photo from 1962 is the only shot I’ve seen of an SU chassis – possibly you know who – and it’s in this unlikely form that, fifty years ago, mine would have been driven under its own power for the first time.

Yes, driven! For the best part of a century, the helmeted drivers who’d take these skeletons on a windy journey across the breadth of the country were a daily sight leaving Bristol. It must have been a dreadful job, cold and terrifying; I’d have loved every minute…

The other two dates are perhaps more significant for our friend as we know it. The finished coach was collected by Western National, running on trade-plates, on 20th June 1962. Eleven days later it was officially registered with the DVLA as 270 KTA; a coach was born.

So I’ve decided that June will be the month of cake.

I’m planning to mark the delivery ‘birthday’ with a tour of the depots 270 KTA served, starting at the conveniently timed Weymouth bus rally on 17th June, and continuing to Trowbridge, Bridgwater, Taunton, Newton Abbot, Plymouth and crucially, arriving in Kingsbridge on 20th June.

The official ‘birthday’ weekend will be enjoyed in fine company on the annual Royal Blue Run, which will take us from High Wycombe to Exeter and Salcombe on 29th/30th June, and back up country on 1st July, the day in question to... Bristol. Ideal!

Neither the Bristol Commercial Vehicles factory, nor the ECW works – where the building and finishing of the body would have commenced fifty years ago tomorrow – survives today. Both were closed before I could ride a bike, and have been obliterated to make way for retail parks.

And yet, 50 years on, our friend travels on…

Come Rain...

2012-01-25T10:43:00.001-08:00

A week off work wouldn't be the same if it didn't pour down...

Here's our friend, soaking up the South Devon rains during some bus moving earlier on.

Back in the dry, various projects are on the go this week... full update to follow.

Turn Of The Half-Century

2012-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from my friend and me.

For our new readers, cattle-herded in this direction by an insistent Christmas card, I strongly encourage a quick canter through the posts of the last twelve months. 2011 was a landmark year for 270 KTA, one in which fortunes were reversed, and a poorly SUL of old returned to the road once more.

There were many highlights, lowlights too, and you’ll find them all here.

2012 will be just as significant. It will be precisely 50 years this Summer that 270 KTA was delivered new to Western National’s Kingsbridge depot. We’ll be marking that anniversary in many ways, including a return to the depot on the day in question, a tour of all the West Country depots she worked from subsequently and, of course, the annual Royal Blue coach run in June/July – her first.

There’s much to be done to enable all this – a whole loo roll’s worth , in fact – and you’ll be able to follow progress here.

I began 2011 with a bus that didn’t work, and a blogpost of photos from the days when it did.

I’m pleased to say I can start 270 KTA's half-century year by doing it the other way round...

A shot from 1976 showing 270 KTA leaving Weymouth, probably on her final day with Western National. The tow truck is RV8, also now preserved, and ironically living about ten feet away from 270 KTA. Let’s hope there’s never a need to get any closer…

Photograph by Dave Habgood, (c)Colin Billington Collection

Many Happy Day Returns

2011-11-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

So, I’m now half way to getting a bus pass.

Just as well I was driving this weekend, on a little tour with friends to celebrate my 30th birthday. 270 KTA’s gift to her owner was to make it across the border to Cornwall and back without cause for embarrassment, and a jolly good time was had by all.

Our mission was a tour of the Rame Peninsula, often called Cornwall’s forgotten corner, which has some of the most spectacular scenery in the country and yet remains just a few miles from Plymouth. One of those miles is wet, and so provides an excellent excuse for a crossing on the Torpoint chain ferry – yes, with the bus...

After tea, cake and lovely presents, we travelled via leafy lanes to Plymouth, my home for the past three years and home to 270 KTA at various stages in her life, too.

Our official photographer was duly dispatched to get some atmospheric shots of us driving through the historic Barbican end of town. Here we are in Southside Street, flanked by pasty shops, ice cream parlours and pubs, with the chimney of the famous Gin Distillery as a backdrop.

One of the benefits of having the Met Office in Devon is that last minute requests for good weather are sometimes looked upon favourably, hence a very sunny trip around Plymouth Hoe, looking out onto “The Sound”.

The Torpoint ferry takes vehicles across the River Tamar between Devonport (Devon) and Torpoint (Cornwall). These days it forms part of a scheduled bus route, and SU coaches did use it on touring work in the 60s, but there’s nonetheless a certain amount of adrenaline as you board it. With clearance enough to drive on without losing any bodywork, here’s our friend enjoying the airs… and the fumes.

Once you're on, it's the one guaranteed trouble-free mile of the 70-odd mile round trip, and in the glorious sunshine most of our passengers took to the deck for a civilised stroll. And why not; it’s November!

You know it’s your Birthday when you’re allowed into the previously forbidden and hallowed territory of Torpoint bus depot – a long-held favourite of mine – for a pose…

… and given it’s my last 30th Birthday for a while, I thought I'd milk every moment. Had the depot foreman not driven past to see hoards of photographers in the middle of the road outside, we might have got away with it, too...

The five mile stretch along the cliff road at Whitsand Bay is breathtaking for passengers and drivers alike – perhaps for different reasons. A stunned silence filled 270 KTA as we looked down the 120m sheer drop to the beautiful sandy beaches, reachable only by foot and careless driving.

After a photo at Insworke (home to Conductor Farley, who was greeted by his Mum), we tackled a part of the bus route which has now been abandoned owing to tight turns. I can see why.

Journey’s end was Cremyll, geographically just a mile or so down the river from Torpoint, but about an hour by road at SU speeds. I say an hour, those speeds were to be greatly compromised on the return journey by the industrial quantities of roast dinner taken on board by passengers and crew at The Edgcumbe Arms – a fine terminus.

So fine, that by the time we emerged it was getting dark…

The journey home saw some beautiful sunsets, and I dare say a few contented noddings off. I know I caught up on a bit of sleep on the lanes just outside Antony…

It was a wonderful day in great company, and it was nice to hear 270 KTA filled with near constant laughter. (For all the right reasons.) No doubt she was practising for her own 50th Birthday celebrations next July…

P.A.R.T.Y. S.U.

2011-11-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Somebody's off to a party...

It probably speaks volumes that, whilst I have 270 KTA's 50th Birthday celebrations next July planned in precision detail, the plan for my own 30th was only fully cast in aluminium on Tuesday. And it's on Sunday.

270 KTA will be conveying a small party across the Tamar, via the Torpoint ferry, for a spot of lunch in Cornwall. In preparation, today saw an early morning wash in the rain and fitting of an appropriate destination blind. And number.

Full report to follow when I'm 30.

The Loo Roll List

2011-10-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

On my desk at home sits a list so long it had to be written on a loo roll.

Thereupon are recorded the many jobs I plan to tackle on 270 KTA over the next few months, now that the rally season is safely done.

Whilst I'm a long way from being able to tear off even the first perforated sheet, here are some photos to prove I've been winning...

First the broken injector pipe (No.2), which you'll recall unceremoniously fractured on the Kingsbridge Running Day. I've had a new one made at City Diesels in Plymouth, by a man who instantly recognised where it had come from.

"I used to work on those engines. They always did that - load of old sh*t!." Always good to find an expert...

I've now become an expert myself in how to fit No.2 injector pipes to an SU, a job which involves hooking it around the chassis and intricately feeding it along a path you wouldn't think something of that shape could take.

But it does... if you call it the right names.

One unexpected bonus is that, with the replacement pipe fitted clear of the chassis, the 'knocking' sound I've been complaining about for months (now semi-affectionately known as "Donk Donk Donk") has completely gone. That solves the mystery. One extra job for the toilet roll: I'm going to press ahead and replace the other three injector pipes, making some modifications to their shape to stop them from rubbing on each other, which at the moment they are.

By the way, I've been remiss in not showing you the outcome of my steering wheel endeavours, to which I've now put the finishing touches. Can you spot which is 'before' and which is 'after'?...

And while we're in the cab, a generous offer has been made by the two Head Sheppards to reupholster 270 KTA's driver's seat, which was left badly torn after years of stroking busmen's bottoms. Fortuitously, some years ago Mrs Sheppard Snr was presented with an industrial leather sewing machine as a gift from Mr Sheppard Snr (along with a roll of leather which just happened to match the seats in his Bristol FLF...).

