Vic Priest has sent this picture of his preserved AEC Regent V that was used for staff transport by the the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell. It was running at the Wroughton rally (Thamesdown centenary) in 2004.

Sister vehicle 240 AJB is in the heritage fleet of ACE Travel of Aintree, and RFO 361 (ex 241 AJB) was used for several years by ESJ Coaches of Saltash and is now with a private owner, but was for sale in October 2009.
Pictures of sister vehicles in service with AERE can be found at Steve Annell's Fotopic site, http://www.busstation.fotopic.net/c13158.html

Devon General Society member and AEC author Phil Platt owns the following former Devon General AECs.
DR661 (NTT 661), 1952 Weymann bodied Regent III
DR817 (VDV 817), 1957 Metro Cammell bodied Regent V
513 (CTT 513C), 1965 Willowbrook bodied Regent V, which was the last AEC Regent in service with Devon General (co-owned with Terry Bennett)
518 (CTT 518C), 1965 Willowbrook bodied Regent V
VDV 798, 1957 Weymann bodied Reliance
1 RDV, 1963 Harrington bodied Reliance coach, which was in the Grey Cars subsidiary fleet
VDV 798 is currently under restoration, while the others are active and participate at rallies.

East Kent Weymann bodied Reliance 470, KFN 220, has been preserved for a number of years and has benefitted from a smart repaint in this view at Showbus 2006.

Plaxton bodied AEC Reliance WJG 470J is preserved in pre-National Bus Company East Kent coach livery, and was looking smart at Showbus 2006.

East Kent Reliance coach

One of the East Kent Reliance coaches which had its Park Royal body replaced by a Plaxton one, 521 FN ran for various independent operators in East Anglia after sale by East Kent. Now registered DSK 856, it passed into preservation with Richards of Guist, a coach operator in Norfolk, in 2008.
The picture shows it at its original owner's Ashford depot in 1980.

East Kent Reliances, Swift and Bridgemaster

The East Kent Road Car Heritage Trust and its members have the following ex East Kent AECs. The three buses appear regularly at running days in the area and were all pictured at the FoTEK Deal/Sandwich running day in August 2009.

AFN 488B AEC Reliance with Duple Commander C32F body.
OFN 721F AEC Reliance with Marshall bus body, still configured as a mobile office in which form it last served Maidstone & District / East Kent, but repainted back into traditional EK livery,
VJG 187J AEC Swift with Marshall bus body, formerly operated by FoTEK.
YJG 807 AEC Bridgemaster, formerly operated by FoTEK.

Friends of the East Kent (FotEK) are a group dedicated to preserving former East Kent vehicles and support the East Kent Road Car Heritage Trust (above). FoTEK and its members also own the following ex East Kent AECs. The Regents appear regularly at running days in the area.

KFN 239 AEC Reliance with Weymann body, currently under restoration
DJG 619C AEC Reliance with Park Royal coach body, currently under restoration
PFN 867 Park Royal bodied AEC Regent V with unusual full-front body style
6801 FN AEC Regent V with Park Royal H40/32F
AFN 780B AEC Regent V with Park Royal H40/32F

Another of the unusual fully fronted Regent Vs, PFN 874 is preserved by private owner Richard Chant and appears regularly at rallies and running days in the area.

Open-top version PFN 853, which ran as a London sightseeing bus with Big Bus Company for a number of years, is also now preserved again.

East Kent Regents and Reliances

Ayers Coaches AEC Reliance

East Kent Reliance coach

Eastbourne AEC Regal

Eastbourne AEC Regent

Currently at the museum are the following:
AEC Monarch tower wagon - restored 1950
AEC Regent 3 – ADX 1 – Park Royal bodied The first motorbus for Ipswich - operational
1953 AEC Regal 4 – BPV 9 – Park Royal Bodied single decker – restoration required
1964 AEC Regent 5 - ADX 63B - Massey bodied – currently operational
1966 AEC Regent 5 - DPV 68D – Neepsend built - last rear platform for Ipswich – unrestored
1971 AEC Swift – JRT 82K – Willowbrook – operational.
For more information and details of operating events, contact johnr.rawling@talk21.com or visit the website http://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk

DBC 190C, which was restored over a six year period to 2000, is now with the 190 Renown Trust for continued preservation. The bus is kept near Gloucester but returns to Leicester for 2-3 months each summer to provide interesting photo opportunities. Owner Russell Smith sent the picture of her taken in October 2000 at the terminus of the old 62 route (later renumbered 14), in Aberdale Road, (off Welford Road), Leicester. This was one of the routes that the Renowns were used on. The second picture, taken nearly eight years later by Stephen Gow, shows 190 at Toddington station in July 2008 during a running day at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

