Although the Ensign heritage fleet has been largely idle during lockdown, there’s a flurry of activity taking place with the restoration underway of a rare wartime bus and new additions to the collection.
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Withdrawn from service in 1957, the bus saw further use as a staff bus and driver trainer before being sold to J Hardwick of Ewell in 1963, and passing to well-known dealer/enthusiast Ted Brakell the following year. The bus was then rallied regularly into the 1970s before being stored for many years.
Said Ensign Director Steve Newman: “Our heritage fleet is still getting some film work but there’s not much else happening, there being no weddings or corporate events. We have vehicles ready for action however. The RT restoration is a major project and we hope to have it ready for our 2022 running day rather than this year.”
Ensign also owns RT8, which has been superbly outshopped in wartime guise following a massive restoration, and another project, RT54.
Meanwhile the firm has also acquired two AEC RF single-deckers which belonged to the later Arthur Henderson of Cambridge, who ran an organisation called the Traffic Research Centre. Both RF 36 (LYF 387) and RF79 (LYF 430) are restoration projects and will definitely not be scrapped.
ensignbus.com
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