The Sheppard Upholstery Works reports good progress. Here's the new leather, cut and prepared for stitching...

... and the foam from inside the old seat...

(Incidentally, markings on the base of the seat indicate this was originally the seat from 271 KTA - perhaps you'd like the old bits back, Mr Helliker?...)

Last weekend's mission was to flush out the coolant system and replace with fresh antifreeze and water; by the look of what came out, I'm the first to have done it for years. Having warmed everything up before opening the tap, it took a good 20 minutes of flushing through with the hosepipe before the water ran clear.

Poor old drains...

And so progress is made. Next up, the task of getting the electric door to work. As a motor retro-fitted to a weighty, previously hand-operated door, they never worked particularly well in service by all accounts, but getting it to work at all would be a bonus.

And, in a couple of weeks time, 270 KTA will have the responsibility of a little outing in celebration of somebody's 30th Birthday. Can't think whose...

A Joyous Bundle

2011-09-29T03:30:00.001-07:00

An exciting parcel has arrived which will warm the hearts of 270 KTA fans everywhere...

The OO-gauge Bristol SU coach models are here in quantity. Specially comissioned by 270 KTA's scribe, 30 of the little things will soon be heading to new owners as far flung as Scotland and the Channel Islands (real life SU coaches ended up in both places, incidentally).

As you can see, they come unbuilt in raw kit form, allowing their owners to recreate their favourite coach in a livery of their choice. One of the demonstration models was recently exhibited at the Model Bus Federation AGM, finished in poppy red and white as 270 KTA in her Devon General guise; let's hope this satisfies the desires of the growing army of 'red fleet' fans who are intent on persuading me to follow suit with the real thing...

I'm having four of the things. Watch this space to see how they turn out.

Alas, for those who missed out, the production run was a sell-out with even the samples being snapped up...

achievement [uh-cheev-muhnt]

2011-09-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

- noun
1. something accomplished, esp. by exertion, practice, perseverance, etc.

Here I present some photographs which tell the story of a truly memorable weekend for our friend and her owner.

This tranquil scene by the sea belies the racing pulse and flushed cheeks that lead up to it. Thursday was to be my time for quietly getting re-acquainted with the routes 270 KTA and I were to tackle at Saturday’s Running Day; some chance! Armed with a dozen friends (many of them highly practised in the art of bus driving), we embarked on what was my first ever passenger carrying trip. In the spirit of deep-end learning, our tour took us along the narrowest single-track lanes of Beeson, around double-hairpin bends into Beesands, between stone parapets in South Pool and up many first-gear hills in between.

It’s hard to decide whether driving a bus load of people you know makes it better or worse when you mess-up a gear change, but I was ready for anything by the time we paused for Chinese in Kingsbridge on the way home. For the record, we even ordered some of the dishes using bus numbers…

I slept well that night, as did 270 KTA I suspect. Thanks to Helen Billington for allocating me a room with a view…

Among the preparations for Saturday’s outing were a good wash (thanks, Lee), a good mopping out (thanks, Mel), and a modest amount of ‘bullshit’ for the cameras. One thing that’s annoyed and puzzled me for a long time is an arrow shape which appears on the radiator grille when viewed from a distance, but like a magic-eye puzzle seems to disappear when you get up close. The only way to get rid of it was to paint the entire grille using a 3mm brush… and three hours later, get rid of it I had.

After some early fuelling-up on Saturday morning, our first trip was the 0932 feeder service from Loddiswell to Kingsbridge. To add to the nerves of driving an SU in front of my Dad for the first time, I also had Nick Helliker and Mike Ellis on board – between us we own roughly a quarter of the surviving SU population! Other riders of note in front of whom I’d hoped to retain crash-gearbox dignity include well-known preservationists Graham Thorogood and Neil Markwick, Graham Bailey who made it possible for me to drive in the first place, and photographer in chief Ken Jones, who is almost as much of an avid follower of 270 KTA as his dog.

Here I am at the ironically named South Pool, checking to see how much water had boiled out of the overflow during the long climb up from Sherford. By normal SU standards it wasn’t much – ‘finding its own level’ as I euphemistically say whenever it sprays boiling water through the driver’s cab window into my face.

It turns out 270 KTA wasn’t the only one boiling up on this trip. On arrival in Sherford, a furious lady resident accosted Conductor Farley and insisted that the area outside her cottage was not to be used for the turning of buses. We resisted the temptation to point out that it had, in fact, been used for that very purpose when buses used to run the route in the 1960s, and instead encouraged a full load of passengers to wave cheerily as she flew off on her broomstick…

Here’s a very significant moment in our weekend: 270 KTA outside her original home, the former Western National depot in Derby Road, Kingsbridge, now Jades’ electronics factory. Again, the smile carried by our friend somewhat contradicts the mood of her driver, who had just discovered why things had felt a little sluggish on the way home from South Pool… A fractured injector pipe.

Were it not for the brilliance of David Sheppard Senior, that’s where the day would have ended. With the engine running on three cylinders (it’s sluggish enough with the full four!), and fuel spraying onto the manifold, we limped home to enable the Engineer in Chief to begin the task of making an injector pipe from thin air. With just an hour to go before our next run, and two other buses already broken down, the pressure was on to make it work somehow.

Fifteen minutes before we were due at the bus station, my instruction came from under the bus: “Go and wash your hands – we’re off”. He’d quite literally saved the day…

(Photograph Courtesy of Laurence Mayhew.)

Off we went with a full load, 33 passengers plus driver and conductor, bound for East Portlemouth. This is the route which takes us through the aforementioned Beeson and Beesands, both even more tricky to negotiate with extra weight on board. After what seemed like a fifteen-point turn in East Prawle (thanks, parked cars), we eventually rolled down the hill into East Portlemouth some 61 minutes late…

We made up some of the time on the return journey, but not much, and we eventually arrived back at Kingsbridge bus station to find Colin Billington tapping his watch! We’d won the prize for the last bus back…

Strangely, we all managed a good drink that evening - tired, muscles aching, but happy. Really, really happy.

Sunday’s weather made me question whether I really fancied subjecting 270 KTA to the drive up to WHOTT’s annual rally at Westpoint, near Exeter, but peer pressure (and threat of being made to take a Bristol LH with no clutch) made me see sense. I was instantly glad I did, as our friend performed impeccably, and it was good to rediscover fifth gear again – the South Hams certainly had no use for it on Saturday!

And it was worth the drive just to enjoy this fine sight…

A tranquil end to a busy weekend with 270 KTA. I can’t wait for the next one.

Further photographs from the weekend are now beginning to emerge on Flickr and other sites. In particular, Laurence Mayhew’s collection is worth a look, together with PTOTPA. Thanks also to Graham from Plymothian Transit, for his kind words about the blog.

Grand Day Out 1

2011-09-17T16:31:00.001-07:00

An eventful but ultimately successful day out at Kingsbridge Running Day for our friend, who carried nearly 200 passengers...

Full details in due course.

A Day At Home

2011-09-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 270 KTA will be having a day out - at home.

The (now annual) Kingsbridge Bus Running Day is a recreation of the town's bus network in the 1960s, and as Western National's Kingsbridge-based coach between 1962 and 1968, 270 KTA will be an essential visitor.

I've taken the rest of the week off to make sure we're ready. Having returned from finishing the steering wheel project last night (I don't want to talk about that), I attempted something more creative into the wee small hours of the morning; being correct for her later life in Somerset, 270 KTA's destination blind doesn't feature Kingsbridge - or, rather, didn't, until I set forth with eleven sheets of tracing paper, a pair of nail scissors and two sticks of glue. Look okay?

One particular highlight will be between duties, when we'll be using the overflow parking at Jades Electronics factory - the old Western National Kingsbridge depot until 1971, and the very building to which 270 KTA was delivered new in 1962.

The journeys themselves promise to be a lot of fun. Our runs to South Pool and East Portlemouth are typical of the terrain which meant that the Kingsbridge fleet consisted of narrow vehicles, often single track with hard Devon banks on either side. And they're a twisty test of the driver's navigational skills...

Good job 270 KTA's a native; let's hope her memory's better than mine...

Where There's A Wheel...

2011-09-07T15:39:00.001-07:00

It's back on.

Because it's late and I'm tired, I won't reveal now how this magic has been done.

What's important at this stage is that now the steering wheel and (proper) nut are both back on, so too are plans for 270 KTA and her driver to give some rides at Kingsbridge Running Day on Saturday week...