The East Anglia Transport Museum have two AEC buses. One of them is 1947 Lowestoft AEC Regent 21 (GBJ 192) with a ECW body, the other is Lowestoft AEC Swift YRT 898H with ECW body. Both are in working order and attend rallies. Also owned is BUT (AEC) Trolleybus HCD 52, ex Maidstone Corporation (new to Brighton). Further information and photos can be found at the EATM web site, http://www.eatm.org.uk.

The Regent is pictured while working in service in July 2003 at the annual Worthing Seafront Rally (photo by Syd Eade).

Two of the three 1946 Beadle bodied AEC Regal O662s used as open top tour buses in Hastings are now in preservation following careers with subsequent owners. HKL 819 was sold by Rexquote Heritage to a private owner in Bedfordshire and appears at running days in Kent. HKL 826, latterly with Guide Friday, has been restored to 1958 condition (as first converted) by the North East Bus Preservation Group.

Meanwhile the third, HKL 836, is with London Bus Company for use as a wedding and special events vehicle. It was previously with Wests Coaches of Wood Green, who took it to Showbus in 2006.

Private owner Geoff Yarnell has YKR 224 (S0224, later 3224), a Reliance bus with Beadle body, which appears regularly at rallies in the South and the Kent County Show.

It was pictured at Holtye Common during the 2006 East Grinstead running day.

Members of the Potteries Omnibus Preservation Society own the following AECs Reliances:

Alexander DP bodied 169 (FEH 169J), preserved in national bus company dual-purpose livery,
Alexander bodied 167 (DVT 167J), in need of restoration following arson attack,
Plaxton coach 1043 (AEH 143C), complete and undergoing restoration, hopefully to appear in 2007.

Information from Paul Pearson.

Weymann bodied 805 (805 EVT), formerly with the Potteries Omnibus Preservation Society, is now in the preserved fleet of Quantock, Taunton. It is able to operate on special event days although not licensed as a PSV for fare-paying services.

Alexander bodied Reliance VER 262L, which operated on the Oxford-Cambridge service with both Premier Travel and Percivals of Oxford, is one of the AECs preserved at the Oxford Bus Museum.

Stephen Morris of Quantock Motor Services has CYA 181J AEC Swift / Plaxton Derwent preserved in Knotty Bus livery. Also preserved at Quantock are a former Potteries Reliance 805 EVT (see above), a former Barton lowheight Regent V, 851 FNN, and a 1948 AEC coach, FJW 322, which was rebuilt from a pre-war AEC Regent chassis. Some other restored AECs in the Quantock fleet are licensed to operate as public service vehicles, and are shown in the Quantock entry on the AECs in Service page.

Rare ex Reading AEC Reliance/Neepsend CRD 152C is preserved by a private owner. It was new to Reading as 52 in July 1965, renumbered 252 in 1968 and withdrawn in August 1979. It can be seen occasionally at rallies and the picture was taken by Mac Head during a British Trolleybus Society tour in July 2008.

One of the oldest AECs still roadworthy is Reading 47 (RD 7127), a 1935 Regent. This vehicle is the property of the British Trolleybus Society at Sandtoft, and more details can be found at http://www.sandtoft.org/bts/Vehicles/Reading47.htm

Tim Wale has owned preserved ex Reading AEC Regents III MRD 146 since 2003. It appears regularly at rallies.

Reading AEC Regent IIIs MRD 147 (sister to MRD 146 above) and 98 (LDP 945) are in preservation with a private owner. 98 was pictured at the Alton Rally in 2007.

Ex Rhondda AEC Regent V 495 (KNY 495D) moved to the Barry Bus Depot premises of the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group in 2009. It is in fully restored condition.

235 is now in the Museum's care and has been the recipient of its first full restoration programme. Mechanical restoration has been long and arduous: the engine is not the usual 7.7 but is the bigger (and louder) 8.8 - thanks to the LBPG at Cobham for helping with some of the spares. The gearbox, radiator and virtually every seat had to be repaired or replaced, along with the staircase which was made entirely out of wood.

She made her premiere at the Salford celebration weekend at the Manchester Museum of Transport on 11/12 October 2003. There wasn't quite time to get an MOT before the event, but this will follow in Spring 2004. Look out for pictures in Bus & Coach Preservation magazine soon!

