Jonathan Welch profiles three classic buses which were to be found among their many modern counterparts at Euro Bus Expo 2024 in Birmingham
Almost hidden among the shiny modern metalwork of this year’s Euro Bus Expo at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham were three classic buses. Centre stage of the three was JUE 349, a former Stratford Blue Motor Services Leyland PS2/3 with an interesting history. The chassis was new in 1950, but carried a single-deck body for the first 13 years of its life, before being rebodied in 1963 as a 63-seat double-decker by Northern Counties.
Fitted with a Leyland O.600 9.8-litre engine, the bus is fitted with a synchromesh gearbox and was one of five conversions carried out by Stratford Blue with the assistance of fellow BET company Yorkshire Traction in the early 1960s, giving what was essentially a new double-decker but without the cost and complexity of a more up-to-date chassis.
In 1971, the bus was one of three sold to G&G Coaches of Leamington Spa, where it remained in use until 1980. It was restored by local enthusiasts between 1985 and 1987, but arrived at its current home, the Transport Museum, Wythall, in 1996 in a poor state having suffered from a vandal attack, in which all of the windows were broken and a fire started inside. Restoration work began in 2015 and was completed this year, and has included the reinstatement of the bus’ original offside illuminated advertising panel, as well as repainting and signwriting in the traditional manner.
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