Having tantalised, I'll save that for later, too...

Bum Steer

2011-08-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

The humble wedding ring has a lot to answer for.

After passing through the fingers of thousands of bus drivers, 270 KTA's steering wheel lost its war of attrition with the band of gold long, long ago. For every battle scar in its plastic coating, a new layer of tape - black, gold, and even bright red - has been wound around its surface like a giant bandage.

Now twice its original thickness, multicoloured, sticky, and with trailing ends that slime through your hands at every bend, it's become the job I really must tackle before we go out again.

I discovered this evening, there's a problem - somebody's already tried and failed. Quite spectacularly.

To get the steering wheel recoated, or even painted in the interim, it has to come off. Normally you'd remove the centre nut and use a pulling device to lever the wheel gently from the column.

Or, if you're silly, you'd just resort to bashing the centre of the steering column for no obvious reason, mutilating the threads and ending any hope of getting the original nut to fit. You'd then leave the steering wheel attached only with a token nut of the wrong size and thread and hope that nobody noticed. Guess which method was used last time?!

Far from the small task of getting the wheel repaired, I'm now faced with the challenge of finding a way to build up the steering column enough that a new thread can be cut into it. Otherwise, the steering wheel could fall of at any time!

Oh, and it has to be done before Kingsbridge Running Day in three weeks. Any ideas, then give me a steer....

Little Things

2011-08-05T17:15:00.001-07:00

Great news for those eagerly awaiting the models of 270 KTA and her kind, mooted earlier this year.

A pre-production sample of the resin kit, specially comissioned, reached me today. It's great! The windscreens will need some careful attention to make them look right, but the basic body is spot on.

If you're one of the lucky 25, heralding from as disparate locations as Guernsey and Scotland, you can expect your bundle of joy in September.

But, as with a real SU, you'll need to invest a few hours before it's quite ready for the coach station...

Owner/Driver

2011-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

As if there hasn't been enough to celebrate these past couple of months, 270 KTA is rejoicing in a milestone for her owner.

I've passed my PCV test, and now have a full licence to drive buses and coaches!

(Those interested can read more in this article.)

This is, of course, great news for anybody hoping to ride on 270 KTA. I've previously been allowed to drive her with only 8 passengers or fewer because of a legal exemption for drivers of buses over 30 years of age.

With a PCV licence we can participate fully in running days and carry as many of you as her 33 seats will take at a time. Form an orderly queue...

Roll on Kingsbridge Running Day, Saturday 17th September. More on that very soon...

A Win!

2011-07-24T16:18:00.001-07:00

Just what I need: something to polish

Not only did 270 KTA get along to her first rally today, she somehow managed to win me a cup.

"Best Single Deck Bus, 1962 to present" is a bold claim, and not one I'd make myself just yet; even at fifty paces you can see what needs to be done.

But I'll happily take some shiny silver credit for just getting 270 KTA to Plymouth's Hoe rally today; and how humbling that it's decided by a vote amongst fellow preservationists, people who know that making things look nice is the easy bit.

This was the empathy vote.

(And what a thrill to have the trophy presented to me by none other than BBC Radio Devon's Gordon Sparks, a man I haven't seen since last Friday...)

Well done, 270 KTA!

On the 'Oe

2011-07-22T16:49:00.001-07:00

It looks dangerously like you might get to meet 270 KTA at a rally this weekend.

All being well, we'll see you on The Hoe on Sunday - a fitting first public outing for our friend.

You'll observe that whilst cosmetics are still a long way down the priority list, I've now made a start on polishing the first half dozen yards of the 27,000 miles of aluminium brightwork an SU has to offer.

Ting!

The Other Kind of Ticket

2011-07-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

We all laughed at 'On the Buses' when Eunice Black - playing the world's most over zealous traffic warden - slapped a parking ticket on the front of Stan Butler's bus.

It doesn't seem so funny now...

You see, the problem with having 270 KTA fit for the road is that I'm now bound to behave like an excited child and do all the little things I've been dreaming of since, well, I was one... like driving over to Totnes - a major haunt of Bristol SU's in their heyday - and pretending it's 1962.

In the old days, my chosen spot was one of several bus stops on The Plains, outside the Western National enquiry office. It's only natural that I should want to recreate the scene as closely as possible on the much heralded day I should get to drive an SU to Totnes...

Even if the bus stop is now a taxi rank...

I first noticed the warden's presence through the viewfinder of my camera - some irritating woman in a high-visibility jacket getting in the way of my shot. Oh bugger.

Fortunately, the warden was more sympathetic than Eunice Black. After an outrageous lie about having some problems with the bus, she waved me on with a pitying half-smile.

I think she knew my game; as if I'd have a problem with 270 KTA!

Ahem.

The trip to Totnes carried the thinly veiled excuse of needing to warm up the engine to investigate our rogue ticking noise. It turns out to be number 3 injector which is making the noise - not a major problem thank goodness, but something I'll put right in the next few weeks.

Then I can really get down to some illegal parking...

Many Happy Returns!

2011-06-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Following a brief and triumphant hiatus, we must regroup in time to say...

Happy Birthday to 270 KTA, which turns 49 on 1 July!

Next year is, of course, the biggy. It probably won't surprise you to know that plans for a 50th Birthday party (actually, a tour) are already well in hand. More on that soon...

Since our triumphant MOT day, 270 KTA has acquired her first tax disc for some years and has been officially entered for her first rally in my care, on Plymouth Hoe in July.

Keen eyes will also have noticed our new 'Summer' banner at the top of the blog.

We didn't attempt the Royal Blue Run in the end. At 400+ miles, I'd already pretty much decided it would be overly ambitious as a proving run, and a couple of small outstanding issues on MOT day made up my mind to enjoy the ride as a passenger.

Now that she's been certified as safe, the next stage is to get the level of general maintenance to my satisfaction before I venture too far. The Hoe Rally seems like a good first run.

First job this weekend is to investigate a 'tick' which develops when the engine is warm. All ears suggest it's nothing serious, probably an injector, but best sorted. I'm also planning a full oil and filter change in the next couple of weeks.

So we're into a new and happy phase. The joy of many hundreds of little jobs 'to-do', combined with the ability to take the thing on the road.

The best of both worlds.

We Passed

2011-06-14T16:45:00.001-07:00

Today has been a milestone day for our mutual friend:

270 KTA now has an MOT!

I'll bring you some meaningful context when I've had some sleep, but for now, here's how the big day went...

0440 - Alarm clock rings, but is not required. I barely slept at all.

0554 - Depart 270 KTA Towers in blinding sunlight.

0619 - Depart South Brent services with a full tank of fuel. Owner's pocket considerably less full.

0758 - Arrive Sourton Services, having managed not to boil up on the notorious Haldon Hill. Driver realises he's carrying only 86p in cash, so writes off ambitions of a bacon sandwich and instead pursues tea.

0842 - Arrive Guscotts, Halwill Junction for testing. Dave is on good form: "Thought you'd try again, then?!"

0910 - Dave's helper rips his trousers (and skin) on the runners underneath 270 KTA's driver's seat. I hide the corresponding rip in my own trousers in the hope this is not seen as a safety issue...

0959 - PASSED. Dave breaks the good news from the cab window. "It's really nice, ennet".

1016 - Return journey is halted by a man waving his arms in the middle of the road. He tells of a serious accident ahead on the A386 Tavistock road, the one I need. Decide to divert via Bridestowe - looks like a big road on google maps...

1026 - Realise it's not a big road. It's single track, mainly uphill, and I can't turn round because I'm in a coach. After a long slog, we pop out on the A386. Back on course.

1135 - Two women at a bus stop in Tavistock flag me down, retracting their hands and shaking their heads at the last minute. Maybe it's because Bristol SUs haven't run in Tavistock for 35 years; or maybe they decided they didn't want the bus that goes to "Butlins Camp"... (I mean, it's not the school holidays yet, is it?)

1230 - Arrive BBC Plymouth, where I must begin a day's work while 270 KTA waits patiently in the seven private spaces coned off in anticipation of success. Among the spectators is my boss, who later sits in the cab and manages to break the engine stop cable. (Don't mention he's not the first... I might get a pay rise.)

1906 - Driver checks oil and water, mends the engine stop cable and performs a tight 180 degree turn in the car park.