If you want to see her, she's on display at the Manchester Museum of Transport each weekend and Wednesday. The Museum's website has more information on how to get there, how much it is etc on www.manchester.bus.museum.

Ex Southampton AEC Regent V 402 (KOW 910F), which was Southampton's last AEC Regent and the last Neepsend body built, is preserved by the Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust and was seen at the FoKAB Winchester running day in January 2008.

Other ex Southampton AECs associated with the SDTHT are Regents 318 (318 AOW), 350 (370 FCR), 371 (BOW 507C), 401 (KOW 909F), Strachans bodies AEC Swift 1 (JOW 499E) and a pair of Plaxton bodied Reliances new to Coliseum Coaches, PCW 888G and PCW 889G.

Ex Surrey Motors' Harrington Grenadier HLP 10C is preserved by private owners Mike Pack and Mike Cullum, who have had it since June 2000. It is being actively rallied in 2007, and was at the Harrington gathering. A Surrey Motors Harrington Cavalier is also in preservation. HLP 10C can be seen at the AEC Society photopic site, http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/9158825CnjuPydmAS.

Delivered new to the Pontypridd Urban District Council, later becoming number 8 in the Taff-Ely fleet, Regent V UTG 313G is preserved by the Cardiff Transport Preservation Group

Unusual AEC Regal MXB 733 is a rebuild by Tilling in 1952 using an unspecified Regal chassis & new ECW 'Queen Mary' coach body. This vehicle has recently been re-acquired by the Brenson family of Chelmsford after standing outside for 5 years in Kent. Hopefully it will return to the rally scene later in 2009. A picture can be seen at http://www.sct61.org.uk/2tgmxb733b.htm.

1937 ex Trent AEC Regal RC 4615 is preserved at the Wythall Transport Museum. See http://www.wythall.org.uk/vehicles/vrc4615.asp

Paul Hattersley's ex Valliant Harrington Grenadier bodied coach AMX 8A is now restored. It has been out to three rallies so far in 2003, with no fuel problems. Nearly all the seats have been recovered, hopefully will have the rear seats in, ready for the AEC rally in Newark in Aug 2003. At the last two rallies, Southend and North Weald, it was nice to meet other owners of AEC Harrington's and we look forward to meeting more, hopefully at Newark. p.hattersley@dlr.co.uk

Andy Gamblin of Durham has purchased 780 HUP, ex-Venture of Consett AEC Reliance/Park Royal B45F dating from 1960. The vehicle is currently stored (summer 2005) awaiting longer term restoration.

This 1947 Regal Mk I chassis, new as KUM 386, is being restored by the Malta Historic Vehicles Trust, and a replica Duple body will be fitted. More info at www.maltahistoricvehicles.com/proj_1947_AEC_regal_1_coach_chassis.htm

Plaxton Consort bodied Reliance 8332 U, new to Wallace Arnold, was seen presented at the 2006 Showbus rally in excellent condition. This vehicle is a regular visitor to rallies in Yorkshire and the north of England.

Ex Western Welsh 1961 Reliance/Willowbrook DP WKG 284 is owned by the Reliance Bus Preservation Group. It has been restored to its current condition for about 12 years and regularly attends rallies in the South Wales area along with the group's other two vehicles, Caerphilly Leyland Tiger LTX 311, fleet No.1 and Red & White Bristol RESL LAX 101 E. Photo provided by Brian J. Law of the Reliance Bus Preservation Group.

Sister vehicle WKG 287, which also ran for Henleys of Abertillery for a number of years, has had a chequered preservation career but is now in the ownership of John Evans and the Rhymney Valley Preservation Group and returned to South Wales in November 2007.

ABO 145B, a 1964 Reliance 2MU3RA new to Western Welsh, is owned by Phil Willson (the Routemaster Association webmaster) who is keeping up the good work done by its previous owner, Brian Catchpole, to bring it up to A1 condition. It is appearing at rallies and running days whenever possible. It is now fitted with a AH505 engine plus AEC 6-speed constant mesh gearbox. The body is a 31ft 10in Harrington Grenadier currently fitted with 36 seats, which Phil thinks was the original number (it has had 38 and 40 at various times over the years). New to Western Welsh in 1964, its second owner was Greenslades of Exeter from 1971 to 1973.

Ex Western Welsh Northern Counties bodied AEC Renown 713 (BKG 713B), which was nicely restored by a Cwmbran based group, is currently residing near Newport and appears at rallies in the area.

