THE SCOTTISH VINTAGE BUS MUSEUM - FWG 846
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DETAILS Chassis: Bristol LS6G (No 107024) Body: Eastern Coach Works B45F (No 8303) Engine: Gardner 6LW Date Entered Service: 7.3.55, FWG 846, E11 (W Alexander & Sons Ltd in Blue and Cream ) |
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(Wanted, any photos of the bus in service!)
BACKGROUND HISTORY
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The Bristol LS made its appearance in December 1950 and is
an integral vehicle with 17ft 2in wheelbase. Being 30ft long and 8ft wide it
has its engine mounted horizontally beneath the floor in mid chassis. A range
of four engines was available, a 4, 5, or 6 cylinder Gardner or a Bristol 6
cylinder unit. A 5-speed synchromesh overdrive gearbox is standard with
vacuum fitted brakes. Both bus and coach versions were available. Eastern
Coach Works bodied all but 19 vehicles and production ended in 1958 by which
time 1409 had been built. The photo shows FE11 about to set of
from Dunfermline depot on its regular service 26 (Kirkcaldy - Dunfermline -
Glasgow). The photo was taken in the early 1960's and shows the vehicle
with the early W Alexander & Sons (Fife) livery version of Ayres red and
narrow cream band. Note the Guy Arab RO596 alongside. A sister vehicle,
RO607, resides at Lathalmond. (Eddie Taylor Collection) |
HISTORY OF THIS VEHICLE
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FWG 846 entered service with W Alexander & Sons Ltd in
1955 along with a batch of 19 similar vehicles. All were allocated to the
Fife area. The batch was unique in that they were the only bus bodied LS’s to
enter service with the giant Scottish Bus Group empire, all others having
either dual purpose or coach bodies. The batch was given fleet numbers E1 –
20, FWG 846 being allocated E11. E11 operated for its entire service life at
Dunfermline depot. Its initial livery would have been Alexander’s blue and
cream. At some point in the early sixties it was repainted into Ayres red and
cream following the Alexander empire split of 1961, coming under W Alexander
& Sons (Fife) Ltd and being renumbered FE11. Photographed again in Dunfermline depot,
probably around 1970, FE11carries the later Fife livery which includes cream
window surrounds and front Bristol wings. Interestingly some of the
batch sported wings without the addition of the cream windows. |
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The mainstay of its working life at Dunfermline saw it
serve on the long distance services from Fife to Glasgow on either service 14
or 26, although it was often seen covering just about any service route out
of Dunfermline. Towards the end of its working life it spent its time on
school and pit contracts. FE11 was withdrawn in November 1974 but, instead of
being scrapped or cut up for spares like the rest of the entire batch, it was
sold to Fife Constabulary for use as a mobile police headquarters. It
remained as such until offered for sale in October 1983 when it was purchased
by the present owners for preservation on 5 January 1984. Seen at the Fife Historic Vehicle Club Rally at
Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline on 27 May 1984
shortly after purchase by the present owners. It is still in its police
control condition. However the fleetnumber
and destination screen were added for effect. (Eddie Taylor) |
RESTORATION DETAILS
In
order to get the bus legally home from the police HQ at Dysart, near Kirkcaldy,
it was booked in for an MOT on the same day at Kirkcaldy Testing Station. The
only thing that seemed to require doing for the MOT was repair to the brake
light switch, which was done at Dysart. Surprisingly it passed its MOT with no
hitches and was then driven to its home at a farm near Rosyth. Work started
almost immediately on removing the internal furniture, which had been installed
by the Police. This disclosed that a lot of the flooring and side panelling had
been considerably modified to accommodate its new use. Only a few of the
original bus seats remained. However some minor work continued and it attended
a few rallies in its police condition. Most notably was a run to the Tyne Tees
Rally in 1985 where, on the return journey, it failed to select overdrive. On
return home a spare gearbox was fitted, no further trouble ensued.
Tyne-Tees
1985 (Mike Chapman)
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In
1986 the bus was moved to the new premises of the SVBM at Whitburn
where attempts were made at the removal of stubborn paintwork. Sixteen years
later this has still not yet been completed! However in 1992 FE11 was moved
to a farm at Coalsnaughton to allow the owners to
move in a Bristol Lodekka which seemed an easier restoration project. Nine
years later this bus emerged as fully restored FRD199.
FE11 finally transferred to Lathalmond in 1995 but was put in cold storage
due to commitments by the owners working on FRD199.
Right: Whitburn, September 1989, where the owners get stuck into the paint removal. Note the original Alexander's blue on the roof dating from at least thirty years before! (Eddie Taylor) |
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FE11
now sits in the workshop where active restoration work has commenced,
eighteen years after purchase! Extensive work needs to be done before it is
completed. This includes much internal refurbishment, some rewiring, paint
stripping, renewal of window rubbers, in fact just
about everything! It will eventually be repainted into its early Alexander (Fife ) livery of Ayres red with narrow cream band.
Left: FE11
in the workshop in May 2007 (Jim Crichton)
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