2119 - Arrive 270 KTA Towers, jubilant but exhausted.

Our friend is back on the road.

Ready

2011-06-12T17:29:00.001-07:00

It's ready for MOT.

But at 1.21am, I'm ready for something else.

Until Tuesday...

Slow Motion Denouement: 1 Working Day Remaining

2011-06-11T15:55:00.001-07:00

One more day, then.

You know the bit at the end of what seems like most Bond films, where our hero works to the very last second to disarm some kind of nuclear bomb?

I know that feeling. If 270 KTA isn't ready by Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock, MOT tester Dave Guscott probably will explode. All over North Devon.

When I phoned him in the week to say that we were "nearly ready again", he resisted a jibe and just chuckled. He's heard that many times before...

But we are nearly ready, except for a huge 'To Do' list of mercifully small jobs through which I'll be ploughing tomorrow - my last working day if I'm to disarm the bomb.

Today has been productive.

I've solved a problem with the reversing light, which (you may have spotted in previous photos) was shining all the time. Before I had it the bulb had been taken out, presumably to hide this fact from the MOT men. The original fault must have been so for years: it turns out the bolt which operates the switch was too long, therefore pushing the contacts together even when the bus was in neutral.

Maybe this is why we've been going backwards a lot of late?

I've also properly secured the front number plate, which was previously hanging on by just two rotten bolts. Another little job I've been meaning to do for months...

Tomorrow will be a long day. I'm planning an early start, and I expect I'll still be going when it gets dark.

Or perhaps tomorrow night I'll be winding down to a hiatus on a private yacht somewhere, evading calls from my superiors while I make love to a Martini?

More likely under the SU hiding from Guscott...

It Stops! 2 Working Days

2011-06-05T14:39:00.001-07:00

We've got brakes!

After the best part of a year spent chasing problems from one hub to another, from the exhauster and servo to the handbrake and back again... I am now the proud owner of an SUL coach that both goes and stops

This is quite an elite club!

With invaluable help from the Patron Saint once again, the weekend has been spent rebuilding wheel cylinders (we managed to make 4 good ones out of 8), bleeding and adjusting brakes, readjusting the handbrake linkage and eventually getting 270 KTA back down on its feet.

And after a few white knuckle emergency test stops on the driveway to the farm, it's fair to say that if you wanted to run out in front of a bus, 270 KTA wouldn't be a bad one to pick. (Assuming you wanted to survive, of course...)

It hasn't always been thus. The last MOT (before I owned it) shows brake readings within 1% of a fail. My first drive in it almost ended in tragedy at the Derriford Hospital roundabout. At least it would have been convenient...

You might wonder why putting it right has turned into such a job.

Here's what was wrong with the brakes...

- On the nearside rear, only one-third of a brakeshoe was making contact with the drum. The steady bolts (which should align the shoes with the drum) had lost their threads, so they'd just been tightened right up, pushing the shoes way out of line.

- On the offisde rear, the lower shoe ws sitting badly and had ripped the linings of both the drum and shoes to pieces.

- On the front, the offside top wheel cylinder was completely seized, as was one half of the bottom cylinder on the nearside. Inside, all four cylinders were knackered.

All the adjusters, front and back, were seized.

- The handbrake linkage was seized, and most of the rods were too long, meaning that what the lever was trying to do at the front wasn't necessarily happening at the back!

- Plus the servo assistance was minimal, given it was operating with next to no vacuum. The exhauster was failing to generate even a quarter of the vacuum required.

To see the work involved in a) discovering all this, and b) putting it right, you only have to look back at some of the highs and lows in this blog.

Lots still to do before MOT time... But tonight, we celebrate.

Good idea, 270 KTA...

Unrequited Love: 4 Working Days

2011-06-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Don't even ask.

In one sense - the sense I'm going to completely ignore - things have gone a long way backwards since my update last week. Viewed another way, we're a long way forward down a road that's turned out to be quite a bit longer than it looked on the map.

It was ever thus...

In summary, 270 KTA is facing in the same direction as it was, only now it's missing both front wheels and hubs while Sheppards scratch their heads by night...

Here's a summary of last week's frustrations: (in order of appearance)

- The aforementioned battery charger did its job beautifully on one of the two batteries, but the other turned out to be suffering with not one, not two, but three dead cells. "That's quite uncommon" said the man at the Plymouth Battery Centre, when I eventually got around to buying a new one yesterday for £107;

- In between times, I borrowed a set of batteries from a friend with the aim of at least getting 270 KTA turned round to allow me to work on the offside front brakes. These batteries also turned out to be duff, and so I had to borrow a third set from another vehicle. (Sometime during the struggle, I managed to burn through both my trousers and pants with battery acid, but that's a story for lights out...);

- Having finally got 270 KTA started, I set about turning her round only to find we had NO brakes whatsoever - just a limp pedal. The brake fluid in the master cylinder had somehow escaped, or rather leaked somewhere (more on that to follow), and we were left pumping thin air around a hydraulic system;

- Deciding to save that problem for later and press on with work on the offside front brakes in-situ, I discovered that not only was the top wheel cylinder completely seized (this is the bit that actually pushes the brake shoes onto the drum in order to make the coach stop), it had probably been so for the past 20 years.

Enter David Sheppard Senior - the Patron Saint of Bristol SU engineers and founder member of the SU Owners' Samaritan Hotline - who was supposedly travelling down to Devon to help me to bleed the brakes.

After nearly three hours spent coaxing the front and back pistons out, it was clear the wheel cylinders themselves were completely knackered; and since it's best practice not to change things on one side without doing the other...

Hence we're slightly further back, yet quite a lot further forward, than we were.

We've found new cylinders (£££) and rubber kits (actually they're old ones that have never been used, and so they require careful stripping and rebuilding), and we're currently getting those ready to fit.

The Patron Saint has also worked magic on the fuel pump, which you'll recall was causing industrial quantities of black smoke to billow across Devon whenever we reached a hill. It turns out the cold-start mechanism, which is used to give extra fuel on the first start of the day, was permanently jammed in the 'on' position... Helpful!

We've also sorted a problem with the handbrake linkage which was causing the lever to spring back up a notch or two when released. Not only were the rods incorrectly adjusted (and therefore bending themselves into bananas), but one of the links was completely seized. It would have taken only a drop of grease over the last thirty years to prevent it, but instead we had to strip it all down and start again.

So, about June 18th...

Tempting though it is to stop the clock on our little countdown, I'm not ready to admit defeat on that just yet. This could still be done. But more important is knowing that we've done a thorough job and put right the ills of thirty years of engineering neglect.

Without that philosophy you'll never get an old vehicle to repay any of the time and love you invest in restoring it.

And one day, 270 KTA will love me back.

The b***ard thing.

With eternal thanks, and love, to the 'Patron Saint' who is e'en as we speak hard at work machining down a special locking-bolt for one of the hub nuts, 200 miles up the M5/M4...

Charging Ahead: 11 Working Days

2011-05-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

So here it is, my secret weapon in the fight to have 270 KTA on the road by mid-June: A WEEK OFF.

Before I bring you up to date with all the good progress I've made in the last few days, I'll quickly mention that I now own an expensive battery charger.

This wasn't a planned purchase - 270 KTA decided it was time for me to have one, and since my gruelling schedule for the week depends on being able to move her about, I took the hint. I'm worried this is turning into a marriage...

Having reclaimed various lumps of SU from my kitchen, I managed to get the hub and drum fitted on Saturday, together with the now gleaming hubcap which has taken hours of work...

Polished is how they were when new, and many depots made the effort to keep them looking good for years. Many didn't, and they were often just painted over. My photo collection shows that, irritatingly, 270 KTA's stayed good throughout its working life, only to be rubbed down and painted green during its early days in preservation. I've had to strip the paint and then get rid of the scratches using three grades of sandpaper, rubbing compound, wire wool and finally polish.

Do you like it?

Today we hit the ground with the re-fitting of the wheel (the wheel saga continues, so I've repainted the existing one as a temporary measure...), and a coming down from the blocks on which 270 KTA has rested for a couple of months.

While batteries were charging, I thought I'd tackle the refitting of the new exhauster - a great idea in terms of maximising use of time, but otherwise a terrible idea. This involved laying on my back in a pool of oil roughly the width and length of my body, most of which had leaked out through the somewhat inadequate seal I'd achieved when I first fitted the exhauster.

