SCOTTISH VINTAGE BUS MUSEUM

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 )

(Wanted, any photos of the bus in service!)

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)

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 were 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.
(Eddie Taylor Collection)


	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)

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.

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)