Former Yelloway Motor Services 1976 AEC Reliance Duple Dominant Reg.-NNC 855P has been fully restored into Yelloway livery and converted into a mobile museum. The coach features a full history and artifacts of the Yelloway company and other associated coach companies. All enquiries to Dave Haddock, Tel. 0161-286-1547 or Email Dave.haddock8@ntlworld.com

The Yelloway Project acquired Plaxton bodied Reliance WEB 410T (ex Bowkers of Alsager) in February 2006, adding it to CDK 172L already in their care. The pair are dedicated to the memory of the joint Yelloway-Premier 77-78 service from Lancashire to East Anglia.

WEB 410T was new to Premier Travel of Cambridge. Sister WEB 411T (last registered IUI 6411), the last Reliance delivered new to Premier Travel, is still owned by Martyn Hearson following its stint with Knotty Bus, but is in need of restoration.

Privately owned 1953 AEC Regal with a late example of a Duple A type half-cab coach body, was present at the January 2009 FoKAB Winchester running day.

MXB 733, ex Tilling Regal rebuild (Queen Mary) was acquired in late 2008 by Johnathan Brenson, Little Waltham, Essex from The Berkeley Carriage Co. , Chelmsford. It had previously been owned and restored John Brenson's (Johnathan's dad), and they will be restoring it again.

Alexander B57F bodied long Reliance VMP 10G is preserved under the auspices of the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Site, although privately owned. It was new to the Road Transport Industry Training Board and never turned a wheel in PSV revenue earning service before being bought for preservation. Since then it has had spells of revenue earning service with WJC Buses of Chapelhall. In 2008 it was painted into WJC Buses livery having previously been in the livery of Baxter, Airdrie, although it was never operated by Baxter.

RM378 is with Dave Green, Travelgreen, Doncaster, currently registered WFO 410, and is being immaculately restored.

RM349 at Alton in August 2009

RM654 is preserved in Ireland by Charles Begley of Lisburn. A video of this bus can be seen at the Buses Ireland photo pages, at http://busesireland.fotopic.net/
busesireland@fsmail.net

RM835 is preserved in the attractive livery of Clydeside Scottish, with whom it ran after initial withdrawal by London Transport. It made its running day debut at the 2008 Slough/Windsor event.

RM859, which last ran in service with Reading Mainline / Reading Buses, is preserved in Mainline livery and appears at rallies

RM999, another that ran with Reading Mainline, is preserved by former Reading Mainline managing director Mike Russell.

RM980, which worked for Stagecoach in Perth for a number of years before returning to East London, is now preserved in LT livery

Preserved RM2213 was seen at a gala event at the Nene Valley Railway in September 2007.

One of the single batch of long-wheelbase Routemaster coaches built for Greenline work, and later transferred from London Country to London Transport as red buses on route 149, RCL2219 is preserved in its original Greenline livery at the Wythall Transport Museum.
http://www.wythall.org.uk/vehicles/vcuv219c.asp

Another of the RCLs in preservation is RCL2233, seen at the 2007 Alton Rally in Greenline livery.

Sister RCL2260 is in the operational fleet of London Bus Company Ltd and also appears regularly at running days.

RML2261 passes Windsor castle during a running day in May 2009.

RML2271 is preserved in Scotland by private owner Graham Laurie and is kept at the Beith Transport Museum alongside Michael Roulston's operational Routemaster fleet (see AECs in Service)

Lincoln Green RML2306 at the 2006 Gravesend running day

Another preserved in route 12 livery is RML2454, seen at a rally in Kent in 2009.

RML2518 is privately owned in the Manchester area and appears at events in the north-west..

RML2633 is privately owned but is kept at Arriva's Cannock garage in Arriva livery.

Sister RML2526 was spotted in June 2007 in the Norfolk broads also in Arriva livery. Does anyone know anything about this bus?

Forward entrance Routemaster RMA58 (NMY 655E), which was used on Heathrow Airport services when new, is now with a private owner in Cambridgeshire following a long spell in the Ensignbus heritage fleet.

Other routemasters that are preserved and can be seen at rallies and running days are RM737, RM1403 (open-top), RML2364, RML2463, RML2676, RML2731.

RML2547 has recently been bought for preservation and will be based in the Hereford/Powys area.

Many more pictures of preserved (and working) Routemasters can be found at Mick Liddle's Perthpanther Routemaster Collection site