Time will tell if I've done a better job this time; for fellow SU owners, the problem is that the oil return passes directly through the edge of the very gasket which is supposed to stop it from leaking to the outside world! Another fine mess...

Tomorrow, batteries permitting, 270 KTA will face South-West ready for me to tackle set-of-brakes 4/4. And another bloody hubcap. Thank gould for holidays...

Watching Paint Dry: 13 Working Days

2011-05-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

The pressure is on - I've started working nights...

And, as the keen eyed will spot from this shot of my newly painted hub, I'm also working from home. Believe me, the coffee perculator is not just illustrative...

The time it takes for paint to dry is often a limiting factor in how much can be achieved in a day or a weekend, so I've realised that if I'm to make the Royal Blue Run on June 18th (precisely a month away), lumps of 270 KTA will have to come home with me to be painted overnight.

Seeing the hub and the brake drum gleaming is quite a boost; they're the first bits to be outshopped in the correct shade of Tilling green, as original. The green paint used by the previous owners is pretty flat by comparison, a poor approximation of the original really, and I can't wait to get rid of it. These bits, though only just visible when fitted, mark the start of my putting things right in the cosmetic department.

Speaking of putting things right, here are the reassembled offside-front brakes. The cylinders were totally seized before, but have been stripped, cleaned and rebuilt with a liberal application of copperslip. Unlike the cylinders on the back, both have a right-hand thread which means they adjust in opposite directions to one another. When it comes to it, you must remind me, the top cylinder turns 'up' to tighten whilst the bottom one turns 'down'.

I've made drawings, but I know I'll lose them.

Next task is to refit the hub, the drum, the hubcap (polished to perfection) and then.... the wheel. But which wheel?

I've promised a full blog on the find-the-right-wheels debacle - an unlikely but, I promise, rich source of comedy - and that will come in due course. But with telephone call number nine to return in the morning, the story is ongoing.

Could it be possible that, at the eleventh hour, I may finally have some correct style wheels to fit? I'm starting to think I'm the only human being alive who would notice the error if I didn't.

All the more reason to make sure I get it right.

No Pressure: 14 Working Days

2011-05-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

So far in our history together, 270 KTA and I have not been good at meeting deadlines.

If we had been, we'd have been on the road over a year ago.

Instead I've chosen to do the decent thing, and forego the immediate pleasure of attending rallies in the hope of making up for many years of lost maintenance in the care of others. And slowly, we're getting there.

But every preservationist knows it's good to have a deadline... so long as it's months or years away. What a shame the annual Royal Blue run, a recreation of a route from one of the country's most notorious coach operators, looms large on June 17th.

Last year's run saw twelve or so coaches complete the treck from Stevenage to Penzance and back to Exeter, a spectacular adventure when you consider that most were between fifty and sixty years old.

This year promises an equally adventurous treck from Oxford to Newquay and back, all using the old roads rather than the motorways and by-passes which have overtaken them.

270 KTA ran as a duplicate on many Royal Blue services during her time as a touring coach between 1962 and 1968, and since then, frankly, she's missed out on enough fun.

So I'm determined we'll be there, at least for part of the run.

As well as weekends between then and now, I have a week's holiday to dedicate to the cause, making some fourteen days of solid toil. Throw in the odd evening, and I reckon we could be roadworthy in time, if far from concourse d'elegance.

(By the way, the deadline by which 270 KTA must both perform AND look nice comes next year, when we have its 50th Birthday to celebrate - more on which soon.)

Primary jobs are to finish the front brakes, sort out the fuel pump which is currently overfuelling and causing clouds of black smoke on hills, refit the new exhauster which is leaking oil (one step forward, etc...), and tighten up the gear linkage, currently like the proverbial stick in treacle.

All important if we're going to be out in this...

There are, of course, a million other jobs - the 'orrible taped up steering wheel, the lack of power to the power-operated door, the driver's seat which is more foam than leather... but all this can wait. Until July.

Last weekend saw progress on the brakes, which I'll be reassembling on my next visit. I've also had various leads on some correct-style wheels thanks to an advert in Old Glory magazine, which attracted three calls within 24 hours of going to press (quite funny, and worth a blog post in its own right - watch this space).

We've everything in our favour but time. I can't stay around here chatting...

SU Coaches, From £30

2011-04-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well done to the many bright sparks who spotted the significance of the date of my last post. Those who didn't will be pleased to hear that 270 KTA is, in fact, still as green as she was on March 31st.

Unlikely though it may seem, tonight's post isn't a trap for the April Fool. There may soon be a chance to buy your very own Bristol SU coach for just £30...

At roughly 4.5" x 1", these ones are slightly smaller than mine, but they're even more suitable for narrow routes with weight restrictions - and critics would point out they're probably just as powerful as the originals.

If I get my way, 270 KTA and her cousins may soon be faithfully reproduced in OO-gauge model form. Some years ago the Little Bus Company produced a resin kit of the Bristol SU coach, but having been obsolete for a while they're almost impossible to come by.

There are no plans to re-introduce it to the range but, following much badgering from 270 KTA's scribe, LBC have agreed they could produce a limited number - if, and only if, I can get enough pre-orders to make it worthwhile.

At the moment I'm just over half way, and need some more interest.

SU fanciers, of which there are a few, will take little persuasion. Enthusiasts and modellers should be interested on the basis that this is something a bit unusual to add to your collection. But there's another big reason you might want to part with three tenners...

The SU coaches of this style celebrate their 50th anniversary this year and next (much more to follow soon, of course...), so a kit made in the next 18 months would be more than a little bit special. Plus, it's almost certainly the last chance you'll get to own one...

If you're still undecided, here's a picture of Keith Jackson's very sweet and well produced example, waiting to pick up happy holiday makers from the beach shop.

Keith's painted this one in his own Island Traction livery, but there are a good many possibilities for liveries actually carried over the years - at least nine variants for Western/Southern National green/cream or green/white, Devon General poppy red/white, Deltatours red/cream, Guernseybus white, Channel Coachways cream/maroon... and so on.

Which is why I'm putting myself down for four or five of the buggers.

Anyone else?

Let me know: david@davidsheppard.info

One quick thing. Because they're sympathetic and keen to help, LBC would be offering these at cost price. I won't be making any money on them, and I'd therefore ask you to respect that too. (If I find any on eBay I will send the big 270 KTA to hunt down the vendor and leak oil on them...)

A Fresh Coat

2011-04-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to say that, at long last, both the paint and the vinyls have arrived for 270 KTA's forthcoming repaint.

(Layout plans courtesy of Luke Farley)

Although I'd planned to wait until mechanical work had been completed before I started on the cosmetics, I haven't been able to resist.
Here she is earlier today, with the base coat of overall white complete, rubbed down ready for topcoating.

By the weekend I hope to be applying the dark blue skirt and pink embellishments, with matt black window frames to follow next week.

I'm currently debating the best location for the 'First' fleetname on the front - above or below the grille.

If you have a view, please get back to me no later than midday today...

Inspect The Unexpected

2011-03-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Sandwiched between my census questionnaire and 270 KTA's insurance renewal form - both shredded to hamster bedding as they passed through the letterbox at Sheppard HQ this morning - came something rather more welcome...

The sender, a good friend, writes:

"In the possibly mistaken belief that these might interest you - copies of the actual tickets issued to me on 270 KTA on the two occasions I rode it...!"

No mistake there.

What a delight. The tickets were both issued around Newton Abbot in 1974, during 270 KTA's rather significant period as a Devon General town bus. It was then unique as the only coach-bodied SU to have strayed into the 'red' fleet (following absorption of DG into Western National in 1971); so the tickets are particularly special.

And, 37 years later, there's much to be gleaned from them. Although the Devon General name had been retained as a much-loved brand on the sides of the buses, by now it was the parent company whose name was appearing on the tickets. And, of course, the ubiquitous Setright ticket machine (of which I have several, auditioning to take up full-time office in 270 KTA's cab) still reigned supreme in 1974...

And, please note on the eve of the budget, the child fare at the time was a very reasonable 5p between Twickenham Road and Newton Abbot bus station!

These days, the childhood rider is the owner of several former Devon General buses himself, and in August he's planning to recreate a journey over some of the Newton Abbot routes.

My current target is to have 270 KTA ready for the road in June, in time for the annual Royal Blue run (about which, more details coming soon); so if we can, we'll join the party in August to recreate 270 KTA's days on the 117.

Have your tickets ready...

Wheely Good Times

2011-03-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Great to hear the blog is being enjoyed by so many I met at this weekend's meeting of NARTM, the National Association of Road Transport Museums.

"We're due an update, aren't we?", asked one; "have you ground to a halt?"...

The answer to those questions is 'yes' and 'no' respectively, but the recent radio silence has been in aid of a good cause: I've been building a bus museum.

Colin Billington's Devon base - 270 KTA's home - was to be the venue for the NARTM spring conference, and I've been helping to organise his vast collection of all things Western/Southern National into what has become, to my mind, the most impressive road transport museum of all.

Over the weeks, we've unpacked hundreds of boxes full of records, blinds, manuals, bus stops, ticket machines, uniforms and... you name it. There were number plates too, amongst which were four from 270 KTA's brothers and sisters...

Despite distractions from Partridge the cat, magic boxes of unexpected goodies and Mel Williams' finger (which I nearly removed three times whilst constructing racking), we managed to get most things done in time for the conference. It was a great weekend, with trips out to picturesque South Pool on Colin's Bristol H...

... to Ron Greet's base in Broadhempston, WHOTT's archive and Milehouse Depot in Plymouth, and the West of England Transport Collection at Winkleigh on the RELH...

... and to the pub, on the LWL.

Magic.

I also had a chance to show off 270 KTA to the NARTM members, at least one of whom was more interested in the many ice cream tubs I've been using to store parts from the disassembled front brakes. How much can one man eat?

Alongside, work has continued apace on 270 KTA. Underside painting has now been completed ready for me to start reassembling the brakes, all parts of which have now been checked, cleaned and treated to some copperslip. The brake drums and hubs are about to receive a coat of Tilling Green in the next week or so.

Avid readers of the 'Wanted' columns will spot I've placed several adverts in the bus/truck press for some correct-style wheels, which are proving hard to find. By chance I've located one inside a derelict bus depot in North Devon, which must have come from an SU in the 60s/70s; it's currently covered in pigeon poo having been used as a hosereel for decades, and awaiting imminent demolition unless the council let me at it first...

Given the illustrious readership which presented itself at the weekend, can we find six more to complete the job?...

Let me know if you have any down the back of the sofa.

The Apprentice

2011-01-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

I promised earlier that I'd be carrying out all the restoration work on 270 KTA myself. But after another weekend of good progress, I'm mindful I should pay tribute to a previously overlooked but constant supporter of the project.

Here he is today, giving a second opinion on how best to progress with 270 KTA's front brakes. It's likely that recommendations will include a short nap wherever I happen to be working, followed by some enforced tummy tickling and a break for tuna sandwiches. They usually do...

The apprentice is, of course, Partridge: resident hunter gatherer, ornithological terrorist and, it would appear, bus enthusiast of great taste.

Since we've been working together at his farm, I've observed that he too is rather keen on 270 KTA, and stalks its every move as much as its owner.

A part of me is convinced he recognises the sound of a Bristol SU, flocking to the barn within minutes of one starting. Could it be that the SU holds a certain feline appeal?

So a cat's appreciation of buses is more discerning than you could ever imagine. Right down to knowing which drivers are silly enough to leave their lunch on on the driver's seat...

Ah. Maybe there's your answer.

Betwen fur balls this weekend, I've finished stripping down the nearside front brakes, unseized the two adjusters and steady posts, cleaned up the back-plate and prepared most of the area for painting. Photos of all that coming soon...

SUcking...

2011-01-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a reassuring sight that 270 KTA's driver won't have seen for years, perhaps even decades.

It's a gauge showing a full tank of vacuum.

After weeks of isolating pipes in search of a likely hairline hole, followed by the fiddly removal of the exhauster (the bit that generates a suction which ought to evacuate the tank), followed by the refitting of another... and another... and... etc., I've finally managed to establish why we've been struggling to build up vacuum to operate the brakes.

The answer was a simple spring and ball bearing, missing from inside 270 KTA's original exhauster, which acts as a crucial non-return valve to prevent suction being 'wasted' through the pipe which is supposed to drain off excess oil to the engine. Essentially, the thing was sucking through its arse and not through its mouth.

The valve was missing from one of the replacement exhausters too, and back to front in the other, so it's no wonder it took a while to trace.

One thing's for sure: 270 KTA can't have built up a safe vacuum for as long as the valve has been missing, a fact worryingly confirmed by this photo of her in use with previous owners, showing the gauge barely reaching the halfway point. I'm glad I wasn't on board...

Now mended, the brakes not only work pronto, but vacuum replenishes so quickly after each operation it would be impossible for the needle to crawl this low with the engine running.

With the vacuum issue resolved, I started work this weekend on stripping-down the front nearside brakes. Other than two seized adjusters, everything seems to be working, if badly in need of cleaning and adjusting.

The brake drums, apparently well-silvered when viewed through the wheel, speak of quite a different maintenance philosophy to my own. Look closely with the wheel off, and you'll see that a paintbrush had been poked through the holes just to cover the visible bits...

Inside, meanwhile, the brakes themselves are long overdue some 'silver service'...

Ironically, the drums should be green, not sliver, and will be when they go back - hopefully with original-style wheels to boot.

As I write, I'm about to revive an old tradition of the Sheppard household. The kitchen sink has been primed to receive its first bus part for cleaning - the centre hub cap which, instead of green, will emerge in original polished aluminium condition. Unlike the sink, I suspect...

It's a long road, but we are making progress.

No Cameras!

2011-01-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Ahead of my first weekend of hard work on 270 KTA in 2011 (the first of many), I thought I'd share some photos from the past which have presented themselves over the festive period.

Keith Jackson has kindly shared his shot of '1220' (as she'd then become), lurking behind LS 1728 at Bridgwater depot. This is the only shot I've seen during her days at Bridgwater, home to several SULs over the years, including 270 KTA between October 1971 and March 1973 - oddly, a lesser chronicled era in its history.

Thanks also to Peter Delaney for alerting me to a shot of her in early preservation days, taken inside her new home at Western National's Laira Bridge Depot (Plymouth) in 1997.

Perhaps the most revealing of all has been discovered by Luke Farley, a colour shot taken at Newton Abbot bus station c.1974 during her days as the lone poppy red SUL coach, Devon General 1220. Close examination will reveal that headrests have been lopped off as part of the downgrading from dual-purpose to bus status and, interestingly, additional seats have been added to increase capacity from 33 to 37. She was the only SUL to be so treated. (See right.)

Many have suggested, given the uniqueness of the conversion, I should return her to poppy red B37F condition - but I'm bound to resist, at least for now. Of course, it's true to say the 'red fleet' holds a slightly lesser place in my heart than Western and Southern National, but that's not the only reason I'm keen to stay green. As probably the best-travelled SUL coach in terms of allocation, most notably finding its way to Trowbridge in 1968, 270 KTA has an equally interesting and unique history through its Western National days, too.

Speaking of which, I've recently acquired a well-loved copy of the 1968 timetable for WN's Trowbridge area services, some of which would have been operated by 270 KTA in the era I'm aiming to to recreate in her restoration.

As you'll see, the timetable carries dual branding for Western National and Bristol Omnibus, a sign of what was to come in January 1969 when the depot and its buses were transferred to Bristol Omnibus. As a comparitively modern vehicle, 270 KTA escaped and fled to Taunton with days, or even hours, to spare...

If you have any photos of 270 KTA in service, I'd love to see 'em. Please contact me at david@davidsheppard.info

A Winter Warmer

2010-12-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

The keen eyed* will have already observed that a new Winter banner has arrived on the blog, marking not only the coldest week of the year so far, but also twelve months since 270 KTA was delivered to her new owner.

It was Sunday, 6th December 2009, just days after I'd agreed to buy her, that she arrived from her previous home in Cornwall behind a tow truck.

I remember arriving in a half-light to find her ticking over impatiently in the yard, her front panel missing and smelling strongly of leaking fuel, and the mixture of elation and horror in realising it was now over to me.

Who would have believed that twelve months on, the elation would still be just as strong (as is, at times, the horror.. and come to think of it, the smell of leaking fuel - but we'll say nothing of those). My aims for a return to the road within weeks of that day have proved naive, but there's been much progress, and an awful lot of learning to be proud of.

And proud I am, of us both.

We eventually put her inside, before spending the rest of the evening in darkness trying to revive the tow truck, which had itself conked out. I chose not to take it as an omen...

*Those with even keener eyes will observe that my Winter theme has called for some artistic licence. The SU on the right of the banner is in fact 273 KTA, seen crossing snowy Dartmoor sometime between 1969 and 1971. The terrain is just like that which her sister will need to conquer en route to MOT next year. As for the weather, well...

COLD AIR & VACUUM

2010-12-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

If you think you're cold, spare a thought for our six-wheeled friends who are currently braving a relentless run of sub-zero temperatures. Tonight in the South Hams, 270 KTA and friends will be huddling together for warmth in surroundings of -8 degrees C!

And if that hasn't melted your heart, spare a thought for those of us who have been working on them in the arctic...

Here I am wearing three jumpers, two vests, six socks and Compo's hat (from "Last of the Summer Wine") last weekend.

After a couple of weekends storing up heat, I've begun work on my list of jobs-to-be-done-before-we-go-anywhere (to appear here in full shortly). The aim is that, once I've worked through the list, I should not only have cured all the outstanding issues which have so far hampered attempts at an MOT, but I'll also have performed a good deal of preventative maintenance which seems to have been lacking since... well...

First and foremost, I've been tackling a problem which seems to be at the heart of the braking issue. Comparing the vacuum gauge to that on her sisters during the Kingsbridge weekend, 270 KTA is having great trouble building up vacuum.

For the uninitiated, whilst the brakes on an SU are hydraulic, they are assisted by a servo which is operated by vacuum. Without the servo, or the vacuum, the brakes will still operate but with limited force, and are pretty useless on the road. Sounds familiar, doesn't it...

After weeks of isolating sections of the system in search of a leak, I concluded that the exhauster itself (which creates the vacuum) must be at fault. Mercifully, Colin Billington was able to provide some spares, and last weekend I became the world's leading expert in changing Bristol SU exhasuters... in the cold.

With a replacement exhauster fitted, the gauge reached levels of vacuum never before achieved, and with full vacuum the brakes worked really well. However, a trip up the drive revealed that vacuum was still too slow to build...

It's possible that, whilst the replacement exhauster is more effective than the original, it's still not quite up to the job, and with that in mind I'm going to try a third exhauster before drawing too many conclusions.

Though I might wait a few days for slightly warmer weather...

Sympathies also to SMA 5, Trevor Leach's former West Yorkshire SUL bus, who is currently snowed in "in a cold, wet building on a farm in North Yorkshire". Your South West cousins are thinking of you and rubbing their tyres together...

FRIENDS REUNITED

2010-09-20T03:27:00.000-07:00

270 KTA may not have been able to go to the ball, but her Fairy Godfather did bring her a coach.*

Here they are, the Sheppard SUs, together for the first time in almost 15 years. Following this weekend's brilliant Kingsbridge Running Day (more about which in a moment), an overnight stop for 275 KTA allowed for a reunion in the sunshine at 270 KTA's Devon home.

It's likely they are friends of old. They would certainly have worked together during the Christmas of 1965, when 270 KTA moved (briefly) from her Kingsbridge base to 275 KTA's native Plymouth depot.

Last time they met, at the Plymouth rally in Newnham Park in 1996, both were in the early stages of preservation. 275 KTA had made the the long journey from Berkshire, having only recently returned to the road after a decade in bits; 270 KTA arrived from Laira behind a Western National tow truck, having been donated to them for preservation.

This weekend, 275 KTA was very much a star performer at the Kingsbridge Running Day, where we were celebrating 50 years since the first Bristol SU took to the road. Among the highlights of a truly magical day, a journey on Service 110 saw us heading along the narrow lanes through Beeson and Beesands to beautiful East Portlemouth, with a full compliment of 33 passengers - who loved every minute!

As my Dad will attest (he negotiated the double hairpin bends on hills with customary skill, often to well-deserved applause from the passengers), the SUs come into their own on terrain like this.

When they're running, that is! The past few weeks show that 270 KTA has, realistically, a good few months of work in store before I can think of subjecting her to passengers with any great confidence. A check-over by my Dad (and Chief Engineer) this weekend has cemented that fact, and I'm now working on prioritising a list of 'little jobs' for me to tackle over the Winter months.

The weekend has spurred me on enormously, and reminded me that the occasional perils of owning a Bristol SU are worthwhile. 275 KTA travelled 470 miles in three days without a problem - a timely reminder that with excellent maintenance, they're excellent little vehicles.

So - 270 KTA will go to the ball one day. But not until I've stripped-down the glass slipper, cleaned it from top to toe and reassembled it with copper-slip. It should be easier to fit then, too...

*Comments from SU detractors about "ugly sisters" will be ignored.

REUNITED...

2010-09-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Together for the first time in 15 years: Full story to follow tomorrow...

SENT TO TRY US

2010-09-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

"On the third occasion - optimistically booked before I'd uncovered the full horror of the offside rear brakes - I chomped the hard bullet of realism and cancelled well in advance."

... and on the fourth occasion, the hard bullet of realism bit me.

Given the absence of jubilant updates last week, it will come as no surprise that our latest lurch at the green certificate wasn't the triumph I'd hoped for. Sadly, the mission was aborted within a few miles of base, when multiple problems suggested it would be wise to turn back while I had the option.

Firstly the brakes, though greatly improved since our first adventure, were still not quite to my satisfaction on Devon's hills; the re-build of the rear brakes has undoubtedly worked wonders, but there's still not the braking response I'd hoped for beyond shunting in the yard. I conclude that the front brakes will require a similar rebuild, and perhaps the vacuum servo will need attention, too.

Also, a gentle 'knocking' sound - evident since it I bought it, whenever the engine is warm - seemed to increase in volume during our journey; coupled with some dense black smoke on the hills, these are all signs that I need to do some more work before I trouble Mr Guscott again.

One great sadness for me is that 270 KTA won't be on the road for the Kingsbridge Vintage Bus Running Day this Saturday, where we'll be celebrating 50 years of the Bristol SU. Not only was she originally based at Kingsbridge (the only remaining SU with that claim), but she now lives so tantalisingly close to where five other SUs will be recreating a 1960s timetable in celebration of their half-centenary.

I couldn't have tried harder to have her ready. But with every week I've worked on her, it's become more and more clear that 270 KTA needs quite a bit more work than her reasonably tidy cosmetic appearance would suggest. And ultimately, that's what real preservation is about; doing things properly, instead of the patching up and bodging which has kept many a vehicle mobile (just), until somebody takes responsibility and does it properly.

And Do it properly I jolly well shall.

Happily I'll still be there on Saturday with my Dad and 275 KTA, an SU which (it's heartening to remember) we've successfully brought back from an even more sorry state. Although mine won't be at Kingsbridge, I hope we can bring the two together at some point over the weekend for the first time in fifteen years. Last time I managed a photo I was just 13...

So it's looking as though 2011 may be 270 KTA's year instead, with an exciting winter of challenges to come. It'll make that first rally all the more exciting, whichever one it is.

NEXT TUESDAY

2010-09-01T13:09:00.001-07:00

Dave Guscott - the affable boss of Guscott's Coaches in Halwill Junction, North Devon - will chuckle to himself when he sees what's booked in for MOT next Tuesday at 1000. It'll be the fourth time my name has appeared in the bookings this year.

We failed to reach North Devon for our first appointment back in March, after 270 KTA developed a heart-shuddering banging noise just a few miles from home.

Having replaced the diaphragm in the governor, we did make it across Dartmoor in April for our second appointment; however, given the braking problems which became all too apparent en-route, it's a miracle we made it back again.

On the third occasion - optimistically booked before I'd uncovered the full horror of the offside rear brakes - I chomped the hard bullet of realism and cancelled well in advance.

The reason so many West Country preservationists travel to Guscott's for their MOTs is that, unlike the majority of commercial MOT stations, Dave understands how old vehicles work. He sticks unbendingly to the rules, and crucially, he'll tell you if there's something wrong with your bus. In 270 KTA's case, back in April, there was: the brakes, which had somehow passed a test elsewhere just a year or so (and very few miles) previously, were far from up to the job. Not that I needed to be told after a terrifying drive...

"Otherwise, it's all good", said Dave, with words that give heart for Tuesday.

We'll see. This weekend I'll finish off servicing the handbrake linkage, and then spend some time adjusting the front brakes, which are actually pretty good as they stand. I'll then pull her outside for a good scrub inside and out.

One other prepartion for Tuesday will be the coning-off of five parking spaces in the BBC car park. Come what may, I'll need to be at work as normal on Tuesday afternoon, and will therefore be arriving by coach.

That should raise a chuckle, too...

BUS STOPS

2010-08-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress", so said Frederick Douglass. He'd have loved the SU...

This weekend saw an historic moment in the project to rebuild 270 KTA's rear brakes. Pulling her out into daylight today, I put my foot on the brake pedal and... the thing actually stopped! This is progress.

It's certainly a marked improvement on four months ago. The rear brakes were reporting an efficency of 30%, with the park brake barely holding it on the flat at 15% efficiency. Looking at the records from previous owners, the brakes had passed the last MOT in 2008 with just 1% in hand!

A strip-down and rebuild was the only option. It turned out that both sides, as well as being long overdue a general service, had some faults.

On the nearside, the top shoe was barely making contact with the drum when the brake was applied. Closer examination revealed that the steady-bolt (which should be adjusted to ensure the shoe is square with the drum) had been over-tightened, and so the shoe was so far out of alignment that only the outside edge was touching the drum. No wonder it was only 30% efficient!

On the offside, two big problems had coincided to wreck the shoes and the drum. Firstly, the hub bearings were loose, so the brakes were fighting against play and drift from the drum. Also, some twirp had seemingly been unable to fit the shoes onto the adjuster (admittedly, I found it difficult, too), so had left the adjuster butted-up to the shoe at ninety-degrees to the slot into which it was supposed to fit!

The steady-bolt issue had been down to worn threads in the backing-plate, so in both cases these had to come off and have nuts welded to them. This also gave a good opportunity to tidy-up the chassis and springs, and apply a few coats of silver.

The bi-sectors and adjusters for each side were stripped, cleaned and reassembled with much copperslip (my new favourite smell), and newly re-lined shoes were fitted to both sides. Colin Billington was able to provide a brand new drum for the offisde, still chalked "BIDEFORD" from its days in storage with Western National. I was very proud to be the one finally to fit it to an SU...

Having completed the rebuild yesterday, today I adjusted each side in turn, before trying the results in the yard. A nice firm pedal was a sure sign of improvement, as was the alarmingly short travel on the handbrake lever, with arm work reduced by about 75%! As it happens, I've since removed the handbrake linkage for further tightening up, as promised - it's currently like the proverbial "stick in custard" at the back end.

For now though, I'm reliving the sense of satisfaction I felt when hitting the pedal today, which eclipsed the many struggles I've overcome in the past few months. With another weekend's work, I'm confident I should be ready to try out those MOT brake rollers again for a slightly more brutal measure of my progress.

Whilst I've done all the work myself, thanks are due to my Dad, whose only hours away from the Chief Engineer's Advice Line in the last four months have been spent working at his lathe, machining parts for me. Thanks also to Colin Billington for his invaluable help in sourcing parts, and to a man I know only as "Kevin", who repairs tractors in the Devon hamlet of Woodleigh - he's the nice man with the mig welder, you see...

FOUR LEGS GOOD...

2010-08-14T02:13:00.000-07:00

For the first time in many months, 270 KTA is spending tonight on all four (well, six) wheels, following a successful day completing the rebuild of the offside rear brakes.

There'll be a return to the blocks briefly next weekend, when I revisit the nearside to fit new shoes, but with everything so recently reassembled I hope this should be no more than a morning's work.

I'll then adjust the newly rebuilt brakes on both sides, before tackling the rather sloppy handbrake linkage which currently seems to travel in all sorts of unexpected directions when the park brake is applied. My plan is to strip it down and adjust the rods from scratch, given the brakes it controls now are very different to the ones it was tugging at six months ago.

Full details of the rear brake rebuild to follow soon, but for now I'm rejoicing in today's success with a bottle or two of Quercus IPA, from 270 KTA's local brewery in Kingsbridge. And the coach, meantime, is enjoying its own weight once again...

THE STORY SO FAR...

2010-08-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog. Ever since I bought 270 KTA last December, I've been meaning to find a way of sharing our many tales with friends, enthusiasts, sadists and anyone else to whom they may appeal - and here it is.

From boiling-up in the midst of a drugs raid near Plymouth, to an emergency stop at Morrisons in Tavistock to buy 24 bottles of mineral water; from explosive backfiring in the face of a South Hams gardener, to shooting myself in the eye with brake fluid; you'll get blood, sweat and tears by the gallon here. (N.B. We work in imperial.)

But first, we've some catching up to do...

Many are confused, amused and bemused that I should have such a fascination for a type of bus that retired from regular service some years before I was born.

My association with the Bristol SU actually goes back to 16th June 1990 when, on the HCVS Ridgeway Run, I first saw Colin Billington's 286 KTA. I was instantly taken by its quaintness - much like a Bristol MW in size, but considerably lighter 'under foot', with smaller wheels and thinner profile - and charmed by its unusual bulging headlights.

Aged 9, I meticulously researched my new favourite single deckers, and presented my primary school teachers with many a hand-drawn image of what they took to be 'just a bus'. Little did they know...

In fact, the SU became just as much a part of my childhood as if I'd grown up in Devon or Cornwall in the '60s. In a moment of weakness in 1993, my Dad - previously not a great fan of SUs - conceded that they were in fact "quite sweet", and bought 275 KTA from Colin Billington for us to restore. We'd already proven our capabilities with our Hants & Dorset FLF, by then in rally condition, and 275 KTA was to be the next challenge.

Aged 12, I began collecting photographs of SUs in service and, uncannily, the very first photo I bought was this one: of 270 KTA in Trowbridge, c.1968.

As the collection grew, the original photo remained a favourite, and I was pleased in 1995 to learn that 270 KTA had actually survived. It had recently been donated to the Western National Preservation Group by Willis of Bodmin, albeit in a bit of a state. Imagine my delight when, at the 1995 Plymouth Rally in Newnham Park, the opportunity to take this photo arose...

I followed the fortunes (and otherwise) of 420 through the years that followed, and when I found myself at BBC Plymouth for a job interview in 2008, it was no surprise that immediately after my grilling I went clambering up the bank behind Chelston Meadow depot in the hope of catching a glimpse...

As it turned out, I had more success with the job than I did with the photo, and I relocated to Plymouth in November 2008. One of the great perks, if not motivations, was to be the active West Country preservation movement, and a string of rallies on my doorstep - in the case of Plymouth's Hoe rally, quite literally, and in July 2009 guess who I caught up with...

Little did I think that five months later I'd be sending off the V5...

As a result of downsizing at the Western National Preservation Group, 270 KTA was set to pass, along with other buses, to Colin Billington. Being fully stocked in the SU department, he offered me first refusal, and thanks to his help the unthinkable happened almost overnight.

270 KTA was towed to her new home on 4th December 2009, untaxed and without MOT, and oddly with very little input from her owner-to-be. WNPG carried out the tow while I was busy on other bus related business in Cornwall; and completely by chance our journeys coincided near Landrake. In a moment I'll never forget, weeks of conversations and years of dreams suddenly turned into a reality: 270 KTA was heading my way, quite literally.

No doubt, both 270 KTA and I owe a large debt of gratitude to WNPG for keeping her alive across two decades. Into 2010, quite a bit of mechanical work is needed to restore her to the road. In due course I'll post a more detailed diary of what's been tackled so far, including a very leaky fuel pump, a puntured diaphragm in the governor, and a thorough rebuild of the rear brakes which were badly in need of attention.

Once MOT'd, I plan to carry out various preventative measures, such as renewing water hoses and re-routing some pipes which are in danger of rubbing. Perhaps more excitingly I want to spend some time on getting the cosmetics right, including a full repaint into the correct shades of Tilling cream and green and application of original 'serif'-style transfers.

Bold plans, indeed. As a preservationist's assistant of some 20 years standing, I should know better than to make plans, and this blog will no doubt serve to highlight that error time and time again. But beyond the tales of over-confidence and optimistic deadlines, I hope the blog serves as a lasting record of what goes into a project like this - and, of course, the unquantifiable but immense pleasure that comes out of it.

Read on!